Fire Islands: Chapter Eight: The Boulder

Chapter Eight

The Boulder


    An excited chorus of squeaking came from behind them, and Flicker closed her eyes for a moment as if preparing herself, then turned. The rest of them followed her gaze and saw Bask leading the dragonets down the street. He was constantly grabbing little dragonets from sneaking away, and dodging their revenge attacks, and stopping them from sneaking away again. Then one of the dragonets who was climbing on his head perked up and shouted, "The Boulder!"

    Flicker sighed and called, "Violet! Demon monster dragonets coming!" She paused and waited a second until a reply came back.

    "Already? They just left like an hour ago!"

    "Well apparently they want to do it again, now that they can imitate something other than paintings on a rock."

    "What else do they have to imitate? Butterflies?" A dragon emerged from a nearby hut, and saw the three dragons. "Oh, three moons. What have you been up to, Flicker?"

    "Violet, this is Tsunami, Starflight, and Clay. Guys, this is Violet. She's in charge of things like making sure the dragonets who come here to learn disguises don't vandalize the boulder and whatnot."

    "And whatnot," agreed Violet. "Flicker, could you help me with the dyes?"

    Flicker walked over while the rest of them moved closer to the Boulder. "Wow," whispered Tsunami. "Who made these?"

    "We have no idea," Violet said. "No one can remember anymore."

    Clay's gaze lingered on the paintings of MudWing siblings, laughing, playing, and fighting together. He felt the familiar pang of longing. What would be different if the Talons of Peace hadn't taken him from the Mud Kingdom? Who would they have taken instead?

    "Wow!" Tsunami's voice cut through his thoughts. "Look at the RainWings!" They weren't painted in what they had expected, with dye and crushed berries like the others, but they had some kind of covering over them, the color changing every time the sun moved.

    "That's a special kind of dye." Violet held up a pretty white flower. "Rub this on your scales and it changes every time the sun hits it."

    The dragonets and Bask came up behind them and Flicker immediately stepped away from the flowers and reassumed her imperial stance beside the Boulder. "All right, all right. Settle down." Violet held the white flower she was holding above her head. "Remember. Before you do it, you have to pick a tribe."

    "Pick a Notfish!" cried one of them, and Violet shot a small confused expression at Flicker before turning back to them. "Do you want to try a SeaWing? Tsunami over here can act as our model."

    Tsunami sighed. "Oh, dear. Somehow I don't think this will end well."

    Violet grabbed a clump of blue violets from a nearby stack and began handing them out to the dragonets. "Okay. Now first-"

    "Flicker!" Embers spiraled down from the sky and landed next to her sister. "Blueberry says to get the Boulder Dragons."

    The dragonets groaned. Bask muttered something about runaway-what? Princesses?

    "Why does she need them?" asked Flicker.

    "Because of Sunny. Blueberry says she's waking up."

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