It must've been hours later when Starflight finally slunk back into the main chamber, breaking off from Morrowseer when the latter continued down the tunnels and disappeared from sight into the guardian's cave. The larger NightWing didn't spare the other dragonets even a glance. 

Overcast wondered if her friend had told the pompous walrus-tooth the truth, that he couldn't read minds and didn't experience visions; that he was just ordinary, like the rest of the dragonets. She wasn't sure if Starflight was brave enough to tell that to Morrowseer's face, though – even she had to admit the NightWing was intimidating.

Starflight looked at his three friends dejectedly for a moment, perhaps hesitating, then he turned and headed for the dragonets' sleeping cave.

Clay and Overcast shared a glance, then hurried after their friend.
"Starflight!" The MudWing called after the dragonet in question. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"What did he say to you?" Overcast added. The NightWing looked dampened, his eyes half-lidded, but Clay had already asked what was up, so she opted to appease her curiosity with the question instead.

"I'm not supposed to talk about it," Starflight said stiffly, dismissing them both with askew wings as he hopped onto the raised reading ledge. He started poking through the scrolls scattered in their piles near the wall.

"It's over here," Clay said quietly, nudging a fat scroll with silver letters toward his friend.

Starflight hooked it with his claw, turned it towards himself and unrolled it, laying down and draping his tail over his snout as he began reading.

"Wow," Overcast commented. "So it was that bad?"

Tales of The NightWings was Starflight's favourite scroll, and he always read it when he was upset or had had a fight with one of the other dragonets.

The tip of Starlight's tail twitched. "I have a lot to learn," he responded simply. 

"But you already know everything!" Clay protested. "You have to be the smartest dragonet in all of Pyrrhia! Couldn't Morrowseer tell that by reading your mind?"

Starflight didn't answer.

"I thought he liked you," Overcast said. "More than the rest of us, anyway. Surely he said something about what a great, wonderful and noble dragon you must be since you're a NightWing?"

A long, tired breath whooshed out of Starflight's snout. "Yeah," he replied. "That's actually exactly what he told me."

Figures, Overcast's mind harrumphed. No, stop it. Main priority is friends' wellbeing. THEN I can whinge about favouritism and tribe bias.

"Oh," Clay said, his wings resting at his sides. "Well, that's good, isn't it? Did he say when you'll get your powers?"

Starflight fidgeted with the scroll, shredding a corner of it between his claws. "I need to study, Clay," the NightWing said quietly.

Worry pulsed through Overcast's veins. She'd never seen Starflight upset enough to damage a scroll without noticing before.

"At least you're not a RainWing," She offered slowly, trying to change the subject.

"Did Morrowseer say anything about Glory?" Clay added.

Starflight frowned at both of them over the edge of the rock. "Not much. Just said, 'Don't worry about the RainWing. I'll take care of her.'"

The worry from before doubled, then tripled as the words sank into Overcast's brain. "What does that mean?" She demanded. "What's he going to do to her?!"

"How should I know?" Starflight shrugged, poking his snout into the scroll. "Maybe she'll get to go home. She's probably the luckiest of all of us."

Overcast knew there was no way that was going to happen. After all the years of secrecy, it didn't make sense for the minders to just send Glory right back where she came from.

And she knew Clay felt this, too, because his eyes held the same amount of dread as hers.

"We have to go spy on them," the MudWing stated matter-of-factly, jumping to his paws. "We have to know what they're planning."

He took off and stopped halfway out of the cave, stamping one foot in frustration. "Oh, no, we can't, Morrowseer will know we're there."

"I don't think he can read our minds," Overcast urged. "I think he's lying. We could be staying here for nothing."

"We can't take that risk!" Clay protested. "If we get caught, any hope of finding out what happens and getting ahead of the adults is gone."

Overcast lashed her tail, striking the cave wall with it in frustration and fear as she bared her teeth. "Fine, you're right."

