Casting Shadows (re writing)

Chapter 17Flaming strings.

The Nightwing rattled the bars, screaming something. While the Mudwing, Swan, passed back in fear, her wings tucked close to her slim body, eyes wide. Dune shot at them like a bullet. His eyes gleaming with excitement. The Mudwing shrieked when he was about a tail length, and fled the other direction.

Coal blew a sudden spurt of fire at its face. But it dodged around it swiftly. Scorpion flinched, she had never seen a dragon dodge something so fast, and on so little notice. Scorpion put her wing a front of her eyes, and shut them tight, knowing what would happen to the poor dragonet. She didn't wanna watch. She heard the crowd cheer. And Violet bounced on her purple-violet talons.

When she opened her eyes. She Dune pounced onto Coal. Coal was in shocked, not taking his locked gaze of the Mudwings body. The Snakewing reared its long neck. His teeth shown like deadly diamonds. His claws dug into his scales like butter. Blood oozed from it. Coal closed his eyes, giving up. Scorpion hid behind her wing one last time, as his shriek echoed around them. The dragons cheered roars of joy, Violet among them. Dune twisted around, and walked like an animal throw the bars.

"Next up, we have are Silkwing, versing a Swiftwing!" A dragon called. "Oh! That's me! Watch this!" Scorpion kept her muzzle shut, still speechless. She couldn't take her eyes off the distorted bodys of the young dragonets. Just a few moments ago, they were alive. They could think, and talk like any other dragon. And they were lost, in the blink of an eye.

"Violet, of the Silkwings!" Everyone seemed to cheer, but Scorpion. "Battling, Goose, of the Swiftwings" A battled scared dragon sprawled out, vengeance in his eyes, but when he saw his victim, he stopped in his tracks. Why does he seem so scared? She wondered. It's a week Silkwing, against a battle trained Swiftwing.

"Ready?.... Fight!

Goose ran at her. He jumped into the air, his huge wings making dust fly. Advenshy, no one could see them. The dust cleared. Scorpion stood shocked. Violet had her claws dug deep into his skin, deep enough to grip his muscle, and keep him in place. Hot, flaming silk came out of her wrist. With her other talon, she held the silk. The burning silk was wrapped deep around his neck. She had a stern grip on it, it must have suffocated him.

She didn't even have to pull hard on it to inger his neck, the fire had done it for her. It burned into his bones, leaving stringing blood to pour out his neck. Violet had her magnificent, butterfly-like wings outstretched. She smiled triumphantly. Looking like a dragonet who had just pinned down their friend in a play fight. "I gotta get out of here" Scorpion echoed to herself. She started back words and backed straight into a dragon. She jumped, and her heart stopped.

"Ops! Sorry! Did you like my show?!" It was Violet. "...I-i......It-t....ye-" "Great! Before you know it, I'll be seeing you up their!" She said, excitement blazing in her warm eyes. "I've never battled a Sandwing before!" Scorpion didn't reply. "Next, we have one of our newest members fighting" "That's you!" Violet shoved her towards the bars. "It's so much fun, just wait until your in there!" "W-wait!" The bars slammed closed, as if telling her to shut up. "Scorpion of the Sandwings!" The bars on the opposite side open. She wanted to run, or just scream for help, and she couldn't believe her self, when she found the bravery to step out those bars, into the blood-stained arena.

The light of the sun blinded her, and she heard the roars of excitement bursting from all the dragons around her. She looked up, the one who had been speaking, was Queen Burn. " And Araneomorphae, of the Venomwings." A green, yellow, and black Venomwing stalked out of the bars. Hints of brown showed in the young, lean dragon. "Fight!" Burn commanded. Scorpion didn't move an inch. Araneomorphae passed, as if inviting her to make her first move, but Scorpion declined it. She noticed that he didn't have any wings, in fact, he wasn't even born with them. She could just make out glands in his wrist. Those were features that only a Webwing had, we was a hybrid.

He leaped at her, claws outstretched. Scorpion bounded into the air. She flew up faster than she ever had before. Then, she felt something push her off balance. She spun around, but landed when she saw what had done it. Burn learned over her, with a grin on her snout. Scorpion looked up. She had never seen a Flamewing so big, and terrifying. "You're a smart Sandwing. They don't think like they do....Hmmm. This battle is over!" She annoused. "Tomorrow at the dawn's early light, we will have a magnificent battle. Just wait for it...