Wings of Fire in MHA

A/N- I've been writing about Bone for the last 12 chapter, are all sick or it and want me to just power through them and get back to my hero or actually take the time to write through all the book??

After saying my piece, I left the house not wanting to answer any more questions. I went and fed the cows and chickens, and tended to the garden as Thorn stormed out of the house and went into the barn. I thought about going to comfort her but decided not to, the air felt funny today so it was best to stay out in the open where I could see anything that might happen.

Fone Bone came out eventually and drew water from the well while talking to Ted who had shown up. Not paying them any mind I went and climbed to the top of the house to try and get a better vantage point before Rose came outside in a hurry.

"Carter, where are you?" She yelled on edge. I jumped down from the roof and she nodded "Good, ya didn't run off into the forest. Go inside and pack a bag, we're leaving." I nodded and went in as Rose went to get Thorn and Fone Bone.

I grabbed only a change of clothes and some water and dry rations. By the time I was back outside Rose had gotten Thorn and Fone Bone to dig up a chest she had hidden under the barn. Inside it were a sword and a shield with the royal crest, along with a strange bag that Rose shoved into Fone Bones knapsack. "Let's get our cloaks just in case we're outside when winter arrives, then we need to leave." Rose said as she ran back to the house.

"What happened, is the war started again?" I asked as Rose came back out again and threw a cloak at each of us. "Not yet, but an army has been spotted gathering in the eastern mountains, led by a Hooded One. Rats are already on the way here." She said and I nodded "The BarrelHaven should be safe for now, but we'll need help eventually." Though I could probably kill all the rats if I could catch them by surprise. Maybe use Endeavor's flashfire fist a few times.

"Are you alright Thorn?" Rose asked, seeing her granddaughter hadn't spoken a word "I'll be alright." she said softly as Fone Bone looked at her worriedly "Then lets go."

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As we trekked through the woods, I felt the sensation of being watched so despite Fone Bone wanting to take a break every so often me and Rose kept pushing them. We did take a small break though when we reached a cliff face with a small path down, in the distance we could see smoke coming from the Barrel Haven. It would have been peaceful if not for the fact there were rats and an army somewhere out there.

We picked our way down the path before entering the forest again when Rose stumbled shit not again I thought as I held her up so she didn't fall. "Rose, can you walk? If not tell me because we can't stay out in the open, we need to get going." Normally she would have swung at me and snapped about being too old to be carried, but tonight was different "Yes, and give Thorn my sword, the glitchy feeling is acting up something fierce tonight!"

Not wasting time, I threw Rose on my back and tied her to me before we set off again. We didn't get far though as two rats emerged from the dark. "Hello small mammals." they grinned seeing how weak Rose was. "Give up little humans, the old cow woman cannot protect you." One hissed and I snorted "Who needs the old hag?"

They looked confused before I swung my sword, CHUNK "Aw I missed, lets see if you get lucky a second time." I grinned as the rats scrambled to get away from me. "Thorn, Fone Bone! Stay close and keep your eyes peeled." I said as I cut down trees and bushes in the way while keeping the rats at bay, they didn't give up though as they followed but Thorn would swing at them to make them back off.

"Carter, look!" Fone Bone said and I turned around to see the rats hissing at Thorn who had Rose's sword out. "Huh, they don't like her holding my weapon. She must be closer to the turning that I thought." Rose mumbled as she tried to get off "Are you better?" I asked and she nodded "Good enough to get information out of these two." she said and I let her down, only for her to throw herself at the rats who squealed in terror.

They tried to run, but Rose grabbed them and started pummeling them to get information. As she did I noticed the forest grow quiet and I spun around, coming face to face with the largest rat creature I've ever seen. "TRAITORS!" It snarled at the rats as it tried to get past me but I swung my sword, only for it to block the blow with a club it carried.

