The bird woke up, stunned. He flew up and turned his chirp into a hiss similar to theirs. All the bats fell silent to hear what the glowing creature had to say. One bat, the largest of them, approached him. They continued their conversation, squeaking in bat, until the bird thanked him with a chirp. The bats calmed down and returned to their nap.
"What did they say?" the prince blurted, rubbing his hurt arm.
"Oh, they simply informed me that their queen wants to see you," the bird replied.
The prince and the bird continued onward, soon finding themselves in another narrow tunnel.
"So you can talk to bats?" Aidan said intrigued.
"Of course. I told you that I am fluent in all animal languages, didn't I?" Chirp tweeted proud.
The prince hummed, pleased, "That you did, I cannot lie. The bat language is so sharp on the ears. And you spoke for so long. Did they tell you anything else?"
"Chirp! They told me that their queen was a grandmother to them all. Granny Baticia is her name. Lately, she had been living apart from them. She only occasionally comes out when she needs something. I was also told to continue this way until we come to a crossroads with three tunnels. We should turn left there and we will come across the queen's estate."
"Estate?" Aidan uttered confused. "Are you certain that was what they said?"
"Chirp! Word for word."
The prince shook his head, weary. "A huge dragon. Flying castle. Bats. And now a bat queen. What can possibly be next?" he muttered.
"Chirp! I really wouldn't know. I am a talking bird, not a clairvoyant one," he chirped.
Splashing slowly down the hard floor, the two passengers noticed that their torch was weakening. Moreover, the tunnel they were walking through was slowly expanding. The cave became very bright, expanding into a large spacious hall. The ground was no longer wet stone, but a skillfully landscaped yard, with everything a garden could hold. There was an enormous, fenced area for livestock and poultry. A little further away were long fields of planted vegetables. Aidan looked around in amazement. The entire area of the cave walls was lit by rows of human-sized candles. Their very peculiar stands mainly seemed as if they were made of metal, shaped to look like human legs, with feet and all. Their shins and knees were covered in shiny gold, with hot wax dripping over them.
Aidan felt a shiver as he observed this eerie display with a mix of curiosity and fear.
At the very end of the hall, there was a modest but nicely ornamented house with a porch. The prince approached and noticed an old woman siting on a wooden rocking chair. She was wearing a plain dress with a white apron over, similar to a one a countrywoman would have.
The prince tilted his head, finding the old woman suspiciously familiar.
"What's wrong?" his feathery companion asked.
The prince squinted. "I think I saw her before. In a dream..."
The bat queen Baticia, ignored them at first, giving them time to get accustomed to the place. When they came closer, she leaned over and grinned, "Hello, my dear visitors. Do not be shy. Come over so my old eyes can look at you better."
The prince obliged and bowed to her. "Thank you, kind woman. You have a very lovely place here."
"Oh, my... what do we have here?" the old woman's pursed her thin lips, scanning him from his feet to the top of his head with her milky eyes. This human-shaped creature, whom the bats called their queen, was very much like her winged henchman. She was short, with a perky nose and small eyes. Her face was exceedingly wrinkled and her long hair was braided and rolled into two round side-buns, just above her ears hiding their pointy ends.
"You are a very handsome young man. Handsome and very sturdy, if I may say so myself," she said with a sly smile.
The prince nodded awkwardly. "Thank you, oh... queen of the bats. It is an honor to be invited into your beautiful home," the prince said politely.
"How you flatter me. Granny Baticia would do just nicely," she commented, in a shrill but sweet voice. "I hope my babies haven't caused you too much trouble," she said. "They try to do good but they are such clumsy creatures."
"I see," he uttered carefully.
"So what brings you here?" granny bat asked.
"I do not really know. I had a strange dream and woke up in the dark with a large number of bats over my head," he replied.
"That is a predicament," the old woman said and stood up searching for something. "They do tend to overdo it with the sleeping powder," she murmured to herself.
"I apologize, did you say something?" the prince inquired, straining his ears.
"Oh, nothing... Simply calling for someone. Oh! There he is," she said grinning as a scruffy black cat approached her. The feline jumped into her arms and started purring. It was a black tom cat that looked roughed up. Thin and agile, with matted fur and a scar over his right eye. The woman stroked him, sitting down in the chair again.
The prince looked at Chirp who was calmly sitting on his shoulder this whole time. "There were two more with me. I do not know what happened to them," he said concerned.
"I see," the bat queen said with a sigh. "This cave certainly has a mind of its own. But I am sure they are fine. Sleeping peacefully where you left them," she added casually.
Aidan listened carefully, raising his eyebrow suspicious. "Is that so," he mumbled, discretely placing his hand over his sword.
"Yes... Now tell me how you ended up in my cave? Do you not know this area is dangerous? You see, a huge angry dragon lives on the surface just above," she said, acting concerned.
"I know that quite well. Tell me, what do you know about the dragon?" the prince uttered.
"Oh, many things," the bat queen said. "He burns everything in front of him. Hoards anything that shines. A terrible obsession, if you ask me. I am not like him, you know. Not in the slightest. I prefer my peace, and this lovely haven I made for myself," she said looking around at her creation with a warm smile. "And if I accidentally stumble upon something interesting, like yourself, I usually let it come to me," the old woman grinned, gently patting the cat that was curled up in her lap.
The handsome prince gulped, feeling uneasy again.
"That devilish creature has been making trouble ever since he came. Killed so many. Ever since he moved here, hardly anyone comes to visit me anymore. Which is a shame because I am one of the rare beings that knows how to get rid of him," she said slightly bitter.
Those were the words he was hoping to hear. Magus stepped towards her, placing his hand on his chest and extending the other. "Will you tell me how to defeat him? Please, I beg you," he said hopeful.
"Prince, I would not trust her. No one who loves such a nasty cat that much can be considered of a sound mind," the bird whispered. The aforementioned cat raised his head and turned towards the bird hissing. The startled little creature, flew up and tucked his feathery body into the prince's collar.
"Not so fast, young man. Before I tell you the secret, there is something I need you to do for me," she said calmly and graciously placed onehand over the other.