"I agree with Clay," Starflight contributed. "Besides, it'll be especially hard to stay hidden when Morrowseer might be able to hear all of his big, loud, worried thoughts."

"You don't know that my thoughts are loud and worried," Clay said. "Maybe they're quiet and very serene."

Both Starflight and Overcast snorted in amusement. It was the first lighthearted sound the NightWing had made since Morrowseer's arrival, and even through her fear Overcast felt momentarily pleased at the return of Starflight's regular nature.

"What are you doing? What's that for?" Sunny's anxious voice echoed across the main hall, making the three dragonets' heads snap towards the sound. "Wait! Stop! You don't have to do this!"

"Sunny?" Clay asked, half in alarm and half in incredulity. Before Overcast could voice her own concern, there was an enormous splash.

The two wasted no more time, bolting into the big cave with Starflight right behind them. Clay skidded to a halt, horrified at what he saw. Overcast's jaw fell, her eyes wide with fear.

Kestrel and Dune were standing on the bank of the river, holding a length of iron chain between their talons.
Webs emerged from the river, carrying a writhing, hissing ball of blue scales. Kestrel and Dune threw the chain around Tsunami's neck and wrapped it around one of her legs.

Kestrel, Dune and Webs had hauled Tsunami over to one of the rock columns that stretched from the floor to the ceiling high above. Dune flung the chain around the column twice, binding Tsunami with barely three steps to move in any direction. 

Behind the minders, Morrowseer was holding Sunny back with his tail as the tiny golden dragonet tried to climb over him, desperate to help her friend.

Rage coiled inside Overcast as she laid eyes on the intruding NightWing. He's just allowing this to happen! 

Kestrel took the two ends of the chain and blasted them with a bolt of flame. The metal melted into a bubbling mass, melding together in a colourful, bright display of oranges and yellows.

Tsunami was trapped, though she tried ferociously to get free of the iron chains.

"Maybe some time away from the river will teach you to be grateful for what you have, SeaWing," Kestrel growled.

It had all happened too fast and Overcast was still trying to get her head around it. The minders had been bad with their round-the-dial verbal abuse and violence during training, that was for sure – but they'd never done something like this before, actually physically restraining the dragonets with chains. She wasn't entirely sure if this was really happening. She felt like she was stuck in a nightmare.

Clay let out a yell of dismay and charged across the cavern. "Let her go!" He grabbed the chain and let go at once, hissing with pain at the searing heat.

His flurry of movement knocked Overcast back to herself.
This is happening. This isn't a dream. The guardians aren't messing around anymore. Things are getting serious, and Morrowseer isn't doing anything to stop them.
We're on our own.
So what am I gonna do about it?
The IceWing pounded over to her restricted friend, trying to simultaneously come up with a defence plan and get control of her emotions.

"You'll regret this!" Tsunami snarled at the red minder as Overcast made it to the column. The SeaWing clawed at the chain around her back leg, hissing when all that did was serve to tighten the loop of chain around her neck. She growled as she stopped struggling. "When we're free – when my family hears about this – when the rest of the world finds out how you treated the Dragonets of Destiny –"

"Oh, right, all your big dreams of your wonderful family," Kestrel mocked, grinning slyly. "Nobody cares about you. When it's time to fulfil the prophecy, you'll be alive, and the Talons of Peace will have you. That's all that matters."

The white-hot fury bubbling in Overcast's insides was distracting her from formulating a plan.
Maybe if I freeze the melting chain, we could shatter –

"Why are you doing this?" Sunny cried, fighting against Morrowseer's tail coiled around her. "Tsunami's wonderful! If any of us can san save the world, it's her!" 

The large NightWing shook his head in pity. "No, tiny SandWing. She's far too inexperienced." He took the time to stare at the SeaWing in question. "In fact, the one you should really follow and believe in is Starflight over there," Morrowseer turned towards the smaller NightWing, who was rooted in place by the sleeping cave with Glory standing a few wingbeats beside him.
Morrowseer raised a paw to his scaly chest. "NightWings are natural born leaders, after all."
Starflight ducked his head, looking as if he wanted to disappear.