"KINGDOK!" The rats and Rose cried as he tried to get past me again but I didn't let him. "What a strange warrior, to be able to block what even Arlin himself could not defend against." Kingdok growled as I took a stance. "I will bring your corpse to the master." he snarled before lunging at me, jaws wide. I sidestepped but he swung his club at me so I parried and scored a hit on his side, but despite the spell on the blade, it barely drew blood.

"Useless blade." he sneered as he charged again swinging his club while trying to bite me in two. I parried the club and rolled away from his jaws, only to not see the kick coming right at me. BAM!

I slammed into a tree and felt the world spin for a moment as Kingdok laughed "Ha HA, puny human, I will finish you later." He said before rushing past Fone Bone and Thorn, kicking them to the side as he threw Rose into the air. 

Picking myself up I ran over checking to make sure that Thorn and Fone Bone were still alive, so I charged Kingdok again, but this time using my quirk blasting him with fire. "ARGH THAT BURNS!" Kingdok howled as he stopped toying with Rose and charged me again.

We cashed back and forth with me scoring a few more hits that did next to nothing before Kingdok threw in a feint that I wasn't expecting and grabbed me in his jaws. "AGH!" I yelled, feeling his teeth sink into my flesh as I blasted him in the face with fire forcing him to let go as I hit the ground. 

Rose had managed to get up and slammed a fallen tree into Kingdoks side drawing his attention again as he turned on her. "omg omg OMG!" Fone Bone and Thorn panicked as they ran over to see the huge bite mark, "Thorn help Rose!" I said as she looked down at the sword she held, then where Kingdok was trying to bite her grandmother in two, then ran off after them.

BAM Rose's body hit a tree and slumped to the ground as Kingdok sauntered over. "You flat-landers disgust me!" He snarled as he loomed over her "How your puny race has dominated the valley for so long, I have no idea." "But the game ends NOW!" He gloated as Thorn rushed him, sword in hand.

"Farewell, you majest- URK" He choked as Thorn sliced through his arm that was holding the club. He took a few steps back in surprise as Thorn tried to drag Rose up "get up get up GET UP!" She said as Rose shakily stood next to her. As Kingdok glared at them, his vision swam as he saw their forms change right in front of him. Gone was the weak cow woman and feeble granddaughter, in their places were a strong monarch, and a queen yet to be. But there loomed a shadow over the queen, a dark shadow that seemed to be looking at him. 

"Earth . . . and Sky . . ." He mumbled before SKREEEAA The two other rats formed up behind him, and they vanished into the forest. "We won't see the rats for a long time." Rose said finally as Thorn's brain slowly caught up with what happened "How do you know?" Thorn asked shakily as Fone Bone and I slowly walked over "It's just their way." she said before they caught sight of us.

"What was that screech we just heard?" Fone Bone asked as Thorn fretted over the bleeding wound on his head. "Didn't think anything could hurt you." Rose said as I sat down next to her. "You and I are both woman." I said as she snorted. I paid them no mind though as I tore my cloak off and shredded what was left of my shirt before I took a deep breath and cauterized the wound.

It was agonizing but I kept the fire for a second longer hoping to kill any bacteria that might fester as Thorn and Fone Bone looked on in horror. "W-what's he doin?" Fone Bone asked as Rose sat down next to me "Making sure he doesn't lose any more blood." She said as I stood up using the tree for support, I would use my magic to heal myself but didn't want to show that card just yet so it would have to wait until we reached the inn.

"We need to go, while they're still running." I said and Rose shook her head. "No, they'll find us soon enough from all that Shouting Fone Bone was doing, plus there are things I need to tell Thorn where other people won't hear." she said as she forced me to sit down again.

"Fine." I huffed wanting to get out of this forest already as she turned to Thorn. "There are things I must tell you now, because I may not get another chance." she said as Thorn and Fone Bone sat down. "The Lord of the Locust is looking for you. And you must keep him from finding you, at ALL costs." she said.

