Of Feathers And Flames- A Wings of Fire AU RP

[Blue Raptor]

Helios glared down at the cloudwing, Shrike apparently. He didn’t know how to answer, his mouth fell slightly open as he contemplated what the dragon had said. The Lunarwing always sticking beside Sol was now almost infront of him, warding shrike off. Shrike turned and left with an air of annoyance, clearly not wanting to stay any longer.

Helios closed his mouth with a snap, his teeth gritted as he told himself not to burn the tip of the cloudwings tail off as it swept out the door. He turned to his son, whose head was lowered in obvious shame.
“Sol…it wasn’t your fault. Nothing you did in there was….well, you. That was all just the humans mind games, don’t let it eat away at you son.” He said, his voice low and unsure. Before Sol could respond, Helios was talking again. “Come home, Sol. I know you don’t remember what it was like and you might hate it for all I know, but I want you to give it a chance. Please?” He asked, smiling at him as he waited for Sols head to rise.



@Blue Raptor

@-Shade-

@_-Captain BRM-_

(Aw, wot a good daddy)

Sol released his clenched jaw. "You're wrong. It was all me. I did do those things." He took a breath and it audibly shook. "I regret it so now, but it won't erase what I've done. So. If we can't move past that, then," he raised his head slowly, "then this comes to an end. But I do," he whispered. "I do want to come home."

@Crestcrazy2

*sings a fake imaginary song about Shrike being a jerk*

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

*sings a fake imaginary song about Shrike being a jerk*

Shrike is the bestest. THA BESTEST.

 

[-Shade-]

Shrike’s expression flickered over to one of annoyance and his sharp gaze darted to Eclipse. Though he growled at the dragoness, his feathers had begun to lower.
“There ain’t no more ‘we.’” Shrike snapped, taking a step back. “You’re a fool if ya ever thought there was. Me an’ Kapok are leavin’.” The CloudWing took another step backward. “An’ I suggest gettin’ rid of the murderer, before he gets y’all killed. Not that I care,” he muttered, stealing a hateful glance at Sol’s lowered head and scoffing.
Without waiting for a reply or rebuke, the feathered dragon swept past them and into the bunker.

Kapok stared at the Cloudwing in shock from his place further down the hall, watching dumbfounded as Shrike swept past. He glanced back at the other three before turning and quickly scrambling to catch up with the feathered dragon, ducking his head to the Cloudwing's level and trying to catch his gaze.

@Blue Raptor
(Y'all, don't tell me I've been holding up the whole RP, I totally had it in my brain we were waiting on someone else )

 

[-Shade-]

Helios glared down at the cloudwing, Shrike apparently. He didn’t know how to answer, his mouth fell slightly open as he contemplated what the dragon had said. The Lunarwing always sticking beside Sol was now almost infront of him, warding shrike off. Shrike turned and left with an air of annoyance, clearly not wanting to stay any longer.

Helios closed his mouth with a snap, his teeth gritted as he told himself not to burn the tip of the cloudwings tail off as it swept out the door. He turned to his son, whose head was lowered in obvious shame.
“Sol…it wasn’t your fault. Nothing you did in there was….well, you. That was all just the humans mind games, don’t let it eat away at you son.” He said, his voice low and unsure. Before Sol could respond, Helios was talking again. “Come home, Sol. I know you don’t remember what it was like and you might hate it for all I know, but I want you to give it a chance. Please?” He asked, smiling at him as he waited for Sols head to rise.

(Aw, wot a good daddy)

Sol released his clenched jaw. "You're wrong. It was all me. I did do those things." He took a breath and it audibly shook. "I regret it so now, but it won't erase what I've done. So. If we can't move past that, then," he raised his head slowly, "then this comes to an end. But I do," he whispered. "I do want to come home."

Eclipse gave Sol a sympathetic look, her tensed shoulders relaxing slightly at Helios's words.
"Me and Sol were talking earlier," she started slowly, turning back to the larger Solarwing. "About the Den. We think there might be a way to stop it. Everything that's been happening there."
She glanced back at Sol expectantly.

@_-Captain BRM-_
@Crestcrazy2

 

[Blue Raptor]

Kapok stared at the Cloudwing in shock from his place further down the hall, watching dumbfounded as Shrike swept past. He glanced back at the other three before turning and quickly scrambling to catch up with the feathered dragon, ducking his head to the Cloudwing's level and trying to catch his gaze.

The brown dragon rumbled irritably. “What do you want, Kapok?” He said sullenly, looking away from the LeafWing’s eyes.

@Blue Raptor
(Y'all, don't tell me I've been holding up the whole RP, I totally had it in my brain we were waiting on someone else )

Na, nah, it’s just been slow.

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

Spoiler: Of Heart & Sol - Part 12

The plane left at 5am. We boarded at 4:35.
Exhausted, I watched the scenery below as the plane hummed, knowing full well Sol was beneath me having a heart attack and a half. Fox threw up most of the morning, I guessed due to last night's adventures. Harper and I sat beside each other. I had the window seat.
"Have you ever left The Scorpion Den, Tobias?" She asked, her voice muffled in my popping ears.
I gazed out the small window. "Never." I said.

We landed in Westover, a city bordering the mountain range. The sun still shone brightly here, though back home it was dark. This airport was not overcrowded like The Scorpion Den. Security guards roamed, and when we exited our gate a small team of officers met us. Fox exchanged papers and a few moments later we were walking again, following the officers.

