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Chapter One:The Hidden World(night)[sixteen years earlier]
CARDINAL leads a large battalion of armoured dragons towards the large fortress at the center of the cave, only to be stopped by an even larger group of Skrills, in much thicker, metal armour.
SKRILL 1:Leave now, and surrender. Then there might be a chance of no one getting hurt.
The Deathgripper hisses, his tusks slowly becoming more visible.
CARDINAL:No one gets hurt ? You guys have been bombing us for days ! If anyone’s getting hurt here, it’s you .
A second Skrill flies closer to him, snarling.
SKRILL 2:You Berkians don’t know what’s right for you. Just surrender now, and this will all be over.
The Deathgripper narrows his eyes.
CARDINAL:No.
The first one screeches and attacks MAGPIE, nearly knocking him out of the air.
CARDINAL:ATTACK!
Both opposing sides suddenly clash together, while several other armoured dragons watch from one of the fortress’s balconies.
CROWNKEEPER:Go on, what are you waiting for?
She looks over at the NightFury next to her.
KING:I’ll hold down the fort.
The LightFury growls, clearly irritated.
CROWNKEEPER:Fine. I’ll kill him myself.
She flies off the balcony, her shining silver armour catching several other’s attention.
DAISY:IT’S THE QUEEN!
She’s being carried by a large, red Crimson Goregutter, who lands on the ground to drop DAISY safely.
DAISY:Thanks Carnation.
The other dragon pulls out a large battle axe from his belt, and starts swinging it at several Skrills charging at him.
DAISY:LOOK OUT!
She ducks under one, which hits into CARNATION’s tail, while CROWNKEEPER and CARDINAL claw at each other.
CROWNKEEPER:I’ll kill you, just like I’VE HAD TO KILL THE OTHERS BEFORE!
The other dragon nearly slices her wing.
CARDINAL:Well, I have no problem with killing both of you! YOU AND YOUR PATHETIC KING!
He slams her into a piece of glowing rock, which falls from the ceiling and hits CARNATION, knocking him out while also crushing a few Skrills.
CROWNKEEPER:YOU INCOMPETENT LIZARD! YOU’RE ATTACKING YOUR OWN SOLDIERS!
CARDINAL:AT LEAST I’M NOT MARRIED TO A GENOCIDAL MANIAC!
His tail stinger slices across her chest, the acidic green venom melting her metal chestplate and burning into her scales.
MAGPIE:OH S*** SHE’S GOING DOWN!
As CROWNKEEPER plummets, she grabs CARDINAL’s tail as he flies towards the fortress, sending them both flying through the window of the dining hall.
CROWNKEEPER:I’LL KILL YOU! I’LL RIP YOU APART!
He swings his tail, which throws her against the wall, and KING grabs a spear off the wall.
KING:Get out of my kingdom .
The Deathgripper lunges at him, the spear just grazing his chest and impaling his wing.
CARDINAL:F***!
He rolls across the long table, the NightFury tossing the spear and hovering in the air.
KING:I think it’ll be more satisfying to take your life with my own talons .
He swoops down and scoops him up, throwing him at the massive diamond chandelier.
CROWNKEEPER:Watch out for his tail!
She struggles to get back up, her chest heaving with pain.
CARDINAL:Maybe you should listen to her, dumba**!
He clings to the chandelier, and KING roars, then flies up to slash him in the neck, causing him to fall with a shriek.
KING:I was going to spare you, you know. I was going to let you live during the first attack. But after you took my tail fin, after you showed yourself to be the obnoxious monster you are, I changed my mind.
He prepares to use his plasma breath, but CARDINAL leaps forward and punctures his golden armour with his tail.
CARDINAL:And I almost trusted you.
KING roars again, and pulls out the stinger just before the acid can be sprayed out, and pulls CARDINAL closer to claw his face.
CARDINAL:F***! Ugh…I think you just proved my point.
His vision is a bit blurry, and KING takes it as an opportunity to wrap a hand around his neck, pinning him to the table.
KING:I can also prove why you and your dragons are nothing compared to us. Compared to the kingdom I BUILT !
The Deathgripper laughs weakly, his voice coming out raspy.
CARDINAL: The Alphas built this kingdom. You didn’t do s*** .
