Wings of Fire: The Forbidden Dragonet | ✔️

~ The Forbidden Dragonet: Chapter 28 ~

Hare's scales felt horribly uncomfortable. Mud seemed to be seeping into every crack and inch of her body. She couldn't wait to get it all off.

She quietly moved through the swamps, keeping low as she followed beside Clay and Glory. Thankfully, they hadn't noticed her.

Hare heard dragons moving behind her. They were loud at first, then grew quiet. She heard someone splashing around behind her, sending droplets of mud showering onto her. Someone suddenly leaped onto her, clawing at her viciously.

Hare roared and reared up, trying to throw the dragon off. The dragon yelped in surprise and released her. "It's a dragon!"

The commotion caught Glory and Clay's attention. They looked over in Hare's direction.

Well, I've already been caught.

Hare climbed out of the swamps and onto the path. She shook out her scales, sending the biggest clumps of mud flying.

A small pale amber dragon climbed out after her, staring with wide eyes. A healing mud patch was stuck across his nose, and his horns weren't fully grown yet.

"You looked like a crocodile!" he cried. "Why were you moving around like that?"

"I look nothing like a crocodile," Hare shot back, ignoring his other question. "Great moons, that hurt!"

Someone grabbed her and turned her toward them. Glory was glaring at her furiously. Her usual blue eyes were now amber with hints of yellow, and they sparkled like a roaring fire.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed. "You were supposed to stay behind!"

"I wanted to come with you," Hare protested.

"That doesn't matter!"

The little MudWing stepped forward. "Who are you all?"

"I'm Clay," Clay replied.

Glory released Hare and stepped back. "I'm, er, Lotus."

"I'm Hare," Hare said.

Four other dragonets appeared behind the smaller one, all looking on curiously.

"I'm Umber," the smallest said. He pointed to the biggest, who was only a little smaller than Clay. "That's our bigwings, Reed. Then that's Sora, Pheasant, and Marsh."

"We've never seen you three around," Reed said.

"We just needed to talk to someone," Glory said.

Sora tilted her head. "It was Cattail, wasn't it? I think I saw you two over there." She pointed at Clay and Glory. "What business do you have with our mother?"

Clay blinked. "Your mother?"

Sora looked at Pheasant, confused. "That's what I said."

Clay's eyes grew wide. "She's my mother, too."

A stunned silence filled the air. Umber suddenly leaped forward and clung onto Clay with a cry of delight. "I knew something was familiar about you!"

"You should've been with us all along," Reed said, smiling.

"Not just that," Pheasant said, pointing at Clay. "Look at the size of him. He should be our bigwings."

Reed's smile vanished. "Oh, that's true."

Marsh stretched his neck forward and sniffed Clay. "At least we've recovered one lost sibling."

Clay tilted his head. "One? Have we lost another?"

"Our sister, Crane," Marsh explained. "We lost her in the battle by the cliff."

Hare exchanged a look with Clay. One of the dragons in that awful battlefield had been Clay's sister.

"But you're back, so maybe things will be okay!" Umber chirped. "You can stay with us."

Clay hesitated, then shook his head. "No, I couldn't. I'm not your bigwings, Reed is. I don't belong here. I belong with my friends. I have a destiny to fulfill, and I can't do that from here."

Umber looked a little sad, but he nodded in understanding. Sora pointed her claw at Hare and Glory.

"A destiny with these two?" she asked.

Pheasant gasped and smiled at Clay. "Is Lotus your girlfriend?"

"No!" Clay cried, staring at her in shock.

"Is Hare?"

"No!"

"Calm down Pheasant," Marsh said, laughing as he nudged his sister.

"We should get going," Hare said, looking around anxiously. "There's a ton of dragons looking for us right now. The longer we linger, the more danger we're in."

"Good idea," Glory said, nodding.

Clay looked at them, then at his siblings. "I hope to see you again someday."

"We hope so too," Marsh said.

"Feel free to come back whenever," Reed said. "You're one of us. You'll always be welcome."

Clay smiled. "Thank you."

"Bye!" Umber called as they took off into the sky.

Glory looked at Hare and sighed. "We seriously have to clean you off. Great moons, why can't you just listen?"