We spent the last few hours of daylight on a bus. I slept and thought of Sol. Fox said the dragon was on a different route. We would see him at the compound tomorrow.
I shared a hotel room with Fox. He didn't get in till late. I sat on top of my bedsheets, back propped against the backboard.
"You just been sittin here?"
He sounded exhausted. I could tell in his tone he was drunk, and that annoyed me. I sighed.
Fox walked to the desk, and opened the top drawer, pulled out a pair of scissors, and walked to the bathroom.
I waited, listening to hair crunch between the dull blades. Five minutes later Fox waddled out and held up the scissors. He squinted, struggling to focus on me. His hair looked awful.
"You're up, Tobe."
"Yeah, no, Fox." I said.
"Nah. You need it short."
"I don't."
Fox grunted and began to walk towards my bed, scissors in hand. I side-rolled away from him, keeping the bed between us. "Leave me alone, Fox."
He held up the scissors again, then dropped his hand against the bed.
I shook my head.
"Come here, Tobe."
I took a deep breath and held it.
"Tobias. Come here."
I did not move, and Fox searched my face, frowning. He never looked away. "So hair's where you draw the line, huh?"
"Leave me be."
"You're being ridiculous."
"Allowing a drunk man to cut your hair with a bad pair of scissors sounds ridiculous."
"Tobias, get over here or I'll kill you."
And so I let a drunk man cut my hair with a bad pair of scissors.
He did a fine job, and afterwards I helped fix up his hair in the back. When we were finished I returned to my bed. Fox pulled a yellow folder from his bag and sat at the desk, his eyes scanning over varias documents. He was stressed, putting off sleep.
At first I tried to stay up, too, but as the night wore on I found myself suddenly waking to the sound of Fox's pen. Then I'd drift off again. At some point I rolled over onto my side and told him he should go to bed. He turned in his chair and looked at me. "You know what's happening tomorrow?" He asked.
"Yes. Harper told me stuff on the plane." I replied.
"While I was throwing up?"
"Yes."
"Good." He cleared his throat. "You gotta listen to me when we're out there, Tobe."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Or you'll die."
"Okay."
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Think we'll win?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"Okay."
Fox eventually turned back to his work, and I fell asleep.

A van picked us up and we drove to another small airport. This flight was short, maybe an hour. The clock read three in the morning when we touched down in Dellmount, a small town just South of the wildwood. More transportation had been organized. Fox left what little luggage he had brought with a friend. We arrived at the compound around 5 am. As some of the first arrivals, we waited in the hangar, and Fox slept.
More people began to arrive around 6. Contestants. Technically my future teammates.
Fox stood, leaning against the wall, and I sat below him. Upon our arrival we had been searched thoroughly, and given a set of clothes. That was all we had. Ourselves and the clothes.
People mingled and talked. Excitement radiated through the hangar, and I realized many contestants had come here by will. Almost all of them, actually. Maybe everyone but me.
I looked up at Fox. "Where's Sol?" I asked.
"He'll meet us there."
"Where?"
Fox glanced down. "On base. In the arena."
I looked away. A moment of silence passed. "Did you sell him?"
Fox's stare weighed heavy. "Blast it, Tobias, what's Harper been saying?"
"Harper?"
"Yeah. What she been telling you?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Yeah."
Fox hesitated. He finally looked away from me, staring ahead. "That ain't true."
I remained silent.
"Harper's in the system for faults of her own. You should ask her about it sometime." He shook his head. "She lies."
"That's what she said about you."
"Oh, don't be a fool. Review the facts. I've put good money into both you boys. I've cared for you, helped bring Sol back. Ain't beat you or your boy, and I ain't touched Harper. Harper been with my half a year, and I ain't touch her, Tobe." He looked back down at me. "That's more than what half the boys here can say. A good deal more, blast it."
I had touched a nerve. More like punched it. "That's because she'd kill you." I said, smiling.
"That ain't accurate, and you know it.*
"I know."
"I got some decency. Got character."
I bit my lip.
"When you see the kind of stuff folks do around here, Tobe, you see how good I really am."
Either he cared about my opinion, or he was trying to prove something to himself. Regardless, I decided to push the matter.
"Your standards are low, Fox." I said.
"Ain't they?"
"They're based off the Scorpion Den. That's not a hard crowd to pass up."
"Huh." Fox grunted. "Now I s'pose you think you got character, too, now, don't you, Tobe?"
I took a deep breath. "By your definition? Probably."
"It ain't probable. Something different 'bout you, Tobe, an' I can't figure it out. You don't follow the crowd much, huh?"
I shrugged. "I've seen enough to know where the crowd leads."
"Yeah?" Fox gave a gentle smile, folding his arms across his chest, "And where's that?"
I leaned my head back against the wall and looked off to the side. "To places like here."
He paused. "You trust me Tobe?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
I rubbed a hand over my eyes, then reached up, shaking out my short hair.
"Sol will meet us there. Don't worry."
"I won't."
"Good."

I stayed close to Fox, sitting beside him when we loaded into windowless buses. The ride felt long and claustrophobic, the air uncomfortably humid. Excitement still lingered. Quite a few men began to talk, Fox included.
I soon lost interest with the conversation, foolishly allowing my mind to run. I decided it was all rather depressing, being a pawn in some crazy murder game, and I thought Fox rather sick for forcing this upon me. He wasn't all to blame, though. In fact, I hardly blamed him. I mostly blamed myself.
Before we left I had asked Fox if he had competed in the past. He said he grew up in the Bar Ring, which was not near as extreme to what we would be facing in the next seven days, but Fox certainly had experience. He told me he had won a different team game, but wouldn't dare compete in a solo tournament. That was fair. He had connections, and he had money. He said a man could make it pretty far in life with those two things.

