The Dragon's Arena

Chapter 6 - He's not Dead

(Drake POV)
Drake was racked by grief. She had killed Clyo, and she hadn’t even look sorry about it. In fact, as far as he could tell, she had seemed confused at his sadness. Drake didn’t care what his father had ordered or the consequences of his actions might bring, he needed to face her again. Firm in his resolve to see her again, Drake began planning on how he would escape the restrictions that had been placed upon him. However, it turned out that he had to look no farther than to his friend, Richard Careson. As soon as Ann had left the arena grounds, which still puzzled Drake how she had managed that; Richard had gathered some of his friends together, who knew how close Drake was to Clyo, and made up the replacements for his current guards. After which, they professed to be escorting him to his chambers while Richard actually switched places with him. This allowed for Drake to sneak into the dungeons to have a talk with his violent friend.

    “Anyway that reminds me, why do you stay here, Pollian? Your father and mother are likely starting to get worried. They probably have already met the Usaca, Delga. And you know their concern will double when Clyo goes to them. You are aware that he will at least tell him about your imprisonment if not rally your tribe to retrieve you,” Drake had no idea who had said it but they were definitely male and close to Ann’s cell.

    “I know that my time here grows short Kilsad, but the king’s son intrigued me so much I wanted to stay and see his true charac-” Drake cut her off.

    “You wanted to see my character! That’s why you chose to stay? Is that also why you killed Clyo?”

    “Killed... Clyo?” the Buñaca, Drake assumed he was Kilsad, said scrunching his brow in confusion.

    “Is he dead?” Ann asked, looking equally perplexed.

    “You tell me, you’re the one who poisoned him,” Drake closed his eyes against the tears and hopped that they wouldn’t hear the catch in his voice.

    “Drake, look me in the eye,” Ann said gently. Drake didn’t think he could manage that. She sighed and walked over as far as she could towards him. “Drake, I am not fully aware of the reputation my people have in your world or the knowledge you have on us, but know this: I haven’t killed anyone.”

    “I’ve seen your poison in action, it kills the victim almost instantly,” Drake hesitated, “Doesn’t it?”

    “Pollian…” Kilsad warned in a low voice.

    “I am sorry if it seems that I am being disloyal to my people or breaking secrecy, but Kilsad, he needs to know. How would you feel if you saw one of your friends drop to the ground seconds after a sacaran bite and not know?”

    “Fair enough.”

    “Not know… what?” Ann beckoned for him to come closer.

    “Drake, before I divulge this information, you have to understand that I am placing a great trust in you by doing so. This is a closely guarded secret of the ‘wild’ tribes, especially my own people.” Here Ann waited for him to agree that he understood the things that this secret would require on his part to stay that way. “Sacarans, or Layags as you know us, have multiple types of poisons. The one that I have been using does not kill, but is merely a sleeping potion of sorts.”

    “So Clyo… isn’t dead?”

    “Nor Delga or the Rattaler,” Ann confirmed, “I merely put them into a literal sleep.”

    “Oh.” Ann smiled and him and turned to walk back to Kilsad.

    “And Drake, if you tell anyone, it won’t matter how many guards you have protecting you or how thick the walls are that you place between you and me, you can be well assured that you will know the pain of a fatal bite.”

    “Wait,” Drake said before fumbling with the lock and entering her cell, “if you just put him to sleep why would he go tell your parents?”

    “You do not know about Clyo’s relation with the Kressian’s heir?” Kilsad asked looking from Ann to himself.

    “I don’t even know who the… Kressan’s heir is?” Drake retorted.

    “Now is not the time Kilsad,” Ann said before he could respond, “Anyway, Clyo spent many years with my tribe after we healed him from a deadly… sickness. After he was totally cured he learned the ways of my people before returning back to his own.”

    “But-” Ann placed a slim paw over his snout.

    “Before you ask any more questions, is anyone waiting for you?” Drake gasped and hurried to the door.

    “I almost forgot about Richard. He switched places with me to allow me to talk to you about Clyo. I need to be going before my father or brother finds out.”

    “I was wondering why you were wearing his armor again,” she said with a teasing glint in her eye.

    “Talk to you later?” Drake was sure he felt something towards his violet friend, but didn’t exactly know what it was quite yet and wanted to find out. Ann didn’t answer with words, merely a nod of her furry head. Drake was in a happy daze when he went back to his room. The two guards who were stationed at his door were not from Richard’s group, but Drake wasn’t too concerned. Guards switched all the time.

    “How was your run to the dungeons Drake?” was the greetings from his father when he opened the door. Richard stood behind King Issacar with two other soldiers; he was bound to the others and had a metal ring restraining his mouth.

    “How did you know?” Drake said as he took off his helmet.

    “Please, I know my own son well enough to know how alike he is to his stubborn and daring mother,” Issacar said rising from the mound of cushions by the fire that he had been laying on and walked over to Drake.

    “What are you going to do, have me killed like Clyo?” Drake hoped his father didn’t hear anything beyond bitterness in his tone. He would hate to give away Ann’s secret only hours after learning it himself.

    “No, the problem with your type is that threatening them personally never works. You have to attack someone they hold dear to get through to them that they are not as in charge as they would like to think.”