Wings of Fire: The Hidden Kingdom | ✔️

~ The Hidden Kingdom: Chapter Fifteen ~

The four of them padded silently through the hallways. Loud voices rang out from a few of the rooms. Hare caught snippets of an argument about who would get to wear some shared armor, a monologue about another battle the storyteller had been in, and a conversation about how killing RainWings would have to be easier than killing MudWings.

"That's it," Starflight gasped.

Hare tilted her head. "That's what?"

"That's why the NightWings have been killing MudWings," Starflight said quietly. "If MudWings die when they go into the rainforest and there's rumors of a monster, the whole tribe will think it's unsafe and keep them away. I must say, this tribe is grumpy but they aren't dumb."

"Shh, someone's coming," Glory whispered a heartbeat before the sound claws tapping on stone could be heard and Hare smelled the rank odor of NightWing breath. She scrunched up her nose in disgust.

Fatespeaker shot across the room to the map, but as she aimed to lift the corner, scales slithered in the doorway and they all whirled to see Greatness staring at them.

The ground rumbled under their feet.

"What are you doing in here?" the NightWing princess asked. Her glittering diamond necklace was askew, as if she'd slept in it and had forgotten it was on. Hare noticed the other necklace she'd observed before, now in full sight. It was a heart, and it had a big W in the middle. Hare looked up at Greatness. Her eyes looked exhausted, red and raw from the smoke in the air. "Why aren't you with the others?"

"We... got lost?" Starflight tried.

Greatness squinted at them. "Oh, you're the two little prophecy dragonets. Morrowseer was looking for you in quite a towering rage earlier. Oh, and you, you're the princess. I heard Morrowseer saying he sent dragons to the rainforest to fetch you. Glad to see you've returned, I'm assuming on your own since nobody's reported back."

Hare felt her heart drop. So he knew exactly where I was going to go.

"Listen, like I told him, the prophecy is important, but it's even more important that we win this battle tonight," Greatness went on. "It's already bad enough that we're missing a few dragons because of this one. So the whole tribe is going, no exceptions. Everyone else is in the great hall - if you follow this tunnel down and take the fourth left, you'll be halfway there and someone can guide you."

"What about you?" Fatespeaker asked. ""Why aren't you there?"

"I'm going to speak with the queen first," Greatness said. Her eyes darted involuntarily to the map.

"Actually," Glory's voice said from the air, "we're all going to speak with the queen." Greatness stiffened and pulled in her wings; Hare saw a flash of scales changing color as Glory's claws rested on the artery in the NightWing's throat.

"I advise making your next decisions very wisely," Glory hissed. "After all, NightWings know better than almost anyone that RainWings aren't as weak and powerless as you made us seem."

Greatness blinked and nodded several times, looking queasy. She hurried to the map and ducked into the tunnel. The rustle of wings indicated that Glory had followed her; Fatespeaker, Hare, and Starflight were right behind them.

The rocky floor felt hot under Hare's talons, hotter than it had before. Another rumble shook the mountain as they pressed forward. She pranced about a little uncomfortably, then looked at Starflight. "This can't be a good sign, can it?"

"It doesn't feel like it," Starflight replied, turning his attention to Greatness. "This volcano isn't about to erupt, is it?"

Up ahead in the shadows, the bulky figure of Greatness paused and looked back. "It shouldn't," she said. "Our scientists predicted that we have at least two more years before another major eruption."