The MudWings started to disperse after Torrent removed the enchantments on the sphere. Some returned to their houses in the village, knowing that while they were free of Adobe, they were no longer safe from Queen Moorhen's armies. Others left as soon as possible, returning to siblings they were separated from, or to find a new life in the war-torn world. Torrent and Griffin stood next to Glen and Schist at the edge of the town.

"Are you sure we did the right thing?" Torrent asked, frowning. "Queen Moorhen will be able to find this place now. Who knows how many of the dragons here will be forced into the war?"

"What other options where there?" Glen snorted. "It was either that or keeping everyone trapped in here. At least now they have a choice."

Torrent looked away from the village, towards the swamps surrounding the village on all sides. "Maybe," he said. "Although I'm worried their only choice is the army."

"It's possible," Glen answered, not making Torrent feel particularly better, "but Moorhen hopefully won't notice us for a while, maybe even not until the war ends. It's gone on long enough, hasn't it? It's not like it can just go on forever."

"Yeah," Torrent said. He turned back towards the village, and saw a MudWing give him a hateful glare, before turning away.

Torrent had only heard Glen and her friends' views of Adobe, not the rest of the town's. What if Adobe's rule wasn't so bad after all? Sure, he had seemed pretty crazy, forcing the town to worship him and all, but for an animus who had used so much magic, he wasn't as destructive as Torrent would've expected.

As much as he hated to think it in front of Glen and Schist, maybe his killing of their older brother was justified: it wasn't like Queen Coral hadn't executed dragons who had attempted to start rebellions before. The village was even smaller than the Sea Kingdom, and open rebellion and civil war inside it would be a massacre.

A MudWing trotted up to Torrent. The SeaWing looked up to see a grinning face lumbering over him, Grizzly. "I just wanted to goodbye before I left," Grizzly said. He looked down to Torrent. "Because of you, I finally get to see my sibs again! The spirits answered my prayers! Thank you for everything."

Torrent smiled awkwardly. "Oh, it's nothing," he replied uncomfortably. "I hope you find your sibs."
Grizzly nodded gleefully. "I'm sure they've been looking since the day I disappeared." He turned to Glen. "I'll make sure to visit you here as soon as I reunite with them."

"Of course," Glen acknowledged Grizzly. "Now go already! You want to see them as soon as possible, don't you?"

Grizzly vigorously shook his head in affirmation, and spread his wings. In a few wingbeats, he had lifted off, and flew towards the north. Torrent watched as he became a tiny speck in the distance.

"You're staying?" Torrent asked as he glanced at Glen, surprised.

"Yep!" Glen replied. Torrent looked slightly confused. "Someone's got to help these dragons get back on their paws," she explained. "Unlike the majority of them, I've had experience with ordering dragons around. A few moons with Loam and you'd be prepared too."

Do they need to be ordered around? Torrent wondered. He supposed so, although giving the town coordination and direction might be a less authoritarian way of putting it.

"Where are you and your feathered friend going?" Glen asked. She glanced over to Griffin, who was chatting with Schist about something. They both suddenly burst out laughing, and a warm smile appeared on Glen's snout. "You don't want to live with a bunch of grumpy MudWings that all hate you, I take it?"

Torrent shook his head. He saw the glare that MudWing had given him. The majority of the MudWings that had left were ones who hated Adobe and had wanted to get out anyways; a large amount of his supporters would be staying behind, and they wouldn't be happy with the foreign SeaWing prince who had removed their town's protection and invisibility. Glen they might eventually forgive, but there was no place for Torrent here.

Torrent glanced at the scrollcase around his back, and pulled out Orca's map. He rolled it open, and carefully laid it out on a piece of dry ground. He wondered why the dagger didn't prevent it from working, wasn't it enchanted? Apparently Torrent could 'allow' certain enchantments to work under it, but he wasn't sure exactly how that was done.

Many of the ink dots were in the same places as they were when Torrent had last checked it, though a few had moved. The orange-ish one in the eastern Sky Kingdom was still there. "There's an animus in the Sky Kingdom, north of here. Maybe there's an invisible city of dragons there that needs our help too?"

Glen thought for a moment, and nodded. "Mhm. You wouldn't happen to have room for a third on your adventure, would you?"

"A third?" Torrent asked, puzzled. "I thought you were staying here."

"No no, not me!" Glen replied, snorting. "I mean Schist. He seems to be getting along with your bird friend over there."

Torrent looked over at Schist, still talking with Griffin. "Does he want to come with us?" he quietly asked Glen, so that Schist didn't overhear. Torrent wasn't so sure about this. He didn't know Schist at all, and two was really enough. What was the saying? Three's a crowd?

"I'll ask him," Glen said outright. "Schist!" she yelled to her brother. "Get over here!"

Schist meekly nodded and walked over to his sister. Griffin followed.

"Now," Glen said, "Torrent has kindly offered to take you with him and the bird."

Torrent opened his mouth, thinking about protesting that claim, but Schist replied first.

"Leave the town?" Schist asked. "Aren't you staying here though?"

"I am," Glen stated, "but I don't want you staying here for me. In fact, I forbid it. You were always telling Quake and I how you wanted to go out and explore the world when the shield was gone, and now you have your chance."

Schist looked a little unsure. "We're sibs though, aren't we supposed to stay together?"

Glen rolled her eyes and paced back and forth. "Torrent and Griffin can be your new sibs, at least temporarily. I'll have the entire town."

"I mean, alright, I guess," Schist replied. He looked back at the town again. It was the only place he had ever known, and he wasn't quite sure he was ready to leave it yet.

Glen snorted. "Don't pretend you're not excited to go. I know you are. You better promise me you'll be back though."

Schist's expression of unsureness started to turn into a grin. "Alright, I'll promise!"

"Good," Glen said triumphantly, "I won't leave the town until you do."

Schist turned to Torrent with an excited smile stretching across his snout. "Thank you!" he thanked Torrent. He turned to Griffin, who looked almost as gleeful.

Torrent gave Glen a glare, but didn't try and refuse Schist. He would've liked a bit of say in the matter, but Glen didn't notice Torrent's expression, or if she did, she ignored it.

"Now," Glen ordered, with an expression between a smirk and a grin, "let me get you all some supplies from our food store before you're all off."

Glen glided off, while Torrent, Griffin, and Schist waited for her in an uncomfortable position.

"So . . ." Torrent said to Schist, elongating out his words, "are you sure you want to go with us?"

Schist nodded vigorously. Griffin looked up at Torrent hopefully.

"Alright then," Torrent conceded, trying to hide the slight grimace on his snout. He still wasn't sure that this was a good idea, but he supposed it wouldn't do much harm.

Torrent sat in silence while Griffin and Schist chatted about something or other. Torrent glanced over, feeling a little left out. Griffin was his friend, wasn't he?

It wasn't too long before Glen returned, carrying jerky, bread, water, and other provisions, such as tarps. Torrent took them from her and placed what he could in his satchel, placing the rest in a large pack that Schist had put on beneath a wing. Torrent turned around, ready to be off.

"Bye!" Schist said to Glen. "I'll miss you."

Glen wrapped her wings around Schist quickly in an embrace. "Me too," she replied, "make sure to visit soon."

Schist nodded, and turned around. Torrent and Griffin were ready. "C'mon," Griffin spoke gleefully, "let's go!"

The three spread open their wings, and took off north, towards the Sky Kingdom, leaving Glen and the MudWings behind.