Silly little short story about a character entering a talent contest. Obviously, I chose Rider.

Enjoy!

Cap’n

If there's one thing Rider hated, it was crowds.

It wasn't that she was nervous of them, or their greedy, constant stares. It was that people simply irritated her.

It was like an annoying rash. Dealing with them, talking to them, explaining the smallest of concepts to them was harder than force feeding a dragon it's vegetables. Honestly, at this point she'd probably prefer the dragon.

The large spotlight beaming down on her made her scars itch, despite being entirely clad in black for that very purpose. From her boots to her longcoat to her wide brimmed hat, she looked a mix of a pirate who just stumbled out of the Wild West. Tugging at the collar of her fully upturned coat, she tried to submerge herself in the alcohol soaked leather but by this point, the overly jazzy music had began to play and Rider knew she was screwed.

Her eyes widened in surprise before returning to its unamused stare, which was capable of rendering any pompous politician speechless. Unfortunately, in this case it was not a random annoying bug of a stranger that she could squash under her boot. It was the Hydra twins.

"Hello, good people of Para Dormus! Welcome to the greatest talent show on this side of the Divide!"

The two middle aged men announced, adorned in aqua marine bedazzled blazers, embedded with the letter N and C.

"We'd like to welcome our fifth act of the night in this spectacular character talent show!" Chase exclaimed dramatically, throwing in a cheesy grin and a dramatic jazz hand sections alongside his twin brother, Nate.

Rider growled, not unlike the sound of a raging dragon as the light continued to blaze, draining what energy she had left.

"You half jacked son of a legless goat! When I get out of here, you are SO dead to me! I'll-"

"Our fifth act for this evening is our very own Captain of the Night Force, the Scourge of the Skies herself, RIDER!" Nate interrupted smoothly, attempting to avoid anything higher than a PG rating for the little kiddies at home.

"Now then, Rider. What is your chosen talent for this evening?" Chase continued, glancing quickly at his watch as his pleading gaze burned a hole in her forehead.

She stared at them, utterly astounded as if they had just asked her to eat her own foot.

"What, in Hell's name are you talking about?"

Nate resisted the urge to face palm and continued to smile winningly for the audience. So much for the PG rating.

"Your talent, dear Captain. What can you do that sets you apart from the rest?"

Rider raised an eyebrow, slowly taking off her hat as the chilling scar across her face was there for all to see.

"Other than putting up with you two?"

Chase suppressed a chuckle thanks to his brother elbowing him in the ribs.

Nate gave a wan smile, getting more and more aggravated, he tried one last time.

"Please. Your talent, contestant No. 5."

Rider pondered for a moment, returning her hat on its rightful place on her head with a chilling smile.

"I can make people disappear."

Nate visibly gulped, a cold sweat running down his neck as he bravely took a step back. Any sane person would have realised that when someone as formidable as her takes off her jacket despite being submerged in nausea inducing lights that the best thing to do in that moment...

Is to run.

The twins bolted off the stage as the stage lights cut out in a matter of seconds, leaving them blind amidst the endless darkness.

"I warned you, boys. You're dead to me now."

...........

The shadows swarmed towards her as she let out a sigh of relief, the light now completely snuffed out. The shadows still lingered close, forming a large, unrecognisable object. Rider slumped down on the hardwood floor, eying her two quivering companions still traumatised by the events of the last few minutes. She let out a snort which soon turned to bouts of wheezing laughter which had Rider doubling up from hysteria.

The shadows soon formed a large behemoth of a dragon, scarred much in the same manner that Rider was but with a much less sinister greeting, for a dragon, at least.

"Having fun?" He quipped, his large jaw resting against the floor.

Rider couldn't respond, still caught up in a fit of giggles which would last for weeks back home.

"Hey, Night."

Eventually, she composed herself enough to drive the point home as the two utterly mortified hosts remained in the confines of the stage curtains, still glittering like sad little rain clouds.

"I told you I could make them disappear." She grinned up at the obsidian dragon, pulling out a carrot from her pocket.

Nightshade rolled his eyes at his partner, hoping that next time they decided to enter someone into a talent show, they'd bring a more willing participant.