[IC] Wings of Fire: Clouded Visions

[Marlowe]

The sun bore down hard on her scales. No matter how accustomed they were to the heat, it seemed like the rays of light grew closer and closer to burning holes into her with every passing moment. The delicate-looking dragon’s scales glowed pale amber in the midst of the sweltering courtyard, with the color fading into a sandy yellow as it neared her flank and tail. At first glance, one might have considered her a strange looking SandWing– possibly one that was underfed or the runt of her clutch. Yet, a scrutinizing eye could catch her ruse. For one, her stinger was far too small for a SandWing, almost as if it was deformed, and her sail was larger and more elaborate than the other SandWings’. But what gave her away the most was the strange colors that blotched over the orange and parts of the yellow; as she sat with chains tied around her muzzle and limbs and clamps around her wings, blues and purples flourished from beneath her fiery scales like spilled ink. The strange color only intensified when SandWings, armed with both swords, lances, and deadly stingers alike, sauntered across the searing sands and glared at her with disdain from beneath their helmets. Bright irises surrounded by dark sclera scorched straight through her body faster than any sunlight or heat could.

Vivid wasn’t one of them. No, she was far from it. To them, she was one of two things. At best, she was a pretty centerpiece, a slave that someone could purchase from Queen Caracal if she caught their fancy. At worst, she was a monster. A hybrid.

If she had any ounce of rancor, she would have blamed her ancestors. From what she heard, her grandmother, a RainWing, fell in love with a SeaWing, and her father was produced from their union. Then he went and got involved with a SandWing… though, she wondered how that happened, with how Pyrrhia viewed hybrids. Tainted, they were called. Huh. She always thought that was a weird thing to call someone.

The rustle of dry scales made her snap back to attention. Vivid perked up, seeing that the large, pale SandWing from before had begun to prowl the small perimeter once again. His amber eyes swept across the rest of the dragons that were lined up against the sweltering walls of the square courtyard. Each of these hybrids were restrained just like she was. Clamps around their wings so they couldn’t fly away. Chains around their muzzles so they couldn’t breathe fire, spit venom, or bite. Heavy clasps around their ankles, necks, and tails so every movement felt as if boulders were piled upon their shoulders. The heat was merely another form of torture.

The pale SandWing rounded close to her. He was twice her size, with large claws that could rend her body in half if he wanted to. His maw twisted and he flashed white fangs down at her. ”Lucky cur,” he spat before he walked past her, the tip of his stinger swinging dangerously close to her face. She bristled in fear and ducked away.

Lucky. They kept calling her lucky. Vivid didn’t really know what that meant. They kept taking other dragons away, pulling them along by their chains like beasts. Some were so drained by sun and heat, parched due to the lack of water, that they struggled to walk and the SandWing guards practically had to drag them away. Those didn’t return. The ones that came back were marred by claw and teeth marks. Their wounds bled freely out into the sand until they passed out, and it was only then that they were tended to. The half-dead ones, their scales painted with crimson burns or their limbs half frozen, were tossed onto the sand like carrion. She had seen a few fall into deep slumbers from which they never emerged. Though, only a few of those that returned were strong enough to be chained up again, their jaws gaping with agony, their eyes empty, their talons and fangs dripping with blood that wasn’t their own.

Was she going to be next? She always thought she would be, though they took almost everyone else but her.

Distant cheers sent a chill through her body. Her claws dug into the sand. She wanted to spread her wings and fly back into the rainforest, the closest thing that she could call home. Her eyes drifted towards the tops of the buildings that provided them no shadow, no respite from the sun, yet trapped them in that dusty courtyard. There was no escaping this. When she saw that the SandWings had noticed her drifting gaze, her attention snapped back to the other hybrids that kept her company. There was a MudWing-looking dragon that had webbed talons and an extra thick tail, and his brown scales, highlighted with an oceanic blue, were striped with the types of scales one might find on a SeaWing. He was leaning against a wall, his eyes half-lidded and sunken in. Then there was a NightWing with a grayish hue and a grumpy expression, though she was transfixed with the white coloring at the top of his head. Was that a NightWing-IceWing..?

”Alright you lot, listen up!” roared a dark brown SandWing from the center of the courtyard. ”The next fight’s coming up, so all of you better be prepared! The Queen wants to watch a good fight before her dinner, and if anyone messes up her day, there’ll be punishment dealt for all of you!” As if to punctuate her statement, her tail arched above her back, her black stinger glimmering in the light of the late afternoon sun.

Vivid trembled as the SandWing’s maroon eyes swept across the dozen or so hybrids that sat there. No one spoke, but she was certain that everyone knew that she was sizing them up. The orange that had once dominated her scales now dimmed to a sickly looking green, and she ducked her head to avoid the SandWing’s gaze.

Three moons… don’t let it be me this time…

[PrankFox]

How, of everywhere on the continent, Frostbite ended up trapped in a sandy, blisteringly hot courtyard he couldn't really remember. A few missteps here and there and now he was slumped on the ground glaring at the SandWings that strutted around them; piercing blue eyes hoping to maybe kill them with a look. The heat seared against his dark scales, not made any better by his IceWing heritage that made him that much more susceptible to the sun. The chains that bound him to the ground didn't help either. The weight pulled and tore at the spines that ran down his back. He bit back a growl as one of the SandWings kicked him "accidentally" across the face as she walked by; sending him a smug smirk as she did so.

