A/N: A shout out to my guest reviewer. Could be a good spot. I haven't decided yet. Thanks for your input! :)
Chapter 21
The morning came quicker than what everyone would have hoped. While the sun was coming up there was a howl that was unmistakable – a parent in pain. Elphaba sprang out of bed and threw on her bathrobe. Moving out into the hallway, she was met by her in-laws and Fiyero bumped into her backside as he left their room, not expecting her to have stopped like that.
"What the hell was that?" Ayla asked.
"I have no idea," Elphaba admitted. The four of them traversed the hallway and quickly went out onto the balcony that was attached to the empty guestroom across the hall. Once outside, they could see the dragons forming a circle but around what they could not tell. Kelebeck flew toward them and landed on the balcony next to them.
"What has happened?" Fiyero was the first to ask.
"Bonescraper has enacted his plan. We must go with it," was all she said.
"What the hell does that mean?" Tahir gave her a look.
"It is a long story and I don't quite understand it all. My father and Bonescraper are the ones who started it," Kelebeck admitted.
"We left our home and now our son is dead! My Jiahao!" Feilong's wife, Shufen, cried. This caused the four humans to look at the Griffin standing next to him. She just shrugged, a look on her face that told them, she had no idea how that happened.
"Princess! We are in need of your help!" Bonescraper called out. She gave him a look before ducking back inside the palace and snapping her fingers. Her broom appeared from her room and she climbed onto it.
"What has happened?" Elphaba asked, floating next to Bonescraper.
"Poor young Jiahao must have had a condition that was aggravated by his long journey here. Can you help?" The dragon asked.
"I will see what I can do," Elphaba wanted to ask her dragon friend what the hell he was up to, but she knew that she better just go with it. Landing her broom next to the young dragon, she dismounted and looked him over. He looked very much like his father and had he not been smaller in stature, she would have gotten the two of them confused. Jiahao was on his feet, his stomach was curled up slightly off the ground. His head was tucked down so that his chin touched the ground. It seemed like quite the unnatural, uncomfortable position. Narrowing her eyes, she thought she saw something, near his chest and went to go check it out. Practically disappearing from view, Elphaba saw more clearly what she thought she'd seen – a Griffin claw, embedded in the softer scales near the young dragon's heart. This should not have killed him and that's when she realized that Jiahao was actually breathing but his chest barely moved. Not entirely sure how this was possible but knowing that if the claw was found by the other dragons, things would get ugly in a hurry.
Carefully, she removed the claw, stuffing it into her bathrobe. Jiahao did not immediately regain consciousness and she wondered what she could do next. Her powers crackled at her fingertips, giving her an idea. Releasing an electric jolt from her fingertips, Jiahao snapped awake and stood up. Elphaba quickly moved out of the way, so as not to get squashed.
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Jiahao closed his mouth unsure of how that was possible. He was obviously confused. Shufen reached for her son, unsure how one moment he appeared to be dead and now was quite obviously not. He took her hand in his, glad that he could at least feel.
"Everyone back up. Give him some room," Elphaba said. They obliged and moved away.
"Bonescraper, fetch Altan. I need his assistance," she told them. He nodded and went to fetch the Griffin, while Elphaba spoke in dragon to him, trying to soothe him.
"Altan, I need your help or rather your claw," Elphaba gave him a look. He nodded and moved over to her and held up his paw, his claws were intact and she made a mental note to ask him about that later. He touched the young dragon and spoke in a language that none of them understood.
"That should do it," Altan said. Jiahao was about to say something but his mouth started to run away with itself. Spilling all sorts of secrets, even ones that no one probably wanted to know. It was the last thing that he said though that caught their attention.
"Zhou threatened my dad," everyone turned their heads toward the dragon in question.
To Be Continued…
