Wings of Fire: The Rainforest Monster | ✔️

~ The Rainforest Monster: Chapter 3 ~

"The murderer can't have found us, can they?" Clay asked nervously.

"Sunny and Kestrel weren't murdered," Glory snapped. "I assure you that we'd know if they were."

"Then where are they?" Tsunami demanded.

"That's what we're trying to figure out! Will you all stop flapping your wings like a group of panicked parrots and use your heads? Maybe they wandered off and got lost."

"Why would they wander off in the middle of nowhere?" Starflight asked. "Surely they must know it's dangerous?"

"Sunny would never wander off," Clay agreed. "Even if it was with Kestrel. She'd want to stay with us."

"He's right," Hare said. "They must be close by. Maybe they found something to eat and went to hunt it. They should be back soon."

"Ouch!" Tsunami yelped, clamping her talon to her neck. "Something just stung me."

Clay jumped and clawed at his neck. Starflight threw himself under the nearest low-hanging bush with his wings over his head.

Hare's head whipped around, anxiety coursing through her veins.

"Watch out!"

Glory leaped forward and pulled Hare to the side. Hare heard a soft buzz as something whizzed past her, then hit a tree with a thunk. Hare swore she could hear a quiet whine from the trees, something like, "I missed!"

Suddenly, Clay disappeared. It was like the rainforest had just sucked him in with its leafy arms. Tsunami vanished, too.

Holding Hare close, Glory jumped in front of Starflight's hiding spot. Her scales became red and orange as she bristled.

"That's enough!" she roared. "Come out right now!"

Hare buried herself into Glory's protection. There was a pause, then a dragon the color of raspberries appeared in front of them, his look unreadable.

Another dragon followed, a dark blue one dappled with gold. Her expression was more serious than anything Hare would've ever expected from a RainWing. She was looking at a spot in front of her. Hare followed her gaze just as a small brown RainWing, no older than two, shimmered into view. He looked disappointed.

"I didn't mean to miss," he whined. "I thought I'd hit her for sure. I've been practicing!"

"I know you have," the blue dragon said.

"Who are you?" Glory demanded. Hare could tell she was trying to keep the dangerous act up, but her scales were beginning to bubble with pink.

She must be happy to finally meet dragons of her own tribe.

The raspberry one dipped his head. "My name is Jambu."

"Mine is Liana," the blue one said. "This is my apprentice, Kookaburra."

"I was so close to getting you," Kookaburra complained, looking at Hare.

"May we ask who you are?" Liana asked.

"I'm Glory," Glory said, her scales beginning to return back to normal. "The one under the bush is Starflight, and this is Hare."

"Princess Hare," Hare corrected. She was hoping that if these dragons knew that she was important, they wouldn't hurt her or her friends. "Daughter of Queen Burn."

"Burn? As in the SandWing sister?" Jambu said. "The oldest?"

"Correct."

Jambu and Liana exchanged a look. "I thought they weren't allowed to have dragonets," Liana said.

"Well things don't always go the way they're supposed to," Hare argued.

"Where are our friends?" Glory asked.

Liana tilted her wings up. Four nets woven of vines were hanging above. Sunny, Kestrel, Clay, and Tsunami were inside them, eyes closed. They looked dead.

"Sleeping darts," Jambu explained. "They'll wake up fine in a few hours."

"I got the big SkyWing," Kookaburra explained excitedly. "She's the second biggest dragon I've managed to knock out."

"He's getting better with his aiming," Liana told them proudly.

"She's a great mentor," Kookaburra announced.

"Why?" Glory asked. "I mean, why attack them with sleeping darts? We wouldn't have hurt you."

"We don't know that," Jambu pointed out. "As the inhabitants of this place, it's our job to protect the rainforest and our village. That's why we knock out any unusual dragons, including other RainWings."

"Protect the rainforest?" Starflight repeated.

"Of course." Jambu waved his wing. "The queen sends out border patrols every dawn, at noon, sunset, and when the moons are at their highest point. We also have alarms set out around the borders, and we switch between guards."

Hare, Glory, and Starflight all exchanged a look. Clearly everything they'd ever heard about RainWings was wrong. No lazy and useless dragon would have an entire protection system set up around their territory.

"So... are we your prisoners now?" Starflight asked.

Kookaburra glanced at Liana. "I don't think we need to take you as prisoners, but we should take you to see the queen as soon as your friends wake up. She'll want to know about the strange dragons in her rainforest."

Liana rubbed her apprentice's head gently. "He's right. In the meantime, we'll take you somewhere you can stay."

"I can take them," Jambu offered.

Liana shook her head. "No, you go report to the queen. Kookaburra and I can take them."

"Can I go report to the queen with him?" Kookaburra begged. "Please please please?"

"You were just complaining about being tired earlier, so you can come with me," Liana said.

"I was tired, but that's because we were doing boring training all day!" Kookaburra said excitedly. "But then we found these dragons in the rainforest and I have energy again. Can I go with Jambu? Pretty please? Please with a big, cuddly sloth on top?"

Jambu crouched down so he was at the same level as Kookaburra. "What would the queen think if I showed up with Liana's apprentice?" he pointed out. "It's best if you stay with her. Besides, learning how to care for newcomers while they wait is just as important as reporting to the queen, if not more important."

"You can go when we bring them to see her," Liana promised.

Kookaburra sighed. "Okay."

"Come on," Liana said as Jambu took off. "Follow us. And don't even think about fighting or trying to run, because we won't hesitate to splat some venom onto your scales."