The siege of the Scorpion Den

Imma be honest, this is some old story I wrote like two years ago and I thought it was good then so it must still be good now (Right?)
The Scorpion Den was the dregs of dragon society. It was a place of thieves and thugs, spies, and assassins. Dragons who'd stab you in the back, rob you blind and sell your corps and everything you had to the next guy. Then the seller would be killed or imprisoned by the local Outclaw militia.
Main Characters:
Mirage- SandWing Male
Scorch- SandWing Male
Coyote- SandWing Male
“Wake up you good for nothing lizards!” Mirage groaned. He had a strange dream last night; a shadowy dragon had killed him. And especially now, his head felt extra heavy. Like there was more in his mind. But Mirage didn’t worry about it. Headaches were quickly becoming the norm for him and his buddies. Mirage felt something whack him in face. Mirage stat up quickly and bashed his head against the bunk above his. “I thought I said up!” His head still smarting Mirage looked around at Outclaw Barrack Three and at the SandWing in charge of it and all the dragons inside. “Come on Coyote don’t make us get up now. It’s barley morning.” Mirage said still hurting. Some of the others in the barrack murmured their agreement, those whom Coyote had smacked, louder than others. “I don’t care that it’s Barley Morning. We’ve been ordered on another patrol.” Everyone in the barrack groaned. “Oh, come on Coyote, we’ve been up half the night, aren’t you tiered?” Someone at the back said. Mirage nodded in agreement. “You all are just lucky that you got any sleep at all. If you’d been caught sleeping in Burn’s army when you weren’t supposed too, she would rip your head off and mount it on a spike.” More groans. “Yeah, yeah. We know all about how brutal and hard that it was in Burn’s army. It’s not like it’s new to us.” Mirage laughed Coyote had a habit of telling those under his rule about the hardships in Burn’s army. He wasn’t wrong, but most of the older Outclaws had once been a part of Burn’s army. Mirage thankfully wasn’t a part of that group. “Laugh all you want but when the Talons of Power take back all the resources that we seized last night you’ll be working extra hard. That or the Talons will control the Scorpion den and we’ll be dead or servants.” Nobody said anything. They all knew that Coyote wasn’t kidding. Ever since the rise of Darkstalker five years ago, there had been an upsurge of mercenary groups fighting against the Outclaws for control of the Scorpion den. Most notably the shadowy group called the Talons of Power. They had existed since pre Darkstalker, but ever since his fall and the mysterious disappearance of their leader the Talons of Power had been relatively quiet. But now they were threatening civilians and looting store houses. So, the Outclaws were given the task of destroying the Talons of Power, effectively ending the mercenary threat in the Scorpion den. It sounded too easy. That’s why it made sense that the Talons would have allies, such as another group calling itself the Sons of the Sands. Not much was known about them other than the fact that they were notoriously vicious and never taking any prisoners or leaving any witnesses. Coyote took the silence as a signal that they were ready to listen to him. “Now that’s sorted out,” he gestured to a heavy-set dust colored SandWing with broad shoulders and a vicious slash across his left eye. “Scar, get everyone ready and lined up in front of the oasis in three minutes, I’ve got to go talk to the other squad leaders.” Scar nodded and Coyote left. “Well you heard him, get ready and be quick about it.” Scar didn’t shout at us, he never did. In Mirage’s eyes Scar was the calm after Coyote’s storm. He never yelled at the dragons under his command, he treated them with respect and in return they gave him respect.	Exactly three minutes later all the dragons in Barrack Three we lined up in front of the oasis. They were flanked on either side by Barracks One and Two. Coyote walked out in front of all the assembled dragons and started speaking. He told them that they were just doing a routine city-wide patrol. He reminded them to be on the lookout for Talons of Power, Sons of the Sand or anything remotely suspicious. Coyote assigned Barrack Three to cover the lower half of the city. Three had gotten off easy. Barrack Two had gotten the middle city, which was notably the most crowded part of the city. Perfect of an ambush or a bombing. That was how the Outclaws knew what groups had done what. The Talons of Power did a lot of bombings, it was their style. Back when Darkstalker was around the Talons had got their supply of dragon-flame cactus from SkyWing traders, but the Outclaws had ended that very quickly. It always made Mirage worried when he thought of the Talons of Power and their cactus bombs. It would be easy for them to sneak a spy into the Outclaw camp and have them below it up. Thankfully the Talons weren’t brave or stupid enough to attempt a bombing. Barrack Three started out, heading for the lower city. While they were walking Mirage joked around with his best friend Jackal. Jackal was a skinny yellow SandWing with a dark stripe running from the tip of his snout to his horns. Mirage never worried about Scar saying anything about his dragons talking and having fun on patrol. He was one of the few leaders that had grasped the idea happy troops worked better then unhappy ones.	