Wings of the Crystal : The Lost City

:: Chapter 26 ::

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    Cactus walked around the town like a headless chicken, sticking her tongue out at everyone who stared, like an immature child. Cactus finally gave up and shook her legs, more of the cracking mud flying everywhere. Dust reached her nose and she cough gingerly. Once she fell back onto the hard ground, immediately someone's head raised. With high order, they walked with a bland look and a straight face towards her. Behind her was some other taller SkullWing with the same look. They stood in front of her and looked down at her. The female let out a claw to try and help her up, But cactus shook her head and spoke quickly but quietly.

"You don't want to touch me, trust me," Cactus said, standing up on her own. The dragon scoffed but responded, "Why not?"

"Because this," Cactus touched a growing plant in between a crack In the sandstone ground with one claw, watching it slowly fall into ashes. It only lay but a heap of ash as it was swept away by the wind. "Firescales."

Nor the male or the female flinched or moved back, they just continued to watch and stand. "humph," said the male, looking around. "I'm guessing you got in by that fools ridiculous riddle? I'm sure he gives the same riddle over and over though half of the dragons that try and enter die before they can."

"Yea, he let me in," Cactus said truthfully. "But to be honest, your place is amazing. Why must you keep it hidden?" She looked around the city, getting a glimpse of the central town area.

The two SkullWings exchange glances at each other then back at her. "An attack," answered the female. "We don't need any more." they turned around and started to walk back together. Standing in confusion, she snapped out of her daze and ran up behind them, walking with them. "Well, you seem to be Grim. I'm not sure if you're aware, but I'm here for the crystal? The whole power? Yeah, I'm Cactus, if you weren't aware-"

She trailed off as she came to a halt since the two dragons in front of her did also. They slowly turned their heads back to look at her with slight wide eyes. "Wait. . . say that again." Said the male with a stern, but also interested voice.

Cactus huffed, starting again. "I said, that I'm the SandWing that's apart of the prophecy, one of the Crystal Dragonets. I'm Cactus. For the Crystal power thing, you have that, right?-"

They turn completely around, now facing her with small grins but bright eyes. "We've been waiting for you."

They then took Cactus down the town to the Castle, which was made with the same Adobe clay but much bigger. It his twists and turns at the top like thorns and thistles. There were holes with dragons flying out. They walked down the path into the castle, with Cactus following and the two dragons in front. They lead her all the way to the Queens room, with a few bystanders watching and murmuring about Cactus.

They stood at the Queens door, which was lined with silk red carpet and golden nails. There was a line of others that were busily talking. They all had something in their claws or was doing something otherwise. There were two guards beside the Queen, with her sitting straight in the chair with her head raised. Though she seemed to be in the position of a brat, she looked pretty sweet, with a soft smile towards the front of the line.

"Skip this," Grim said, cutting around all the dragons, with the male following. Cactus knew this was a bad idea, so she sat outside the door and listened intently.

"Your majesty," The male said, along with Grim repeating after him. "There is something we must discuss, and its important."

"Really? Can you say it here, now?" Said the Queens Soft voice.

There was a bit of the pause, but the male quickly spoke up. "She's here."

The Queen responded firmly and honestly. "But I know a million dragons that are females, by who is this she?-"

"Cactus."

There was a long, silent moment as everyone stopped talking to hear the name. Even the Queen quit talking. Shortly after, the Queen breathed and then spoke again. "Bring her in."

As everyone exited, Cactus sneakily walked in, avoiding the carpet and standing on the pale, hard ground with her dry, muddy legs. She bowed her head towards the Queen, who was the same dull grey with the tattoo symbol of the Queen Ranking on her chest, and her twisted crown and Black Cape around her back.

"Your majesty-"

"Please, just call me Queen Thorn," the Queen's soft voice said, as Cactus leaned back up with the same smile the Queen Granted. The Queen Straightened her back and stared at Cactus with a friendly look. "So, you're Cactus the Crystal Dragonet, daughter of Snake and Egypt, with Firescales?"

Cactus nodded, still with a straight look but confused in her head. How many people know this? She thought, her claws firm. "Yes, Queen Thorn."

"Well, you came to the right place for your power, because we have just the thing you need, something useless to us that only worked for you. Anyone that seemed to try to obtain its power died by its touch and the power it had. I guess it's only made for you." The Queen spoke.

"Just follow us, and Ill explain more on the way."

On the way to the room down the Hall, the Queen continued. "It started with a small spark in one of our rooms. One of our generals tried to bring it to me, only to be killed as soon as he touched it. We've avoided it ever since, but protecting it at the same time. We then had our scribes read about this, and do as much research and reading as they could. They wrote books and scrolls on this power; though they still had not found what this was. Soon enough, they found you and your friends in other scrolls, and concluded that one of the Crystals have grown inside our territory and inside our castle-"

"Queen Thorn, may I ask, How do you know if this is MY Crystal? It could be one of my other friends." Cactus said after. The Queen glared back as she turned a corner down another hallway, but was locked by gates. Two guards unlocked the gate to the dark, looming hallway and the dragons continued down it. It was crawling with vines and leaves everywhere, overlapping paintings and doors.

"We know this from only our experiences with this thing. Over time, as this thing grew, it took power over the place and grew. We would randomly have outbreaks of what seemed of screaming from the Crystal. And it would scream YOUR name. We had no idea what this meant, and what we assume is that this crystal, beyond this door, is yours."

Cactus shuddered at the feeling of the Crystal, and they stopped at the end of the hallway. Before she could proceed, vines crawled around Cactus legs and up her shoulders. Cactus froze, wondering why they weren't burning. They then crawled back down, peeling off the mud that stuck up to her shoulders. Amazed, everyone quietly breathed and watched as all the mud was now gone. The Vines crawled back onto the wall like snakes and disappeared under the doors.

"We cannot go in, but we know you can. Good Luck, Cactus. This is all you." Said the Queen, opening the door slowly as every other dragon headed back to the Throne room except Cactus.

Breathing calmly, she slide into the room, squinting. There, behold her eyes, was the crystal. Therefore was the power she forever longed for, finally in front of her.