Chapter 12

Wait, three Spikewings with Sundew? Vala thought. That must be Nail, Batik, and Kobli! I have to tell her!

But before Vala had time to tell Tulsi, Queen Beta had already told Tulsi what to do and Tulsi disappeared.

"No!" Vala said. "I have to tell her who they are!"

"Who what are?" King Blade asked.

"I know those Spikewings!" Vala said. "They are a part of my group that we made, The Collective. I need to tell her that they are friends and not enemies."

"Shoot, that could be a problem," King Blade said. "But there is no way for us to bring her in here if she isn't sleeping."

"Come on, there has to be some way to inform them!" Vala said. "Come on Vala, there has to be something."

I can't let either of my friends get hurt, come on Vala, there has to be someone who can tell them. Someone I can talk to. Argh, if only someone could read minds as well. Then out of nowhere an idea struck into Vala's brain like a brick to the face. Moon! She is a mind reader as well! I could talk to her through her mind and have her tell them! I hope at least I can talk to her through long distances.

"Hey King Blade," Vala said.

"Yes?" King Blade said. "What do you want?"

"If I'm correct, this area that we are in is a projection from a cave somewhere around this continent that you've been to?"

"Why, that is correct," King Blade said. "We can visualize where we want to be and appear there in real time. If there are any dragons there, we can see what they are up to and hear them, but they can't see us. We can interact with the environment around us, but they won't see it. Why do you ask this?"

"Is it possible that you can visualize us at the Drillwing village?" Vala asked. "I may have a way to stop a fight from happening."

"Why sure I can do that for you," King Blade said and then the scenery around Vala changed and they were right outside the Drillwing village.

"Thank you," Vala said and flew into the Drillwing village. Vala flew, initially spooked when Drillwings appeared in front of her, but then realized that they couldn't see her, so she continued on. She found the house that the dragons from the other two continents were staying in and saw Moon talking with Qibli. She opened up the door and went inside, scared that they would see the door open, but no one seemed to have noticed, probably because they saw the door still closed. Vala walked over to Moon and sat down right next to her, listening to their conversation.

"I wonder what we are going to do to help out this continent?" Moon asked Qibli.

"Oh don't worry we'll be able to think of something," Qibli said. "I also have thought of many ways that Winter could propose to Ocho."

"Hey we aren't there yet!" Winter said.

"Yeah sure buddy," Qibli said and put his wing around Winter. "Don't worry buddy, you'll do fine."

Winter huffed. "I really hate you sometimes, you know that?"

"Oh I love you too," Qibli said and then went back to talking to Moon.

Ok here's my chance, Vala thought. Moon can you hear me?

Vala watched as Moon's face got startled and she shot up, looking around the room in a panic. Qibli and Winter got startled as well and went over to her.

"Are you okay Moon?" Qibli asked.

"What happened?" Winter asked.

"I heard a voice in my mind," Moon said, shaken. "Someone was talking to me."

"Oh no, could it be?" Qibli asked and then looked over to Winter. "Could it be?"

"No, it couldn't!" Winter said. "Kinkajou did the spell right! He no longer is a threat!"

Oh shoot, I know who they are talking about, Vala thought. When they had arrived at the village, they told their stories of the War of the Sandwings and the evil dragon named Darkstalker.

No, Moon, it's me Vala! Remember the Spikewing that also has mind reading powers?

Vala saw Moon's face relax and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry," Moon said. "It's just Vala."

"Oh yeah, that Spikewing that you said had mind reading powers," Qibli said. "Because of her Nightwing genetics."

"Yes," Moon said. "Let me see what she wants."

Yes Vala, what do you want?

Moon, I need your help with something.

What's that Vala?

Three Spikewings with Sundew are approaching the Drillwing village, Moon. They are my friends Nail, Batik, and Kobli. I need you to go tell Queen Tulsi that so that she can call off her guards from ambushing them please.

Oh. Well yes, I can do that for you Vala.

Thank you Moon.

Your welcome Vala.

"What does she want?" Qibli asked Moon.

