Let The Chaos Continue

Worried Negotiation

Word spread quickly around the Rainwing village. Once Wren returned home, he immediately told his Mother what had happened. And Rin told Shore and Kelp. And Shore told Apple, who told Rainkeeper, who got to Glory and Deathbringer at the same time Kelp did. 

The next thing Wren knew, practically the entire royal family was searching the rainforest for any sign of Joy, Macaw, or any other members of Raven's family that might be involved.

Several hours passed, and other dragons had joined the search, worry starting to spread through the villages as everyone wondered what had happened to their queen.

But as it got too dark for even the Nightwings to see, they were forced to pause the searches, at least until daybreak. 

And not one sign of Joy had been found.

Glory had stepped into the role of temporary queen until Joy was found, and she had immediately placed the royal family on lock down, and had told the Rainwings and Nightwings that they should not be concerned. This was Joy, she reminded them. If anything should happen, the hybrid was perfectly capable of taking care of herself until others found her.

But her reassuring words did nothing to calm Glory's own family as they gathered in her office.

"This is all my fault." Wren declared. "I shouldn't have left her."

"None of this is your fault, Wren." Rin proclaimed, wrapping a wing around him protectively. "You did exactly what you should have."

"But I could have stayed and helped her fight!"

"And if you had," Parrot offered. "There'd probably be two missing dragons in the forest tonight."

"Joy can handle herself." Glory insisted. "We know that. And besides, this is Macaw we're talking about. She can- and has- literally strung him up and played tether ball with him."

"Tether dragon." Rainkeeper quietly corrected. "The name she gave it was tether dragon." 

"And you shouldn't underestimate Macaw." Kelp offered vaguely. "He's capable of a lot more then you think."

"But we can take him." Shore declared. "Heck, I'm pretty sure Prism could knock him out."

"Hey!" Prism said, offended. "I can take out dragons LOTS stronger then that string bean."

"We know you can," Ember agreed, smiling at her. A knock on the hut's door silenced their conversation, and they all exchanged uneasy glances.

"I got it." Deathbringer insisted, his talons twitching toward the pouch that held his chakrams. He returned a minute later, clutching a folded note. "It was stuck to the door." He murmured, handing it to Glory, who unfolded it as everyone watched her scan it.

"It's from him." She said finally, her face emotionless. "....He's using Joy for ransom."

"What?" Rainkeeper breathed. "How did he even-"

"Does it say if she's okay?" Shore asked. 

"What does he want?" Kelp demanded. "Whatever he wants, he'll get."

"He says he'll list his demands in person," Glory went on. "And he threatens, quite weakly, to kill Joy if we don't do as he asks." A silence settled over the group as the news sunk in.

"....I have a forest to burn down." Deathbringer growled, heading for the door.

"Deathbringer." Glory said firmly. "Sit. DOWN."

"Sit down?" He echoed. "Glory, our daughter is being held ransom. Now, you say she can handle herself, and I agree, but perhaps she needs a little assistance. And I'm not just going to SIT AROUND and do NOTHING while he could be hurting her."

"You think I want to do nothing?" She shot back at him. "You think I don't want to tear this forest apart, tree by tree, until I find her?"

"What I THINK, is that you're too convinced she's fine to worry about where she could be, and what could be happening."

"You think I'm NOT WORRIED? SHE'S MY DAUGHTER!"

"Well she's MINE TOO-"

"Both of you, SHUT IT!" Rainkeeper, of all dragons, yelled. "WE'RE ALL WORRIED! WE ALL WANT TO RIP MACAW TO SHREDS! BUT ARGUING WITH EACH OTHER IS HELPING NO ONE, LEAST OF ALL JOY!"

Glory and Deathbringer stopped, staring at each other.

"It's just Macaw," Shore tried to reassure himself. "What could he possibly do? I mean, I'm amazed he's gotten this far."

"You don't know." Kelp told him. "And you don't want to."

"You said he wanted to meet in person about his demands," Orange offered. "Did he say where, or when?"

"Tomorrow night." Glory explained. "But he won't talk to just anyone."

"Who's he want?" Apple asked. Glory hesitated, eyeing the room.

"He wants to talk to Kelp."