Shattered Souls

Risky Business

Skye flew down to the marketplace, stepping inside his stall. Unfolding the blanket, he held the papers to his heart. So much for the reunion with his parents he had hoped for when he was younger. They were dead, and he had to accept that. But it was never specified how long he was allowed to take to accept it, and so, sweet revenge can be planned. Rove had no business stealing him from the life he once knew, and ripping apart his family. 

He clenched his fist, growling at the dragon who poked his talons through the bars to pet him.

"Whoa!" the dragon said, surprised by his actions, but changing to doubt. "I don't think you like being kept in there do you?"

"Don't talk to me like I'm a pet," Skye said, the venom in his voice enough to kill twenty dragons. "By the looks of it I'm the same age as you are."

The dragon smiled. "Well I'm eleven."

"Close enough," Skye said. He was only ten. They were both adults though.

"My name's Calico," the dragon said. "And why are you in here?"

"Well my name is classified to dragons like you. And a stinking HiveWing killed my family and trapped me in here."

"Hello Classified!" Calico laughed, clearly not taking this seriously. "Have you always been this growly to others?"

Skye snapped his jaws at Calico's talons, which were still between the bars. Calico peered at the pictures on the floor.

"Are those your parents? They look cool. Nothing like any tribe I've ever seen," she said.

Skye growled a long hard growl, deep in his throat. "If these bars weren't here you'd have my claws through your skull."

Calico muffled her snort. "I'm not so sure about that. There are guards every two stalls. You'd be arrested and killed if you hurt me."

Her expression changed like lightning, and she rushed into his stall. 

"Spread your wings, hide me!" she hissed.

"Why..."

"Lady Tsetse is walking along the stalls and she hates me, tells me I always get in her way, which I do, but a little unfair to hate me for it."

Lady Tsetse was in fact walking near their stall, and stopped right in front of his.

"Interesting dragon," she murmured. "Shame my sister is dead, she would have loved these scales."

One of her guards spoke. "We actually don't know for sure if Lady Bloodworm is dead or not..." He hung his head when Lady Tsetse swung around to meet his gaze.

"Right, all of you spread out around here. Calico meddled with my weapons storage and she needs to fix it herself." The guards nodded and rushed off. Lady Tsetse stayed, moving her claws through the bars to grip Skye's chin, swiveling his head to look at his strange build.

"Quite a wonderful dragon you are. Perhaps I should keep you...yes I should do that. Who owns you?"

Skye held his tounge, convinced not to trust this Hive ruler.

"You don't speak do you?" she retracted her talons, wiping them on a towel as if he had some foul disease she didn't want to catch. "Goodbye now," she smiled and walked off.

Calico slid out of the stall and faced him again. "I should probably go help her, if my mother finds out I'll never hear the end of it."

Skye nodded. "Who's your mother?"

"Vespa. She commands a small section of Lady Tsetse's authorities."

Skye had a sudden brain wave. He thrust the pictures and the evidence of Rove's cruelty into her talons. "Give these to your mother. The HiveWing who captured me is Rove. Could she possibly help free me?"

Calico smiled. "Will do." She waved to him and walked off, following Lady Tsetse. Skye smiled too, although he was sure she didn't see.