We were given a twelve hour grace period. Within this time we began work on our base. There was a shovel and a hand saw. We had no other tools.
The woods were not deep thicket or brush. The trees had been nicely spaced apart, and moss grew along the entire forest floor.
There was no discussion or disagreement on team leaders. Not yet, anyway. Everyone knew what they had to do, and everyone worked together. A rare sight. It was effective, too. By nightfall they had built a wall encompassing the camp, with a safe house in progress. I helped where I could. Lugging wood around, mostly. I worked with a few different men, but I continually found myself in the company of a man named Elliot. We had a limit to how far we could travel out from base during the grace period, up to a two miles radius. Any farther and you'd get blown up. Fun times. Elliot and I stayed well clear of the border line.

I sat beside Harper, staring into the flames, soaking up every comforting wave of warmth. I pulled my jacket across my chest, the night air both crisp and biting.
Men and women laughed and talked in low tones. They felt safe in their compound. The grace period ended in an hour. It was too dark to work. The musky stench of marijuana filled the air. I wondered how they had gotten it. The Den often took this scent on over holiday weekends, and, strangely enough, smelling it brought back comforting memories. Because at that time in my life, I had felt safe.
Sol still wasn't here. I was told he would arrive in the morning with our last ten contestants, who were bringing supplies, completing our clan of 100.
"You should have cut your hair." Fox muttered, repositioning our fire with the toe of his boot. I watched in a daze as sparks scattered.
"You could use a little." Harper said in a low tone. "Hair, I mean."
A second woman sat across from me, someone Harper had met. Her white skin reflected the fire light, while Harper's deep brown tone invited concealing shadows.
"It's one more thing to worry about." Fox said, prodding at the fire with a thoughtful expression. "You should cut it."
"Alright."
"Alright, you will?"
"Alright, I won't." She jostled my shoulder with the palm of her hand. "Keep saying condescending things, Julius, I recently learned this excellent strategy from Tobey here. He will 'alright' you to death, I swear-"
Something in the forest roared.
The camp went silent.
I looked to Fox, who straightened, his eyes on the shadowed wildwood surrounding our small clearing.
"We still have fifty minutes left," someone said.
"Who else has the time?" Fox and a second voice questioned.
"I do," someone offered their watch.
This went on for five minutes, and a short discussion concluded the anxious meeting. We still had forty minutes.
Technically.
"What was it?" I asked Harper.
She stared into the fire. "A dragon, Tobey."
I sighed.
The woman across from me cleared her throat. "The creature was in distress." Her harsh accent made it clear she hailed from the Northern parts of the continent. She looked past me and into the woods. I shivered. "It was a warning."

Sol arrived the following morning.
Two other dragons flanked him at each side, and I had the feeling they were the only thing keeping moving. The team had yet to split off for exploration- they wanted the guns and dragons first. A small crowd grew as the new group entered camp, though Harper and I stayed back by our fire along with a few others. The smoke kept the bugs away.
Sol kept his head low. His cheek had been cut upon, the dried blood was evident.
"Wait." Harper said, her ability to read my mind frighteningly accurate.
The last ten members carried packs brimming with supplies, drawing in our eager teammates. Sol shied back, and the silver CloudWing on his left hissed a warning, flicking his tail with an air of irritation. Sol did not stop his retreat. The CloudWing turned and snapped, sending Sol stumbling into the black SandWing, who bared his teeth, bracing for Sol's weight, then pushed him off towards the CloudWing.
"Alright, who brought the coward?" The CloudWing shouted, his voice cool and jesting. A few men laughed. Sol retreated another step, and the CloudWing hybrid flicked his shining tail at Sol's heels with a snap.
Sol straightened and flared his wings.
"Ah, you gunna kill me?" The CloudWing said. His perfect English accent echoed through the wood.
Sol couldn't understand a word of what the silver dragon said, I was sure, though he would have picked up on the tone.
The CloudWing cocked his head, baring his teeth as he turned to face Sol. Sol easily stood four feet above both hybrids, an impressive size for a pure-bred SolarWing, but his cowardice yet remained. He sidestepped into the second black dragon, who hissed pacing a few steps away. The CloudWing advanced, flicking his tail back. It came down on Sol's muzzle, the smack echoed. I winced. Sol lowered his head and sneezed. Then he turned on the CloudWing with a roar.
A few men shouted, and I took a hesitant step forward, but Harper pulled me back as Fox broke through the crowd.
"Knock it off," he ordered.
The CloudWing hissed at Sol, baring his teeth.
"I said knock it off,"
The CloudWing turned away, seething.
"Come here." Fox ordered in rough dragon.
Sol dipped his head and approached. Fox motioned for Sol to lower his head, and Sol did so, allowing Fox to inspect the wound beneath his eye.
A gun went off. I don't know who shot it. It was a misfire and nobody died. Yet not very convenient.
Sol jerked back from Fox, spraying dirt as he pushed away. Having gained the crowd's attention, quite a few men laughed.
The SandWing said something in dragon, which I couldn't pick up, and Sol slowly approached Fox again. Fox pulled his head down and pulled something from the wound. "Traull," he said loudly, "if you don't get that CloudWing under control I'll kill him."
Another bout of laughter from the dispersing crowd, and Fox slapped Sol's shoulder, gaining the dragon's attention. He pointed towards me, then walked back towards the unloaded supply packs.
Sol walked along the edge of camp, his shoulders heaving with every quick step, head bobbing due to his awkward gait. He glanced back a few times before jumping into a slow lope, his timid demeanor lost to excitement.
"Wow, he recognized you with the dumb haircut, that's impressive." Harper commented as Sol approached, his head low.
"Hey, buddy." I reached for him and Sol pressed his head into my hands. He stood tense, then moved his head down and pushed against my chest. I smiled and he didn't move. "Sol?" He lifted his head quickly, his eyes eager. "You okay, buddy?" He glanced back at the CloudWing, then turned to me. "I know." I said. "It's alright. You did well. Let me see your eye." He tilted his head. I ran my hand across his cheek bone. "Did the CloudWing do it?" He shook his head. I winced. "Don't be scared to protect yourself, Sol."
"You do not have to be scared." Harper agreed, and he turned to look at her. She hesitated, maybe due to surprise. It had been a while since I'd seen him acknowledge anyone other than me in conversation.
"They don't respect you." Harper continued. "Show them how strong you are. Then they will respect you." She approached, and he let her touch him.

