Chapter 2

The group walked in eerie silence for the next few hours, the only noises coming from echo's traveling through the rocks of the caves that Flint was able to pick up on before anyone else.

It is nice that I am able to detect these vibrations in the rocks because it makes it impossible for a dragon to sneak up on us with how much noise that will be coming through the rocks.

Maybe she didn't even need to find the artifact, maybe just saving them from a life-and-death situation would make everyone respect her.

That is a nice thought to think about but that should be my back-up plan. Right now Plan A is to find the lost artifact. I wonder if we are closing in on the area that Prancer said would be the first clue. I should ask him.

But before she was able to, Tulsi asked Prancer the same question first.

"Prancer, are we close to the area where we may find a trail to the lost artifact," Tulsi said in the annoying timid voice because Flint and Hunter were behind her.

Seriously, speak regularly, I don't see what the problem is. What would we do to you, I am not going to hurt you and I will make sure that this spoiled Webwing won't either.

Hunter saw Flint looking at him and was about to ask her a question but she turned away from him so that she didn't need to speak to him.

"I think we are close," Prancer said, then immediately corrected himself saying, "No, we are here."

"Ok," Flint said, looking around the area for anything of value. The cave seemed to be just the same as any other cave and there was nothing special that stood out as far as Flint could tell.

"Uh Prancer, are you sure this is the right place?" Flint asked. "There doesn't seem to be anything here."

"I am positive something should be here," Prancer said.

"Hey I found something!" Hunter yelled and everyone went over to where Hunter was looking at some writing on the wall. It seemed to be in a foriegn language.

"Uh, can anyone here understand what that says?" Flint asked.

"It is written in the old dragon language of this continent," Hunter said. "I learned some of the language in the books in the royal library."

"What does it say?" Prancer asked.

"Hmm, from what I can get, it's a riddle. It says, Ahead of your journey will lie four pathways. One is for the heart, another for the soul. The next is for the mind, and the final for the voice. Conquer these pathways and the end to your journey will open up. Be wary though. Lose your way and you will never return. GOOD LUCCCCKKKKK.

"Well that's not ominous at all," Flint said.

"It is very creepy," Hunter said. "I wonder if we should trust it."

"Uh nope, there is no way we are trusting that," Flint announced.

"But what if this leads us to the lost artifact?" Prancer asked.

"Didn't you hear what Hunter said?" Flint asked.

"Yeah but this may help us end the war," Tulsi noted.

ARGH, what is wrong with these dragons? Flint thought. In front of them is a very creepy riddle that says that they might never return which means they will probably die and they want to follow it?! DO THEY WANT TO MARCH TO THEIR DEATHS? She is trying to be reasonable with them and they don't seem to listen to her at all. Are they still mad at her attitude earlier? Well they should get over it, there is more of an important matter that they have to deal with.

"How do we even know how to answer this riddle?" Flint asked. "What if we never figure it out?"

"I believe that we can figure this out," Tulsi said.

"Let's hope," Flint said.

"I say let's stay put here for the night," Prancer said. "We need to rest after the eventful few days we have had."

"Ok," Flint said. "Do you want someone to take first watch?"

"No, I believe we will be safe down here Flint," Prancer said. "Let's just all get some rest for tomorrow."

Prancer and Hunter had their own webs to sleep in for the night. Flint found a nice flat rock that would make a nice bed for the night. Flint wondered where Tulsi would sleep but when she went to check, she saw Tulsi sleeping in Prancer's web. The anger inside her started to boil up.

WHAT DOES THAT DRAGON THINK SHE HAS TO BE NEXT TO PRANCER? I AM THE ONE WHO IS MORE CARING TO HIM, SHE JUST HIDES IN HIS SHADOW! I should go over there and knock some sense into her!

Flint was going to walk over there but she noticed that Prancer was asleep at the other end of the web.

Oh, I don't want to do that if he is there. Fine, I'll let you go now, SHYWING!

Flint went back over to her rock bed and laid down to go to sleep but it didn't come to her right away. She instead kept thinking about Tulsi.

What does that dragon think she has with Prancer? I'm the one who Prancer should care about and she should be left out of it. I was the one who saved Prancer from falling down a hole, she has done nothing! If I have to, I will make sure to beat some sense into her so that she learns not to mess with him. ARGH, why does life have to be so unfair? Why is it the second I start caring for someone, some other dragon cares for him as well? WHY CAN'T IT JUST BE ME!

She wasn't able to sleep. With all that was on her mind, sleeping tonight would be impossible so instead Flint got up and decided to take a walk in the night to clear her mind. She used her fluorescent scales to light up the caves around her.

I'm glad I have these lights on my body because these walks that I have at night are the only thing that feel like they keep me sane sometimes. Back when I was by myself, taking these walks at night pushed out the loneliness that was building around my heart. But to be honest, I don't know if having friends is a good thing either. When I was by myself I didn't have to worry about anyone criticizing me and I could just worry about myself, now I have to watch what I say and be able to protect everyone else and not just myself.

Flint continued down the tunnels until she came into a cavern that had a river run through it. She decided to hop into the lake to cool herself off and try to calm her mind.

The lakes up on the surface were a lot better, she thought. The warm feeling of them and the way they soothed her body made her want to stay in them forever.

She remembered back to when her and Prancer first emerged onto the surface. When it was just the two of them and she didn't have to worry about anyone else. When she didn't have anyone else interfering with her and Prancer.

Why did we have to find those Drillwings? We could have ended the war without them, I don't see why Prancer thinks we need them. We could end the war ourselves, we don't need TULSI!

She went underwater and screamed all of her problems from her mind. When she emerged, she felt better that she was able to get those things off of her mind. She then got up out of the water and started walking back to the group.

It's okay Flint, once we end the war, Tulsi can go back to her sulking tribe on the surface and I can finally be with Prancer without anyone trying to take him away!

She continued to walk back through the tunnels and saw that sunlight was coming in through the cracks on the roof of the cave. She decided to pick up her pace to make sure that she would be able to make it back before the other dragons woke up. She went around the final turn to where the group was but when she looked towards them, she froze. Right behind them, hiding in the shadows, was a dragon with its claws stretched to attack.