"We need to find Queen Tulsi and fast," Moon said. "Or else some unnecessary bloodshed may occur."

"I'll go find her!" Winter said. "I know her routine and where she is right now."

"Then go, we'll be right behind you," Qibli said.

So Vala watched as Moon, Qibli, and Winter went out of the house and flew up into the sky. Vala then flew back to the entrance where King Blade was still waiting.

"Looks like whatever you did worked," King Blade said and motioned to the front gate where Nail, Batik, Kobli, and Sundew were being let into the village.

"I'm glad that I was able to help," Vala said.

"You did more than that," King Blade said and bumped Vala's side.

"What do you mean?" Vala asked.

"You made a plan," King Blade said.

Vala's body and mind froze. She did what? Made… a… plan? No, no, I didn't, how could I have? Was that a plan I made?

"I couldn't have made a plan!" Vala said.

King Blade chuckled. "Keep saying that to yourself," he said, "but you did make a plan."

"No!" Vala said.

"Just think about it," King Blade said. "Is there anything else that you want to do here first?"

"No," Vala said. "I'm going to wake up and figure out what I am going to do with the dragons around me."

"Just don't kill them," King Blade said.

"I won't," Vala said and then woke up back to the underground cavern they were stuck in. She got up and saw Abrax over by the lake talking with Nova.

Well that's fine, I don't care about you anymore anyway, Vala thought. She then saw Thunder sitting down looking through his pouch he had on. Vala looked at the pouch and realized that it wasn't a pouch and more like a metal strap that went around his body. It had little pockets throughout the front that looked like you could put items in there that you needed. Vala watched as Thunder took out one of those metal rings that had sent a shockwave out to stun all the dragonbite vipers.

"How does that work?" Vala asked Thunder. Thunder got startled, not realizing that she was watching.

"Oh, well, it's… complicated," Thunder said. "I don't think you would understand."

"Come on, it can't be that complicated," Vala said.

"Ok," Thunder said. "Well first you throw it across the ground which sends a spark to its microtransmitor in the center, which activates the electrons to disperse across the device to four endpoints that activate each nucleus there. Afterwards it charges up the orb in the middle to where it grows and once it hits the metal, it disperses and stuns anything that I want it to stun. I can choose who or what it can stun by the way. So did you get all that?"

Vala's mind was frozen. She didn't understand a word that Thunder had just said but she didn't want to hurt his feelings.

"Yeah I mostly got it," Vala said even though she didn't have a clue.

"Wow, impressive," Thunder said. "Usually most dragons don't understand a word I say, even some of my closest friends."

"If you don't mind if I ask, who are your closest friends?" Vala asked.

"Uh, well I guess I call them my closest friends, but to be honest I don't know if they see me as the same," Thunder said. "But I think they do, I mean what isn't there to like about me, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Vala said." You're very charming."

"Oh thank you, I knew I wasn't crazy!" Thunder said. "Dragons actually admire my brain and my charm. What gave it away, my black scales on my face and wings or was it something else? Maybe it was my invention. Or maybe something else. What was it?"

"Uh… well… I don't know," Vala said.

"Oh come on, you can tell me," Thunder said and started to move closer to her.

"Woah, stop right there!" Vala said. "Are you trying to make a move on me? Because I already had one breakup today, I don't want another one!"

"Oh no, I wasn't!" Thunder said, backing up. "I just wanted to hug you because I thought you were my friend."

"Now what made you think that?" Vala asked.

"Well you said you understood me, which to be honest meant that you were the first dragon to understand me, which makes you a friend."

"Ok, let's get this straight," Vala said. "I just wanted to be nice to you, that's why I said I understood you."

"Oh, I see," Thunder said and started crying. "I guess maybe I am a freak."

"No, no you're not!" Vala said. "You're still very funny. And you helped save us! That makes you a friend to me."

Thunder wiped the tears from his eyes. "Really?"

"Yes," Vala said. "I just don't want you trying to be my boyfriend."

"Oh don't worry about that," Thunder said. "I already have my eyes on someone else who I want, but I don't know if it will work out."