Barrack Three had almost finished their patrol and were starting to head back to camp when a golden yellow SandWing burst out of an ally shouting for help. Scar halted the patrol and asked what was wrong. The golden dragon said that four or five rough looking SandWings had jumped him and his friend, there were too many to fight so he had ran to get help. Scar nodded his head towards the ally and four other SandWings followed him. As soon as the last tail disappeared into the ally, the stalls and buildings around the rest of the patrol exploded. Fire, tiny spines and debris flew in all directions. Mirage’s chest was gripped by fear, it was an ambush! Someone pulled Mirage down to the sand just as a flaming stake form one of the exploded stalls flew over the spot where he had been standing moments earlier. Mirage strained to see who had saved him, but he couldn’t make out anything. There was smoke and debris everywhere. There were also bodies. Many of the other dragon’s in the patrol hadn’t ducked down or had been pulled down to the sand, so many of them were either blown apart by the cactus bombs or torn open by debris. Mirage tried to move away from the bombs and explosions, but he couldn’t move, one of his legs had been hit by cactus or debris or something and he couldn’t move it anymore. Mirage cursed and tried moving again, but it was absolutely no use. Mirage had been deafened when the bombs went off, but he was starting to regain some hearing, but what he heard chilled him to the bone. There was screaming as expected, but Mirage also heard voices talking. They sounded like orders. Mirage was able to tilt his head just so that he could hear what was being said, “Make sure there are no survivors.” Those weren’t the voices of Outclaws…They must have been the Talons of Power! Seconds after coming to that conclusion he heard the swish and thunk of a venomous tail sinking into bone. A blood curtailing shriek followed by silence. Except it wasn’t silence. Similar sounds were coming from all over. The Talons of Power were killing the wounded Outclaws one by one, the effect made even more horrifying by the fact there was still a wave of smoke and dust still floating about. This meant that Mirage wouldn’t see the Talons until it was too late, and he was dead. Mirage tried to get up, but he couldn’t balance. His leg had become a dead weight. Mirage cursed quietly, why did sand have to be so hard to get unstuck from. Mirage was scrabbling around in the sand; he knew he was giving away his position, but he didn’t care. If the Talons came to kill him, he would at least take one or two with him. Mirage had made it close to where the ally had been, somehow, he had avoided detection by the Talons. Strong claws grasped his shoulders and pulled him into the ally. Mirage didn’t even have time to scream, they had got him. “Mirage! It’s me! Don’t make any sound. Just follow.” Mirage recognized that voice, it was Scar! Then Mirage understood what Scar had said, and shook his head, “I can’t walk.” He said quietly. Scar cursed quietly then said something that Mirage couldn’t make out and then said, “Here lean on me, we’ve got to get out of hear.” Mirage did as he was bidden and didn’t say anything. He was too stunned. How had the Talons been able to destroy their patrol so easily? It didn’t make sense; how did they know that Mirage and the others would be there at that exact time? 	It felt like far too long of a time later that they were found. Scar brought Mirage to an empty stall were two of the four Outclaws that he had brought with him were crouched. When Mirage asked what had happened one of them in a low voice said, “There were actually Talons of Power waiting for us. But there were hundreds, and better question what happened to you?” Mirage told them about how the cactus bombs had gone off, killing many instantly wounding others. Then the Talons came in and started killing the wounded. If Scar hadn’t saved him Mirage would be dead now. “Hate to say this Mirage, but you might die anywise.” Scar said. “The Talons killed everyone and now there sweeping the area for escapees.” So, Mirage and the others got out of there, but they didn't get very far. They ran into a Talon patrol a few minutes after leaving their hiding place. Luckily, Scar and the other two were able to kill the patrol without alerting any others. Scar then pulled Mirage into a nearby house and told him to wait until Scar came back. Scar left one of the two other Outclaws and then left. He never came back. Hours later an Outclaw patrol found Mirage and his protector and brought them to the Outclaw camp. When Mirage asked about Scar, they said that they found his body hanging from the city walls near where Mirage’s patrol was ambushed. 	