Captured
The moons were shining down on the Rainwing Nursery. It seemed like any other night. No one knew what would be set in motion tonight. Tiger yawned as she slowly woke up. Her dreams were slowly fading away from her memory. What time is it?Thought Tiger, rolling over to face the sky.
Tiger groaned and rolled over to go back to sleep when she saw the moon was still at its height in the sky.
Suddenly Tiger heard footsteps. Is someone else awake? At this time of night? Tiger slowly raised her head to see a huge panther leaning over a small rainwing named Ursula. Tiger gulped down a gasp. Her heart stopped and the calmness and stillness of the night shattered under her claws. There was no peace now. Any other night thisk panther would have killed Ursula. But tonight Tiger was in the nursery. No, Ursula!Tiger’s mind screamed. Run! Hide! Scream! Fight! Tiger liked the last option best. Without a second thought Tiger released a battle cry and lunged at the panther.
The panther dodged and clawed at Tiger’s stomach. Tiger yowled but it couldn’t be heard. At this point everyone was awake screaming and backing away from the fight. The panther clawed Tiger’s chest. Tiger screamed and fell into the Nursery wall. The panther lunged for her, but Tiger grabbed the panther’s jaw. NO! I am not dying tonight!Tiger thought fiercely. She tossed the panther and it more or less landed on its feet.
Tiger lunged at the panther and caught its neck in between her jaw. She bit down and a second later she heard a snap and the panther stopped moving. Tiger dropped the bloody panther and smiled heroically. I did it! I saved them! I’m a hero. Tiger looked over at the other Rainwings that were standing in the corner wide eyed. They didn’t look surprised or happy. They looked… terrified.
Now you have got to understand Tiger may have saved Ursula, but she was still practically a toddler, and she just gave a panther a bloody death. Killing is not something Rainwings like to see.
Tiger didn’t know it then, but they would never see her as the dragon that saved a life. They would see her as the dragon with blood dripping down her fangs.
Tiger dug her claws into the branch of her tree. She watched her prey from the treetops. The wind blew gently causing the branches around Tiger to dance. Come on just a LITTLE closer. Suddenly Tiger leaped forward. She tackled the wild boar. The pig squealed and kicked. Tiger reached her claws for its neck when suddenly a sound from the forest distracted her for a precise second. The pig squealed and slipped out of her grip. “NO! Don’t you…” shouted Tiger trying to wrestle a grip back onto the pig. But it was no use. The pig escaped into the thicket. It was gone.
Tiger snorted, feeling the scales were the pig kicked her. “So, this is why everyone else prefers to eat things that don’t fight back.”
Tiger strutted over to the bushes where she heard the noise. “ALRIGHT! I know someone’s out there. Show yourself, you’ll pay for making me lose my lunch!” she shouted to the trees.
A few birds flew away and one stared at Tiger as if to say. You’re crazy. No dragon here. Just us little birds.
Tiger let out a little chuckle. “I guess I do sound a little crazy to you, don’t I?”
The bird was silent.
“Well, you don’t have to all disagree with me at once.”
Tiger sighed and turned to a little river to drink from.
As Tiger drank, she heard the sound again. A large rustle then a swack as the parrot that was staring at her took off as it called an alarm.
Tiger raised her head from the water. Her ears flattened and she barred her fangs. “Ok, jokes over.” Tiger hissed. “Who’s out there.”
There was an eerie silence. The waiting pulled at Tigers heart. The wind whistled in her ear hissing eerily almost like a warning.
“I will not ask twice. Who’s out there” Tiger spat.
Suddenly her question was answered, a dark figure lunged from the trees and tackled her sinking its claws into her neck.
You want a fight? Hissed Tiger’s thoughts. Then it’s a fight you’ll get! Tiger kicked the dragon’s stomach, and it released her neck. Tiger scratched the figure across its face and got up.
Tiger could see her attacker. That’s not a rainwing. That’s one of the other dragons Grander told me about. That’s a nightwing. “WHO ARE YOU!” Tiger demanded circling him. An idiot if he thinks he can take me down.
The nightwing lunged at Tiger using his scolding fire to burn Tiger’s face. Tiger screamed and fell. She quickly propped herself up and tackled the nightwing. She pushed his jaw aside so he could use his fire. “Who are you. Don’t make me ask again.” She hissed.
