Wings of Fire: The Kingdom of the Sea | ✔️

~ The Kingdom of the Sea: Chapter 18 ~

Tsunami led the way to the cave where their friends were staying. The water was up to their underbellies, and it was rising quickly.

"Hello?" Tsunami called.

Hare noticed something in the back. Once her eyes adjusted, she felt her heart drop. She nudged Tsunami and pointed to a dark lump of shadows. Tsunami gasped in horror.

"It can't be," she choked out.

"We were too late," Hare whispered, her voice shaky.

A small head lifted from the top of the lump. Another rose after and turned toward their direction.

"Too late for what?" Starflight asked.

"You're alive!" Hare cried, rushing forward. The lump began to break apart into five dragons. Glory shook out her scales and yawned. Sunny leaped forward and hugged Hare. Kestrel picked grit off her wings. Starflight scratched his snout.

"Why wouldn't we be?" he said.

"Why didn't you guys move caves?" Tsunami demanded, ignoring his question. "Once the cave fills with water you'll be trapped, and Kestrel andClay can't hold his breath for the whole storm."

"They can't leave," Sunny squeaked, releasing Hare.

Tsunami narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean they can't leave?"

Clay lifted his talon. Silver chains were fastened around it and bolted to the floor. Kestrel rolled her eyes and did the same. She had the same chains.

"They're on their back talons, too," Sunny explained. "We couldn't leave without them."

Anger stabbed through Hare. She looked at Clay. "Who did this?" she ordered.

"The queen came in here with that rude dragon who greeted us," Clay replied. "What was his name? Shrimp?"

"Shark," Hare spat.

"I'll rip him apart," Tsunami snarled.

"I can't say I'm surprised," Kestrel said, yawning. "If I'm an enemy in my own kingdom, I'll be an enemy everywhere else."

"You should be a guest," Hare pointed out. "All of you. We made it clear that that's what you are."

"Don't even get me started on the feeding situation," Glory mumbled. "The most we've eaten is what we were given this morning, which was a tiny portion of small crabs. Which tasted disgusting, by the way."

"What'd they give you last night?" Tsunami demanded.

"Nothing," Starflight admitted.

Tsunami lashed her tail. "Those liars!"

"Have you tried melting the chains?" Hare asked.

"Of course we did." Starflight pointed to a few blackened sections on Clay's chains. "They don't melt. They must be reinforced somehow."

Hare heard splashing behind them. She whipped her head around, but it was only Riptide.

"How do we get these off?" Tsunami snapped.

Riptide tilted his head. "The guards have the keys, but I doubt they'll give them to you."

"Oh, we'll see about that," Tsunami hissed.

"They really won't," Riptide said nervously. "Especially if it was the queen's orders. They'll listen to her orders over yours."

"Then I'll rip their teeth out," Tsunami growled, though she seemed disturbed by the idea.

"Why don't we find Queen Coral and make her reverse the orders?" Hare suggested.

"Not every queen changes their mind as easily as Scarlet does," Kestrel said. "Which I suppose is a good thing."

"Not in this situation," Hare said.

"She can't talk," Tsunami said. "She's planning a trial."

Hare blinked at her. "What? What for?"

"Must everyone be so bad with priorities?" Glory snapped. "We have two dragons who might drown soon. Let's focus on that."

"We need to figure out how to get the keys first," Tsunami shot back.

Hare gasped. "I think I know someone who can help."

All eyes went to her. "Oh, good, now we're getting somewhere," Glory muttered. "Please tell me they're close by."

Hare winced. She hadn't thought about that. "I... I don't know exactly where she is," she admitted.

"Oh, great!" Glory said icily. "Our only plan so far and we don't even know where they are. Perfect! Anyone else have any brilliant ideas that'll lead us to failure?"

"She doesn't know where they are," Riptide said, looking at Hare. "But I might. Who is it?"

"Her name is Trench," Hare explained. "She has a place she stays in, it's far from the palace. If she's there, we might not get to her in time."

"Trench..." Riptide scrunched up his nose. "I know who you're talking about. I think she's here, in the clinic."

"What?" Hare said, shocked. "But I just came from the clinic."

"She was just going when I got here."

"Go get her," Tsunami commanded. "Quickly!"

As Riptide turned to take off, Hare called a final few words after him. "Tell her Hare sent you, that'll get her moving!"