"Want to tell me?" Vala asked.

"Sure, but it's a secret, don't tell anyone please."

"I won't," Vala said.

"Ok thanks," Thunder said. "So, to be honest, I don't even know if she likes me. I mean I've only seen her a few times but we have never officially talked with each other."

"So you're going off a hunch that you hope she likes you?" Vala asked.

"Well yes," Thunder said. "I mean I like her and I hope she likes me. I hope her brother allows me to be her boyfriend. He seems protective over her. And then there's her mother. I really may have a hard time with her."

"I'm sorry," Vala said. "But this seems like a whole lot that you are going to have to go through just to see if she likes you. Aren't you better off finding another dragon in your tribe that likes you? That reminds me, I still don't know what tribe you're from."

"I… can't tell you," Thunder said.

"Because it is a part of your mission?" Vala asked.

"Yes," Thunder said. "And I don't think I would be able to find anyone in my tribe. Everyone refers to me as the weird dragonet to avoid."

"Why's that?" Vala asked.

"Well, I guess it's because I'm not a very social type. Most things that dragons from my tribe do I don't want to do. So I guess I've shut myself out from them."

"Well I don't think that you're that weird," Vala said. "Only a little when you talk to yourself."

"I do that?" Thunder asked.

"Never mind," Vala said. "Are you sure you can't tell me what your mission is about?"

"No," Thunder said. "If I did, I'd be a disappointment to everyone. This is my one chance to make dragons recognize me. And maybe give us a fighting chance for what we are planning to do to make a better world."

"Really?" Vala asked. "Because that sounds like what me and my friends are trying to do here. Trying to stop the wars going on here and make peace between all our tribes."

"Really," Thunder said. "That sounds exactly what my tribe is going to try to do, in a sense. Oh this is amazing!"

"Um, were you supposed to tell me that?" Vala asked.

Thunder's face went blank before answering. "Shoot. Please, please, please, please, don't tell anyone, please, please, please. My life would be ruined. Oh no, it's already ruined isn't it?"

"Hey calm down," Vala said. "I won't tell anyone. It seems like a big deal to you and I understand what it's like wanting your privacy to stay private."

"Oh, thanks," Thunder said.

"Hey, it's what friends do," Vala said.

Thunder smiled before looking back down at his circular device in his hands.

"Would you mind keeping one more secret between us?" Thunder asked.

"Sure, what is it?" Vala asked.

Thunder looked past Vala towards Abrax and Nova but Vala saw that they were still chatting at the lake, laughing. Who were they laughing at? Probably her. Or maybe not, Vala. Not everything is related to you. Vala shook that thought out of her head. She didn't want to be thinking about them right now.

"Ok," Thunder said. "I guess I can tell you what my mission is about."

"Oh really?" Vala asked. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"No, I want to," Thunder said. "From what I hear, it sounds like my mission and yours aren't much different, we both want to help dragons out."

"Yes," Vala said. "But what is your mission?"

"Ok, this is going to sound weird and you may not understand it at first, but just listen to me," Thunder said.

"Ok?" Vala said.

"Ok, so my mission is a bit of a woozy," Thunder said. "To be honest, I've just been running around in circles for the last couple days without any progress."

"Ok," Vala said. "So what is the mission?"

"But maybe I have made some progress," Thunder said, not hearing her. "I mean there were those reports I heard from those dragons about activity coming on down here and also the fact by who was reported to be here as well."

"Thunder?" Vala asked.

"But maybe I could find more out," Thunder said. "Maybe I just need to look harder."

"Thunder," Vala said, a little agitated.

"Argh, but maybe I can't find anything else like that. Just maybe…"

"Thunder!" Vala yelled, snapping Thunder out of his ramble.

"Oh yes, what do you want, Vala?" Thunder asked.

"What is your mission about?" Vala asked.

"Oh right, my mission," Thunder said. "Well I need some help to find some lost treasure."

"And what treasure is that?" Vala asked.

"I need help to find something that is called the lost artifact."