Wings of Fire - Court of Lies

18 - A Fate Worse than Death

<< So, did I do a good job? >>
<< You're always the best Chameleon. >>

Queen Scarlet looked at the NightWings they had caught with the help of her loyal animus.
The night was still young and the dragoness wasn't tired, she was ready to decide of all her new prisoners' fate right there in that moment.

<< The princess will serve us good as an hostage, I'm sure Queen Battlewinner won't like to hear her daughter is our prisoner. >>
<< I'm sorry Scarlet, but Battlewinner cares for her daughter like you cared about your husband. >>

Said Chameleon, currently under the mask of Soar as pain flashed in the young NightWing's eyes.

<< Oh my, so we can't blackmail her? That's not good, I'm sure we can play our card nicely and make her bow under the pressure. >>
<< We can try, after all Greatness is her only daughter, she has no other heir to her throne. >>
<< "Greatness" uh? Such an humble name. >>

Another NightWing they had caught growled at the queen.

<< You're one to talk? Your name is "Scarlet" and you are orange! >>
<< That's surely a nice comeback Void. >>

Murmured Trickster with a paw on his eyes as he covered in shame.

<< Yes, what about it? >>

Whispered Chameleon, the queen simply sighed: << Let's just say that my mother couldn't see colors really well and none of us wanted to tell her that and get punished¹ >>.
The SkyWing queen looked at her new prisoners and nodded silently.

<< Only five NightWings? >>
<< Greatness thought a bigger team would have been harder to sneak inside. >>
<< Well, she wasn't wrong, but the plan was so rushed... >>

Giggling, Scarlet got closer to the young princess.

<< At your age, in your position, you shouldn't be this dumb when it comes to rescuing your dragons. >>

Greatness looked like she wanted to answer back, but recoiled quickly under the grin of the adult dragoness, unsure of what would have happened if she pushed Scarlet's buttons.

<< Well, I have no use for her soldiers and we never had a NightWing fight in our arena before. Guards? >>
<< Yes! Your Highness! >>

Said the armored SkyWings that weren't busy chaining and muzzling the new prisoners.

<< Call our healers and have them examine these NightWings, I want to know who is able to give us a good show and who is completely useless. We'll see what we can do with those. >>
<< As you wish, Your Highness. >>

Said one of the guards before going to call for the healers.

<< Now, now, our dungeon is getting pretty crowded, don't you think? >>

Asked Scarlet looking at her loyal colleague.

<< We need Greatness and Morrowseer and with the training they got, Squid and Fatespeaker will be a great addition to our gladiators, so they're needed as fighters along with whoever the healers will deem fit... >>

Started the queen, walking slowly until she was in front of the cells of Webs, Kestrel and Dunes.

<< ... and we need Webs to get Queen Coral on our side, so what should we do with you two? >>

Kestrel got quickly on her feet and growled behind the metallic muzzle, looking at her former queen in the eyes, daring her to open her cell.

<< May I suggest you something? >>

Asked Burn.
The SandWing princess and Queen Moorhen heard all the commotion and while the royal guards tried to stop them first, they had managed to get down in the dungeons.

<< Oh, my friends, I hope we didn't disturb your sleep~ >>
<< "Disturb"? Please, I want to enjoy this. >>

Grinned Burn, the MudWing behind here sat still, refusing to look at the prisoners.

<< You know Dunes is a traitor and I would love to execute him personally. >>
<< Uh-uh... >>
<< But there is someone out in the desert that hates him more than me. A certain dragoness named Thorn. >>

At the mention of Thorn's name, Dunes' eyes widened as stared at the princess, worried deadly at the thought of being used to lure his former best friend in a trap.

<< She is now the head of some low-life criminals, they call themselves: the Outclaws. Before Six-Claws ran from me like they traitor he is, I managed to get a few things out of him~ >>

The chained SandWing launched himself at the cell's bars, trying to roar and silently asking for the whereabouts of his dear friends, afraid to know what Burn did with him.

<< Don't get your tail in a twist, the traitor escaped before I could execute him and take what was rightfully mine... >>

Hissed Burn, thinking back at Six-Claws strange paws and the multiple fingers that gave him his name.
She wanted to expose his anomaly in her museum and his escape deeply angered her.

<< ... but a few threats and a good wound where it really hurts made him talk about a very, little secret. Like the fact that you knew Thorn really well, so well she entrasted with something, didn't she? >>

Dunes just growled again.

<< Yes, the egg that would hatch under the full moon. >>
<< Sunny's egg? >>

Asked Scarlet and Burn nodded silently.

<< Just imagine how heartbroken Thorn must have felt, to know that her best friend took her precious daughter away from her and that he wanted to throw her in the middle of the war... if I take Dunes back, I might get her to have a nice little chat and if she finds out her daughter is with us and we "saved" her, may side with her. >>
<< And what if she doesn't? >>

Asked Queen Moorhen, highly doubtful of that plan.
"They can't be all so easy to manipulate, come on!"
Princess Burn looked at her like she had just heard a really stupid and naive question.

<< Then I'll have Thorn where I can kill her, it's not that hard to get. >>

The MudWing queen rolled her eyes, leaving a spot for Chameleon to speak.

<< And what about Kestrel? >>
<< Oh, I wanted to look at her getting killed by her own daughter, but I think I've found a better and far more useful way to dispose of her. >>

Something in Scarlet's voice that made Chameleon himself shiver.

<< After all, she's quite the specimen, isn't she? Strong, agile, clever... a pure high-class SkyWing soldier from head to tail. >>
<< So... ? >>
<< "So...", since this war took down many of us already, I'll use her a bit more before letting Peril end her misery. I'll let my soldiers breed her like a common bitch, a dog or a pet-scavenger you want for pups to sell. She'll give us many, many SkyWing our army can use and maybe, considering she gave me the perfect killing machine, she could grant me even more. Then, when she won't be able to give us more eggs, Peril will kill her. >>
<< Are you for real?! >>

Asked Queen Moorhen as she stared at the orange SkyWing with wide eyes and clear disgust.

<< Yes I am, a traitor deserves even worst. >>
<< I'm with Scarlet. You are not going to run like a coward, aren't you. >>

Said Burn and while the MudWing wished to say something different, she just shook her head and whispered, just barely udible.

<< No, of coure I'm not. >>

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Author's Notes: (¹)= this is a simple headcanon.

- LaraEndlight