BloodHound

Ruby Tailspin twirled with the beat of the music floating up to meet her as she spun in the air, dancing while dodging the maze of tails and wings that swept by her in the open-roofed ballroom. The quartz and gold nearly blinded her as she spun with such accuracy that no one could touch her. She was unstoppable. Untouchable. She was perfect, and no one could ruin her.

Ruby suppressed a triumphant smile as the prince slowly danced through the throng of flying dragons, making his way in her direction even as dozens of eyes watched him move. She had to smile though, when a tail shot out and flipped him in the snout as another sparkling dragon dripping in jewels was spun around and around through the air, smiling brightly at her emerald, green partner. The poor thing didn't even realize she had quite literally run into the crowned prince.

Ruby gave Prince Yerloon a flirtatious smile and he gave her an exasperated one in return. He dodged another crazed dancing couple about to take him out of the sky as they flew all over the large glittering room, causing others to quickly fly out of their way if they wanted to avoid crashing.

Some random white dragon with yellow along the fringe of his wings, tail, snout, and neck approached her. Again. Ruby tried not to sigh as he tried to talk to her but did anyway. The dragon didn't even notice as he took another deep breath in. Ruby supposed he was sort of handsome but not near as handsome as the prince, who waited patiently a couple of feet away by the sound of his wings flapping. She had to smile though when she considered how many male dragons had approached her that evening. Ruby knew her blood-red scales were beautiful and intriguing, as was she, and was well aware of all those who fancied her, including the prince himself.

Ruby waited patiently as the dragon talked, nodding and talking only when necessary as he babbled on and on. Finally, the prince decided to come to her rescue, flying up beside her and nodding toward the dragon. The dragon seemed to understand and he bowed, at least as well as a dragon could bow while in the air, to both the prince and Ruby, then turned and flew into the crowd.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Ruby said, turning to face him carefully, not wanting to accidentally hit him with her wings as she did so.

Yerloon smiled at her, taking in the Ruby strands she had draped across herself and attached to her wings beforehand. "May I have the gift of a dance or two?" He asked, turning so a lone dancer dancing like a maniac wouldn't run into him again. Ruby couldn't believe how many dragons she and everyone else had to dodge, if other dragons just watched where they were headed, no one would have to keep one eye on their surroundings at all times.

Ruby realized Yerloon was waiting for an answer to something, and quickly racked her brain for whatever she was supposed to be responding to. Oh, Ruby remembered, to a dance. "I would be honored, your majesty."

He smiled as he reached out a talon to clutch hers. But before she could grab his talons and start to dance, someone shoved her, roughly. Ruby lost balance and tumbled toward the floor, everything spinning. She knocked into other dragons flying, making it impossible to regain her balance to not crash with the hard quartz flooring below her looming closer by the millisecond.

At the last second, someone grabbed her forearm, yanking her to a slow fall instead. Ruby roared, and the prince quickly let go of her arm, letting her fall the last couple of inches toward the ground. Other dragons were instantly around her, all talking at once so that Ruby wouldn't have been able to make sense of any of it, even if her head wasn't pounding in pain from her shoulder.

Yerloon roared for a medic as Ruby stared past the prince and everyone else crowded around her. At the beautiful orange and blue dragon watching with grim satisfaction. At the dragon who had pushed her. Ruby had seen this dragon before. Jasmin. Jasmin used to date Yerloon until Ruby came along. Jasmin hated Ruby, and honestly, most of the time Ruby felt as if Jasmin wanted to kill her.

Jasmin had a white frilly fabric that went excellent with her scales draped across her wings and body, along with gold thin chains trailing them, and a red, gleaming moon-shaped necklace hanging from her neck. Ruby swore the necklace was glowing, but didn't completely trust herself considering her vision was bleary as someone popped her shoulder back onto its socket.

As her vision cleared, she looked back to where Jasmin had been perched at the top of the open-roofed ballroom just seconds ago. Jasmin was gone, but Ruby had a feeling she wasn't quite done with Ruby yet. No, Ruby had a feeling Jasmin was just getting started.
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It was near the middle of the night when the medic finally let Ruby leave, satisfied that nothing was permanently damaged, but that her wing was just going to be sore for a couple of days. Ruby was beyond embarrassed by the events of the night and had wanted to go home right after her shoulder had been popped back into place. But the prince, along with the rest of the royal family which was just his parents, had insisted she stay until the morning. So, Ruby had told the medic that she was just going to move to another room in the palace instead of spending the whole night in the infirmary. No. Ruby crept past the guards, it being way easier than it should have been considering how most of the guards were wasted, probably from the party that took place not 6 hours ago. She couldn't fly, that would cause to much noise, and even the wasted guards would notice her, and she didn't want to use her sore wing more than necessary.

