Chapter 18

Again, things move along faster than in the original novels.

Dead.

Kestrel was dead.

Windracer's aunt was dead.

Auburn's sister was dead.

Auburn!

The SkyWing-NightWing hybrid turned away and flew off in the direction he saw his mother going. They were at the Summer Palace, where the only way in was underwater. The dragonets and the three adults accompanying them were lucky to be able to hold their breath long enough until they reached the breathing holes meant for Blister and the SeaWings' allies.

Knowing that Auburn was not likely to swim out of the palace with how upset she was, Windracer went to check the caves meant to house guests. He found his mother in the cave that was positioned the highest, which made sense, because it was the only one that was always dry and where fire was allowed.

The sound of her son's wingbeats and the sound of his talons settling on the cave floor were the only things Auburn raised her head for. She'd buried herself into her wings, and she looked absolutely devastated.

Windracer wanted to say something, anything, to assure his mother that everything would be alright. But what could he say to a dragon that had lost her sister? Finally, he managed to force out a very sympathetic, "I'm sorry, Mom."

Auburn's eyes glistened at the sound of her son's voice. The next thing he knew, she was hugging him tightly, her talons on the back of his neck while her wings enveloped his body. She was still sobbing, Windracer could feel her tears trailing down his scales as she held him close.

"I didn't know Kestrel like you did," he admitted. "We only ever knew her as a grump who hated dragonets, but I know she was a lot more to you. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm not as upset as you are."

Auburn pulled back to look at her son, but she didn't dare to let go of him. "My sister was the only dragon who ever understood me," she said. "I was with her when she met Scorch. Queen Scarlet sent us both through the breeding program so we could give her more soldiers for the army. After Killer left, I lied and said I was infertile. Kestrel was the only one I knew I could trust with my secret. But I didn't tell her whose egg it was, because I knew that if she knew I was carrying a NightWing's dragonet, she'd tell the queen, and I might as well have ended up dead. She helped me hide you. We left half-eaten carcasses all around my room to explain my gaining weight, but it was harder when you came out. I did everything I could to protect you from Scarlet. Hiding you in a pile of blankets, posing you as a room decoration, I even tried to sneak out of the kingdom the night you were due to hatch, to take you to the Talons where you'd be safe."

Windracer was left speechless. He wasn't sure if it was true at first, but he could see the amount of truth Auburn held in her eyes.

"I was with Kestrel when Inferno hatched," she said. "Scarlet immediately took him away to be trained for the army. She wouldn't let Kestrel go anywhere near her son. She fed Inferno lies about his mother, that she didn't love him, so he wouldn't have anything that Scarlet considered a liability. Kestrel was so furious with the queen, she left the kingdom to work for the Talons of Peace full-time. She'd only ever been a source of information for them until that point. Because she had a dragonet, she was assigned the duty of guardian for the Dragonets of Destiny. I know because she told me herself. I never considered myself a Talon, but I knew I could be safe with them if Scarlet ever tried to hurt me, or those I love."

Now Windracer felt like he was about to cry. Kestrel had done so much to help Auburn keep him safe, and all he had to remember his aunt by was how poorly she'd treated him all those years, all because Scarlet had kept her away from her own son.

Auburn lifted her talons and cupped her son's face, caressing his scales and horns lovingly. "Don't think for one second that this is your fault," she said, reading his expression. "Kestrel chose to do what she did, and there's nothing we can do to change that. No matter what my sister said to you, you have never been a burden to anyone." She embraced him again. "You are the best thing that's ever happened to me, Windracer. I will never regret having you."

With that, Windracer descended into a series of sobs befitting of a one-year-old dragonet. "Mom!" he choked out, hugging her back with as much force as she was using. This was where he wanted to be more than anything, here in his mother's warm embrace, like he should have been all along.

Much calmer now, Auburn stroked her son with a gentle, mother's touch. "It's alright," she crooned. "I have you, now, my little moonbeam. I'm never letting you go again, I promise."

Mother and son ended up crying themselves to sleep that night. Curled up together in the cave, like how Auburn always dreamed they'd be.

Perhaps it was his imagination, but Windracer had slept better that night than he ever had in his entire life. It felt so nice to know that he had his mother, a dragon who loved him with everything she had, there with him. Every time a chill from the wind blew through the cave, Windracer would instinctively snuggle into Auburn's wings, which were draped over him like a blanket, to keep warm.

The hybrid woke up early that morning at the sound of something hissing. He lifted his head up and found a figure towering in the entrance of the cave. Glittering black eyes met Windracer's. A venomous tail barb flicked up and down. White-gold scales marked with black diamond patterns caught the glint of sunlight now trickling through the canopy.

