Unshattered

Chapter Twenty

Glory froze, then frowned at Aqua and pointed one claw at her.

"You," the queen hissed. "You stole the dream visitor!"

"No, I didn't, Your Majesty!" Aqua cried. "I promise I didn't steal anything!"

Deathbringer frowned when he looked at the magical sapphire stone in the sand. He picked it up and held it in front of Aqua's face as if to say, "GET A GOOD LOOK AT WHO HAD IT THIS WHOLE TIME."

"Liar," he said like it was actually true.

"I'm not lying!" Aqua lashed.

Sahara was discreetly delivering evil grins and accomplishing looks, but was still pinned to the sand by Turtle's magic and Deathbringer's weight.

"Is it not already obvious? It's been with you all this time, of course you stole it!" She said in her slithery voice. She turned to Glory. "You should arrest her."

The RainWing queen scoffed. "We don't arrest dragons for theft. Just murder." She flicked her tail at the SandWing, who groaned and rolled her eyes.

"But I don't have time to deal with you right now, you're only a thief," Continued the RainWing. "Tsunami will handle you. I know she's been wanting to for a long time and this will make up for it."

She snapped her claws and Deathbringer wrapped the outstretched vine around Sahara's snout.

She let out a muffled yelp and growled.

Turtle held his talon out at the vine and sighed. "Enchant this vine so that when it touches an animus, that animus shall not be able to cast a spell audibly or mentally."

It was a smart move; Sahara was about to cast another enchantment to do something else, though Soaren wasn't sure what it was.

But it felt like something was missing. Other than Aqua being framed from stealing the dream visitor, Soaren tried to remember the other problem they were having.

"Moondrift!" He blurted.

Glory looked at him. "What?"

"Sahara casted a spell on Moondrift that would make her lose all her abilities! I told you before!"

The RainWing looked puzzled, then shocked, then outraged.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU EXPLAIN IT BETTER? IF SHE LOST ALL ABILITIES, THAT INCLUDES THE ABILITY TO BREATHE, YOU IDIOT! SHE'S GOING TO DIE!"

Soaren's wings dropped. Had he just let someone die like that? Was he a killer? A bad dragon?

His heart pounded in his chest, as if trying to break free from his scales. He felt terrible.

Would Moondrift really be dead? Is she already dead?

Oh, Soaren thought, I'm a horrible dragon.

Glory shook her head sadly.

"I have to break the news to Snowstorm,"

"Wait!" Aqua cried, before Deathbringer would take her to Tsunami. "I can save her!"

"If she's dead," The NightWing pointed out. "Which, being Moondrift, she wouldn't be."

"Oh sure, like someone can survive without breathing for more than two minutes," snapped the SeaWing. She turned to Glory.

"Please, your Majesty, if you care about her as a friend, you would let me help. Let me prove to you I'm not bad."

She was still holding the shell that contained her soul and her animus magic.

The RainWing thought about it for a moment, then sighed. "Oh, fine. But I'll say, it won't prove to us anything about you."

"But animus magic can't bring back the dead," Soaren protested to Aqua, who looked at him fiercely.

"But animus magic can remove spells casted on other dragons," she said. "Thus, saving the poor dragon."

Queen Glory waved her talon royally.

"Alright then, I'm assuming Moondrift's at Jade Mountain?"

"But what about this SandWing!?" Deathbringer argued, trying to pin Sahara down again after she tried to stand up. "Turtle, just use your magic!"

Turtle blinked at him. "I don't want to lose my soul!"

"Yes," Soaren said. "Moondrift is at Jade Mountain. We need to hurry though."

"We should get Snowstorm though," Glory said. "If Moondrift's dead and is just about to be brought back to life, then shouldn't he be there?"

"I guess," Soaren said.

"I bet that IceWing will—" Deathbringer started.

"Don't even," Glory snapped. "You are staying to take Sahara away and make sure Queen Thorn will take her in."

The NightWing rolled his eyes.

"Yeeeeees, my queen."

***

After getting Snowstorm (though they didn't tell him why), Aqua used the shell (she nor Turtle removed the teleportation spell Aqua had put on it, which was quite efficient for them) as they suddenly appeared in Jade Mountain inside the Jade Winglet's sleeping cave.

"So why are we here?" Snowstorm asked, after they teleported to where they are now.

Soaren felt like he was being stabbed, not only because of what the IceWing would find out in a few seconds, but for forgetting about Hvitur for that long.

He's dead for sure...no... he thought, but tried to keep his mind off of his devastation and focus on the problem in front of them.

"I'm sorry, Snowstorm, but Aqua promised she can fix this." Glory said.

The IceWing tilted his head at her. "What are you talking ab—"

His gaze turned to the corner of the cave, where he gasped and ran towards that direction.

"No, no, no, no..." he said, and sat in front of Moondrift and grabbed her talons.

Her scales were paler than that of an ancient ghost. Her eyes were closed and resting there helplessly as no more breath came out of her. She laid there peacefully while Snowstorm's eyes quickly filled with tears, pulling her lifeless talons closer to him.

"No, there's got to be something we can do," he croaked, wrapping his wings around her.

Glory's face brightened.

"There is," she said, nodding at Aqua, who stepped forward with the queen's eyes fixed on her suspiciously.

The SeaWing looked at Moondrift sympathetically, clasping the enchanted shell in her talons.

She exhaled.

"Enchant this dragon so that all spells that have been cast upon her will be removed and she will live again."

Snowstorm's eyes went wide.

And so did Moondrift's.

-994 Words