He had learned his lesson though. Fight back, growl, show any sign that there was any will left within and they would beat it out. He had the gashes and scars to know that much. He was the product of a forbidden union between his father, a NightWing scientist to his understanding, and his mother, the next in line for the IceWing throne, and that made him an abomination. An affront to everything that was pure, good for nothing other than sport.

The sport that currently sent the cheers rising in the arena that was echoing around them. Where Queen Caracal had her fun watching hybrids tear each other apart for her entertainment. He watched the weaker ones get taken away. They would be the starters. The ones that were chased around the arena by the lucky SandWings who won the draw to be killed like little more than animals.

The stronger ones were pitted against each other, bet upon to see who would come out on top. He had only been dragged out once so far to fight, luckily pitted against a scrawnier SkyWing hybrid that he'd hit in the face with his freezing breath. The SkyWing hadn't lived long after that. Frostbite tried not to think about the fear in the hybrid's eyes or the screams as his skin had shriveled and died while he was still alive. He told himself that it was so he could live to see another day, but it didn't stop his stomach from turning at the memory.

He couldn't let anyone know how much he was impacted by the half dead dragons he saw slung back into the courtyard. Instead he kept his face in a permanent scowl and narrowed his eyes at any of the other hybrids who looked his way. There was another SkyWing hybrid, the large wings told him that much, who had the fin of a SandWing and a mix of red and brown scales. Another looked mostly SeaWing, but the daintier head and swirling colors on their scales told him RainWing was somewhere in there. His eyes shifted to a small looking SandWing as she stared at him, and narrowed with slightly bared teeth.

As one of the guards called out to them he noted the change in the scales. RainWing too then. He didn't make eye contact with the SandWing, as much as he postured he didn't want to go to fight. The thought of having to kill another hybrid scared him more than he would ever admit. He also didn't want to die. The plan he'd been working on to get himself, and maybe some of the others if they could keep up, out of the pit was almost there. He just needed a bit more time.

[Marlowe]

The SandWing’s gaze penetrated her scales like swords. Slowly, she raised a curled claw in her direction. ”You.” Her words dripped with venom as her forked tongue slipped out from between her fangs. She grinned and the flash of her teeth made ice course through her veins. ”I’ll take you.”

Vivid’s eyes widened to the size of all three moons combined. Her scales became as pale as the inside of a ripe lime, and the SandWing snickered as she trembled in her shackles. ”I’m sure her Majesty would love to see something like you prove your mettle. Even a trophy should have some worth, am I right?”

Before she knew it, Vivid was dragged from the wall by several SandWing guards. The darker SandWing’s head turned back and forth, scanning the rest of the hybrids, as Vivid’s mind raced. Was this where she was going to die? In the middle of some pit in the SandWing kingdom? There was nowhere to run or hide. If she was going to fight someone, she could always try to blend into the environment, but her “tainted” blood prevented her from fully vanishing into the background. If she was lucky, the SandWing in charge would choose someone–

”I want that tainted NightWing-IceWing abomination as well.” the SandWing female growled.

Oh no. Not that one. That one always won his fights. She saw what he did to that poor SkyWing. How did it feel to die by an IceWing’s frost breath? Did it burn, did it sting? She shuddered as she watched the guards pull him from the wall and towards where they walked. By now, he could definitely tell that she was shivering. Anyone could, really. Her chains clinked together more than usual, and her steps were light and shaky. Her eyes avoided his own, and instead she kept them locked onto the sandy cobblestone floors as her mind ran rampant. They were guided down a small corridor and into a tunnel, and the cobblestone slowly became sand beneath their claws.

They were almost at the Pit. Vivid’s fate would be waiting for her there.

[PrankFox]

Frostbite's whole body was tense, as was everyone else's, as they waited to see who the SandWing would pick to die. At least one of the chosen wouldn't be coming back, or if they did they likely wouldn't survive very long after. He shrunk back slightly as he heard the SandWing speak before looking to see which poor soul had caught her attention. The SandWing looking hybrid that had been staring at him earlier. A pity really. She had been able to avoid their gaze for a long time.

There was no way that she would survive a fight with most of the hybrids here. They were bigger than she was and many of them were desperate to survive. They would slash clean through a terrified opponent's throat without much of a thought. He could hear the chains rattling even from across the pit. Pathetic.

He watched absently as she was dragged away by the guards and kept his eyes averted from the dark scaled SandWing. They tended to pick those who showed some bit of fight to them, or in the SandWing's case looked like easy prey. When he heard the SandWing speak again his body went rigid, but he then looked up to meet the black eyes and narrowed his own with a growl. He didn't want to kill anyone else, but he also didn't want to die. That was the option for them, fight or die. Either your opponent would kill you, or if neither would fight then the SandWings would make an example.

The chains pulled uncomfortably as the guards dragged him to his feet and over to where the others stood. His eyes flicked emotionlessly to the smaller hybrid next to him. She sounded like a collection of swords with how hard her chains were rattling as the shivers of fear racked her body. He stood as tall as he could next to the SandWings. He wouldn't let them know how broken they'd made him. It wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

He watched as the light from the hole they were kept in faded and the light from the Pit at the head of the tunnel illuminated the space instead. His mind raced as he tried to figure out how he would get out of this. He didn't want to kill the little hybrid, but he wasn't sold on his plan to get them out of here either. Where they were kept was too well guarded and they were chained up, the Pit itself was far too well watched to attempt to escape, and even at his best he couldn't take on the number of guards that flanked them on all sides. He would have to improvise then.

