Part Three: United
Chapter 16
"So that's when we figured out Dredge's riddle that he had given us," Prancer said to Hunter as they were walking down towards the Webwing village with Flint, Tulsi, and Vala. It had been two days and Zern had confirmed that Hunter could go with his friends.
"What was Dredge's riddle again?" Hunter asked. "Because Queen Ash said to me that Dredge didn't know anything about where it was."
"Well, that is true that I didn't know," Dredge said, appearing behind Hunter. "But I remember her saying that riddle to me which made me try to figure it out."
"And when we were waiting for you to heal, it got us thinking about the riddle," Flint said.
"The riddle goes like this," Prancer said. "Blood for blood, or to a flood. To find what you truly desire, then you have to go back to the fire. Go back and tread to where you had bled. And only then can a loyal dragon find who is royal."
"What?" Hunter said. "What does that mean?"
"Well we couldn't figure that out," Flint said.
"But I could," Granite said, appearing beside Dredge. "It was one of the things that my mom Obsidian trained me to figure out."
"So what is the answer to the riddle?" Hunter asked.
"Well it's simple to an extent," Granite said. "It means that this artifact is connected to the dragons that take its power. And if one of those dragons is of royalty, it's connected to any dragonets down the line."
"So it's connected to Prancer and me?" Hunter asked.
"Well I think more of you than Prancer," Granite said. "But yes, the artifact is connected to you two in some way."
"And I think I know where it is," Prancer said.
"Really where?" Hunter asked.
Prancer smiled. "Follow me," and Hunter followed Prancer along with everyone else around the outskirts of the Webwing village and then to the lake where Prancer had first found Flint when he was young.
"Here?" Hunter asked. "Why would the artifact be here all this time and no one noticed?"
"That's the thing," Prancer said. "The artifact wasn't always here until a certain event."
"The cave-in," Flint said.
"Wait, but I thought one of you caused that cave-in," Hunter said.
"And we did too," Prancer said. "But now that I understand one part of the riddle, it makes a whole lot of sense now."
"Really, what is it?" Hunter asked.
"Listen," Prancer said. "To find what you truly desire, then you have to go back to the fire. Go back and tread to where you had bled. You see Hunter?"
"I see what?" Hunter asked.
"The artifact has some sort of defense protocol to it," Flint said. "When I smashed Prancer into the wall and made him bleed, the artifact must have sensed that and caused that cave-in to protect him."
"But it must have had to teleport here to do it," Prancer said. "It must still be buried underneath the rubble!" Prancer then started digging into the rubble along with Flint.
"Are you serious?" Hunter asked.
"Come on and dig with us!" Prancer said. Hunter thought for a second then leaned down and started digging through the rubble with everyone else. Hunter could almost feel then that they were finally going to get a breakthrough. After so long they were finally winning! Queen Ash wasn't there to stop then. Hunter kept on digging and digging and digging. His claws started to hurt but he didn't stop. If there was a way to turn this fight against Queen Ash around, then he would keep on pushing until he had it. Finally, after digging for a long time, he felt his claw hit something solid.
Yes, this is it! Hunter thought.
He kept on digging and then at long last he saw a hint of gold come from the pile. He dug the rest of the rocks off and then stepped back. At long last, after everything, the lost artifact was standing in front of them all. Hunter felt like crying tears of joy but Flint beat him to it and started crying. Hunter cried and hugged Flint tightly. He looked up and saw Prancer and Tulsi hugging each other as well while Dredge brought Vala and Granite into a hug of his own. After a while, Hunter released Flint from his hug but allowed their tails to twine together as they looked at the artifact in front of them.
"I… I can't believe it," Flint said. "We actually found it."
"Yes, we did find it," Hunter said, leaning his head on Flint's.
"Finally we will have an advantage against Queen Ash," Vala said.
"How will we bring this back to the village?" Prancer asked.
"I can carry it," Dredge said.
"Good," Hunter said. "Finally things are going our way."
And like that was a cursed word to say, all of a sudden, a dozen Webwings leaped down from the ceiling and surrounded the group. They all were wearing battle armor and helmets to cover their faces. Everyone was startled but quickly got into a defensive position against these Webwings. But before anything could happen, one Webwing in front of Hunter took off their helmet and Hunter saw none other than his oldest sister, Lily, standing in front of him.
"Li… Lily?" Hunter asked. "What… what are you doing here?"
