Chapter 8

Are we going to survive?

How am I going to protect both of them?

Argh, guarding these dragonets suck.

Vala woke up in a sweat and looked around. Everyone was asleep and the guard was still in his position with his back facing them.

Argh, WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY MIND!

Vala tried to shake the thoughts out of her mind but it didn't work. They were starting to drive her nuts and if she didn't find a way to stop them, then she felt like she was going to go insane.

Why is this happening to me? I've never had this happen before so why has it all of a sudden started?

Vala thought about this and then figured out some dragons that may help her with what was going on.

Let's hope they know something, Vala said and closed her eyes and fell into a deep trance. She woke up back on the island and immediately went over to King Blade.

"Ah, hello Vala," King Blade said as Vala approached. "You're here a little early. Everyone else should be here in a few minutes."

"Well I have a question about something," Vala said as her head was throbbing as more thoughts bombarded her mind.

I wonder what she needs from me? I wasn't the best king but I hope that I can help her out.

"Have Spikewings ever had issues with… hearing thoughts?" Vala asked.

"What do you mean by that?" King Blade asked.

"Have any Spikewings that you knew… ever report that they could hear… other dragon's thoughts?"

"Uh, no, not that I know of," King Blade said. "Why do you ask?"

"Uh… well I was just… wondering?"

"Hmmm," King Blade said. "Are you sure?"

"Uh… uh… uh…" Vala started to back away, thinking that this was a terrible idea. Before she got far though, she bumped into something and turned around to see Tulsi.

"Oh hey Tulsi, I didn't expect you here so early," Vala said.

"Yeah, I could say the same for yourself," Tulsi said. "I just wanted to talk to Queen Beta about how it was like when she was queen. But then I saw you so I decided to go talk to you."

"Oh, thanks," Vala said.

"Listen Vala," Tulsi said. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"And what's that?" Vala asked.

"Do you… not trust us? Is that why you ran away?"

"Um… well I maybe didn't," Vala said. "But then I heard that you all still would believe in me even if no one else would so that warmed me up. To be honest, it meant a lot hearing it from you."

"Oh, really?" Tulsi asked.

"Yes," Vala said. "No offense to the others but you and I are in similar boats with what happened to our tribes."

"Yeah," Tulsi said. "I can get that. But what do you mean by you heard that we would believe you? I only said that yesterday and you were nowhere with us."

Well that answers my question that it was real. But I shouldn't have said that because how am I supposed to explain what has been going on with my mind to her? Vala then heard what was going through Tulsi's mind.

Am I being a good friend? Maybe, but how do I know? One of my friends ran away and I did nothing to stop it.

"You're the best friend you could ever be to me," Vala said to Tulsi, trying to comfort her.

"Huh?" Tulsi said. "Did you just…"

"Read your mind?" Vala finished for her. "Yes. I don't know how but I can hear what other dragons are thinking."

"That's interesting," Tulsi said. "Does anyone else know?"

"No," Vala said. "I don't really know how I'll explain it to them or how they'll view me after I tell them."

"Well I still view you in the same way," Tulsi said.

"Thanks," Vala said. "You have been the best friend I've ever had."

"Your welcome," Tulsi said. "I hope we are able to see each other again out of this dream world."

"Me too," Vala said and then Tulsi went off to find Queen Beta. Vala turned around to King Blade behind her, most likely listening in on the conversation.

"Really, you couldn't give us a little privacy?" Vala asked.

"Well when you said that you could read dragon's minds, that spiked my interest," King Blade said.

"Please don't tell anyone," Vala said.

"I won't," King Blade said.

"Thanks," Vala said. "Have any other Spikewings been able to do this?"

"No, none that I've heard of," King Blade said. "You seem to be the first one."

"Well how then?" Vala said. "How can I hear dragons thoughts?"

"Have you had anything weird happen throughout your life?" King Blade asked.

"No," Vala said. "I hatched as an orphan on the surface and found my way down here. After that I lived a regular life, well as regular as trying to kill the queen and your boyfriend being locked up."