Once they made it to the head of the tunnel they could hear the pounding of claws and the cheers and hollers that came from the crowd. "Don't try anything funny," one of the guards snarled at them as he went around and started unlocking the various chains and shackles that would prevent them from putting on a good show. Frostbite resisted a sigh of relief as the weight fell of, but he did stretch out his jaw and wings slightly; sending a glare towards the little SandWing. Better to put on a show.

Once the guards had freed them and started to move out of the way so they could be pushed into the pit he leaned his head down towards his 'opponent', "Fight back, give them a good show and you might live. I won't kill you, and I have a plan to maybe get some of us out so don't kill me. His eyes flickered to the guards to make sure they couldn't overhear. "It's your only shot," he told her as the guards started to shove them forward into the Pit.

[Marlowe]

Every single one of her footsteps felt like they were weighed down with boulders. From the shallowest end of the tunnel, she heard the cries of the dragons who hollered for bloodshed and gore. She shuddered. How could they be so willing to see their own kind tear each other apart? If they even consider them at least half their own kind. Vivid wished she could just turn invisible, but then they’d just laugh at her and force her to fight anyway. The light on the other side of the tunnel became brighter and brighter, closer and closer, until both of them were shoved out into the hot daylight once again by the guards.

Her ear pricked slightly at the other hybrid’s warning. His words registered in her head, though they were quickly drowned out by what laid in front of them. Rows and rows of dragons, mostly SandWings, hooted and roared from the siderows. An elaborately-decorated booth, cloaked with golden silks and trimmed with silver, was nestled above the rows of writhing heads and wings. There stood Queen Caracal, flanked by two more SandWing guards. Her scales were a brilliant bronze color and her underbelly was a lovely cream, though what caught her attention the most were the black markings that surrounded her eyes and ran down the length of her muzzle. Her ivory horns were adorned with golden rings and bangles inlaid with topaz. Vivid had heard many things of Queen Caracal– of her sheer beauty, her deadly temper, and how she was the only queen in the whole existence of Pyrrhia who ruled both the SandWing Kingdom and the Scorpion’s Den. That went to show where her morals lay…

Caracal’s wings flared from her seat as her eyes, black as pitch, settled on the dark SandWing from earlier. ”What is the meaning of this, Boa? I thought I ordered that the trophies were not to set foot in the ring.” Her voice lingered between a hiss and a snarl.

Boa stepped out into the ring behind them. ”No worries your Majesty. I thought that you might like something a little more entertaining before your meal.”

”The NightWing monster will kill that puny thing in an instant with its ice breath. Answer me this– how will I sell a dead or crippled trophy? Its worth will be gone in an instant.”

”Ah, that’s the thing, my Queen,” Boa answered with a flick of her black tongue. ”Let them fight using only their strength. No poison, no ice breath, nothing of the sort. It will thrill the onlookers… along with your palette.”

Queen Caracal grinned, revealing golden fangs that glinted in the desert heat. ”Very well, then. Let them fight. If something happens, though…” She slowly raised a paw and pointed a golden claw in the SandWing’s direction. ”Let it be on your head, Boa.”

Boa bowed her head and fanned out her wings. The other guards beside her did the same. With that, the crowds’ voices raised in excitement once again. Their roars drowned out the thumping of her heart in her ears and muted her thoughts. Before she knew it, she was shoved to one end of the arena. Her shackles were undone, and the unburdening of her wings and limbs felt like she had just ascended to the moons themselves. A sigh left her maw as she raised a paw to rub at her tender scales around her wrists and muzzle. Then, she glanced up at the other hybrid across the Pit. They were both ready to fight. How did one even fight a NightWing-IceWing hybrid, though? Just because he couldn’t use his ice breath didn’t mean he couldn’t read her mind. If he even had those powers to begin with, that is.

Vivid stood up on all-fours and ducked her head, standing her ground in front of Frostbite. If he was confident that his plan could work, then she might as well go along with it. Her yellow eyes glimmered with anticipation as her scales slowly shifted into a vibrant indigo. The crowd’s roars turned into chanting as the battle was wont to begin.

[PrankFox]

It was difficult to tell if what Frostbite had said actually landed with the smaller hybrid, but that was the best he could give. He didn't want the others to die, contrary to the way he acted most of the time, but he also wasn't going to risk his own life. Especially not for some scrawny SandWing who looked like a stiff breeze would probably knock her over, let alone a claw swipe.

His eyes flickered around the arena, set up the same way as before when he'd fought against the SkyWing. The screams and jeers, the mass of sand colored scales, and perched amongst it all the smug gaze of Queen Caracal. His vision briefly snapped back to the previous time he had been shoved into the Pit. The similarly scrawny SkyWing, scales painted with blue and a wide tail that showed heavily the SeaWing in him. The fear in both their eyes as they were pushed forward, the realization that one of them would die, and the conviction when he decided it would not be him. Instead he had killed someone and regretted it ever since.

