INFERNAL - 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐲𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟖 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

TWO

They were waiting when Ndete and her mother arrived, landing on the floor of the great cavern that sat at the center of the warrens. Around them, the rest of the colony had gathered. They stood in groups, crowding in from all of the different tunnels, some still bunched into the openings.

"Rishiri." A large dragon separated from a small cluster and came toward them, his teeth flashing. "You found her, I see." His red scales glowed.

"Okmok," her mother replied. The words were warm enough, but her tone did little to make the disdain.

A shadow covered them. Ndete turned her head up to see her father's form as it glided above them and came to rest beside her mother. He nuzzled her neck gently with his own, then turned his blue-white eyes to Ndete.

"Daughter. I am pleased you are here." She understood that he was saying more than his words could employ. "I would have you stand with me at the dais."

She inclined her head, her eyes never leaving her father's.

"Come."

They walked together across the floor of the cavern to the raised stone. She let her father step onto it first, then moved carefully to stand beside him. Her mother's golden eyes followed from the side.

The room quieted.

"Okmok of the western reaches, leader of the red colony, how come you?"

Okmok came closer, stopping at the very foot of the raised stone. He was so close that he nearly touched it, a great offense and one that was punishable, but he was careful to avoid contact. Ndete saw her father's eyes mark Okmok's position and his barely concealed affront.

Okmok stretched out his right foreleg, lowering himself before the Pendragon, his rightful King.

"I come to give my condolences to my liege on the loss of his first born." Okmok lifted his eyes, another near affront as he had not been given leave to rise as yet. "We are grieved, Sire, that both your family and our kind are left without a named protector."

Smoke curled from her father's lips.

"You may rise, Okmok." He moved his head closer to the red dragon as he spoke. "Mind you, speak plain. I've little humor for else."

Okmok cleared his throat. "Yes, Sire." He stood to his full height.

He was a large dragon. Puyu took after him in that way. He used his size to his advantage, Ndete knew. Okmok did the same as he held himself tall before the Pendragon for all to see.

"This plague that steals our young is growing." Okmok's words stirred a ripple of sound from around the cavern as others agreed.

All the colonies were concerned at what seemed to be a spreading death among creatures that were otherwise nearly immortal.

"That your own son could succumb..." Okmok trailed off, letting those listening infer what they would. "Sire, it leaves no doubt that we are all at risk. Should there not be a named successor, it could leave us unprotected."

Ndete saw her father's eyes narrow just a fraction. Someone not observing him closely might not have noticed, but she could feel the tension that ran through him.

"What do you propose?"

There was no preamble. He cut through to the heart of it. Ndete had been angry at him for what had seemed like a lack of grief over the loss of her brother, but the truth of it struck her now. He might not be grieving the same way that she was, but he was grieving nonetheless. Futility and anger were twin flames that filled him, twisting together as they burned. He could not stop Okmok from making a claim for the open position, but he could expose the red dragon for the callous opportunist that he was.