Tadaaaa. Exciting stuff in store, I promise!!!
Y'all getting such raw first draft writing, HOLY cow. I appreciate your critique feedback.

@-Shade-
@-Kiwi-
@RDchicken99 (want to start being taggagaggegaged for this?? )

 

[-Shade-]

Spoiler: Of Heart & Sol - Part 12

The plane left at 5am. We boarded at 4:35.
Exhausted, I watched the scenery below as the plane hummed, knowing full well Sol was beneath me having a heart attack and a half. Fox threw up most of the morning, I guessed due to last night's adventures. Harper and I sat beside each other. I had the window seat.
"Have you ever left The Scorpion Den, Tobias?" She asked, her voice muffled in my popping ears.
I gazed out the small window. "Never." I said.

We landed in Westover, a city bordering the mountain range. The sun still shone brightly here, though back home it was dark. This airport was not overcrowded like The Scorpion Den. Security guards roamed, and when we exited our gate a small team of officers met us. Fox exchanged papers and a few moments later we were walking again, following the officers.

We spent the last few hours of daylight on a bus. I slept and thought of Sol. Fox said the dragon was on a different route. We would see him at the compound tomorrow.
I shared a hotel room with Fox. He didn't get in till late. I sat on top of my bedsheets, back propped against the backboard.
"You just been sittin here?"
He sounded exhausted. I could tell in his tone he was drunk, and that annoyed me. I sighed.
Fox walked to the desk, and opened the top drawer, pulled out a pair of scissors, and walked to the bathroom.
I waited, listening to hair crunch between the dull blades. Five minutes later Fox waddled out and held up the scissors. He squinted, struggling to focus on me. His hair looked awful.
"You're up, Tobe."
"Yeah, no, Fox." I said.
"Nah. You need it short."
"I don't."
Fox grunted and began to walk towards my bed, scissors in hand. I side-rolled away from him, keeping the bed between us. "Leave me alone, Fox."
He held up the scissors again, then dropped his hand against the bed.
I shook my head.
"Come here, Tobe."
I took a deep breath and held it.
"Tobias. Come here."
I did not move, and Fox searched my face, frowning. He never looked away. "So hair's where you draw the line, huh?"
"Leave me be."
"You're being ridiculous."
"Allowing a drunk man to cut your hair with a bad pair of scissors sounds ridiculous."
"Tobias, get over here or I'll kill you."
And so I let a drunk man cut my hair with a bad pair of scissors.
He did a fine job, and afterwards I helped fix up his hair in the back. When we were finished I returned to my bed. Fox pulled a yellow folder from his bag and sat at the desk, his eyes scanning over varias documents. He was stressed, putting off sleep.
At first I tried to stay up, too, but as the night wore on I found myself suddenly waking to the sound of Fox's pen. Then I'd drift off again. At some point I rolled over onto my side and told him he should go to bed. He turned in his chair and looked at me. "You know what's happening tomorrow?" He asked.
"Yes. Harper told me stuff on the plane." I replied.
"While I was throwing up?"
"Yes."
"Good." He cleared his throat. "You gotta listen to me when we're out there, Tobe."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Or you'll die."
"Okay."
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Think we'll win?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"Okay."
Fox eventually turned back to his work, and I fell asleep.

A van picked us up and we drove to another small airport. This flight was short, maybe an hour. The clock read three in the morning when we touched down in Dellmount, a small town just South of the wildwood. More transportation had been organized. Fox left what little luggage he had brought with a friend. We arrived at the compound around 5 am. As some of the first arrivals, we waited in the hangar, and Fox slept.
More people began to arrive around 6. Contestants. Technically my future teammates.
Fox stood, leaning against the wall, and I sat below him. Upon our arrival we had been searched thoroughly, and given a set of clothes. That was all we had. Ourselves and the clothes.
People mingled and talked. Excitement radiated through the hangar, and I realized many contestants had come here by will. Almost all of them, actually. Maybe everyone but me.
I looked up at Fox. "Where's Sol?" I asked.
"He'll meet us there."
"Where?"
Fox glanced down. "On base. In the arena."
I looked away. A moment of silence passed. "Did you sell him?"
Fox's stare weighed heavy. "Blast it, Tobias, what's Harper been saying?"
"Harper?"
"Yeah. What she been telling you?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Yeah."
Fox hesitated. He finally looked away from me, staring ahead. "That ain't true."
I remained silent.
"Harper's in the system for faults of her own. You should ask her about it sometime." He shook his head. "She lies."
"That's what she said about you."
"Oh, don't be a fool. Review the facts. I've put good money into both you boys. I've cared for you, helped bring Sol back. Ain't beat you or your boy, and I ain't touched Harper. Harper been with my half a year, and I ain't touch her, Tobe." He looked back down at me. "That's more than what half the boys here can say. A good deal more, blast it."
I had touched a nerve. More like punched it. "That's because she'd kill you." I said, smiling.
"That ain't accurate, and you know it.*
"I know."
"I got some decency. Got character."
I bit my lip.
"When you see the kind of stuff folks do around here, Tobe, you see how good I really am."
Either he cared about my opinion, or he was trying to prove something to himself. Regardless, I decided to push the matter.
"Your standards are low, Fox." I said.
"Ain't they?"
"They're based off the Scorpion Den. That's not a hard crowd to pass up."
"Huh." Fox grunted. "Now I s'pose you think you got character, too, now, don't you, Tobe?"
I took a deep breath. "By your definition? Probably."
"It ain't probable. Something different 'bout you, Tobe, an' I can't figure it out. You don't follow the crowd much, huh?"
I shrugged. "I've seen enough to know where the crowd leads."
"Yeah?" Fox gave a gentle smile, folding his arms across his chest, "And where's that?"
I leaned my head back against the wall and looked off to the side. "To places like here."
He paused. "You trust me Tobe?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
I rubbed a hand over my eyes, then reached up, shaking out my short hair.
"Sol will meet us there. Don't worry."
"I won't."
"Good."