The shouts pulled him back to the present as his eyes narrowed up at Caracal. She would be much more beautiful if she didn't always have that smug smirk across her muzzle and an obvious disregard for the lives of other dragons. He glanced curiously at the SandWing guard who had brought them out. Trophies? She must mean the SandWing then because he certainly wasn't that.

Interesting. So the other hybrid wasn't meant to be sent into the Pit, she was meant to be sold, or something similar. As Queen Caracal said it would be on their guard's head should something happen he fought down the more vicious side of himself. The side that told him that he should damage the smaller hybrid just to prove the guard wrong. Take back some control in his life and send the guard to an early grave. Would serve her right for what she did to them. But, he had said he wouldn't hurt Vivid and he wasn't going to go back on his word. That would make him no better than the hoard that watched them.

He stretched out his own wings as they were freed and shook slightly to free the spines on his neck that had clumped together. If there was one benefit to being in the Pit before he knew what these monsters liked. They wanted aggression and violence. A show. That was all this was to them and that much he could do. He just had to be careful not to actually hurt her with his serrated claws. He looked across the Pit and took in a deep breath.

As the call to begin echoed through the area he raised his head and let out a bellowing roar to the delight of the crowd. Idiots. He used his wings, star white scales on the undersides glinting in the light of the desert, to give himself a push towards Vivid. He made it across the Pit faster than one would expect of a dragon his size; taking a somewhat curved route so that he could slam his full weight into the smaller hybrid from the side. He cuffed her hard on the side of the head, making sure not to use his claws, as they tumbled to the ground. He knew how to make a fight look good even if he didn't actually hurt her. She just had to trust him.

[Marlowe]

Vivid crouched lower to the ground when Frostbite roared out of anticipation and, honestly, a little bit of fear. She thought she would be quick enough to dodge his attack, what with the size and shape of her body, but he was surprisingly fast. His initial attack knocked the breath out of her as she was sent skidding across the sand. She tried to recuperate, but her eyes widened in shock when she saw his paw raise to claw her face. Her heart racing, she tried to shield herself with her wings in preparation for the blow, but even the second part of the attack was way too quick. Luckily, she was only met with a smack that half-dazed her. Thank the moons he didn’t claw her– his talons were so terrifying, she was sure they’d rend her in half.

Somewhat disoriented, yet still full of vigor, Vivid snarled as she charged at Frostbite with all of the speed she could muster. She leapt into the air and clung to his shoulder before she sunk her teeth into the side of his neck. Vivid was careful not to exert too much pressure as to terribly wound him, and she was sure to keep any of her venom from slipping into his blood. Her heart thumped in her chest. What came next? Oh, right, she should probably claw him. Her talons scratched at his dark scales, leaving shallow scrapes that didn’t produce much blood, if any at all. She could feel the SandWings’ eyes on them, Caracal’s own scorching into her back like the desert sun. Vivid knew she had to feign a proper fight, unless they saw through their ruse. Things would get bad quickly if they did, and she was sure that Frostbite’s plan would get buried under the sand beneath them.

[PrankFox]

Frostbite was somewhat surprised by the sudden vigor shown by the little hybrid, but he supposed when you were fighting for your life it gave a bit more of a push. He snarled back at her as she charged him, trying to rear up to bat at her as she leapt at him. It gave her the opening to grab onto his shoulder, and he roared in over exaggerated pain as she sunk her teeth into his neck.

He could feel her claws scraping on his scales and knew that they would protect him well enough. The shallow scrapes weren’t enough to do more than sting, but blood leaking onto the sand sold the act more.

A growl rumbled in his throat as he swung himself to the side into a roll, crushing Vivid underneath the majority of his weight to get her to let go. As he rolled back onto his feet he swung his spiked tail downwards. He could kill her easily but he aimed for her side rather than anything vital. He left a deep enough gash to make it bleed, but no more as she had done for him.

His breath was starting to come in heavy pants from the lack of food and water as well as the exertion of the fight. The sun beat down on his dark scales as gave Vivid the opportunity to get back to get back onto her feet. They would only need to draw it out for a bit longer before he felt like he could end it and get his plan under way. He had no idea how well it would work, he just hoped that it would.

[Marlowe]

Vivid guessed that she should have known that the giant dark-scaled dragon would roll onto his side. Oxygen came flooding out of her lungs as his weight collapsed atop of her, which made her loosen her talons from his tough scales. Sand was sent into the air around them, obscuring the match in powdery clouds that stung her eyes. But even beyond the veil of debris, she saw Frostbite’s spiked tail come down upon her. Her heart skipped a beat. Did he mean it when he said he had a plan? He could have tricked her into letting her guard down so that he could survive the fight. Her eyes squeezed shut as she waited for the blow.

She cried out when his tail swept across her side, though she was surprised to see that the blow didn’t feel as brutal as it should have been. Her purplish scales had now become patterned with white splotches of terror, though she still pulled herself to her feet and stared at the other hybrid in a state of shock, confusion, and fear. He was a dragon that could very easily kill her, even without any use of his ice breath. There was no doubt about it.

”C’mon, fight!” roared a dragon from the stands.

She saw another SandWing open its mouth to half-yawn, half-yell. ”This is boring! Bite her head off already!”

