Chapter 16

Flint was escorted out of the cell and down the tunnels to the Queen's chamber. She remembered her parents asking what was going on as Flint was being brought out.

"What's going on?" Marble said.

"Where are you bringing her?" Diamond asked.

"SHUT UP BOTH OF YOU!" Granite yelled. "Or I will come back and execute you both myself!"

Oh how much I want to rip your face off! If I was out of these chains, you would be dead!

"You know, Granite," Flint said. "Spending your whole life just to make sure I am dead is really sad. Did you do nothing else throughout your life?"

Granite turned around and smacked Flint with her tail.

"If you want to know, controlling your life gave me all the joy I needed! I didn't need anything else, it's as if making your life miserable was beneficial!"

Ok, that was a weird way to answer the question, Flint thought.

They went into the Queen's chamber and Flint saw Queen Obsidian standing in the middle of the room.

"I brought her like you asked," Granite said.

"Good," Queen Obsidian said. "Now leave us two alone."

"What?" Granite asked. "No, you need bodyguards in case she tries to attack you."

"THAT'S AN ORDER!" Queen Obsidian yelled. "NOW GET OUT BEFORE I KICK YOU OUT OF HERE!"

Flint saw Granite get startled and she walked out of the cavern with the two guards.

"Finally," Queen Obsidian said. "It can be so hard to have dragons follow your authority sometimes."

"So, um, I have to ask. Why do you want to talk to me alone?"

"It's for a very special reason but I need you to come closer to me right now."

"Ok?" Flint said and walked closer to Queen Obsidian.

"Closer," Queen Obsidian said.

Flint stepped closer to her.

"Closer."

Flint stepped even closer to her.

"Closer!" Queen Obsidian yelled and pulled Flint right into her arms to where their scales were touching.

What is going on with her? Is she going to strangle me to death?

"Uh, what are you doing, Queen Obsidian?" Flint asked.

"Shh, wear this," Queen Obsidian said and pulled out a necklace from a pouch that she was wearing around one of her ankles. Flint examined the necklace and it had a piece of a rock that Flint didn't recognize tied to it. Flint looked at Queen Obsidian and saw that she was wearing the exact same necklace as well.

"What is this?" Flint asked. "Why don't I recognize this type of stone?"

"I said wear it," Queen Obsidian said. "So put it around your scales."

"Why?" Flint asked.

"JUST DO IT!" she yelled.

"Okay," Flint said and put the necklace around her neck. Once it hit her scales she was expecting it to be poisonous or have some trick to it that would kill her but instead it hung there not doing anything.

"Huh," Flint said. "What is this supposed to do?"

"Shh," Queen Obsidian said and looked around the cavern, almost as if to make sure they weren't being watched or listened to.

"Never take it off," Queen Obsidian said to Flint.

"Huh, why?" Flint asked.

"Argh, why do you ask so many questions!" Queen Obsidian said. Flint saw her take a deep breath before talking to her again. "It is something that will help you with your travels."

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

Queen Obsidian looked around again before answering her. "I mean when you leave and go off to stop the war."

"Wait, you are allowing me to escape?" Flint asked.

"Yes," Queen Obsidian said. "Believe me I would rather want to kill you but I realized that you and your group may be able to stop someone before they are able to take over the world."

"What are you talking about?" Flint asked.

"I'm talking about Dredge," Queen Obsidian said.

"Wait, you know he's alive too?" Flint asked.

"Yes," Queen Obsidian said.

"How?"

Queen Obsidian brought her face right in front of Flint's before answering.

"Because he can control me."

Flint jumped back, startled by this comment. "What?" she asked.

"Yes, Dredge has been able to control my movements for a long time," Queen Obsidian said.

"Wait, is he controlling you right now?" Flint asked.

"No," Queen Obsidian said. "You have seen him control me and the Webwing Queen though, it is when our eyes go vicious."

Wait, so that means Dredge has been manipulating our actions this whole time. He knew the meeting with the Queens would fail because he made it fail. He made Queen Obsidian not listen to my words about wanting to end the war. But why? Why wouldn't he try to stop the war from ending?

"I don't understand, why would Dredge try to stop you all from ending the war, that is what he'd promise us he would help us do."

"I don't know," Queen Obsidian said. "But whatever the reason, it can't be good."

"Wait, Dredge will know what we are planning! He can read our thoughts!" Flint said in a panic.

"He can," Queen Obsidian said in a calm voice, "when we take off these necklaces."

"Huh?" Flint asked. "What do you mean?"

"The rock tied around the string is a piece from a skyfire comet," Queen Obsidian explained. "I was able to find two pieces that broke off from it and I am giving the second piece to you."

"Ok, but what does this skyfire rock do?" Flint asked.

"It blocks mind readers from reading your mind," Queen Obsidian said.

"Wait, really?" Flint asked.

"Yes, Dredge doesn't know so keep it that way, this is our only thing that will give you an upper hand against him. So as long as the skyfire is touching your scales or close to them, Dredge won't be able to read your thoughts."

"Oh, wow," Flint said. "But why do you think our group will be able to stop Dredge?"

"It is just as you said, dragons from different tribes can help unite together and bring peace to the continent so I believe your group will find a way to stop Dredge's evil plot."

"That's nice but he keeps playing us," Flint said. "We have to find the lost artifact for him and he is holding my friends hostage until I get the Cavewing book about the lost artifact here."

"Hmm, that is a very bad predicament," Queen Obsidian said. She then paced around the room before stopping back in front of Flint. "But sometimes sacrifices need to be made to win the war in the end. Stay here." And with that Flint watched Queen Obsidian leave the cavern, leaving Flint alone there, unsupervised. Flint stood there for a while, wondering what she should do.

No one is stopping me from escaping. I could leave, find Vala and we could find the book and get it to Dredge. Maybe when I am about to give it to Dredge, Vala can stab him with her spikes and then we could finish him off when he is paralized. WAIT, DON'T THINK ABOUT THAT, HE CAN READ MY MIND! Flint instinctively touched around her neck and felt the skyfire necklace still there. Well, if what Queen Obsidian says is true then this skyfire can block my thoughts from him. I hope at least.

Flint paced around the room a little bit, deciding what she should do.

Should I try to escape right now? What if this is a trick and guards are ready to get me the second I walk out of here? Also she said to stay here, what if she is getting or doing something for me. But doesn't she want to kill me? Yes, but she wants Dredge to be taken down more.

It felt like an hour later and Flint was taking a nap on the floor when Queen Obsidian emerged back into the cavern holding something in her claws. Flint got up and looked at it and saw that it was the book about the lost artifact.

"What?" Flint asked. "Why did you bring this here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Queen Obsidian said. "I'm giving it to you."

"Really?" Flint asked while Queen Obsidian passed the book into her claws. "Why?"

"Because you need to save your friends," Queen Obsidian explained. "And only with all of you do I feel you have a chance to take down Dredge."

"Thanks but that seems impossible with the power that he has," Flint said.

"I believe you all will find a way," Queen Obsidian said. "Now go before Granite knows what is going on. I will make up an excuse on how you escaped."

"Ok, I'll go and save my friends," Flint said.

"One last thing," Queen Obsidian said. "The necklace works by blocking any dragon's thoughts when it is close to their scales or touching them but you shouldn't tell your friends about what I helped you with because you won't be able to block Dredge out of all their minds at the same time. This is a secret between us unless you are able to find more skyfire rocks."

"I'll keep an eye out," Flint said. She started to walk out of the cavern but turned around to look at Queen Obsidian once more.

"Thank you," Flint said.

"Your welcome," Queen Obsidian said and Flint walked out of the cavern.