Wof: Under a Scarlet Banner

Chapter 14

"What have I done?", I gasped heavily as Gill was dragged across the arena floor. There was large patches of burns all along his body, on his face, wings, tail, everywhere. Where he still had scales, the glow that emanated from them was extremely weak, dim, and flickered like a broken flashlight. One of the guards tugged on his chains and they grazed a patch of seared flesh. He howled in pain and was practically on the verge of tears as he was brought into the middle of the arena. As the crowd...had the audacity...to laugh.

I never considered that Scarlet would have prolonged his torture, although it should have been completely expected. I can't imagine how much pain he must have went through, and worst of all, I suggested it. And why did I suggest such an awful punishment? Was there nothing else I could have possibly thought of? Would anyone forgive me if they knew?

Gill and Tsunami looked at each other with the same unwillingness. Neither of them wanted to fight the other, but they had no other choice. Even though Gill was twice the size of Tsunami, he was terrified. Tsunami's own scales became pale as she witnessed the extent of damage Scarlet had inflicted on Gill, just for her own enjoyment.

"Now, let's see if Gill is a bit more willing this time around."

The guards unchained Gill and flew off, "Claws up, Tails ready! Fight!"

Gill was extremely hesitant for a moment. There was a brief pause as he stared, breathing sharply through his teeth. He looked up at Scarlet, who looked back with a impatient gaze. Gill snapped and charged towards Tsunami. He lunged at her, but she easily dodged him and rolled far away from him. Gill turned around with equal speed and rushed at her again.

"He's fast...and desperate." Starflight said to Clay in a worried tone.

He was right. There was little hesitation in his attacks. Gill was still somewhat sane, but if you looked at the way he ran towards Tsunami, you would think otherwise.

"Tsunami is fast too." Clay responded with a voice of determination.

"I've seen that dragon before. He doesn't deserve any of this." I muttered in a quiet voice.

Starflight looked at me with a face that suggested that he was trying to be comforting while panicking internally, "Well, it's not your fault is it?"

I looked back at the fight, not saying a word.

Gill jumped at Tsunami and she leapt out of his way, but as she did so, Gill managed to claw her underside. Streams of blood flowed across her ocean blue scales and dripped onto the floor. Tsunami retaliated with a tail swipe that hit the underside of Gill's chin. His head flew back and he bit his tongue as the impact of Tsunami's powerful tail closed his jaws. He cried in pain and stepped back.

Tsunami got into a defensive stance as Gill was trying to bounce back into the fight, "Come on, you obviously don't want to do this as much as I don't want to fight you. You don't have to do this."

Gill kept breathing through his teeth. He spoke in a horse voice like someone had screamed until their throat dried and gave out, N...Noooo...I can't...I won't go through that again...I'd rather die."

He lunged at her again, but Tsunami moved to the side and shoved him back. Even though he was twice her size, his actions were frantic and desperate. Every attack was little more than a aimless flail. He was toppled over and fell on his side, the sand beneath him got into his scales and irritated his skin making him wince.

Tsunami leapt on him before he could get up, gripped his horns, and pushed his head down. Tsunami climbed on top of him and forced him onto the ground. One of her feet was planted on his wings where a burn was which made Gill whine as Tsunami continued to hold his head down. She noticed his pain and stood up over him, but still leaned over to maintain a steady hold on his horns. He made no effort to retaliate as she hovered over him.

Tsunami looked at Scarlet and shouted, "I've won! You can all see that! I ask that you let me let him live!"

The crowd erupted into an angry rage as they all cried for various acts of violence against the downed Seawing,

"Kill him! Kill him for Pyrrhia's sake!"

"Break his neck!"

"Rip and tear!"

"Drown him!"

Scarlet jeered from her balcony, "Well, perhaps our "Dragonets of Destiny" don't have the stomach for battle. Maybe war is toooooo scaaaaaary. Or are Seawings going soft?"

Starflight whispered to Clay again, "What is she doing? If she lets him go they'll both die. It's his life or hers."

I spoke first, "Would you be able to do it?"

"You did."

I looked at the floor somberly.

Clay spoke for me, "That doesn't make it any easier."

Tsunami and Scarlet locked eyes and stared intensely at each other. She gripped her talons around Gill's horns and then...

...let go.

She got off of Gill and went to the side. Gill remained on the floor in the same position he was in. Tsunami resumed eye contact with Scarlet and spoke clearly, "No. I'm not doing it. No more innocent dragons have to get hurt."

The crowd once again erupted into a violent rage, yelling various insults, death threats, and what I would assume to be curses. Scarlet was furious, "Well we are going to kill him anyway! See how good sparing him will do. GUARDS! Chain him up so we can execute him at the end of today's games!"

The guards flew down and hammered a peg to the ground and dragged Gill to the spot where he would be chained. "And when you are finished, unchain the Nightwing!"

Clay began to yell and tug on his chains as soon as he realized they were sending Starflight to fight, "Wait! Let me fight instead!"

"Please don't ruin this for me, Mudwing. I've been waiting for this for a long time now. You will not ruin my hatching-day present to myself. And you know, when he does die, I think I'll hang his wings in my chambers. I quite love his sparkly obsidian shimmer. It'll be perfect."

"NO! LET ME GO!"

I realized that I was about to lose my protection and slowly walked out from under Starflight. I then ran to Clay before the guards could take notice of me. He stopped tugging as he saw me approaching. I slowed down and raised my hands, "Oh, sorry. We...we're good right?"

He looked me over and then nodded, "Yeah, don't worry I'll protect you. Just don't stab me, ok"

I realized I maintained a grip on my sword this whole time. At this point it felt like it was fused to my hand, "Right, right. I won't."

Starflight was unchained and the guards left him to fight Tsunami. She walked slowly towards him. Her blood mostly clotted, but a few drops still rolled across her chest and fell to the floor, making her appear more menacing than before. Starflight shifted his claws in the sand nervously. Tsunami quickly wrapped her neck around him and nuzzled his face. Starflight looked slightly shocked, but soon returned the gesture.

"Boooooo...Boo?"

"(Awwww)"

"Come on are you really not going to fight? Surely after spending your whole life stuck under a rock with this slimy eel you would be at her throat!"

The two said nothing in response, "AGGGH! How did I end up with the worst gladiators in Pyrrhia. GUARDS! SEND EVERY ICEWING WE HAVE INTO THE ARENA! BRING ME SOMETHING THAT WILL FIGHT!"

Clay moved frantically and pulled on his chains again, "Let me fight with them! Please!"

I dodged one of his heavy feet as it stomped the floor next to me, "Hey! Careful! I'm down here you know!"

"Sorry, sorry."

Several guards brought the Icewings from the towers. There were eight of them set all along the arena. There would be no chance of survival.

But then, a dark shadow loomed over the arena. There was another half dozen dragons circling in the sky and one massive one flying into the arena. He landed with a deafening thud and his voice boomed in a thick, deep, British voice, "This dragonet is ours."