The Smuggler: Chapter Thirteen: Wasp Hive

 Sorry the chapter's short. I have to go to bed.

Chapter Thirteen

Wasp Hive

    Moth was trying not to drown. This wouldn't have been his ideal method of transport, but no one else had any ideas about what else to do. The spirits could travel about the same speed as regular dragons, which would still take three to four days across the ocean, but to speed up the process Ice, who was an animus after all, although one who didn't use much magic, had created a speeding device for them. And then there had been another problem. Two, actually.

    One, how could they get them across the ocean? Moth and his siblings couldn't swim, although the spirits and Makele apparently had some sort of tireless energy, so swimming that entire way wouldn't be a problem for them. They thought of a lot of different methods ranging from Ice trying to freeze the ocean with his frostbreath to maybe getting the boat again. They had actually reduced to suggesting trying to somehow make Rain's map into a portal when Sea spoke up. She suggested that she and some of the SeaWing spirits could swim just under the surface and carry the three of them. Which was why Moth was currently trying to stay on the back of one of the SeaWings and not fall off.

    The other question that had been raised was, how would they interact with the spirits once they had left Agate Mountain? Although they could leave through the special passageways, once they had left they became invisible until they returned. Apparently Makele was included in this, since she was the keeper of the souls. They discussed this for a while more until Makele remembered that she had been given special necklaces from the "Maker of Time" or something when she became the Mother of Dragons that allowed the still living dragons to see spirits. They were essentially golden chains with shells hanging from them, nothing special, but apparently they worked.

    Moth cast a sideways glance at Julia and Peacock, who seemed to be having the same difficulty staying on as he did. Julia had her wings slightly extended and kept glancing over at Peacock, ready to jump into the air if he showed any sign of slipping. Fortunately he hadn't so far.

    "We're almost there!" called Makele over the sound of the waves. "I can see Pantala!"

    Moth would have replied, but it would mean taking his gaze of his talons, which he really didn't want to do. Sea, the SeaWing he was riding on turned and gave him an encouraging look, and he tried, although not very well, to return it. After all, she was the one who had crossed the entire ocean in about an hour.

    Sea raised her head above the waves so she could yell instructions to Julia and Peacock. "We're going to go underwater! It's getting too shallow and too hard to find the rocks underwater we might bump into! Just hold on and don't panic!" She put her head back under the water and began flashing something in Aquatic to the other three SeaWings, one who came along to bring Dragonfly back. The four of them dove as one and Moth found himself sinking underwater. Remembering Sea's instructions, he took a deep breath and was submerged. He had expected it to be terrifying and claustrophobic, but really it was almost like swimming in the ocean where his class had once been. Okay, he WAS swimming in the ocean, but Sea's graceful movements as she swam through the water made him almost feel like he wasn't underwater. Then a dolphin would swim past and put his misconceptions to rest.

    Just in time, because dark spots were starting to swim in his vision, Sea curved up and broke the surface, landing gracefully on a sandy beach, the savannah stretching out before them. She bent down and Moth slid off her back, relishing the feel of the sand beneath his talons. "Thank you."

    "You're welcome. We have to save Dragonfly, don't we? Any dragon who has met Mother and is in trouble should get help."

    The other three SeaWings came out of the water and the rest of the dragons who flew landed too. Gatekeeper had decided to come, which Moth was grateful for. Rain surveyed the savannah. "I've seen this landscape a lot on my map, but I've never actually been here."

    "Why do you have the map anyway?" asked Moth.

    Rain sighed and a shudder ran through her body. "Because I told myself responsible for the RainWing's actions in driving out the SilkWings and LeafWings. I keep the map so I can always be seeing them and watching over them. After all, it's three tribes with only Silk and Leaf watching them. And Clearsight, sometimes, but not as often as the two of them."

    Moth thought about this as the rest of them gathered up their supplies and tried to pinpoint Wasp Hive's location. Rain, who seemed like the most non-violent dragon he'd ever met, blamed herself for the actions of her people. Her grief was so strong over losing the two siblings she was closest to, she made a special map to keep track of them. Poor Rain.

    "Psst! Moth! Are you awake?" Peacock nudged him.

    Moth jumped. "What? Oh. Yeah. Sure."

    Peacock sighed. "I said, which way do you think Wasp Hive is?"

    "Uh, we left off the edge of SandWing territory, right? So maybe that way?" Moth pointed west. "I mean, it seems like it."

    "We should just be grateful we didn't land in the Poison Jungle," said Julia, shivering. "I heard rumors there are LeafWings there."

