Traitor to the Crown

Chapter 14

"Empress! Hey, Empress!" Ravenna called, waving her arms wildly at the dragon flying in with Vaskin on her back and someone she didn't recognize flying beside her. Leif back winged and landed on the palace grounds, almost collapsing in exhaustion. Vaskin climbed down from her back with an even graver look on his face than the day before.

"What is it, Ravenna?" Leif mumbled, loafing on the ground with her feet tucked under her.

"You'll never guess the news that just came in!" Ravenna cheerily replied.

"Did someone find Manx?" Vaskin said, perking up a bit.

"No, not really..." Ravenna started.

"Then why are you wasting our time?" Leif grumbled.

"Two words. Vanishing Unicorns!" Ravenna squealed in delight, obviously self satisfied.

"And why should we care?" Vaskin snapped.

"The rumor is that they disappeared in a swirly wisp of black smoke-ish stuff. I was thinkin' y'know, that maybe Manx had something to do with it." Ravenna said.

"What would Manx want with a bunch of unicorns?" Vaskin asked, crossing his arms in disgust.

"Well, the only silver helixes of shadow I know of are Manx and her dad, and he doesn't strike me as the type who'd want anything to do with unicorns, ya' know?" Ravenna replied.

Leif sighed and rested her head on the lawn, while Vaskin glared at Ravenna reproachfully.

"It's just a thought. Maybe you should check..." Ravenna said, before Vaskin cut her off, saying, "We have much more important matters on our hands than vanishing unicorns."

Ravenna sighed. "Well, fine." She replied. "It was worth a shot."

Vaskin rubbed his forehead in disbelief.

"Anywho...Are you guys hungry? Ivy and The Kapybara whipped something up in the kitchen with the cooks. It smells very good, but I couldn't go in because the job they gave me was to keep Thorryn from eating all the pineapples." Ravenna said, attempting to change the subject.

N'Digo landed in the grass in front of the palace next to the Empress, worn out and panting for breath. "Bloody dragon flyin' so fast!" N'Digo remarked. "So this is it, eh? I've never seen a place quite like it."

"Oh, hiyee! I don't think we've met before!" Ravenna said, holding out her hand towards N'Digo.

N'digo spat off to the side and rolled her teal, green, and yellow flecked eyes.

"I just love your tattoos! And, ohmygawsh, are you wearing actual chains?" Ravenna gushed.

"Aye. It's all ta' protest silver helix an' halfbreed rights." N'Digo replied, eyeing her arms with self admiration.

"That's AWESOME!" Ravenna squealed. "A few of my best friends are silver helixes, and then one of my other best friends is a silver helix and a half breed!"

"Ya' obv'sly 'ave got better taste than most a' the people in this world." N'Digo said with an approving nod.

Ravenna smiled, turning around when the gates burst open.

"THORRRYYYYN!" Ivy screamed, as the small dragon dashed through the doors with a very self satisfied look on his face.

"Oh no, baby snugglekins what did you do this time?!" Ravenna groaned, chasing after her draggon and grabbing him by the tail.

"You had one job, Ravenna. One. Single. Tiny. Job." Ivy panted.

"But I had to tell Leif and Vaskin about the vanishing unicorns!" Ravenna protested, finally getting Thorryn under control.