Vivid’s eyes darted to the sidelines. Boa watched with slitted eyes from the shadow of the arena, flanked by smirking armored SandWings. Caracal sat in her booth, her dark-rimmed gaze glittering with excitement. Her breath stung in her throat. She was so tired, so thirsty, so hungry… but she still had to fight. Turning her eyes back to Frostbite, she focused her mind. C’mon, you can do this… I just need to make all this look convincing to them!

Screeching, she set off towards Frostbite in a brave charge. She leapt into the air just as she approached him and fanned out her wings to hopefully distract him with the sudden flash of color. In a smooth movement, she whipped around his neck and clung to the small of his neck with her back talons. ”You’ll pay for that!” she shrieked, trying to sound as furious as she could as her front left talons clung to his left horn. Her right talons reached over to scratch at his eyes, though she purposely made this appear quite clumsy as to not blind the poor dragon. Despite her rather vicious attack, it was difficult to lean against the back of the half-IceWing’s neck and attack his face; his spines prodded her soft underbelly and caused her to wince in pain.

Still. She’d have his tail for causing so much trouble. That last attack of his hurt!

[PrankFox]

Every blow that Frostbite landed onto Vivid was carefully controlled. As easy as it would be to kill her and let them drag him back into the pit in chains he wasn't about to let that happen. He had spent too long biding his time for anything to go wrong now. He had kept his gaze away from the guards, made himself seem cowed and weak until the moment when he knew they were too stupid to realize he'd played them for this long. This was the first time he'd been back in the Pit since killing the SKyWing and it would be the last.

His head swiveled slightly to the stands as the SandWings started yelling. If they wanted a fight they wouldn't get it. They would get a facsimile of one. He could see the guards watching and based on what Caracal had told them if it really looked like Vivid would be killed the guards would jump in to stop her from losing her "trophy."

They were both getting tired, that much was obvious. Under the beating sun of the hot desert it almost felt like his scales were burning even though he knew they weren't. He needed to get out though, he couldn't be tired and get away at the same time. That meant he had to end this now, and quickly. He made eye contact with Vivid, ice blue eyes gleaming in the sun, and gave her an almost imperceptible nod. She was a RainWing hybrid which meant she would be useful in getting out and she was small which meant he could carry her. This could work.

He returned her screech with a roar of his own but twisted his head to the side at the sudden mix of colors hitting his eyes. He reared back as she wrapped around his neck, tossing his head and attempting to snap at any limbs that might be close enough to grab in his teeth. As she reached around to his eyes he could tell she was purposefully being clumsy about it, but he still shrieked in pain as she clawed at his face.

Two can play at that game. He ducked his head sharply towards the ground, pulling her more onto the spines along his head and neck. Not enough to really hurt her, but enough to certainly cause pain. With her distracted by that he tossed his head and shook his body hard, flaring his wings in order to dislodge her. Once she was on the ground he lunged towards her again, using his size to barrel into her and knock her to the ground again. One clawed paw pinning her rear legs to the ground with another pressed to her throat.

His eyes flicked up to where Caracal sat in her box, Three moons this better work. If Caracal really didn't care about losing her prize they were both screwed. With Vivid pinned to the ground he raised another serrated set of claws into the air, ready to bring his claws down onto her neck. At least that's how he hoped it looked to the Queen.

[Marlowe]

She couldn’t help but smirk a bit when she heard Frostbite roar. The whole fight was a facade, though as adrenaline pumped faster through her tired body, she felt herself become light-headed with vigor. Here she was, clinging onto the back of a grand dragon such as this one! And she thought that her battle skills were rusty. Then again, he could just be taking it easy on her, and just letting her have her fun–

Yep. Once again, she was thrown to the ground. The impact with the sandy terrain made her head spin. Her body begged for her to get back onto her talons, but her mind counteracted the rush of battle. She couldn’t drag on this fight any longer; the two of them had made a silent agreement. Groaning, she made a show of an attempt to get back on her feet, though Frostbite was upon her in an instant. A dangerous hiss poured from between her teeth as she was pinned, writhing weakly in his grip.

”That’s enough!” shrilled Boa from the sidelines. Caracal definitely wasn’t too happy, judging by the way the other SandWing reacted.

The thump of the SandWings’ talons against the ground grew louder with every instant. There were four or five of them heading their way, judging by the rattle of their armor and the ruckus they made as they ran. Boa probably wasn’t one of them. She probably thought they were too tired to resist. Her eyes darted up to Frostbite in desperation as her heart thrummed against her ribcage. The time to act was now.

[PrankFox]

If this didn't work then either one or both of them were dead. Maybe they would get lucky and get sent back to the chains and live to fight another day, but Frostbite was counting on Queen Caracal not going back on her word despite the obvious bloodlust she held in her black eyes. This was the end of the fight one way or another. Vivid could barely stand at this point from exhaustion and lack of any kind of nutrition and he didn't think his body could stand the heat any more.

As his claw raised into the air he fully planned on bringing it down, just not exactly on Vivid's neck. His head snapped up though as he heard Boa shout and his jaws split into a slightly bloody grin from where his lips had split from the dry heat. This is exactly what he was hoping for. The group of SandWing guards wouldn't be any real match for him. Boa had made the mistake of having them fight tooth and claw which meant he hadn't used his frost breath at all. Not since he fought the SkyWing all that time ago.

