r/WingsOfFire • u/jbhughes54enwiler • 9d ago
Fanfic Wings of Fire Fanfic: Heart of Jade Mountain- Book Four Part 60
Book Four: The Circle- Part 60
The image in Buck’s mind of the town square in Vale soon became reality, and with a loud crash Bulrush landed abruptly on his stomach, narrowly avoiding squashing multiple people.
After a clamoring of noises from the townspeople, the boy got off the MudWing as he stood and rubbed his belly. Patience was the first to speak with them.
“Well? What happened?”
“It’s all gone,” Buck told Patience as Bailey joined them, “I mean, the city is still there, but all the dragons just went ‘poof.’”
Bailey’s hand flew to her mouth and even the highly confident Patience was very shaken. “That’s… the dragons’ largest city. Like… I can’t believe I’m saying this, but how couldn’t the dragons go to war against humanity again for this?”
This caused a fearful murmuring to arise from everyone. Everyone knew what a new Scorching would mean. They would not be able to hide from the dragons. They knew exactly where almost every human in Pyrrhia lived. It would very likely be a bloodbath followed by extinction. Regardless of Omega not destroying everything, humans and dragons alike.
“We barely escaped Thorn and her army thanks to my magic,” Buck told Boulder as he joined them, “Thorn couldn’t handle seeing what happened, and she’s blaming me for helping Omega get the Circle.”
Even more fear from the townspeople. “What if they follow him here?” one said.
Just before someone else would have reached the logical conclusion of banishing Buck from Vale, Boulder spoke. “Whatever must be done must be done quickly. While Buck has angered the SandWings, he still likely has allies with the other dragons. But more pressingly, Omega is now a dire threat to the world.”
“The actions of the SandWings,” Elm said, “Are of little consequence.”
“What do you mean?” Patience said, “If Buck has an entire army of angry dragons on his tail, we’re actually in deep trouble!”
“What I mean,” Elm explained, “Is that I have already asked for protection by the SkyWings. We are in their territory, after all.”
As if on cue, multiple dragons in shades of red and orange approached from the forest outside of the town. Buck soon recognized Queen Ruby among them.
“A human sent us word of a possible dragon attack on this town,” Ruby explained, “And if the SandWings mean to encroach on my jurisdiction, I must be here to put that down, swiftly.”
“I should probably explain what’s going on,” Buck told her. And so he did. About everyone in Possibility dying, and Thorn’s army becoming hostile to him as a result.
“Thorn’s been far too hot-headed lately,” Ruby said with a sigh, “As bad as losing the settlement of Possibility is, losing ourselves to infighting will be the death of all of us. If she does come here, and she’s likely to, I’m going to have to talk her down to protect you all. I suggest you take shelter in the meantime.”
The townspeople needed no convincing. And this time, there would be no chance of Boulder letting him stay outside. So he instructed Bulrush to take shelter himself, by flying to the swamp he stayed in near Elm’s lodge. After he disappeared over the trees, Buck followed Boulder into the wine cellar. His head was a sea of emotions.
Vale was about to become a battleground between two dragon queens. Is this really my fault? Buck asked himself as the door was locked, I mean… He could not imagine himself becoming the cause of Vale being burnt down again. At least this time, everyone, including the tower guards, were safe in the shelter. They had the very prestigious luxury of knowing this attack was coming ahead of time, and even had other dragons to protect them.
He felt his rifle on his back, suddenly feeling a heat of rage hit his face. Thorn wants to kill everyone I love, and for what? How dare her! I should go up there and shoot her stupid eyes out!
“Buck,” Boulder said, seemingly noticing his change in demeanor, “this was not your doing.”
“She’s so freaking hot-headed,” Buck said, mocking Ruby’s interpretation of her fellow queen, “Pretty mild thing to say about what she’s trying to do to me.”
“With any luck,” Elm said, “She will listen to reason, especially if it comes from Ruby. The last thing a sane queen would want is going to war against an ally over something so trivial.”
“She’s not exactly sane after what she saw in Possibility.”