After the healers had seen to Mirage’s leg, he was sent to see Coyote. “What in the moons happened out there? How did the talons completely destroy an entire barrack of trained SandWings?” Mirage was about to answer Coyote when a messenger burst into his tent. “Coyote sir! Sobek is dead, killed two others, sir! Went completely crazy, said that the Talons weren’t going to get him. That he was doing everyone a favor, by killing them. There was no way to reason with or detain him.” Coyote was speechless, so was Mirage. Sobek was the only other survivor of Talons of Power’s attack, but he had been completely normal last time Mirage had seen him. It made no sense. Coyote was saying something, but Mirage wasn’t listing to him. He did however hear Coyote say that Mirage couldn’t be trusted that he might flip out like Sobek. So, he would be spending the night in the Outclaw prison, where armed guards could watch him. Mirage blinked, “What do you mean spend the night in jail! What did I do?” Coyote put a firm talon on Mirage’s shoulder and said, “It’s not what you’ve done Mirage, it’s what you might do.” Then a guard came into the tent and led Mirage away.	Mirage spent the worst night of his life in jail. He didn’t sleep, he was to afraid. Afraid that the Talons of Power would find him and finish the job. Kill the only witness to their attack. Mirage finally understood what must have driven Sobek to madness, the fear of being hunted, of watching your friends die in front of you. When the morning came Coyote came for him. “Mirage, I’ve got something to tell you.” Mirage lifted his head to look at Coyote and said softly, “That sounds ominous.” “The Sons of Sand are dead. Last night we raided their main base. There was absolutely no resistance, almost every dragon we came across were either dead or dying. When we found the leader, we discovered that he was an ex-Outclaw. You won’t have heard of him, but his name was Dusk and a while back he left the Outclaws with a few others. We were able to identify all the dead. All ex-Outclaws.” Mirage lowered his head from Coyote’s gaze to the floor. “Why does this matter to me Coyote? Why should anything matter to me anymore?” Coyote sighed and brushed Mirage’s wing with his. “I know that it’s hard to by the only survivor, but there’s something that you need to understand. Dying is easy, living is much harder. Weather by chance or by design you survived. You lived when dragons better then you died uselessly.” Mirage groaned quietly. “But if you do something to fight those who killed them you avenge them. You do them a dissatisfaction by sitting in here doing nothing. As my old commander once said: Life’s not about feeling better; it’s about getting the job done. He told me that when just like you I was sitting in a prison contemplating whether or not I cared anymore.” Mirage looked back up at Coyote. “You lost your friends and commanding officer too?” Mirage’s voice, it sounded so horse and tired. Coyote nodded. “We’d fought a hard battle against the IceWings, and all my buddies were killed. Only reason I survived was because I was a coward. I hated myself for not dying, for not throwing myself into the slaughter. For watching my friends die before me knowing that I couldn’t go out there to help them. I’d wished for death…My commander, he saved me from suicide. I owed him my life. Life’s not about feeling better; it’s about getting the job done. His words woke something inside me. A fire that had burned out. A fire that was the only thing between me and death.” Coyote gazed straight into Mirage’s eyes. “I’m telling you all this because I don’t want you to be like me. I don’t want you to be left to rot in here alone with you regrets. I don’t want you to feel like you want to die. You’ve lived through a tragedy. The least you could do is to get back out there and take the fight to the talons.” “What are you saying?” Mirage said, “I’m saying that I want you to lead. Scorpion is resigning her command of Barrack Two, I want you to lead them. I want them to be the best squad the Outclaws have, or ever had. The world needs leaders, so why not you?” Mirage nodded slowly. “I’ll do it, thank-you for this opportunity sir. I’ll try to do a good job.” “I know you’ll do a good job Mirage. I’ll tell the guards that your free to go at your pleasure. Go to Barrack Two whenever you feel. They’ll be sleeping, so they might not take kindly to your welcome.” Then he left, leaving Mirage alone.	