Scarab the Fierce

Chapter Two

It wasn't hard to slip away. She did it often, just usually in the afternoon rather than the evening. Scarab knew the guard shifts and how busy the streets were and all kinds of shortcuts and secret exits. And finding the Full Moon Festival wouldn't be hard, it was being advertised all over the city. And when push comes to shove, just follow the crowds.

Scarab had stayed in her tower the rest of the afternoon. She hadn't been idle, she didn't do idle well. She would always be fidgeting or practicing or even just thinking. But something was always happening, and she liked it that way. She had been planning her escape and all the fun she'd have the whole time.

The single window in her tower was a large skylight on the roof that gave a rather spectacular view of the city. Scarab flew up and landed on the platform she had installed beneath it so she could sit with her chin resting on the sill and watch with bitter disappointment as the city prepared then celebrated the Full Moon Festival. That was last month though. And the four years of festivals before that when she had begged to go and it had been refused of her. But not this time.

Scarab shuffled the few cushions on the platform to make a comfortable seat. It was getting dark outside and she could see dragons start to gather outside the city. Lanterns and curtains and streamers were being set up and prepared just a flight away.

Scarab clipped her cloak around her neck and felt her shoulder pouch. It contained basic self defense and survival tools that she'd need in any situation. "See dad?" She said to herself. "Very prepared."

She took a breath before she started to fiddle with the rim of the skylight. If she wiggled it enough, it would come loose, and she could secure it again from the outside. This wasn't the hard part. The flying away and having a good time at the festival without being recognized was the hard part.

Scarab slipped out the window and closed it behind her. She steadied herself, then launched into the air. She flew higher than necessary under normal conditions. She didn't want anyone looking out a window and seeing her flying away. That would be bad.

Only when she was outside the city limits did she start to descend, tilting her wings to catch the desert wind and gliding to a gentle stop on a sand dune. The festival had just begun and dragons were already dancing. A group of musicians beat drums and blew on flute-like instruments, filling the air with a pleasant, energetic rhythm. Light glowed from paper lanterns hanging from string and posts, casting festive shadows underneath the dancing dragons.

Scarab wandered through the crowd, glancing around at the stalls of food and garments and souvenirs and little sparklers for dragonets. Dragons were singing, laughing, playing games, it was kinda overwhelming.

And Scarab loved it. She had pulled her hood up so her face was hidden and the happy noise around her felt like freedom. She had hardly left the city and she felt like she was on a different continent. Everyone looked happy and care-free, unlike in the city where most dragons looked at best grumpy and at worst terrified.

Who organizes these?

Oh. They probably do.

Through a break in the crowd, Scarab saw two dragons talking to each other. They stuck out in the way that they seemed completely disengaged from the festival and almost everyone there. Well, the smaller one seemed to be looking longingly at the musicians.

The smaller one seemed about Scarab's size with pale sand-yellow scales, a splatter of freckles on his nose, a zig-zag scar on his snout, and a single amber earring on his ear. Something about him seemed naggingly familiar.

The bigger and older one was wearing a cloak similar to Scarab's, but the hood was down. She wasn't trying to hide a shred of her identity. She was also small, for a SamdWing, but still bigger than Scarab. She seemed very no-nonsense, until the smaller SandWing said anything and she laughed.  Unfortunately, Scarab knew exactly who she was.

Scarab found a stall to stand near so as not to be noticed and made an exaggerated eye-roll. Of course! Vulture had said that the Outclaws would be here and of course Thorn herself had crashed the party. Scarab looked back up at Thorn and the other dragon. Thorn seemed to be searching the crowd very intently. The other dragon also looked like he was searching, but also trying to distract Thorn from whatever was bothering her.

Scarab took a scorpion on a stick from the stall she was next to and started chewing it, trying to be casual. She turned away from the Outclaws and started wandering back towards the dancing, casting one curious look back at the Outclaws.

The smaller dragon was staring right at her. They made eye-contact, and Scarab hurried into the crowd. Did he recognize her? Why had he stared at her? Her brain was racing and her heart was beating as she panicked.

Scarab weaved through the crowd until she was near the outside of the festival. She would still have fun and bring something back for Vulture and Saguaro. No stupid Outclaws could stop her from...

Scarab turned a corner and almost stepped on a dragon's tail. She looked up and met the eyes of the smaller Outclaw.

"Ah!" Scarab jumped back. She tried to run into the crowd again but the Outclaw grabbed her cloak and pulled her back.

"Wait! I need to talk. I promise I won't hurt you."

Scarab snorted and glared at him. "You think you could hurt me?"

The Outclaw shrugged. "Probably. But I won't." He grinned annoyingly. "I'm Qibli. What's your name?"

Scarab's mind raced. On the one talon, this dragon, "Qibli" was being annoying enough that she didn't want to tell him anything. On the other talon, didn't he recognize her? Didn't he know who she was? And on the third talon, she definitely wasn't giving him her real name.

"Arid." She said flatly. "What do you want?"

Qibli tilted his head. "Have you seen the wanted posters? 'Missing dragonet'? 'Any information bring straight to the Outclaws'? The resemblance is remarkable."

Scarab had seen the wanted posters. Some of them weren't even about the dragonet, but about two older dragons, Dune and Morrowseer. And yes, she had noticed quickly how similar she looked to the description of the missing dragonet, but Saguaro had explained it clearly.

Yes, she hadn't been born to Vulture and Saguaro, but they had rescued her from a much worse life with her real parents. Parents who didn't even care about their dragonet. Scarab remembered how he described finding her egg in the desert.

So she knew the missing dragonet wasn't her, and besides, she wouldn't give that kind of information to the Outclaws for all the jewels in the SkyWing Palace.

"I have been told that." Scarab said tightly to Qibli. "Why do you care? Is that all you wanted to say?"

"Well, when I saw you earlier today I thought you matched the description of the posters, but you ran off before I could talk." Qibli chuckled.

Scarab's jaw dropped. That's why he was familiar. "That was you? In the alley?"

"The dragonet you nearly ran over? Yep. What did you take?"

This startled Scarab. How did he know? "What?" She asked dumbly.

"You know, what did you steal? Trust me, I've done enough of it myself, I can tell." Qibli smirked.

Scarab glared at him. "Coconut." She said flatly and relished the look of surprise on his face. "Anyway, I need to go." Scarab turned and dashed into the crowd, tucking her wings in and swerving around dancing couples. It wouldn't be hard to lose Qibli in this crowd.

Scarab pushed through a group of dragons and came face to face with Qibli and Thorn. "Arid!" Qibli grinned. "Long time no see."

Scarab tried to wither him with her eyes. He was everywhere!

Thorn stepped forward with a strange expression on her face. "Hello, Arid. I'm Thorn. It's very nice to meet you."