Sepia Winglet: Dusty Pasts

Chapter 2: The Chores of a Captive

 Sepia opened her eyes to the bright sunlight seeping through the overhead curtains and tarps of the Scorpion Den.

She could no longer feel the presence of warm scales, so she looked around. Sure enough, Fennec was snuggled against Cloud. Fennec and Cloud were the youngest, being only dragonets. The oldest was Frigid, an Icewing with no spikes. He was over 100. He was sleeping alone in a corner, as usual. A cluster of the captives were in the middle, all jumbled together. Mallard and Fortuneteller were mates, so they were sleeping together.

Sepia stood up and paced around a bit, making sure that she didn't step on any sleeping dragons. She thought about her conversation with Mallard. He said maybe. That meant that they could possibly get out, didn't it? She wondered if Fortuneteller knew something she didn't.

She started to think about the possibilities of being free. She could get her revenge on Vulture. Maybe even Thorn too.

Thorn, who had taken her mother and probably killed her. The same Thorn who had attacked her father, and he had still not come back. Probably dead, Sepia thought.

Thorn who had been her aunt. Her betraying, treacherous, lying aunt.

She gritted her teeth and hit her tail against the sand so hard that Kelp, a Seawing with no bioluminescent scales, and Echo, a Nightwing-Icewing hybrid, woke up with a start.

Sepia apologized.

"It's alright," Kelp said. "We should probably get up anyway. I'm on kitchen duty for today."

"Oh boy. What do you have Echo?" Sepia asked.

Echo stared off for a bit, seeming not to realize Sepia's presence, before she answered. "I think today it's setting the table. Or maybe it's playing with the new dragonet."

"That would make sense," Sepia replied. Taking care of the new dragonet? Why had she never had to do that before? Echo had a tendency to be vague and unclear. She was definitely the nicest and most unaware of being a captive. She really didn't seem to mind being stuck as a prisoner and servant.

"It's a new job they just added so none of us have free days anymore. She also has to watch the older dragonets. What about you?" Kelp asked Sepia.

"Setting the table," she replied.

"Nice," Kelp said and started to walk away.

"And, Kelp?"

"Yeah, Sepia?"

"Poison their food." Sepia replied, staring straight at him and smiling strangely.

Kelp smiled and turned around, keeping a steady pace towards the kitchen.