Chapter Text
The makeshift library was quieter than the other caves of Jade Mountain.
Well-worn scrolls and sea-stained books lay in uneven stacks against the stone walls—as if someone had tried desperately to organize them but given up halfway through. Whenever the wind blew through the cracks in the rock, a few pages would flutter.
It felt colder than usual.
Spitfire stood frozen just inside the entrance. The echo of Hijiki’s voice still rang in his mind.
“...You heard it too, right?” he finally spoke.
Axolotl nodded once. “Yeah.”
Silence settled between them.
Spitfire let out a sharp breath. “The increase in SkyWing patrols isn’t just a coincidence. It’s as if... something is about to happen.”
Axolotl slowly sat down beside a stack of scrolls. “It’s also possible they’re reacting to something that’s already happening.”
Spitfire frowned. “To what?”
“I don’t know,” Axolotl admitted. “But Hijiki was in a panic. People tend to phrase things differently when they’re scared.”
Spitfire didn’t look convinced.
“He said you were going to be taken away, Axolotl.”
At those words, Axolotl froze.
“...I heard that part,” he said quietly.
There was a moment of silence.
Then, choosing his words carefully, Axolotl added, “I don’t know what he meant by that. He might have just been exaggerating.”
“Or maybe he wasn’t,” Spitfire murmured.
Axolotl remained silent for a moment.
Then, slowly, he reached for the scroll beside him and unrolled it without really looking at it.
"We shouldn't jump to conclusions," he said.
Spitfire frowned. "Why is it jumping to conclusions? They were discussing SkyWing patrols and the war, weren't they?"
"I know," Axolotl replied calmly. "But we only heard part of the conversation. We don't know what they were reacting to."
Spitfire started to speak but stopped himself.
Axolotl continued, looking more thoughtful now. "Hijiki was in a panic. Condor was trying to calm him down. That usually implies uncertainty, not certainty."
"So, what does that mean?" Spitfire asked.
Axolotl finally looked up.
"It means we need more information before we can determine the meaning."
Silence.
Then he added, "Bluemoon has records about patrol movements that she intercepted from the Sky Kingdom, right?”
Spitfire blinked. "Yeah... I think so."
"Then let's start there."
—
As Axolotl turned around, his heavy tailfin knocked over a stack of books.
"Right," he said, beginning to search the room. "Bluemoon keeps the SkyWing records and other important documents separate from the rest of the scrolls. They have to be here somewhere."
"Got it," Spitfire said, hurrying over and starting to sift through a pile of old scrolls in the corner of the room.
After searching for a while, Axolotl found something.
Hidden behind a mountain of worn scrolls, there was a crate with the word "Records" written on it in faded ink. The box was already cracked and gaping open.
Pushing up his glasses, which had slid down his nose, he turned back toward Spitfire. He was still busy sifting through a pile of old scrolls.
"Hey, Spitfire," Axolotl said. "I found the records."
"Really?" Spitfire rushed over and peered over his shoulder.
"They're in here." He looked down at the wooden crate again, gazing at it with interest. Axolotl let his imagination run wild, wondering what secrets might soon be revealed.
"Go on, open it!"
"All right, I'm opening it."
Axolotl carefully opened the wooden box and looked inside. A stack of dust-covered scrolls lay within; it appeared that many of them hadn't been touched by anyone for a long time.
He picked up the scroll resting atop the stack of documents and slowly unrolled it.
Suddenly, the air in the room seemed to grow heavy.
"I don't think that these are just ordinary records," Axolotl said hesitantly. "They’re important."
"Well, obviously!" Spitfire replied. "That's why they’re kept in their own box."
He scanned the contents of the scroll, glancing quickly over the first few lines. It appeared to have been copied in a hurry; the ink was uneven and streaky.
"Bluemoon must have written this last night," Axolotl pointed out, staring intently at the scroll. "If you look at the date at the top, it’s yesterday’s."
Spitfire leaned forward, gazing with interest at the document held in his hands.
"Here, I’ll read it out loud. It looks important."
Axolotl cleared his throat. He put on Bluemoon’s voice.
"There is a great deal to cover in this report.
Fortunately, members of the Repository branch have successfully intercepted several reports from the SkyWings.
According to the information, Queen Brightburn plans to dispatch a night patrol unit to this area soon. They intend to seize the opportunity while we are out hunting to capture one of us.
In short, our window of safety is rapidly closing.