She reached an unguarded balcony, peeked her head down the corridors to ensure that no one was taking a late-night stroll, and shot into the air, flying toward her family's house in the mountains just minutes away. She looked back to see if anyone had seen her, and locked eyes with a royal blue dragon. The king. The king was staring at her, watching her leave, and didn't stop her. Ruby could have sworn he had a grim smile on his face as she flew further and further from the grand palace, leaving it behind her.

She faced back to the direction of her home. Her wing throbbed. She focused on breathing in and out with the beat of her wings. She had never had such a hard time flying before. Ruby passed over all the houses fit snuggly in between the rocks below her, noticing that not one cave had a lantern lit. Strange.

Ruby landed on the front porch of her family's wealthy house, excited to share the drama from the dance with her sister and mother as her father listened quietly in the corner. But as she walked through the door, she could tell something was wrong.

Ruby reached for the table by the door, lighting the lantern that was always there. The light illuminated the modern living room and the flowered crown lay forgotten by the edge of the table. The white flowers would have looked beautiful on her scales, and Ruby knew it. Earlier that day, while Ruby was getting ready for the dance, her mother had brought in the flower crown and asked Ruby to wear it. Ruby had refused, saying it didn't go with the jewelry she was wearing. Ruby could clearly remember how mothers eyes had looked so sad and rejected. Ruby didn't understand why it had meant so much to her mother, but Ruby had told herself she would apologize after the party.

Ruby pushed the thought from her head. It was strange her family hadn't waited up for her, they always stayed up for her, no matter what time. Ruby smiled as she remembered one time she stayed out till 3 am and all three of them were still awake, waiting, besides her hatchling brother, he couldn't even talk yet.

Ruby, not wanting to wake her brother, crept into the next room, but froze. Ruby sank to the floor, pulling her wings in around her but unable to tear her eyes away from the scene in front of her.

Her beautiful, kind, caring, sky blue and lilac mother lay dead, next to the dining table. Her neck was slit and bent at a wrong angle, blood pooled around her head and her sapphire blue eyes starred through Ruby, unblinking and glassy. Ruby choked on a sob as she saw her father, one wing broken and twisted, bloodied scratches all along his sunset-colored body. His claws were bloody, but not with his own, he had gone down in a fight, a fight to protect the ones he loved. He had served in the war, once a soldier, always a soldier. Even till death, her father had fought for his family.

Then, Ruby saw her younger sister. Her sister, Opal, has slumped in the back corner. Her sister's pearl pink head and neck lay in an awkward position and it took a moment for Ruby to realize her sister's neck had been snapped, brutally. Her sister had probably tried to hide when the murderer had entered. And her sister probably had to watch as the killer slit her mother's throat, then killed her father too.

Ruby felt a tear slip down her face, then remembered her brother. Her brother, hatched not 3 months ago, and by far the prettiest dragon Ruby had ever seen. Ruby stumbled as she thought of his tiny talons, teal eyes rimmed with gold, cobalt blue scales, and wings with gold as if someone had thrown a bucket of sunset on him. She crashed into his little room at the end of the hall and stopped in the doorway. This time, as she sank to the floor, she did cry as she looked on with dismay. The tiny dragonet was halfway out of the little crib, a knife stabbed threw the tiny body, pinning it to the top of one of the sides of the crib. The crib was covered with dried blood in streaks down the side. Her brother had tried to climb out as he heard the commotion and the killer had stabbed him to the crib and left him there.

Ruby didn't know how long she sat there, holding herself with her wings, crying with grief and loss and guilt. And anger. Ruby bit back her sobs and stood up on her trembling legs. She knew who did this. And they were going to pay.
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Ruby shoved down her grief, her guilt, her loss. She buried them. Deep. Down. She searched her parents' room for the weapons she knew her father had hidden years before. He had taught Ruby and Opal both how to use the weapons, fearing that another tribe would come and attack. Once a soldier, always a soldier.

Ruby pulled back paintings and rugs and pushed aside bookcases until she had collected 4 daggers, 1 sword, 2 large hunting knives, and a small fortune of gold coins in a small bag. She found a cape with many compartments in Opal's closet and pulled it on over her back, slipping the weapons and coin bag into easily accessible pockets. She was ready.

She looked around once more, then realized that on the counter by her mother's lifeless body, were more flower crowns. She felt her eyes tear up again. Her mother's last action was to make flower crowns, one of which Ruby had refused. She gathered up the crowns and laid one upon her fallen mother's head. The flowers stood out from the blood. She walked over to her father and laid it on his head too. And her sister's. Ruby went down the hall to her brother's room. She laid one on his limp body, it going from the tip of his bloodied snout to the end of his impossibly small tail. So little, killed only because he was related to her. The cruelty.

