Kingdoms Falling

Chapter 17

Monterra was a cold and desolate land, filled with sharp peaks, large casms, and mountains buried in six feet of snow where not even a polar bear could feel at home, and no dragon could possibly want to live.

In other words, for a secret resistance, it was just right.

Meadow and Cotton arrived on the windswept plain between ranges about an hour before noon, tired and stiff from fighting. While they waited for the others to arrive, Cotton found the warmest (and only snow-less) location she could to rest, under a wind-eroded ledge, and Meadow went off in search of wood to create a small fire.

"You should probably stay close," the princess had suggested, watching him as he swept across the ledge above her. "We don't know the layout of this Realm, or if the inhabitants are friendly."

"I thought we were under a peace treaty," Meadow said as he scavenged the little bark and sticks he could from a small sapling. The plant seemed young, maybe a year old. He wondered how it had even managed to grow in such a harsh environment.

"We are," Cotton agreed, "but that doesn't mean everyone is friendly towards outsiders. It would be wise to tread cautiously."

"All right," Meadow agreed, stacking the wood into a pile before her. "I'm going to go and look for more firewood. You stay here and keep a lookout for Fire and Hillock."

"No argument here," the dragoness grunted, flopping her wings out and lowering her head. "I think I'll just take a quick break now. Totally not sleeping, for your information."

"I wasn't asking. Don't fall asleep, or you might miss them," Meadow warned, adjusting his glasses and glancing back at the portal as it swirled and stretched like a confused pile of mango mush.

Cotton mumbled something that sounded like, "Fishsticks. I would never." This was followed promptly by a soft snoring.

Meadow rolled his eyes and shook his head as he turned and leapt into the air. He was high above the snow and ice in moments, and he circled the small clearing twice to make sure it was ingrained in his memory before deciding to fly south toward a range of smaller mountains. The air was crisp and clear up there, and the stillness gave him plenty of time to try and work out what had just happened.

Twisterheart came to Raynbowfalles to challenge Cotton for the throne, but all he really wanted was for her to reveal herself to he could kill her. So why bother to fake the courtesy when it would have been easier to just brainwash all the dragons at once and avoid the hassle?

Granted, the blue dragon eventually did just that. But, why not just start with the mind control? Why wait so long and give Cotton a chance to defend herself? If his intention was to do to Raynbowfalles what he had done to Watterlaek, why had he hesitated?

Could he have seen something in her mind? Is that why he waited? Was there something else he wanted from her that he couldn't find by controlling her?

He glanced back at the clearing as it disappeared behind a veil of fog.

What could she know that he would find so intriguing enough that he would let her go?

He didn't know, and all the round-about thinking was giving him a headache. He decided to focus on his own power instead as he swept down low over a grassy, muddy plain, startling several mountain goats and sending them bleating for cover. He had never created such a storm before in his life. And, if he were being honest with himself, he didn't even know he could. Lightning in his talons was one thing, but an entire lightning storm was something completely different.

But how had he done it? He remembered the moments right before, when he moved to protect Cotton the best that he could, and he recalled the bolt of fear that had raced through him when he realized, not that he couldn't save himself, but that he couldn't save her. And then, everything kind of went dark, and the next thing he knew, there was a massive thunderhead above him and half the dragons had been defeated. He hadn't thought. He'd only reacted.