    "LeafWings?" asked Moth, startled. "Aren't they extinct?"

    "Extinct?" asked Mud, overhearing them. "Of course they aren't extinct. If they were extinct, Leaf would probably be with us now."

    Not extinct. "How do they even survive in the Poison Jungle? Isn't there around three death traps per square inch of the place?"

    Mud shrugged. "Don't ask me. I have no idea."

    "Come on," said Makele. She turned. "Wasp Hive is that way."

    Moth pressed his back up against the wall. The hard treestuff scraped against him and he found himself longing for the regular wood in Pyrria. It was strange how much he already considered the strange continent home. It was so...free.

    "Okay," said Ice. "You three are the only ones that anyone can actually see. One of us should go and scout, although you'd better come up with a good excuse if anyone finds you."

    "Not helping, Ice," Sand told him.

    "What? I'm just saying that they'll be virtually alone in a giant palace full of HiveWings and the queen of HiveWings, who happens to have one of their friends in her dungeon."

    "Like I said, not helping." Sand turned back to them. "The most important thing to remember is that you should keep your cool. If you act like everything's fine, most dragons relax and ignore you. If they see a terrified, sneaky, or wary look, their suspicion will be on you."

    "Oh, yippee. I've always wanted a Hive full of dragons to be suspicious of me, especially when I'm committing a moral offense to the entire continent!" Julia replied in a sarcastic tone. But Moth knew better. She was terrified and didn't want anyone to know. So he just gripped Peacock's hand tighter and said nothing.

    "Wait. Sh," said Night. She put a talon to her lips and they all fell silent. Footsteps could be heard outside the window.

    A female voice muttered, "Oh, it's so dark in here. I don't understand why everyone wants the windows closed all the time. It's a shame, if you ask me." Still grumbling, the SilkWing pushed open the windows and jumped as her gaze fell on Moth, Julia, and Peacock. Three SilkWing dragonets hugged the wall of the Hive, staring at her. Of course, she couldn't see the other spirits, or she probably would have had a heart attack. The SilkWing froze. They stared at each other for a few heartbeats, none of them moving, before she opened her mouth, eyes wide with alarm, and didn't move. She seemed right in the middle of saying something, but she wasn't.

    "Is something wrong with her?" Peacock asked after a few moments of silence.

    "She'll be fine," came a voice from the roof. They all looked up in time to see a dragon swing herself over the edge of the roof and land beside them on the ledge. She was green and two leaf-shaped wings sprouted from her back. She held some kind of tube where a little dart thing was protruding, apparently holding some kind of paralyzing venom like the HiveWings had. A SilkWing followed her, gliding from the roof and apparently deciding there wasn't enough room on the edge with a LeafWing, three other SilkWings, and all of the spirits, and so hovering in the air.

    "Leaf! Silk!" cried Sky. "What are you doing here?"

    "I think we should be asking you that," said Silk with a confused look in his eyes. "I've never seen you in Pantala. Why are you here? And seriously, why hanging on to the edge of Wasp Hive? Someone might be able to see spirits. They can definitely see you," he finished, nodding at Moth, Peacock, and Julia.

    Makele gently moved the paralyzed SilkWing out of the way and they all made their way through the window into the room. The SilkWing managed still to look puzzled why the three mystery SilkWings were seemingly talking to thin air, and why she couldn't move.

    Sorry, Moth mouthed at her. He turned back to Leaf and Silk. "We're looking for Dragonfly. She visited Makele once? HiveWing, red-orange, currently held captive by Wasp for trying to smuggle SilkWings to the Distant Kingdoms?"

    Leaf and Silk looked at each other, surprised. "I did see a dragon who matches your description maybe a week ago," said Leaf thoughtfully. "She was fighting with another HiveWing, blood-red? Paralyzing teeth?"

    Julia winced. "Yep. That's Beetle. Dragonfly thought he might have something to do with her maybe-capture."

    "Whoo. Don't envy her. Wasp actually showed up, in person, to take her to the dungeon. I watched it, but I didn't realize she had visited Mother. I couldn't have interfered anyway."

    "Well you can help us now," said Rain. Her eyes were glowing at seeing her siblings again, and it seemed they both felt that way too. "Sea, which way do we go again?"

    Sea frowned in concentration. "Oh, I really should have brought that scroll. I think it's right, right, left, straight, left-"

    "Right," interrupted Sky. "We go right." She glared at her pointedly.

    "Sorry. She asked which way we go. I told her."

    Moth sighed. "Let's just go." He cautiously poked his head out of the door and glanced both ways. "The coast's clear. Lead on."