I stayed close to Fox, sitting beside him when we loaded into windowless buses. The ride felt long and claustrophobic, the air uncomfortably humid. Excitement still lingered. Quite a few men began to talk, Fox included.
I soon lost interest with the conversation, foolishly allowing my mind to run. I decided it was all rather depressing, being a pawn in some crazy murder game, and I thought Fox rather sick for forcing this upon me. He wasn't all to blame, though. In fact, I hardly blamed him. I mostly blamed myself.
Before we left I had asked Fox if he had competed in the past. He said he grew up in the Bar Ring, which was not near as extreme to what we would be facing in the next seven days, but Fox certainly had experience. He told me he had won a different team game, but wouldn't dare compete in a solo tournament. That was fair. He had connections, and he had money. He said a man could make it pretty far in life with those two things.

We were given a twelve hour grace period. Within this time we began work on our base. There was a shovel and a hand saw. We had no other tools.
The woods were not deep thicket or brush. The trees had been nicely spaced apart, and moss grew along the entire forest floor.
There was no discussion or disagreement on team leaders. Not yet, anyway. Everyone knew what they had to do, and everyone worked together. A rare sight. It was effective, too. By nightfall they had built a wall encompassing the camp, with a safe house in progress. I helped where I could. Lugging wood around, mostly. I worked with a few different men, but I continually found myself in the company of a man named Elliot. We had a limit to how far we could travel out from base during the grace period, up to a two miles radius. Any farther and you'd get blown up. Fun times. Elliot and I stayed well clear of the border line.

I sat beside Harper, staring into the flames, soaking up every comforting wave of warmth. I pulled my jacket across my chest, the night air both crisp and biting.
Men and women laughed and talked in low tones. They felt safe in their compound. The grace period ended in an hour. It was too dark to work. The musky stench of marijuana filled the air. I wondered how they had gotten it. The Den often took this scent on over holiday weekends, and, strangely enough, smelling it brought back comforting memories. Because at that time in my life, I had felt safe.
Sol still wasn't here. I was told he would arrive in the morning with our last ten contestants, who were bringing supplies, completing our clan of 100.
"You should have cut your hair." Fox muttered, repositioning our fire with the toe of his boot. I watched in a daze as sparks scattered.
"You could use a little." Harper said in a low tone. "Hair, I mean."
A second woman sat across from me, someone Harper had met. Her white skin reflected the fire light, while Harper's deep brown tone invited concealing shadows.
"It's one more thing to worry about." Fox said, prodding at the fire with a thoughtful expression. "You should cut it."
"Alright."
"Alright, you will?"
"Alright, I won't." She jostled my shoulder with the palm of her hand. "Keep saying condescending things, Julius, I recently learned this excellent strategy from Tobey here. He will 'alright' you to death, I swear-"
Something in the forest roared.
The camp went silent.
I looked to Fox, who straightened, his eyes on the shadowed wildwood surrounding our small clearing.
"We still have fifty minutes left," someone said.
"Who else has the time?" Fox and a second voice questioned.
"I do," someone offered their watch.
This went on for five minutes, and a short discussion concluded the anxious meeting. We still had forty minutes.
Technically.
"What was it?" I asked Harper.
She stared into the fire. "A dragon, Tobey."
I sighed.
The woman across from me cleared her throat. "The creature was in distress." Her harsh accent made it clear she hailed from the Northern parts of the continent. She looked past me and into the woods. I shivered. "It was a warning."

