Wings of Fire: A Lone Grain in the Sand

Chapter 14: New Home

The next morning, Cactus woke up to a soft drizzle hitting the cave walls. She wriggled out of Nameless's wing, careful not to wake the snoring lump of scales. Thunder echoed softly from far away.

She saw Corundum, still curled up by that window in the corner of the cave, on a flat stalagmite. She was humming a soft, sweet little tune to her son, keeping him asleep. It was the only time she couldn't be burnt by him.

The SkyWing finished her little song, noticing Cactus, she set her son down on the rock and jumped down to the cave floor, "Good morning, Cactus. I take it you slept well?"

"Oh yes, thank you very much, Corundum." Cactus smiled. Nameless snored loudly from the other end of the cave. Cactus scooped up a stone and tossed it at the NightWing, hitting his head and waking him up.

"Let's get moving, sleepyhead. We have to find the Talons by nightfall, they have to be based somewhere in the mountains.

"Oh, no need for any unnecessary searching." Corundum lifted a claw. "Please, follow me." She slithered away to a tunnel in the far corner of the cave, one that neither Cactus or Nameless had noticed before.

Corundum led the two deep into the mountain, through the winding passage. The tunnel would be large enough at points for two dragons to stand side-by-side with their wings unfurled, and so narrow at others that each one would crawl on their bellies in a single file line, with only the SkyWing's flame to guide them through the dark.

After about an hour of wandering through the mountain, the passage began to open up, eventually leading to a beautiful cavern. Rock formations dotted the floor and ceiling, lit up by the soothing, eerie glow of florescent fungi and quiet glow worms. An underground pond was also lit by the glow, reflectively casting shimmering patterns of light onto the glistening stalactites above. The pond was fed by a trickling waterfall seeping from one of the caves' walls, the pitter-patter noise it made echoed throughout the cavern. Dragons squawked in the distance. A fwoosh sent gusts of hot wind from the direction of the dragons, carrying with it, the smell of burning, rotten fish.

"Corundum!!" A dragon stumbled over his feet as he ran to the SkyWing. He was a RainWing, bathed in a pale green with splotches of dark colors along his neck and wings. He turned a dial on a weird device around his neck, turning his scales to a neutral blue. "Squelch and Kraken are at it again!!"

"Of course. I'm coming!" Corundum took off across the slippery stone with ease in the direction of the awful scent. Cactus and Nameless followed suit, being careful not to slip on the wet floor.

In another section of the cave, past a huge boulder which was left uncovering the entrance, stood a dragon from every tribe in Phyyria. A MudWing who had an ugly black scar etched from his left eye down his neck, stood over a coughing, smoking SeaWing, the luminescent stripes along his body flashed enraged curses at the other dragon. A pale IceWing sat on a stalagmite overhead, laughing hysterically. While a smallish black dragon sat in a corner of the room, trying to avoid any of the conflict.

"Squelch!" Corundum roared. The MudWing swiveled to face her, his face stricken with sudden panic. "Haven't we been over this?! SeaWings can't be

trained to stomach fire! Let alone breathe it themselves!" She swatted Squelch with her large wing, and helped the hacking SeaWing to his feet.

"Three MOONS!" The dragon wheezed, "That BURNS!!" he coughed forcefully, puffing more smoke into the air.

"Well, of COURSE, you blubbering idiot!" the IceWing scoffed, breaking into another bellowing laugh. "You've just had fire shot down your throat!!" He laughed even harder, losing his grip on the stalagmite and falling to the floor in a wild fit of giggling.