"Starflight?" Overcast echoed in disbelief, lashing her whip-thin tail, careful to avoid the melted chains. The emotions inside her – terror banging into fury clashing with rage rolling into overwhelm – had welcomed a new addition in, for lack of better word, done.

"He didn't even flinch when you lunged at Tsunami! But Clay, Sunny and I tried to defend her, not to mention Tsunami herself instantly rounded on you. How do you justify cowardice?"

Starflight blanched, recoiling slightly. Overcast shot him a quick glance begging him to understand. 

"He used his powers!" Morrowseer insisted. "He looked into the future and understood that I wasn't trying to hurt the SeaWing!"

Overcast abandoned her post by Tsunami's side and walked over until she was almost snout-to-snout with the NightWing.

"Overcast! Stop this at once!" Kestrel hissed, fury igniting her voice and further making her appear like she was on fire.

The IceWing didn't look away, ignoring her minder. "Starflight has no powers," she hissed, noting how the truth of this statement made Morrowseer's snakelike tongue flick the air in anger. "Why should we follow him?"

"He has potential!" Morrowseer argued, narrowing his eyes at the dragonet in front of him.

"You want potential?" Overcast snarled, her voice bone-bitingly chilling and lethally sharp.
"Here!"

Before anyone could stop her, before anybody could react to her threat, before anybody had the time to call so much as a warning – the IceWing dragonet lifted her front paw and, with a sound like a blade through ice, slashed Morrowseer clear across the face.

Morrowseer let out a roar so loud the caves shook, dropping Sunny to the ground as his paws flew to his face. His entire body jerked backwards as if the ice-cold talon had burned him.

"Dune! Webs!" Kestrel shrieked, lunging at Overcast and tackling her down.

"Go, Overcast!" Tsunami cheered. Overcast saw her grinning friend through Kestrel's red wings as the SkyWing pinned her cold limbs.

Dune was with the red minder a moment later, hauling another length of chain to tie the IceWing up. He yanked her to her feet, disorienting her. Overcast stumbled and caught a glimpse of Webs checking on Morrowseer.

The SandWing didn't speak, but Overcast could tell he was beyond furious. His black eyes were hard as beads and his stinger looked almost like it was pulsing, as if it were aching to pierce the IceWing's cold scales.

Enlisting Kestrel's help, Dune looped the chain around Overcast's chest and legs, the latter growling and writhing as he did so. She hissed and snapped viciously at the interlooping claws and chains, but she was dodged and evaded each time. She flared her wings, forcing Kestrel to painfully pin them back to her body with her scarred talons. Her struggles were rewarded with Dune harshly yanking the chains around her spiky neck, the SandWing minder grinding his teeth together in pure aggravation. 

The idea of using her frostbreath did occur to Overcast, but something stopped her – maybe some part of her held back because she didn't want to injure the minders, as much as she disliked them. The situation wasn't so dire; she would try to resist, not to dispatch. 

But an inexperienced dragonet was no match for a war-seasoned SandWing marshal, not to mention a battle-experienced SkyWing too. In mere moments, Overcast was in the same state as Tsunami: bound to a rock column by melted chains, and right next to the SeaWing, too.

The IceWing nursed the fury that pulsated inside her, the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She saw Morrowseer brush Webs' concern off, clearly irritated. He was pressing a paw to the left side of his face.
At least I can be proud of myself for that.

"I'll be back tomorrow," the NightWing rumbled, trying to gain some authority back despite his wound. "To make sure everything has been dealt with."

"We understand," Kestrel nodded. She and Dune rolled the boulder aside, allowing Morrowseer to squeeze through the gap and disappear into the blackness without a backward glance.