KING roars right in his face with rage, preparing to finally kill him with a plasma blast, but then CROWNKEEPER notices a glint of white scales outside.
CROWNKEEPER:Call it off.
KING stops, the purple glow in his throat fading as he looks at her.
KING:What? Why?
CROWNKEEPER:Let him go.
KING:But-
CROWNKEEPER:This isn’t our fight anymore.
The NightFury removes his hand from CARDINAL’s throat, who can finally take a long gasp for air.
KING:The hell are you talking about? This is our fight. I can’t just call off the attack-
CROWNKEEPER:Do it. Now .
Despite being confused by her sudden change in behavior, he walks to the balcony and roars, catching the attention of both sides.
KING:CEASE FIRE! LET THEM RETREAT!
Everyone looks at each other in confusion, but obey, both sides going their separate ways after grabbing their incapacitated allies.
KING:We were so close -
CROWNKEEPER: I don’t care .
The other turns to look at her, his expression one of anger and confusion.
KING:About what? Dying ? We were going to win anyway-
The queen hisses at him.
CROWNKEEPER:Are you saying I’m expendable ?
A silence falls over the room, and CARDINAL glances between the both of them as KING's expression softens.
KING:No, Crownkeeper, that’s not what I meant. I…I just-
CROWNKEEPER:I will not discuss this any further. Get him out of here, and don’t speak to me until I want to see you.
She points to CARDINAL, then limps out of the room, and KING looks more irritated once his eyes fall on the Deathgripper.
KING:You heard her. Get the f*** out .
CARDINAL hisses as he limps past him, struggling to fly off the balcony for a few seconds until he finally gets back into the air and flies towards MAGPIE.
CARDINAL:Where’s Daisy?
MAGPIE has a massive slash across his chest, the leather armour clearly not as strong as he thought against the claws of a Skrill.
MAGPIE:She’s with General Amber. A few guys even managed to get Carnation back off the ground, although his flying is a bit disoriented.
CARDINAL:How many casualties?
MAGPIE looks around at the various bodies scattered across the bottom of the cave.
MAGPIE:About thirty.
The Deathgripper’s eyes widen.
CARDINAL:Out of the fifty we brought? That means there’s only twenty of us left.
MAGPIE:Yeah, those lightning-breathing f***ers almost had our whole army wiped out.
They both take a long, silent, few seconds to look at the damage around them, the many bodies from both sides littering the battlefield.
CARDINAL:I wonder why they stopped it. Why did their queen changed her mind?
MAGPIE:She probably saw the amount of damage done and decided it was enough.
They turn and fly towards the entrance of The Hidden World, unbeknownst to them the camouflaged LightFury following from behind.
Chapter Two:The Temple of Clearsight(day)[present]
CLEARSIGHT walks into the temple with DOWNSIDE, the guards and other visitors staring in awe.
CLEARSIGHT:I never thought they’d build something like this for me.
DOWNSIDE:Well, they did. And Wasp took advantage of their loyalty to you.
The NightWing looks over at zir with curiosity.
CLEARSIGHT:Wasp…that was the former queen, correct?
DOWNSIDE:Yeah, she wrote false chapters in your book, to make it seem like you choose her to rule both the HiveWings and SilkWings.
They both approach the book, and CLEARSIGHT slowly opens it to see her familiar handwriting.
CLEARSIGHT:It’s been…so long since I last saw this. I’m surprised it’s still intact.
She carefully flips through the pages, a sense of dread rising inside her.
CLEARSIGHT:I can’t believe my greatest achievement…my greatest gift to the world…was a weapon of destruction. I thought those days were over.
DOWNSIDE suddenly realizes what she’s referring to, and mentally shifts into ARCTIC.
DOWNSIDE:I’m sorry.
The NightWing looks at zir, hearing zir thoughts in the voice of a familiar IceWing from her past.
CLEARSIGHT:Arctic?
The HiveWing sighs, then blinks, zir eyes turning into a light-blue.
DOWNSIDE:I’m…I’m sorry. I mean it. I…I should’ve stopped him when I could’ve. If I was only brave enough.
CLEARSIGHT puts a hand on zir shoulder, which makes zir flinch for a second.
CLEARSIGHT:I know you still cared about your children. You couldn't kill them, no matter what Diamond offered in return. You just…we both made mistakes, Arctic. Darkstalker hurt us, and he might again, but-
DOWNSIDE:He’s gone.