Ruby took one last look at her dead family. She would not return when she was done. She would leave, there was no way she would ever enter this house again

She turned and shot into the night sky, flying northward, and never looked back.
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Two days later...
Ruby slipped through the crowd, making her way toward the open stand shop on Laysonway Street. As she approached, the black and gold spotted dragon slipped through the curtains at the back, leading to a building behind it. The building was small, especially compared to what Ruby had grown up in. It looked as if a dragon built it trying not to be seen, only building their store in the tiny enclave between two other open-air stores. Now though, it was a safe haven for Ruby. Well, not as much as a torture room.

Ruby pushed aside the vibrant curtains, sighing to herself as she gazed upon the insultingly bright colors. The first time she mentioned these disgusting curtains, she ended up pinned to the floor with a dagger pressed to her throat, and being scolded for how standing out, is blending in. Ruby clearly remembers the conversation, when one tries to blend in and hide, it draws attention. To stay undetected, one must not stand out. So confusing.

She froze in the doorway of the run-down building as she faced her mentor. The dragon loomed before her, gripping a dagger in his long, deadly talons. She tucked her wings in, feinting to the right as he lifted the dagger and threw it with uncanny accuracy and blinding speed. The dagger ripped clear through the fabric behind her somewhere into the stand they used to sell illegal weapons and products. Ruby quickly regained her footing, launching herself at the dragon. They grappled, Ruby straining to get the advantage over her opponent.

Ruby felt talons rake through the red scales at her side and hissed through her bared teeth.

"Protect your left side!" He snarled at her, shoving her to the side, causing her to roll into the side wall and send something crashing. She hoped it was something important.

She shook her head, trying to clear it. Ruby quickly searched her brain, recalling all the training she had the last two days. She charged at him. He crouched slightly, preparing for her attack. Perfect, his back and rear legs were undefended. A split second before she sent them both tumbling, she jumped to the left, rolling beneath his outstretched wing. She sprung up, registering the surprise on his face. She didn't waste it, flinging herself at him with her shoulder, sending him craneing sideways losing his step, flinging his wings out, trying to regain his balence. She pounced, knocking him off his talons completely, and whipped out her dagger, the quartz, pearl-studded hilt glinting in the dim light, pressing it to his throat.

He chuckled, "You're certainly getting better. Now get off me."

Ruby retreated, sheathing her dagger at the sheath on her stomach. He grinned lazily at her, twirling yet another dagger in between his claws and the floor. "So," Ruby started, sitting down with her back facing the wall. "Want to tell me how you know all of this?" She waved a claw at the dagger he was spinning and the weapons lining the walls.

"Not really." He shifted, his black and gold scales shimmering slightly in the light. His light blue eyes pierced into her, pinning her in place. Then she looked to her side where she had been clawed by him seconds ago. She followed his gaze to her torso, which was spilling quite a lovely amount of red, oozing blood all over the floor. Well, Ruby thought bitterly, not like the floor was very clean to begin with, and to be fair the room could use a touch of color.

Suddenly she heard a laugh and glanced up, frowning. What type of dragon would laugh at the sight of her bleeding out onto their floors? Wait, she thought grimly, Jasmin would love the sight. Jasmin would probably break into some type of happy jig only dragons who murdered in cold blood knew.

Her teacher, mentor, whatever (She HATED calling him that, or master of any other nonsense names. But, sadly, it had been the only way he would have agreed to teach her), BloodBane, shook his head at her incredulously. "Usually, Sunshine, when one is bleeding all over the floor to another’s place, they apologize and go bandage themselves immediately. You seem content to just watch as you stain my floors with your blood, not even concerned for your injury. Or my floors." He scoffed.

Ruby grinned, flicking her wings back as she continued to study her injury. "Well, when one enters a room, they do not expect to be attacked upon entering with a dagger thrown at their face."

BloodBane rolled his blue eyes, "Don't be dramatic. It was the head."

Ruby shot him a shrewd glance. "Really? That's the same--Never mind, if you’re so worried about your floors, could you be useful and go get me something to bandage it with?"

"Well..." He mused, tapping a claw on his chin, "I could… but I don't really think I want to."

She hissed as she pressed her talons to the wound, stanching the bleeding. Slightly. "Let me rephrase. Go get me some bandages. Now." She pulled her talons away, covered in blood, cursed, and replaced them again on the bleeding wound.

