Kingdoms Falling

Chapter 13

They rode the currents swiftly and silently. No one commented on how beautiful the coral reefs were, or said anything about the odd flatfish that stared up at them from the seafloor. They just kept swimming.

The moment everything started to go downhill played on repeat in Meadow's mind. He should have seen something was wrong as soon as Shadowwind started his approach. The angle of Lionfish's wings...almost as if he knew the sky dragon was going to try something. Meadow couldn't help, but feel like he should have done something. Maybe, if he'd distracted his brother for just a few more seconds, the plan would have been successful. Armadillo would have been safe, and Shadowwind still alive.

They pulled themselves onto the shore a short time later. Meadow brought up the rear and he scrabbled to get a hold on the pebbles as he followed the others. His head hung low as he sagged off the tank and plopped down in the sand. Gill saw this and came limping over to join them.

"Oh! You got him!" the elderly dragon sighed in relief. "But...weren't there four of you? The bright and chipper young dragoness. Where is she?" He glanced back at the water.

"Armadillo's been captured," Bobcat answered quietly, glancing back at the drakes most effected by the loss. "And one of Meadow's friends was killed in the escape."

Meadow couldn't look at Hillock. He was sure the sand drake must have been feeling the same way he did. Broken. It was no secret he was madly in love with the younger dragoness, and Meadow wasn't sure he could bear to see the look of anguish on his face. He wanted to apologize, but even the thought of touching the sand dragon made him fear they both would fall apart.

"I see," Gill said quietly. "And I s'ppose you'll be wanting to get her back somehow. And knowing that tribe as well as I do, I suspect they demanded something in return?"

"They did," Bobcat began. "Something called--"

"The key," Meadow interrupted, shooting her a warning look. They didn't know what they were up against, and even though he trusted Gill with his life, he had no protection against Twisterheart. And until he was sure the blue dragon wasn't behind all of this, he was afraid to tell anyone. Besides, he didn't even know if the key existed. And, even if it did, they only had a week to find it. When it has been missing for almost a thousand years. "Just a key. Lionfish is...er...rather obsessed with them."

"A key?" Gill looked unimpressed, while Bobcat wrinkled her snout at Meadow as if to say, "What gives? He can help us!" Meadow ignored her."Not very impressive for a dragon of his rank, but I suppose everyone has his own niche, don't he?"

Like me and science.

Or Armadillo and art.

"Yeah," Meadow huffed, standing up and shaking the sand out of his wings. "I suppose so. Listen, Gill, we need to get going. We don't have much time."

"Of course," the sea dragon said with a dip of his head. "I'd best be heading back to the library then. And don't worry. I'll make sure nothing happens to your friend. And, if you need anything..." he trailed off there and stalked back toward the water.

"I will," Meadow promised. "Thank you, Gill."

The brown dragon nodded before quietly slipping back into the sea.

"Come on," Meadow went on, signaling for Hillock to get up. "It's time to go."

"And just where are we going?" Bobcat inquired, shuffling through the sand to join them. "And what is your big rush? It's not like we can just swoop in and take this key...wherever it is."

"Bobcat," Meadow said quickly, cutting off her rant as he looked past her to the portal. "I need you to go back to Marrblerivver and tell Sun what is going on."