The NightWing’s eyes widen in surprise.
CLEARSIGHT:He’s dead ? Someone managed to kill him?
DOWNSIDE:No. He was transformed into a different version of himself. One without magic. Without his memories.
CLEARSIGHT processes this, then another question comes to mind.
CLEARSIGHT:What about Foeslayer?
DOWNSIDE sighs, looking a bit sad.
DOWNSIDE:I heard that she’s alive, somewhere , but I don’t want to see her. I don’t want to make things worse than they already are.
CLEARSIGHT moves her hand away from zir, then looks back at the book.
CLEARSIGHT:I…I know it’s hard to have your memories in a life you thought would be a fresh start. I tried so hard to forget what happened too.
She opened the book to a random chapter, memories flooding back.
CLEARSIGHT:This was about a future event I saw…it’s a lot more poetic than I remember.
She reads it outloud, her talon gently tracing under each word.
CLEARSIGHT:“ Beneath the desert sun, the colours of insanity and hunger shall paint the faces of its victims. The fortress of war will burn, the eye will shine, and only the worthy will be left in the ashes. ”
There’s a moment of silence between the two.
DOWNSIDE:Do you think you know what it means?
CLEARSIGHT:I…I don’t. The visions I had were so… confusing .
They slowly look at each other.
DOWNSIDE:What were the visions about?
CLEARSIGHT:Sand…and this big, raging fire…and dragons .
The HiveWing tilts zir head.
DOWNSIDE:Dragons? Why do you sound so worried about that?
CLEARSIGHT’s voice becomes more serious, and she slams the book shut.
CLEARSIGHT:They weren’t normal . They were…they were killing each other, in ways I’ve never seen before. They could still walk, they could still breathe, without their lungs . Their hearts weren’t in their bodies , but they were still alive . Their organs were on the floor , and they were still moving .
Several visitors who overhear her start to look nauseous, and DOWNSIDE just stands there, horrified.
Chapter Three:Queen Jewel’s Palace(day)
QUEEN JEWEL sits in her massive living room, watching the fireplace when she gets a phone call.
JEWEL:Hello?
She recognizes the voice on the other end as JACKAL.
JACKAL:I want to speak with you about Wasp’s Palace.
The queen is caught off guard, not expecting anyone to ask about that.
JEWEL:Alright…what is it you wanted to talk about?
There’s a rustling on the other end, and JEWEL isn’t sure if it’s paperwork or money.
JACKAL:Does anyone still live there?
JEWEL:No. I offered to let Lady Decipher stay, but she opted out. She says the place is too full of bad memories.
The IceWing, sitting at the table in his hotel room, grins.
JACKAL:Perfect.
He shifts some paperwork on the table, and glances at a stack of money next to it.
JACKAL:Maybe…I could purchase it?
The queen becomes more curious, wondering why anyone would want to buy that place.
JEWEL:Why? What for?
JACKAL:To re-build it. Turn it into something new. You see, I’ve already done that with The Island Palace, in collaboration with Queen Coral. If I just gave you, say, a quarter of the profits, would you let me hire some people to do it?
JEWEL:What are you turning it into?
JACKAL:A casino. And hotel. With a private lounge in case you ever wanted to visit.
The queen thinks for a moment, enticed by the offer.
JEWEL:I’ll allow it. How much are you willing to pay me now?
JACKAL:Two million.
The queen gasps, nearly dropping her phone.
JEWEL:Deal. I’ll call the construction company in Mantis Hive, they’ll get it done in no time.
JACKAL:I’ll send the money over later. Pleasure doing business with you.
He hangs up, then gets out of his seat and walks towards the other end of the suite.
JACKAL:Dee? Guess who I just talked to.
DOWNSIDE is making a bath, dressed in nothing but a red velvet robe.
DOWNSIDE:Wait…did you…
Ze turns to look at him as he enters the bathroom.
JACKAL:Yes. I got it.
The HiveWing’s eyes light up.
DOWNSIDE:That’s…amazing!
JACKAL steps closer to zir, looking down at the bits of exposed scales on her body.
JACKAL:So…
He watches as DOWNSIDE turns and stops the water, bending over to reach the tap.
JACKAL:Room for one more?
