In the Shadow of Power - Hogwarts Legacy

Chapter 28

Alayna and Poppy moved quietly through Horntail Hall under Disillusionment. The constant cheers and shouts combined with the sound of the two dragons fighting masked any sounds they might have made as they crept around the circular arena. There were so many people watching, it was disappointing to think there might be villagers from nearby hamlets participating in the poacher's work. 

Moving down the levels of the arena, it wasn't long before they discovered that the poachers were not the only ones running the place.

"Ranrok's loyalists are here too. They really are working together?" Poppy whispered to Alayna as they spotted a few goblins patrolling behind the scenes.

"Yes, although I am a little surprised to see any of them here." Horntail Hall seemed like mostly a poacher operation, so what were the goblins doing here? Extra guards perhaps? Ranrok did have a pretty high stake in the place with providing the collars for the dragons. Alayna urged Poppy onwards as they snuck past the goblins and continued searching through the hall. 

Eventually, they came to a hallway that led away from the arena to another space. There were so many crates and barrels and furs hung up everywhere that it was hard to see into the room they'd stumbled upon, but they could hear a different commotion coming from that area.

"What's going on over here?" Poppy hurried to a spot where she could pull aside some of the furs and peer into the room beyond. Alayna joined her there, crouching and watching. Down below, in another large space were several poachers surrounding a large dragon. It was muzzled and chained up so that it could barely move at all. The poachers were firing spells at it while the dragon tried to fight back.

"There's no collar on that one," Alayna observed.

"They must have only just captured her. She's putting up quite a fight," Poppy responded.

"It's hardly a fight when they have her chained up like that." She could barely move, it was more like a beating.

"Why don't we even her odds then?" Poppy grinned.

"Wait, are you sure about this? I already have a target on my back, but if you do this you could be in huge trouble with Victor Rookwood too." Alayna placed a hand on Poppy's arm to prevent her from rushing off recklessly.

"I can't just sit by when they're torturing a creature like that. Besides, we're safe at Hogwarts. Rookwood and his men could never get to us there."

"Alright, if you're certain." So far they had avoided a fight, but there would be no more avoiding now. And if they succeeded in freeing the dragon, Rookwood and Ranrok were going to be very mad. Well, as Alayna had told Poppy, she already had a target on her back. What could one more attack against the poachers and goblins do?

They circled around, following a staircase that led down to the lower level the poachers and dragon were on. Before they got to the area they were in though, they passed through another room that looked like a bit of a mess hall given the long tables and benches. Sitting on top of one of them was a cage with a brilliant blue egg sitting within it. Every once in a while puffs of fire would emanate from its shell.

"Look! They've got a dragon egg. Hebridean by the looks of it. We can't leave it here. Not with the plans they likely have for it," Poppy insisted. Of course, Alayna hadn't had any thought of leaving it behind. She opened the cage and carefully took out the egg. It was beautiful and warm to the touch.

"It's amazing." Alayna smiled to Poppy before carefully placing it within the nabsack for safekeeping. What was she going to do with a dragon egg? She had no idea, but Poppy was right. They couldn't just leave it there. Figuring out what to do with it could come later.