Moon revelled in the time she was allowed into the main area. The cell where she spent most of her day was mildly claustrophobic. There was no room to explore in the confined space. It had taken her only hours to cast a sonic gaze around the space, memorizing every crack, every crevasse, in the wall. And, worst of all, the damn room echoed. When she was allowed to leave her cell, half of the time it was only to enter the arena. Given the choice, it was truly a toss-up as to which one she despised more. At least fighting was a challenge. It was stimulating, even if it was terrifying. In the cell, there was nothing to do but sweep a sonic gaze endlessly over the same surfaces.
So the few hours each day when everyone was let out, it was a treat. Moon savoured the time. She kept a low profile, moving easily through the crowds. She didn’t cause trouble, and she didn’t let people know she was there. The Dragon girl was a ghost. She could see no one, not with her vestigial eyes, and it was as though no one could see her either. Moon wandered, letting each of the life forms register in her mind. She could tell the difference instantly between a human and an Ebolorian. Between all the various forms of humanoids. She recognized a person’s life presence as easily as, perhaps even with more ease than, the sighted could recognize a face.
So when a new arrival of fighters arrived, Moon often picked them out well before any of the other fighters. Such was the gift of the Dragons. And the Rhevarian girl…she stuck out like a flame in the blackness of night.
Moon watched from a distance. Her eyes stared sightlessly off into the distance, but her mind was focused on the form of the alien girl, escorted by the Ebolorian guards. She watched from a distance as the entire events unfolded. The Rhevarian made an attempt to aid another, a young Arian who’s life Moon could feel weakening with each blow from the guards. But it came as total shock to her when the Arian girl disappeared.
She blinked in shock. To a Dragon, death registers in an entirely different manner than for other races. One instant, the girl was there. The next, the glow that was her life had vanished. Snuffed out as a gunshot blasted through the entire area. It was as though a part of Moon’s own awareness had vanished. She was there…and then she was gone. Dead. No more life force registering in Moon’s mind. It took her several moments to get over the shock of sensing a death. Other prisoners in the crowded space bumped into her. For a brief while, she was jostled in the crowd she normally would have woven her way through with ease.
Finally, Moon shook herself. Where was the Rhevarian now? That bright and distinctive life force radiated from elsewhere. By the post in the centre of the entire space. Moon took off, darting her way through the crowd. The Dragon was nimble, and once again flowed through the crowd like water over smooth stone. A low hum emitted from her throat bounced back to her, painting a sonic image in her mind. The Rhevarian was tied to the post, an Ebolorian guard poised over her with an electrified whip.
She debated intensely. Intervene, and risk her own skin…or stand by and do nothing. But that hadn’t stopped the Rhevarian from trying to help the Arian girl. The second the first crack of the whip pierced her ears, Moon’s mind was made up.
A quick sonic sweep of the ground revealed just what she wanted. A hefty chunk of stone lay near her feet. She grabbed it, scanned the ground again, and selected another. Moon grinned broadly, taking up a position as near to the post as she could without being obvious. The Dragon belted out a polyphonic note. The pitch carried for several seconds, gradually attracting more and more attention. Finally, the sound waves bouncing back to her painted the picture she wanted to see. The Ebolorian guard had turned his head to find the source of the obnoxious noise. And when he did, Moon let the first of her rocks fly. For a blind girl, her aim was exquisite. The stone chunk hit the giant guard square in the jaw, and she heard a satisfying crack. She belted a second note, this one higher, and lobbed the second rock.
She took off at a sprint without waiting to determine if it made contact or not. If the guard gave chase, she would have the upper hand. Her ability to sense everyone in the crowd, instantaneously, let her weave her way in between people without a second thought. There was no getting lost. There was no chance of running into a person. If he gave chase, Moon would double back and free the Rhevarian girl from the whipping post. She let out a few more polyphonic notes as she ran, teasing the guard, daring him to pursue.
She would handle the consequences later. For now, Moon only knew that she needed to help, in whatever small way she could. She prayed her hasty plan would work.