The HiveWing stands up straight, then walks towards him.
DOWNSIDE:You sure you’ll be comfortable?
The other dragon kisses zir snout, his hands moving to hold zir waist.
JACKAL:Oh, trust me, I’ll fit .
The HiveWing blushes, and the two kiss passionately while SHARK stands on the kitchen table, making curious little chirps as he looks at the paperwork.
Chapter Four:The Sinkhole(night)
PINE, BEETLE, and SHROOM stand by the edge of the massive hole, the soft green glow below illuminating their faces.
BEETLE:Here it is. The place you’ll find The Othermind. Many call it “The Sinkhole”, but others call it something else.
The second Forestwalker finishes the sentence for him.
SHROOM:“The Garden of The Eaten”.
PINE shivers.
PINE:Why do they call it that?
SHROOM:Most who go in, never make it out. It’s like the pit is some sort of giant animal that devours anything that goes in.
The LeafWing looks down a little longer, then takes a deep breath.
PINE:I’m going in.
Before the other two can stop him, he flies down into the pit.
SHROOM:You think he’ll come back?
BEETLE:Hopefully.
PINE lands on the ground, which is covered in roots, and approaches what looks like a sleeping LeafWing.
PINE:Hello?
He moves the body over, realizing it’s dead, seeing the roots coming out of its mouth.
PINE:Oh…oh my.
He continues walking, more corpses littered across the cave, as he gets closer to the source of the light.
PINE:Hello? Is anyone…here? Anyone who’s… alive ?
A vaguely familiar voice comes from a tree near the back of the cave, the green glow coming from the flowers on the branches.
VOICE:Pine. I’ve been waiting for you.
A large LeafWing with green scales, and wings/head/horns/tail-tip/sail of a lighter shade, crawls out of the tree trunk.
LEAFWING:I knew you’d come for me.
PINE walks closer, noticing the stranger’s bright white eyes, but a feeling deep down tells him they aren’t being mind controlled.
PINE:Who are you?
The other dragon, at least ten feet tall, and wearing nothing, lays on one of the branches, their tail wrapping around another one.
LEAFWING:You know me as The Othermind. But some…know me as Earthcore .
PINE’s eyes widen as he realizes he isn’t just looking at the voice who’s been in his head for years, but also a god.
PINE:You’re…you’re…Earthcore?
The Deity nods slowly.
EARTHCORE:I know you’re shocked. Most were when they found me. I only killed them because they weren’t you.
PINE:Why-
EARTHCORE:It’s lonely down here, and I’ve grown accustomed to you.
The other dragon starts to get defensive, remembering why he came down here.
PINE:You…you killed my son.
EARTHCORE sighs, then crawls off the tree and slowly moves towards him.
EARTHCORE:I didn’t kill him. Cottonmouth did.
PINE watches as they walk around him on all fours.
EARTHCORE:You see, centuries ago, a being of The Undercontinent made his way to The Mortal Realm. He took the form of a Scavenger, and stumbled upon me. He took half the plant, and used it against me. I was driven away, forced to hide in this cave, as he created chaos and destruction above. He’s the one who controlled your mentor, he’s the one who killed your son. But he’s gone now. I am all that’s left.
They stop in front of him, then stand up.
EARTHCORE:Ever since you left this continent, I’ve been with you. I never wanted anything bad to happen to you.
They lean down to get to his eye level.
EARTHCORE:I’m sorry.
They gently hold his head, and kiss his forehead.
EARTHCORE:Will you help me get out?
The other dragon hesitates, thinking of everything that’s brought him to this moment.
PINE:Yes.
EARTHCORE smiles softly, their glowing eyes now being more comforting to PINE, rather than intimidating.
EARTHCORE:Thank you.
They look around for a moment, seeing the bodies scattered around, covered in roots.
EARTHCORE:I need to take another form. If I’m out there like this, at least at first, people might panic. I haven’t walked among mortals in a long time.
They transform into a dragonbite viper, except the scales are green and the eyes are white.
PINE:That should work.
EARTHCORE nods and slithers up his arm to his neck.
EARTHCORE: Now , we can go.
PINE turns around and starts flying back up to the surface, then lands in front of the Forestwalkers, who are surprised to see him unscathed.
BEETLE:You…you actually made it out.