I can only hope they do not appear within the next few days. I trust other members are arranging a safe haven for us and the dragonets, just in case. I need to double-check the records to confirm whether those arrangements have been finalized.
Furthermore, the Vanguard branch stationed in the Kingdom of Sand reports frequent raids on northern outposts.
It remains unclear whether the attackers are SandWings or SkyWings, though it likely makes little difference. The SandWings have appeared to have allied themselves with Brightburn and are eager to curry favor with her; naturally, they would seek to achieve this by eliminating external threats. The SkyWings are no different—they would do anything to please their queen.
Since these outposts store vital supplies such as food and weaponry, the Vanguard will likely need to deploy additional forces to guard them. I hope we can reinforce the Wings of Dawn and send more members to the site soon.
We have yet to hear from the Sanctuary Branch, though a report should arrive by tomorrow.
That concludes this report.
Signed, Bluemoon"
When Axolotl finished reading, silence enveloped the room.
The scroll felt heavier than it should have.
Spitfire did not speak immediately.
"...So it was true," he said quietly.
Axolotl slowly lowered the scroll. "Yeah."
A long silence followed.
Spitfire swallowed hard. "Are they really planning to come here?"
Axolotl nodded once, though his expression barely changed.
"That means Hijiki really wasn't exaggerating," he said.
Spitfire’s claws dug slightly into the stone floor.
"...Then we’re nearly out of time."
—
The following night, Axolotl and Spitfire could not suppress the urge to return to the makeshift library.
The two young dragons stealthily made their way through the dim tunnel, quietly entered the cavern, and headed toward the far corner where the crate containing important records was kept.
Axolotl took a scroll out of the crate. It was the latest report, dated the previous day; Bluemoon must have filled it out after the two of them had gone to sleep.
Spitfire glanced back over his shoulder toward the entrance to check for any dragons lurking about. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he returned to Axolotl’s side.
"Are you ready?" Axolotl asked hesitantly. "We might hear things we’d rather forget."
Spitfire nodded without a moment's hesitation.
In a trembling whisper, Axolotl began to read aloud the contents of the scroll.
“Greetings.
Once again, I have a great deal to report to you.
I have heard from our allies in the Wings of Dawn that contact has been lost with one of the northern outposts monitored by the Vanguard. A rescue team is scheduled to be dispatched to the site shortly.
I pray there have been no casualties, but judging by the information we have, I fear the worst. It appears that a squad of SandWing soldiers is traveling from place to place, raiding outposts to seize supplies and capturing the dragons stationed there.
Recently, we have seen an increase in the number of refugees fleeing to outposts run by the Sanctuary branch. We suspect that the desert raids are the primary cause.
However, there is something else I must tell you—something that is deeply concerning.
According to an intercepted report, Queen Brightburn intends to dispatch a unit of SkyWing soldiers to Jade Mountain soon. She plans to capture and execute those young dragons—the Dragonets—and eliminate the rest of us as well.
But there is one individual she is specifically targeting.
Brightburn intends to abduct Axolotl and use him for her own ends.
I fear for his safety—and Hijiki is especially worried.
She will stop at nothing to acquire an animus for her elite army—even if it means destroying everything that stands in her way.
Still, I hope Axolotl remains safe and free. I will not let him be taken and exploited by Brightburn, nor will I allow any of our other allies to be captured. After all, we have worked so incredibly hard.
However, let us conclude this report on a more positive note.
We have confirmed that an alternative site and an evacuation plan are in place. In the event of an emergency, the Sanctuary branch has agreed to take us in at one of their underground facilities! I have marked the locations of all these locations on the copy of the map provided by the Sanctuary branch. I am also told that ample supplies—such as food, water, and housing—have already been stockpiled.
I am confident that, thanks to our allies, we will remain safe!
That concludes this report.
Signed, Bluemoon”
When he finished speaking, Axolotl slowly closed the scroll.
Spitfire stared at him, his eyes wide. His expression was grave.
"What do we do now?" Spitfire asked in a trembling voice.
"...I don't know," Axolotl answered quietly.
"Should we tell someone?" Spitfire asked again.
He did not answer.
Silence slowly enveloped the room.
Axolotl returned the scroll to the wooden box with trembling claws.
The only sound was the dripping of water from the ceiling.
Soon, the two young dragons returned to their sleeping quarters. They tried to sleep, but anxiety and fear kept them awake.
That night, the only thing on their minds was what would happen to them. Would they really be all right? Would they survive? What do we do now?
As they drifted off to sleep, those questions were still weighing on them.