"Please don't leave them like this," Sunny pleaded Webs. "I know you're not that mean!"

"This is for your own good," the SeaWing replied, looking grave. "We only want to keep you safe. Maybe this isn't the perfect way, but–"

"But dragonets don't know what's best for them," Dune took over as the boulder thudded back into place. "You need us, whether you like it or not."

"You were all awful today," Kestrel said. "No dinner for any of you. Go to bed, and I don't want to hear a squawk out of anyone until morning."

"Really? What else are you going to do to us?" Tsunami challenged her. "What if we feel like singing all night?"

"Oh no," Glory interjected. "Not –"

The SeaWing started howling in her off-key voice. "Oh, the dragonets are coming! They're coming to save the day! They're coming to fight, for they know what's right! The dragonets, hooray!" 

"Gakkk," Glory winced, spreading her wings around her head as if to shield her from the noise.

"I kind of like it," Clay offered.

"Your fault," Dune glowered at Webs. "I told you not to teach them that horrible bar song."

"OH, THE DRAGONETS ARE COMING!" Overcast joined in with her friend, more yelling than singing in order to annoy everyone more. She and Tsunami shared a grin. "THEY'RE COMING TO FIGHT!"

Clay hummed along and Sunny backed up, "they're coming to fight!"

"FOR THEY KNOW WHAT'S RIGHT!" The duo's loud rendition of the song made in their group's honour filled the cave, echoing through the caverns.

"We have more chains!" Kestrel yelled in the dragonets' faces. "We could throw some around your snouts if you would like me to force you to be quiet!"

Tsunami and Overcast glared at her mutinously, then opened their mouths to bellow even louder."THE DRAGONETS –"

"Or we could restrain the others!" Kestrel roared in their ears. "Perhaps Clay would like to spend the night hanging from a stalactite!"

Immediately, both dragonets shut their mouths. Tsunami whirled around and lay down with her head turned away from all the dragons, her gills fluttering furiously despite herself making no noise.
Overcast glowered murderously at Kestrel.

"Much better," the minder mused. She turned around and began stomping off to the minders' tunnel. "You were all vile today. You're lucky we don't chain you all up."

Dune surveyed the dragonets. "We're doing what we have to," he insisted, and Overcast wondered if she were imagining it or if his voice was bordering on sympathetic. Then he turned and followed Kestrel, Webs in his wake as the SeaWing's wet tail left a darker trail behind them. Their hushed voices echoed up the passageway briefly, leaving the dragonets only hearing: "By the time Morrowseer gets back, we have to make sure..."

As soon as they were gone, Clay tugged on Tsunami's chain with all his might, grunting in effort.

"Clay, stop!" Tsunami urged. "You know what you have to do. Go, quickly!"

The MudWing shivered, then bolted over to the river and dove in. 

Sunny squeaked nervously as his silhouette in the water slowly disappeared.

———

Without Tsunami's glow in the dark scales to guide him, it look Clay longer than usual to find the gap that led through to the other cave. But after scrabbling about in the dark for a few moments, he finally felt open space under his claws, so the MudWing ducked and squeezed through.

His heart was hammering against his chest as he popped through into the cave, fuelled onward by anxiety. Slowly, he paddled to the surface and poked his ears out of the water.

Clay was dismayed to realise that this was nothing like the loud confrontation the guardians had had the previous night. This time, the three big dragons were huddled around the fire, whispering.
That means they don't want us knowing what they're going to do.

The anxiety doubled. None of the minders glanced at the river as Clay floated closer.

"When tomorrow?" Webs asked.

Kestrel leaned towards the fire, baking her scales an even brighter red. "He'll be back by midday. It has to be done by then." Her tail was coiled in a tight knot beside her. "He doesn't want to see her again."

Clay clenched his talons under the water. They were either talking about Glory or Overcast – the MudWing figured someone like Morrowseer didn't like having his authority challenged.

