In the Undergrowth

Part four of When You're Done with Prophecies, enjoy! -Purplecocoa

## Prologue

The FernWing worked. He shuttled thousands of dragons a year to different places in Listoria. He was also conductor, a dragon part of the defense quadrant, and a good dragon. It was almost time for the Legends Festival, hosted right before winter. The storytellers were often using the shuttles to get to the Gardens for rehearsal. That was his job, get dragons where they wanted. Then the fires started. Right during the Legends Festival. Everyone was running to get a shuttle. Scavengers ran out and set fire to anything they could. He fled, to Pyrrhia. He knew it existed, Ferret had said so. She had told stories of how all tribes lived on both continents connected by a land bridge. Here he was. In a rainforest, partially RainWing. Not an ideal scenario. He sighed, and fell asleep in his hut.

## Underachiever

Iris shuffled her talons. All the other dragons were so... intimidating. Especially Falling Ash. He was so large and strong and dark and pretty and could learn anything he wanted. What was scarier? Then, Glitter, a real-life princess without wings, and Falling Ash started turning Pyrrhian. That must be worrying. Falling Ash was pacing, muttering to himself. He looked up. "Well, I'm quite sorry, we're going to have to leave immediately." He said.

"I'm coming with you." Glitter said.

"But, Glitter, do you think you can handle the traveling?" Falling Ash asked.

Glitter snorted. "I flew from Listoria to here. Plus, we have Whirlwind. She's a sentry, and a darn good one at that. She can watch while we sleep."

Whirlwind was pretty. Really pretty. Iris sighed. Guess she would be their guide.

## Pests

And that was how they ended up right in front of Queen Glory in the audience hut. Deathbringer's eyes gleamed in the shadows. "You said they should be here?" Glory asked.

Iris nodded. "Well, I guess I could clear you for walking around the rainforest, but you might need guards, with all the dead bodies we've been finding." Glory said wearily.

"We can barely spare any RainWings,. They're all guarding eggs or some other thing, and we are short considering the, you know, dead bodies. You might just have to bring," Glory rolled her eyes, "the 'Magnificent Stealthy NightWing' that is Deathbringer. My condolences."

Deathbringer protested. "But Glory, we're so understaffed, you need a guard in case that assassin comes and-"

"You're going. End of discussion." Glory said.

Deathbringer sighed dramatically. "Well, are we going or not?"

## Meet Up

"Are we done yet?"

"No."

"What are we looking for?"

"A dragon."

"You sure none of you ladies are tired?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Can I go back now?"

"No."

Iris sighed. She was sighing way too much, she knew, but Glitter and Deathbringer, not the ideal pairing. She was so focused on worrying about other things, she tripped into something foul-smelling. She shrieked, and realized it was a tail. A rotting, decayed, tail. A dragon materialized as the others rushed towards her. "Iris?" It asked.

"Weren't you at that thing? Aren't you not able to change color?" It asked , noting her now yellow scales.

Iris froze and turned her scales back to teal. "I can't change color, Monarch. That was a... trick of the light."

Monarch must have sensed her uneasiness, because he gestured to the tail. "You've seen it, haven't you?"

Iris nodded, and tried not to yelp. It had the same holes and welts, she could see them even decaying and making way for bugs. "Falling Ash?" She asked.

Falling Ash cocked his head. Normally Iris didn't talk. "Yes?" He asked.

"It has those, those, holes and welts on it." She said.

Falling Ash was about to respond when there was a loud whistle and scavengers dropped onto him. Iris screamed, and Monarch spat at them, but instead missing and hitting Falling Ash. He roared in pain, and clutched his foot. Monarch started panicking. "I don't have any relatives, they're all dead, and-"

"FALLING ASH!" Came a roar.

A large green dragon with blue on his tail tip flapped down.
"Sparktail. What brought you?" Falling Ash smiled, though it was more of a grimace.

"I was framed for murder in the Sky Kingdom. I was flying towards the big mountain, when I heard you." He answered. "What's wrong?"

"V-v-enom m-m-misfire," Iris stammered.

Sparktail grimaced, and pressed on the wound while Wolf, Southwind, Festus, Mirage, and Nirvana fought off the scavengers. Iris stood, shaken. Until there was a bang, and a searing pain in her shoulder. She didn't know what happened after that, just black. All black.

## Part Two, of Course

Iris blinked her eyes open. Wolf was right there. "You alright?" He asked.

No edge to his voice, no brittle snap. Probably just shaken from the scavenger attack. Iris nodded, and tried to sit up, laying back immediately from pure tiredness. Probably just sleeping darts. "Iris? Are you awake?" A voice called from outside.

Wolf walked out and led Monarch in. "Can you walk? That big NightWing wants to talk," he hesitated, "alone. He says the others already heard it."

Iris immediately sat up, wide awake, and got off the hammock easily. She nodded, and walked outside where Monarch directed her to the audience hut, again, where inside Falling Ash, the green-blue dragon, Sparktail, and Glory were, along with Deathbringer. "Iris?" Falling Ash asked.

She nodded. Falling Ash gestured for her to come in. "While you were sleeping, Sparktail has, eh, foretold a final part of the prophecy. Sparktail?" He asked.

Sparktail stepped forward, and recited,

*"Listoria, it will come home, but there's one last thing*

*A tribe was lost, long ago, and it must go home.*

*Without it, you cannot say, the tribes will be at peace.*

*Bring it home, the lands are saved, if you fail there will be war."*

Iris blinked. "What?" *Another part?*

Falling Ash nodded. "We still haven't found the FernWing either."

"Are you looking for me?" A voice sounded in the entrance.
A dragon stepped forward, brown and stocky. "The name's Hawthorne. Hawthorne of the FernWings. I reckon I have a story you'll want to hear."

## Epilogue

"You failed?" The voice growled as the scavenger below cowered.

"No matter. I have them all in one place. Prepare for war. We leave at the break of dawn." The scavenger hurried away, shaking.

The dragon walked over to a pool of water, and slashed the surface. It showed armor, elegant in design but solid in battle. Then a starry dawn colored dragon, wearing that armor, with eyes red as a blood moon. Underneath, star speckled wings flapped. It froze on that picture, and the dragon chuckled. Time for war.