Sol arrived the following morning.
Two other dragons flanked him at each side, and I had the feeling they were the only thing keeping moving. The team had yet to split off for exploration- they wanted the guns and dragons first. A small crowd grew as the new group entered camp, though Harper and I stayed back by our fire along with a few others. The smoke kept the bugs away.
Sol kept his head low. His cheek had been cut upon, the dried blood was evident.
"Wait." Harper said, her ability to read my mind frighteningly accurate.
The last ten members carried packs brimming with supplies, drawing in our eager teammates. Sol shied back, and the silver CloudWing on his left hissed a warning, flicking his tail with an air of irritation. Sol did not stop his retreat. The CloudWing turned and snapped, sending Sol stumbling into the black SandWing, who bared his teeth, bracing for Sol's weight, then pushed him off towards the CloudWing.
"Alright, who brought the coward?" The CloudWing shouted, his voice cool and jesting. A few men laughed. Sol retreated another step, and the CloudWing hybrid flicked his shining tail at Sol's heels with a snap.
Sol straightened and flared his wings.
"Ah, you gunna kill me?" The CloudWing said. His perfect English accent echoed through the wood.
Sol couldn't understand a word of what the silver dragon said, I was sure, though he would have picked up on the tone.
The CloudWing cocked his head, baring his teeth as he turned to face Sol. Sol easily stood four feet above both hybrids, an impressive size for a pure-bred SolarWing, but his cowardice yet remained. He sidestepped into the second black dragon, who hissed pacing a few steps away. The CloudWing advanced, flicking his tail back. It came down on Sol's muzzle, the smack echoed. I winced. Sol lowered his head and sneezed. Then he turned on the CloudWing with a roar.
A few men shouted, and I took a hesitant step forward, but Harper pulled me back as Fox broke through the crowd.
"Knock it off," he ordered.
The CloudWing hissed at Sol, baring his teeth.
"I said knock it off,"
The CloudWing turned away, seething.
"Come here." Fox ordered in rough dragon.
Sol dipped his head and approached. Fox motioned for Sol to lower his head, and Sol did so, allowing Fox to inspect the wound beneath his eye.
A gun went off. I don't know who shot it. It was a misfire and nobody died. Yet not very convenient.
Sol jerked back from Fox, spraying dirt as he pushed away. Having gained the crowd's attention, quite a few men laughed.
The SandWing said something in dragon, which I couldn't pick up, and Sol slowly approached Fox again. Fox pulled his head down and pulled something from the wound. "Traull," he said loudly, "if you don't get that CloudWing under control I'll kill him."
Another bout of laughter from the dispersing crowd, and Fox slapped Sol's shoulder, gaining the dragon's attention. He pointed towards me, then walked back towards the unloaded supply packs.
Sol walked along the edge of camp, his shoulders heaving with every quick step, head bobbing due to his awkward gait. He glanced back a few times before jumping into a slow lope, his timid demeanor lost to excitement.
"Wow, he recognized you with the dumb haircut, that's impressive." Harper commented as Sol approached, his head low.
"Hey, buddy." I reached for him and Sol pressed his head into my hands. He stood tense, then moved his head down and pushed against my chest. I smiled and he didn't move. "Sol?" He lifted his head quickly, his eyes eager. "You okay, buddy?" He glanced back at the CloudWing, then turned to me. "I know." I said. "It's alright. You did well. Let me see your eye." He tilted his head. I ran my hand across his cheek bone. "Did the CloudWing do it?" He shook his head. I winced. "Don't be scared to protect yourself, Sol."
"You do not have to be scared." Harper agreed, and he turned to look at her. She hesitated, maybe due to surprise. It had been a while since I'd seen him acknowledge anyone other than me in conversation.
"They don't respect you." Harper continued. "Show them how strong you are. Then they will respect you." She approached, and he let her touch him.

Tadaaaa. Exciting stuff in store, I promise!!!
Y'all getting such raw first draft writing, HOLY cow. I appreciate your critique feedback.

@-Shade-
@-Kiwi-
@RDchicken99 (want to start being taggagaggegaged for this?? )

Not lying, I read the part with Ali like three times, I'M SO GLAD HE'S FINALLY HERE AND HE'S ABSOLUTE FIRE CAP
SLAY Queen, slay-

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

Not lying, I read the part with Ali like three times, I'M SO GLAD HE'S FINALLY HERE AND HE'S ABSOLUTE FIRE CAP
SLAY Queen, slay-

Yeah, tell me if I mess him up at all xD

 

[RDchicken99]

Spoiler: Of Heart & Sol - Part 12

The plane left at 5am. We boarded at 4:35.
Exhausted, I watched the scenery below as the plane hummed, knowing full well Sol was beneath me having a heart attack and a half. Fox threw up most of the morning, I guessed due to last night's adventures. Harper and I sat beside each other. I had the window seat.
"Have you ever left The Scorpion Den, Tobias?" She asked, her voice muffled in my popping ears.
I gazed out the small window. "Never." I said.

We landed in Westover, a city bordering the mountain range. The sun still shone brightly here, though back home it was dark. This airport was not overcrowded like The Scorpion Den. Security guards roamed, and when we exited our gate a small team of officers met us. Fox exchanged papers and a few moments later we were walking again, following the officers.

We spent the last few hours of daylight on a bus. I slept and thought of Sol. Fox said the dragon was on a different route. We would see him at the compound tomorrow.
I shared a hotel room with Fox. He didn't get in till late. I sat on top of my bedsheets, back propped against the backboard.
"You just been sittin here?"
He sounded exhausted. I could tell in his tone he was drunk, and that annoyed me. I sighed.
Fox walked to the desk, and opened the top drawer, pulled out a pair of scissors, and walked to the bathroom.
I waited, listening to hair crunch between the dull blades. Five minutes later Fox waddled out and held up the scissors. He squinted, struggling to focus on me. His hair looked awful.
"You're up, Tobe."
"Yeah, no, Fox." I said.
"Nah. You need it short."
"I don't."
Fox grunted and began to walk towards my bed, scissors in hand. I side-rolled away from him, keeping the bed between us. "Leave me alone, Fox."
He held up the scissors again, then dropped his hand against the bed.
I shook my head.
"Come here, Tobe."
I took a deep breath and held it.
"Tobias. Come here."
I did not move, and Fox searched my face, frowning. He never looked away. "So hair's where you draw the line, huh?"
"Leave me be."
"You're being ridiculous."
"Allowing a drunk man to cut your hair with a bad pair of scissors sounds ridiculous."
"Tobias, get over here or I'll kill you."
And so I let a drunk man cut my hair with a bad pair of scissors.
He did a fine job, and afterwards I helped fix up his hair in the back. When we were finished I returned to my bed. Fox pulled a yellow folder from his bag and sat at the desk, his eyes scanning over varias documents. He was stressed, putting off sleep.
At first I tried to stay up, too, but as the night wore on I found myself suddenly waking to the sound of Fox's pen. Then I'd drift off again. At some point I rolled over onto my side and told him he should go to bed. He turned in his chair and looked at me. "You know what's happening tomorrow?" He asked.
"Yes. Harper told me stuff on the plane." I replied.
"While I was throwing up?"
"Yes."
"Good." He cleared his throat. "You gotta listen to me when we're out there, Tobe."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Or you'll die."
"Okay."
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Think we'll win?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"Okay."
Fox eventually turned back to his work, and I fell asleep.