PINE:Yes, and you were right, there are bodies down there.
The two hybrids glance at each other for a moment.
SHROOM:Well…at least you’re safe. Did you find what you were looking for?
The LeafWing smiles.
PINE:Yes, and let’s say, it was beyond expectations.
He looks down at the snake around his neck, who flicks their tongue happily.
Chapter Five:The Savanna(day)
About twenty armoured HiveWings, armed to the teeth, stand nearby a large bonfire of SilkWing bodies.
HIVEWING 1:HERE THEY COME!
Out of Jewel Hive come DOWNSIDE, JACKAL, SNOWMITTEN, FLIPSIDE, DEMOGORGON, ALIEN, ALVEARIUM, AVALANCHE, and CLEARSIGHT.
CLEARSIGHT:What…what did they do ?
She hovers in the air with the two Deities while the others land on the ground.
AVALANCHE:Probably killed a bunch of SilkWings for drugs, then tried to burn the evidence.
CLEARSIGHT:In broad daylight ?
AVALANCHE:Yeah, Wasp’s extreme followers were never really that smart.
The armoured HiveWings point crossbows and spears at the dragons on the ground.
HIVEWING 2:Retreat now, or face the consequences.
DEMOGORGON steps forward.
DEMOGORGON:I’m part of Queen Jewel’s elite guard! It’s you who should be retreating!
HIVEWING 2: Wasp is our queen!
The other dragons with him roar in agreement.
DEMOGORGON:Then you leave us no choice.
She raises her crossbow, those with her who are armed raise their weapons as well:JACKAL has a knife, ALIEN has a spear, and DREAMCATCHER has a crossbow.
DEMOGORGON:Attack.
The two sides clash immediately, and CLEARSIGHT isn’t sure how to take it at first.
ALVEARIUM:You don’t have to fight, you can just use your powers.
Ze puts a hand on her shoulder, and she nods.
CLEARSIGHT:Okay.
She thinks really hard, trying to hear the thoughts of the armoured dragons among the chaos.
CLEARSIGHT:JACKAL, BEHIND YOU!
The IceWing turns around to see a HiveWing jump at him with a spear, and he stabs their jaw with the knife.
JACKAL:Thanks!
He looks around for DOWNSIDE, who’s dodging arrows left and right.
JACKAL:Downside! Over here!
He catches zir attention, and ze runs over, but is stopped by a HiveWing with an axe.
HIVEWING 3:Hey there, little bug. Wanna meet your maker?
He swings the axe, but misses, and DOWNSIDE uses stingers from all four of zir wrists to inject venom into various parts of his body.
DOWNSIDE:Not today, you overgrown gnat.
Ze steps over the body and runs to JACKAL, who wraps an arm around zir waist.
JACKAL:Not gonna lie, that was kind of funny. I haven’t heard you use that insult in years .
DOWNSIDE laughs, the stingers sliding back into zir wrists.
DOWNSIDE:I can do better. Watch this.
Ze pulls out of his grasp then grabs an enemy dragon, biting his neck and injecting him with the same lethal toxin in zir stingers.
DOWNSIDE:ANY OTHER BUG-WINGED F***ERS WANNA FIGHT ME? THEN COME AND GET IT!
Three more HiveWings run at zir with spears, but ze impales one in the mouth with zir tail, then uses his body to knock over the other two.
JACKAL:Huh. That’s pretty… innovative .
DOWNSIDE turns around, an eyebrow raised.
DOWNSIDE:Innovative? I thought you were going to say something horny.
The other dragon laughs and stabs another HiveWing in the eye before approaching zir.
JACKAL:Well, I guess I do have a track record of saying things like that in times like this.
WINTER flies out of Jewel Hive, landing next to JACKAL.
WINTER:What’s going on?
His cousin is surprised to see him.
JACKAL:Fighting some of Wasp’s followers.
A HiveWing nearly stabs WINTER with their tail, but JACKAL uses frostbreath to blind them.
JACKAL:Quick, take this!
He picks up a spear from the ground and hands it to WINTER, who notices the blood covering it.
WINTER:Okay…
He’s a bit off put by the whole situation, but quickly accepts the fact that this is a life or death battle.
CLEARSIGHT:THERE’S ONE TO YOUR RIGHT, WINTER!
