Wake up. Chrystal's head sang with pain. She was lying somewhere cold and hard. Wake up. Her brain shouted at her again. Chrystal suddenly snapped into consciousness, like lightning had struck her. Her assassin instinct flashed through Chrystal and she didn't move or open her eyes, even though she was awake. Chrystal knew that she hadn't fallen asleep or accidentally knocked herself out, which probably meant she was a prisoner. Blister's, most likely. Chrystal's ears twitched and she sensed two other dragons in the room with her. He ankles and wrists felt heavy and she concluded that iron bands and chains were wound around her legs, probably binding her in place. She listened for a few more moments, but the dragons in the room didn't speak or do anything interesting that might help her escape. Ok. She thought. Three options. Keep pretending to be asleep. Burst up quickly and make a run for it. Or...stay and find out more information. Chrystal shifted silently and decided that she needed to get more information before deciding what to do. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. The first things her eyes fell on were the talons. Wickedly sharp, sand-yellow talons. Chrystal's gaze travelled upward and she was startled to see obsidian-black eyes fixed only a few inches away from her face. Chrystal fell back with a yelp that echoed around the small cave, but the SandWing in front of her didn't move or even twitch a muscle. In fact, the SandWing remained so perfectly still for such a long time that Chrystal was beginning to doubt the dragon was even real, and not just a statue. But then the SandWing blinked, slowly and heavily, her venomous tail slithering across the rough stone ground. Chrystal gave a sudden start as she noticed the snake-like patterns rioting across her sand-yellow scales and the way she had the affect of a snake about to strike. She knew who this was. Chrystal gulped. No wonder she hadn't sensed her in the room. 

"Well, our IceWing friend has finally woken up." Princess Blister tilted her head. 

"Your Majesty." Chrystal nodded, trying to hide the fear in her voice. "I'm sorry we had to meet like this." Blister's face twitched. But what was the expression that briefly crossed her face? Disgust? Amusement? Scales shifted off to her left and she noticed a small SeaWing standing in the corner of the room, a white spear in her talons. She shifted at Chrystal's glance and sidled closer to the doorway, her pale green tail flicking up an down nervously. Hmm. Chrystal thought that if she was going to escape, she would have to do it soon, or else the SeaWing would be blocking he doorway completely. 

"No matter. Let's get on with this." Blister's voice cut chillingly through the warm air. Blister leaned forward. "What exactly did my conniving sister send you to do?" 

"Nothing!" Chrystal burst out quickly. Blister's eyebrows raised disbelievingly. 

"She was found with this Your Majesty." A sand colored SandWing stepped out of the darkness. His claws were curved wickedly like Blister's and he had a dark orange frill running down his back. Strangely, he had a single strip of black diamond patterns down his running down his face, leading all the way to his sand-colored tail. The SandWing held out Chrystal's pouch of weapons. Seal guts. Chrystal cursed in her head. Even if she could escape, she would be useless for her mission without weapons. Blister loomed sideways at Chrystal, assessing lightning fast observations. 

"Ssssoooo." Blister hissed. "You were sent to assassinate me. Me." 

"No!" Chrystal burst out. "I have another mission." Blister exchanged glances with the orange SandWing. 

"What mission?" Blister narrowed her eyes. "Don't lie to me, IceWing. Remember, I can kill you with no trouble at all." Chrystal thought for a moment. 

"Fine." She hesitated. "I going to kill the...Dragonets of Destiny." The orange SandWing inhaled sharply and glanced at Blister, who gave him a withering glare.

"Perhaps..." Blister mused, running her claws along the floor. "We can be of assistance to each other." The orange SandWing cleared his throat, and Blister shot him another glare. 

"Um...how?" Chrystal stuttered nervously. Whatever Blister wanted would not be good for anyone except her.

"Let me offer you a deal, IceWing." Blister stalked closer to Chrystal, her face still blank and emotionless. "If I release you, under guard, to let you assassinate you Dragonets of Destiny, you have to do one little thing for me." Chrystal shifted uncomfortably. 

"Your Majesty..." The orange SandWing said in a warning tone. 

"All you have to do for me," Blister said in a singsong voice. "Is kill Blaze. After all, it wasn't your choice to join her. Your queen dragged you into this, didn't she?" Chrystal opened and closed her mouth. What should she say? Say yes, and be respected by her family again. Say no and betray her queen and entire tribe. Blister must have seen the hesitation on Chrystal's face, because her face twitched in almost a smile. 

"I...uh...well-" Chrystal stammered, her brain spinning. 

"You don't have to decide now," Blister said smoothly. "Dingo!" The orange SandWing stepped forward and bowed.

"Yes?" He tilted his head at Blister.

"Take this IceWing to our dungeon, where she will have more time to think about my deal." Blister smiled wickedly, and turned slowly and slithered out of the cave. 

"Of course Mother." Dingo called after her. Blister froze, suddenly even more rigid and still, if the was even possible. "I mean Your Majesty." Dingo said quickly, with a glance at Chrystal. Blister's tail scraped on the rock and disappeared. Dingo stepped forward unhappily and took one of the keys around his neck off and stuck it into her chains around her legs. Then he pulled out a collection of metal rings fused together and shoved them onto her claws, so they couldn't move individually. He reached for another piece of metal and them walked behind her quickly. she wan't exactly sure what he did, but soon she couldn't move her wings. He hesitated for a moment before reaching for another, this one a thick metal band. He stuck it around her snout, forcing it shut, securing it closed with another key. Then he pulled her up to a standing position, and pushed her forward towards a dark tunnel. The SeaWing stepped aside, giving her a glance as she went by, like she pitied Chrystal, but wasn't sure what to think about it. Chrystal took a deep breath, staring piercingly into the dark as they descended down, down, down, into an uncertain future.

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Okay! 

What are you thinking so far? Again, I would love to know so please comment! What are you thinking about Dingo so far? He is going to be in more future chapters. Anyway, one of my FAVORITE chapters is coming up. Enjoy!