Wings of Fire: The Rainforest Monster | ✔️

~ The Rainforest Monster: Chapter 11 ~

"Why would SandWings want to kidnap our dragons?" Ringtail asked suspiciously. "They never seemed too interested in us when we met with them."

"They may not be willing to make alliances with you, but they would be willing to make your dragons into their own personal weapons," Starflight pointed out.

Dainty helped Hare take the vines off of her shoulders. "Then why didn't my mother ask for Glory when we were in the Sky Kingdom?"

"Imagine how ridiculous that would look," Starflight scoffed. "Nobody knows about the skills RainWings possess, remember? Everyone thinks they're just a bunch of lazy fruit-eaters. No offense," he added, looking at Vanilla. The cream-colored dragon smiled kindly. "None taken."

"And maybe they didn't want RainWings at the time," Tsunami said thoughtfully. "The NightWing Guide to the Dragons of Pyrrhia says RainWings have no natural weapons, remember? Meaning nobody would know that they had venom, not until Glory attacked Scarlet." Hare expected the look Tsunami gave Glory to be accusing, but it was only filled with concern.

"That's a good theory," Starflight said. "Perhaps the SandWings have a secret animus that we don't know about on Burn's side, and they had them create the tunnel."

"That way they could access our rainforest without setting off our alarms or alerting our guards," Nightingale snarled. "Meaning they've been prancing around our rainforest without us knowing."

"And taking our tribemates," Ringtail hissed, bristling.

"Then let's go stop them," Jambu said. He was standing in the mouth of the tunnel, ready to go. "Quit standing here and chattering like a bunch of parrots, would you?"

"You're not going without us."

Liana and Kookaburra appeared from the undergrowth. Kookaburra flared his ruff and puffed his chest out proudly. Vanilla smiled and plucked a stray leaf from his horn.

"We're part of this search, too," Liana reminded them. "Meaning we're coming with you."

"I don't care who comes," Jambu snapped. "I care about finding who's responsible for our missing dragons and stopping them."

"He's right," Hare said. "We should get going." She looked over at Dainty, who was chasing after a butterfly. The pink RainWing bounded after the butterfly as it headed past Hare. Hare stepped in front of Dainty as she was going by, cutting her off. "That means focus."

Dainty blinked. "Focus on what?"

"The mission?" Ringtail said in an irritated tone.

"You'll especially need to focus when we're in the Kingdom of Sand," Hare said in a kinder manner.

Dainty blinked again and looked at Vanilla in confusion. "Why are we going to the Kingdom of Sand?"

"Have you been paying attention at all?" Starflight asked in exasperation.

Dainty scratched her ear. "I didn't think there was much to pay attention to."

Hare groaned. "Okay, quick recap. This tunnel leads to the Kingdom of Sand. We think the SandWings on my mother's side have been taking the RainWings, possibly under her orders."

Dainty tilted her head. "Who's your mother?"

"Queen Burn. Now can we go?"

"I thought the SandWings didn't have a queen."

"They don't! Oh, great stars, let's just go."

Hare turned and walked down the tunnel, pushing past Jambu. She didn't bother waiting for the others, she heard their footsteps trailing closely behind anyway.

Hare scrambled through the doorway once she reached it again and stretched. Once her eyes adjusted, she looked toward her mother's stronghold. Part of her longed to go there, to see her mother and say hello.

But she knew she couldn't. Whatever she did, Hare mustn't get caught.

"Oh, three moons. It's horrible here."

Hare turned around at the sound of Tsunami's voice. The others were emerging from the tunnel one by one.

Sunny's eyes widened as she came through. "Oh, wow!" she cried. "So this is where I come from."

The small golden-and-black dragon dropped down into the sand and rolled around, smiling as the sand seeped through her scales.

Jambu made a face as Dainty climbed through the sand, landing clumsily and sending sand spraying all over her. He shook off his scales. "So where are we going?"

Glory looked around. "I don't know," she admitted.

Jambu bristled. "What do you mean, you don't know?" he demanded.

"I mean we haven't thought this through yet," Glory snapped. "We can't go to the stronghold, though."

"And why not?" Liana demanded as she and Kookaburra made their way through.

"Because we're wanted by Burn's army," Hare explained. "They aren't too happy with us."

"Can't you go?" Liana asked. "Aren't you her daughter?"

"She'd never let me come back," Hare said. "Once she has me in her claws again, she'll never let me go."

"Well she sounds horrible," Liana murmured.

Hare bristled. "No she's not!"

Liana fluffed out her wings. "You're only saying that because she's your mother. Which I guess is understandable, I would've done the same for my mother at your age."

"So then where do we go?" Jambu snapped.

"I have a suggestion," Starflight said.

"You always do," Glory grumbled. "Alright, spit it out."

"Why don't we head to the Ice Kingdom?" Starflight suggested. "Maybe some of the SandWings in Blaze's army have seen something, like Burn's army acting strange or any unusual dragons nearby. They might know something."

Liana bristled. "I thought you said you needed our protection because it was the only place where you would be safe."

"It is," Glory said, looking toward the direction of the Ice Kingdom. "But Starflight's idea might work. Besides, we would be able to meet Blaze."

"Right, you have a heroic destiny," Liana muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Won't we freeze to death?" Kookaburra asked nervously. "I read in a scroll once that the Ice Kingdom is super cold."

"SandWings can live there, can't they?" Clay said.

"Right," Starflight said. "We should be okay."

"We can figure out a plan on the way," Glory announced. "We can't risk staying out here in the open for too much longer."

Hare felt excitement bubbling inside her. The Ice Kingdom! The place where her father had come from!

She spread her wings and launched herself into the sky.

"Let's go!" she called. "To the Ice Kingdom!"