Chapter 2

"Watch out Sundew!" Vala yelled.

"Huh?" Sundew said and then looked behind her and dodged out of the way in time before the Spikewings pounced on her. Vala ran over to Sundew and knocked away a Spikewing who was creeping up from behind. Sundew dug her claws into the ground and vines on top of the cavern came down and wrapped the dragons up.

"Woah," one of the Spikewings said. "What is this?"

Wait a second, I know that voice.

"Nail?" Vala asked.

"Huh is that Vala?" Nail asked. "Hey guys it's Vala! She's back!"

"Hooray! Hooray!" the other two Spikewings said.

"Uh, what's going on?" Sundew said.

"Let them down and I'll tell you," Vala said. "They're a part of my group."

"What group?" Sundew asked as she released the Spikewings from the vines.

"The BFF group!" Batik said.

"I said for the last time that isn't what the group is called!" Nail said, slapping Batik on the side. "It is The Collective."

"The Collective?" Sundew asked.

"We collect evidence of how bad Queen Helen is to hopefully expose her to the whole tribe so that they can turn on her," Vala said. "We started it back a few years ago and have gotten some good evidence on her mistreatment of dragons but don't have solid evidence that would bring the rest of our tribe to our side."

"Yeah and Vala is our leader!" Batik said. "She really hates Queen Helen, you know?"

"Oh, no kidding," Sundew said.

"Now that we're done with those introductions, who is this dragon Vala?" Kobli asked, appearing behind Sundew.

"Actually yeah, now that you mention it, who is this dragon?" Batik said. "I didn't notice."

"You never notice anything," Kobli said.

"Everyone, this is Sundew," Vala said. "She's a friend I made."

"Weird friend," Kobli said. "Also you didn't answer our initial question. Where have you been for the past weeks?"

"Didn't you hear the commotion?" Nail asked. "It sounded like she saved a group of dragons and went along with them."

"You abandon us?" Kobli asked.

"No, I didn't abandon any of you," Vala said. "I just had to do something and couldn't let that group of dragons die from Queen Helen. That's what we made this group for, to stop Queen Helen's reign, right?"

"True!" Batik said. "And it's so amazing, it is really, really, really, amazing!"

"The dragons were from different tribes though," Nail said. "Two Webwings, a Cavewing, and a Drillwing. Why would you save a dragon from a tribe we are at war with?"

"Everyone knows down here as well?" Vala asked.

"Yes and I've heard the Cavewings and Webwings got notice of it as well," Nail said. "Even though their leaders won't mention it to their tribes, they'll just keep it with the upper ranks."

"I've wondered how this war started though?" Kobli said. "We were peaceful one day and then the next Queen Helen got a message from Digger declaring war on us."

"That may have been my fault," Vala said.

"How?" Nail asked. "How could you start a war between two tribes?"

Vala explained everything that she had been a part of, to Queen Obsidian, and to helping Tulsi become Queen of the Drillwings. She didn't tell them about Dredge because Dredge kept saying in her mind that if she did, he'd kill all of them in front of her.

"Trust me, she doesn't want this war as much as I do," Vala said. "Maybe if we get rid of Queen Helen we can stop the war between the two before more dragons have to die."

"Yeah, let's do that!" Batik said. "It will be so amazing!"

"Woah, calm down there Mr. Excited," Nail said. "Let's think of a plan first before we charge into this."

"Well no, we don't have time for a plan!" Vala said. "I have to save Abrax before Queen Helen kills him!"

"Oh, please, are you still attractive to that dragon?" Kobli asked. "Just move on, find a new boyfriend. I've had tons trying to find the right one. I think I'm currently on the twenty-fifth one."

"I will never get you," Vala said. "And no, I am not just going to abandon Abrax."

"Ok, but at least let's make a plan," Nail said. "Some planning is better than none."

"But there is no time for a plan!" Vala yelled.

Why don't these dragons get it? Vala thought. Plan's take too long, by the time you figure it out, the danger will have caught up to you and there would be nothing you can do about it. She knew this all too well. She didn't want to think about it but felt the vision coming back to her.

It was back when she was two years old. She had just finished school and was wandering around when she wandered out of the main area for the Spikewings by accident. The next thing she knew, she almost fell over an edge into a lava pit. She slipped but was able to grab the edge but didn't have the strength to pull herself back up. She didn't know how to fly either since she wasn't taught how to. Usually Spikewing parents teach their kids but she didn't have any. She didn't even know who they were, she just knew that she was alone when she had hatched, no parents in sight and none ever came to get her.

The next thing she knew, a claw grabbed her before she slipped. The dragon pulled her up and away from the hole.

