Part Three: A Pathway Forward
Chapter 18
Why can't you do one simple thing and stick to it?
Flint woke up back on the surface with Dredge standing right in front of her.
"Well you have to realize that dragons are more complex than what you think we are," Flint said.
"Yes I see that," Dredge said. "But I told you just to get the book and you went and rescued your parents as well."
"They're my parents, I'm just not going to leave them to die!"
"Well they aren't going to help with my plans," Dredge said. "But I guess I can make it slide by this one time since you also got the book for me, that is if you survive your wounds."
"What's going on out there?" Flint asked.
"Well they are trying to find medical treatment for you and seem to be going to an area that they believe may have it."
"Where are they going?" Flint asked.
"I don't know," Dredge said. "I can only really watch dragons easily when they are in the caves, not when they go up on the surface."
They're going up to the surface! Maybe they are going to the Drillwings. But they are too far away to fly to so where are they going?
"Hmm, weird I can't seem to hear what you're thinking in your mind," Dredge said.
Shoot! I can't let him figure out what the skyfire does! But I also can't take it off because he may figure it out then. What to do, what to do?
"Ahh whatever," Dredge said. "Your mind was boring to listen to anyway, I have another dragon's mind that is very much interesting to listen to. It's surprising how much she has on her mind despite not talking a lot."
"You better stop listening to my friend's mind," Flint warned.
"Don't even start," Dredge said. "Remember who has the power over the life of your friends here."
Flint looked down and made sure that the necklace was still around her neck. Well at least I have some power of my own, she thought.
"Just get me the book and I will give you your friends," Dredge said. "Just do this one thing for me, it's not that hard!"
"Someone's grouchy," Flint said.
"You would be too if you had to wait for other dragons to do your work!"
"Just do it yourself," Flint mocked.
"Oh, how much I want to strangle you right now," Dredge said. "But you have what I need so I can't."
"Listen, I always wondered what happened to you and the dragons you were with when you found the artifact," Flint said. "Where did all of you disappear to?"
"Now why would I tell you that?" Dredge asked.
"I'm just asking a question," Flint said. "Isn't it nice to answer the question, especially when that dragon is getting something you want."
Flint heard Dredge grumble. "Did anyone ever tell you how annoying you are?" Dredge asked.
"Oh yes, you did, all the time," Flint mocked.
"Fine!" Dredge said. "If you want to know, the Cavewing Queen Lennon and Webwing Queen Shelob tried to take the power for themselves. I didn't want to but I had to kill everyone down there or they would have gone mad with power. Afterwards I stayed away from the artifact and everyone so that it would be peaceful. But I guess when your queens go missing without explanation then that would have accusations go around like wildfire."
"So it's your fault that this war is going on!" Flint accused.
"Hey I was just trying to do what was best for both tribes," Dredge said. "I couldn't figure out what would happen afterward. But am I not helping you all right now with trying to end the war? So put this as me being sorry for what happened. I'm trying to make things right."
I feel like he's keeping something from me but I have no way to figure it out. I'll just take what he says right now with a grain of salt until I am sure it is right or wrong.
"Oh, looks like you're waking up," Dredge said and Flint did feel herself starting to get pulled out of her dream.
"I'll get you the book," Flint said.
"Good," Dredge said. "And remember, never tell anyone what I said to you!"
Oh, don't worry I won't, she thought. But maybe one dragon may be able to hear.
Flint then woke up out of her dream to dragons standing over her with worried expressions on their faces. She saw that they were still in the caves and not on the surface.
"Ugh, where are we?" Flint said.
"Flint you're okay," Vala said and hugged Flint with her wings, which sent a pain through her body.
"OWW!" Flint said and Diamond pulled Vala off of her.
"What did I say, you have to let her heal before you are able to hug her. Any movement beforehand may have drastic consequences."
"Oh sorry," Vala said. "I'm just glad to see that she is going to make it."
"Where are we?" Flint asked again.
"With me," came a new voice and Flint saw Amethyst come into her field of view.
"Amethyst!" Flint said. "What are you doing here?"
"We brought you here Flint," Marble said. "After what you said about Amethyst we knew we could trust her with helping you heal. We are in her cave right now, which is coincidentally by the hideout of the Tuff Resistance."
"Oh yeah about the Tuff Resistance…"
"They have Webwings in there," Diamond finished for her. "We know. While Amethyst was taking care of you, your friend Vala brought us to them and they were happy to have new members join their cause to help end the war."