"Well, I'm not doing it," Webs said.

Dune shot him a withering look. "No one thought you would."

"Even though this is all your fault," Kestrel hissed.

"I still think there has to be six of them," Webs snapped. "What's he planning to do about that?"

"He'll find us a SkyWing," Kestrel said. "Properly this time. No colourful substitutions. Like we should have had in the first place."

They're talking about Glory, Clay confirmed. He didn't like the sound of their discussion so far at all – what were they planning?

The minders all went quiet for a moment, staring into the fire.

"So, how and when," Dune said in his no-nonsense military voice. "Drowning would be simplest." He glared pointedly at Webs.

The persistent pounding anxiety inside of Clay slowed, stopped, and transformed into pure, absolute terror.

"I joined the Talons of Peace to stop killing dragons," Webs pointed out. "I won't argue with Morrowseer, but I'm not going to do it myself."

"It has to be me," Kestrel said in a tense, choked voice. "I'm the strongest. She's just a RainWing, but she still might be able to get away from you." She nodded at Dune's missing foot and the long scar that ran through his mangled wing.

"But can you go through with it?" Webs asked, concerned for his colleague. "Isn't it too much like – I mean, after what happened to –"

"She's just a RainWing," Kestrel cut him off, repeating the sentence forcefully. "I don't care about Glory. I don't even like her." She blasted a ball of flames at the fire, making it blaze up.

"If you're sure..." Webs started.

"I'll do it tonight, while she's sleeping," Kestrel insisted. "I can get in there and break her neck before the others know what I'm doing, especially with the bossy and unpredictable ones chained up. Tsunami and Overcast were the only ones who could stop me."

Shudders of horror were rippling through Clay so violently he was afraid one of the big dragons would notice the water shivering. He began paddling softly backwards, but froze when he heard his name, a jolt of shock bringing him to a stop.

"Not Clay?" Dune asked. "He might try, at least."

"Clay will definitely try," Webs agreed. "He's dumb as a rock, but he's devoted to the other five. He'll do anything for them."

"It's not natural," Dune said, his voice grinding. "Dragons shouldn't be that loyal outside their own tribe."

"I can handle him," Kestrel affirmed. "Even if he finally gets mad and lets out the monster inside, there's nothing he can do."

Clay had heard enough. He sank below the surface and swam through the gap in the wall.

The last sentence that reached his ears was from Kestrel:

"Glory will be dead by morning."

———

Overcast lashed her tail as much as she could through her melted chains. "I hate them."

Sunny looked up at the IceWing, defeat written on her face. "We have to believe they're doing what they can to keep us safe," she insisted, though her voice was small. As if she was moreso trying to convince herself than her friends.

Tsunami glared at the tiny dragonet. "They locked us up," she said, and Overcast wished that for just this once Sunny didn't see everything through rose-tinted scales.
"They're restraining us with chains," the SeaWing went on pointedly. "They punish us for showing any kind of interest in the world outside or doing things our way."

Starflight ground his teeth, staring at the melting chains. "Before we do anything, we should wait for Clay to come back."

"How long will that take?" Glory asked, her scales settling on a ripe orange. She stood with the other two around the chained up dragonets.

The NightWing shrugged, looking too tired to suggest an answer.

Overcast glared at the rocky ground beneath her serrated talons. "I hate Morrowseer. I hate these caves. I hate Kestrel. And I hate feeling like this. Like I can't do anything to help. Useless."

Out of the corner of her eye, Overcast saw Sunny open her mouth, perhaps wanting to console the IceWing. But before the SandWing could say anything, ripples surged through the river.

The dragonets all looked to the water.

The ripples turned to splashes as the biggest sibling shot out of the river, dripping and gasping for breath in urgency. 

"Glory," Clay cried as soon as he had breath in his lungs. He heaved himself onto the bank, his yellow eyes wide with petrification.
"They're going to kill Glory."