He made eye contact with Vivid for a moment before he let her go and in an instant leapt over her prone form to the side where the guards were rushing. He sucked in a deep breath as one of the guards opened their mouth to tell him to stand down. There was a moment of panic on the guards faces but it didn't last long as he exhaled a stream of freezing air and ice onto their bodies, sweeping his head to the side to catch all of them in the blast.

The screams were instant as any of the guards unlucky enough to get caught by the breath felt their scales beginning to shrivel and die. The SandWings in the crowd screamed and roared with a mix of delight and panic at the sudden turn of the tide. Frostbite fully intended to ride on that chaos to get away. With the fog of ice still in the air he flapped his wings, kicking up dust and sand to further obscure them before lifting off and grabbing Vivid underneath her stomach, mindful of where his talons landed on her body.

"Stop them!" The voice was shrill and angry though it was somewhat difficult to tell who it came from. Caracal? Or maybe Boa who was watching her life fly away in front of her eyes.

Frostbite heard the shriek over the sound of roars in the crowd as he gained altitude. His head turned back to see a number of the other guards starting to take flight after them. "You're part RainWing right?" his voice was already strained from the exhaustion, "Can you keep them off us?" He could use his tail, but carrying Vivid meant that he had less maneuverability, but he knew there would be little chance of her keeping up with him if she'd tried to fly on her own, and he did make a deal.

[Marlowe]

Yes, their plan was working! Frostbite’s attack had rendered the SandWing guards either dead or dying, which in part was a rather grizzly sight. The thought of the larger dragon bearing so much power as to do that to a handful of dragons within only a few seconds… if he were any other type of individual, she was sure she’d have been turned into a frozen statue. Vivid flinched when she felt his claws slink under her belly, and within moments they were up in the air and flying up into the sky. She tucked her wings close to her sides to allow him to carry her easier. Freedom was finally within their grasp–! The crowd’s screams and calls from below only bolstered the swelling sensation in her chest. Vivid told herself that they were cheering for them, though that was very unlikely. Eh, best to think that way.

Frostbite’s rumble shook her from her thoughts. She turned her slender neck to see that he was right. Three or four more SandWings were pursuing them– and they were gaining fast. A fiery current or a well-aimed jab of their spears would cause Frostbite great pain for sure. And if they got close enough to stab him with their stingers… ”I’ve got them!” Vivid affirmed.

Her eyes watched the SandWings’ movements closely. There was the sway of their bodies as their wings carried them through the air. The way they clenched their weapons. The wrinkled scowl that laid upon their lips. She opened her mouth and extended her fangs. Black, viscous liquid shot forth from her maw and splattered against the eyes of the closest SandWing. The guard screamed in pain, reeling back and crashing into the other SandWing that had flanked them. She watched as the two of them clumped together mid-air, with the injured SandWing clawing at their comrade in desperation as their face melted underneath Vivid’s venom. The other SandWing screamed too, half in horror and half in pain as the desperate guard’s talons dug into their flesh. They careened out of control and crashed against the side of a building before they slammed into the ground below. That left the other two.

Vivid’s aim once again found its mark when her venom struck the third SandWings in the gap of the armor that covered its neck. It screeched in agony, flaring its wings to claw at the plating. The fourth SandWing snarled and turned to help the soldier, probably out of fear of being struck as well. Vivid grinned.

”That should slow them down for a bit!” she called up towards Frostbite.

[PrankFox]

It was enough of a strain on Frostbite's body to carry the other hybrid, especially after fighting for as long as they had. Even if it had been fake it still required the same amount of energy. Just less blood loss. He was prepared to use his tail if he had to, should one of the SandWings get too close to them, but he had no idea how much it would throw off his balance in the air. The last thing they needed was for them to go spiraling towards the ground with little to no way to break their fall. Some escape that would be and there would be no chance of another one. He couldn't imagine how much Caracal was going to crack down on the other hybrids since they got away, but he chose not to think about that.

He let out a grunt of affirmative, talking was too much work at this point, and let his trust rest in Vivid for a moment. He didn't do it often, but it was either that or die at this point so he chose to trust her. He just focused on keeping himself steady so that she could aim at the guards that were tailing them.

As the screams started he swiveled his head around and smirked at the chaos. Served them right for treating them like animals. Now they could die in agony like so many of them did. He hoped Boa would be tormented under the claws of the Queen for her failure. He didn't think that Caracal took kindly to any missteps.

He was only slightly phased by the sight of their scales practically melting off their bones, mostly because his frost breath did something similar. It was more of a shriveling on his end, but still looked grizzly. He turned his attention back to where they were going, using the screams and clashing armor behind them as a cue that Vivid was doing her part. "Good," he huffed out in a quick breath since he could already feel his lungs and wings starting to strain from the exertion and lack of use. There was no way he could keep up this pace for much longer so he hoped that the SandWings had given up at the sight of their mutilated comrades.

There wasn't exactly a plan of where to go, all Frostbite knew was that they needed to get away. Far away from the Sand Kingdom and Caracal if they wanted any chance of staying free. He could only vaguely remember the maps that his father had shown him, but if he remembered right then the Ice and Sky Kingdoms would be closest. He didn't want to go home, that seemed like a bad idea, so the Sky Kingdom it would have to be. For now.