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I listened as Rose explained why the Lord of the Locust was so interested in Thorn. It turns out that she was hidden as a child because she was a Veni-Yan-Cari, a dream walker. One who could walk freely between the waking world and the dreaming world. Not only would the Lord be after her, but his agents would also be after her. "They'll have to go through ME FIRST!" Fone Bone said bravely but Rose shook her head, "They probably wouldn't even notice you Bone. The agents of the Locust will stop at NOTHING to free their master."

"What about me?" I asked "I've already repelled an intruder once." Rose looked surprised so I explained how a hooded figure had tried to touch Thorn while drawing her in with Fone Bone's face. "Until she is strong enough to hold her own, you will be her guardian." Rose said as Thorn finally asked about the dreaming and Rose explained how the age of dreaming had never gone away, but that only the animals and plants could still hear the 'hum' of the earth, and how humans had forgotten how to hear it.

She then explained about those who were still trained to hear the HUM and how the reports from the east appeared to say that the Hooded figure leading the rat creature army seemed to be trained like one of the disciples of the Venu, and how this rogue disciple might be trying to free the Lord of the Locust.

Thorn did take any of this well though as she didn't want to go with Rose to the Barrel Haven, she tried to get up and run away but I shot up and grabbed her by the arm. "Let go Carter!" She yelled but I stood firm. "Do you think running will solve anything?" I asked and she froze. "She lied to me though, my whole life she LIED to me!" Thorn shouted 

I snorted at that, "Excuses for the weak. She just told you why, to keep you safe." I said as Thorn tried to pry her arm from my grip "So that means it's ok to lie then?!" she demanded and I shook my head "No, but sometimes it's the only way to keep those you care about safe." She stopped fighting for a bit but then swung at me. I let her hit me in the face because unlike Kingdok, her power was more spiritual than physical.

"OW!" She cried as she shook her hand in pain. "This is why I said you weren't ready." I scoffed as Fone Bone walked over with Kingdoks club "I found this." he said and Rose nodded "That'll make any rats think twice about messing with us."

Thorn eventually calmed down but I continued to hold her arm so that she wouldn't try and run off. I handed my sword to Rose since it seemed my fire was more useful at the moment as we walked towards the glow of torches in the dark. As we walked Rose took something she had stuffed away and handed it to us, it was a necklace with a pendant marked with the royal crest. "These will protect you when you need them most." she said as I took mine.

Thorn was still being stubborn though so Fone Bone held onto hers while putting his on. Mine felt strange, like there was a hidden energy inside of it. I'll look into that later I thought as we finally caught up to where the villagers were.

Or rather where they should have been. In front of us was a wooden wall that had a small hole poked through "HALT!" Someone shouted from the other side as I rolled my eyes, I'll bet Phoney is behind this bs. I kept that to myself though as Jonathan poked his head out. He looked surprised to see us "We thought y'all were lost!" he said as Rose told him to open the gate. "Sorry gran'ma, can't open the gate until the NEW BOSS says I can." ain't no fuckin way "Who's the new boss?" I asked as Jonathan pointed behind him "He is!" And there was Phoney Bone, walking up to the gate like he owned the damn place.

"Heyya cuz, good to see ya!" Phoney said with a smile as I felt like ripping his head off. "Let us in Phoney we're all hurt!" Fone bone said as Phoney's smile got even wider "Sure I can let ya in, just not Carter or Rose!" He said I FUCKINGKNEWITTHATLITTELPICEOFSH- "Phoney quite messin around, we just got attacked by rat creatures and we're hurt let us in!" Fone Bone yelled but Phoney wouldn't back down. This went back and forth for a bit, it seems Phoney knew that Rose and I wouldn't let whatever stunt he pulled to get the tavern from Lucius slide so he didn't want us inside.

I'm tired of this shit CRACK "Hey quit that!" Phoney and the villagers yelled as I broke the gate in two. Stepping through a few of them held up various knives and tools threateningly but I snarled "I fear nothing, why have you built these walls?!" I glared at them as a few backed up but one brave soul stepped forward. "Phoney had us build these walls to keep us safe from the rats and the dragons!" He said righteously, as if Phoney was a living fucking saint.

