Wings of Fire: The Legend of Salamander (fanfic)

<<Chapter Six>>

"We're going to need to collect some sort of sample."

Salamander snapped back into reality, lifting his ears to hear what Cardinal was saying.

It'd been two nights since the torch incident, and frankly, Salamander didn't plan on talking to Cardinal directly. He felt wings brush up against his as another dragon approached the small pit of bubbling mud.

Iris' blue eyes studied the pit carefully, her scales prickling with pale blue hues. "Look at Salamander's talon." She reached to grasp Salamander's left hand, and at first, he pulled back, reluctant. But Iris tugged his talons up anyway, the shattered cartilage glinting in the boiling sunlight. Keentail dug his purple talons deep into the dry soil on the other side of the pit, nodding.

"Iris is right, we're gonna need a good method to get some of this stuff. On Keentail's side was Coyote, his eyes not leaving the poisoned mud. The young MudWing looked up at Salamander, then at Iris.

"We could get some on a leaf?"

"Perhaps." Salamander muttered, turning a bit to grasp a tall blade of grass. He leaned over the rocks that lined the pit, dipping the blade into the mud, keeping his head back to make sure none of the mud sizzled upward. He heard the mud hiss as it gained contact with the grass, and then he pulled his arm back up, only to reveal that the grass had been burnt to a black crisp.

"Well, that wasn't much help." The NightWing scoffed, smoke spewing from his mouth in frustration.

"Do you have a better idea Kook-tail?" Salamander snarled, chucking the blade of grass over his shoulder.

The NightWing's eyes flared, and he tucked his wings closer to himself.

That's odd, he didn't say something back for once.

Salamander's ears raised when he heard wing flaps behind him, three MudWings landing in front of him. He recognized Dusty and Beetle, but in the middle was an even bigger light MudWing with a twine necklace on. His orange eyes narrowed at the group.

"You must be Salamander." The larger MudWing growled, his spines twitching. Salamander drew back a little, but nodded.

"Yes, and we're going to help cure this mud."

"So I've heard." The MudWing dipped his large head, turning towards Dusty.

Dusty took a step forward, tipping her snout at the dragonets.

"I went 'head and fetched Leech for ya, ya should've seen his face when I wen' and told him there was a whole bunch o' dragonet s from differ' tribes comin' to help us. He was certainly interested, that's fo' sure."

Oh, that's General Leech.

The light toned MudWing nodded once more, examining each of the dragonets carefully.

"I hope you can trace the origins of the posion."

"What are you going to do to the SeaWings?" Iris asked, clasping her talons together nervously.

The General hesitated. "We're too weak to attack. We'll have to train inexperienced MudWings to fight before we can do anything else."

Cardinal's ear twitched, and she spoke up.

"I've had experience in battle training. I could assist you."

Iris and Keentail looked over at her, then back at the MudWings.

"And you will. Along with the rest of you. I expect you all to be at the main camp before sundown. Eat something before you come."

And with that, the large MudWing spun back around, his tail tracing the dry dirt as Dusty and Beetle marched northward with him.