Check the previous chapter for an important note! (This was basically a double update)
The return flight to Queen Mala's village was short but filled with incredible tension. Well, the 'Dragon' riders were tense, Shadowtalon and Cascabel on the other talon were having a grand old time, with Cascabel chattering away about how cool she was and how it was so much fun to swing her tail around and watch the little Scavengers go flying!
Out of the corner of her eye, Shadowtalon notices Astrid and Stormfly flying close to Cripple and his group, speaking quietly with them. She can't hear anything over Cascabels excited talking, but she doubts it is anything important
Landing down in the center of the village, it takes a grand total of five seconds before Delicious storms over, eyes wide "What was that! You can't just go around eating people!?"
I try to wave him off "No worry. Human too string for my taste. Too much like fish" Cascabel stays suspiciously quiet during that statement.
Cripple pushes Delicious back "Fishlegs! get back!" Cripple whirls around to face me, keeping a hand facing the black dragon, who is on the verge of growling at me "Eating people is not okay! Viggo will hear about this, and he won't take a man-eating dragon supposedly on our side laying down!"
I lean my head down to bare my sharp teeth, the length of his hand, right in his face "Do not tell me what to do! You do not control me! I am Shadowtalon! Warrior of Nightwings, Champion of Queen Battlewinner, Protector of Queen Glory! I listen only to my Queen and my own pride! If it concerns you so much, then go away and leave us alone!"
Astrid dismounts Stormfly and walks over, putting a hand on Hiccups shoulder "Shadowtalon, Hiccup is right, but we don't want you to leave"
Delicious scoffs, Snot-nose is silent, and the Twins are messing around with the green abomination.
I rear back my head, ignoring the little voice in the back of my mind "Leave. You are just scavengers, you can not understand Dragons of my kind "
Astrid furrows her brows, but Cripple pulls her back towards Stormfly "C'mon Astrid. Its been made very clear what Shadowtalon thinks, and we can't afford to leave the Edge undefended when Viggo catches word of this"
Astrid hesitates but mounts Stormfly and flys off with the rest of the riders. Leaving Cascabel and me alone with Queen Mala and her tribe.
Queen Mala, who had been silent the entire conversation, speaks up "They are still young. While not afraid to fight, they have not seen death as they have been faced with today, and it scared them," Looking at me with a hard gaze she continues "They are correct in that your… attack today will bring unwanted attention from Viggo. But what do dragons care for the trials of men? You protect your own. You will find no trouble here, but I would ask that refrain from bringing it"
I nod my head "A Queen protects. I will hunt and kill, but not you or your tribe"
Queen Mala nods her head in return "It is all I ask"
Taking back into the air, Cascabel flys close to my wing and whispers "What were you all saying?"
I sigh, having forgotten that Cascabel as of yet understood very little of the primitive language "They were frightened that we could eat them and demanded we never did so again." A growl rumbles deep in my chest "They thought they could control us! As if we could be tamed and trained! Only Queen Mala is deserving of respect!"
Cascabel is quiet before asking "But what about Astrid and her funny blue thing? I thought we… I thought you liked them"
I didn't respond. Astrid was the strongest of the Scavenger riders… But I am already being diplomatic by not just eating them all outright. How much more would they demand? How much could I let go until they started wanting to put their saddles on me? Use Cascabel as a beast of burden? Astrid would never, she understands strength, but I can't afford to show any weakness. Not with Cascabel to protect. Not even with Astrid.
Landing back down in front of our cave, Cascabel immediately slinks into her sandpit, burying herself until only the tips of her sail can be seen.
I walk over to my own bed, huffing as I drop down on the soft moss. The path forward from here is incredibly muddied. I have no idea what to do. We can't stay here, this world is too soft for us, but we can't leave. We are trapped here.
Feeling an itch under my skin, I make a snap second decision "Cascabel?" the sand rustles a little bit "I think it is time to leave"
She pokes her head out from the sand "Leave the island?"
"Leave this world. We need to find another portal. And we need to find it soon, before we end up breaking something here that we can't fix"
