Icemoon's eyes flashed with a sharp, icy glare, but she kept her tone calm as she spoke again, her voice steady despite the growing tension in the room. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but we came to speak to the real queen—Queen Battlewiner."

Mistral's lips curled into a sneer, and her wings twitched in what could have been a defensive gesture. She flicked a dismissive talon toward them, clearly unimpressed. "My mother doesn't have time to speak with halfbreeds like you," she spat. "Your kind has no place here."

The insult stung, but Icemoon refused to let it show. Her claws flexed slightly, and she took a small step forward, her gaze unwavering. "I didn't ask for your opinion, Mistral," she said evenly. "I asked to speak to Queen Battlewiner, and I intend to do so. You may be the temporary queen, but your mother is still the one who rules here."

Deathbringer, who had been silently observing, finally stepped in, his voice low but steady. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be, Mistral," he said, his tone like the threat of a storm. "We know your mother's rules, and we've come here for something important. If you really want to keep playing at being queen, you're going to have to do it without our help."

Mistral's eyes flickered for a moment, a mix of uncertainty and irritation crossing her face. "You have no idea what you're asking," she hissed, but there was a hesitation in her voice, a crack in her earlier bravado.

Icemoon knew the hesitation was a crack they could exploit. She glanced at Deathbringer, who nodded, and they both knew it was time to press forward. "If you truly care about the NightWings and your mother's reign," Icemoon said, her voice growing colder, "you'll stop playing games and let us speak to Queen Battlewiner. The NightWings' future might depend on it."

Mistral narrowed her eyes, clearly weighing her options. For a long moment, the room was tense, the only sound the distant echoes of dripping water. Finally, with a flick of her tail and a sharp breath, she stepped aside.

"Fine," Mistral spat. "But don't expect a warm welcome. Queen Battlewiner doesn't take kindly to traitors."

Icemoon and Deathbringer exchanged a glance, then moved toward the deep corridor behind the throne, following the path that would lead them to Queen Battlewiner.

The cavern was eerily quiet, the only sound the distant rumble of lava bubbling and shifting within the pit. The air was thick with heat and sulfur, the smell of molten rock curling into their lungs. Icemoon's eyes darted around, her wings twitching uneasily. She felt out of place in the oppressive heat, but she wouldn't let that stop her. Her gaze snapped to Deathbringer, who seemed to be scanning the cavern as well.

"I don't know, actually," Deathbringer muttered, his voice quieter than before. He stepped forward, his talons making faint scraping sounds on the stone floor. "I've never really seen her face to face. Mistral is her harbinger... she's the one who gives the orders, but Queen Battlewiner... she keeps herself hidden."

Icemoon frowned, her claws flexing against the ground. "You're telling me we're supposed to trust her if we can't even see her?" she asked, her tone sharp. "What kind of queen hides in the shadows?"

Deathbringer hesitated before answering. "She's... not like other queens. She's calculating, strategic. The NightWings have always been at the mercy of our own secrets, our own betrayal. It's the only way we survive." He glanced toward the lava pit, his eyes darkening. "But Battlewiner isn't like the others who led us before. She doesn't make decisions lightly. If she sees us as a threat, we could be dead before we know it."

Icemoon shook her head, her frustration growing. "And yet we're here, asking for her help. Hoping she'll do something. We don't have time for secrets and games, Deathbringer."

But before Deathbringer could respond, a low rumble vibrated through the cavern floor, and a shadow fell over them. The heat from the lava pit intensified, the air suddenly stifling as if the cavern itself was holding its breath.

A voice, smooth and commanding, echoed from the darkness. "I see you've made it past my daughter's... guardianship."

Icemoon's heart skipped a beat. A figure emerged from the shadows at the far end of the cavern, barely visible in the flickering light. It was tall and imposing, its scales reflecting the molten glow of the lava. Only its glowing yellow eyes and the faint outline of its silhouette were visible in the dim light.

The voice continued, chilling and deliberate. "You must be Deathbringer, and I assume this is your companion... Icemoon?"

Icemoon's breath caught in her throat as the queen's presence seemed to fill the cavern, her very aura pressing against them.

The figure stepped forward, and Icemoon could just make out the glint of her horned crown. Battlewiner was finally revealed.