Locked inside the poison ivy. Locked inside a cell full of rodents and mosquitos and huge spiders. Dawn tried to squish the spiders, some she managed to, but some, she did not. She could see Cacti in the other cell right next to hers, laying down with the limited room she had.
She could see Bone, who was on the other side, constantly, but accidentally, touching the ivy with his wings or his snout or his tail, and then, after a minute, start scratching at the spot where it touched him.
She tried to avoid the ivy as much as she could, but sometimes she would feel a little tingle in her barbless tail as it brushed against the leaves of the ivy.
Allgazer was on the side that Cacti was on, straining her neck because the king gave her a small cell, and she could barely fit. She was lifting her tail up and curling in her claws, but every once in a while, she squinted her eyes like she felt a sting. Cicada was on the side of Bone, her scales melting into the environment. Dawn never knew Cicada could do this. She couldn't change her color of emotion, but she could camoflague. Dawn let that sit in her head for a moment while she tried to figure it out.
Aspen was forced to guard their cells by his father, King Dragontrap, which they learned when they were on the walk to his palace. The dragon that tried to talk to Aspen was his mother, Queen Mimosa, which they also learned on the way. Dawn remembered Cicada saying something about Queen Mimosa about how King Dragontrap would never let her go outside because he was mean, but as she sat in her cell, she could hear a female dragon screaming. She could also hear the sounds of hitting and yelling of a male dragon, which, she supposed was Dragontrap. She could see Aspen flinching and trying not to feel bad when he heard every hit and yell. He knew exactly what was going on, but he didn't say a word.
Dawn quietly and slowly lay down, trying to avoid the leaves of the ivy. She curled her tail around her talons and didn't have to worry about accidentally stinging herself in the paw because good old Sphinx took care of that for her.
She started thinking about Sphinx, now, how it would be so much better with him than with King Dragontrap, with this poison ivy surrounding them and stinging them. Also, with Sphinx's warnings, instead of just locking them up.
Aspen got out of his position, grabbing a bag next to him as the yells and the screams stopped. He walked around the cells, letting his talons scrape against the floor sadly. He started going from left to right, handing out food to Cicada, and going down the row as he went. As he came back down, he passed out water for them.
Dragontrap stomped down the slope of grass that lead to a dark tunnel leading to the main palace. He stopped in the circular room and peered around, and then he locked his eerie yellow eyes on his son.
"Have they been fed?" He asked. His talons clentched into the dirt.
"Yes, Father. They have. They have also been hydrated. I'll make sure that they eat," Aspen said loyally. Dawn could see the terror in his eyes, but she guessed that Dragontrap didn't see it or didn't care, because he had no emotion, staring into his eyes.
"Good. Now, we have plans this afternoon. And your mother needs bandages. She's bleeding." King Dragontrap turned around swiftly, his leaf-like tail swaying. He walked up the slope and disappeared into the darkness.
"Because of you," Dawn could hear Aspen grumble.
She got the voice to ask, "What's up with your parents?"
Aspen turned his head to look at her. "Mother and Dragontrap had a forced marriage," he explained. "They don't really like each other. Uhm, it's gotten to the point where Dragontrap actually hits mother. I could have never been here if she hadn't protected me."
"Why don't you call Dragontrap your father?" Allgazer asked. Her voice sounded a bit raspy since she hadn't drank anything in a while. She picked up her small bowl of water and gulped it down.
"Who would?" Aspen snarled, but not exactly at them. "I hate his guts. I hate every part of that dumb king," he admitted. His wings folded. "He tried killing me while I was still in the womb. And even after I hatched. I would never call him my father."
"I would never call someone my father, either," Allgazer said. "Because he's kind of crazy.."
Dawn looked at Allgazer. Actually, she's never heard of Cicada and Allgazer's
parents at all. But why does Allgazer hate her father, too?
"Who is it?" Cacti asked, looking at her. Cicada also slightly looked. Allgazer looked like she said something completely wrong.
And then she finally whispered . . .
"Plaguefinder."
YOU ARE READING
Wings of Fire - Awakening Evil (REDOING!)
Fantasy"You'll do great things," they all said. "You'll make an accomplishment." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dawn always wondered what the outside world would be like. For most of her life, she was kept inside...
