Beating Wings (EDITING)

14 : Return to Tagonia ✏️

    "So did Trufor ever tell you who is leading the Order?" Nota whispered to me as we flew through the clouds.

    "No, but he did say it was royalty; someone with high power."

    "Any ideas?"

    "One." I frowned. "I was thinking, what if their leader was King Vehest of the Blatua Kingdom?"

    "Hm, possibly." Nota nodded at my suggestion. "It makes sense. Maybe he started this war just for an excuse to send followers to our lands in our kingdom so they could search for more Dark Dragons?"

    "Yeah..." I went quiet, but whispered back a few moments later. "Nota, why am I called a Dark Dragon?"

    "My father told me before he was killed." She began. "The Order, back in the day, ruled everything. They spread lies, they told everyone they were Pure Dragons, or dragons of one element. They told us that the multi-elemental dragons were evil and gave them the name 'Dark Dragons.'

     "Of course, that's not the only reason. There are legends about how Dark Dragons came to exist in the first place."

     I shrugged, not wanting to hear her bedtime story. It was just speculation, those stories were invented. Maybe I was simply a mistake...

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    We finally made it back to Tagonia, and each of us were exhausted. Everything looked as we left it, everything except the fact that there were no other dragons outside.

    "Where is everyone?" Nota looked around as they flew overhead.

    "I'm not sure, but there is someone who would know what's going on..." I dove down. "Follow me!"

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    The other two followed me as I flew through the Forest of Kuht. It was the sort of forest that had towering trees weighed down with moss and vines.   
    We weaved through and came to a grove housing a huge cave with vines drooping down over the entrance. It was as too dark to see whatever lurked inside it.

    "Grilop?" I landed on a rock in front of the dark hole.

    There was no reply at first, just one glowing green eye that opened inside and locked in on me.

    Nota and Deltul landed behind me, frightened.

    "Grilop...?" My voice shook. "P-please, we need your help..."

    "You should not be here, Zepth." A thundering, but aged voice called out with a hint of fear. The giant one-eyed head of Grilop stuck out of the cave. He looked tired and worn.

    "What happened here?" I asked him.

    "Something terrible, young Zepth." He replied, sadness taking over his voice. "The Queen has banished you from these lands. She knows you intend to kill her."

    "Kill her?" I gasped. "No, I don't want to kill anyone! It's the stupid prophecy the reader told that's making her act out of fear. I am innocent! I just want to live my own life!"

    "Stupid?" He became enraged. "What you call stupid others call hope, Zepth. She deserves to be overthrown and the dragons under her rule deserve to be freed from her cruel grip."

    "I can't, the prophecy wasn't about me, it couldn't have been!" I shook my head.

    "It is you, although you may not accept it yet. As I've said before, this is your mission bound by destiny. You must, for the sake of all dragons; Dark and Pure." Grilop brought his head high. Suddenly, his eyes became alarmed. "She has sent guards on a search for you."