Chapter 16
"Are we almost there yet?" Nova asked King Blade.
"We should be close to the waterfall soon," King Blade said. "After that, you all can get back to the Spikewings and put your plan into effect. Let's just hope it works."
"It should," Vala said. "I've heard all of their thoughts. They want the tribe to be better and I promise that this plan will satisfy all of them."
"Ok," King Blade said and then led them through a clearing through the tunnel that had vines covering it. Vala pushed aside the vines and they were back in the room with the waterfall that led up.
"Here we are," King Blade said. "Now all you have to do is fly up and you will get out of here."
"Thank you King Blade," Vala said. "Are you sure you can't follow us?"
"No I can't, sorry," King Blade said. "The range of the magic residue only reaches down here, so I can only be in this form down here. But don't worry, I can always talk to you through your dreams."
"That must be so cool," Nova said. "Is there a way for us to be in the dream as well?"
King Blade laughed. "Well it was just meant to be for the five dragonets that we chose to stop the war, but yeah, why not have their friends there as well? Maybe you two could learn something new."
"Thanks," Abrax said. He then looked over at Thunder which Vala saw was dragging behind. "Thunder, you good?"
"She's… she's going… going to kill… them all," Thunder said. "I… I failed… them."
"Woah, what are you talking about Thunder," Vala said, comforting him with one of her wings.
"Queen Ash knows I'm here," Thunder said. "After she is healed and finds the artifact, she is going to kill my family. And maybe a bunch of Stormwings for betraying her."
"Well she won't be able to do that!" Abrax said. "Your tribe should be able to fight off one dragon!"
"Not… not her," Thunder said and then pulled one of his devices from his strap and placed it on the ground. It started to glow and then showed photos of dragon fighting.
"Initially all our tribes were at war," Thunder said, with the device showing holograms of Stormwings, Lavawings, Divewings, and Earthwings fighting. Vala saw that the ground around her changed and she and everyone else were on a field simulated by the device. Dead body of dragons covered the field and Vala saw a bunch of dragons still fighting in the sky.
"Everything was chaotic back then," Thunder said.
"Wait, how long ago was this?" Nova asked.
Thunder looked at them all. "This was when dragons were first created, about eight thousand years ago from what we have deciphered."
Everyone gasped. "How do you know all this?" Vala asked Thunder.
"My family was kept with the task to safely record all documents and to keep them locked away safely. These holograms are copies I'm showing you. The original ones are locked safe away to where no one can get them, I hope."
"What happened here then?" King Blade asked, pointing at the simulated battle happening above them. "How did it end?"
"It didn't really end," Thunder said, forwarding the simulation to where everyone could see a Lavawing fly into the middle of the battle. Even from far away, Vala knew who that was.
"Queen Ash," everyone said at once.
"Yes, she is the one who stopped the fighting," Thunder said.
"But how is that possible?" Abrax asked. "You said that war happened eight thousands years ago? How is she still alive then?"
"With this," Thunder said, showing a hologram of the lost artifact.
"Wait, this artifact was there?" Vala asked.
"Yes," Thunder said. "And it is not called the lost artifact. Its real name is Argus."
"The pillar has a name?" Nova asked.
"Yes," Thunder said. "But from what I heard, it's not just a pillar. Some dragons have spread rumors to have heard strange voices from the pillar, almost like it's a living creature or something."
"Okay not going to picture that," Vala said. "But how does this pillar make Queen Ash stop a war by herself?"
Thunder took a deep breath before answering. "Have you ever wondered about animus magic?" he asked them.
"Uh, well from what I heard it was a great power that allows its users to cast any spell they want but it takes their soul a little bit each time they do it," Vala said.
"Yes, but have you ever wondered where it came from? Did just one dragon have it and passed it down to different generations or was it something else?"
"Like what?" Vala asked.
"This," Thunder said, pointing at the artifact which was named Argus. "This is where all animus magic originated from, this artifact."
"Everything?" Vala asked, contemplating how one artifact could hold that much power. "But how?"
"No one knows," Thunder asked. "But it was from this artifact that Queen Ash got her powers and took over as ruler over all our tribes on Phales."
"Phales?" Vala asked. "Is that the continent you come from?"
"Yes," Thunder said. "And Queen Ash rules over all of it."
"Well that's terrible," Abrax said. "You should all have equal rights to choose for yourself."
"Couldn't you do something about it?" Nova asked.
"No," Thunder said and the hologram showed Queen Ash above all the tribes she ruled. "Her animus powers made her too strong, no one could touch her."
"But if she has used her powers so much, doesn't that mean that she has lost her soul as well?" Vala asked. "How does it seem like she can make rational, evil decisions still?"
"I don't know," Thunder said. "Maybe because she was one of the few to get her animus powers from the artifact which maybe means that she doesn't lose her soul when she uses her powers."
"One of the few?" Abrax asked.
"Three other dragons got animus powers from the artifact, from which all the dragons on all your continents got their animus powers from."
"Wait, so are all of us descendants from the tribes on your continent?" Vala asked.
"Yes," Thunder said. "From what I've been told, every dragon tribe on Pyrrhia, Pantala, and Petonix were from the Lavawings, Stormwings, Divewings, and Earthwings. Obviously there must have been a bunch of hybrid dragons that eventually after a long time formed into the dragon tribes that there are today."
"Wow, so we all originate from Phales?" Nova asked. "That's so cool! Imagine how exciting the book I could write would be?"
"Uh, how about we calm down there bookie," Vala said. "We still have a war to stop and then maybe afterwards Thunder could tell you some interesting facts about Phales."
"Oh this is so exciting!" Nova said. "The continent we originated from! We have to go there and see it!"