A van picked us up and we drove to another small airport. This flight was short, maybe an hour. The clock read three in the morning when we touched down in Dellmount, a small town just South of the wildwood. More transportation had been organized. Fox left what little luggage he had brought with a friend. We arrived at the compound around 5 am. As some of the first arrivals, we waited in the hangar, and Fox slept.
More people began to arrive around 6. Contestants. Technically my future teammates.
Fox stood, leaning against the wall, and I sat below him. Upon our arrival we had been searched thoroughly, and given a set of clothes. That was all we had. Ourselves and the clothes.
People mingled and talked. Excitement radiated through the hangar, and I realized many contestants had come here by will. Almost all of them, actually. Maybe everyone but me.
I looked up at Fox. "Where's Sol?" I asked.
"He'll meet us there."
"Where?"
Fox glanced down. "On base. In the arena."
I looked away. A moment of silence passed. "Did you sell him?"
Fox's stare weighed heavy. "Blast it, Tobias, what's Harper been saying?"
"Harper?"
"Yeah. What she been telling you?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Yeah."
Fox hesitated. He finally looked away from me, staring ahead. "That ain't true."
I remained silent.
"Harper's in the system for faults of her own. You should ask her about it sometime." He shook his head. "She lies."
"That's what she said about you."
"Oh, don't be a fool. Review the facts. I've put good money into both you boys. I've cared for you, helped bring Sol back. Ain't beat you or your boy, and I ain't touched Harper. Harper been with my half a year, and I ain't touch her, Tobe." He looked back down at me. "That's more than what half the boys here can say. A good deal more, blast it."
I had touched a nerve. More like punched it. "That's because she'd kill you." I said, smiling.
"That ain't accurate, and you know it.*
"I know."
"I got some decency. Got character."
I bit my lip.
"When you see the kind of stuff folks do around here, Tobe, you see how good I really am."
Either he cared about my opinion, or he was trying to prove something to himself. Regardless, I decided to push the matter.
"Your standards are low, Fox." I said.
"Ain't they?"
"They're based off the Scorpion Den. That's not a hard crowd to pass up."
"Huh." Fox grunted. "Now I s'pose you think you got character, too, now, don't you, Tobe?"
I took a deep breath. "By your definition? Probably."
"It ain't probable. Something different 'bout you, Tobe, an' I can't figure it out. You don't follow the crowd much, huh?"
I shrugged. "I've seen enough to know where the crowd leads."
"Yeah?" Fox gave a gentle smile, folding his arms across his chest, "And where's that?"
I leaned my head back against the wall and looked off to the side. "To places like here."
He paused. "You trust me Tobe?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
I rubbed a hand over my eyes, then reached up, shaking out my short hair.
"Sol will meet us there. Don't worry."
"I won't."
"Good."

I stayed close to Fox, sitting beside him when we loaded into windowless buses. The ride felt long and claustrophobic, the air uncomfortably humid. Excitement still lingered. Quite a few men began to talk, Fox included.
I soon lost interest with the conversation, foolishly allowing my mind to run. I decided it was all rather depressing, being a pawn in some crazy murder game, and I thought Fox rather sick for forcing this upon me. He wasn't all to blame, though. In fact, I hardly blamed him. I mostly blamed myself.
Before we left I had asked Fox if he had competed in the past. He said he grew up in the Bar Ring, which was not near as extreme to what we would be facing in the next seven days, but Fox certainly had experience. He told me he had won a different team game, but wouldn't dare compete in a solo tournament. That was fair. He had connections, and he had money. He said a man could make it pretty far in life with those two things.

We were given a twelve hour grace period. Within this time we began work on our base. There was a shovel and a hand saw. We had no other tools.
The woods were not deep thicket or brush. The trees had been nicely spaced apart, and moss grew along the entire forest floor.
There was no discussion or disagreement on team leaders. Not yet, anyway. Everyone knew what they had to do, and everyone worked together. A rare sight. It was effective, too. By nightfall they had built a wall encompassing the camp, with a safe house in progress. I helped where I could. Lugging wood around, mostly. I worked with a few different men, but I continually found myself in the company of a man named Elliot. We had a limit to how far we could travel out from base during the grace period, up to a two miles radius. Any farther and you'd get blown up. Fun times. Elliot and I stayed well clear of the border line.