"ha ha Ha HAAA" I couldn't help but laugh despite the pain. I turned to Phoney "You told these fools that walls would keep out the rats? AND the dragons?" I laughed some more despite myself at the absurdity of it all. "Hey, it's a solid strategy!" Phoney tried to defend himself but I just laughed some more. "Rat creatures would scale this wall like you jump a small fence, and a dragon would just burn it to the ground." I said as he paled, "All you idiots have done is box yourselves in tight, with nowhere to run."

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In the end we got inside, Rose didn't stay though as she went looking for Lucius at 'Old man's cave' whatever that was, and Fone Bone and Thorn went out to look for her when they found out she had left. I didn't go with them though as I focused on healing myself in the room above the tavern, it was close to midnight when they got back. "Any sign of her?" I asked and they shook their heads "Nothing." They didn't stay up long before passing out, and I decided to go to sleep as well.

While I was sleeping Fone Bone went off to go eat with his cousins as I drifted off.

WAKEUPNOWDANGER! The voice screamed at me as I shot up, I wasn't in the tavern anymore. I was in a strange dark space, in front of me was the hooded one. It looked like it was about to speak but I lunged forward flames burning as I passed right through it. "Where do you hail from, stranger?" It asked in the raspy voice as I let loose a jet of flames to try and burn it. 

It danced around the flames, wary from the last time but didn't try to attack, yet. "You are so strong, but you do not belong to the dreaming?" It said as if confused but I didn't answer as I kept attacking it. "The Lord is not happy with your presence here." it said as I tried to shift to my dragon form and found that I could.

"You are not a child of Mim, yet you have the power of the dragons." It said as I slashed at it, it dodged not wanting to get hit again as I blasted fire at it. "Who placed you here?" A new voice asked, it felt wrong like insects crawling over his ears. He shifted to Icewing as he blew frost breath everywhere, it did nothing though as it dissipated just like the fire.

"You do not belong." it said, "You interfere where you have no RIGHT!" It yelled

I paid it no mind as I chased the hooded figure, then got an idea. Can I place a mark on this thing? [Yes, but it will take more blood compared to last time since this mark will be more spiritual than physical, and will require more energy.] I grinned. That works just fine.

I stopped as I shifted back to human form and summoned a small blade. SLASH Blood poured freely from my wrists as a sigil started to form on the ground. "STOP HIM, DO NOT LET HIM SUCCEED!" The Hooded One rushed me but I blasted it back with ice before making a dome around me.

The Hooded One then brought out a sickle as it started to slash furiously as the dome, but I repaired any damage faster than it was inflicted so it held. I felt the dream shake around me as the sigil was formed, it pulsed with unholy crimson light. "Leave, you cannot stay any longer!" It yelled as the Hooded One disappeared from view. "Tch, coward." I scoffed as I activated the sigil "Enjoy." I snarked to what I assumed to be the Lord of the Locust as I finally woke up, just as the sigil exploded.

Waking up I looked around and saw that Thorn and Fone Bone were fast asleep, so I went to my bag and got a drink of water before going back to bed, this time without any dreams.

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Over the next few days, I felt agitated. These people listened to every bit of nonsense that came out of Phoney's mouth. I didn't even bother trying to prove him wrong as the people here weren't my concern, only Thorn. I pushed her to train harder as war was looming right on the horizon and I might not always be right next to her since I now had a general direction to where the Lord of the Locust was, it kept pushing me in the direction of the mountains but i didn't have the time to go, so I stayed at the Barrel Haven training Thorn, and Fone Bone when he wasn't yelling at Phoney.

Oh and Fone Bone found a baby rat. I don't know how it got into the village but Fone Bone and Smiley hid it in a shed and have been feeding it since they felt sorry for it. Thorn almost killed it but Fone Bone was able to convince her so the rat lived.

