Wings of Fire: Spirit Of Freedom

Chapter 32

Gobi

Gobi flew ahead of the battle, the sand statues preoccupied with the large quantity of the tribes to notice a lone dragon flying to the castle.

Except he wasn't alone. Crab and Moose flew beside him, read to help take on his uncle.

The landed on a balcony, not wanting the sand in the courtyard to risk being another animus trap.

They moved quietly through the halls, approaching the throne room. It sounded like Tumbleweed was throwing things around, wood snapping and glass shattering.

Gobi inhaled, squared his shoulders, and walked through the doors. Moose was right beside him, prepared to deal with any animus related things they might face. Crab was close behind, ready to backup his friends.

Tumbleweed was a mess, his eyes were bloodshot and he clearly bit his lip too hard from frustration. A trickle of blood dripped off his chin.

He was pacing back and forth, running out of things to break. He didn't notice the three had walked in, or was even there. Mumbling under his breath like the mad dragon he was.

"No, no, no, they're dead." He muttered. "I killed them, the throne is mine. I don't want the throne. They're alive, they're my family, they'll kill me."

Gobi felt a twinge of guilt for him. It's not his fault he's this way, he's just a dragon who lost his way .

Tumbleweed whipped his head to the dragons in the room, eyes landing on Gobi and lunging for his nephew's throat.

Crab was there, he had picked up a leg of what used to be a chair and swung it across the SandWing's face.

Tumbleweed stumbled back and then swung his tail around, hitting Moose across the shoulder, barb drawing blood.

"Moose!" Gobi cried and charged into his uncle, knocking him aside.

Crab warded off Tumbleweed, who slashed and bit after the piece of wood. Gobi ran to Moose's side, well aware of the fatality of a SanWing's venom. Moose pulled out a carved stick from his satchel and tapped his wound. It healed instantly.

"Don't worry about me, I came prepared." He smiled sheepishly.

Tumbleweed knocked Crab aside and began charging at the two, horns down and fire huffing out.

Dragons began to crash through the windows. Two, to be exact.

Nightwave raked his talons across Tumbleweed's snout and neck, as Orion breathed his blue fire at his talons.

Crab got up and pinned down his tail, biting down into the scales.

Tumbleweed let out a roar of fire, beating his wings against the dragons in an attempt to shake them.

Orion tripped over a loose table fragment, letting out a yelp. The crazed SandWing stood up on his hind legs and fell backwards, crushing Crab and Nightwave under his weight making them let go.

Before he could try anything else, Gobi and Moose barreled into him. They tumbled down and pinned him by the wings.

Crab and Nightwave pinned down his talons as Orion handled his tail.

Tumbleweed writhed under their grasp, attempting to breathe fire but Nightwave wrapped a talon around his snout. Smoke escaped his nostrils.

"Moose!" Gobi called out. "Take his animus powers!"

The MudWing nodded and mumbled the spell, but Tumbleweed was still fighting. He flung them all off.

"You." His uncle chuckled. "You really thought you could just take away my powers? My THRONE? You really are my sisters dragonet." His laugh echoed off of the sandstone walls, a grating sound to Gobi's ears.

Orion beside him tried to breathe fire, but a flying piece of food knocked into his skull. The chicken leg bounced off and then flew back around.

But before Tumbleweed could catch it, Gobi lunged at his uncle, pinning him down once again, Nightwave was on the other side of the SandWing, and together they pushed back the animus.

Crab was behind Tumbleweed and grabbed his head, forcing the dragon to look up. Soon they all covered Tumbleweed, in an attempt to calm him down. Gobi didn't want to let his uncle die like Calve demanded, but he was beyond saving.

As if on cue, another dragon came crashing into the throne room through the doors.

Stratus had a sword in her talons, and thrust it forward, aiming straight for his now exposed chest.

The five dragons that were holding him leapt back as the sword was plunged into Tumbleweed's scales, blood splattering a bit as it went all the way through, the tip of the blade was exposed next to his fin. Blood trickled into a puddle very quickly, spreading under the closest talons.

Gobi lifted his claws, looking at the vibrant red that dripped from them.

Sobek was suddenly there beside him, wrapping his talons around him comfortingly.

Gila and Aloe stood in the doorway, wings wrapped around each other.

He was about to walk away as the others began to file out of the room, ready to leave the room they almost died in,

"Wait." He could hear Tumbleweed gasp out.

Gobi risked a glance back and saw the dying dragon reaching out to him. He approached his uncle, staying a distance away so he couldn't touch him.

"I'm sorry." Was all he said. Tears were streaming down his face, mixing with his own blood. Gobi watched as the light returned to his face for a moment before fading altogether.

Sobek caught Gobi before he collapsed. Exhaustion from all the travelling and the fight finally caught up with him. He let Sobek help him out of the room and the palace.

Dragons from all of the tribes were there, and cheered when they all realized that it meant the battle was over. It cheered him up a bit as he watched them all rejoice, tribes that usually would avoid each other were now hugging, SandWings bowing to their Queen and her now public King.

Things were changing. He could feel it as he breathed in the familiar, dry air.