I sat beside Harper, staring into the flames, soaking up every comforting wave of warmth. I pulled my jacket across my chest, the night air both crisp and biting.
Men and women laughed and talked in low tones. They felt safe in their compound. The grace period ended in an hour. It was too dark to work. The musky stench of marijuana filled the air. I wondered how they had gotten it. The Den often took this scent on over holiday weekends, and, strangely enough, smelling it brought back comforting memories. Because at that time in my life, I had felt safe.
Sol still wasn't here. I was told he would arrive in the morning with our last ten contestants, who were bringing supplies, completing our clan of 100.
"You should have cut your hair." Fox muttered, repositioning our fire with the toe of his boot. I watched in a daze as sparks scattered.
"You could use a little." Harper said in a low tone. "Hair, I mean."
A second woman sat across from me, someone Harper had met. Her white skin reflected the fire light, while Harper's deep brown tone invited concealing shadows.
"It's one more thing to worry about." Fox said, prodding at the fire with a thoughtful expression. "You should cut it."
"Alright."
"Alright, you will?"
"Alright, I won't." She jostled my shoulder with the palm of her hand. "Keep saying condescending things, Julius, I recently learned this excellent strategy from Tobey here. He will 'alright' you to death, I swear-"
Something in the forest roared.
The camp went silent.
I looked to Fox, who straightened, his eyes on the shadowed wildwood surrounding our small clearing.
"We still have fifty minutes left," someone said.
"Who else has the time?" Fox and a second voice questioned.
"I do," someone offered their watch.
This went on for five minutes, and a short discussion concluded the anxious meeting. We still had forty minutes.
Technically.
"What was it?" I asked Harper.
She stared into the fire. "A dragon, Tobey."
I sighed.
The woman across from me cleared her throat. "The creature was in distress." Her harsh accent made it clear she hailed from the Northern parts of the continent. She looked past me and into the woods. I shivered. "It was a warning."

Sol arrived the following morning.
Two other dragons flanked him at each side, and I had the feeling they were the only thing keeping moving. The team had yet to split off for exploration- they wanted the guns and dragons first. A small crowd grew as the new group entered camp, though Harper and I stayed back by our fire along with a few others. The smoke kept the bugs away.
Sol kept his head low. His cheek had been cut upon, the dried blood was evident.
"Wait." Harper said, her ability to read my mind frighteningly accurate.
The last ten members carried packs brimming with supplies, drawing in our eager teammates. Sol shied back, and the silver CloudWing on his left hissed a warning, flicking his tail with an air of irritation. Sol did not stop his retreat. The CloudWing turned and snapped, sending Sol stumbling into the black SandWing, who bared his teeth, bracing for Sol's weight, then pushed him off towards the CloudWing.
"Alright, who brought the coward?" The CloudWing shouted, his voice cool and jesting. A few men laughed. Sol retreated another step, and the CloudWing hybrid flicked his shining tail at Sol's heels with a snap.
Sol straightened and flared his wings.
"Ah, you gunna kill me?" The CloudWing said. His perfect English accent echoed through the wood.
Sol couldn't understand a word of what the silver dragon said, I was sure, though he would have picked up on the tone.
The CloudWing cocked his head, baring his teeth as he turned to face Sol. Sol easily stood four feet above both hybrids, an impressive size for a pure-bred SolarWing, but his cowardice yet remained. He sidestepped into the second black dragon, who hissed pacing a few steps away. The CloudWing advanced, flicking his tail back. It came down on Sol's muzzle, the smack echoed. I winced. Sol lowered his head and sneezed. Then he turned on the CloudWing with a roar.
A few men shouted, and I took a hesitant step forward, but Harper pulled me back as Fox broke through the crowd.
"Knock it off," he ordered.
The CloudWing hissed at Sol, baring his teeth.
"I said knock it off,"
The CloudWing turned away, seething.
"Come here." Fox ordered in rough dragon.
Sol dipped his head and approached. Fox motioned for Sol to lower his head, and Sol did so, allowing Fox to inspect the wound beneath his eye.
A gun went off. I don't know who shot it. It was a misfire and nobody died. Yet not very convenient.
Sol jerked back from Fox, spraying dirt as he pushed away. Having gained the crowd's attention, quite a few men laughed.
The SandWing said something in dragon, which I couldn't pick up, and Sol slowly approached Fox again. Fox pulled his head down and pulled something from the wound. "Traull," he said loudly, "if you don't get that CloudWing under control I'll kill him."
Another bout of laughter from the dispersing crowd, and Fox slapped Sol's shoulder, gaining the dragon's attention. He pointed towards me, then walked back towards the unloaded supply packs.
Sol walked along the edge of camp, his shoulders heaving with every quick step, head bobbing due to his awkward gait. He glanced back a few times before jumping into a slow lope, his timid demeanor lost to excitement.
"Wow, he recognized you with the dumb haircut, that's impressive." Harper commented as Sol approached, his head low.
"Hey, buddy." I reached for him and Sol pressed his head into my hands. He stood tense, then moved his head down and pushed against my chest. I smiled and he didn't move. "Sol?" He lifted his head quickly, his eyes eager. "You okay, buddy?" He glanced back at the CloudWing, then turned to me. "I know." I said. "It's alright. You did well. Let me see your eye." He tilted his head. I ran my hand across his cheek bone. "Did the CloudWing do it?" He shook his head. I winced. "Don't be scared to protect yourself, Sol."
"You do not have to be scared." Harper agreed, and he turned to look at her. She hesitated, maybe due to surprise. It had been a while since I'd seen him acknowledge anyone other than me in conversation.
"They don't respect you." Harper continued. "Show them how strong you are. Then they will respect you." She approached, and he let her touch him.

Tadaaaa. Exciting stuff in store, I promise!!!
Y'all getting such raw first draft writing, HOLY cow. I appreciate your critique feedback.

@-Shade-
@-Kiwi-
@RDchicken99 (want to start being taggagaggegaged for this?? )

(Please do tag me! This was a fun one.

 

[-Shade-]

I keep getting emails that say someone replied to this thread but no one has replied to it...