The Smuggler: Chapter Five: Metamorphosis and the Rescue

 Sorry about how late this is. I was busy. But here we go.

Chapter Five

Metamorphosis and the Rescue

    Peacock pressed anxiously against his sister. Yes, they had gone through the gate uncountable times before, and yes, it shouldn't be scary, but today was Julia's Metamorphosis Day. One word kept echoing in his mind. Flamesilk. Flamesilk. Flamesilk. Moth's grief-stricken face swam in between these thoughts. The balls of fire glowing under his scales. The way how he had stared at them, hanging onto the web, as Julia mouthed, Run. And how he had turned and disappeared from their lives forever.

    "Names?" asked the guard at the entrance, startling him.

    "Julia," Julia replied, holding out her palm.

    Peacock imitated her. "Peacock." Julia was trying to keep calm, he could see that, and she was doing a better job than he was. He swallowed the lump in his throat as the guard narrowed his eyes at his clipboard and shooed them through, casting backwards glances at Julia as they walked hurriedly away.

    Peacock's talons unconsciously moved back towards the Mosaic Garden, back to where his brother had been last time he had seen him. As if he would be there, waiting for them and teasing them about stopping to smell the flowers.

    Julia must have noticed his vacant stare, because she said, "You know that Mother said she hadn't seen him. She listened to the guards and they were talking about the runaway flamesilk."

    Peacock sighed. "I know, but in a way that makes me more nervous." He stopped and lifted Julia's wrist to the sunlight. "Oh, thank Clearsight. Look."

    Julia's wrists were glowing, but not as much as Moth's. Just faintly. Julia breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the grass. Peacock sat beside her and put his arm around his sister. They sat there for a long time before Julia stood up, announcing it was almost time for her Metamorphosis. It was only later that Peacock realized they had been sitting in the exact spot they had been ten days ago when Julia had thrown Moth into the webs.

    "Go Julia!" cried Peacock. Julia looked up and smiled nervously. The extra HiveWing guards at the entrance were watching her intently, waiting to spring the moment she showed signs of a flamesilk. There was a larger crowd of SilkWings for their Metamorphosis today, about maybe seven, not counting Julia.

    Peacock clutched one of the columns as a tendril of anxiety wormed within him. The other SilkWings spun their cocoons and sank to the ground until Julia was the last one standing. She closed her eyes for a moment, then looked up at Peacock, holding his gaze even as her (normal) silk spiraled from her wrists and wove up around her head.

    Peacock bit back an unexpected sob. Suddenly the gap in his chest created by Moth leaving widened into an endless pit. No brother. No sister. No parents. He didn't have anyone. If only he could have a few more minutes with her cocoon. He slipped into the shadows of the pillar, trying to hide his sapphire blue scales. The remaining spectators slowly drained out of the Cocoon as the guards, having found no flamesilk, left with them. Peacock waited until everything was quiet, then slipped out from his hiding place. He crept towards the stairs when movement caught his eye.

    There was a dragon, clothed in black, delicately and silently moving through the cocoons, careful not to step on them. Peacock quickly quieted his gasp of shock and flattened himself against the floor. Through the rails, he saw the dragon pick her way through them. What was she doing in the Cocoon? Her wings were small. HiveWing. That deepened the mystery. Peacock wondered about this until all thoughts flew out of his head as the dragon stopped in front of Julia's cocoon. Julia's. The dragon lifted her head and scanned the empty rows of seats. Peacock flattened himself further, and then dared to look out again.

    The dragon turned her attention back to Julia's cocoon, then gently picked her up, his helpless, sleeping sister, and covered her cocoon with her cloak, leaving with a swish of her cloak. Peacock exploded. Trying to keep silent, he zipped down the stairs and followed the HiveWing outside. She moved quietly, despite his kidnapped sister in her arms. She walked in deserted alleyways and kept to the shadows of the streets. Finally she reached the webs. She slipped out onto them, not even breaking her stride, which was unusual for a HiveWing. Peacock followed her, suddenly making out the darkened form of a sunflower below. This was one of their markers for an escape route. The HiveWing hesitated for a second, then looked at Julia's cocoon and stayed on the webs. She led Peacock, simmering with frustration and anger, down the webs to the savannah. He followed her through the grass until she stopped at a deep ditch.

    Glancing around one last time to make sure no one was following her, the HiveWing slipped down into it and disappeared. Investigating closer, Peacock saw a dark tunnel leading deep underground, the dragon's tail disappearing into it. He followed. He walked for a few minutes before seeing a faint light. Peacock rounded the bend and saw a cave built into the rock. The HiveWing gently set Julia down and pulled off her cloak. She was mostly a reddish-orange, a color Peacock hadn't seen on to many HiveWings.

    The HiveWing walked over to a door built in the wall and opened it. The night breeze was mixed with the smell of salt. The cave was in a cliff. A dark shape rocked in the middle of the ocean. It looked too big to be a boat, but it was certainly shaped like one. The dragon whispered something into a black and white shell and touched it into a stream running through the cave.

    Peacock jumped as a ball of light streamed out from the shell and zoomed up the stream in the direction of the huge boat thing. Nothing happened, so his gaze drifted to Julia's silent cocoon. He missed her already. Suddenly a huge boost of confidence flowed through him and he stepped into the light of the flamesilk lantern, glaring at the HiveWing. "That's my sister. What are you doing with her?"

    The dragon jumped and turned around in surprise. Her gaze flew from Peacock to Julia and back again. "She's your sister?"

    "Yes. Let her go."

    Instead of laughing or attacking him, the dragon actually seemed happy. "You're Peacock!"

    Peacock's eyes widened. "How do you know my name?"

    The dragon laughed, but it wasn't mean. It was relieved. "I'm friends with your brother, Peacock."

    My brother. "Moth?"

    "Yep. Sky blue, flamesilk, VERY attached to you two."

    Moth fit her description, but... "Do you have proof?"

    The dragon nodded and picked up the lantern. "He said to give you this."

    Peacock frowned in confusion but took it, out of habit looking at the flamesilk. But he had never seen flamesilk that looked like that. It was slightly coppery, and glowed with a radiance only new flamesilks had. "Oh, Clearsight. It is Moth's."

    The HiveWing tossed him a sheet of paper made from unburning flamesilk, like their mother's. "He also said to give you this, although I'm not sure why he'd give you blank paper."

    "It's not blank," whispered Peacock, pieces fitting themselves together in his mind. He held it up to the light and watched as words slowly formed on it. Dear Julia and Peacock, it read. If you're reading this, than Dragonfly found you and you're safe. I'm super excited to see you guys again. I wanted to come but apparently it's too dangerous. Dragonfly and I got a huge argument about it, but eventually I couldn't think of any other excuses. You can trust her. She's going to help you and bring you to where I am. She'll explain everything. See you soon! Your brother, Moth.

    Peacock smiled and lowered the paper, its words fading again. He turned back to the HiveWing, who was watching him curiously. "Invisible ink. Smart."

    "Are you Dragonfly?" asked Peacock cautiously.

    The dragon nodded. "Yep. Did Moth say anything else?"

    "He said you two got in a big fight over if he could go or not. But where is he? Where are we going?"

    Dragonfly grinned mischievously. "I hope you aren't as hard to convince as your brother. We're going to the Distant Kingdoms."