A Drop of Magic (A Wings of Fire Fanfiction)

Chapter Eight

Droplet threw her bag over her neck, grabbed the glass mirror, her seaweed mat, and darted into a patch of ferns. Not a moment later, two dragons pushed through the bushes and emerged from the forest. 

"I could have sworn I heard voices." one said, and Droplet pressed further into the ferns. Overlapping leaves fell over her scales, hiding her from the dragons.

"Are you sure? I don't see anything, NightWing." Said a second dragon.

"No... wait. Look." There was some shuffling, and to Droplet's dismay, they moved closer to her hiding place. "Look at these marks in the sand. Someone was here."

Use the animus magic, Droplet! The carved rod! She yelled at herself, remembering the wooden rod carved with shapes like water and fish and waves. Slowly, as quietly as possible, she moved her talons to the bag and began sifting around inside.

"Wow, our guards really are terrible." The second dragon commented as the first made more searching sounds.

Quickly now, Droplet. Don't get caught.

Droplet's talons closed around the carved piece of wood and she pulled it out too fast, making the ferns rustle. The dragons on the beach fell suddenly silent, and the first whispered, "I heard something. Over here."

Claws parted the ferns in front of Droplet, and a NightWing's face appeared. A SkyWing gazed curiously over the NightWing's shoulder, and both scanned the ferns.

"Someone was here. The plants are crushed." the NightWing said.

"It was probably someone in the Talons." The SkyWing said, flicking her tail dismissively. "Come on. This was a waste of time." The NightWing frowned, gazing at the ferns, but eventually nodded and followed the SkyWing away.

Once their footsteps had faded, Droplet exhaled. She'd scarcely dared to breathe, let alone move, with the dragons so close. The NightWing had peered right at her! Or maybe he'd been looking at something behind her. The carved wood rod would turn things invisible, when you tapped them with the point and said hide. Then all you had to do was whisper see, and you were visible again.

"See." Droplet whispered, and looked down at her talons. Her claws were visible again, trembling with her fear. "Hide." she tapped her claws with the rod. Maybe it would be better to stay hidden, at least until she knew what in the world was going on.

She fumbled for her bag, which had turned invisible with her, and slid it off, as a test. The moment it left her claws, it appeared, thumping down on the sand. Droplet tucked the wooden rod into it and picked it up, watching the fabric vanish as she slung it across her chest.

That dragon said the Talons... could the Talons of Peace really be here? Why would they be out here?

Droplet steeled herself and stepped out from the ferns. She could see the NightWing and SkyWing retreating along the beach, the NightWing tossing washed up seaweed into a basket while the SkyWing bared her teeth and occasionally snatched a fish from the ocean with practiced flicks of her wrist.

You should follow them. A voice in her head suggested. Follow them and see what they're up to.

Droplet nodded, then felt silly. She walked over to where the ocean lapped at the sand so as not to leave talon prints, and began cautiously walking after the two dragons.

They seemed to be arguing about some kind of betting game, where a human was put up against a dragonet, and it was seen how long the human could last. Droplet shuddered thinking about it. Tsunami had told her that once, dragons ate humans, thinking them no more than sheep or cows. Now though, they knew humans were also intelligent creatures, and some could even learn to communicate with dragons.

Droplet had spoken to a human named Ivy, and it had been one of the coolest things ever. The tiny creature made perfect dragon noises and gestures, and even drew a picture of a dragon while Droplet watched.

The thought of dragons still killing them was horrible. Maybe, with my invisibility, I can save them. Droplet thought hopefully.

No, that would be idiotic, Droplet dear. Perhaps another time.

Ok, something was definitely strange. Droplet had never referred to herself as 'dear' before, not once. There's a first time for everything, dear. Her mind argued. Stop worrying. You're losing them!

Droplet looked up, alarmed, and just saw the SkyWing's tail disappearing into the forest. Hurry now.

It's probably nothing. Droplet decided, shaking out her wings. I ran away. I'm a new dragon. I need to hurry to catch them. Quickly, almost obediently, she hurried from the beach and followed the SkyWing and NightWing into the forest.