"Hah, Queen Helen really is terrible," King Blade said. "I thought that the tradition of Kings would continue but she comes and messes everything up. And her rules are vicious as well. This is the reason we had kings."

"Really?" Vala said. "Why?"

"Because in the Spikewing tribe, male dragons have the brains while females have the brawns. If you notice our army, it has more females than males."

"So we fight and protect our tribe while the males keep everything in check back home."

"Yep," King Blade said. "But here comes Queen Helen to mess everything up. You know her husband should have been King but she killed him."

"Wait, Queen Helen had a mate?" Vala asked, surprised. She never heard that Queen Helen had a mate, in fact no one seemed to have known.

"Yes she had a mate," King Blade said. "And she even had eggs with him. But he disappointed her so she killed him before he could become king and took the spot as queen."

"She had kids as well?!" Vala asked. "Who were they?"

"I'd rather not say," King Blade said. "It is for their safety in the tribe so that no dragons try to target them for being related to Queen Helen."

"Oh well that makes sense," Vala said. "But did no one try to protest when Helen became queen?

"Oh some did," King Blade said. "But she had them executed and the rest of the tribe needed a leader so they accepted her as their queen. If only they knew what disaster that would bring."

"Well thanks for that information," Vala said.

"Your welcome," King Blade said. "Now let's get on with your training. Today you have to learn to rest your mind."

So for the next few hours, Vala waited in one spot and meditated with King Blade. Well tried to, she kept getting impatient and annoyed.

"How will this help me defeat Dredge's group?" Vala asked.

"If you relax and be patient, you will learn," King Blade said.

"But we need to defeat them now!" Vala said. "We don't have time to wait around!"

"That is where you're wrong," King Blade said. "Sometimes things aren't clear right away. That's where you need to be patient and persevere and see where things lead."

"I am patient!" Vala said. "But waiting around gives them more time to plot against us and by the time we're ready, they will have already been ahead of us and we will not be able to come back!"

"Hmm," King Blade said. "Sounds like you're one that doesn't like plans."

"Why would you need a plan when you can quickly attack and surprise the enemies off guard?" Vala asked.

King Blade didn't say anything and instead went back to meditating.

"Um hello?" Vala asked. "Are you even listening?"

"Yes I am," King Blade said while meditating. "Just calming my mind down from your thoughts. Our training is done for today, come back tomorrow at the same time. I'll have something new for you to try then."

"Fine," Vala said and walked away. She looked over and saw all her friends busy with their teachers as well; well all except Hunter.

"Hey Hunter, what are you doing?" Vala asked as she approached Hunter sitting at the end of the water, looking at his reflection.

"I'm just contemplating stuff," Hunter said. "As in, do I need to learn the lessons that Queen Shelob is teaching me?"

"Why, what's she teaching you?" Vala asked.

"She is teaching me about royalty, about items and powers you get for being one and how beneficial they can be to your tribe, which I don't want to think about! I don't want to have powers over other dragons, that's unfair and it makes me feel like a villain. I already am related to Dredge, that psychopath, I don't want to add another item that relates me more to him."

"Wow, that's tough," Vala said. "But I don't think you would turn evil like him. You would know right from wrong and when to stand back."

"Are you sure though?" Hunter asked. "I mean my mom is great sometimes but other times, she can abuse her powers when something happens that she doesn't like. Honestly it feels like all royal families are corrupt and I don't want to be a part of one!"

"Well not all are corrupt," Vala pointed out. "What about Glory and Tulsi?"

"Ok well maybe not all," Hunter said. "But the one I'm a part of is! I… I just want to be ordinary like you guys. I don't want to set my hopes up too high."

"You'll be fine Hunter," Vala said. "You know, you're not the only one related to Dredge."

"Yes I know, Ocho and Prancer are related to him as well," Hunter said. "But they seem to be able to take it better than I am."

"Are you sure?" Vala asked. "Have you ever asked them?"