"Woah, that was a predicament you got yourself into," the dragon said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Vala said, brushing herself off. She then looked up at her savior and immediately froze. He was magnificent, his perfect blue eyes, his shiny scales that gleamed his spikes. Vala didn't know what this feeling was but she didn't want it to go away.

"Are you okay?" the dragon asked.

"Huh?" Vala asked and then realized her tail was moving back and forth. She stopped it from moving. "Yeah. What's your name?"

"Abrax, yours?"

"Vala."

That was the best moment in her life but almost led to the worst moment as well. It had been two years since that incident and Vala was planning to throw Abrax a surprise birthday party because he deserved it. Vala had her other friends that she made help out as well. Nail was doing the planning of where everything should be placed, Kobli was acting upset as usual, thinking that this was a terrible idea, and Batik was being his happy self jumping up and down all over the place.

"Batik, watch out!" Nail said as Batik hopped towards him without noticing.

"Huh?" Batik said and Nail got out of the saw but Batik barreled right into Kobli.

"Batik!" Kobli said.

"Sorry," Batik said. "I was just trying to help out my best buddy Nail, right Vala?"

"Yes, now come on, we don't have much time before Abrax gets here," Vala said. Vala watched as Batik got off of Kobli and went over to Nail, allowing his tail to rest on Nail's. Vala shook her head, not understanding how those two dragons were able to click with each other. Nail being strong and serious and Batik being goofy and silly. Kobli on the other hand didn't want anything to do with "stupid romance" as she called it. It was a waste of time to her and left more heartbreak than excitement.

It was a few hours later when everything was ready for Abrax. They all hid and waited for Abrax to walk into the door. They waited, and waited, and right as Kobli started to get impatient, footsteps approached the door. They waited for the door to open and then surprised Abrax who walked in.

"Happy birthday!" they all said to him.

"Aw, guys, this is sweet," Abrax said. "Hey Vala, why are you still up there?"

"Just getting something," Vala said and then gracefully swooped down and landed in front of Abrax with a box in her claws.

"Aw, Vala what is this?" Abrax asked.

"Open it up and see," Vala said.

Abrax took the box from her and opened it up. He pulled out a necklace that had half a heart on it.

"I have the other half," Vala said. "And when we connect them, they become full, just like our love when we are close to each other."

"Aw, you're very sweet," Abrax said and Vala felt his tail twine around hers. The others left the room to give them some space. Vala felt as though Abrax was moving closer towards her.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," Abrax said.

"What's that?" Vala asked and saw his face come close to her face.

"You love me right?" Abrax asked.

"Yes," Vala said, almost forgetting to breathe with how close his face was to hers.

"Do you… want to be… my girlfriend?" Abrax asked.

Vala smiled and was about to answer but at that moment, Kobli came running in, breaking up the moment.

"Intruders!" Kobli said. "It's Queen Helen and her personal guard!"

"Oh no, we have to go Abrax," Vala said and followed after Kobli. They ran to the back of the room and Kobli moved a piece of wood that was blocking a hole in the wall. They crawled through the hole and got outside the house.

"Okay everyone split up and meet us back at our secret base," Vala said.

Everyone else flew away but Abrax stopped her before she went.

"I'm coming with you," Abrax said.

"Okay, come on," Vala said.

They both flew through the tunnels, away from where Queen Helen and her guards were. They flew until they were sure that they lost them and then landed by an underground lake to rest. Vala went to take a drink from the lake and when she looked up again, Abrax was standing right beside her.

"It's very sweet of you for what you did for me, even if it did get interrupted by Queen Helen," Abrax said.

"Yeah, just wait until I get my claws on her, I will rip that pretty smile off her face that she makes every time she sees me."

"Huh, she makes that same face when she sees me as well."

"Weird," Vala said. She felt the air tense around them and felt as though there was something being unanswered. Vala then thought back to the surprise party.

Oh yeah, his question to me. Do I want to be his girlfriend? Well yeah, I do, we've done so much to help each other out. We also have so much in common, us being orphans, hating Queen Helen and the rest of our tribe.

"About that question that you asked earlier, if I want to be your girlfriend," Vala said.

"Yes," Abrax said. "What about it?"

"Well… Yes I do want to be your girlfriend," Vala said.

Abrax smiled and moved closer to her. Vala felt her heart warming up and their tails twined together. Nothing could ruin that moment that they were having, except of course her. Vala saw her but didn't have time to warn Abrax. Queen Helen pounced down from the ceiling and knocked Vala into the wall. By the time Vala got up, guards surrounded them and Queen Helen had her claws right at Abrax's neck.

"Oh, what do we have here?" Queen Helen said. "Two dragons that love each other. But they don't look like they are over ten, do they guards?"

"No," all the guards said in unison.

"Well, I guess we know what that means," Queen Helen said and lifted up her claws and divided them down towards Abrax.

