A Strange Time (Wings of Fire Fanfiction)

Chapter 5

Dusk blinked his grey eyes, focusing mainly on his "partner's" rowing. The Sandwing next to him stared straight ahead, not even looking at his oar as he rowed. Dusk huffed a sigh quietly. This wasn't a good position from him. It was too close to the front, near his "Captain." Dusk held his breath quietly, attempting to keep himself calm. Suddenly, a Seawing in an isle over stopped rowing. He narrowed his eyelids and held his talons up. Dusk held in a gasp. He knew he couldn't show any signs of weakness, but what was this Seawing doing? The Seawing sighed deeply, and a small tear fell from his eye. Dusk held his breath, his heart racing. The Nightwing got up and picked up his weapon, eyeing the Seawing. The Seawing looked back unblinking, his eyes narrowed. "What're you doin'? Get back ta work!" The Nightwing threw his weapon, and it dug into the wooden planks. The Seawing stood up, close to the weapon. The Nightwing would have to come over there and pick the blade up. The Nightwing walked over cautiously, looping the rope around his talons. He picked up the blade and whirled it in the air, saying, "Sit back down, now."

The Seawing looked up at him.

"Bring it, eelface."

The Nightwing growled and swung his weapon, catching the Seawing in the face. The Seawing opened his mouth and caught the blade, wrenching it free from the Nightwings grasp. He threw it over the side of the boat, snarling, "Face me talon to talon! Or are you too scared?"

The Nightwing roared and slashed his face. The Seawing lunged like a crocodile, grabbing the Nightwing's neck in his jaws and thrashing him around. The Captain motioned to his crew to defend the Nightwing, but continued having the captives row. The sun crept over the horizon, as if watching the fight itself. The crew unchained the Seawing and grabbed him, slashing him with their talons. A Hivewing stung him with her tail, wrenching his stomach open. Blood poured onto the deck, and the Seawing twitched and wriggled on the floor. The Skywing next to him yelped, murmuring, "Barracuda, no..."

The Sunwing flicked his tail, and they dumped Barracuda off the side of the boat and into the waters. The Sunwing motioned towards Dusk, and then the blood stain. 

"Well, look like yer up for cleanin duty." The Sunwing chuckled.

The group descended on Dusk, restraining him and unchaining him only to strap a heavier chain to his neck and attach him to a small metal plate on the floor. He felt like he was going to gag. He leaned over the railing and looked down... Is that...? Three moons... he's alive?! Dusk watched the Seawing wriggle down to the sand and shoot as fast as he could away from the boat. He was still heavily bleeding, but he was alive, and running. 

"Aye, get ta work!" A large talon scored its way down his back. He held in a yelp of pain and fear and quickly began to mop up the blood with a rag he had been given. The sun began to set, he watched it bubble over the ocean before slipping into darkness to let the moons rise. The stars surfaced from the sky and the moon cast a glowing silver over the boat. Dusk looked up slightly to watch it. Will this be how I'm seeing the moon now? From a boat I never get to leave? He looked back down at what he was doing, and not knowing how unpredictable the pirates were, he continued scrubbing, waiting for someone to tell him to stop. He couldn't go anywhere anyways. The boat loomed near some cliffs, and he could hear the echoes of the creaking boat. They "docked" in a small cave overfilled with water. It was pitch black. And freezing. The pirates unchained the captives and brought them to the lower deck, throwing them inside cages in groups of twos and threes. Dusk miserably curled into a corner and looked around at the strange dragons. They chatted among one another in light and quiet tones. The whispers melded together and washed above his head, and he could stand it anymore. He shut his eyes, his breath slowing into a breathing pace, and he fell asleep, letting his muscles relax.