"What do you mean?" Lily asked in her sarcastic voice. "This is our village! I should really be asking what you are doing here with this group of dragons!"
"Lily, wait I can explain!" Hunter said.
"Oh really?" Lily said. "Because ever since you didn't come back from your patrol up on the surface a few months ago, I've had to keep our mom calm while patrols went out to look for you!"
"But mom said that I could patrol there longer," Hunter said.
"What are you talking about?" Lily said. "Mom never said that to us!"
Two and two clicked together and Hunter looked at Dredge who had a face full of regret. But Hunter didn't get mad at him this time. Instead, he just nodded and turned back around. Obviously, that wasn't truly Dredge doing that, it was what Queen Ash wanted him to do.
"Lily there is a lot that you don't know about," Hunter said.
"Talk about it in prison!" Lily said. "Guards take them away!"
The guards started to approach the group but they resisted and pushed them back as they tried to chain them up. That led the guards to point their spears at them and start enclosing them. Hunter was still trying to talk some sense into his oldest sister.
"Please Lily listen!" Hunter said. "Mom has signed a treaty with all the other dragon tribes! The war is over!"
"And why would mom tell you something like that?" Lily asked. "You aren't going to be the heir to the throne. In fact, your royal position is useless! I think you should be stripped of it!"
"No!" Hunter said and tried to charge his sister but two guards quickly pinned him to the ground as well as Flint who tried to help.
Hunter looked around and saw all of his friends start to get thrown to the ground. Everything was falling apart, right as it was good.
No, I'm not going to allow me and my friends to go down like this! Hunter thought and reached into his pouch and pulled out that animus object that Phoenix gave to him. With all of his strength, Hunter threw the object at Lily, hoping just to get her attention but he didn't comprehend what was going to happen next. As the object flew through the air, a sensor on the object was activated and a sonic blast knocked back everyone in the room. Hunter quickly uses the opportunity to get up and pin his sister to the floor, even as the Webwing guards surrounded him.
"Please Lily," Hunter says, trying to plead with her one last time. "I would never do anything to hurt our family or betray you. Just let me be allowed to show you."
Hunter saw the guards start to close in around him but he stayed put where he was and kept looking at his sister.
"Please sister," Hunter said. "Do it for me."
Just as the guards got right next to Hunter, Lily whistled a command that got all the guards to back off of Hunter. Hunter then helps her up and she looks at his friends and then back at him.
"Fine," Lily said. "Show me."
Hunter breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you," Hunter said and started to help the rest of his friends up off of the floor and gather them together.
"Alright everyone," Hunter said. "Let's get this artifact back to the village," and he started leading everyone down the tunnel while Dredge grabbed and carried the artifact out with them. His sister Lily walked up next to him and looked at his broken horn.
"While we are heading to wherever you are taking us, I need you to tell me what happened to your face and everything else."
Hunter smiled. "With pleasure."
A few hours later the group reached the top of the mountain tip where in the valley below they could see the all-familiar Drillwing village.
"And this is where I've been staying for the past few months," Hunter said, finishing up the story to his sister Lily about everything that he has been through.
"Wow," Lily said, awestruck at all that Hunter had said to her. "I can't believe you went through all of that. That takes bravery and guts to do."
"Well I didn't do it alone," Hunter said, putting a claw around Flint and Prancer. "I had my best buddies to help me through it.
"Aw stop it," Flint said, giving Hunter a playful smack with her tail. "We helped each other throughout it all."
Hunter smiled as they walked down the mountain towards the village.
"Sorry for being so mean to you," Lily said walking up next to Hunter. "I should have taken into account what I was doing and listened to what you wanted to say."
"Hey it's okay," Hunter said. "We all make mistakes sometimes, besides, I know that you will make a great queen in our tribe."
"Aw thanks, brother," Lily said and hugged him with her wings. Hunter smiled and saw Tulsi go ahead of the group to inform the village of their arrival. Hunter smiled seeing that everything was going to be okay.
As Hunter walked into the village with his sister Lily, their mom Aurora came swooping down and brought them into a group hug with her wings.
"Aw, you're both okay!" Aurora said with tears running down her eyes. "I'm so happy for both of you."
"We're happy as well, mom," Hunter said before Aurora released them from her hug and then got a look at Hunter's face.
"Oh my, who did this to you?" Aurora asked, examining Hunter's scar and horn.
"Oh well it is a long story," Hunter said, trying to play it cool. "But I guess you could say they were a "gift" that Queen Ash gave to me."
