Stash

"Midnight's gone. What took you so long?"

"Had to wait for that dragon's familiar to fall asleep. It's like he has insomnia or something."

Stash is a thief, and she takes pride in being the best there is. Except for her brother, no one knows she exists. This is why no one can ever accuse her of thievery - her victims never know she's even there.

The siblings slither up the island beach in the dull light of a quarter moon and dash into the sheltering darkness the trees offer. Looking around and seeing no dragons, she lets out a hissing laugh. "This will be amazing, brother," she whispers. "The clans here won't know who to accuse when we leave."

Cache gives a sinister grin in the silvery shadows as he agrees, "They'll probably accuse each other of taking what we're after!"

Anticipating great fun at other dragons' expenses, the siblings make their way to the very center of the floating island and split up.

Stash makes her careful way over the borders that mark the edge of the chaotic clan residing on the entire eastern lands of the island, and on her way she uses every sense to scout out potential guards. But she encounters no dragon, no beastfolk, no one at all.

Silently peeking through windows, the thief sees no dragons inside the huts and houses, and a creepy chill runs down her spine. She wonders where everyone is as her anxiety builds and at the last empty house, she spins around and stares at the abandoned clan lands behind her. "Where did everyone go?" she asks herself in a ragged whisper.

"Right here, silly!" a bright gold voice startles Stash as it crows from just above her head. Snapping her jaws together in surprise, she ducks and rolls and catches sight of a glittery Veilspun dragon flying right above her.

"How long have you been there?" she gasps as she backs up against a tree at the very edge of the clearing.

With a golden laugh, the Veilspun dragon admits, "Oh, we've been following you since we saw you and the other one sneaking around the crystal waterfall." Only then does Stash see the multitude of glowing eyes watching her from the surrounding darkness of the trees, and fear runs through her veins as she spins and runs back to where she left her brother. As she weaves through the shadows and avoids the trees, she hears laughter echoing from all around her. It stays with her, dogs her heels, and she can't outrun the clan that has caught her red-clawed.

Her brother crashes through the treeline just before her and they stand a moment, catching their breaths beneath the spectacular crystal waterfall. But only for a moment, as dragons from two clans break through the trees around them. The only way to flee is toward the beach where they first set paw on the island, and the siblings don't stop running until they clear the reef that floats with the moving island. Looking over her shoulder, Stash sees a fire burning in her wake, and when she makes it back to their boat she finds a burning virgo grinning at her. The familiar now never leaves her side, forever watching to make sure the Bogsneak doesn't try her games with the clan she's loyal to ever again.

by mxlplyx