"This should be the place, right?"

"Better be, I don't wanna be walking through theses caves."

Shadowflight groggily opens his eyes to find himself being painfully dragged by the tail before he's unceremoniously tossed, His whole body felt like it was wrapped up in chains, which it probably still was to keep him from moving so much. He could hear trolls nearby whispering a bit too loudly, probably assuming he as still knocked out thanks to one of them hitting him with a spear.

"Ursurna says we have to kill the thing before it wakes up, can't risk it running back to take vengeance." One troll says to their companion. "You got a sword or something? At least so we can cut the head off as proof."

"Yeah got one." The other troll responds and Shadowflight hears the sound of a blade being drawn. "Be quick now."

The dragon growls loudly as he starts to thrash, trying to move as one of the Krubera trolls approach him with a large jagged looking blade in hand and lifting it up, a maniac glint in their eyes. But before they could bring the blade down, an indigo colored blast strikes the sword out of the troll's hands and black and pale white shape leaps at them with a loud screech. Shadowflight's eyes widen in horror when he realizes who it was.

The dragon was a Night Light, only this one was smaller and a bit sleeker looking, pale white markings near the eyes and under the belly to make it resemble a whale creature he recalled his family feasting on once. And there was only one dragon he knew who looked too much like the creature, hence the name his mother thought was fitting for his sibling when she hatched.

The Krubera troll crumbled under his sister before she launches herself at the fleeing Krubera before hearing a shattering sound. Moments later, the dragon emerges from the cave entrance and walks back to Shadowflight, sniffing at the chains around his body and snorts in disgust before trying to latch her teeth around and tugging on the ones around his body.

That's not gonna work Orca. Shadowflight huffs as he tries to wiggle free. Stupid trolls, had to make it harder for escape.

Papa's been looking for you since you disappeared again. His sister comments as she tries the chains around the tail. He's super mad.

What else is new? The dragon snorts before he glances back to see he could wiggle his tail free from the chain. Guess these idiots left enough slack on the chain for him to wiggle out of and the rest of himself was soon free. Shadowflight shakes the rest of the chains off himself, checking for any injuries he may have sustained while being dragged away. So far nothing, so that was good at least.

Wait where are you going? Orca asks as Shadowflight starts walking off.

Back to my friends, they need me. He responds. Specifically Jim. I'm gonna save him.

You have to come home! Papa is mad, mama is worried and so are the others-

My friends need me! What part of that do you not understand?! Shadowflight snarls, turning to snap at his sister. I'm tired of living underground, I don't wanna wait until I'm older to go to the surface for hunting! Dad can go eat rocks for all I care! If he wants me, he can come up and drag me back by the tail himself!

He continues to walk through the tunnels, but he could have sworn he could hear his sister following. Glancing behind him, he could see Orca trailing behind him, keeping several feet of space and doing a very poor job of hiding. He lets out a low growl in warning, but she ignored it, deciding to try and charge ahead before he grabs her by the tail and yank her back.

OW! Jerk! I'm telling- Shadowflight quickly lifts a wing to cover her mouth before motioning for her to be silent.

There are some trolls out here, not nice ones. He says softly. These looked more like Gum-Gum trolls, not like the Krubera that attempted to kill him earlier.

Hmph, easy, we can take them. Orca scoffs.

No, especially not you. If they are here...that means Gunmar is here too.

What's a Gunmar? Can we eat it?

Blegh no, I doubt a Quaken would want to eat him, or a starving Gronkle. We're gonna have to be stealthy, hold still.

Shadowflight pulls her back towards the caves before carefully lighting his siter until she looked invisible save for her outline one could only see if they squinted right. She does the same for him before they slink out of the caves, taking care not to bump into or touch the armored trolls. The whole city seemed almost deserted, which was very worrying, though he could have sworn he saw a troll or two peeking out from their homes or shops as they passed by. At one point he even saw Draal walk by, unfortunetly still possessed. It hurt to see the one troll he had grown close to look like that, and he hoped they'd find a way to free him of whatever was making him like that.

So where are we going? Orca asks as she and her brother climb up one of the houses until they reach the rooftops. Or who are we looking for exactly?

You wouldn't know since this is your first time up on the surface, or close to the surface, but we are looking for some humans. Shadowflight says as he scans the streets below. How long had he been out for all these Gum Gums to be wandering about? And had Jim managed to get out of the pit?

As he was scanning the streets, he spotted movement that was too fast to be an armored troll. Down below he could see some sort of troll that looked similar to Blinky being led by a Gum Gum and...BLINKY! Shadowflight almost lets out an excited screech when he sees the multi-limbed troll sneaking up behind the other to snatch and drag him away. His library was down there, if he was there, the others must be down there as well!

Orca follow me, and be quiet! Shadowflight instructs as he leaps down.

Once down on the ground, Shadowflight darts right into the library to find Blinky hanging the troll from a chain attached to the ceiling and laughing.

"Not so pleasant playing the part of a pinata!" The troll laughs

Shadowflight then decides to reveal himself, huffing loudly as his camoflauge fades away as he approaches the hanging troll.