What felt like hours but was likely only minutes passed before he could feel the strain becoming too much for him to bear anymore. It felt like the muscles in his wings were going to tear if he dared flap them again. He looked behind them once more, not seeing any pursuing SandWings and instead scanned the barren surface of the desert for anything that might be of use to them. It was flat and barren with the sun reflecting off the grains in blinding rays made it hard to see, but through it he was able to see the faintest glint of water. Some kind of oasis he hoped. Either way it was their best bet. He let them start to coast towards the ground. Once they were close enough he dropped Vivid into the sand and had to take a few running steps onto the hot ground before sinking down, sides heaving with exhaustion.

The oasis was small, but it would have to do as he dragged himself to his feet and stepped carefully to lap at the water. It was slightly grainy, but no worse than the water they were given in the pit. He glanced over towards the other hybrid, "Good aim on the SandWings. Hopefully they won't think we're worth enough to follow."

[Marlowe]

Their escapade was more terrifying than exciting. Behind them, the SandWings scrambled, writhed, and clawed at their scales in useless attempts to get rid of the venom that clung to their skin and seared holes through their tendons. The arena had flown into a frenzy, with dragons scattering into the skies in terror. Two monsters had escaped, and they had to get home before they were killed, devoured, or worse. Vivid grinned down at the storm of thrashing wings and tails that lashed back and forth in desperation. With the havoc they caused, they would surely be home free… right?

They flew for a while over the sandy wastes. No one followed them. Three moons, she thought Boa and Caracal would care a bit more about losing their dragons. Maybe there was just too much chaos going around for them to set off after them in a hot pursuit. Which meant that they had more than enough time to lay and rest. Her body ached, and fatigue set in as soon as her claws touched down upon the sands of the oasis that Frostbite had found. Finally, some water and shade. She trod over to the parched hybrid’s side and slipped into the water. It was shallow, but deep enough to soak in. She spread open her blue wings and let her brilliant yellow membranes soak in the coolness of the water.

”Ahhh,” she breathed in a sigh of relief before she dipped her head into the water to take large gulps of the liquid. It wasn’t too grainy, but she wasn’t going to complain. Honestly, if she had the option, she’d stay at that oasis forever. It was much better than that courtyard back in the Scorpion’s Den.

She raised her head and swiveled it around, facing Frostbite. ”You’re Frostbite, then?” she piped. ”I’m Vivid. It’s nice to meet you!”

The scratches that marred her scales stung, but for now, they were trophies that she had sustained in order to achieve her freedom. She wondered how tired Frostbite was. ”Are we staying at this oasis for too long? The water feels nice, you should try it out!”

[PrankFox]

As Vivid slipped into the water Frostbite instead chose to slump down on the sand. He wasn’t the biggest fan of getting wet if he was honest. He was used to the frigid mountains of the Ice Kingdom or the one time when he’d been a young dragonet that he went to the NightWing’s island. He didn’t remember much of it, but he did remember that it was hot and humid. He was used to the sand anyway. He’d spent long enough laying on it that it honestly would feel weird to him to not be dealing with the shifting grains.

He let his head rest on his claws and closed his eyes briefly, finally feeling like he could rest without something looming over him. His eyes quickly snapped back open as the smaller hybrid spoke. He grunted in affirmation as she got his name right. Where she’d heard it he had no idea. “Nice to meet you too I guess,” he muttered, trying to ignore the stinging pain the sand caused. Both from the heat and from getting into the shallow scrapes on his flank and face.

Three moons, how could this dragon be so chipper after they’d just escaped from the Scorpion Den? She has just likely killed several dragons and yet her voice was chirpy and excited. He let his eyes slip shut again at the question. “Long enough to rest for a bit then I’m going in the direction of the Sky Kingdom,” a single ice blue eye opened to stare at Vivid, “You’re free. What you do is up to you.” So long as it wasn't following him around.

He didn’t want to end up carting some naïve young dragon around with him. That meant he had a greater chance of being caught, it would be harder to get places with two of them, and she was far too…uppity. He just wanted to rest at this point and then go somewhere that was much less hot. “I’m good thanks,” he mumbled out, shifting, trying to get comfortable on the hot sand without having to get wet.

Eventually he stood and breathed out a thin layer of ice onto the sand. That was something he could do now that his jaw wasn’t clamped shut. He was careful to make sure that it wasn't cold enough to actually hurt him, just keep him cool. He patted the sand down and laid back down with a sigh as the coolness helped soothe the aches. “I’d recommend some rest. It’s a long way to anywhere.”

[Marlowe]

This dragon seemed a lot more… grumpier than she expected. She shifted around in the water, trying to get the cool liquid to wash over her dusty scales. She was part SandWing, yes, but even this was too hot for her. Vivid dipped her head into the water and drank deeply once again. She never knew she could ever be so thirsty. The SandWings had given her more water than the rest of the dragons that had been contained in the courtyard, but sometimes it wasn’t enough. Her tongue had been dry as the desert on more than one occasion.

So, Frostbite was headed to the SkyWing kingdom. She tipped her head at the suggestion. The SkyWing kingdom sounded like the closest and safest place… she didn’t even want to think of trying to head to the IceWing kingdom. She swayed her thick tail under the surface of the water as Frostbite made himself more comfortable with his ice-breath, attempting to keep herself from shuddering. She was lucky that Caracal and Boa prevented them both from using breath attacks on one another. Her mind didn’t want to think about what would happen if he actually had used his ice breath on her.

