Hybrids of Hope or Hell

Chapter Six : Wild Tansy

As the two dragoness' lead the pair of frightened dragons, they picked up a few stray pieces of an argument among the SandWing guards. "I swear one of them is a hybrid from the prophecy!"

Gazing at the curiously, Cuckoowasp strained their ears to hear the whispers of the discussion. The guard's words taking a quiet turn as the two large females approached with the prisoners.

Only managing to catch a few snippets here and there of the hushed conversation, the hybrid tried to fill in the gaps as best as they could. The armored SandWings mentioned something about a 'dangerous prisoner' and how they had managed to injure a few guards over their lengthy stay. They continued to murmur about how the prisoner was supposedly a hybrid between a SandWing and an IceWing.

Cuckoowasp's curiosity leads them to pick up their uneven pace, more eagerly following the dangerous couple to the cells in hopes of speaking to this apparent hybrid.

Noticing the sudden change in pace, Eclipse gave their friend a questioning look. The pair of SandWings also took note of the different mood, glancing back at the two with suspicious eyes. The larger one grumbled slightly, her fatal talons tightening around the HiveWing hybrid's wrist once more, "what's gotten into you hm? Eager to see where you'll rot?"

"No ma'am just don't want to lag too far behind and get punished" They responded coolly, making sure to convincingly disguise their rushed lie.

The dirt coloured dragoness snickered in response, tickled by the hasty explanation, "worried about getting punished are you? That's awfully polite of you, little one. Most other young dragons would be struggling and trying to run away again, but you're behaving so well now."

Keeping their green snout shut, Cuckoowasp assumed the dragoness pair would appreciate their silence over any response they could think of. This seemed to earn the larger SandWing's approval as she nodded, satisfied with the lack of response, "good, you're learning your place. Keep behaving like that, and things will go smoothly."

Continuing to be lead down the bowels of the tunnels, the sounds of muffled voices and banging echoes started to drift towards them from somewhere up ahead. The cavern soon opened up into a large, roughly hewn chamber. Torches burning along the rocky walls dimly illuminated the cave, casting flickering shadows across the stone floor. Cramped cell after cramped cell filled the space, each one housing a couple of different prisoners.

Air thick with the smell of mold and sweat filled the dragon's nostrils, while the sound of rattling chains occupied their ears. The occasional pitiful moan was cast out from the prisoners as Cuckoowasp kept their blue-sclera eyes trained on the ground, not wanting to observe too much of the suffering.

The SandWing couple eventually lead Eclipse and the hybrid into a far empty cell, muttering something about how the past cellmates had to be moved because fights kept breaking out. As the cell door slammed shut behind the new prisoners, the sound of a key turning in the lock laughing at them in the cramped space. Most of the space was in near darkness, the pathetic flame of a nearby torch barely reaching behind the bars.

Noticing two bright eyes watching them from the dim corner, Cuckoowasp stepped forward, both to steal a better look at their mystery cellmate, and to place themselves as a shield between the stranger and their friend.

She was a scrawny young dragon, her body littered with old scars and recent wounds. Golden brown and icy blue scales reflected the poor illumination, jagged cold spikes decorating her spine.

"Hi." Was all the HiveWing hybrid could choke out as Eclipse cowered behind them.

The strange dragon barked out a derisive snort before replying, her voice hoarse and harsh, "what? You going to give me the same 'oh, we feel sorry for you' speech? Save it, I'm not interested in your fake pity."