"Yes!" Hunter said. "Well I've talked to Prancer about it but not his sister Ocho."

"Why not?" Vala asked.

"Well she's been sulking recently," Hunter said. "She finally learned about the fate of her mother and has been having a breakdown. We've tried helping her but she refuses to come out of her web. She only allows Prancer to bring her food but refuses to talk to anyone else."

"That must be tough," Vala said. "Learning that your mother is dead and that you other living parent is a mass murdering dragon."

"Yeah," Hunter said. "So I don't think it's the best time to try to strike up a conversation with her about Dredge. I would rather not want to find out how well she can fight."

"Well whatever happens, I believe that you will come out on top," Vala said. "Don't ever think of yourself like Dredge because you are too goodhearted, unlike him."

"Thanks Vala," Hunter said.

Vala then woke up to the sounds of footsteps approaching the cage. She looked up just in time to see guards chain her and Nova up and bring them both in front of Queen Helen.

"Ah, finally you're both awake," Queen Helen said. "Today's the big day."

"You're a monster!" Vala heard Abrax yelled and saw him being held back by the guards.

"I think you should quiet your snout," Queen Helen said. "Unless you want to join them as well."

Abrax shut his mouth and Queen Helen laughed.

"That's what I thought," Queen Helen said. "Now escort these two down to the arena." She started to walk away but then turned around with a smile on her face. "And while you're at it, bring the male next to the throne. I want him to have a first class seat when the battle happens."

Vala saw Abrax try to struggle while the guards put chains on him. She wanted to help out but she was helpless, being dragged along to the arena with Nova, where they would have to fight to the death.

Well Sundew says that they have an idea on how to get them out. I hope they can do it in time at least.

The guards dragged Vala and Nova through the main plaza where Spikewings stopped what they were doing and watched. Vala could hear all the thoughts of them as well as hear what they were saying.

"Yay more victims!"

More Spikewings? Hasn't our tribe suffered enough already?

Huh? Vala thought. Did she just hear that correctly? A Spikewing's words and thoughts being different?

"Have them fight to the death!"

Someone has to take down the queen.

There it is again! Vala thought. She heard even more from all the Spikewings that they passed. They say for them to die, yet their minds want the bloodshed to end and for something to change.

If these dragons are thinking this, then why haven't they acted out? Why are they still following Queen Helen? Are they scared to stand up? Afraid that no one else will stand up with them?

The guards finally brought Vala and Nova to the arena and threw them into a jail cell.

"Stay here and don't cause trouble," one of the guards said. "Queen Helen would be disappointed to see you dead before the fight she has planned for you."

Vala wanted to be mad at the guard but what she heard from his mind made it impossible.

Why is our queen doing this to our own dragons? How many more will I have to throw in here so that they can die for her entertainment? Will I ever be free or will my family still be punished for my mistake?

Vala's mind was swirling around and she started getting dizzy. Hearing all of these thoughts from her tribe made no sense. They acted vicious and wanted death, she never expected any of them to have this soft side to them.

Argh, mind how and why are you doing this to me? HOW CAN I HEAR THEIR THOUGHTS?

"Hey are you okay?" Nova asked, stepping closer to Vala.

"Yes," Vala said, stepping away from her, not wanting to be near her. "My mind is just hurting."

"You said that it has been hurting for the last couple days," Nova said, stepping closer to Vala again and resting her wing on her. "Care to talk about it?"

"I… guess," Vala said. "Since it may be the final thing I talk about before I die."

"Hey, don't say that!" Nova said. "We will get out of this!"

"Are you sure?" Vala asked. "Look at our wings, we can't fly. How are we supposed to get out of this pit?"

"They will figure something out, just trust them," Nova said.

Vala thought in her mind before answering. "What if they don't?" Vala asked. "Then what?"

"They will figure something out, I promise," Nova said.

Vala leaned in to whisper to Nova. "Okay but if anything happens to me… just promise… that you will take care of Abrax."

Nova squeezed her claw. "I promise but I also promise that nothing will happen to you."

