Chapter CHAPTER VI: BITTERSWEET FRRIENDSHIP (5)

After a good while, the Golden King finally appeared. He headed towards the lower part of the waterfalls, in the center of the seven chambers. He began his speech.

While this was happening, Bongo turn his eyes to all sides of the chamber, for he lost sight of his son.

“Where did Argônæth went now?”

“Sir, he retired a while ago” Dael exclaimed.

“What?!”

“Yes sir, I’m sorry”

“But what the hell is he thinking! Where did he go?!”

“I have no idea, sir, he didn’t tell me.”

“All this preparation for so many days, to left just moments before the battle! For what? To do what? What is in the head of that insensible and plu–” said Bongo before he stopped. “You know what? I´m not going to fight with this. It’s too late now. At the end of the speech, we will start the descent.”

“But sir, Argôn is the strongest warrior we have” exclaimed one of the dragons.

“I don´t care a goddamn brick!” Bongo shouted enraged. “We will carry out the attack without him! We will go to battle without him, and we will triumph without him! I don’t want any rebels or disobedient soldiers in this battle, nor in this army! We will dismantle Nénufar, as we have done hundreds of times. That dishonored Raēn will be in serious troubles. Oh yes, your friend will not escape this. He´ll be in serious problems when I see his fraudulent face. Without a doubt, Dāel! Prepare yourselves for the battle!”

On land, the sorceress was still in Rihëren. She was close to some springs as the fireflies of the water were beginning to shine magically, giving life to the waters of the lagoons. The dragon was delaying, a good time had already passed. The sorceress suddenly looked into the dark night sky and saw, in the distance, a reddish light coming down aggressively from the heavens.

A rumble fell from the skies on top of one of the hills. Amalia quickly got up and headed towards the place, with some fireflies following her. When she arrived, she realized that it was the young dragon.

“Argôn what happened to you?” the woman asked.

“My friend! I’m finally here!” said the dragon while he coughed. “Sorry for the delay.”

“Smoke is coming out of your skin, you’re hurt. Where were you?”

“I was on the mission that I told you about, I got out of it” said the dragon babbling.

“Argôn, you don’t look good, let me help you heal” responded the woman. “Are you sure you want us to train?”

“Of course! Don´t worry about me. I was just solving an issue! I’ll be fine. Where are the fish you brought? Let’s eat! I’m starving!”

The Army of Splendor abruptly headed towards the battle. The great Colonel Bongo directed the header, just as he had learned from his grandfather. There was no better time to succeed masterfully in Nénufar as now. No army in the history of The Gradens had been prepared as well as it was now, and of all the attacks Bongo had directed, this was a special one. It could easily become the best victory of the Kingdom in its entire history.

The powerful dragons approached the region. This one was very cloudy, and when they passed the first ranges of the grays, they found a true massacre. The entire Nénufar region was covered in flames. The monsters of the region were destroyed; the swamps were disintegrated. The nests of the beasts were hollow. A true catastrophe had taken place, and the dragons looked stunned from side to side.

Bongo did not understand what was happening. He went towards the core of the waters, where the mother root was. Its enormous complexity was in pieces. He reached the head of the creature, and it couldn´t even speak clearly.

In the little that could be expressed, he spoke in Dragomař to the bewildered dragon.

“A single Raēn did this, Colonel” said the Mother Root Nénufar. “It seems that after all, we are not the evil beasts in this war. I don’t think I can guarantee the survival of my race. Our roots have been damaged as never before. The main strains have been burned in their entirety. It is the end, of our times.”

When the creature finished speaking, he inclined his head to the side of the water, where he was resting. A small drizzle began to fall suddenly, and when the Nénufar died, the entire Army of Splendor began to shout for joy; celebrating the triumph. Dracko, who was immersed in envy, sent others to shut up, and the colonel who managed to understand the message sent to him by the eyes of the Nénufar, was cold and petrified.

When Argônæth finished training with the sorceress, he went up to the Gardens. Upon reaching it, he found the people where in the squares, and the Army of Splendor was excitedly waiting for him.

The entire kingdom received the dragon as a hero. His entrance was filled with applause and hugs. Dragons he had never seen, approached him to hug him and treat him like a true prince, a true legend. He crossed the main square, still worried about what his father would say, but he was truly proud of him.

At the end of the square, at the headquarters, was waiting his father, his brother, and the Golden King. They received the Raēn, meanwhile they tried to smile at the crowd.

“Father, I’m terribly sorry” said Argôn.

“Don’t even bother talking to me” answered Bongo. “You will follow the Golden King, and you will discuss this issue directly with him.”