The Reaper

Chapter 4: I'm So Sorry

Reaper- No, Orchid- Knew herself well enough. She had done enough raids that she could easily fake having been a harmless RainWing dragonet, from a village she had attacked. No. She WAS a harmless RainWing dragonet from a village she had attacked. That was her now.

"The Reaper got to my village too. She stole my life." Orchid whimpered. She curled into a ball and shed a small tear. The last part was true; The Reaper had stolen her life.

"Believe me, I'm no stranger to The Reaper. She killed my family, right in front of my eyes; When I find her, I'm going to kill her."

"Well, if she killed your whole family then couldn't I-" Reaper coughed, "SHE just kill you too?"

"Nothing will stand in the way of justice."

"Revenge. Ruby, that's revenge."

"Justice. Come on Cinder, we need to head back."

"Can I come too?" Orchid asked with a whimper. "I've got nowhere to go."

"Sure. Come on." They all lifted into the air, and found, that despite Cinder's fast speed, and the fact they were SkyWing's, Orchid still managed to fly faster.

Now, of course Orchid couldn't say, 'I'm a highly trained assassin who's known around the world.' So she settled for the next best thing. "I did? Sorry. I don't know how I fly so fast! If I did. But you said so and I seem to so-"

"I get it. I'm just impressed."

"Thanks." They headed into town and Ruby's adopted family decided that Orchid could stay with them. Orchid was led to a small den that Ruby said was her room. Apparently they'd be sharing it.

Orchid thanked everyone for there hospitality and followed Ruby to where she was officially introducing Orchid to her friends.

"Ok, this is Orchid. Orchid, you've already met Cinder." She gestured toward the big red dragonet. "And this is Firebreeze." She nodded to an average size SkyWing with glossy orange scales and a sweet look.

"Hi Firebreeze." Orchid smiled.

"H-Hi Orchid." Firebreeze had a shy grin she couldn't hide, so she buried her head in her neck. Orchid smiled back, with some difficulty. Smiling in a non-cruel way was new to her. She liked it. But at the same time, she really, really hated it.

"So... Orchid... what do you like to do?"

"I like laying in the sun... and uh, eating fruit?" She said it as almost a question, as she had never even been to the rainforest in the moments of her life that her brain was old enough to remember anything, other than on a couple raids. But the only bit of RainWings she had seen then was panic.

"You're lying. I can tell." Firebreeze responded.

"How-"

"You don't ask about if you like to eat something."

"Fine fine... I uh, really like flying fast. And fighting. I just got used to saying that. I didn't want the other RainWings to treat me funny. I'm not very good at fighting though."

"Orchid, that's totally fine! You'll fit right in here. Well, minus the being a RainWing part."

"Yeah... haha heh, RainWing. Thanks Firebreeze." Orchid gave a genuine smile and went back to the den. "I'm exhausted, I've been flying all day. Is it okay if I go to sleep?"

"Totally." Ruby and Firebreeze walked Orchid back to the den, and she laid down.

"Night." Firebreeze smiled.

"But it's still day." Orchid said with a yawn.

"It's not literal- good day Orchid."

"Da..." Orchid fell into a light sleep.

•••

"Where'd you meet Orchid, Rubes?"

"Went out with Cinder, crashed into her. She's wicked fast. And strong too."

"Huh. She's cool."

"You like her don't you?" Ruby said, glancing at Firebreeze.

"So what if I do?"

"I start fangirling."

Firebreeze laughed and raised into the air. "Wanna play tag?"

Ruby liked Firebreeze because she was one of the few light-hearted dragons in Mountain Summit of Flaming Dragons. She reminded Aur of her old village-mates. She moved her mind on before she could think to hard about her now dead village-mates. She renewed her vow to kill the Reaper, and answered Firebreeze. "Sure."

Ruby walked over to her den to find Orchid gone. "Orchid?"

"Oh, uh, hi." Ruby located Orchid sitting on a large rock, weaving together an intricate and beautiful basket that Ruby was absolutely astounded by.

"That's... beautiful. Did you make that?"

"Yes." Orchid simply answered.

"How'd you learn to do that?"

"RainWing secret."

"Practice?"

"And lot's and lot's of work."

"Can ya teach me?"

"Sure." Orchid handed Ruby a few strips of whatever material she was using, Ruby couldn't place it. Orchid showed her how to weave it together, and they both began working on baskets.

"So, Orchid, did you have many friends?"

"I had a few." She said it in a sad way, but there seemed something unnatural about how she said it. Ruby brushed it off and asked another question.

"Can you tell me about them?"

Orchid shook her head, "Too painful."

"I get it." Ruby murmured. "I knew a dragon who's village was hit by the Reaper in the past. She came to my village to get away from the Reaper. She didn't speak for three months." Ruby looked down. "I-I told her she would be safe. I told her the Reaper would never come. I saw her body. Bleeding. Dead." Ruby hid her face in her claws.

"I-I'm sorry."

"Why? It's not your fault!" At that, Orchid burst out crying. Ruby didn't know why. Maybe it was an emotional RainWing thing.

"Hey! Hey! It's okay!"

"But it's not okay! How could the Reaper kill such inocent dragons like that? How could any dragon do that? It's horrible! Horrible! I'm- She's horrible!" Orchid was breathing hard and tears were flooding her face.

Ruby put a comforting wing around Orchid. Orchid just cried harder at this. Her tears cleared up after a while and she looked at Aur.

"I am very sorry to all that has happened to you and all the other dragons the Reaper hurt." Her electric blue eyes were big and deep, like pools of water at night, glittering with stars. Orchid was on the verge of crying again but she managed to tug the tears back in.

"Thank you, Orchid."