Chapter 22
Calcite
Calcite watched as dragons began to grow more uneasy. His eyes scoured the main hall for the Queen. He couldn't see her. He looked back around and locked eyes with Amethyst. Her eyes were worried and cautious. He opened his wings and flew up to her level.
"It's getting worse. The tribe doesn't know what to do. The unrest is unsettling." he said to her. "We should bring the fight to them."
"Do you not remember what Argent had told us? If we go out there there'll be an entire army waiting for us." She flung her wings up in distress.
"What if he told us a lie? Silverwings are nothing but liars." he snorted.
Wings flapping drew his attention away. Jade and Jasper were coming in from the main cavern. "Nothing yet." Jade dropped his head.
"Nothing? No sounds even?" Amethyst asked.
"No." Jasper shook his head. "Only bird song. We can keep listening but I don't think it'll do much."
"I'll take the next shift." Amethyst stood up. "Thanks guys."
Calcite watched as Amethyst flew off in the direction of the northern entrance. "She needs to realize this is just to keep us down here." he paced over to the two.
"She's determined to do whatever it takes." Jasper swishes his tail. "Some things never change. After you left she kept up on her Warrior patrols. She took up all the open shifts."
"What? She told me she was going to quit." Calcite thought back to that day.
"You should talk with her about it." Jade shook his wings. "We have to get going."
"Alright." Calcite nodded. "See you."
Jade and Jasper started to walk away down the corridor towards the armory. Calcite stood there for a minute thinking about his choice. Almost unconsciously he walked through the great hall. It was filled with elaborate paintings of all the members in the royal family.
He stopped at one picture. He lightly touched a claw to it. It was him. In the picture he stood tall and ready to bear arms. It didn't capture his true self. Everything in the picture was a lie. A fairytale to be told. Royal families were hard to live in.
He dropped his talon and continued walking. He looked at each painting with deep sorrow. His whole family was descended from a great family. He didn't feel great. He felt… Well he didn't know how he felt.
He walked slowly through the dirt and stone halls, listening to the steady rhythm of the underground waterfall. You could hear it anywhere in the kingdom underground.
He looked up to see a familiar face walking towards him. Citrine was walking towards him with a book in his talons.
"Citrine?" he said.
The dragon dropped the book and looked at him. "Calcite? When did you get back?" he said, surprised.
"A couple of days ago. It's good to see you." Calcite perked up.
"You as well. How was the trip?" Citrine folded his wing over the book he was reading.
"It was nice. Allowed me to get a perspective on things. How have things been in the library lately?" Calcite gestured to the book he was holding.
"It's been going well. At least before the shut down it was. I was supposed to receive a shipment of old Duelwing books." Citrine adjusted his glasses.
"Sorry to hear that." Calcite said to his friend.
"It's quite alright." Citrine nodded. "Gives me time to organize everything before I get it."
"That's good to hear." Calcite smiled.
"Listen I have to get going, but I'll see you around." Citrine began to walk away.
"Alright. See you later." He waved.
Calcite watched as Citrine walked away in the direction of the large library. He smiled as he started to walk away. He looked around to see where he was only to see the Northern hallway. The Northern entrance was on the other side of the wooden door.
He pushed it open to see Amethyst with her ear up to the trap door. Her eyes caught him like a spider does a fly. "What are you doing here?" she snorted.
"Wanted to see if you needed any help." he looked at her with a soft expression.
"Don't need it." She focussed on the trap door.
Calcite wandered over to the wall of armor and weapons. He held one of the spears in his talons and looked at her. "Why didn't you quit?"
"What?" she turned her head.
"You told me you were going to quit the Warriors." He left the spear on the wall.
"That was over a year ago. Why do you ask now?" Amethyst let out a slight hiss.
"You told me you wanted to quit. You wanted to do something else with your life. That's what you told me." he placed a talon on his chest.
"That was what I was going to do." Amethyst snapped. She breathed slowly. A single tear fell from her eyes. "Then you left."
"I didn't want to." he took a step closer. "I had to. This would have been the only time I could've gone out for myself."
"The worst part is," she cried quietly. "You never told me. I had to learn from the Queen that you left."
He came up to her and took a talon. "I was going to tell you. I swear I was. But it all went so fast."
Amethyst sniffed and smiled. "You always look cute when you're trying to say sorry."
"Hmf." He smiled.
She wrapped her wings around him in a deep hug. He gave a sigh of relief to feel her wings around his. He wrapped his arms around her neck and closed his eyes. He knew what he felt now. Safe.
Tap tap tap.