(This is the last chapter of this adventure. Please let me know what you think. I'm seriously considering writing a sequel. I'm just not sure if it should feature Lightwing or Firesprite as the main character. Thank you to everyone. LadySesshoumaru41)

Chapter 20

Firetail was enjoying the flight, riding on the back of her new friend Junior. However one little thing was bothering the little green dragoness. “Junior? Why are we flying away from the others?

“Well, Miss Lightwing asked me to take you on ahead in case there was gonna be some fightin’”

“Fighting! The ridgebacks are coming, aren’t they? I have to go back!”

Firesprite jumped off his back and flew back to wards the camp. Junior spun around and raced after her; catching her in three flaps of his large wings. Hovering in mid-air, he held the struggling hatchling in his talons as she wriggled and flapped her little wings for all she was worth.

She screeched at him, “Let me go, Junior! I have to kill Goldwing! I promised Firetail that I would kill Goldwing!”

Junior pulled the little dragon to his muscular chest, holding her tight; he did his best to calm her. “Goldwing, huh? He’d be that big ol’ dragon with the yellow wings we saw on top of the castle, right?”

“Yeah, now, let me go!” she hollered as she struggled helplessly against the country dragon’s heavy arms.

Junior held on and used all his country born charm to soothe her. “Well there, littl’n, I didn’t see no yellow wings in the group o’ dragons that was following us. And I had a real good look there, Miss Firesprite,” he drawled.

She squirmed around in his arms to look him straight in the eye. “You’re sure he wasn’t there? He’s a big dragon with bright yellow wings. Are you sure you didn’t see him at all?” She glared fiercely at him. “You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”

“Now, Miss Firesprite, I wouldn’t lie if’n ya paid me. My pa would have my tail for supper if’n he thought I’d lied to any one.” He tipped his head and smiled at the little dragon in his hands.

“I didn’t see no yellow wings, not even white ones, in that group o’ dragons, I promise ya.” He could feel her calming down in his hands as she stopped her struggling. He held her out in front of him, muzzle to muzzle as he continued.

“Now, Miss, you and me gots a real important job to do. You see that bag the princess put around your neck?” he said nodding toward the simple brown bag dangling from her neck.

Firesprite fingered the sack in her tiny claws. “Yeah, she told me to take good care of it. What’s in it?”

“Those are the jewels of Shwynn. The princess needs to have those to become queen. Your job is to protect the stones for her, and I have to protect you.” He brushed his muzzle up against hers affectionately and placed the little one up onto his back.

“Now, what do you say we get on with our jobs? I was told to go to the mountain of the lore master in the desert and wait for her there. Okay?”

She nodded her little green head vigorously and called down over his shoulder, “Okay!”

All was quiet in the forest when General Ironfang gave the order to move out. “We attack from above. Fly in low and silently. We’ll land in the center of their camp. Kill everyone and bring the stones to me!” he snarled.

The camp was quiet. There were several dragons curled up on nests sleeping and it ‘appeared’ as though the Smoothbacks had forgotten to place a watch.

The first of the Ridgebacks landed softly without making a sound. As they approached the sleeping dragons a great roar erupted from all sides. Fire and smoke filled the air. Suddenly the ‘sleeping’ dragons jumped up swinging their heavy clubs and maces, crushing the heads of the unsuspecting Ridgebacks.

The second wave of dragons were preparing to land just as the fires broke out. They tried as hard as they could to fly up and away from the confusion, but the third wave was coming in fast from above and they were forced down lower into the trees. Suddenly they found themselves entangled in weighted nets and pulled down to the ground where they were immediately pounced on by the waiting Smoothbacks.

General Ironfang was leading the third wave of Ridgebacks. He shouted to his troops, “Circle around! Come in from the side. We are stronger than they are! Fight! We must get those stones!”

The remaining Ridgebacks pulled up and away, circled around and landed a short distance from the camp. “All right, we go in on foot. Remember, no one lives! I want revenge!” Ironfang roared.

Quickly they rushed through the trees to get to the camp. There was smoke and fire everywhere and it was difficult to see. General Ironfang organized what was left of his army.

“You four, go around to the left the rest of us will go in straight. We will meet in the center of the camp. Go!”

They thundered in and were met head on by a group of angry farmers with weapons. They didn’t stand a chance. Soon the ground was littered with the bodies of the defeated Ridgebacks.

However, General Ironfang refused to give up. He raged and rampaged through the camp, trampling all in his way. Several Smoothback dragons tried to bring the heavy dragon down, but the harder they tried the angrier and more violent he became.

“The nets! Get the nets! Maybe we can slow him down!” Lightwing shouted. Several dragons rushed to untangle the nets from some of the bodies of the fallen ridgebacks.

“Take the nets up into the trees and try and trap him. Hurry!” she shouted as Ironfang stomped, roaring and spewing fire at everyone who dared get close to him.

Clawfoot got a little too close only to be knocked unconscious by a swing of Ironfang’s massive tail. He flew backwards, hit the ground and rolled to a top under a tree. He laid there motionless.

Lightwing’s forces had managed to take several nets up into the trees. They threw the nets down onto him; trapping the general in the strong ropes. He roared and stomped, crushing to death a Smoothback that was trying to secure him.

Lightwing saw this and her eyes went steely-hard. She growled fiercely as her scales bristled, standing up on end. She picked up a heavy lance that someone had dropped and raced toward the rampaging dragon screeching, “Die you horrible beast!”