The nightwing chuckled. “HA! You don’t scare me rainwing.”
“That’s cause you don’t know me yet. Now one way or another…” Tiger let venom drip down her fangs as she opened her mouth pushing it closer to him. “You’re going to answer me.”
That made the nightwing jump a little. Tiger spotted a large venom scar on his face. He’s been struck before. Has he done this before?
“You, you wouldn’t dare.” Stuttered the dragon.
Tiger let the black drops slither down her fangs until one dripped off and hit his face with a small splash. The Nightwing screamed in pain and wiggled under Tiger’s grip. Suddenly the dragon’s tail hit her over the head, and she fell off him. Her vison was blurred, and her ears rang. Slowly everything went black.
Tiger opened her eyes. ... where I’m I? Why can’t I open my…. Tiger tried to open her mouth only to find something wrapped around it. When Tiger tried to push it off she found her claws were in bags. What the… that dragon! Tiger sprung to her feet and red seeped through her every bone and every scale. Tiger looked out of the cave entrance. Lava ran in thick rivers and ash layer the ground. Where am I? Tiger though. Well DUH I’m in the nightwing kingdom. Or at least a nightwing city. But where is that?
Suddenly a Nightwing landed in her cave. Tiger growled. Ok think. You can’t bite him; you can’t claw him… I can still tackle him or push him in the lava. Although he’s probably too big for me to push. In fact he’s probably to big for an elephant to push.
Tiger looked at the dragon up and down. He was tall with a few scars and no doubt strong, but he also looked sickly and skinny.
A second dragon landed next to the first one. This one was older but smaller. He had little glasses, and he was very intelligent looking. Also, smug looking. And very punch able. I can probably push him in the lava.
The third one that landed was the one that had attacked her. Tiger growled again.
“I swear there is something wrong with this one. She actually fought back. None of the other rainwing’s have done that. And she was HUNTING! Another thing rainwings don’t do.” Said the one that attacked Tiger.
The one with glasses pointed a pencil at Tiger as if he was describing some weird bug. “Good observation Vengeance. Very unlike rainwings.”
“Looks fine to me.” said the first.
“On the contrary, look at her scales. Most of the rainwings we have picked up are light green at first, a color indicating fear. This one has a lot of red and a lot of black. Black is a color some of the rainwing that have been here for a while show.”
Other rainwings? Here for a while? What are these sick dragons doing? For the first time in a long time Tiger saw a pale green sliding through some of her claws. Tiger’s eye’s widened and she forced them back to their normal color.
The dragon with the glasses pointed to the scar on Tiger’s chest. “Ah, that may indicate she was attacked at a young age. Most likely making her grow up to be aggressive.”
“Looks like a panther mark.” Observed Vengeance.
“Mystery solved. You’re a genius Mastermind, now should I bring her into the lab?” Asked the first one.
Mastermind… that must be the one with the glasses. Wait lab?
“Yes” said Mastermind. “I can finally test if aggressive rainwing venom is more acidic than passive rainwing venom. Maybe I could even study how they fight. This will be rather fascinating. I’ll meet you in the lab Strongwings, make sure to be careful.” And with that he left. Test!? Oh no, that is not happening. Not today, not ever!
Strongwings reach out for Tiger, but she head butted him in the stomach. Take THAT!
Strongwings stumbled Vengeance and they both nearly fell in the lava.
The dragon that attacked her threw Strongwings off him and grabbed Tiger’s neck “STUPID RAINWING!” He shouted.
Tiger didn’t like that.
Tiger rolled over crushing his claw under her weight and he was forced to let go. Tiger rolled back onto her feet. Strongwings quickly tackled her. Tiger screamed and cursed but it all came out muffled.
Strongwings attached a chain to the gag. “Vengeance! Quick come help me!”
Vengeance quickly came over, but Tiger whipped her tail across his face. The spikes along her tail sunk into the venom scar and he screamed louder than a holler monkey. HA! That’s what you get! When he recovered, he snapped another chain onto her gag and they both dragged Tiger across the island to a large palace. Tiger’s scales turned light green. The Nightwing Palace.