Thorn had another dream as well. I wasn't asleep at the time though so I just shook her awake to get her away from the Hooded One, who was no doubt angry at me. Thorn appeared more shaken this time but didn't want to talk about her dream, so I just sat with her as she shook like a leaf in the wind. 

The next morning though Lucius showed up! Of course he tried to deal with Phoney but the villagers threatened him, already forgetting how I made fun of the Bone right in front of them. "You can't be sleeping in a barn at your age, Lucius." I said as he just glared at me "I'm not THAT old Carter. I can still show you young folks who's in charge." He said "Plus you aren't no spring chicken either." He laughed and I groaned.

He was right, I had been in this strange land for 19 years. I had been here longer than I was alive in my old world. "Yeah, I'm 36 now, but I still got it." I grinned as I rolled up my sleeve and flexed. We laughed and joked a bit more before I asked "Where is Rose? Thorn and Fone Bone are worried." 

Lucius sighed, "She went to Old Man's Cave, looking for help, or answers." He looked worried so I punched his shoulder "Don't worry about that woman, she'll outlive us all." He laughed at that and nodded "Yeah Rosie just might."

After that the next few days were a bit of a blur. For one, Lucius found out about Thorn fighting Kingdok and how the Rats had been amassing an army. Turns out Rose never told him any of this so he was finding it all out from Fone Bone.

The villagers were also starting to think for themselves. I had noticed a few giving Phoney strange looks as days went by with no attack from rats or dragons. A few of them talked about making Phoney earn his keep as the towns 'dragonslayer' as he called himself.

Thorn also had a talk with Lucius and he explained a bit more on why he and Rose kept so much hidden from her, she still wasn't happy about it but she was calmer now and a bit more understanding.

On the bright side the summer picnic was coming up and lots of people were excited, though I could see Phoney cooking up something behind those greedy eyes. I couldn't focus on that though as Thorn kept trying to go back to the farm. "You know it's too dangerous out there, why do you insist on going?" I asked as she sat next to Bartleby, the rat creature cub that Smiley gave a name too.

"I don't feel safe here, every night the dreams get worse and even when I'm awake it feels like I'm dreaming." She looks haggard, and barely awake but the fear in her voice is very real. "Fone Bone, where did you put that spare pendant?" I asked and he said it was still in his knapsack so I sent him to go get it. "I don't want that thing." Thorn scowled but I knocked her on the head lightly. "It will help you, so quit being so stubborn." She didn't look convinced as Fone Bone came running back with the pendant. "Here it is, but you need to go look outside Carter!"

Going outside I could hardly believe it. Phoney was on top of the massive pile of food and other items preaching about how the people should be giving more instead of 'hoarding it all' since that attracts dragons. Lucius tried to get to him but a few people blocked his way. "You don't know anything about dragons." Lucius yelled and Phoney smirked "So you ADMIT that dragons are real, and that I've been right the whole time!" I don't like where this is going

I pushed my way through as Lucius waded deeper into the trap "Yes, dragons exist and are all around us. But they don't attack people, they are good! You're the one mixing everyone up!" He said "If the dragons are good then why have you been hiding them from us? Why tell everyone they were make-believe?" Lucius didn't have an answer for that, but before Phoney could close the net I stepped in.

"Because of fools like you." I pointed at him, "People that will use the fear of the common man to gather wealth, and grow fat on their fear while you sit and do NOTHING." Phoney looked shocked that I had called him out but I wasn't done. "You are a fake! You have never even SEEN a dragon." "Oh and you HAVE!" He yelled trying to use that against me but I just smiled "Yes, I have. I watched it burn dozens of rat creatures to ash, I fought alongside it." I gestured to the wall "This puny wall would be no different from a TOOTHPICK to the dragons, be glad they prefer to stay hidden."