”Uhm, the SkyWing kingdom…” she murmured. ”Mind if I join you? I don’t have anywhere else to go. Least not for now.”

She had to get to a place where she could actually rest for the time being before she set off somewhere else. Making a break for the RainWing kingdom was too risky, especially in her state. She wasn’t even sure if she could fly that long of a distance. And if she tried flying over the Scorpion Den, she ran the chance of getting caught once again. There was no way she stood a chance if she was. No one would save her. Her heart sank at the thought of the other hybrids stuck in that courtyard. Who would save them?

Vivid’s frills suddenly perked up. ”We could rest in the SkyWing kingdom for a bit, then come back to save the others!” she suggested.

[PrankFox]

With the coolness of his ice breath on the sand, Frostbite finally felt that he could, just maybe, take a moment to close his eyes and rest. He figured, and hoped, that they were far enough away from the Scorpion Den that they wouldn't be easily followed. Unfortunately the desert was all gold and he was gray. That made it somewhat difficult for him to blend in to say the least.

It didn't seem like rest would be the case though. He had hoped telling Vivid to get some rest would be the end of any conversation, but that didn't seem to be the case for the chatty hybrid. His eyes flicked back open again to stare at her as she asked him if she could join him. He heaved out a heavy breath, this was why he didn't really want to bring anyone else along. Unfortunately he had needed her cooperation for the plan to work, and now he was stuck with her it seemed. Joy.

"If you can keep up," he grumbled out. He didn't even know if they would be treated any better in the Sky Kingdom. He had been treated ok in the Ice Kingdom, but he imagined that was mostly because his mother was a princess. If he had been anyone else he probably would've been killed the moment he was born. He just had to hope that he would at least go mostly unseen. He could try to pass as a darkly colored IceWing, he'd done it before since he had seen those that were more on the gray side rather than white, but he'd have to keep his wings down.

He let his eyes drift shut again, now very much hoping that was the end of the conversation so that he could try to get some sleep before having to fly across the rest of the desert. He wanted to travel at night if at all possible, mostly because he would blend in better. There would also be less dragons out overall. Less chance of getting seen, and therefore less chance of getting sent back into the Pit.

His eyes snapped open as Vivid spoke again and he lifted his head fully up to stare at her, baffled. "We just got out of there and you want to go back?" He felt, maybe, a tiny bit bad about leaving the other hybrids there, but in that situation it was every dragon for themselves. "Are you insane? Do you want to get thrown back in the Pit again?" If they got caught there would be no mercy from Caracal. If she wanted to go back and risk her neck fine, but he wasn't doing it.

[Marlowe]

Now that Frostbite regurgitated her suggestion back towards her, she supposed that the idea sounded silly and dangerous. They would be taking a huge risk if they went back for the other hybrids. Vivid didn’t want to get caught and thrown back into the Pit. But they couldn’t just run off and leave the hybrids behind! They could get hurt or die on the sandy, bloody battlefield. And their deaths would be on their heads. She swayed her tail underneath the surface of the warm water before she pulled herself out of the oasis. Her scales shifted into the color of the sands around them with the hopes of blending in. Who knows, maybe passerbys would think Frostbite was a big rock.

”You can’t say you don’t feel bad leaving the others behind. What if they get killed?” she quipped. ”There were hybrids younger than us there. They won’t survive for long if we don’t help them!”

Vivid slumped down onto the sand beside him. Her eyes were wide, yellow discs as she gazed up at him. She stayed silent for a few moments before her head craned forward, blinking as something crossed her mind. ”There could be dragons in the SkyWing kingdom that could help us.”

[PrankFox]

As Vivid climbed up next to him he stared briefly at the shifting color of her scales. He hadn't known many RainWings, or RainWing hybrids for that matter, so it was a slightly fascinating. As she spoke though he blew out a bit of frost in a huff. "And what if we get killed going back?" It didn't make any sense for them to risk their own lives to go save a bunch of other hybrids they didn't know. Vivid had the luck of being the one he was paired with when he wanted to enact his plan, but he would've done it with any of the others just the same.

"We won't be any help to anyone dead, including ourselves." Three moons, could she not hear herself and how ridiculous this all sounded. They had gotten away, they had killed or maimed a number of the SandWings that had come after them, and now she wanted to go waltzing back in like there wasn't a care. "I don't see how their lives are more important than my own," he held up a single talon above the sand, "That's rule one of surviving." Sure it was harsh, but that was the way it was. He couldn't go rushing back in there, risking his own death, to maybe save some other dragons. It wasn't worth it.

He shuffled his wings, pressing them close to his sides, as he set his head back down in the sand once she shut up. Maybe what he said finally got through that clearly thick skull of hers. He didn't know which heritage that came from, she didn't look like she had any MudWing in her.

His head shifted as he heard her moving again and he recoiled slightly at the wide stare. He was about to ask her what she wanted when she piped up again. He barked out a humorless laugh, "You really think any of the stuck up SkyWings are going to risk their own slender necks to help some hybrids?" She was insane, that was the only explanation. "No one cares about us, or the others trapped in the pit. You should get that through your head now before you're disappointed."