Hidden Wings

Chapter 10

Hey, everyone who still follows this story. I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. Writer's block seriously hit me hard. But I'm back on my feet again, and updates should come more frequently now.
Anyway, I would like to give a shoutout to some people who have been so supportive to me over my time writing this story:
WritingWPassion
DarrenDean1
justme0786
Tranquil_Twilight
Thank you guys for all your support!!! I wish you all happy writing!!

Maria opened her eyes, blinking numerously to clear her sight. The chains around her ankles felt even heavier than they had the night before, and she could barely tell it was morning; only a few rays of orange light were able to creep in from a crack in the wall.
Maria stretched her wings and legs, yawning, and discovered that Vycan had left a cooked rabbit within her reach. Maria could barely remember the last time she'd eaten. The morning she'd left the guard's den with Spry in search of the Jade Hermit? It felt like a lifetime ago.
After she'd finished the rabbit, Maria laid down on the stone floor. Claws clicked on the stone and she jumped up. Vycan walked two steps into the cave and stopped. He said nothing. He didn't need to. The questioning look on his face told Maria everything she needed to know.
She sighed. Her eyes glided over him, and she noticed two keys on a ring, dangling from the hooked barb on his tail. Maria looked back up at Vycan's face, and put on a rueful expression. It worked. He took a few steps closer to her, almost as close as he had been the night before.
Maria stared at him for a very long moment, then opened her wings, causing the sound of leaves in the wind to ripple across the cave. "I just need... A few more minutes." This will never work.
The black dragon watched her expression carefully... and then nodded once, leaving the cave. He hadn't felt a thing.
Maria let out her breath, extremely relived. She lifted the keys from the curve of her tail, hoping that Vycan wouldn't hear the soft clanking as she unlocked herself with the stolen keys. Finishing her task, she left them tucked behind a stalagmite, out of plain sight. It wouldn't be long before her captor noticed their absence, so she had to do this fast. C'mon, girl. You can do this.
Just as she poked her head around the corner, she saw a huge group of dragons in all different colors land as one at the cave mouth, several letting out a piercing, trumpet-like roar at the exact same moment. The dragon at the front stretched her broad wings majestically, the rising sun shining through them. "Vycan," she declared with authority. "Justice has arrived."
It was Queen Angelica. And at her side... was Spryvern.
"Spry!" Maria dashed toward her her friend, but Vycan's tail lifted just before she ran past and the barb touched her chest once, warningly. She stopped cold, going still.
Spry growled threateningly and took a step forward.
Vycan hissed, baring his fangs. "You may not have noticed, but I am in control of the most dangerous weapon in the world." He touched a talon to Maria's neck and she noticed for the first time that he had silver metal coverings attached to each of his claws. Vycan's claws found a gap between two of her scales and dug in slightly. Maria winced. He lifted his talon and Maria spotted a gleaming trickle of blood. A few of the gaurds behind the queen took a step back, fearful.
"Hold your postions." Angelica commanded. A few of the guards whispered to each other, shooting looks at Vycan and Maria.
Spry bared his teeth at Vycan, tensed as if he were ready to spring at him. "Your threats don't scare me." He took another step towards him.
The black dragon changed directions. "Take one step further and she's dead!" He roared.
Maria lept forward, out of Vycan's reach before he had a chance to react.
"Attack!" cried the queen. The line of soldiers surged forward, pressing toward Vycan with all the ferocity of a sudden storm. He was cornered, and the soldiers had him immobilized in seconds. They pulled him out of the cave, and the queen followed.
Maria watched them as they started to tie Vycan up with the ropes brought from the castle. She turned around and Spry was right there next to her. He opened his wings and she opened her's, leaning into his hug.
"Thank you," she whispered into his ear.
"Always," he whispered back.
Maria smiled and opened her wings, stepping back.
Spry reached into the bag that still hung around his shoulder and pulled out an object about the size of a dragon's eye. He held it out to Maria, and as she took it, she realized that it was a necklace. The pendant was a large gemstone, deep blue and slightly translucent in color and carved with swirls and spirals. Wrapped around the gem was the silver serpentine form of an exquisitely detailed dragon, its body coiled gracefully as if it were guarding the pendant. Its eyes were tiny brilliant gold topaz stones, gleaming out at Maria bravely.
"Spry, it's beautiful," she breathed, tracing the silver dragon's tail with one of her claws.
"This is a piece of jewelry that has been guarded by the dragons of Blue Mountain for generations. It's called The Dragon Crystal. There are lots of them, one was given to each of the queens when the tribes were established and queens were coronated to rule them. The idea was that when the queens found a human who they believed they could trust, they would give the Crystal to him or her, and that human would get the power to see, hear, and feel the dragons, and it would protect them however it could, for the rest of its life. And at the end of its life, the guardian would either choose one of the few humans it had chosen to share the secret of the dragons with to become the new guardian, or give the necklace back to the queen.
"Some dragons believe that it has power beyond that, but no one know what that would be. They say that's it's activated by... Well, no one knows, really.
"The Crystal hasn't been in use for several generations," said Spry, placing the necklace around her neck. "Because a lot of dragons don't believe in its magic. But Queen Angelica does. She could see that it was meant to be for you, and she let me go and fetch it from where it was buried last night."
Maria cocked her head at Spry. "So the queen does know how to make me human again?"
"I don't think she does. But Vycan must, since he created the magic."
Maria looked out the cave entrance. The soldiers were lifting Vycan into the sky. "I know he does," she told Spry. "He offered to turn me back if I would help him get revenge."
Spry looked at her for a moment. "What did you say to him?"
"I-" she started to say, but she never finished, because just then the air ignited with the piercing sound of dragons screaming.