Scarab the Fierce

Chapter Four

Scarab couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. What did this mean? She refused to believe that Vulture and Saguaro lied to her.

"No," she said. "No" was all she could say. "How is that possible?" She couldn't look at Thorn so she looked at Qibli. His face was mildly surprised, probably at the fact that Thorn just spilt her freaking life story in front of them. He was watching her with interest.

"I don't know, Be-Scarab." Thorn said sorrowfully. "I'm so so sorry."

"No! Don't say anything!" Scarab snapped. "This can't be happening!"

Did Saguaro lie?

Did Saguaro steal her?

Did Saguaro actually love her?

Did Vulture actually love her?

"I need to go." Scarab pushed herself to her feet. Thorn didn't argue. Scarab stepped forward and nearly fell over. Everything hurt. She gritted her teeth and pushed through the curtain door. It was still dark out, past midnight, Scarab guessed.

In front of the tent was another Outclaw. A different one than the ones she fought. Even the thought that she probably put two grown Outclaws in a hospital tent didn't make her feel better. Nothing could.

This Outclaw was different. He looked older than the ones she fought and...friendlier? Scarab looked him up and down. Scars, probably a war veteran. Pouches around his shoulders, prepared Outclaw. She stared at his talons.

"You've got six claws." She said flatly.

He followed her gaze. "So I have." He said pleasantly. Of course he knew that he had six claws. Idiot. "I saw the dragons that came back with you and Thorn. Did you do that?" He seemed impressed.

"Do you think Thorn did?" She replied. Thorn. Mother. No. No.

She turned and kept walking. The six-clawed dragon didn't follow.

She needed to get home. Surely this was a prank? A dream? A nightmare? How could she be the daughter of the leader of the Talons of Power and the leader of the Outclaws? That couldn't happen!

Scarab wandered throught the maze of the Outclaw camp until she found a way out. She looked around. The base was on the edge of the city. The edge that she avoided due to the Outclaws' annoying presence. She slipped into an alleyway and moved quickly through the darkness, the familiar cool shadows comforting her scales.

She hadn't gotten three blocks away from the Outclaw camp when she heard the sound of a tin can being knocked and falling dully into the sand. She spun around. No one.

Just a mouse. Or an insect. Don't worry.

She turned back around and didn't walk two steps before she saw a dragon jump in front of her and pull a sack over her head. Scarab started to struggle and cry out but her attacker pressed something sharp against her neck. "Not a sound." A female voice hissed. "Or you'll be dead before you can open your mouth to scream."

That shut her up.

Reluctantly, Scarab followed the female dragon. This proved challenging with a sack tied firmly over her head, but she was able to do so by following the touch of the attacker's wing brushing against her own.

They walked for about fifteen minutes and took so many random turns that Scarab had no idea where they were. Eventually, they entered a large building with a familiar ashy scent around it. The floor also had a  familiar stone texture.

The sound of another dragon approached them and they shared some words with the attacker that Scarab couldn't hear.

Suddenly she was shoved forward and led down a steep staircase, damp stone freezing her talons. She heard an iron door open and she was shoved into a barred cell. She hit the ground hard, and painfully pulled herself to her feet. She pulled the sack off her head and looked around.