Sahara tilted her wings, suddenly veering left back into Willow Forest. She glanced to the West side pond, where long brush and weeds covered the water. A small Sea Dragon eyed her and popped out of the water, slithering through the grass and disappearing behind a tree.

     Sahara glided down and around to the back of the tree. The Sea Dragon had climbed the bark and was sitting on a branch, twitching his tail nervously. He had a greenish tint to his scales, like he was covered in alge from head to tail. His claws were a dusted brown with streaks of tan scales travelling up and down his arms.

     "So?" Sahara landed. "Nothing to say?" She was about a third taller than him.

     The Sea Dragon remained quiet, staring at the ground.

     "Lingcod, look up," Sahara commanded. Lingcod wasn't the best dragon, but he was better than average. Sahara could tell something had happened though- what was that? She could've sworn she saw a glint of scales, it was probably Lingcod's atrocious colors.

     "Alright, sorry okay, but I'm backing out on this one, " he finally said. He had a nasally voice that Sahara resented with a burning passion.

     "What are you talking about?" Sahara hissed, narrowing her eyes menacingly.

     "OK. Cattail is a pretty big dragon, and I am NOT going after her," Lingcod shuddered.

     "You're pathetic," Sahara snapped. Why couldn't he be more like Pearl.

     "Forget about your sapphires, you don't deserve them," Sahara growled at him.

     Lingcod looked dejectedly at the ground, but he didn't even dare fight back.

     'I should just murder him for being here,' she thought.

     Sahara flinched, she saw a glimmer of scales from the corner of her eye. She turned her head, glancing to her right, but no one seemed to be there. When she looked back she saw Lingcod slip back into the water and disappear. She hoped she never saw his pathetic face again.

     She rubbed her head in a frustratrd way, lightly pacing behind the tree mumbling to herself. She needed another dragon to take care of Cattail, but Scorch was out and Pearl would be busy. That's what she'd do next, she'd pay Lingcod a taste of her rage after she was done with this whole mess.

     "Camel dung.." she cursed, then jumped when she heard a brush of leaves behind her.

     "I'd be willing to take her off your claws," an Air Dragon stood.

     Sahara fixed her wings lightly, it was hard to startle her, but this dragon made her uneasy by just how unreadable he was.

     "So you've been following me?" Sahara realized. Did he see everything? Did he HEAR everything?

     "Never left the pond area," he simply replied.

     Sahara stood for a few moments contemplating. He was able to gain her trust by taking out Fernwing so easily, but she still had an odd feeling. Like something would go wrong, he would slip up, and if not now eventually. How did he have the knowledge to kill so easily if he was a newer dragon? Sahara guessed he had been trained as an assasin. Venom needed more trained assassins, but- she couldn't trust him quite yet. Plus, she'd have to speak to Scorch. They led Venom together. (Venom is the name of a notorious underground assassin and con business, only known to dragons who specialize in the same thing. They have a few other rivals, but Venom remains on top.)

     "And? You want something in return don't you," Sahara said slowly, hoping he wouldn't take any more currency from her.

     He only stood there for a brief moment, staring at her with a face that said "Well, what else would I want?" and the next second, he wore a face that looked desperate.

     "Cattail lives with Landslide still, they are siblings. But they are both stronger, and larger than you," Sahara warned. "Are you prepared?" There was a small hint of worry in her voice.

     He but only nodded. Sahara uneasily took another scroll grom her bag with Cattails info, it also had been hurriedly written, it was messy and had no profile picture, but her scale colors and looks were written down. It was the extra copy an accomplist had made for her, the original was at Sahara's den. Without a word the Air Dragon flew off again, and they parted.

     Sahara glanced at the sky, alright. She did all she needed, now she was free. She had one particular Dragon she wanted to see.

     "Hey, what are you doing here?" A Sand Dragon from the back slowly sat up, rearranging his wings.

     "Finished all my errands," Sahara replied sitting next to him.

     "So, Cactus told me Pearl would be out for a while," the dragon spoke. "Why's that?"

     "Scorch, I thought I told you," Sahara rolled her eyes. "She had to meet someone else, y'know a significant other." Sahara replied simply. "Telling you right now it practically invading privacy."

     "What, so you can't trust me?" He grinned. "I think I'm very capable of handling confidential information." He tilted his head up in a superior way.

     "Hm, what about that nougat colored dragon?" Sahara leaned her head in, narrowing her eyes.

     "Okay okay, that was one time- and plus. He shouldn't have been around anyways," he shrugged.

     "How are you healing?" Sahara asked, observing the gash along his body. It looked better...better-ish.

     "Uh," Scorch spread his wings as far as he could, then pulled them back in. "I guess okay? I mean, could be better, but atleast I'm here with you," he grinned again and brushed her side with his wingtip. Sahara sighed and darted her eyes away, she hated that idiotic smile.

     "Oh-" Sahara suddenly remembered, changing the subject. "The Air Dragon." She started.

     "Finch?" Scorch asked.

     "About him-" she continued.

     "What about him?" He said.

     "Would you hush and let me speak," she elbowed him. "I used him to take care of Landslide for you," she said quickly.

     "What-" he sat up. "But Landslide is huge, like- bigger than me. And I'm pretty big," he said acknowledging himself.

     "Aaannnd Cattail-" she added.

     "Sahara, are you trying to kill him? He's a kid,"  Scorch replied.

     "He's an alchemist, he knows about poison. Do you know how beneficial that is to Venom?" She whisper-yelled.

     "How do you know?" Scorch said dipping his head to listen to her.

     "He managed to kill Fernwing with poison, there is no one with the ability to create poisons except our two Sea Dragons, and they naturally have posion anyway," Sahara said sternly.

     "But Finch knows how to create them and use them, he could be very useful-" Sahara said.

     "But also very dangerous," Scorch warned.

     "You were the one who decided to bring him to Venom you idiot," Sahara lightly hissed.

     Scorch backed into his nest again, rubbing his forehead. Sahara wondered what he was thinking half the time.

     "Why is he handling Cattail if he was assigned Landslide for me?" Scorch looked concerned.

     "Lingcod is a waste of scales," Sahara spat. "He didn't come through," she grit her teeth.

     "He was never the opportunity taker," Scorch said, thinking. "So you want Finch in Venom? Even though he's literally been here in Floral for two days?" Scorch questioned.

     "He is valuable," Sahara argued. "He could be helpful to Venom. Plus, I doubt I'm going back to Lingcod, Finch'll just replace that Sea Serpent." She hissed.

     Scorch sat staring at the floor, then looked back at Sahara with deep hazel eyes. He sighed, shifted his wings, and rearranged himself in his nest.

     "I trust you Sahara." Scorch said.