He was thoroughly tangled in the nets and was now rolling onto his side in a frantic effort to release himself, exposing his soft under-belly. Lightwing plunged the lance deep into his chest piercing his heart and ending his life. He shuddered for a moment then went still. The remaining ridgebacks saw that their leader was dead and raced off back to the castle at Dunheegan. All that could be seen of them were fleeting shadows racing toward the horizon.

Lightwing stood for a moment holding on to the shaft of her weapon, unable to believe what she had done. She let go and collapsed to the ground shaking.

Bluetalon rushed to her side. “Are you all right, Princess?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just that I hate killing and now…”

“Begging your pardon, Ma’am, but it seems to me that you didn’t have much choice. Look around you. We lost a lot of friends today and at the castle too. We have to be strong. It won’t be like this forever.”

Lightwing got to her feet. “You’re right. Let’s bury the dead and get on our way.

The group did their best to tend the wounded and bury those that didn’t survive the battle. All in all Lightwing had lost nearly half of her army. She was devastated at the loss, but most of all she was angry.

“How can this be?” she complained to Clawfoot who had regained consciousness. Sheerflight was busily tending his wounds.

“I don’t know, Lightwing, but we knew it was going to be war. Sooner or later we were going to have to fight. Be thankful that you had the foresight to send the little one on ahead. She would’ve been killed for sure.”

Lightwing hung her head. “I don’t like this one bit. I’m going to make them pay for all the trouble they’ve caused. I promise you. For Firetail and for all the other dragons that died trying to help me on this quest. I swear I will defeat those awful dragons.”

“We’re all with you.” Clawfoot stood up. “Come on, we have to get you back to Shwynn yet. Let’s go.”

At the mountain of the lore master two bright red eyes scanned the sky for any sign of movement. Firesprite was about to give up her vigil when in the distance she saw the fluttering of many wings.

“Junior! Junior! Come quickly!” She stamped her little feet rapidly, bouncing around on the spot.

Junior raced to the little dragoness’ side in time to see several large dragons coming, led by Lightwing. As they came close Clawfoot shouted down, “We’re not stopping. We’re heading straight on to the castle. Follow as soon as you can!”

Junior scooped up the little one, placed her on his back and took to the sky. “You see! I knew they would make it,” he said.

“Yep, you were right.” Firesprite smiled broadly as they came up alongside Lightwing. She was fairly jumping in her seat as she asked, “Did you kill all the bad dragons?”

Lightwing turned her heavy head toward the hatchling, her ice blue eyes filled with remorse. “Yes little one, I did kill the dragons, but I’m not proud of it. Killing is never a good thing no matter what. I did it only because I had to.”

They flew on in silence the rest of the way to the castle of the queens. There Lightwing took Firesprite by the talon and brought her into the council chambers. She stood for a moment looking at the group of elder dragonesses before addressing them.

“Elders, I have completed the quest.” She took the bag from around the little one’s neck and spilt the stones out onto the low table in front of the elders. The stones glistened in the early morning light that filtered in through the windows that lined the far wall.

“You have done well, your highness. Only one thing remains. You must go to the shrine of Shwynn at the top of this castle and release the crown.”

Lightwing was about to leave then turned around to face them. “I lost many good friends on this quest. One of those friends gave his life to save his little sister.” She pulled the little green dragon close to her side. “I promised him that I would look after her. I want you to recognize Firesprite as my daughter and heir to the crown.”

The elders whispered quietly to each other then nodded their assent. That done Lightwing gathered up the stones, left the chambers and climbed the stairs to the shrine. The shrine had been in existence for countless generations, keeping watch over the crown in times of peace. And in times of war; assuring that only those worthy of it, received the crown. It was a simple stone structure with many arches looking out in every direction over the land.

In the center of the shrine was a simple marble alter with a circle of holes cut into the stone. Each hole was the exact shape of one of the stones; one hole for each jewel. Above the keyholes was written: ‘Only she, who completes the quest has the right to rule. Set in the keys and release the crown.’

Lightwing took each stone one at a time and fit them into the keyholes. The emerald in the square hole, the amethyst in the tear-shaped hole, the diamond fit into the triangular hole, the round hole fit the ruby, the sapphire went into the diamond shaped hole and finally the yellow topaz snapped into the rectangular slot.

A loud click was heard as the stones sank deeper into their spots then a heavy stone slab slid over them covering them completely. Lightwing gasped thinking, ’Oh no! There’s a problem. I wonder if one of the stones is a fake. Why hasn’t the crown emerged?’

After a moment a small whirring and grinding sound could be heard as slowly a large stone pillar came up out of the floor of the shrine. In the middle of the pillar was an opening that held a scarlet pillow. Seated on the pillow was the crown. A simple silver circlet with smaller stones set into its surface. Each stone was a miniature of the ones she had collected on her journey.

Lightwing reached out and took hold of the crown; standing tall she placed it on her head. She turned to face her friends and the elders that had come with her to the shrine. All at once everyone bowed their heads to the new queen of the southern realm.

Just then a shout was heard from the castle’s watch tower. “The ridgebacks are coming! The ridgebacks are coming!”

Lightwing rushed to the window and looked out. There in the distance was a dark cloud of dragons. She stood and watched for a moment then she saw it; a flash of yellow wings.

Lightwing’s eyes narrowed and she growled, “Goldwing!”

The war begins, but that is another story.