"Ah! There you are you old rascal! We were wondering what took you so long!" Blinky exclaims as the dragon turns to give him a gummy smile. "Oh you're injured! We'll have to treat that later, master Jim! Look who is here!"

"Shadowflight?!" The dragon lets out a happy warble as his human enters the room and rushes over to wrap his wings and arms around him. "Oh my god you escaped!"

"What escaped? Who?!" The hanging troll asks. Just then, Orca decides to reveal herself, now standing in front of the troll and huffs smoke at him. "AHH! THE DRAGON GET IT AWAY FROM ME! I DON'T WANT TO BE A SNACK!"

"Ha! Still afraid of dragons!" Blinky laughs before looking to Orca. "And where did you come from little one? A friend of our scaly friend?"

"Another dragon?" Toby gasps as he, Claire and AAARRGGH!! enter the room as well. "And a Night Light! Oh hey buddy! You made it back!"

Orca looks at them in confusion before hissing and leaping onto a nearby table, arching her back to look bigger and more threatening.

Calm down dummy, they're my friends! Shadowflight scolds as he releases Jim and walks over to the table to whack her on the head with his paw.

Now behave!

"Wait the Trollhunter is alive?!" The hanging troll asks.

"But you won't be for long if you don't start talking!" Blinky snaps. "And I am very sure our scaled companion will make an exception and have your for a hefty snack!"

"Oh Blinkous, Gunmar has the Heartstone. Once he regains his strength, nothing will rival his power!" The troll laughs. "It's futile brother!"

"The only troll I call my brother died today, and his name was Vendel!" Blinky yells before he grabbed the troll by the horns and shoved him hard enough to start spinning around wildly.

He's gone...oh no...Shadowflight says softly as Jim is trying to stop Blinky from assaulting the troll who called him his brother.

Was this Vendel important? Orca asks from atop the table, eying the humans and trolls warily.

Very, he was...sort of like the alpha of these creatures, or a flock leader if we are being more specific.

So like alpha Diorite?

In a way, he wasn't alpha of all the trolls like our alpha, but like a flock leader. Like how Obsidian is our flock leader. Vendel was kind and while grumpy he was caring. He healed me when I was injured and tried to stick his neck out for all of us even if he was at risk of being in trouble.

Like...Onyx.

He could see the upset look in his sister's eyes, and he understood that look too well. It had been years since anyone had ever mention their elder brother by name, not since...that day. Orca and the younger dragonets of their family didn't even exist at the time, but they grew up hearing about their eldest brother and what happened to him. It was meant to be more of something to warn them all.

Like Onyx. Shadowflights says with a nod befor he feels Toby grab his face to turn to the others.

"Wait what if he goes after Shadowflight and his family?! If Ursurna tells him about the caves, he could also get to the dragons! What if his creepy blade thing that controls Otto and Draal touched a dragon?" The teen asks frantically. "We're screwed if he even gets a Terror!"

"We save as many as we can, we're gonna evacuate Trollmarket." Jim responds. "As for the dragons, those tunnels are long and go very deep, it may take Gunmar ages to even find a dragon wandering down there if he even tries to find one. We better hope every troll's fear of dragons extends to even him. Bud, are you up for a rescue mission?"

Shadowflight roars and excitedly stamps his feet.

"Great we have a dragon, maybe two on our side if that one on the table can help. But how do we get out of here?" Toby asks.

"With this." Claire says as she holds her staff out.

"Claire, that is a weapon of dark magic." Blinky warns. "To manifest a portal that large for that duration, why, it could-"

"Kill you." AAARRGGH!! added.

"Or worse, corrupt your soul!"

"I have to try!" Claire tries to argue.

"No, you are not risking your life!" Jim says as he grabbed the head of the staff and Shadowflight huffs in agreement.

"Jim, you risked everything to save my baby brother because it was right. Now it's my turn."

"Wait, we could use the Gyre!" Toby exclaims excitedly.

No not that blasted hunk of metal! Shadowflight groans. Anything but that!

Sadly everyone, even AAARRGGH!! was dead set on using the Gyre station, which of course was at least a better option than having Claire summon a large portal and risk them all losing her. The group then set about gathering trolls and leading them towards the station, quietly taking down some Gum Gums in the process. Shadowflight even managed to convince Orca to help him rescue several gnomes, who seemed quite happy to be taken away from all the commotion. They even managed to same a troll who was being hauled away in a bathtub as well, along with several other trolls. He got a few headpats from some trolls before they hurried pff, though on emade the mistake to try and pet his sister and almost got their hand snapped off.

"Good job bud, I think that's almost all of them." Jim says as the next set of trolls were brought into one of the created entrances to the gyre station.

"LOOK OUT ITS DRAAL!" They hear Toby scream.

Shadowflight turns just in time to see the blue troll on top of one of the rooftops and leap down towards them with a loud roar. The dragon then tackles the teen and practically barrel rolled right into the station before it is quickly sealed shut.

ITS SO CROWDED! Orca yells from somewhere before he sees her standing at the platform. WE'RE GONNE DIE UP HERE!