Lucius shoved the guys off of him as he nodded at me. Phoney wasn't done though "That just shows how COWARDLY the dragon species is!" "If we can make an example of ONE dragon, we can scare off the rest! I will lead this wagon train to the mountain pass called 'Dragon Stairs' and we will lay a trap of treasure, and WOE to the dragon who stumbles into the trap!" He yelled, wiping the people into a frenzy "IT'LL BE DRAGON-KEBAB AT SUNRISE!" snort "Something to say? Dragon lover?" Phoney said as the people glared at me and Lucius, "What will you do?" I asked looking Phoney in the eyes "When the Red Dragon arrives to call your bluff, Phoncible P. Bone?" He didn't have an answer.

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That night, I didn't sleep. Thorn was planning to leave tonight, and if I couldn't stop her I'd at least protect her from the shadows. It was the least I could do.

I waited for hours, Fone Bone and Smiley Bone had already creeped out the room to try and get Bartleby over the wall, when finally Thorn lit a candle and started writing a letter to Fone Bone.

"Going somewhere princess?" I asked as Thorn jumped "I thought you were asleep? And don't call me PRINCESS!" she whispered aggressively as I shook my head. "I didn't teach you everything, now finish your letter for your little boyfriend and we can be on our way." She blushed a little at that but finished her letter and sealed it. 

Out in the forest we made good progress towards the farm before Thorn suddenly collapsed. "Shit, THORN!" I shook her but she wouldn't respond as several men in robes emerged from the dark. swing "Identify yourself?!" I yelled but they said nothing, they all carried swords and I could feel a faint energy coming off of them as one stepped forward, he held an extra sword in his hand. "Peace, warrior." He said calmly, as if I posed no threat to him at all.

"We only wish to help her. She has reached the turning." I didn't understand and shifted my gaze between them and Thorns body on the forest floor before I decided to take a gamble. Sheathing my sword I stepped back, and ignited my fist "If she dies, you all burn." I growled as the man nodded then planted the sword in the ground near Thorns head. A pair of men stepped forward as they stood around her.

"Whoosh whoosh." "Whoosh whoosh." "Whoosh whoosh."

Suddenly we weren't in the forest anymore, the sky was orange everything felt like it was watching me. "GASP!" Thorn shot up and seeing the sword in front of her, grabbed it as she leapt to her feet. "WHERE ARE WE?!" She demanded but I didn't know. 

Suddenly we could hear dozens of footsteps racing towards us. "Run! Follow me!" She yelled before charging into the forest, I had no choice but to follow her as I saw what was chasing us. They looked like stick figures but they moved wrong, I was close behind her when suddenly. 

"Whoosh whoosh." "Whoosh whoosh." "Whoosh whoosh."

A hole in the ground just appeared in front of us and we fell in. As we hit the hard ground I realized that I was in my Nightwing form again, and there waiting for us was the Red Dragon. 

"Hello little one." He smiled down at Thorn before glancing at me. "Dragon? Why am I here?" she asked and he smiled "You were running away." He turns and gestures to a bright light "What do you see over there, in the light." I looked for myself but only saw images of blood, the death of friends and a planet burning. 

"I-i see a throne, is it my throne?" Thorn asked, seeing something different, "Are you a queen?" The dragon chuckled as Thorn shook her head. "What else do you see?" he asked, no longer smiling "I see uh- RAT CREATURES! Coming out of the mountains!" She yelled as I moved to help but found I couldn't move.

"THEY KILLED MY PARENTS! MAKE THEM GO AWAY!!" Thorn was hysterical but the dragon's calm voice seemed to help "You cannot make the difficulties of the world go away. What else do you see?" She managed to calm down enough to speak "Is that gran'ma Ben? Fone Bone? Are they in trouble?" She asked but the dragon didn't answer.

She kept pressing him to answer but he just continued to stare into the light. "I want to wake up, I want to go home!" Thorn said, finally catching the dragon's attention as she stomped over to her blade and picked it up, now dressed as a princess, no longer the scared child in the woods.

She finally seemed to snap out of her trance as she disappeared after a few more words with the dragon, leaving the two of us alone. "I don't know you? How could a new dragon be born after the death of Mim?" He asked as I flexed my claws, being able to move again.

