Hare purposely stood back on the balcony, away from everyone else, especially Copper. He barely looked at her as she returned to her place. She could still taste blood in her mouth and felt it dripping from her mouth.
"As you all know," Queen Scarlet announced, "yesterday my champion, Peril, offered to stand for the accused prisoner, Kestrel, in a Champion's Shield. She will now fight a dragon of my choosing, and if she wins, Kestrel goes free. If she loses - then I suppose I'll have to get a new champion.
"Now, I know you all think Peril can't lose. But will she be able to win against a dragon with fireproof scales?"
Guards swooped in and unchained Clay before anyone had a moment to fully process. They brought him down and dropped him into the arena. Peril stalked out of the tunnel and into the arena. She blinked in surprise when she saw Clay. Peril angrily snapped her head around to glare at Queen Scarlet.
"This is my punishment?" she snarled. "You're going to make me kill one of the only dragons who's ever been nice to me? One of my only friends?"
Scarlet flicked her tail. "Maybe now you'll think twice before betraying me."
"I can't fight him!" Peril cried. "I can't- I won't. I'm not going to fight him."
Queen Scarlet smiled. "Then your mother dies."
Glory suddenly reared up and snapped the thin chain around her neck. Her jaw hinged like a snake's and black liquid shot out of her two longest fangs. The venom hit the side of Scarlet's face. The queen screamed and stumbled backwards, batting at her face.
Burn turned to Hare as the crowd began to flee. "Come on," she said, tugging on Hare's arm.
"No!" Hare said, pulling away. "I have to stay with my friends."
Burn stared at Hare. "I just met you," she said. "I'm not losing you already."
"You don't have a choice," Hare said, meeting her mother's eyes. "I have to stay with my friends. They have a destiny, and I'm going with them to help where I can."
"And what about you?" Burn hissed. "What if it's your destiny to stay with me?"
"That destiny will have to wait then."
Queen Burn bristled. "You have to come with me! You're my daughter."
"And as my mother, you should want me to be happy," Hare shot back. "The only way that'll happen is if I stay with my friends."
Burn looked up at the dragonets of destiny, who were looking around in confusion except for Glory. "And what if you have no friends to stay with?"
"No!" Hare cried.
Burn lunged at Glory. Copper quickly shot forward and knocked Burn to the side. They tumbled over each other on the balcony.
"Go!" Copper cried. "Run, now!"
"Tsunami, Clay, and Starflight can't fly," Hare cried.
"I got it." Peril touched the chains that were wrapped around each of the dragonets. Hare's friends quickly shot into the air.
Burn threw Copper off of her and got to her talons. Peril landed on the balcony and faced the SandWing.
"Go get Sunny!" she called over her shoulder. "I'll meet you there."
Hare hurried to the edge of the balcony. She glanced over her shoulder at her mother, who was staring past Peril furiously.
"I'm sorry," Hare said before shooting into the sky after her friends.