Take To The Sky

Punishment

"Peter I like you but you will not get in my way."
Peter stood between him and his dragon.
Tonight was the night he was going to escape. He had worked the boards on one of his windows loose and slipped out.
Silver was asleep and he had hoped to be long gone before anyone woke up.
But there where certain variables he couldn't count for.
Like Peter being in the Stable at this ungodly hour.
"Well I was growing rather fond of you myself but I can't just let you fly out."
Nova shook his head.
"You can't stop me."
Peter seemed to think about that.
"It's true that you beat me in that last match up but... I don't know Nova," Peter drew his hunting knife. "I feel like I have the advantage this time."

He didn't want to do this.
He didn't want to hurt Peter.
Didn't want to fight.
Didn't want to wake up Silver if he heard them fighting.
He sighed heavily.
"I'll just say that I did warn you."
He serged forward and grabbed Peter's knife hand.
"Nova. Why would you want to go back? You told me how they treat you. Why would you go back?"
"Loyalty."
He grabbed Peter's leg to sweep him and dropped him in his back.
"Seriously Peter? You need to guard that better."
"Yep. But you-" he slashed the teen on the side with a knife he had drawn with his left hand. "Should have known I wasn't fighting by the rules this time."
Nova grimaced as blood began to soak the side of his shirt.
"Ok so I didn't see that coming."
He pinned one of Peter's arms with his knee and held the other one in a tight grip.
With his one free hand he slammed the man's head back into the ground.
Once.
Twice.
He was out cold.
Of course the man's Dragon wasn't happy about that. He growled at Nova as he passed.
"Shut up you!"
He slipped into Ilwomar's stall and saddled her quickly. Pulling on his Riders harness felt good after all this time. The pressure from the straps a formiliar sensation.
Thankful Silver had repaired the saddle after Ilwomar's crash landing.
He leapt into the saddle, secured the hip straps and was off.

And oh it was good to fly again.
"Take us home Illy."
They flew at a good pace.
Not so fast that the She-Dragon would tire too quickly but it was no pleasure flight.
He needed to do something about this bleeding. He was starting to feel light headed.

∆∆∆∆

"Peter! Wake up! Wake up Peter!"
The dark haired man groaned as he came to the waking world. His head was throbbing.
He rubbed his  head and felt a welt on the back.
"Peter. Where is Nova?"
"I'm sorry Silver. I tried to stop him."
Silver stood to his feet running both his hands through his hair.
"Nonononononono! Nova what have you done?"
He rushed to his dragon's stall and began to saddle up.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going after him."
"Silver. Silver listen to me! He's already back! He left hours ago! He's already inside the walls."
"Then I'll brake him out and drag him back!"
"I'm going with you!"
"No Peter. I need you to do something for me."

∆∆∆∆

"Specialist Nova. You have been gone for a very long time."
The teen was holding his side and his hand was covered in blood.
"Yes ma'am. I was captured by rebels in Hidden Water. My dragon was injured and they gave me sedatives to keep me docile. I returned as soon as I could."
Marsha glared at him.
"And how pray tell did these rebels take down a CRC Dragon Rider?"
"They had dragon's ma'am. A Fire Dragon and a White Dragon. They were well trained. One of them was a former CRC Rider. He broke my dragons wing and we fell from the sky."

A what?
A former CRC Rider? On a White Dragon?
Her heart rate doubled.
"Did this Rebel give a name?"

The boy hesitated.
Was he going to lie? Withhold information maybe?
"He said his name was Silver."
She nodded.
"Yes. I know Silver. I remember his betrayal. Did he tell you anything else?"
Again Nova hesitated.
She stood and walked over to him.
She placed one hand on his shoulder gently and pulled his hands from his wounds side with the other.
"Tell me Nova," she jammed her thumb into the wound causing the Teen to cry out and fall to his knees. "What else did he tell you?"
"He- he tried to get me to join him."
She twisted her hand over the wound.
"Ggahh!" He choked out.
"Nova. You don't want to keep secrets from me."
The boy panted heavily and gritted his teeth against the pain she was causing.
"He said th-that he was- rrrg- my father."
Marsha nodded and withdrew her hand from his side. She stroked his face gently leaving tacky streaks of blood on his cheek.
"You see. That was all I wanted to know."
She had one hand on the back of his neck and began to run the other through his hair.
"Now we do have a small matter to discuss. You see Specialist Nova you failed. Again. That's two missions in a row. Your dragon was injured and you allowed yourself to be taken as a prisoner and detained for over a month. We wasted countless resources trying to locate you. I'm sorry sweetheart but I can't let that stand."
The boys lip trembled as he anticipated what was to come.
"Please." He whimpered pitifully.
She put a finger to his lips in a shushing motion.
"No. Don't beg Rider. It's unbecoming," She stood. "82 lashes. 2 strokes for each day you failed to escape."
The boy began to mumble frantically but didn't resist as he was hauled to his feet.
He was stripped of his rider's harness and shirt and his wrist where tied above his head with his feet barely scraping the ground.

Marsha glared at the boy as she imagined it was Silver in his place.
"If i can't hurt you then I'll just hurt your child." She growled under her breath.