Wings of Fire: The Kingdom of the Sea | ✔️

~ The Kingdom of the Sea: Chapter 12 ~

"Your home is underwater?"

Dolphin looked over their shoulder at her. "Well duh, I'mma SeaWing. Where am I s'posed to live?"

"Hare can't go underwater," Seahorse said.

Dolphin scoffed. "Obviously. I ain't stupid, y'know." They held out their talons and cracked their claws, then their neck. "Lucky for you, I've seen them on land more than I have underwater."

"Perfect," Hare said. "Lead the way."

Hare didn't like caves. Not after being in the Place of Lost Souls.

Yet here she was, standing in front of one.

"Uh, are you sure this was it?" Hare asked Dolphin.

"Very," the SeaWing replied. They smiled mischievously and leaned closer to Hare. "Why, ya scared?"

"No!" Hare lied.

"Leave her alone," Seahorse said. "Let's just take a look inside. We might find some clues about where Axolotl is."

Seahorse stepped into the cave. Dolphin followed. Hare hesitated, then followed them. The cave was chilly and dark. Seahorse lit up her glowing scales a little so they could see.

Hare moved slowly. She didn't like this, not at all. She expected some dead corpse to reach out and grab her legs at any moment. She expected to hear shrieks for help. She expected to see a mangled dragon and smell the death.

But none of it happened. The only voices she heard were Dolphin and Seahorse.

"My brother is named Clownfish," Dolphin was saying. "He's quite an odd thing. I'm not surprised he kidnapped somebody."

"Now, let's not jump to conclusions," Seahorse said.

"There ain't nothing to jump to," Dolphin said, scanning the cave. "The answer's plainer than day. Clownfish kidnapped this Axolotl dragon and is keeping her somewhere."

"Or maybe Axolotl chose to leave," Seahorse said. "Maybe they fell in love."

Dolphin wrinkled his nose. "I hate to break it to you sugar, but Clownfish ain't into you females." He went back to searching around the cave. " 'Sides, I don't think she'd be miserable here if she loved Clownfish."

A voice wailed from somewhere in the cave. Seahorse and Dolphin went silent. Hare dug her claws into the ground to try and steady herself. It sounded like the cries from the Place of Lost Souls.

Seahorse pricked her ears and twisted them as the wail sounded again.

"Clownfish. I want to go home!"

"That's Axolotl," Seahorse whispered. "Come on!"

She charged deeper into the cave and disappeared into a tunnel.

"You fool!" Dolphin hissed, chasing after her. Hare ran after them.

Dolphin lit up his scales a little so Hare could see him. They ran after the glow of Seahorse and Axolotl's voice.

"Please, I want to go home!"

The three dragons suddenly burst into a wide open. A dragon was chained in the middle. She looked thin and her eyes were wide in fear.

"Axolotl," Seahorse breathed.

"No!" Axolotl whispered. "You need to go, he'll kill you if he sees you here!"

"Clownfish wouldn't dare lay a claw on me," Dolphin huffed.

"Me either," Hare said. "I'm the niece of your ally, he wouldn't want to ruin anything by attacking me."

"Do you want to test that theory?"

The three turned around. A blue dragon with dark blue spots was standing in front of the tunnel. His eyes were narrowed to small green slits.

"Clownfish." Dolphin made a tsk of disapproval. "How could you? Would mother approve?"

"Mother has nothing to do with this!" Clownfish snapped. "And neither do you. You shouldn't be here."

"And neither should she." Dolphin flicked his tail at Axolotl. "Honestly, what in the three moons are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I should rip your teeth out and wear them as a necklace," Clownfish snarled.

"Would you really hurt your own sibling?" Dolphin teased.

"Yes," Clownfish spat. "I'll kill all three of you."

"Would you now?" Dolphin chuckled and stepped forward to stand in front of Hare and Seahore. "Go ahead and try."