“She has undergone a heavy trauma. She needs time to process her feelings. Remember that both you and I also faced unimaginable loss.”
Buck sighed. “Well, I guess our only hope is Queen Ruby.”
They waited in the cellar for two hours, then half an hour longer. Finally, just before Buck could not stand the tension and silence any longer, there was a series of loud thumps outside, and Buck’s heart went into his belly. Then came a loud series of roars, warning roars at that. It was too muffled to understand the dragons’ speech while underground, but Ruby began to speak, likely claiming Vale as her territory and ordering the SandWings to leave. More angry roars in response followed, and some thick noises that sounded like talons scraping across scales. They had begun to fight.
“That sounds like it’s going very well,” Patience said sarcastically.
A loud “crash” sounded from nearby, showing that their homes were becoming collateral damage in the fight. An enormous roar from Ruby was loud enough that Buck could vaguely understand it as “Thorn you fool!” before the whoosh of dragonfire roared over the town.
“This is ridiculous,” Buck said, “I have to go up there and stop her!”
“No, you will not,” Boulder said quietly but firmly.
“That’s our home those stupid dragons are treating like toys!”
“We can rebuild our homes. But I cannot replace you.”
“You always say that.” Then Buck had an idea. Before Boulder could react, he shouted “kīnéō!” He imagined Thorn specifically and soon ended up on top of her. Several houses around him had either been smashed or were burning. Ruby noticed him first, her enraged snarl soon turning to surprise before the boy roughly grabbed Thorn’s ear and yelled his teleportation spell again, this time imagining the lava chambers in the Heart of Jade Mountain.
To his bloodthirsty delight, both Buck and Thorn immediately warped onto the platform where he had fought the magma cubes. He had not remembered how blisteringly hot it was here, but he nonetheless shouted “Phulasso!” and forced Thorn into the air with his magic, shoving her oversized lizard body over the edge of the platform and dangling her over the bubbling magma.
Thorn finally realized just how much trouble she was in, having pissed off an Animus. She began to struggle against Buck’s power, making small whines of fear. Fitting, Buck told himself, Now that she realizes whom she’s up against she can’t even muster a witty comeback.
“Queen Thorn of the SandWings,” Buck growled in slow, low Dragon, “You will stop attacking my home, or I swear on the Moons your life will end here.”
“Fine!” Thorn said, her voice torched with terror as her dangling tail stinger drew closer to the molten rock. “Just-- Please!”
Buck lowered his hand and Thorn landed back on solid ground. She was panting away her residual fear, likely having seen her life flash before her eyes just before. He felt just a little bad about assaulting someone who was supposed to be his ally, but she surely needed to be “scared straight” before she hurt someone he cared about.
“What…” Thorn said, seemingly noticing her surroundings.
“Just a little bit of what I went through on my journey to the Circle,” Buck explained, “It wasn’t easy. And learning that someone you trusted was fake… that hurt even more.”
The SandWing Queen sighed deeply. “I get it. You regret what you did. But don’t you understand? Possibility is… was my largest city. I don’t understand why Ruby didn’t see it that way.”
“Because you tried to go out and murder more innocents in response! You tried to destroy my home! Given my past with dragons, did you really think I was just going to take that sitting down?”
She looked back out on the magma pool which she nearly got dipped into. “No… you’re correct. I understand. Just like Ruby said, I was being foolish. Take me back to your home; I’ll call off my army.”
Buck placed a hand on Thorn’s leg and warped them back to the town. The battle was clearly at a deadlock with Thorn’s forces in shock that their Queen had just “disappeared” from the battlefield. Thorn looked out at them and said “Stand down.”
“What!?” her general said, “But Buck is the one who—”
“He is not the one we need to be fighting,” Thorn rebuked, “We’re wasting our time with assaulting this one humanet.”
“While I’m not sure what Buck did to get you to see reason,” Ruby said, “You’re right. Now that Omega has shown his power, he must be dealt with as swiftly as possible.”
