Proboscis Book 1: Clouds Parting- A Wings of Fire Fanfiction

~ Chapter 6 ~

When they woke, a black and red dragon was looming over them. He had dark gold eyes that glittered in the rising sun, and his fire scales burned the grass around him. It's a BlazeWing! Wait... His scales are burning the grass around him...

Stratus bolted up from the greenery as she yelled, "Quartz! Get back! I've studied BlazeWings, and burn scales mean they're mad!"

"Looks like you got something wrong..." The mysterious dragon chuckled. "BlazeWings get burn-scales when they feel any strong emotion, so right now, I'm just super excited to meet new dragons from other kingdoms!"

"So... you're not going to hurt us?" Quartz asked wearily. It sounded like Quartz was still half asleep. He was still lying down on a pile of leaves.

"Of course not! I'm just as scared to meet new tribes as you are. My parents have never let me out of the kingdom, and I was just out on a hunting trip when I saw you guys sleeping." Quartz gave the mystery dragon a suspicious look.

"Seriously! I'm trustworthy!

"Okay..." Stratus said carefully, still not fully trusting the BlazeWing. Stratus saw a cow next to him.

"What's your name?" Quartz asked curiously. Stratus could tell that Quartz was starting to trust the dragon.

"My name is Basalt," the BlazeWing chirped.

Stratus turned to Quartz, her eyes questioning and uncertain. "Should we tell him about the missing dragons?" she whispered. Quartz shrugged, leaving the decision to Stratus, who turned back to Basalt.

"Have you heard about the missing dragons?" Stratus asked.

"Of course I have! That's what everyone is talking about!" Basalt replied, looking genuinely astonished, as though he couldn't believe that Stratus would ask such an absurd question.

"We were thinking you could help us. We're on a quest to save them, and we need help," Quartz said, getting serious.

"Probably not..." Basalt said. "I would have to check with my mom and dad, the King and Queen—and they're not likely to send their dragons on a quest. Especially because nobody except me and a few others even notice dragons have gone missing..."

"Wait," Stratus said, "you're a prince?!? And your tribe doesn't even care enough to notice that their tribemates are disappearing?"

"Yeah... But it's not all fame and glory like you'd think," Basalt sighed. He flew away with his cow. A few moments later, he came back with a sad face.

"So it's a no," Stratus said.

"Yeah," Basalt said. "Although I want to give you something to repay your kindness," He said as he pulled out a dark crimson egg from a bag slung over his shoulder. "This is a BlazeWing egg. We found it on the outskirts of the volcano. No one wants it in the village, and you mentioned you needed a BlazeWing for your quest, so..."

"Thank you so much, Basalt. We will love him with all our hearts," Stratus said happily. Quartz rolled his eyes. Stratus tucked it into her pouch as she cooed at it.

"I know you can't come with us on our quest, but could you give us a tour of the BlazeWing kingdom?" Quartz asked, turning his head to Basalt. "It'd be so nice to sleep on an actual bed, for once."

Basalt seemed to hesitate, for just a moment. Then he replied, slowly, as if picking his words carefully. Then he responded, "Well, as long as we stay away from the guards, I think it's fine. Stratus is a CloudWing, and we're enemies with them." Basalt led them to the kingdom, showing them where to go. It felt like the climate was getting warmer and warmer as they flew.