Hunter saw his mom back up and then, just as he feared, her face turned red and she got outfitted in a fit of rage.
"WHY HOW DARE THAT NO DRAGON THINKS THAT SHE CAN ATTACK MY SON! OH, I'M GOING TO FIND HER, THEN lOCK HER UP! I'LL TORTURE HER, RIPS OFF HER WINGS, CHOP OFF HER TAIL, OH I'M GOING TO…"
"Mom please stop," Lily said.
"I'M SO MAD AT HER THOUGH!" Queen Aurora screamed.
"Mom, please calm down," Hunter said. "Yes Queen Ash did this to me but we will get her back, I promise."
"But, but!"
"No but's mom," Hunter said. "You taught me to be patient when achieving your goal, now let me reteach the lesson to you."
Queen Aurora took a deep breath and calmed down.
"Thanks, I needed that," Queen Aurora said.
"Hey that's what we are here for," Hunter said, giving his sister a playful hug.
"Aw, stop embarrassing me," Lily said, wiggling out of his grip.
Hunter then felt a rough set of wings hug him from behind and he turned around to see Flint pin him to the ground.
"Ha, finally I got you while you're distracted," Flint said.
"Nice that you were paying attention to my lessons," Hunter said, rolling out of Flint's pin and bringing her in for a hug. He then noticed his family looking at them with a smile on their faces.
"Oh," Hunter said, feeling a little embarrassed that he didn't tell his family about his girlfriend earlier. But he didn't need to explain as his mom and sister bowed to Flint.
"Why hello Queen Flint," Queen Aurora said. "It's so nice to see that my son has picked a generous dragon to be his girlfriend."
"Aw, thanks Queen Aurora," Flint said. "I promise that I will take good care of him."
"And I'm sure he will with you too," Queen Aurora said.
They all giggled and laughed when they saw Dredge come in with the artifact and put it down in the middle of everyone who was there. Everyone stared at the artifact for a bit and Moon walked up to it with Vala, inspecting it.
"So this is where all animus magic came from," Moon said.
"Well it's mostly like that," Hunter said. "The artifact was enchanted by a Godwing and a Deathwing."
Vala snorted. "Who knew the nickname that was given to my tribe would be the actual name of a tribe that helped create the world."
"Life does have strange ways of working," Qibli said.
"So what do we do with this artifact now that we have it?" Flint asked.
"Simple," Hunter said. "We have to keep it away from Queen Ash while we try to figure out a way to use it against her."
"But how will we use it against her?" Prancer asked.
"I don't know," Hunter said. "But maybe the prophecy has an answer to it. Until then we are going to have to find a place to hide the artifact so Queen Ash doesn't get it."
"Oh well you're going to have to try better than that," said a Webwing who was right beside Hunter and as Hunter looked, the Webwing turned into their true form, Queen Ash.
"Queen Ash!" Hunter said and immediately got into a defensive position as everyone else quickly surrounded Queen Ash who stood there with a smile on her face.
"Aw, a very nice welcoming committee that you got here Hunter," Queen Ash said, still staring at him. "But you know that it won't affect me at all."
"We will take you down!" Hunter said. "Your magic can't save you forever!"
"Oh but you are wrong about that sweetie," Queen Ash said, lifting Hunter's face up to meet her eyes. "I have no weakness and any attack against me will falter."
"Hey, get your claws off of my son!" Queen Aurora shouted and tried to leap in and bite Queen Ash but she just sidestepped out of the way, making Queen Aurora miss.
"Aw, it's so sweet how you care for him," Queen Ash said right into Queen Aurora's ear. "It will make it that much sadder than when he is ripped out of your life."
"Never!" Queen Aurora said and slashed at Queen Ash but Queen Ash easily teleported into the sky with her magic and now was hovering over them all.
"I'll give you all a chance to end this before this turns into bloodshed," Queen Ash said. "Give me the artifact and I will leave your continent alone during my conquest to become the ruler of this world."
"Do you think we're stupid?" Hunter asked. "You would never hold your promise and there is no way we are accepting that deal!"
"Suit yourself then," Queen Ash said. "I give you all two days to prepare but at sunrise, on the third day from now I will be back with my army and I will burn this village to the ground as well as anyone in it to get my artifact. See you all at your doom in three days," and then Queen Ash disappeared from the skies, leaving nothing but a speck of ashes behind.
