Chapter 15

Oh Flint, Flint, what have you gotten yourself into?

Huh? Flint thought and opened her eyes. She was laying on grass and felt the wind blow on her scales. She looked up and saw the sun beating down on her and mountains in the distance.

What am I doing on the surface? Wasn't I just in a cell?

Oh, you still are, you are just in the area I want you to be in right now.

Flint looked in front of her and saw Dredge towering above her. She jumped away from him.

"What are you doing here?" Flint asked.

"Oh, I just wanted to talk to you here where no one could interrupt us," Dredge said.

"Where are we?" Flint asked. "How am I on the surface?"

"I am inside your mind Flint," Dredge said. "All of this is a dream but I am really speaking to you."

"That's a little less confusing," Flint said. "But why are you here?"

"Flint, Flint, why do you always rush with questions?" Dredge said. "Why not take your time and think, then you would be caught in less situations that you seem to get yourself into."

"HEY, I COULDN'T LET MY PARENTS DIE!" Flint yelled.

"But that isn't what I sent you after now did I?" Dredge asked. "No, I asked you to find the book for me and now look at where you are? Stuck in a cell, waiting to be executed by dragons with fake power. Doesn't this show to you why it would be dangerous for dragons like Granite to get their claws onto the lost artifact."

"Yes," Flint said. "But you still aren't trustworthy either."

"I guess I'm not," Dredge said. "But then again I don't care, I still have your friends, so you have to do what I want."

"What power do you even have?" Flint asked. "It seems very powerful, why not save me from this cell or find the lost artifact with the power yourself?"

"I've tried Flint," Dredge said. "But ever since I lost the artifact, it has felt like my power has halted and I can only do limited things."

"Hah, got you!" Flint said.

"What are you talking about?" Dredge asked.

"Well I just got you to talk about what this artifact does and why you want it. It seems to give you power beyond anything we have. If we were to give it back to you then who knows what power you would be able to receive? I can't allow you to have that."

"Oh, are you trying to blackmail me?" Dredge asked. "It seems like that has been going around recently but no worries, you have nothing to blackmail me with."

"I won't get you the book," Flint said. "Think about it, you said that I was the only dragon who could get the book for you so without me, you are stuck."

"You seem to forget that I have something of yours," Dredge said and teleported Hunter in front of her.

Argh, I was so close to tricking him.

"No, you weren't," Dredge said.

Flint jumped at this and looked up at Dredge.

"Did you just read my mind?" Flint asked.

"Yes," Dredge said. "I can read any dragon's mind, it was a power from a tribe of dragons called Nightwings. I thought it was interesting so I decided to give it to myself as well as talk to them in their minds when I want to. I may have lied to Prancer and said I could only do it to Webwings but I couldn't tell him everything at that time."

"You tricked Prancer?" Flint screamed and sliced at his face. But when her claws reached his face, they fazed right through him and she smacked into the dirt behind him.

"Silly dragon," Dredge said. "Did you forget me saying that this was in your mind? You can't hurt me here."

"I really want to kill you," Flint said.

"Ok, then how about this?" Dredge said. He then picked up Hunter in his claws. "I kill your boyfriend and you kill me."

"You think I'm stupid?" Flint asked.

"Not at all," Dredge said. "I wouldn't have gone with the option anyway. Now I need you to break out of the cell you are captured in and get me my book."

"Why?" Flint said. "You just want the artifact for unlimited power."

"You seem not to be able to comprehend that I have your friends in my claws!" Dredge yelled. "I can kill them at any moment!"
"But you won't because you need all of us to help you find your artifact, don't you?"

Dredge went quiet and Flint knew she finally had him somewhere.

"Yeah don't think I haven't been thinking about it in my head, you initially went to Prancer to start and now have gone to me. You obviously know that each of us have a special power in order to be able to get the artifact for you and that's why you can't kill any of us."

Flint saw Dredge smack the ground in front of her and she had a strong feeling that she finally found a crack in his game.