"Uh, don't you remember what Thunder just said?" King Blade said. "Bloodthirsty queen rules that continent, not to mention we still have this continent to save."
"Oh," Nova said, and she looked embarrassed. "Sorry."
"It's fine," Thunder said and picked up his device and shut it off which made the simulated field around them disappear and they were back in the cave. "Maybe after everything is done, I'll give you a history lesson."
"I'll make sure to have something to write it all down!" Nova said and they all laughed.
"Ok, it's time for all of you to go back to your tribe," King Blade said. "Your wings are healed and you can fly out of here."
Vala felt herself crying a little. "Thank you King Blade."
"Hey I'll still be around," King Blade said. "But you're welcome. Good luck." And with that Vala and the rest of her friends flew up the hole and followed the waterfall upwards until they arrived at the top and they landed on the ground.
"Wow, it feels great to finally be out of that hole," Abrax said.
"You said it brother," Vala said and they both laughed.
"Come on, it's not over yet," Nova said. "Let's go to the Spikewings."
They all started to walk towards their home but Vala saw Thunder not moving. She stopped and went back to Thunder.
"Thunder, what's wrong?" Vala asked.
Thunder looked down at the ground. "I already compromised myself by telling you everything about my mission and where I came from. I can't go to an area where a whole tribe will see me. I will betray my goal, which is to still find the artifact."
"Listen Thunder," Vala said. "We are trying to find the artifact as well to keep it out of the hands of Dredge, his evil group, and now Queen Ash. So staying with us will still help in your mission. Please, you helped us so much so let us repay you back."
Thunder thought about it for a moment before answering. "Fine," he said. "But anything goes wrong and I'm out of there. I still have my tribe to worry about since Queen Ash will go after them next once she gets Argus."
"We won't allow that to happen," Vala said. "I promise."
"Ok," Thunder said. "I trust you."
"Good," Vala said. "Now let's go raise a tribe up," and she followed Abrax and Nova, with Thunder behind her, back to their tribe.
It took them a while but finally Vala saw their village come into view at the end of the tunnel. She also saw Spikewings going about their day as normal but each of them stopped to look at Vala and her group as they passed them. She heard what they were thinking in their minds.
Aren't those the dragons who escaped from the arena?
They're alive?
Why did they come back here? Why not run away?
But Vala only heard a few questions go towards them, she could tell from the Spikewings expressions that they were more curious in Thunder, who was trying his best to cover himself with his wings and hide behind Vala.
"Hey, it's okay Thunder," Vala said. Thunder didn't respond.
Vala finally saw the area for the throne room ahead of them and she caught up to be right beside her brother Abrax.
Okay, just follow the plan that we made, Vala thought as they approached the throne where a few guards were standing. One of the guards saw them and was surprised.
"It's the escapees!" he yelled and the rest of the guards quickly turned to face Vala and her group. They quickly surrounded them and all the Spikewings around stopped what they were doing to see what was happening.
Good, it's all going to plan, Vala thought and nudged Abrax, which was the sign for the next step in the plan.
"Ahm, everyone, do we really need to be this hostile to each other?" Abrax asked the guards but also made it a question for the crowd that was forming. "Why can't we just all stand up together and unite towards one goal."
Vala heard the Spikewings thinking about it in their mind but the guards started to enclose in on her group.
"I wouldn't do that if I was you," Vala said. "Your queen isn't here to give you directions."
"Yeah but we have directions to kill you on sight," one of the guards said and pointed his spear at Vala.
"You mean kill the queen's dragonets on sight?" Abrax asked and a gasp went through the crowd.
The Queen had dragonets?
There the Queen's dragonets?
What are they planning to do?
"Yes I know, kind of a big deal," Abrax said and walked past the guards, who were too stunned to comprehend what they just heard. Vala caught up to him and walked up the throne with him and sat with him on the top. It was a big throne so both of them could fit on it at once.
"Now Spikewings, I know you all remember our days when our tribe had kings as leaders," Vala said. "That was before our mom, Helen, destroyed that tradition."
Vala saw the Spikewings murmuring to each other throughout the crows and she looked over at Abrax who nodded for her to continue.
"We know that you all hated Helen as queen, but we also know that it wouldn't be fair to just switch it back to being a king because queens can be good as well, as long as they are the right one."
"So we have this proposition for you," Abrax said. "We have successfully driven Helen off for now but she will be back to try to rule over all you again and tear our tribe apart more." Vala then saw Abrax wave for Nova who got up and stood right beside Abrax. "But if you want our tribe to be strong then appoint me and Nova as your King and Queen and I promise you that we will help build this tribe back up to its former glory and that we will get our land back on the surface."
Vala was worried. She heard so many thoughts going through the crowd of Spikewings that it was impossible to focus on one thought. She thought she heard some Spikewings being on board with it but then she thought she heard some Spikewings being against it. Then one by one, Vala saw the Spikewings start to cheer and clap until the whole cavern filled with the celebration from the Spikewings of their new king and queen, Abrax and Nova.
"You did it, King Abrax," Vala said, bowing to her brother.
"Oh stop that," Abrax said, flicking her with his tail. "I'm your brother, you don't have to call me that."
"That was a great speech," Nova said.
"Thanks," Abrax said. "I've been working on it for the past few hours."
"Well I think it came out perfect," Thunder said. Vala then heard from his mind, if only the tribes back home could have their own leader.
"Don't worry," Vala said, comforting Thunder. "We'll help your continent out, we promise."
"Thanks," Thunder said.
"Well I'm glad everything turned out okay," Abrax said, sitting beside everyone and looking at their celebrating tribe.
"Yeah, everything turned out alright," Vala said and sat down beside Nova, Abrax, and Thunder and looked down at the new beginning for their tribe.