"There are things beyond your knowledge, dragon." I snarl as I try to force myself to wake up, but nothing happens. "You're not from this world are you?" He asked and I shrugged "Maybe, how do I leave this place?" I hissed trying to smash the ground but nothing happened. 

"I'll let you go for now, keep Thorn safe Carter. Things are changing in ways they weren't supposed to." The red dragon said and just like that, I was awake on the forest floor.

Jumping to my feet I saw that Thorn was also up and had her sword in hand. "WE need to get back!" She said and I nodded, weird tree men shoving me into a dream could wait until later, for now we needed to move.

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As we got to the Barrel Haven it was already night again. "Where did everyone go?" Thorn said to no one as I ran through the Barrel tavern to get any supplies I could. "That idiot Phoney is going to try and catch a dragon at the Dragon Stairs, we have to move NOW!" 

Thorn was more than confused as she threw on a bag I had stuffed full of food. "Why would he want to catch a dragon?" We raced out of the walls as we ran full tilt towards the mountains. "Because he sold himself as a DRAGONSLAYER to those idiot villagers who believed him, even AFTER that stunt he pulled with the cow race!"

Thorn was beyond confused as I caught her up to what she had missed while half asleep the past few days, from Lucius coming back and getting into fights with Phoney. Rose going to Old man's Cave and Fone Bone and Smiley running off with Bartleby. "We have until sunrise so let's hurry." I said as I got an idea. Picking Thorn up she yelped before I kicked the ground and ice shot out. I slid along it like I had seen Shoto do during the Sports festival, it wasn't the easiest but it got smoother as we went as I hoped we weren't too late.

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They raced up the mountains, following the trail left by the caravan. We could hear the people shouting at Phoney to kill the dragon, with a burst of speed Thorn shot past me "STOP!" She yelled at the people as they tried to get her to move so they could kill the dragon. I leapt up and glared down at Phoney who was trying his best to look small. "Be glad that Thorn is merciful, I was going to kill you until she convinced me otherwise." I growled at him as the people noticed the fire in the valley. "It's the dragons attacking our town!"

"NO!" Thorn shouted, "It's the rat creatures! THEY ARE THE ENEMY!" The people still wouldn't listen as they tried to drag Thorn off the dragon, "Yessss, kill it quickly." The rats had arrived.

Leaping off the dragon I smashed open the skull of the leading rat and set the body aflame. "HISSS, You cannot save them demon!" The rats hissed as the people cowered in fear. A few tried to lunge at me but I burned them as well as a group of stick eaters emerged. "We're trapped!" Some people yelled before the stick eaters threw themselves at the rats, kicking off the melee.

I fought with them as we killed several rats before the dragon burst free SSSKRAAA FWOOM!! "RUN THE DRAGON IS FREE!" The rats screamed as they ran in terror, leaving both rat and human bodies behind. The dragon said something before chasing after the rats with the stick eaters right behind him. I walked over as Thorn shook Phoney asking him where his cousins were before she turned on the villagers demanding to see Lucius, "W-we left him in the village." One stammered and I looked to where the Barrel Haven was on fire. 

"We need to get moving." I said to Thorn as she rallied to people to arm themselves. A few didn't want to and were being stubborn and I was sick of it. "IF YOU DON'T WANT TO FIGHT, THEN STAY HERE AND BE RAT FOOD!" I yelled and a few people flinched "WE ARE AT WAR! AND YOU IDIOTS ALMOST KILLED THE ONE THING ON OUR SIDE! SO GET A WEAPON AND MOVE!!" 

That finally snapped them out of it as they quickly grabbed what they could as I grabbed Phoney, "No more tricks outta you." I snarled as I tied him up and strapped him to my back. I'd rather not take him with us, but Thorn wanted Fone Bone to be the one to knock some sense into him so I decided to let him live, for now.

A/N- This has been the longest chapter by FAR at only 6015 words :)