Mirage didn’t wait long. He left the prison soon after Coyote left. Mirage was going to go straight into the Barrack and do just as Coyote would have done, but he didn't. Coyote was a good commander, but Mirage was going to be better. 	Barrack Two had been on last night’s raid and it would make a good impression if their new commander let them sleep for a while. Pluss Mirage was a wreck. He was covered from nose to tail in dust and soot. There were hundreds of small bleeding cuts all over his body from the cactus spines. His face was tear streaked and dusty, and the wound on his leg needed a new bandage. First stop the Healer. Mirage had barley any time for the Healer to put a quick bandage on his leg the day before, so now when Mirage stood while the Healer gave him a full run down. Cleaning all his cuts and giving him a clean bandage for his leg. The Healer in cleaning Mirage’s cuts washed most of the dust and grime from his body. Mirage would still have to wash his face, but it certainly made his job much easier.	Mirage had spent more time at the Healer’s than he would have liked, but it turned out fine. As he opened the door to Barrack Two, he was a clean and shining officer. “Commander in Barrack!” the dragon at the front shouted and instantly all the SandWings in the barrack came out of their bunks and saluted. “Scorpion has taught you all well,” Mirage said quietly. Though his voice wasn’t raised it still carried all the way to the end of the barrack. Mirage turned to the dragon closest to the door who’d announced him. “Have everyone out and lined up in front of the oasis in five.” The door dragon saluted, and Mirage exited the barrack. Their a soled group. But I must run them through their paces. Command came easily to Mirage, but he had learned from the best, so it wasn’t saying much.	Five minutes later all the dragons from Barrack Two were standing at stiff attention in front of Mirage. There were forty of them. Less than the fifty of the late Barrack Three, but far more then Barrack One, the most feared Outclaw squad. Barrack one only had twenty-five, that was because they had fought in more battles and conducted more raids. They were the original Outclaws. “Ok, there are a lot of you so listen up because I’m only saying this once. My name is Mirage, but you will refer to me as sir or don’t. Your choice, but I want you all to understand that if you do use my name there will be consequences. I don’t want to be on first name bases with you. I will try to get to know you, but I will always be known as sir, understand?” Mirage didn’t give them any time to speak. “Now I want you to do something for me. I want all of you who have ever fought in a real battle to step forward.” About half of them did so. “All right good, now I want those of you who have ever lost friends or loved ones to said battles to step forward.” Again, about half stepped forward. “I want you ten,” Mirage said gesturing to the dragons who had lost friends or loved ones. To turn around and face the dragons in front of you. I want you to tell them what battle you fought in and who you lost.” They did so without question. “I don’t want any secrets between us all, so I will tell you something about me. I was once a part of the late Barrack Three. Maybe you’ve heard of it?” There where murmurs and horrified faces all around. “I was the only one to survive. But let me tell you a bit about what happened. The Talons of Power attacked us. They bombed us then killed us individually while we were hurt.” Gasps and more murmurs. “But why am I telling you all this, you might be asking. And I think about half of you know why.” Mirage pointed at one of the ten dragons in front of him, “You, tell us your name and why you think I’m telling you all this.” “My name’s Dingo, sir and didn’t you say that you didn’t what any secrets between everyone?” “Right but wrong, anyone else think that they know why?” Mirage asked, “Sir, is it because you want us to learn something from what happened to you?” Mirage nodded, “What’s your name soldier?” he asked, “My name’s Scorch, sir.” Mirage nodded towards Scorch. “Scorch here is exactly right. I want you to learn something about my experience. But I don’t want you to learn from me, I want you to learn from the Talons. I want you to learn from their ferocity and their ruthlessness. I want you to learn how to become the Talons. Because the only way to destroy you enemy, to truly destroy him. To obliterate him and grind him into