WINTER turns to see a HiveWing lunge at him, who he quickly impales through the mouth.
JACKAL:Good aim.
His cousin knocks the body off the spear.
WINTER:Their armour is too thick to pierce through, but for some reason not many of them are wearing helmets.
Meanwhile FLIPSIDE and DREAMCATCHER are attacking from above, the RainWing using a crossbow while the HiveWing slashes enemies out of the sky.
DREAMCATCHER:Why didn’t you bring a weapon?
FLIPSIDE:Why did you? You have venom.
The RainWing looks down at the crossbow and shrugs, tossing it at one HiveWing’s head and knocking him out.
DREAMCATCHER:Yeah, you’ve got a point.
Two HiveWings fly towards them, and DREAMCATCHER shoots venom at one, causing him to fall screaming, and FLIPSIDE paralyzes the other.
FLIPSIDE:See? We don’t need weapons.
The paralyzed HiveWing falls onto the bonfire, unable to scream as his armour melts into his skin.
FLIPSIDE:Oof. I almost feel bad for him.
The RainWing looks skeptical.
DREAMCATCHER:Yeah, almost . I know you, Flip. You don’t feel bad for anyone.
The HiveWing laughs.
FLIPSIDE:Yeah, you’re right.
They continue fighting off several other dragons, using just their claws and venom alone.
AVALANCHE:Do we step in?
ALVEARIUM:No. We need to stay by Clearsight for now.
The NightWing scoffs, then goes back to watching the mortals fight below.
DEMOGORGON:ALIEN! TO THE LEFT!
Both DEMOGORGON and ALIEN run to a group of HiveWings nearby, dodging arrows and eventually DEMOGORGON shooting back with her own.
DEMOGORGON:ALIEN! NOW!
ALIEN slides towards the remaining enemies in the group, and slices the exposed necks of the HiveWings.
DEMOGORGON:ABOVE!
One HiveWing swoops down to bite ALIEN, but DEMOGORGON shoots them in the eye.
ALIEN:Thanks!
DEMOGORGON helps her up, and ALIEN kisses the other on the cheek, which takes her by surprise.
DEMOGORGON:You’re…welcome.
By the light of the bonfire, she suddenly pulls her close and kisses her for a moment, then let's go.
DEMOGORGON:Go on, there’s more over there.
ALIEN nods with a smile, then lunges at an enemy dragon, knocking them into the fire with her spear.
JACKAL:There’s not that many left.
He looks around at the battlefield, seeing the multiple bodies scattered across the bloody grass.
JACKAL:Dee…DEE!
DOWNSIDE doesn’t notice the HiveWing swooping down towards zir, and JACKAL jumps up to slice the other dragon’s neck open.
DOWNSIDE:How…how the hell did I miss that?
JACKAL:You just need to be a little more observant.
He holds zir close, the violence around them finally coming to an end after ALIEN stabs the final enemy.
ALIEN:That’s the last of ‘em.
She walks back to DEMOGORGON, who takes some time to look around.
DEMOGORGON:I’ll contact some guards to dispose of the bodies.
JACKAL gently plants a soft kiss to the top of his partner’s head, then hears familiar wingbeats approaching.
JACKAL:Pine?
PINE lands nearby, EARTHCORE still wrapped around his neck in the form of a snake.
JACKAL:Where the f*** have you been?
PINE:The Poison Jungle.
The IceWing sighs.
JACKAL:I figured. Well, at least you’re alive in one piece.
DOWNSIDE nuzzles into his neck, and he grins.
JACKAL:Well, why don’t we head back to the hive, and grab something to eat?
WINTER shrugs.
WINTER:I could go for some lunch.
FLIPSIDE and DREAMCATCHER land close to them.
FLIPSIDE:Scorpion was making honey drops when Dreamcatcher and I left, if anyone wants to come over and try those.
They all look at each other, and JACKAL nods.
JACKAL:I think that’s a good idea.
As several HiveWing guards fly out of the hive to clean up the mess, everyone else flies back inside, except DEMOGORGON and CLEARSIGHT.
DEMOGORGON:I’m sorry you had to see this.
The NightWing sighs.
CLEARSIGHT:It was… expected . When I heard what Wasp did, how far her followers were willing to go, I knew this day would come. But it still pains me to see my own creations destroy themselves.