He laughed. "Like a little ray or Sunshine. Fine, but only because you asked so nicely." He wandered out of the room at a pace that made Ruby debate throwing her dagger at him just to make him go faster.

Ruby shook her head in exasperation. BloodBane could be such a pain in the tail, but she needed him. She needed to learn to fight, kill, and hunt. She needed to learn how to get her revenge. On her own. They was no way in the ShadowBinder’s lair, that she was going to allow his to come along on her journey for revenge.

Ruby glanced at the curtains, debating just going to get bandages herself. But no, she sighed, a dragon bleeding all over the streets would draw too much attention. So she sat, waiting for BloodBane to return, staining his floors even more.
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BloodBane had deigned her ready for daggers yesterday, so Ruby was up before the crack of dawn to drag him out of his bed and teach her how to use them. Then she threatened him with her pearl-studded dagger when he said he needed sleep and for her to get lost. Now, as Ruby slashed out at the dummy in front of her, she wondered whether she should have let him get his sleep. As it turns out, BloodBane was not a morning dragon. Or evening dragon. Or even night dragon. BloodBane had been grumbling the entire day about her impatience and his lack of sleep and Ruby was just about done with it.

"And why," Ruby asked as he complained for the umpteenth time about his very little sleep. "Did you not get any sleep last night? As far as I recall, you left before sundown to supposedly 'go to bed'. That is obviously not true, or else you would have been the one dragging me out of bed before dawn."

He huffed but did not respond to her accusation. She stared at him, waiting for her answer. If he was going to be grumpy at her, but not himself, then there was going to be some problems. BloodBane glanced up at her silence and saw her stare. He sighed, turning his gaze to his talons splayed before him. "I had a... mission... to accomplish for a client of mine last night that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. It took longer than anticipated."

Ruby was silent. BloodBane had never mentioned his job as an assassin to her before, and now she was wishing he hadn't. Ever. "It's not so bad," He met her gaze, giving her a slight smile. "I only work for those who have the right enemies. I'm allowed to turn down any offer I want and do any job offered. I look through the records of everyone I'm to eliminate and make sure they deserve to go down before I agree to the job. I only work for those I decide worthy of that type of power, the power to destroy anyone they want by just telling me a name and place." He gave her a real smile. "And plus, I get paid like a freakin’ king."

"How?" Ruby shifted, sitting back on her hunches.

BloodBane tilted his head to the side, "What do you mean, Sunshine?"

Ruby watched him carefully, not in the mood to correct him, watching for any sign of weakness. "How did you become an assassin?"

He looked toward the entrance at the curtains swaying in the wind and the jumble of wings and tails passing by, adjusting his wings uncomfortably. "Umm... Can we have this conversation later?"

"No."

"Let me rephrase, we are not having this conversation right now. Deal with it."

Ruby huffed, that was her saying. "Fine," She said, swinging her tail around to curl over her talons, "Then teach me how to throw a dagger accurately. Your not being a very good teacher with all this moping."

He tilted his head, waiting. Ruby sighed, "Please."

He smiled at her, his blue and purple wings spreading out as he stood up and stretched. Ruby watched his gold scales against his black scales, it was quite an interesting color combination. Ruby wondered how he was an assassin, and a good one at that, when he stood out so much with the gold scales. Last she checked, gold scales weren't exactly the best for stealth. Or anything.

"Of course, but only because you asked so nicely. Who could say 'no' to someone like you?" He gestured toward the door with his wing, signaling for her to exit into the throng of dragons awaiting beyond.

Ruby kept her face blank, but as she passed him, she couldn't help smiling as she walked into the stand where they sold weapons. She hadn't had many friends while she was growing up, and the only friends she did have lived at the palace or were her family. Ruby froze, she would not think of her family. Nope. Never. Ruby didn't even notice as BloodBane walked up beside her, resting his tail atop hers.

"Are you alright Sunshine?" He asked softly, lowering his head so they were at the same level.

She didn't answer him.

He gave her a small sad smile. "You don't have to talk about it, I understand. I know you think I don't, but I do. Trust me. We assassins usually have some... messed up pasts. But if you do need to talk, or get revenge on someone, come get me." She nodded. "Now." He straightened, still looking at her. "Enough of the gloomy talk. Let's go throw some daggers, Sunshine."

Ruby smiled, "Deal."
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"What would you like?" Ruby asked the sunset-colored dragon before her. She swept her talons over the assortment of weapons surrounding the walls of the stand. BloodBane had left earlier that day on a job that came suddenly and had left Ruby in charge of the stand. Ruby hated it. The city was too dirty for her, as were the dragons in it. But. Ruby couldn't help but be appreciative of the city. This city was one of the only ones that allowed any type of dragon in. So far, Ruby had seen all types of dragons, besides Veilspuns, but that wasn't surprising considering they thought of themselves too highly to associate with others. BloodBane, a Guardian, had told her to not judge any dragon here, as this city is just as dangerous as different.