"You're right, Flint," Dredge said. "I do need one of each dragon from each tribe to help me out but then tell me again Flint, how many dragons are in your group.

Flint counted the amount in her mind and realized what Dredge meant and when she looked up, she saw him smiling.

"Five," she said.

"Yes, five," Dredge said. "And there are only four tribes."

"And two of the dragons are Webwings," Flint realized.

"Yes, and one is my 4th great-grandson," Dredge said. "So that means we can get rid of this one." Dredge picked up Hunter in his claws and started flying up in the air.

"Wait!" Flint said, flying up to catch Dredge. "Don't do this!"

"Why?" Dredge said. "We have one too many dragons and you were the one trying to blackmail me."

Dang it, Dredge used my own trick against me.

I can't let Hunter die!

"Okay, okay!" Flint said. "I won't try to blackmail you and I'll get you the book!"

Dredge stopped flying and allowed her to catch up.

"Good, good, I'm glad you see the situation you are in. Now figure out how to escape the cell and get me the book, no delay anymore!"

"Wait," Flint said. She looked at Hunter in Dredge's claws. "Is it possible for me to talk to him for a little bit before I wake up?"

Dredge looked at her and thought for a bit before answering. "Fine, but make it quick." Dredge then teleported them back to the ground. "And don't tell him about me or he's dead!" Dredge then teleported away from them and unfroze Hunter for her.

Hunter fell to the ground and shook his head.

"Ugh, what on earth happened?" he said.

"Hunter!" Flint said, running over to him and hugging him with her wings.

Flint saw Hunter get startled but didn't move.

"Flint?" he said. "Where… where are we? How are we on the surface?"

Flint looked Hunter in the eyes. "It's a lot to explain but we right now are in my mind, this is my dream."

"Oh wow," Hunter said, looking around. "But you feel like you are really here."

"Maybe both of our minds are connected in the same dream?" Flint suggested.

"Yeah," Hunter said. "But what is happening out in the real world Flint? I can't seem to remember anything and it feels like I am in a dream stance and can't wake up."

"Um, well… you…"

ARGH I want to tell him so badly! I want to tell him how much danger we all may be in! But I can't and I have to stop thinking about this! Dredge can read my mind. Stop thinking, stop thinking.

Just get on with it, Dredge said in her mind.

Flint looked back up at Hunter.

"Hunter, I don't know how to say this… but… I…" Flint didn't know how to confess how she truly felt to him. She looked down at the ground, not able to know how to say it.

She then felt Hunter lift her face up to where their eyes looked at each other and they stood very close to each other.

"It's okay Flint," Hunter said. "Just say it."

"Hunter, I… I… I love you. Will… Will you be my boyfriend?"

Flint felt Hunter wrap his wings around her and their tails twine together.

"Yes, Flint," Hunter said. "I will always be there for you. No matter what happens in life or what dangers are put in front of us, I will always be beside you."

Flint felt tears rolling down her eyes. "Th..Thank you," she said.

Hunter looked at her and smiled.

"Your welcome," Hunter said and then he disappeared from in front of her and she woke up in the cell.

She sat there in the dark for a while, listening to the echoes of water hitting the cave floor. She touched her face and felt water, realizing she was crying not only in her dream but in the real world as well. She waited there, not knowing if she would be able to go back to seep, or if the empty hole in her heart would fill.

I said my true feelings to him, Flint thought. But it still felt like he was miles away from me. She touched her chest to feel her heart thumping. I think in order for it to feel true, I need to see him again. I have to stand beside him face to face.

But Flint didn't know how long that would be or if it would ever happen. She was trapped in a cell with no way out and even if she did have a way out there was no way she was going to leave her parents here to die. She laid back down and tried to get some sleep, hoping that she might be able to think of something to break them out.

She woke up hours later to someone knocking on the cell bars. Flint woke up and looked out of the cell but didn't see anyone. She lit up her scales to figure out who it was and saw Vala standing there.

"Vala!" Flint whispered.

