The Other Side of the Lie (EDITING, ON HOLD)

Twenty-two-Hunter

The dragon that Chusi's soldiers had put him and Hawk on dropped them off somewhere inside and under Cloudspire mountain.

After the initial shock of learning that dragons still existed–or ever had, for that matter–Hunter had worried he might end up a snack for one of the scaly beasts. And when the soldier had instructed him to give the dragon its head by letting go of the chain, Hunter had very nearly asked if the fey was still sane. The soldier had snorted, and explained that the chains were for show, and that it would be useless to hold on either way as there was a special mechanism that let the dragon release the chain from its throat. Seeing that, Hawk had shrugged and told Hunter to just do it and that if Cusi had wanted them dead, she would have fried them herself long before then instead of getting a dragon to do it for her. Feeling equal parts unnerved and relieved after that statement, Hunter had done as instructed.

Riding atop a dragon as it swam in the magma flows was a terrifying experience Hunter hoped not to have to repeat. The entire way he'd imagined a splash of the glowing liquid rock landing on him, or Bella, or Hawk, or even Swan, who had decided to accompany them.

The large cavern was devoid of any exit save a small gap in the rock of the walls. To Hunter's surprise Chusi was already there, scowling.

"I was designated as the watchdog," she said as their group approached. "Unfortunately, the arguments against me made sense for once."

"How did you get here before us? Weren't you to stay at Montflame?" Hawk helped Swan down from the back of their dragon.

"A favor a powerful witch owed my grandmother. So she had the witch make a mirror that brought her to wherever the user needed to go the most. It's intention based, and difficult to use without finding yourself at a therapist's." Hunter thought that last part was a joke, but to his eyes Chusi was serious. In fact, she looked worried as she continued and answered Hawk's second question. "I have ambassadors here to see if Queen Raven will admit to sending the soldiers to Montflame, and hopefully why she did so and who she was trying to find. I doubt that it will work, but it can serve as a small distraction for the moment. If they can, my people will try to negotiate a release for Bella."

Their group was silent as they made their way through the tight passage leaving the cave. When they emerged into another passage, walled with roughly-hewn stones, Hunter thought it was simply just another part of the passage. He supposed the tunnel had been carved out but then never properly finished. He was wrong, because they had just entered the system of aqueducts below Cloudspire castle.

"We're nearly there," Swan whispered, breaking the silence that had settled over them as they walked.

"The palace's waterways," Hawk confirmed.

Not ten minutes later, after avoiding guard patrols and other inhabitants of Cloudspire, Hunter found himself striding alongside the Sky fey prince and princess towards the throne room's doors.

"Halt!" The two guards at the closed doors stepped forwards to intercept them. "What are–"

Chusi thrust out her hand and launched fire at the doors, melting a hole large enough for their group to walk through. The guards lay to either side of the doors, lying where they had leapt to avoid the fireball.

"What?"

"Is that...?"

"The princess and the prince!"

"Murderer!"

The whispers drowned them. Then one voice cut through the others like a knife.

"Silence!" Queen Raven stood before her throne, regal in her formal royal attire. "Hawk. I find it hard to believe that you thought it would be a good idea to return here, and yet, here you are."