The Fae pointed with a white claw at a dagger to Ruby's right, "That one."

Ruby handed over the brown dagger with a leather sheath and accepted the payment the dragon handed her. But even though BloodBane told her not to, Ruby couldn’t help but think, what was a Fae doing with a dagger? Fae’s seemed like the weak, kind breed, not dragons with daggers.

Ruby spent a whole 20 minutes in the blistering sun, cursing every moment of it. She almost, almost, leaped with joy as she saw black and gold scales making their way toward her. BloodBane entered the stand, coming up to stand beside her, surveying her face.

He laughed, “You look like you want to kill me. I was gone for literally 20 minutes, I thought you were able to survive that long in the sun, Sunshine.”

Ruby spread her wings, “No more ‘Sunshine’ crap! I am Ruby!”

BloodBane gave her a small smile, “No offense Sunshine, but Ruby isn’t really a name for a assassin.” He held up a talon before she could interrupt, “I know, neither is Sunshine, but it’s better to never use your real name on the streets. Especially if you’re with me, then you have some enemies already.”

Ruby bristled, “I do not have enemies already, no one has even talked to me except to buy some daggers or weapons. Plus, I haven’t done anything to have enemies. No one has tried to kill me yet, I’ll be fine.”

He laughed. “No one has done anything to you yet because I went and threatened anyone who would even think about it. No one will touch you if I’m around, but otherwise, once you leave, you’ll have more than a couple birdies following you.”

“And you couldn’t have told me this sooner?” She huffed spinning toward the building and stalking through the curtains she so hated.

Ruby hadn’t expected him to follow her into the room. She thought he was going to stay outside and tend to the stand. BloodBane stopped at her side.

"I truly am sorry for what happened to your family." Ruby opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off before she could, "I know you technically haven't told me about what happened to them, but I heard the stories of a red Nocturne, favored by the Prince, who's entire family was murdered the night of the ball. The Nocturne hasn't been seen since. Some believe her to be kidnapped by the murderer and held hostage to use against the Prince and his family. I might not be the most cunning dragon, but I'm definitely not an idiot. I know it's you. I know you know who did it. I know you want revenge. I know you want to do it alone. But..." BloodBane met her gaze. "I don't want you to do it alone."

He smiled at Ruby, her face blank. "And I know how cringy that sounds too, don't worry, I'm aware. But please, think about it. I'm a trained assassin who has friends in many places, along with enemies, and would be excellent in the hunt to track down the killer. And I'm awesome and would keep you sane. Obviously."

She slowly shook her head. "That's not possible. You would only get in the way."

He laughed, "Yay right. You would be the one getting in the way." His face turned serious. "Please Sunshine?"

She hesitated, "No."

"You're impossible," BloodBane growled at her.

"I know." Ruby said with a tint of sadness, "I know."
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“Get up you lump!” Jasmin said from underneath her claws. But, wait, Ruby thought, Jasmin doesn’t sound like that. Especially when Ruby was clawing out her throat. “GRRRR.”

Ruby tumbled out of bed, cursing as she hit the floor.

“Dang.” She looked up from her place on the floor to see BloodBane smirking down at her twisted form, “You can curse.”

Ruby hissed at him, swearing some more as she picked herself off the ground, wings flaring all over the place as she tried to regain her balance. “Why in the ShadowBinder’s lair did you wake me up! By shoving me out of my own bed, none the least! Beast.” She whirled away from him. Ruby finally took in her room, then turned toward him fuming. Again. “It’s not even SUNRISE!! What in all the deities is wrong with you!?!??! Don’t you have a sense of sanity!?!”

BloodBane didn’t bother telling her that made no sense, she was already mad enough as it is. “Calm down, Sunshine.” She glared at him.

“CaLm DOwN?!? YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN!?!?!?”

“Probably shouldn’t have said that, huh?” BloodBane murmured to himself. “Listen! I had an idea! Don’t kill me.”

Ruby’s eyes burned with the promise of violence. “Better be an idea worthy to bring to the PlaugeBringer herself or you're dead.”

“Umm…” BloodBane had not planned it going like this. “Hear me out. No killing me. I came up with a good assassin code name for you…”

She just continued to glare at him. “Well, are you going to tell me what it is, or do I have to guess?”

BloodBane grinned, “BloodHound.”
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Updated 4/5/24 16:25 Flight Rising time