"Wait, how long have I been sleeping?" Flint asked.
"About two days."
"Really?!" Flint said startled, and tried to get up but the pain from her wounds made her lay back down.
"Shh, don't move a lot, you still need to heal," Amethyst said. "Your wounds from your side and belly made you lose a lot of blood, when you got to me you were pale. I wrapped up the wounds and gave you some medical herbs that will help you with the production of your red blood cells."
"I have to… I need to get…"
"Shh, calm down Flint," Amethyst said. "What do you need to do, we will do it for you."
"No you don't understand," Flint said and reached down for her pouch but realized it wasn't on her ankle anymore. In a panic she looked around, wondering if she lost it.
"Where's my pouch?" Flint asked.
"Calm down, it's right here," Vala said and gave it to Flint. She looked inside and was relieved to see the book and necklace still inside.
"Good, it's in here," Flint said.
"I was wondering about that book," Diamond said. "It is supposed to be the most guarded book in the Cavewing tribe so how did you get your claws on it?"
"It's… a long story," Flint said. "But in short, Queen Obsidian gave it to me."
"She did?" Marble asked. "Why?"
"Well… as much as she wanted to kill me… she needed a favor from me."
"What was that favor?" Diamond asked.
"Um… well… it…"
Argh, I want to say it so badly, no other time have I wanted the words to spill out of my mouth than this. But I have no way to save my friends if I talk right now and I have to make sure they are safe first. But maybe I can make up a half-lie, like what Prancer did.
"Well, she gave it to me because she believed that we could use it to… find the lost artifact?"
Flint hoped that she sounded convincing and that they wouldn't break through her lie. Vala was the first one to react to what she said.
"Oh wow that's very nice of her to do," Vala said. "Maybe your words got through to her."
"Yeah, maybe," Flint said nervously.
"I wonder what we can do with it though?" Marble asked. "I read through it two times when you were sleeping and I couldn't figure out anything that tells how to find the lost artifact, the only thing it says for sure is that the lost artifact is a golden pillar with weird writing on it."
"Well at least that's a start," Diamond said. A bell then rang through the cave.
"Oh, that means the Tuff Resistance is about to have a meeting," Marble said. "You'd think they would use something less obvious."
"Yeah like vibrations, or water droplets," Diamond said. She then walked over and sat down next to Flint. "Don't worry daughter, we will be back after the meeting, they just want us to report everything we know that will help them."
"And I'm going to!" Vala said, excitingly. "They are very interested to finally be able to talk to a Spikewing! Except they keep calling me a Deathwing and it makes me want to stab them with my sleeping spikes to make them SHUT UP!"
"They'll learn eventually," Flint said. "Bye, see you in a bit."
"Bye Flint," they all said and walked out of the cavern and down the tunnel.
It was now just Amethyst and Flint left in the cavern and Amethyst was making something in a pot.
"What are you making?" Flint asked.
"Just a soup that will help you feel better," Amethyst said. "It is mixed with medical herbs that friends from the Drillwing tribe help gather for me. They are the best medicine on this continent."
"Then why have I not heard about them until now?" Flint asked.
Amethyst stopped stirring the herbs in her pot and walked over to the rock bed Flint was laying on.
"It's because they can only be found on the surface and you know that the Webwings and Cavewings both don't want to go up there because they are scared of what lies up there."
"But there is nothing bad up there," Flint said. "It is only the Drillwings up there."
"Exactly that is what they are afraid of," Amethyst said. "The queens don't want dragons to know of the Drillwings so they make up the stories that they teach you in school of the dangers that are up there to keep their tribe away from the Drillwings."
"That's sad that they want to keep us from another tribe," Flint said.
"Yeah, but that's the way they are," Amethyst said. "They don't want their tribe to figure out why the Drillwings are on the surface." She then went back and poured the soup into a bowl and brought it over to Flint. "Drink this and you will feel better. I have to go get some more medical herbs from the Drillwings, stay here and don't move or I swear I will kill you when I get back."
"I'll rest I promise," Flint said and Amethyst walked out of the cavern, leaving Flint alone in there. Flint rolled onto her side and tried to get some sleep. After a while she felt her eyes finally start to close but she heard a noise vibrating around the rocks and when she opened her eyes again, Dredge was standing right in front of her.
"AHHHHHH!" Flint yelled, trying to get up but her pain brought her right back down again.
