Wings of Fire: The Shifting Sands

Chapter 5: Darkthought

Darkness, enveloping him tightly, but hundreds of holes, showed snippets of sky and desert. That was the first thing he saw when he woke. His snout, talons and wings were bound. The flapping of wings filled the air, but when he struggled, the gruff voice from before said, "He's waking up. Hit him again, would you?"

Another voice said, "Sure." And a sharp pain penetrated to his head, and everything went black again. And he found himself dreaming.

He sat on the peak of a mountain, overseeing clouds and a thick river running to the horizon, with a long flat slab of cobblestone making a floor around him. Pillars rose up on all sides, creating walls, with a carved marble roof sitting comfortably on top. A golden bowl full of smoldering embers sent black smoke wafting through the air, with the unpleasant smell of coal lingering in Darkthought's nose. He turned around, and was not very surprised to see a large, dark green SeaWing watching the scene at the end of the hallway. 

"Ah." Hydra turned and considered Darkthought cruelly and intelligently, but Darkthought also saw – and sensed – something like fear in his eyes.

"How- how are you alive?" blurted Darkthought, although he already knew the answer.

Hydra's gaze turned cold, cold as the sky on a moonless night. "Disappointed?" 

"Yes, actually."

Hydra snorted. "You know. Animus are rare and special and useful, if we know how to use our gift correctly. Personally, however, I would love to see your head on a wall, but my, ah, ally has other plans." He lashed his tail and considered Darkthought's head thoughtfully. "Although, he may be right, in a sense. You're a powerful one, aren't you? Two moons, and an animus. Quite a useful pawn. He sees potential in you, as I did, before you killed me, temporary as it might be," his voice was full of cold ice. 

Darkthought knew that he did not want to meet Hydra's ally. He really wished he hadn't met Hydra either, but it was too late for that.

"Why am I here?" he asked finally. It wasn't something he particularly wanted to know, but it seemed like a good way to get some sense of what was happening without betraying his intentions, and it also hopefully kept Hydra from calculating his head on a wall.
Hydra's eyes glinted like he knew exactly what Darkthought was trying to do. "Because you've got potential, young animus. He sees that. And an animus is always a gift. Think on that." And to avert the prophecy, his mind added quickly before Hydra pulled his defenses back up as a deafening roar shook the building. 

HYDRA! Roared a voice full of flames. WHERE ARE YOU?

Hydra hissed. "Think on what I have said, NightWing. We'll meet again, and hopefully I'll be the one driving a spear through your skull. In the meantime, have fun in prison."
Hydra raised his forearms and shook two golden bracelets, which Darkthought hadn't noticed he was wearing, and with a ripping noise, Darkthought was shaken to consciousness.

The first thing Darkthought saw this time was his own forearms, shackled and connected to a black steel rung in the floor. Stone walls surrounded him on almost all sides, a patchwork of rock and sandstone bricks. Iron bars crisscrossed the only exit, with a locked door similarly made of iron. He could almost touch the handle with the tips of his wings if he leaned as far as he could in his chains, but not quite. 

Another small, square window behind him on the top of the wall showed giant walls in the distance, and dragons flying everywhere. Oases, palm trees and rare, lush grass were dotted everywhere. Darkthought groaned. It felt like a mountain had slammed into his temples, tip first.