Wings of Fire: The Kingdom of the Sea | ✔️

~ The Kingdom of the Sea: Chapter 13 ~

Clownfish didn't hesitate. He leaped at Dolphin with his talons outstretched.

Dolphin stepped aside and smiled smugly, clearly thinking they'd win. They were thrown off when Clownfish hooked his tail around their neck and slammed them to the ground. Clownfish had planned this.

Seahorse tried to slash at his face. Clownfish easily dodged her attack and raked his claws across her throat. Seahorse gasped and staggered backward.

Hare bristled and slammed her spiked tail into Clownfish's side. The SeaWing hissed. He scratched her shoulder, causing her to wince. She didn't let it throw her off, which Clownfish clearly wasn't expecting.

Never expected to fight the daughter of Burn, did you?

Hare raked her claws over his eye. He cried out in pain. Right then, Dolphin sweeped their tail under Clownfish's talons, causing their brother to fall on his belly. Hare reared up and slammed her talons on his back.

Clownfish yowled as she ran her claws along the back of his neck. He snarled and twisted around. He threw her away from him. She slammed painfully into the rocky cave walls. She leaned her head forward to keep it from hitting against the rock.

Hare slid down to the floor and got back to her talons. Dolphin and Clownfish were grappling on the floor. Axolotl was watching in horror. Seahorse was gasping for air on the floor. Blood poured from her wound. Hare didn't know what to do. There was nothing here she could use to stop the bleeding.

Dolphin will have to go find something. I trust myself to win this more than I trust them to. I've taken on grown dragons before.

Hare barrelled into Clownfish, knocking him off Dolphin. Dolphin blinked in confusion.

"Go get something to help Seahorse!" Hare cried as she fought with Clownfish. "Moss or cobwebs or leaves. Anything! Go!"

Dolphin raced out of the cave. Hare and Clownfish continued clawing at each other. Hare dove under him and rose up to slam her back into his underbelly. He yelped and Hare felt blood trickling over her head. The spikes on the back of her head must've hit him.

Hare knocked him aside and shook her head. She looked at Clownfish, who was glaring at her with narrowed eyes. There were three small holes in his underbelly, each one dripping blood.

"You can end this all now," Hare said. "Back down, Clownfish. Let us take Axolotl home."

"Never!" Clownfish roared, launching at Hare again. Hare leaped out of the way, catching the spikes on her tail on his side as she moved. Clownfish landed clumsily on his talons and whirled around to face her.

"Why do you even need her?" Hare demanded.

"Why should I tell you?" Clownfish snarled, charging at her. Hare grabbed his neck in her talon and slammed him to the ground.

"You'll tell me if you want to keep your life," she snarled.

"Kill me," Clownfish spat. "I won't say a word, so kill me."

Hare tried not to let her surprise show. She'd expected him to want to keep his life.

I can't kill, not again.

Dolphin rushed back into the cave carrying moss and cobwebs in their jaws. They dropped them when they saw Clownfish and Hare. "Are you going to-"

"No," Hare growled. "Not yet."

Not ever.

"Good," Dolphin snarled. "If anyone's going to kill him, I want it to be me."

Hare looked at them in surprise. "What? Why?"

Dolphin stalked up to Clownfish. "This isn't the first time he's hurt an innocent dragon. He's had victims before this." Dolphin laughed when Clownfish looked at them with wide eyes. "Oh, yes, don't think I haven't seen your collection of trophies brother. Quite a horrifying sight. And don't think I didn't see our father's teeth in that jar. Guess it's a good thing he got his teeth decorated with those jewels."

He killed his own father!

"Do what you want," Clownfish hissed. "I won't tell you anything."

"Yes you will," Hare snapped.

"No, I won't," Clownfish snapped.

The cave went silent. Dolphin and Hare both stared at Clownfish.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Clownfish hissed. His voice rose to a shriek so loud it hurt Hare's ears. "Kill me!"

Dolphin grabbed Clownfish's head and slammed it against the floor. Hare gasped and jumped off him. "You killed him!"

"No I didn't." Dolphin wiped off their talon on their arm. "I just knocked him out." He looked at Hare with mock hurt. "You don't think I'd really kill my brother, do you?"

They didn't give her a chance to respond. They pushed the moss and cobwebs into her talons. "Care for Seahorse. I'll free Axolotl."

Hare nodded and rushed over to Seahorse. She was lying limply on the floor. She looked up weakly as Hare came over.

"You'll be okay," Hare whispered. She pressed the moss to her wound. She used the cobweb as an extra layer and also wrapped it around Seahorse's neck to secure the moss.

Once they freed Axolotl, Dolphin hoisted Clownfish up onto their back. "I ought to take him to the queen," Dolphin said with a sigh. "Pity. My brother's become so cruel. He used to be so... different." They looked at Hare with sad eyes. "Just know he wasn't always this way."

Wasn't always this way.

Hare couldn't help but gasp. Could he have been a trainee in the Place of Lost Souls?

Axolotl looked at Hare, confused. "What was that about?"

"Nothing." Hare hurried to the tunnel. "I need to talk to Orca."