Blend the Light

Electric Currents

I look closely at the silhouette as it draws near. Smooth green scales cover the dragon's body, and short thin wings are drawn close to their sides. Vines wrap around and hang from two three-pronged horns. Orange eyes, much lighter than Hawk's, burn with rage. I draw in a sharp breath when I see the thick black collar wrapping tightly around the dragon's neck. Wires and cords curl and loop across the metal and plastic surface. The buckle is fastened tight enough that it presses into her throat. "Sage..." I breathe. She smiles at the sight of me and Hawk. When I stand and gently press a hand against the collar, I feel the thrum of energy, and I jerk my hand back. "Where's Arrow?" She asks.

"I-I don't know. I can't lose her." My shoulders slump as I speak. I look Sage in the eye, and convey the added meaning to what I said. The part about T-LOOT-D, Adrien, and everyone else. Also the part where Adrien might literally kill me and Hawk if we don't bring Arrow back. This is the beginning of everything. The beginning of a land without Guthrie Harper or the Wasteland, and the beginning where Blenders are no longer killed.

Sage nods, understanding perfectly. Hawk brushes sand off his shirt with an annoyed expression. "Come on. We'd best be going. The girl's not getting any closer," Sage murmurs.

"Best be going where?" A Wasteland guard steps out from the group encircling us, hand on his sword.

"To the spa. Where do you think, dumbo? 'Cuz it's certainly not here." Hawk growls, stepping up in front of the Wasteland guard with his arms crossed over his chest. The circle draws in closer. We have to get out. We have to get out. We have to get out. Arrow's probably gone. We're never going find her. Adrien will kill us. We'll have failed all of T-LOOT-D, and Guthrie Harper will reign forever. I've sunken to my knees, head in my hands. "Stop it!" I cry, blocking out my spiraling thoughts. Sage throws me a quizzical look before focusing back on the Wasteland guards, and how they keep creeping closer. They move so slowly. I can barely even see that they are moving at all.

"Jay! Up here!" Hawk is sitting at the base of Sage's neck, and is holding out a hand.

"All aboard the Sage Express!" Sage jerks her head at where Hawk is located on her shoulders. I quickly scale her leg. "Don't move, Gladiators."

"You've got the collar of shame. You'll be dead within a few feet of moving."

"This is hopeless. You're surrounded." Wasteland guards shout out a chorus of words.

"Sage, you'll be shocked to death," I lean over and whisper in her ear.

"And?" She replies just as softly.

"Dead. Not alive. Croaked. R.I.P. You can't die."

"I'm not dead yet. Perhaps I'll live. This collar isn't going to stop me from finding Arrow and setting you on your way without anything but the three of you and the sand. Not a Wasteland guard in sight." Sage looks over her shoulder as she speaks, her eyes glimmering.

"Surrender! You are surrounded and outnumbered and overpowered." The Wasteland guards all draw their swords in unison, and the sound of metal sliding against metal rings through the air. Sage starts laughing a cackling laugh, her head falling back, and a few tears falling from her eyes.

"Wow. I'll get through."

"Oh. My. God. Do something instead of throwing insults back and forth!" Hawk throws up his hands, and they fall with a slap against his thighs.

"Very well." A Wasteland guard says with a fox-like smirk. He throws a dagger with a flick of his wrist, and it goes flying at us. Sage watches it fly past her before gently pulling it out of one of her black, pronged horns with the three fingers at the wrist of her wing. I reach out and take it from her, flipping it in my hand and testing the weight.