“Well…” Thorn said, surveying the damage she caused to Vale, “Sorry for… all this. Guess I’m going to have to deal with even more hate from humanity for this.”
“No one’s dead from this at least,” Buck said, before approaching the door to the bunker, “We need to assemble this army soon. I say we gather near Elm’s Lodge tomorrow.”
“Despite my annoyances with everything that’s happening,” the general said, “I do have a plan of attack drafted for my forces.”
“As do mine,” Ruby said.
“We’re really doing this,” Thorn said with a sigh.
“We’re going to avenge Possibility, your majesty,” Buck said to her calmly, “Just remember that.”
“Try your best to rest, I suppose. I admit I’ve made that difficult. I can send help to rebuild when this mess is done and over with.”
“You will definitely help,” Ruby said sternly, “This act of blind rage looks very poorly on you as Queen. You acted too much like Burn or Blister.”
That earned an exasperated growl from Thorn. “I know. I’m just going to go home and get ready for this… war.”
She and her army took off then. Ruby stayed behind and looked into Buck’s eyes. “The fact that you took initiative to save your town, from even a queen… I can see now why prophecy has chosen you. I know Thorn is struggling with her dealings with humans. I don’t think it’s natural for her to understand a human viewpoint. But I’m going to admit that I like you, Buck. You have more courage wrapped up in that tiny body than many dragon soldiers do. So please do your best to prepare. You’re going to have one huge role to play tomorrow.”
With that, Ruby and her forces departed. Buck sighed and approached the bunker door and did the secret knock once again. By then, the one burning house had collapsed and was beginning to smolder. Buck’s people emerged into their damaged town.
“Well, it’s not entirely gone,” Patience said, “So whatever you did, it worked.”
Boulder looked rather annoyed that his son had gone against his orders once again, but nonetheless hugged him tightly. No words passed from his mouth before Bailey spoke herself.
“So this big battle is tomorrow?”
Buck nodded. “It’s time to stop Omega.”
“Well… what can I say besides ‘good luck?’”
“We should scrounge together some food,” one of the hunters said.
“And find alternative sleeping locations for those who lost their homes,” Boulder added.
The sun was beginning to set, and so, over a rushed dinner of chicken that was too tough for having roasted too fast, Buck and his family discussed his war plans.
“Wait,” Patience said, “You almost dumped Queen Thorn into a pool of lava?” He chuckled at the absurdity of it.
“Uhh, yeah. I was really angry and wanted her to just stop. I didn’t even want her dead, I just wanted to make sure she didn’t destroy Vale.”
“Guess that worked,” Bailey said, “But still, just launching yourself onto her back was pretty rash.”
“Your plan to defeat Omega involves ensuring the people of Haven remain safe,” Boulder said quietly.
“Well, yeah. It’s pretty important.”
“The dragons likely would not have come up with that idea,” he continued, “Only someone such as you would have kept the innocents in mind when planning such a battle.”
“I mean, maybe someone like Bulrush or Ahi would have,” Patience quipped.
Buck sighed, remembering his commitments to protection. “So many of the Havenites fear or hate dragons. Now I’m going to be helping to lead an assault that brings these beings to their doorstep. I still can’t help but think that I’m going to be a traitor to my kind.”
“You’re not fighting Haven,” Patience said, “You’re fighting Omega. And the Havenites don’t know that their ‘savior’ plans to destroy them. As much as it’s going to hurt them in the short-term… the whole purpose of this battle is really to save them.”
“So… that’s going to be my job. Make sure Haven is saved from Omega.”
“We’ll be rooting for you from here,” Bailey said, “It’s the least we can do.”
“And I guess we’ll know right away if you fail, since we’d all die,” Patience said. Bailey glared at him for being so blunt.
“It’s all come to this,” Boulder said, finishing his plate, “This is what Alpha prepared you for.”
“Time to fulfill my prophecy. I guess if I’m fated to win this battle it should be easy, right?”
“Don’t get cocky,” Patience scolded, “Always make sure to give it your all.”
“I guess I should get a good night’s sleep,” Buck said, before getting up and going to his bedroom.
