Wings of Fire: Forest of Shadows

Chapter Twelve

"Oh, but I still don't see a market," Dawn said.

She could distantly hear the roaring sounds of a river and the chatter of voices.

"Prepare to be amazed!" Beetle said. She walked along the side of the pipe and, right where the pipe disappeared into the wall, there was a jagged hole in the pipe. She disappeared into it.

"Are you coming?" She called, her voice muffled coming from somewhere in the pipe.

Dawn glanced at Pomegranate and ducked into the tunnel.

Then she stopped.

She was standing on a rickety metal platform, next to Beetle. She stared. 

Behind them, Pomegranate slipped from the hole and stopped next to them. Beneath them, in the most pointlessly massive water pipe, was a market of sprawling stalls.

Dawn knew that markets were a thing of the past. The only place where anything like it still existed, even slightly, was the town of Possibility and the research town Sanctuary. 

Possibility was a town on the Great Five-Tail River, but it was an extremely dangerous place to live. Terrorist groups, thieves, and soldiers ran rampant through the street. Sanctuary was probably the only place where the war had never really reached. It was a research town high in the mountains.

But still, somewhere deep in the heart of Pyrrhia, markets had returned. Build on wooden and metal platforms, right above the water, stalls sprawled willy-nilly. Lining the walls of the water pipe.

"Welcome to the Underground Market," the Beetle said proudly. Her gaze was fixed on Dawn as she spoke.

Dawn opened and closed her wings uneasily. Beetle seemed so eager to get her attention. Did she... like her?

"It's amazing," she breathed. "I thought places like this disappeared years ago."

"Oh, they did, for the rest of the tribes, anyway. Us RainWings have no need for war," Beetle explained, spreading her four, butterfly-like wings.

Dawn spread her wings as well. "Where are going?" She asked.

"To the exchange post, then we'll get on a raft."

Many rafts weaved up and down the water. Somewhere far below, a RainWing advertised his business. "RIDES! RIDES ALL THE WAY UP TO THE WATERFALL!"

Dawn had a sudden thought. "Do the dragons in the burrows know what's floating around in their drinking water?"

Beetle let out a soft laugh. "No, although it's probably for the best."

Dawn smiled. Beetle lept off of the platform and drifted to the ground, Dawn and Pomegranate followed.

She glanced around, her eyes wide.

"We're going to get some Tokens," Beetle said, making her way through the crowd.

"Tokens?" Dawn asked.

"Tokens are the currency down here in the Underground Market."

"Oh," Pomegranate said, speaking for the first time in a while.

Beetle walked up to a simple, pale silk tent. She dumped the dried fish onto the table. The RainWing behind the table glanced up from the scroll she was reading.

"Oh, hey, Beetle! Haven't seen you in a while," he said, counting the fish.

"Sorry, Caracal. I would have visited sooner, but the monthly negotiations got complicated."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Caracal said gruffly, not taking his eyes off of the fish.

"Yeah, Queen Lotus drew out. Something about extra conflicts between them and the SkyWings."