Wings of Honor: Tales of Pyrrhia

Chapter 22: Saving Grace

Marvin didn't quite fall asleep, but I did have to carry him the rest of the flight back.
We landed right outside the entrance, the rest of my friends landing alongside me.
"How's Marvin?" Qibli asked immediately.
"He's out cold." Turtle noted.
"Ha! Cold! Icewing, you get it?" Qibli jumped around.
The SeaWing prince laughed for a moment. Kinkajou came running up with a flask.
"Here! I heard you can wake up scavengers if you pour water on their heads!"
"That might work." Qibli agreed, settling down a moment.
"Then do it." I simply said.
She walked over to him lying on the stone. He was asleep, but I could see he was breathing. His calm thoughts flashed almost imperceptibly quickly from panic, to alertness, to discomfort, to annoyance. He sat up, spluttering.
"Aww! Guys! I just got dried off!" He stood, trying to shake the water from his claws.
Qibli laughed. "I think he's awake now."
That scavenger. Is he okay? Why are they talking to him?
I shot up, looking to see Toad standing at the entrance, looking at us.
"Umm, guys? I think we should be getting to history." I looked back towards my friends.
Everyone quickly noticed the dragon looking at us. Toad realized as well, quickly slinking away.
"Come on Marvin, let's drop you by the cave," Qibli said.
"Okay. I think I have some things I should tell my squad as well." He mumbled.
Qibli carried him, and I followed behind. Toad caught me a little before we reached our cave.
"Is he going to be alright Moon?" He looked hurt. I know Scavengers are fragile, I didn't know this fragile.
"He's going to be okay," I said, trying to talk while not listening to his thoughts.
He breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good, that's great."
But a few more questions popped into his mind.
Why does he wear those furs? He doesn't act like any scavenger I've seen. He's different somehow. Howso?
Marvin was right, he was very curious.
"Umm, we should get going. I just need to get something from the cave, then we have history, right?"
"Oh, yes. I should get going."
"Bye."
"Bye!"
Toad took off down the corridor. He looked to be late doing something.

I finally turned the corner and entered into our cave, closing the door behind me. Marvin was in a blanket, talking to his men. They all seemed to be agitated.
"So we found you that info on the Invincible City Marvin. Turns out, it's a hell of a fortress." Travers sat on the crate.
"Thick walled, completely self-sufficient from what we can gather. One of the few places dragons have not been able to crack." McManus paced.
"Y-you told me that already. What's new?" Marvin tried drying himself with his blankets.
"Nothing really, the scrolls we found weren't exactly fond of any useful details. At least, none we could discern from the pictures." McManus answered.
"How about you Marvin? Your vision I mean? What was that about?" Travers hesitantly asked.
Marvin sighed, hanging his head. "A battle, some sort of battle. I only saw it after someone mentioned the Invincible City— Indestructible City. I think that's what triggered it. Something's going to happen there."
They were silent.
"What did you find out afterwards, in class? Not about the vision, I mean" Travers asked.
Marvin sighed again. "Some history lessons, show and tell for Moon." Then he perked up, pointing at Travers. "By the way, you can't go talking to dragons willy-nilly Travers. Either don't talk at all or remove your cross."
"Yes sir." Travers nodded.
"My observation Marvin, but you were wet and faint when they brought you in." McManus commented.
"Yeah, that was Kinkajou's fault." He looked over to the culprit.
The RainWing suddenly bolted up. "It wasn't all my fault!" Her gold and raspberry contrasted with several shades of green and specks of white.
"Are you kidding?" Travers looked at me sideways.
"Yup. Kinkajou took me for a swim." Marvin claimed.
"Yeah, I did do that." She hung her head.
"Ha!" McManis remarked.
"But it was all in good fun!" Kinkajou exclaimed.
"I nearly drowned in the frickin freezing water. At least warn me next time?" As if I would still let her.
I giggled. Marvin rolled his eyes.
"Otherwise, watch out for this SkyWing called Peraguine."
"Red orange? Grumpy. Thinks she knows it all?" Qibli asked.
Marvin pointed at him. "Yup. Watch out for her. She's liable to stir trouble around any of us."
Suddenly, me and Marvin noticed a mind coming up to us.
They live here. I haven't seen any of them anywhere else. They have to be in here. I want to know what they're hiding.
Marvin seemed to notice it too.
"Well Lieutenant," Travers began. "I must say, the hospitality here is absolutely-"
Not a moment later, the door swung open. Qibli whirled around, ready to face the threat with his venomous tail. Marvin drew his weapon. McManis grabbed his shotgun.
In the door, stood a stunned Toad.
"Are you kidding me?" He yelled before Qibli dragged him inside. I shut the door behind them.
"Scavengers can talk! I knew they were just hiding!" Toad announced!
"Shhhhh!" Qibli tried to hush him.
What should I do? We've been discovered by Toad. He has a loose mouth, he can't keep a secret. If we let him walk, everything will be discovered. Maybe for the better, at least for the Founders. What do we have to lose?
"Let him go." I managed to squeak out.
Qibli let him go. Travers and Marvin lowered their weapons, McManis followed them. Marvin walked up to the paralyzed Mudwing.
He's walking up to me. What should I do? He's not like any scavenger I've seen or read about. And they can talk! Is he coming to talk to me? What do I do?
"Nothing." Marvin barked out. "You will do nothing."
HE SPEAKS! Toad shouted in his mind with such volume that both of us flinched.
"Ow." Marvin rubbed his ears. "Don't yell indoors, please. We can hear you load and clear." That hurt a lot more than I thought it would. Marvin said surprisingly calmly.
"Wait! You can... what? I-I-I..."
"Toad, calm down." Kinkajou took the initiative.
She ended up being the closest dragon to try and catch the fainting Mudwing. Marvin dove for medical supplies, while I rushed over to support Kinkajou.
"I don't know what happened, he just fainted!" She held him up, frantically looking at us.
"You didn't do anything Travers?" McManis looked at the scrawny human.
"I didn't even think anything!" Travers threw his hands up.
Marvin came up with a small kit with a red symbol on it.
Smelling salts? No, they probably won't be strong enough for a dragon. We could try though.
"Whatever it is, we need to get him up." I stated.
"Wait!" Qibli shouted. "Why here? Why can't we move him to his cave? Toad might think it was a dream or something."
"That would work." Marvin pointed. Maybe. Hopefully, the reaction is delayed enough.
"How will we get him there?" Turtle asked.
Qibli turned. "I might have a way."