"NOO!" Vala screamed and knocked into Queen Helen, sending them both crashing into a wall. Vala was able to get some kicks and slashes in before the guards restrained her and chained her up. Queen Helen got up, furious and didn't care about the slashes Vala gave her. Queen Helen walked right up to Vala and looked her right in the eyes.

"You're a little troublemaker aren't you?" Queen Helen said. "Vala, isn't it?"

Vala didn't say anything, refusing to talk to her.

"Talk, you worm!" Queen Helen screamed and smacked Vala with her tail. Vala staggered but still refused to talk. Queen Helen gave her another smack with her tail but still Vala didn't talk, even though the pain was building up and it hurt her to stay quiet. Vala was looking at Abrax who was still on the floor with guards around him. Queen Helen must have seen what Vala was looking at because she stopped and went over to Abrax and picked him up.

"Oh, you care about this dragon?" Queen Helen said and pinned him to the ground in front of Vala. "Then you can watch as he dies!" Queen Helen stabbed her claws into Abrax's wings and he screamed out in pain.

"STOPPPP!" Vala screamed. "Please… stop hurting him."

"Oh, now the worm wants to talk," Queen Helen said, releasing Abrax and letting her guards chain him up. "What made you change? Is it because your precious one was in trouble?"

"I wish you were dead!" Vala yelled at her.

"Oh, but we are death," Queen Helen said. "I mean the other tribes call us Deathwings so you can't kill something that's already dead."

"Just you wait!" Vala said.

"So persistent, aren't you?" Queen Helen asked. She then grabbed the chain around Abrax and brought him to her. "Now I am going to give you a choice. You seem like a good fighter and I could use you to help me capture dragons from the other tribes as revenge for what they did to us."

"I would never help you with that!" Vala screamed.

"Oh, not even if it saves the life of your love here?" Queen Helen asked, pointing to Abrax. "Because that's fine, we can just lock you up and kill him right now in front of you."

"You're a monster!" Vala screamed.

"I was born to be one," Queen Helen said. "Now what will it be?"

Vala didn't want them to lock up Abrax, she wanted them to escape but it didn't look like that was an option. And if she didn't follow Queen Helen's orders then Queen Helen was going to kill Abrax in front of her.

"Vala," Abrax said and Vala could hear that he was in pain. "For us… I'll be locked up."

"No Abrax, I can figure something out!" Vala said. Come on brain, think of something! Anything! Nothing popped to her mind, all she was thinking of was to want to escape from these chains and kill Queen Helen. She finally thought of a plan, but at that point, Abrax spoke up.

"I'll get locked up," Abrax said to Queen Helen. "But you have to promise not to hurt Vala and let her live her life normally."

"It will mostly be normal," Queen Helen said. "She just has to join my group of capturing dragons from the other tribes."

"NEVER!" Vala screamed.

"Vala," Abrax said to her and Vala saw that he wanted her to agree.

"Fine," Vala said. "But if I see Abrax dead then the deal's off."

"Don't worry, I always keep true to my promises," Queen Helen said. "Guards, bring Abrax to jail. The rest of you bring Vala back to the main area and then you can unchain her and allow her to live her life out. Just remember Vala, every other day, you have to help me patrol and find dragons that we can capture. Don't even think of attacking me though because then my guards will kill your love."

"Fine," Vala said. "Deal," and Vala shook Queen Helen's claw.

"I'm glad we can see eye to eye," Queen Helen said. "You'll enjoy it, I promise you."

Vala opened up her eyes. She was laying down on the floor and the rest of her group was talking to Sundew. She looked around and realized where she was. It was their hideout where they gathered information to expose Queen Helen. Kobli looked towards her and realized she was awake.

"Hey guys, she's awake," Kobli said.

"That's good," Nail said.

"What happened?" Vala said, walking towards them.

"You just fainted," Sundew said. "Don't worry we're safe, they took you to I guess the area where you've gathered information about Queen Helen.

Vala looked around the room at all the papers and notes that were all around them and on the walls. Over the years they had gathered a lot of information to prove how cruel Queen Helen was. Her mistreatment of prisoners, the dangers of her arena games, and her physiological mind.

"Well now that Vala is awake, we need to show her something," Nail said.

"What is it?" Vala asked.

"We may have found a way to break Abrax out," Nail said. "But it requires the risk of hiring a dragon for the job."

"Well who's the dragon?" Vala asked.

Vala then saw a dragon walk into the room. Vala never had seen this dragon but noticed from her armor that she was a guard for the prison. Vala's stance got tense but Nail motioned her to calm down.

"Don't worry, she's here to help," Nail said.

"Hello everyone, I'm here to help you break out your friend."

"What's your name?" Vala asked.

"Nova," she said. "And I'm here to help break out Abrax."