"Oh sorry about that one Flint," Dredge said. "I didn't mean to scare you. I was just using a portal to get here faster."
"Well you could have given me a heads up beforehand!" Flint said.
"That's a waste of time," Dredge said. "Why talk to you over long distances when I can talk to you one-on-one."
"Just cut to the chase," Flint said. "You want the book right now, don't you?"
"Yes and I expect you to give it to me," Dredge said. "Or you know what will happen to your friends."
"Oh how much I want to kill you right now," Flint said.
"Doesn't look like you can," Dredge said, looking at Flint's wrapped up wounds. "You know I could help you with that," and Dredge started lifting a claw above Flint.
"I DON'T NEED ANY OF YOUR HELP!" Flint yelled and Dredge put his claw back down.
"Ok fine, have it your way," Dredge said. "Just know I did try to help you. Now give me my book."
"You have no patience, you know that," Flint said.
"Argh! You are testing your luck Cavewing!"
"Try me."
Flint saw Dredge smack the wall. "Fine, just give me the book and you get your friends, everyone gets what they want."
"What are you going to do with the book though?" Flint asked.
"Now is not the time to be pushing me more!" Dredge warned.
"I've got to know though," Flint said. "Why did I put my life in danger to get this book for you? How will it help us find the lost artifact?"
"Ah, questions, questions, I HATE QUESTIONS!" Dredge yelled. "IT WILL HELP YOU, NOW GIVE ME THE BOOK OR YOUR LOVE DIES!"
"Fine," Flint said and got the book out of her pouch and handed it to Dredge.
"Finally," Dredge said in a normal voice. "That wasn't that hard but you just talk and talk and it gives me a headache."
"Now time for your part of the deal," Flint reminded him.
"Yeah, yeah," Dredge said and teleported her frozen friends into the cave. "Remember, don't tell anyone about me, except Prancer because he already knows. I don't care if you talk to him about me because I will be able to figure out what you two would be planning."
"I won't plan anything against you," Flint reassured Dredge.
"Good, I will get back to you two when I have figured out something in this book that may help you find the lost artifact for me," and with that Dredge stepped back through his portal and teleported away, unfreezing her friends in the process.
Prancer, Tulsi, and Hunter all dropped to the floor and were dizzy, looking around, trying to figure out what happened.
"Ugh, what on earth happened to me?" Prancer said, still trying to figure out where he was.
"Yeah me too," Tulsi said, of course chiming in right behind Prancer.
No, don't think of that, I have to train myself to see it as an opportunity to learn. Besides, I have someone else who needs my attention. She looked at Hunter and saw that he was looking right back at her.
"Flint!" he yelled running over to her and hugging her with his wings.
"Ow, watch it," Flint said and Hunter got off of her.
"Oh, sorry," Hunter said. "What happened to you?"
"It's… a long story. Get Prancer and Tulsi over here and I will tell you all of it."
It was hours later when Flint finished telling Hunter, Prancer, and Tulsi everything that her and Vala had been through. I obviously left out the parts about Dredge for their safety. After she finished, Vala and her parents returned from their meeting and were surprised to see Hunter, Prancer, and Tulsi. It took a lot of explaining to do and Flint made up some reasons for how Prancer, Tulsi, and Hunter got there and everyone calmed down. Now it was nighttime and everyone else was sleeping except Flint and also Hunter who was sitting right beside her.
"So was it true of what you said to me in that dream?" Hunter asked. "That you want me to be your boyfriend?"
"Yes," Flint said. "You will, right?"
Hunter laughed. "Of course I will. I will follow you to the moon and back if you need me to prove myself."
"Well I'm not a huge fan of space," Flint said. "But that's a nice thought. But the question is which moon? Three can appear in the sky at the same time."
Hunter looked up into the hole above them that led out into the surface and allowed them to see the sky.
"All of them," Hunter said.
Flint felt tears start rolling down her eyes. She then remembered the one thing she wanted to give to Hunter.
"To make us official, I got you something Hunter," Flint said.
"Oh, what's that?" Hunter asked.
"A necklace," Flint said, giving it to Hunter. "Same as mine."
"Wow this is pretty cool," Hunter said, looking at it in his claws. "Where did you get this?"
"Put it on first and then I'll tell you," she said.
"Ok," Hunter said and put it around his neck.
Ok here goes nothing, Flint thought.
"Hunter, there are a few things now that you should truly know about our situation."