Wings of Fire: Possibility

Chapter 9

P I R A N H A

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Piranha hadn't even heard of animus magic. They didn't teach it in school, and they didn't learn it when they learned about the Pyrrhian tribes. That was until Tetra explained it to him.

"They use magic to enchant certain items or dragons to become whatever they want," she explained through tears, trembling. "He made me enchant a small, onyx necklace to make the wearer and every dragon around them invincible." she put her head down, ashamed, and covered her mouth so no one outside could hear her wails.

Piranha didn't even know what to think, but he did know it wasn't Tetra's fault. His intuition told him that she was a good dragon. Even though he didn't know her very well but he did know that she cared enough about dragons to come all the way here to at least warn them.

He suddenly felt very resentful to Commander Orchid. She wasn't giving Tetra the time of day! She wasn't even considering what she had to say. Orchid was known for not being exactly friendly to guests, but at least she listened to them sometimes. What was so different about Tetra?

"Have you told the Commander about his abilities?" he asked. Tetra shook her head, and sniffed, wiping her face. "I was only able to tell her that her tribe had to leave."

That isn't a statement you should lead off with. Piranha thought, but he didn't want to give Tetra a hard time. Instead, he gently grabbed one of Tetra's talons and held it in his own. She gripped his claws, and pulled him into a slightly awkward, but warm embrace. Piranha hugged her back, and she began to bawl. He didn't even care that she was letting out loud, agonized cries. She needed to let it out.

They were there for a long time, until the door burst open. Piranha, startled, released Tetra and whirled around to find Commander Orchid right in his face. His heart caught in his throat. She was redder than a tomato.

"I gave you orders and you disobeyed me!" she snarled into his face. She threw Piranha out of the way and against the wall. He blinked and saw she had pinned Tetra down, her mouth unhinged. She hissed a long, terrifying hiss into her face, threatening to melt it with her venom. Panicking, Piranha got up and tackled himself against Orchid, making her fall off of Tetra. He jumped in between Orchid and Tetra, glaring at Orchid, but he was trembling, so he didn't look very intimidating.

Tetra had her face covered, and was whimpering. Orchid was giving off a look that would make everyone run away in fear, but not Piranha. Not this time.

"You have to listen to her, or we will all die!" he said, desperation in his voice.

"Why?" Orchid spoke rather calmly, though her scale color didn't change.

"The dragons that are coming are protected with animus magic, we won't be able to fight them." he explained, feeling bad for revealing the truth. Tetra however, seemed to relax from behind him as he said it. It encouraged him. "Plus once this is all over we can go back to the jungle. We won't stay in Pyrrhia." it hurt him to say that, but he couldn't let Orchid hurt Tetra.

Instead of roaring and tearing his face off, Orchid stood up tall, and changed her scales slowly back to pink, making everyone hold their breath. "I will discuss this with the higher ups." she finally said, catching Piranha off guard. "That doesn't mean we will leave, and it doesn't mean that she will be coming with us, or staying alive." Orchid snarled when she mentioned Tetra, but she quickly regained her composer, and maneuvered towards the door.

"We will come back here in the morning, go back to your hut," she instructed, but she didn't stay to actually see if Piranha followed the order. She versed from the guest hut and flew gracefully back to her own. Piranha hesitated, and turned back to face Tetra, who was looking at him with the utmost gratitude.