Rainbow Dash listened in while the draconian conference continued in the next chamber below.
"Running into what kind of things?"
"Bothersome things! We're trying to find the last few stones for you, Boss. But I don't think we're the only ones searching for them! And the further out we fly, the more creatures we run into who want a piece of your hoard!"
"Well, drive them off, you lazy sacks of scale!"
"It's not that easy! You want us gathering the stones or protecting the castle?"
"Can't you do both?!"
"Big Boss, we'd love to, but the brood is still young. We can't do well by focusing on two things at once! It was a lot different when Mother was still around—"
"What?! What did you say?!"
"Er..."
"Must you forget that Mother assigned me this task when she died?! I am not a mere broodling! I am your master! I am Big Boss! And the only way to supreme power is to collect all of these stones! You can and WILL find them and protect them! I don't care how hard it is to do two things at once! Do you want to be hoardless?"
"Uhhhh..."
"Well?!"
"Hey! Listen! Someone approaches!"
Rainbow Dash blanched. Every inch in her body froze.
"Mrmmmf... the sound of those wings... Big Boss, I think it's—"
FWOOOOOSH! A large, scaly body glided past Rainbow. The sheer force of the leathery flight nearly threw Rainbow off her hooves. She successfully clung to the bricks at the last second, craning her neck to see who had just entered.
The entire castle shook from the heavy claws touching down.
"Big Boss..." A deep, rumbling voice spoke.
Lancie blinked. "Hey... isn't that...?"
"One of the dragons on patrol out by the ruins," Rainbow muttered, nodding back. "I recognize the voice too."
"Blood Fire... what news from your patrol?"
"There are many intruders from the Morsel Lands, Big Boss. Several of them are situated southeast of us, just before the treeline of the Thick Brambles. The last time any of us saw them, they were pivoting about, moving northeast."
"You mean... you mean they're tr-tracking the Castle?!" Big Boss' voice cracked.
"That is correct."
"Why didn't you burn them to a crisp, Blood Fire?!"
"One does not eliminate a few straggling pests and expect to take out the entire nest."
"Ugh! Fine. Just who are these punks, anyways?"
"Several ponies and a herd of canines. Also, I'm almost certain I've smelled griffon feathers in the wind."
Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped. "No... friggin'... way..." she murmured.
"Hey-heyyyy!" Lancie grinned. "It's a party—mfmmmfff!" His eyes bulged as her hoof covered his stone muzzle.
"This is just a hint of what's to come, Big Boss," spoke Blood Fire. "The further this structure carries itself along this path, the more we'll have to contend with the likes of griffons... other dragon broods... and even ponies."
"Hey!" Spoke one of the other dragons. "Funny you should say that! Red Barb and Shackles mentioned having seen a pony on their patrol!"
"What?!" Big Boss stammered.
"Yeah! A flying pony! What are they called, again... 'pegasisters?'"
"You see? This is just the beginning," spoke Blood Fire. "We can deal with a few of these nuisances for you, Big Boss, with very little problem. But in numbers, they can be quite overwhelming. We may be able to pass over the lands with our scales intact, but this castle will not last forever."
"I don't intend to 'pass over' anything! I plan to gain maximum power! And I can only accomplish this by finding the rest of the stones! And they're in the Morsel Lands!"
"But at what cost would you want to acquire these, brother? You are the most powerful brood king in this region. No dragon in all the land can come close to challening you."
"Blood Fire, since when were you paid to do the thinking for me?"
The air rumbled before Blood Fire answered in a growling tone: "In blood have I committed my service to you, Big Boss. My blood. Mother's blood. The blood of all future broodlings are at your command. Is that not enough?"
"No! It's not! And you should know better than to question that!"
Brow furrowed, Rainbow Dash crawled past the nearest obstruction. She stood on a crumbling balcony floor overlooking a long, thick throne room. Several torches illuminated scales, armored neck crests, and dragon tails. At least half-a-dozen bodies stood in a subservient row, facing the far end. Rainbow craned her neck to see where Aatxe was situated, but all she saw was a large, crimson body facing in the same direction.
"Well... Blood Fire certainly lives up to his name," Rainbow muttered. "But where's Big Boss?"
"I'd say follow the grating voice," Lancie said.
Rainbow listened as—
"All Brood Kings and Queens who've come before me have failed to make their clan ascend!" Aatxe growled. "They've either died in combat, lost their hoard, or dwindled into obscurity! Well, I'm not about to become one of the worthless names of the past! This brood deserves to be the most powerful dragon family in all the lands! Mother would have wanted it no different!"
"Actually, brother, mother would have wanted good health and prosperity for her hatchlings. Not for us to burn out in a fruitless search—"
"Silence! I will tolerate your insubordinance no longer! You want to see 'fruitless?' Try looking for it! Because it's not here! I mean—feast your eyes on the Flame Staff!"
A clawed shadow swam across the torchlight. Rainbow's eyes followed it, and she gasped.
Situated to the left of the throne—hidden within a niche of the long brick wall—was what appeared to be a tall petrified spine made out of dragon bones. However, clinging to the tall length of this staff were several curiously familiar stone limbs made out of chaotic granite. The smooth gray edges of the shards glistened in the nearby firelight.
"Ah jeez, Lancie..." Rainbow grimaced. "They went and made a friggin' totem out of your bits."
"How terribly grotesque and unethical," Lancie said. He bore a fanged smile. "I'm quite flattered, actually."