Monday, July 8, 2019

the hidden kingdom: part three

Glory waits for her friends to arrive so the tunnel can be investigated. When they arrive a debate breaks out over who should go, with Glory wanting to go alone. In the end she and Clay enter the tunnel, with a vine wrapped around them that they can tug on if they need help. As they follow the tunnel they debate where it came from, wondering if an animus dragon created it. They are shocked at how short the tunnel is, but they are even more shocked when they arrive at the end of the tunnel and find themselves in the Kingdom of Sand right by Burn's stronghold.

Clay and Glory head back to their friends and tell them of their discovery. Starflight insists it is impossible that the tunnel can lead to a kingdom half a world away. Glory feels the tunnels must be connected to the missing RainWings somehow. Jambu is no help as he doesn't know what an animus dragon is or even what SandWings look like. Sunny feels they should destroy the tunnel and while Glory feels it might be a good idea the other dragons aren't sure that they can - plus they need to find the missing RainWings first. Suddenly Mangrove bursts past them into the tunnel. They call out to him to come back but he ignores them. The dragonets and Jambu follow. When they exit the tunnel they are shocked to realize Glory is right and they really are in the Kingdom of Sand.

The dragons search for Mangrove but do not find him so they decide to settle down for the night. Glory tries to talk Jambu into returning home but he is so excited to be out on an adventure, while refusing to see the danger, and insists on staying. When Glory wakes up before anyone else the next day she decides to do some scouting on her own. She sees a black dragon in a hut. Hoping it is Mangrove she decides to check it out. Only the dragon isn't Mangrove, it is a NightWing.

She makes herself look as close to an IceWing as she can and confronts the strange dragon, accusing him of being on her land. The dragon points out that it isn't actually IceWing land yet, though it is promised to Queen Glacier if she helps Blaze win the war. As he speculates on Glacier and Blaze's plot Glory suddenly remembers that NightWings can read minds. She empties her head of everything but questions for him and resumes questioning him. The NightWing is amused by Glory and her lack of awe for him and he flirts with her. He tells her that he is waiting for some dragons to show up. He also asks her if she has seen the dragonets since rumor has it they are coming this way to meet with Blaze. Glory refuses to give him any information as he keeps trying to get her to like him. Finally she leaves, refusing to give him her name. He calls out his after her, and his name is Deathbringer.

As Glory flies away she realizes Deathbringer is probably there looking for the dragonets. She knows Morrowseer wants her dead, but now she is worried that he might want some of her friends dead too - which makes her wonder how he could want that since it should screw up the prophecy. Glory wakes up her friends and tells them about Deathbringer, leaving out how she finds him attractive. It is decided they need to find Mangrove and return to the rainforest. Glory figures Mangrove might have headed for Blaze's fortress so she wants to go there, disguised as an IceWing, to find him. It is decided Jambu should go with her since he can disguise himself as an IceWing too. They head to the fortress and remain invisible until they determine that there is no way in. They make themselves look like IceWings and approach the guards, asking to speak with Blaze when she returns. Confused, the guards tell them that Blaze never leaves the fortress and offer to bring them right to her.

I was surprised Glory would find a love interest in another tribe, but then I remembered Clay and Peril. I wonder if it is normal for dragons to mate outside of their group? Something tells me probably not. And to top it all off she falls for a dragon who is sent to kill her. I wonder if Deathbringer saw through her disguise? Something tells me he might have. I also wonder if his flirting with Glory was real? I also suspect that this is probably also true. However, my suspicions are colored by the fact that this is a kid's novel so there is less likely to be romantic betrayal and by the additional fact that everyone else found a love interest in their book so it makes sense that Glory should find one too.

Moving away from Glory's love life for a moment I doubt Blaze has the missing RainWings. Since Deathbringer is in the area I am sure that the NightWings are behind the disappearances.

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