Legends: Gladiator, Part 2, Chapter 6

The dank, musty smell of the prison was honestly not that bad. Scarlet fancied that in the future, no matter what she smelled, it would be better than the smell of this. And since the smell of the prison was not too bad, anything would smell good in comparison.

Since there was no one nearby, another dragon could easily descend, free Scarlet, and just leave. That was the main issue with all prisons: They were hidden away. They were so hidden, that a prison breakout would be so easy. If Scarlet were to own a prison, she would have it way out in the open where everyone could see. And, the upside: She could revel in the sorrow of her prisoners at any time.

So of course, there was no one to see Scarlet’s ocean of anger and regret and grief and ultimately sorrow.

“Get up!”

Scarlet groaned, shaking off slimy little things that were crawling over her face.

“Get up I said!”

Scarlet blinked and opened her eyes slowly. In front of her was an annoyed-looking guard, and two others that looked like they were on the verge of laughter. Glancing around, she didn’t even know that she went to sleep.

“I said GET UP!” shouted the guard.

Scarlet yawned just to infuriate the dusty SandWing and pushed herself off of the ground, “Where am I going?”

“To meet the queen,” replied the guard. The SandWings grabbed Scarlet and escorted her out of the cell with the chains on her wings.

After lots and lots of walking, she finally ended up in a room that didn’t seem like a dungeon. According to Scarlet, if it smells like a dungeon, looks like a dungeon, and acts like a dungeon, it probably is a dungeon.

Scarlet was honestly beginning to assume that all of the SandWing's Palace was a stinky underground chamber that was connected with even stinkier, murky corridors.

“Welcome!” said a wiry voice on top of the throne, “I assume you are Princess Scarlet of the SkyWings?”

“Yeah,” grumbled Scarlet, filing away everything she could about the room. There were two male SandWings who wore some jewelry. Scarlet assumed that these two were either princes or advisors. Then, on the other side of the room, next to the Queen, was a short, young female SandWing with a smile on her face. The young SandWing wore so much jewelry, that she sounded very much like Citrine, who always clanked around in baubles and gems. In fact, Scarlet thought she looked familiar, but couldn’t put her mind to it.

In the corner, there was another female SandWing who looked more bored than anyone else. She was slumped against the wall, muttering something bad-tempered.

The rest of the dragons in the room held spears and were obviously guards.

“Well then, let’s introduce ourselves formally,” replied the Queen, “I’m Queen Scarab, and this is my daughter, Pinacate. Over there are my two sons, Locust and Ocotillo. The idiot in the corner is my other daughter, Oasis. Although, she sometimes just a nobody.”

She pointed at the two male SandWings when saying their names. Ocotillo looked pompous and overintelligent, while Locust looked less like a prince and more like a mischevious SandWing. Pinacate was still smiling, but with less vigor after hearing Scarlet's name.

“Cool,” replied Scarlet breezily, “But what am I doing here?”

“You are here to answer my questions,” replied the Queen, “What are you doing here?”

Scarlet thought it was funny that the Queen restated her question, but didn't point it out.

“I’m looking for someone,” replied Scarlet. Pinacate looked uncomfortable and quickly covered it.

“Who?” slithered Ocotillo’s tongue, seeming to look thoroughly uninterested.

“My sister,” replied Scarlet, “Condor.”

Pinacate seemed to choke on something and quickly covered it again.

“You!” Scarlet pointed a talon at Pinacate, “What do you know about my sister?”

Pinacate mumbled quickly, “I-I-I don’t know anything about your sister or where she was hidden.”

“Where she was hidden?” asked Scarlet suspiciously, “How did you know she was hidden?”

Scarlet’s mind was racing. She thought Condor had run away, but in fact, she must have been abducted. Then, realization streaked through Scarlet like a serrated IceWing claw.

It was the SandWings who abducted her.

She wasn’t gone because of me.

She was gone because of them.

Then, many things occured to Scarlet: the cheerful SandWing that was so similar to her mother was Pinacate (She only didn't recognize Pinacate because she was wearing so many jewels); the oily SandWing was Ocotillo, who's voice sounded like a dying cow; Condor must have been a prisoner of the SandWings.

As Pinacate was quickly convering up her mistake, Scarlet roared and charged at her. Since she was faster than the guards thought and she managed to stab Pinacate and scorch her face, she made the SandWing princess scream with terror and pain. Scarlet relished the noise and turned to Ocotillo, who suddenly looked a lot more vulnerable.

“Where is my sister!” shrieked Scarlet in a slightly manic tone, although she didn't realize it, “WHERE IS SHE?”

Ocotillo screeched and fled. The guards closed in on Scarlet, and she shot a long burst of flame at each of them.

She then heard Scarab say something that she almost wished she didn’t hear.

“Citrine said the Scarlet wasn’t that dangerous. I thought the SkyWing Queen said that taking Condor would be profitable and easy. She never mentioned that this rabid SkyWing would be so . . . rabid.”

Citrine was . . . working for them.

Citrine wanted Condor gone.

The betrayal made Scarlet felt so faint that she didn’t notice the chains wrapping around her talons, wings, body, and snout, tying her up into a bundled, worthless pile of nothing.

So worthless that she couldn’t save herself, much less save Condor.

She groaned and flopped over to the side.

Slowly, her eyes were shut closed like a sunny day being covered by dark rainclouds.