Windracer leapt to his feet as he recognized the SandWing that was watching him. "Blister."

"Queen Blister," the SandWing insisted, her voice hissing in irritation. "Staying dry, I presume," she went on conversationally. "Very wise. I would have done the same thing."

A crazy amount of bravery coursing through him, Windracer stood as tall as he could and looked Blister in the eye. "You're not the queen of the SandWings. And you won't be unless either you kill your sisters, or if we choose you to be. And based on what I know about you, it's very likely that we will never choose you to be the next queen. Everyone's afraid of you, in all the bad ways. You're too dangerous. For all we know, you could be plotting this unspeakable plan to take over every tribe on the continent, and then some."

He was expecting the sadistic princess to stab his heart with her tail and kill him right then and there. But instead, a big, sinister smile curled her snout. And it was the most nightmarish thing he'd ever seen in his entire life.

"I was planning to come here and visit my allies," Blister hissed, "When you made the mistake of exposing yourself to everyone on Pyrrhia with that big heroic speech of yours. The SeaWings are too afraid of me to break off our alliance because they know what I can do to their queen. I disposed of Kestrel, and I can just as easily do the same to you." She took giant steps towards Windracer, pinning him against the wall of the cave, towering over him and staring at him with her sinister black eyes narrowed and her snout still curled up in that sadistic smile. "Morrowseer's prophecy may not be real, but you know as well as anyone that the SandWings still need a queen. You can look into my head, see all my futures, and cast as many spells on me as you want, half-breed, but nothing you do will ever stop me from becoming queen. You have a choice. You're either with me, or against me. You don't have to answer right now, I'll give you until the end of my visit. I'll warn you ahead of time, make the wrong decision and you and all your loved ones will be sleeping with your guardian dragons. Dune, Kestrel, and Webs, right? Ah, yes, and Asha and Hvitur. Of course, you don't know those two, they died before you brats hatched on that phenomenal brightest night. Consider yourself lucky, though, they would have filled up your little heads with nonsense about how great the prophecy is and how much hope it holds for all the slaves and commoners that are forced to get their claws dirty for me and my sisters."

His heart hammering in his chest, Windracer tried to look as fearless as he could. What would Arid do? How would she handle this? His girlfriend was the bravest dragon he knew, besides his mother, of course, so she was the example he turned to when he needed to say or do something brave. "You won't get away with this," he finally uttered, though it probably wasn't the smartest thing to say in that moment.

He was proven right when Blister let out what was most likely the most evil and spine-tingling chuckle he'd ever hear. "You really are a stupid half-breed. Can't you see? I already have."

After that, all Windracer could see was darkness. His breathing grew fast and shallow, countless thoughts flew through his mind like birds scattering out of the trees. Only one string of thought was clear.

I'm dead. Blister has killed me, and now I'm dead.

And then...

...

...

...he realized he had his eyes closed.

He opened them.

Blister was gone.

There was no stabbing pain in his chest, or anywhere else.

There was no venom coursing through his blood, seeking to end his life.

Had he been dreaming? No, it felt all too real. Blister had been there, and she'd still be there, in his head, haunting the nightmares he had about his friends and family dying and all of Pyrrhia falling into chaos.

A strong chill slithering down his spine, Windracer padded over to where Auburn was still sleeping and slipped back into her wings. He sighed at the protective warmth that enveloped him once again. There was still some time for him to get some more sleep, and hopefully shake off the frightful experience he'd just had.

They couldn't choose Blister, he knew that all too well. She was too smart, too dangerous, too conniving. She'd plunge the entire continent into a never-ending nightmare of tyranny and destruction. She'd kill any dragon who'd dare to stand in her way, and then she'd put an end to dozens of innocent lives just for fun.

We can't let her do that. She can't be queen. She'll kill us if we don't choose her, but she might kill us anyway if we do.

I can't let that happen. I need to stop her. I need to protect Mom, and Arid, and all my friends.

No matter the cost...

Blister is the walking definition of nightmare fuel. I mean, if she isn't, then, I don't know what is.

On a happier note, we got a touching mother-son bonding moment. I almost cried while writing that. Almost.

The investigation of the princess murders might be up next. Key word: might.

Auburn - Valka
Windracer - Hiccup
Arid - Astrid
Lagoon - Heather
Bog - Fishlegs
Marmoset and Mango - Tuffnut and Ruffnut
Killer - Stoick
Inferno - Snotlout
Scorch - Spitelout
Frost - Dagur