"Wow, this is one predicament that you have gotten yourself into," Vala said.

"Well, I'm sorry but I couldn't leave my parents to die," Flint said, pointing her head over to her parents who were chained on the other wall, still sleeping.

"Yeah, I can see why you would do that," Vala said. "Even when they are rude to you, they are still a part of your family."

"No, Vala, I learned that they were blackmailed and that's why they had to be rude to me, they would have wanted to love me if they could."

"Blackmail," Vala said. "Queen Helen's favorite trick in the book, especially to someone in particular."

"What do you mean by that?" Flint asked.

Vala looked up at her. "You know how I said I was in the same position as you once?"

"Yes," Flint said.

"Well the reasoning I grew to hate what my tribe does is because of what they blackmailed me to do."

"What is that?" Flint asked.

Vala walked around in a circle and then stopped in front of Flint's cage again. "You know how you have a crush on Hunter?"

"Yes, I do," Flint said.

"Well, I have a crush on another dragon," Vala said.

"Wait, you do?" Flint asked. "Who is it?"

"It's a Spikewing who helped me out when I was at a low point, when I thought no one loved me, he brought me back to my feet and helped me rise up."

"What's his name?" Flint asked.

"His name is Abrax," Vala said. "And he helped me out throughout my rough times. I only wished I could do the same for him."

"What happened?" Flint asked.

"In the Spikewing tribe, you aren't allowed to have any sort of love interest until you are ten," Vala said. "I was four at the time and he was five. The queen found us out and for punishment, she gave me two choices."

"Why did you get the two choices?" Flint asked.

"That has been our rule in the tribe, the males get locked up in jail and the females get the punishment."

"That's terrible," Flint said.

"That's not even the worst rule they have," Vala said. "Anyway I had two choices. Either get tossed into the arena games to die or join Queen Helen's personal hunting squad and help capture dragonets from your tribes for us to kill."

"So you were blackmailed into doing that," Flint said.

"Yes, and I had been waiting for three years to finally do something about it," Vala said. "When your group came along I felt like I could finally make a difference. I only wish I had time to get Abrax out of jail."

"Wait, he's still locked up?" Flint asked.

"Yes, and when Queen Helen notices I'm missing he is going to get a severe punishment, maybe tossed into the arena." Flint then saw Vala start crying uncontrollably. "I promised him I would keep him safe and now look at where I am? Helping a bunch of dragons I have barely met while my one true love interest gets tortured and may possible die for my actions."

"Hey," Flint said. "It's not your fault. Don't count it over yet. If you can get me and my parents out of this cage and we can steal the book, then me and our friends will help you out in rescuing your crush."

"Thanks," Vala said, wiping away tears from her face. "Except, I've not been a very great dragon in figuring out escape plans. I have so many ideas running through my head on different ways to help you escape but I don't know how to execute them."

"You'll think of something," Flint said. "You figured out how to help us when we were caught by your Spikewing tribe."

"About that," Vala said. "That wasn't my plan, that was Abrax's plan when I asked him how I should help you escape."

"Well, I believe you can think of something by yourself. By the way, did you get Chert to safety?"

"Yes I brought him back to the Tuff Resistance but when I asked them about Hunter, they said they had no idea what I was talking about. Flint, where is Hunter?"

"Vala believe me, I want to tell you but if I do it will put their lives at risk so I can't. Just trust me on this."

"Ok," Vala said and then Flint heard footsteps coming down the tunnel.

"I'll be back for you," Vala said and made her way down the tunnel, away from the area the footsteps were coming from.

Flint saw Granite step in front of the cage with a smile on her face.

"Ah, Flint, how are you enjoying your stay?" Granite asked.

"I hate you," Flint said.

Flint saw two Cavewings guards unlock the cell and unchain Flint from the wall.

"What is this about?" Flint asked.

Granite stepped right in front of Flint with a smirk on her face and looked her right in the eyes.

"The Queen of the Cavewings wants to talk to you."