The HiveWing puts a hand on her shoulder, and their eyes meet.
DEMOGORGON:I wish I could stop them more peacefully. I…I followed Wasp too. But unlike them, I learned from my mistakes. I saw how wrong it was, and so do most HiveWings. These ones…
She looks back at the bonfire, a single tear beginning to form in her eye.
DEMOGORGON:They chose ignorance over knowledge and acceptance. And…and now The Undercontinent will deal with them.
She wipes her eyes, then lets go of CLEARSIGHT and flies back into the hive.
CLEARSIGHT:I always thought my day of judgement was coming. Now I realize it wasn’t mine.
Chapter Six:New Berk(day)
CARDINAL and METEOR sit down at a wooden table, surrounded by others watching an empty stage.
CARDINAL:Is there a reason we were called here?
METEOR:I think it’s a message from The Hidden World.
The Deathgripper hisses, then sees DAISY, MAGPIE, STORMBREAKER, and HAWKCLAW sit at tables nearby.
CARDINAL:Damn. Everybody’s here.
METEOR:And they don’t care that I’m here.
She gently puts her hand over his long mantis-like claw, and he seems a bit worried.
METEOR:No one’s noticing. It’s okay.
The other dragon starts to calm down, but he’s still a bit put off by this whole ordeal.
CARDINAL:What does The Hidden World even want now ?
METEOR:Maybe…they just want to talk.
That’s when KING and his three children BLUE, EMERALD, and JADE land nearby, then sit at a table closer to the stage.
METEOR:Aww, look at them! NightLights are so cute!
She waves, and JADE, the youngest, waves back, her scales mostly white, but with black wings/spikes/ears/fins, and green eyes.
CARDINAL:Meteor, we don’t want attention, remember?
He pushes her hand down back to the table, the dragonet nearby smiling.
METEOR:Yeah, I know, but they don’t care.
The crowd is suddenly distracted as CROWNKEEPER flies down from above, revealing her camouflaged body and landing on the stage.
CROWNKEEPER:Hello.
Several people in the crowd cheer and whistle, and that works to calm her nerves.
CROWNKEEPER:You’re probably wondering why I brought you here.
She walks towards a microphone, as Skrills on the stage begin to prepare their musical instruments.
CROWNKEEPER:I’m here to make an apology.
KING’s eyes widen slightly, as the musicians begin playing “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay.
Her voice catches the attention of every dragon, as she sings, the words striking deep with her husband.
She takes a deep breath, her eyes scanning the crowd.
She continues to sing, looking over at the subjects of what was once her enemy kingdom.
Her gaze softens when she looks at KING.
CROWNKEEPER goes into the chorus, CARDINAL listening as he realizes just what this means.
The crowd watches in silence, and KING starts to feel a sort of guilt when he glances at his children.
CROWNKEEPER starts to sound almost condescending of her husband, even when her voice is calmer.
KING locks eyes with her, but her gaze remains calm.
She takes another deep breath, going into another chorus while the musicians behind her glance at each other for a moment.
The wind blows by, making her long white dress move like the sea, sparkling under the sun.
Everything around her feels like it's slowing down, her mind filled with memories war, but then what might be.
She holds up her crown with her hand, and others raise their glasses.
She sings the last of the song, her voice louder and genuine, giving an long overdue apology.
As the song ends, she lowers her crown back to her head, then wipes a single tear from her eye.
CROWNKEEPER:I’m offering a peace treaty.
Several people in the crowd gasp, and KING looks around nervously.
CROWNKEEPER:I know our kingdoms have fought before, but I think we can all agree we need to find peace. Officially .
The members of the crowd look at each other, and METEOR glances at CARDINAL with a soft smile, which makes him stand up to speak.
CARDINAL:We’ll take it.
Everyone looks at him, and CROWNKEEPER exhales, as if the weight of the past sixteen years has been lifted off her shoulders.
CROWNKEEPER:Thank you.
Meanwhile, on the edge of the island, a SkyWing dressed in a white plague-doctor outfit looks up when they hear the crowd cheer in the distance.
CROWNKEEPER:FOR THE KINGDOMS!
The crowd cheers even louder, the mysterious SkyWing turning and flying away while carrying the body of a dead Skrill.
To Be Continued...