Wings of Fire - Cavernous Promises

Chapter 29

LOCUST

Locust glared at Mallow, Admiral and Dragonfly as they headed to Wasp hive. His shoulder ached and was stiff where Dragonfly clawed him. Mallow and Admiral had almost given him a heart-attack. They were approaching the hive which looked normal, but it had loops of greenhouses surrounding the base of the hive. He flew closer to Dragonfly and asked him a question, "Why does Wasp need so many greenhouses?"

"I don't know, plants. There's no trees anymore, so she needs to grow stuff somewhere." replied Dragonfly, his obnoxiously bright cape flapping in the wind. Locust paused and thought of something he hadn't even said yet.

"Are you sure you're not Jewel's son? 'Cause you seem like a dragon from her hive." he asked before flitting quickly away from him.

"WHAT!?" spat Dragonfly, "I'M SURE I'M VINEGAROON'S SON!"

Locust laughed and flew next to Cobalt.

"We're going to have to be stealthy, since our little stunt in Vinegaroon Hive, our image is probably plastered in every hive by now." Locust explained, "Then there's the problem of where the crystal helm is and how we'll steal it."

They swooped down to the ground behind one of the greenhouses. They settled down and decided to make plans and refresh themselves with Acacia's bones. They passed the three bones between them and packed them away again.

"So how are we going to get into Wasp Hive? We're going to have to get new disguises, since Wasp's already seen Oakleaf's." Admiral asked, resting on the ground to preserve his magically given energy.

"True, maybe we could look like people visiting from Jewel Hive, that would be easiest." suggest Cobalt, looking at Dragonfly, who made a loud huffing noise.

"Or we could find non-toxic leaves to stain our scales." suggested Mallow, "Maybe find leaves in the shape of SilkWing wings and springy plants for antennae."

A loud shout suddenly echoed out and Locust's head was shoved into the ground.

"Got you, my lying, sneaking, traitorous excuse of a nephew." snarled a female's voice. Maggot, that can only mean the rest of them.

"Hehe, yes Aunt Maggot, I can't wait to kill my first LeafWing." drawled a voice that Locust recognized as Mason, "Then we can turn in these lying HiveWings and SilkWings to Wasp and get the reward!"

"Now, now son, keep your bloodlust under control, Honey what are you doing?" growled a third voice, obviously his father Blackjack.

"Uhm, holding them down, against the window?" squeaked Locust's mother's voice. She then gave a squawk of fear and pain. Who touched my mother? They'll pay.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it, I'll see if I can-mhm!" squawked Locust's mother.

"Quick Cobalt, run, Dragonfly leave the cloak, run!" cried Admiral, his voice getting further away. It was him or Cobalt or Dragonfly, I'll only kill one of them.

"We'll get them later, they're not as important as these guys." snarled Blackjack, "Mason, go ahead and get Wasp, she'll enjoy it."

"Of course father." sneered Mason, his wings beginning to buzz as he leapt into the air. He then yelped suddenly and there was a loud crash. Maggot gasped and Locust twisted out from underneath her. He spun to face her pale, shocked face. Locust then lunged at her, she screamed as she was pushed over, the stingers slid from her claws as she tried to swipe at Locust. Locust lunged down and grabbed one of her wings with his jaws. She shrieked and batted her claws at him, Locust snarled and dug his claws into her wing membrane and ripped through it. Maggot finally pushed him off, with her wings on one side twisted and bloody. Locust twisted his head to look at Mason, silver silk was wrapped around his wings, claws and jaws, it looked like the silk had been spun into a net. Admiral. Blackjack roared and leapt onto Locust's back.

"YOU'RE THE WORST OF ALL MY SONS! I CAN'T BELIEVE I PUT UP WITH YOU!" he roared, digging his claws beneath Locust's armour, trying to cut through the straps. Suddenly a blur of pale green slammed into Blackjack. He slipped off and hit the ground, hard. He struggled to his claws. "Maggot!" he roared. Locust then had his claws and wings pressed to his back. Maggot was holding him back, two of her wings still bloody and useless.

"You." spat Blackjack, glaring at Mallow who was standing opposite to him, "I killed you, I saw your body at my claws and the broken eggshell of your egg still clasped in your claws."

"Who are you talking about?" asked Mallow, looking at Blackjack with confusion etched into her face.

"One survived, one of Spruce's eggs," Blackjack realized, he then laughed, "Oh, you look just like your mother, except your eyes, they're your fathers."

Mallow took a step back, her eyes widening as she realized what Blackjack had just said. Blackjack stalked forward, narrowing his eyes at Mallow, "I promised that I'd kill every, single, one of those eggs and end," he stamped down his foot, "that bloodline for eternity."

"You..." whispered Mallow, all the blood draining from her face.

"And you," Blackjack said, whipping his head toward Acacia, "Look like Aspen, but definitely with splashes of what's-her-face." he turned back to face Mallow "Now time to end Eucalyptus' bloodline, ONCE AND FOR ALL!" his tail whipped out and a jet of steaming acid soared out of it. Mallow turned to run, but the acid hit her back, between her wings and across the webbing between her spines. She screamed in pain and fell to the ground, her scales bubbled and melted as the acid worked into them. She rolled onto her back and grass began to wrap around her body, smothering and absorbing the acid, bandaging the wounds.

Blackjack stepped forward and with a smile smeared across his snout. "I thought I'd get more of a fight from the daughter of Eucalyptus, master of plants and Spruce, champion of the LeafWings." he sneered, prowling forward. Mallow fixed her eyes on him and staggered up on her claws, wincing. Blackjack laughed out loud, twisting around Mallow, "You hurt, LeafWing, I hope you don't mind, because it's about to get a lot more painful. Your mother found that out the hard way."

Something inside Mallow snapped. She roared in fury and there were loud booms and tinkling of glass as the greenhouses around them exploded. Vines, leaves, fleshy tendrils of plants lunged at Blackjack, quickly encasing him in a cocoon of green leaves. "NO! NO! NO! NO! YOU CAN'T! NO!" he screamed, struggling as his claws were wrapped in dark green leaves. Locust looked at Mallow in shock, he looked down at her claws and saw the pale horns of a dragon's skull.

Blackjack was still encased in leaves that were now dragging him to the ground and working up his neck. "Please stop, please st- ARRRGGGHHH!" He howled in pain as there were several loud cracks. Mallow was staring at him with a cold fire burning behind her eyes. The leaves twisted, wrapping around Blackjack's face, pulling tight to his scales. He struggled for another couple of minutes, loud cracks emitting from his leaf cocoon. Finally his struggling form went limp. Mallow was panting; she looked at the leafy cocoon as some of the leaves pulled back, showing the dark form of Blackjack. She then sat down, still looking at Blackjack's limp form. A small bush's branches twisted into the words,

Here lies Blackjack.

Killer of many innocents, father to Locust and Mason,

Both loyal in their own ways.

Mallow then stepped forward, pulled something from the ground in front of her, before placing it down on the ground next to Blackjack's head, she paused as a pale purple flower pushed out of the ground and bloomed facing to the sky.