Osiris

The moon was throwing its silvery beams through the spaces between the trees, casting strange shadows against the ground to incite the imagination. A cold, unforgiving wind blew across my scales and I shuddered unconsciously. It’s just like the night she died, I thought. I frowned and tried to push her face out of my mind, concentrating on the task at hand. Though the tangled, snarled woods were dark and pure with mischief, they were rarely this cold and piercing. The freezing wind left me with a sour feeling of unease that seemed to settle between my shoulder blades and refused to be shaken. A snarl bubbled up in my throat as something suddenly crashed through the thorns towards me. But the tension soon eased out of my shoulders when I saw that it was only Cockatrice. She stumbled out into the clearing and stared behind her into the dark trees, as if waiting for someone. I hissed in irritation.
“Where have you been? Nightcrawler has been expecting you since sunset.”
She curled her tail and dipped her head submissively. Weak. I had never understood why a Snapper of all dragons was chosen to be one of the Heads of Hunting among the Council of Familiars. I was sure she couldn’t move stealthily even if Shadowbinder herself asked her to.
“I’m sorry Osiris, I just…” she trailed off as I stared hard into her eyes.
“You just what? Shirked your duties?”
She scuffed her talons in the dirt awkwardly and shook her head.
“No but…” she was cut off as the bushes began rustling again. I stared as Logan struggled out of the trees, supporting Archer on his shoulder. The Spiral was bleeding from multiple wounds to her chest and shoulders. One arm was badly injured, her eyes squinted in pain. The tension in my shoulders came back and I dug my talons into the dirt. Cockatrice helped ease Archer onto the ground. The grey Spiral lay wincing, throwing me an uncomfortable, apologetic look. Blood stained her talons as she held her arm tenderly. I could feel my anger rising, like steam in a pot until the lid blew off and steam went everywhere.
“By the Eleven, would someone mind explaining what happened here?” I yelled, my voice echoing off the ruins. Logan winced in a cowardly, subservient way and I felt a twinge of revulsion for him and Cockatrice. We were dragons for storms sake! The greatest creatures on earth. And they were cowering here like a bunch of cornered microdeer.
“I misread the reports sir. I um, thought it read that Talonek patrols had been spotted west of the Canyon, not east,” said Cockatrice. “So I um, sent them to hunt there. It was a mistake, sir.”
I hissed and snapped a twig in my talons clean in half.
“A mistake that could have cost her her life! She’s a hunter, not a fighter.” I spat, unable to keep the anger out of my voice.
“I’m sorry, sir,” said Cockatrice lamely.
“She could have died!” I snarled. I could see the Snapper retreating behind herself under my words but I didn’t stop. She deserved to be punished. Her job, and my position, held a lot of responsibility and if she couldn’t handle it, then someone else should be required to take her place.
“But she didn’t,” said a soft voice. I whirled to see Celeste walking towards us and my ire rose to dangerous level.
“Archer didn’t die. So we will be forgiving,” said Celeste. She gave me a look. “Remember Osiris, you weren’t always perfect yourself. Mistakes are our best teachers.” I seethed inside, angry that she was disregarding my way of leadership, angry that I was paired with her at all. She walked to Cockatrice’s side and laid her talons gently on her shoulder.
“Take her to the healer’s tent. And Logan, please report this to Yuda and have him dispatch a squadron to locate the Talonek."
The dragons all nodded and walked silently away from us. Celeste watched them go, smiling.
“You’re too soft,” I snarled. “It makes them weak.”
Her smile faded and she turned to me. “I know you disapprove of the way I lead,” she said, “But that doesn’t mean it’s not effective. Someday you’ll realize that a dragon is more than claws and teeth; more than a duty.” She held my gaze for a few tense moments and I could feel the weight in her eyes.
“I know you miss her,” she said softly and I snarled and turned away. “But she wouldn’t have wanted you to be this way. She wanted you to be free, Osiris. Even in death that’s all she wanted for you.”
I held myself away from her words, trying to erase the sharp pain in my chest at the mention of her. Tried to ignore the fact that what Celeste was saying was true.
“So be free,” she said quietly, and then she flew away.
I was alone in the dark ruins.

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