The Scratazon Chronicles Origins

Chapter 7

Sorrenn's POV:

After being taken from the mines by 2 of the guards, Gylfinea and I were suddenly taken to a room that hasn't been used in ages.

The guard on our left turned towards us and said, "OK, it's only a matter of time until the Pure Ones know what happened."

"If you be quiet and do exactly as we say, we'll get you out of here." The other guard said. Gylfinea and I were confused about what was going on.

"What?" We asked in unison.

"This is a breakout. We're helping you escape." The guard on the right said.

"Why are you doing this?" Gylfinea asked, still not trusting a word the guards were saying. Both guards took their masks off to reveal that their eyes weren't blood red like the others. One of them had his left eye missing from its socket.

"'Cause it's the right thing to do." The 'guard' on the left said again. I looked closer at the scratazon who spoke to me, starting to sense something faintly familiar about him.

"What are your names?" I asked.

"The name's Wing Dagger." The scratazon, whose name I now recognized, said. Me and my mentor, Padlock have been here for a few weeks."

"We were hoping that if there were any younglings that were strong and smart enough to resist the chants yesterday, we'd help them." Padlock said. "Guess you 2 will have to do." I was starting to think that they were guardians. But was still unsure if Wing Dagger, as he called himself, was what I believed he was. I decided not to think more of it and wanted to know about Padlock.

"So, Padlock, was it? Are you a guardian or a-"

"Pure one?" He said, answering my question prematurely. "Nah, I hated them almost as much as what they had almost turned me into."

"Padlock wasn't always a guardian." Wing Dagger said.

(Padlock's Flashback)

"When the Pure Ones invaded our kingdom, I fought back. The Pure Ones believed they could use that, so they tried to take my family. Then the guardians came along and rescued me and my eldest daughter, Bethel. They were too late to save my mate, but it started to no longer matter to me because my daughter is still alive. I've been helping the guardians out ever since. "

(Flashback end)

Gylfinea and I were shocked by what Padlock had been through. It was just absolutely terrible. I turned to Wing Dagger.

"And what about you?" I asked. 

Honestly, I don't remember much." He said sadly. "All i could remember was seeing my home village in a blaze of destruction, then I was found by the guardians and... that's pretty much it. My memory was fuzzy." Gylfinea and I looked at each other in utter confusion, then back at our new friends.

"Do you believe that the guardians would help us?" I asked.

"They should." Wing Dagger said. "No Pure One had ever survived the Sea of Phoolimere, where the tree lay shrouded in ancient mists..."

"Which kept it hidden from all but the strong of purpose and true of heart."I finished, realizing that he was reciting one of the stories of the Guardians of Tortuga'hoole.

"Yeah, exactly." Padlock said. "We have to go if we're to warn them in time." I felt ready to leave St Copernicus, but my face fell.

"I can't leave yet." I said, surprising Everyone. "I suddenly hold out the hope of seeing my brother for one last time." Then an all too familiar voice shocked the 4 of us.

"You sure about that?"

We looked to see Nyrachnia standing at the hall with 2 Pure One soldiers at her side. Then a 3rd one appeared behind her. He seemed faintly familiar, but I couldn't tell because he was wearing a dark cloak.

"We'll hold them off! Get out while you still can!" Wing Dagger shouted. Gylfinea and I reluctantly obliged, going out a back door that was conveniently placed. We waited outside the door to listen to what was going on in the room. There was the sounds of blades clashing with each other. I looked in the room and saw Wing Dagger knock Nyrachnia to the ground. Then he did something unexpected: raising his tail like a Scorpion ready to strike.

I swear I could've heard Nyrachnia whisper, "No. It can't be." I was thinking the same thing.

Then when the 2 of them said, "brother/sis?", something snapped. Wing Dagger was the younger brother of Nyrachnia and yet another survivor of the arachnid clan massacre like what I told Klludd! Then I saw Padlock go to Wing Dagger's side, presumably after taking down the guards.

He looked down at Nyrachnia and said, "I'm sorry. You should've found out sooner." Then Wing Dagger ran like the wind, possibly in a state of shock. Padlock was starting to follow suit when he heard hissing from behind him. The cloaked figure was behind him. I gestured Gylfinea to back away slowly and don't turn back. We were forced to witness the figure pin down Padlock. As we turned away and ran, the sound of a sword unsheathing was heard followed by a the noise of a ribcage being crushed, then short silence that was swiftly broken by Padlock's ear-splitting scream. Then it was quiet save for the wind and the echoes of the scream that buried itself into mine and my friend's memories. Forever.