Wings of Fire: The Rainforest Monster | ✔️

~ The Rainforest Monster: Chapter 1 ~

"It's official, I hate rain."

Hare stomped her talons on a rock, nearly slipping off in the process. Mud was slipping between her scales and in the cracks of her claws. This was worse than when she needed to disguise herself with mud.

"You didn't already know this?" Tsunami grumbled, shaking out her wings as she passed. She looked at Glory, who was in the lead, and smiled mischievously. "I'm sure you love this weather, right RainWing?"

Glory swung her head around and snapped her teeth.

"Make that comment one more time and I'll shoot venom into your eyes," she spat.

Hare hopped off the rock and hurried after the group as they continued walking through the rainforest. The sky was shrouded with fog, as it had been for days, Hare missed the sun.

"I swear, all we deal with is rain," Kestrel grumbled. "The Sky Kingdom, rain. The Kingdom of the Sea, rain. Here, rain. Do we ever get a break?"

"I quite like it," Clay said, spreading his wings happily. "Especially the mud."

"At least someone's tribe stays true to their name," Tsunami snickered, glancing at Glory. The RainWing spun around and spit a jet of venom in Tsunami's direction. It was clearly intended to miss, meant to be nothing more than a warning, but Hare had to dodge to the side in order to avoid it. The black drops hit a tree, causing it to sizzle.

Clay backed away nervously, despite being the furthest away. Hare felt a stab of pity. The scars under his eye and on his chest would always be a reminder of what had happened in the arena.

In an attempt to protect Clay, Glory had attacked his IceWing opponent with her venom, who had happened to be Hare's father. Her venom did what it was intended to do and killed Fjord, but some missed and hit Clay in the process. Luckily, he'd survived.

"At least it'll be hard for enemies to spot us in this weather," Sunny said cheerfully as she scrambled over a fallen tree. Kestrel hung back to make sure she got over okay.

Hare looked at Starflight, who was trudging along miserably. The NightWing didn't say a single word, but his snout was slick with rain and covered with mud from having to push his glasses back up. His wings hung like dead weight from his sides and his ears drooped, rain dripping from the ends.

Hare turned and bounded forward to keep up with Tsunami and Glory. Glory was moving quickly, clearly eager to escape the weather.

As they walked, Tsunami pricked her ears and raised her head. She craned her neck as she looked around. Hare blinked in confusion. Without a word, the SeaWing slipped into the bushes. Glory froze and watched.

"What is she doing?" she hissed.

As the others caught up, Tsunami reappeared.

"Just as I suspected." She puffed up her wings and shook her head. "There's more dragons here, a pair of MudWings. They're heading in this direction. I don't think they'll see us in this weather, though."

"We should still hide," Starflight insisted. "We're only a day's flight from Queen Moorhen's palace right now. Meaning if we're caught..." The NightWing trailed off and looked at the group. He didn't need to finish his sentence, they all knew what it meant.

More prison for the dragonets.

Death for Kestrel.

And the furious rage of her mother for Hare.

Hare couldn't blame Burn for being mad that she left, but Hare's loyalties lie with her friends. She wouldn't leave them for all the gold on the continent.

"Alright, let's go."

Tsunami hopped into the shelter of a nearby tree. Clay covered himself with mud, then spread his wings to shield Kestrel. The SkyWing made herself as small as possible, then fully disappeared in what looked like a massive mound of mud. Glory shifted her scales to match their surroundings, then grabbed Sunny and hid her in the shelter of her wings. Starflight disappeared into the shadows.

Hare quickly climbed into the same tree as Tsunami. She stopped on a branch on the opposite side of Tsunami, then crept to the edge to get a better look at the rainforest floor.

Two MudWings squelched through the mud, clearly on high alert.

"I don't like this," one grumbled. "Not one bit."

"Grow up," the other snapped.

"You grow up," the first one shot back. "How are you not scared? Our dragons are going missing, and it was our sister who was found by the border. Don't you remember how torn up she was? Or that she's dead?"

"Of course I remember, you insufferable bullfrog," the second spat. "It's hard not to. Now quit blabbering so loud before you draw the whole rainforest to us."

The first one huffed angrily, but his voice lowered as he continued talking. "So what do you think about the SkyWing situation? Are you for Ruby, or do you think..."

The MudWing's voice trailed off as the pair stomped by. Hare tried to strain her ears, but their voices disappeared as they did.

Once they were fully out of sight and earshot, Hare scrambled down from the tree. As she climbed, she clumsily misplaced her talon and tumbled down the tree. She crashed onto the ground, alarming Sunny. Hare shook the mud off her snout and blinked. The SandWing was there, but where was Glory?

"Where's Glory?" Clay asked quietly as he shook the mud off his scales. Kestrel hissed in irritation as some landed on her and quickly shook it off.

"She went to follow the MudWings," Sunny explained. "I don't know why, but she insisted that she needed to."

"You all are a group of feather-brained morons," Kestrel grumbled. "We taught you better than to go trailing off after a pair of enemies in unknown territory. That fool better hope she doesn't get caught or lost."

As she spoke, a scream split through the air.

"Glory!" Sunny cried.

Hare quickly leaped forward and slapped her mud-covered talon over her friend's mouth.

"Be quiet," Hare hissed. "The MudWings might hear you."

Sunny nodded, though her eyes betrayed her anxiety. Silently, the dragonets and Kestrel waited in the pouring rain. Hare had to narrow her eyes to even see a little bit through the fog. It wasn't until they heard someone coming back that they were able to relax a little.

Glory leaped into sight, her ruff flared wide and her scales painted a petrified green.

"What happened?" Sunny asked, quickly darting forward.

Glory hesitated, then shook herself. "We need to go."

"Obviously," Tsunami snorted as Clay asked, "Why?"

Glory shifted her scale colors, clearly trying to hide her fear. "The MudWings were murdered."