There was a loud crash noise and Shadowflight looks over to see the gate closed and the gyre still there with a bewildered looking Blinky.

"WE'RE TRAPPED!" One trolls screams.

"It's only a matter of time before they break through and enslave us all." Blinky says as they gather to put themselves between the blocked doorway and the crowd of frightened trolls. "When the walls fall, hold nothing back and leave my brother to me!"

Shadowflight growls loudly and gets into a fighting stance as they all back away, the cracks on the blocked doorway growing bigger and numerous. If worse came to worse, his sister should escape through the opened doorway if she camouflage herself and get to safety to warn their family and the other dragons.

"Wait, Claire! What are you doing?!" He hears Jim say and turns to see Claire standing on the platform by Orca and holding her staff up.

"You can't make a portal that big!" Blinky exclaims.

"It'll kill you!" Toby adds in horror.

"If we do nothing then we'll all be dead." Claire points out. "You would do the same, you did do the same."

"I wasn't thinking! There's gotta be another way!" Jim yells.

"You saved my brother, let me save you! Tell my parents I love them." She raises her staff as she begins to recite the incantation, the pale staff now turning dark as swirling purple light envelopes her and a large cloud of black mist appears over them. Orca doesn't even move, her bright blue eyes transfixed on the portal above, and for a moment Shadowflight thought her eyes looked similar like Claire's when she used the magic too much.

"It's killing her!" Jim yells as he rushes up the stairs and his dragon follows. He immediately grabs the staff, now the swirling light dancing abount even faster as their other friends join in. Shadowflight even stands up to put a paw on the staff and sees Orca do the same, feeling a chill go through him as the cloud grows bigger and envelops them.

When the dust settles, everything smells different and the air feels cold. Shadowflight blinks when he realizes they are now outside in the forest. He lets out a sigh of relief as he falls back onto all fours and looks at Orca. She is trying to support a weak Claire, but her eyes are transfixed on the sky above.

Pretty isn't it? Shadowflight asks as he walks over. That big white thing in the sky, that's the moon.

I thought we would have to be adults by the time we could go outside to hunt. Orca says as she gazes up at the moon. It's so...pretty.

And you'll get to see it more now that we are stuck out here. Shadowflight says as he walks over to Claire and gently nudges her with a croon.

"I'm fine boy, I'm fine." She manages to say before coughing as the others arrive.

"Yeah!" They hear someone yell and turn to the entrance of the sewer to see two teen boys dressed in black cheering.

"Thanks guys, I owe ya." Jim says as he and Shadowflight walks over to the sewer.

"Yeah you owe us, big time." One of the teens laugh.

"Maybe you can start by answering a few thousand questions!" The other teen adds. "Like...is that a real dragon?"

"Yep, real as the trolls are." Jim laughs as he affectionately ruffles his dragon's head. "We'll talk later."

---

So we'll be staying here, but there are tons of rules you gotta follow. Shadowflight tells Orca as they approach the Lake house, the two dragons camoflauged. I sleep upstairs, there's no room but you can sleep down in the basement, I stay there some nights.

What's a basement? Orca asks. Also why do the humans call you Shadowflight, you're Starfoot.

Well they obviously don't speak dragon, so they gave me a new name and I quite like it better than the one mom gave me. I swear with my brood she ran out of ideas.

"Alright, lead your friend upstairs bud, and be very quiet. If she isn't home we can get you two to rest in the basement after I clean it up." Jim says as he opens the door and closes it once both dragons are inside. "Mom, I'm home!"

Something was off. Shadowflight couldn't smell Barbara in the house, or hear her at all, but there was another scent that wasn't always in this place. He could smell something, no, two somethings that were awfully familiar. Instead of heading upstairs or the basement as he normally would, the Nightlight creeps into the living room and spots an all too familiar being seated in the dining room.

"Ah, young Atlas and his interesting companion." Strickler greets as Jim follows behind.

"Strickler?" The teen asks in surprise.

"I hear you have quite the workload ahead of you. Perhaps Miss Nomura and I can offer some guidance." The changeling say as an unfamiliar looking woman enters, smiling politely at them.

She certainly smells familiar. Shadowflight mutters before hearing the sound of his little sister growling. He turns to see her cowering behind Jim, her hackles raised like a spooked cat as she eyed the beings in front of her. He huffs loudly at her before walking into the dining room and stands next to Strickler to place his chin on the changeling's lap, making sure to keep eye contact with his sister. He's safe, sort of.

"Oh, someone seems to have grown fond of me during my absence." Stickler laughs.

"Oh I think he's trying to show this one you aren't a threat, it recently came from the caves for whatever reason." Jim says as he is offered a cup of tea. "Another Nightlight to be exact."

"Interesting, perhaps another dragon will be needed to help us deal with Gunmar." The woman says.

"We'll see. For now, I have some ideas to how we can help." Stirickler says. "But you must keep them secret from your friends and mentor, and for a good reason. Are you in?"

Jim looks at his dragon nervously before looking to the two humans. "Okay, what do you have in mind."