Dark Wings

Blood Under The Bridge

“GO!” Arrow Wing fled from the cold outer branches of the tree. The thin white moths eyes darted around, and she clutched her child closer. Summer wind snapped violently at her black and white wings, as thunder and lightning danced, lighting up the dark midnight sky. Her gray fuzz was slick against her tiny frame, wet with rain and sweat.
    Go back. Help him. Leave the child. He is more important. 
No. Her mate would be fine. She could go back to Water Vapor when her youngling was hidden. 
    Black and white wings snapped shut as Arrow Wing dove down and under the walk path. She scampered to the ceiling of the dark and musty tunnel, clinging to it, her breathing heavy.
    She could hear soft approaching wing beats. Her brown youngling chitterd nervously. The wing beats stopped. Arrow Wing pressed her hatchling close, holding her breath. 
    A dark blue butterfly swooped under the walk path and hovered for a moment. He glanced up at the moth, and gave her a gentle smile.
    The butterfly began to move towards the frightened moth. Just as he reached her, the sound of wing beats came out of nowhere, and a angry tiger moth collided with the dark blue insect. 
“WATER VAPOR!” Arrow Wing howled, her antenna laid back. 
    Water Vapor clawed at his attacker, but not for long. 
    The tiger moth had seale his powerful jaws on Water Vapors delicate throat, and the tender flesh gave away. Water Vapor shrieked in agony as his green blood seethed from the deep puncture wounds. The dying butterfly clawed at the huge moth, desperate to escape, but the tiger moth was relentless. Water Vapor felt his stomach tear, and his organs blossomed from his belly like a flower in the rain. When the struggle ended, the tiger moth had dropped the dead pipevine swallowtail, and slick green blood dripped from his fangs. He turned to Arrow Wing, golden eyes glistening. 
    The large insects clawed hands clicked together in anticipation. 
Arrow Wing couldn’t move. She felt frozen in place. Move! Go! She couldn’t. 
    The tiger moths greedy black eyes shined, grabbing for the throat of the sagebrush moth. 
    Arrow Wings arms went limp and her youngling fell. 
                                       
             YOU FOOL! 
                                              
  Arrow Wing felt her chest open, and she fell.

                                               

 “He was found under the walk path. We found a female that could have been his mother. Moon Rise thinks it was a hate crime. After all, this youngling is… you know, a Twice-bred.” 
    Onyx Stripe was tired. It had been a long day. But this, this was curious. Many moths hated Twice-breds with a burning hatred, but most wouldn't resort to killing off a Twice-breds family.
     The moth in front of him was Moss Stripe, his sister. She never acted like she was, though. Moss Stripe was in the Order, a group of moth that, well, kept the order. Being in the Order had made her stern, and very deadpan. 
    Onyx Stripe himself studied cases that the Order brought in, and usually happened to end up with a record from Moss Stripe. 
    “From what you reported it seems the youngling fell. How is he alive?” Onyx Stripe had many doubts about this case in particular. A mothling just could survive a fall like that.
    Moss Stripe snorted. “Little bugger fell into the waterways. Washed up over at Flital.” 
    “Which walk path did he fall from?” “Embrion.”  Onyx Stripe was quiet. “Isn’t that where-” “Yes.” 
    They were quiet for a moment. “Who will raise him? No one will want him. Twice-breds are seen as bad luck, and once they know this one was found there, it's going to make his chances of adoption plummet to the levels of Scarra.”
Onyx Stripe cringed. He knew that this would come.
    He waited a moment. “Sky Fall. Sky Fall will raise him. He’s open to these things.” Moss Stripes wings twitched in disgust. She opened her mouth to object, but Onyx Stripe fixed her with a stern glare.
Moss Stripe looked away. “What about Snow Fall? She lives with Sky Fall. You know how she is… Pure breds and all that scat.” “Do you have a better idea, Moss Stripe?” Onyx Stripe grunted.
Moss Stripe growled. “The kid won’t survive a week with her. Snow Fall will try to drown him.”

Onyx Stripe stood and rattled his forewings at Moss Stripe menacingly, his dappled amber eyes glinting in the dark office.

                                                     “It will be done.”