“We need more food.”
Phyrustix shot a fireball at Bakuin as he turned to address his heart-sister. “You couldn’t wait for a better time?”
Chila rolled her eyes. “A better time, as in when we need to eat?”
“No, just not when I’m — oof!”
Phyrustix’s next hit connected, sending Bakuin rolling in the dirt. The others cheered as Phyrustix took a victory lap around the cavern.
Bakuin glared at Chila. “You did that on purpose!”
“You need to ignore distractions.”
He shook the dirt from his wings. “If you say so.”
“But seriously, we need to go hunting soon.”
“We’ll have to scout the area first,” Bakuin said. “But you and Ramelba were up next. How soon do we need to go?”
“Within the next few heat cycles.”
“I can oversee the bout.” Lynnor turned away from praising Phyrustix.
Bakuin gave a sharp nod. “Fine. Phyrustix! Rahendranax! Scouting flight.”
Phyrustix shot up to the entrance. “I’ll check the defenses!”
Rahendranax looked at Bakuin and then followed. Bakuin took one last look at the group before heading to the entrance of their lair to meet the scouts. He replaced the barriers that the others had removed on their way out. Rahendranax and Phyrustix sat alert on the lookout.
“Which way are we going?”
“Prey Island has had time to recover,” Rahendranax said, “but there is something off about it.”
“In what way?”
Phyrustix flicked his tail back and forth. “I’m not sure. It’s faint, but it’s like the day we found the footprint.”
“Then we’ll be scouting for more than one reason.”
Bakuin took point, Phyrustix on his flank and Rahendranax trailing behind. The knot in Bakuin’s stomach tightened. His scales itched as they drew closer to the island. The wings’ beat went silent as they landed on the island.
Tracks to Follow
Fresh prints covered their landing point, and Bakuin stretched his neck out to see over the area. The smoke from Phyrustix’s nostrils faded as he sniffed the ground.
“How old are the tracks?” Bakuin didn’t dare lower his guard.
“Fresh,” Rahendranax said as he picked at the mud. “They haven’t dried out yet.”
“They smell familiar, too.”
Bakuin frowned at Phyrustix. “Like the one at the meeting island?”
Phyrustix nodded.
“Find them.”
Ascending, they searched for the trail’s destination. Standing guard, Bakuin was prepared to provide backup for his wing instantly. A tiny creature, barely the size of Bakuin’s claw tip, flew past and settled on colorful specks in the green earth. He tracked the creature’s movements out of the corner of his eye.
Rahendranax returned first. “There are two dragons in the valley by the pool.”
Bakuin and Rahendranax joined Phyrustix at his observation point. Down below, a black dragon pranced through the valley. She investigated anything that caught her attention, from the pretty colored birds darting through the trees to the flowers dancing in the breeze. She would call out her findings to her companion, who lay beside the pool, following her antics from afar.
“Threat level?”
Phyrustix shook his head. “The black dragon seems as dangerous as Ramelba, but the peach-colored one seems on alert. I can’t tell.”
“We outnumber them,” Rahendranax said.
“Then let’s go talk to them,” Bakuin said. “Phyrustix with me. Rahendranax, keep your distance.”
“We should walk.”
Bakuin froze as he glanced back at the unexpected outburst. Rahendranax’s tail twitched.
“We outnumber them. If we fly down, we’ll have the upper ground and seem intimidating.”
Phyrustix growled. “They’re on our island.”
Rahendranax dipped his head. “Yes, but we want to talk to them, so we should give them time to sense our presence.”
Epony and Lieny
A branch slid off Bakuin’s back as he followed the path down to the valley. Phyrustix grumbled as the branch smacked him in the face.
“Next time we should fly. Forget making others comfortable.”
Rahendranax dodged the branch. “Or you could learn how to navigate the terrain.”
Bakuin snorted. “Maybe we should have stealth training.”
Phyrustix muttered his complaints under his breath the rest of the way.
When they arrived at the valley, the peach-colored dragon was already blocking their path to her companion. The black dragon had moved farther back into the valley. From a non-threatening distance, Bakuin watched her eyes flick towards every perceived danger.
“Who are you?”
The peach-colored dragon tilted her head. “I believe I should ask you that. We were here first after all.”
“And you’re trespassing on our hunting grounds. So I’ll ask again, who are you?”
The female considered him. “I am Lieny, and my companion is Epony.”
“Are there more of you here?”
“No, our leader told us to scout the area. We didn’t expect to meet anyone here.”
“How many are in your wing?”
Lieny shook her head. “I will not tell you that.”
“Can you tell me who your leader is?”
“Kryujin.”
Bakuin nodded as he filed the information in his mind. “Why did Kryujin ignore our territory marks?”
“What marks?”
Bakuin blew out a stream of dark smoke. “The marks of a wing. Did you not see the scorch marks up on the cliffs and feel the changes in the magic?”
“Oh,” Epony, the black dragon, joined the conversation, a bunch of flowers floating behind her. “I think she told the others about that.”
The Troubles of a Wing
Lieny’s tone turned harsh. “What did you say?”
Epony flinched away from Lieny. “Queth asked about markings when Kryujin sent us here.”
Lieny shot a puff of smoke from her nostrils as her wings flared. “Then let your leader know we apologize for the intrusion. Are there other lands we should be wary of?”
“We are on the edge of our territory,” Bakuin said. “We have explored the islands near here, but we don’t claim them.”
“And you’ll pass on our apologies?”
“Chila and I are the wing leaders, but you need not apologize. The fault lies with your leader for failing to train their wing properly.”
“Does that mean we can’t visit this island anymore?” Epony asked. “This one has the prettiest flowers I’ve seen so far.”
A deep rumble spread through Bakuin’s chest. This black dragon would get along well with Ramelba should they ever meet. “I will let my wing know. There is one who tends to the plants during our hunts; she will appreciate the praise. However, I cannot allow you to disturb this island.”
Epony’s wings drooped.
“I can speak to her, and she may tend to some flowers on the island over there during our next hunt.” Bakuin’s tail flicked to the island just a short flight away. The island held little in the way of prey, so they hadn’t marked it as their own.
Epony’s wings twitched as she glanced at Lieny, but the light-colored dragon shook her head. “I think it’s best that we don’t come back. Kryujin wouldn’t like it. Thank you for not attacking us.” Lieny nudged Epony into the sky despite her protests.
Bakuin fluttered his wings as he shook his head. “All life matters.”
Lieny considered Bakuin for a long moment, then launched into the sky after Epony.
A Successful Trip
“Check for prey.”
Rahendranax and Phyrustix raced to do his bidding as Bakuin watched the two dragons leave their territory. They gave a positive report.
“What are you going to tell Chila?” Phyrustix asked.
“That the other wings are emerging. Rahendranax, how soon is the red moon?”
Silence fell as Rahendranax closed his eyes. “Closer than before.”
Bakuin’s eyes narrowed as heat rose in his chest. He took a deep breath. Not even Maugon had given them a definitive time. “Let’s go.”
Bakuin returned to the air, and he felt his anger fade with the beat of his wings. They would have to scout their lands more often now with other wings emerging. But why would a leader withhold information for their wings’ survival?
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Meet the dragons
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