Vala heard commotion going on outside and she looked out of their cell and saw Queen Helen up on her throne with Abrax chained up beside her.

"Welcome dragons one and all!" Queen Helen said. "We have some very exciting battles here today!"

"WOOOOO!" all the Spikewings said but Vala heard something different in their minds.

BOOOOOOOOOO!

MURDER!

TRAITOR!

WORST LEADER EVER!

Vala felt herself smiling, knowing that her tribe didn't seem to be this bloodthirsty tribe that she knew originally. Still didn't help answer her question of how she was hearing this.

"And let the first fight commence!" Queen Helen said.

Vala watched as two Spikewings attacked each other, trying to kill one another. It became too gruesome that Vala closed her eyes and tried to shut it out from her mind. She decided to go talk to King Blade while she still had time. Maybe he had some ideas on how to help. But when Vala appeared at the island, she saw all her friends around a black dragon that Vala recognized as Moon.

Huh, what's she doing here? Vala thought. She then saw Tulsi see her.

"There's Vala," Tulsi said to Moon. Moon turned around and looked at Vala for a while before walking towards her and stopping in front of her.

"Hello," Moon said.

"Hello?" Vala said, skeptically. "Why are you here?"

"I asked her to come," Tulsi said. "I know you said not to tell anyone Vala but Moon is different."

"Tulsi," Vala said.

"Okay, I had my skyfire off and she read it from my mind," Tulsi said. "But then that's when I realized something. What you said you had sounds like what she can do."

"Really?" Vala asked.

"Let's test it," Moon said. "Say what I'm thinking."

I'm a mindreader, Vala heard from Moon's mind.

"I'm a mindreader," Vala said.

"She is one," Moon said, with a little surprise in her voice.

"What's wrong?" Vala asked.

"It's just that only Nightwings have the power to become mind readers and that is if their egg hatches under the light of a full moon."

"Well my egg did hatch up on the surface," Vala said. "It may have been a full moon that day."

"Maybe," Moon said. "But you're not a Nightwing."

"I may have an explanation for that," King Blade said.

"What is that?" Vala asked.

"Well remember how tribes from Pyrrhia came here two thousands years ago to get away from a dragon named Darkstalker."

"Yeah," Moon said, flinching a little bit.

"Well one of those tribes were the Nightwings," King Blade said. "And us Spikewings were initially the only tribe on this continent."

"Wait," Vala said. "Are you saying that…"

"You have Nightwing genes," King Blade said. "Yes, just think about it. They lived peacefully together for one hundred years, who's not to say that there were some Spikewing-Nightwing hybrids, or any other tribe in that matter."

"But then how am I a Spikewing then?" Vala asked.

"I expect that when the Spikewings were forced down here, some of them were still hybrids but over time, the Spikewing gene overtook and became dominant," King Blade said. "That doesn't mean though that the Nightwing gene went away."

"And since you hatched on the surface, and if it was under a full moon, that's how you have mind reading powers," Tulsi said.

"Wow, that explains a lot," Vala said. "Especially why my head hurts when I'm hearing all these thoughts from all these different dragons."

"I can help you with your mind reading powers," Moon said.

"Thanks," Vala said. "But right now I have to figure out how to escape with Nova from the pit in the arena that Queen Helen wants us to fight to the death in."

"That stupid pit," King Blade said. "It was just a random pit meant to put the dead bodies of our soldiers until we could bury them, but Queen Helen comes along and disgraces it and turns it into a pit for battles." King Blade paced back and forth for a moment. "But maybe there is a way to escape from there without having to fly."

"How?" Vala asked.

King Blade leaned in and whispered it to her.

"That could work," Vala said. "Let's just hope they bring the gunpowder."

"Good luck," King Blade and all her friends said.

"Thanks everyone," Vala said. "I'll be back before you know it," and then Vala woke up to guards opening up their cell.

"Vala it's time," Nova said.

"Get out into the pit you two," one of the guards said. "It's time for your battle."