the dust is to fight like them. Fight like your enemy. It will throw them off balance, and that will be the time to strike. When the enemy is fighting himself thinking that it’s you. When you have matched the enemy do completely that they have no legs to stand on, no secret moves. Check mate. That is what I want to do to you. I want to transform you all into a force of fighters that wouldn’t think twice about blowing up a peaceful patrol. And I swear that by the end of it you will fight better with each other and the Talons of Power will have been wiped out. Now I bet that right now you have misgivings. We’re supposed to be the heroes, we’re supposed to never sink to the level of the enemy. Well wake up! Wake the fuck up! Sometimes the heroes aren’t always perfect, that they make mistakes and do questionable things. But in the end, in the end if we win that’s all history cares about. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel that history cares about. They don’t care about the dark path that has to be walked to get there. History doesn’t care who dies along the way. But as a wise dragon once said to me: Dying is easy, living is harder. So, I ask you do you want to be like all the others before you, the ones who died. Or do you want to take the hard road to wining?” “Wining!” they shouted; Mirage nodded his head. “Do you want to die, or do you want to survive?!” “To fight! To Survive! To Win!” the shouted back. “Do you want do destroy! To rip the evil out of our city! To wipe it off the face of the continent forever!” “YES!!” They all shouted. “Then pay close attention to what I have to say, because I will tolerate no slacking or any disrespect. Dismissed!” as Barrack Two went off their separate ways talking and laughing Mirage said quietly to himself, “You smile and laugh now, but I ask you will you even recognize yourselves when I’m finished with you?”	As Mirage turned to leave the main oasis Scorch came up to him and saluted, “Sir, I had a question.” Mirage dipped his head, “what did you want to ask me?” Scorch twitched his wings slightly and Mirage noticed that one of his wings was torn up terribly. “Sir, I wanted to know what you meant by fighting like the enemy.” “I thought that I was being pretty strait forward.” Scorch swallowed visibly then said, “Sir I don’t want to fight like the Talons of Power, their…their evil. I just don’t think that it’s right to be like them. I don’t think that its right to attack peaceful patrols. I don’t think it’s right to kill innocents.” Mirage watched Scorch closely, watched the way his muscles twitched in his face and body. Like he was going to spring into battle at a moment’s notice. “I understand what you’re saying Scorch, but I have to ask if you were in my place how else would you fight the Talons? How else if no other way has worked before, how do you think you would defeat them?” Scorch swallowed again. “Sir to be honest I don’t know how. I don’t know how to defeat the Talons.” Mirage nodded then opened his mouth to speak but didn’t. there were two ways to end this conversation. One way would be more desirable to Scorch, because that way he didn't have to fight. The other way meant that Scorch would have to choose between morals of friendship. Or I could take the third option. Mirage thought. “Scorch…it’s good that you have morals. In a den of thieves and murderers you’re the type of dragon who’ll fight and you’re the one who will be the first to die. It’s kill or be killed Scorch. You do things my way, you have a higher chance of living.” Mirage stepped closer to Scorch and looked him dead in the eyes. “As your commander I say to take your feelings and your morals and throw them away. It will make you a better soldier.” Scorch dropped his gaze. “But I’m not telling you as your commander, I’m telling you as a friend not to give up your morals. It’s dragons like you, dragons who question their orders because there wrong. It’s dragons like you who I would want to lead me and dragons like you who I’d want to lead. So, I want to ask you, what do you want to do, give up what you believe in for the easy way. The way of a murderer and a coward, or do you fight the hard fight. The fight to be better, to try to find a way to win the war without falling lower than our enemies. Scorch, what do you want to do?” “I want to stand for what I believe in.” Scorch said instantly. “Then do it,” Mirage said, “Then be better. While I’m training the others to fight dirty, I want you to find a way to win the war without turning our backs on our morals do you understand?” Scorch nodded, “I will sir.” Mirage nodded then walked past Scorch out of the Outclaw camp. Mirage needed to clear his head.
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Category:Content (Isis The Masked Dragon)