Wings of Fire; Claws of Betrayal (EDITING)

CHAPTER FIVE

"Here," Spectacular said.

Blue, Spectacular and Elk were standing in the middle of the jungle. Around her, jungle oaks stretched up to the sky, the leaves sprouting over a hundred metres above Blue's head. The forest was eerily quiet around this area apart from the occasional chirp of the birds in the treetops and the chuckle of a stream nearby.

Elk sniffed loudly amongst the dirt. Blue rolled her eyes and looked around for any hints of dragons being here recently - talonprints, scales, anything.

"I can't smell anything," Elk called not far off after a while.

"Well, keep sniffing," Blue snapped back. She refused to stop searching until they found a clue that would lead them onwards on their investigation. This was Gleam they were talking about, for goodness' sake! Gleam, who'd rescued Blue from Burn's weirdling tower a couple moons ago. Blue wanted to return the favour in any way she could, and, if this was the way, then so be it.

"I think I found something!" Spectacular called.

Blue dashed over instantly, turning pink from excitement. Her mother was holding a scale between her talons delicately, and showed it to Blue when she charged over. It was a dark red, and, in the sunlight, it gleamed like a shiny ruby.

"That has to be Gleam's," Blue said excitedly.

"Blue..." Elk sounded disturbed. "There's something you ought to see."

"What?" Blue walked over warily. Elk was looking down at something at the ground. Blue followed his gaze to see talonmarks. Fresh talonmarks, which meant that they had been made not a while ago. Then Blue saw something out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to see dents and slashes in a tree trunk next to her. She walked over, brushing her talons over the marks, then looked over to see churned and ripped earth on the ground close by. Signs of a struggle, she realised.  If it was Gleam who had made these marks, she didn't let her capturers take her without a fight, that was for sure. 

"Woah," Elk came over. "There must've been a fight, a big one."

"How do you know?" Blue's gaze snapped towards him.

"Well, we found Gleam's scale, and there's there's blood over there," Elk nodded to a dark patch in front of them.

"We must be close," Blue breathed.

"Hey, I think I know something worth mentioning," Spectacular said. Blue and Elk turned around to face her mother. "When I was spying on, um, Papaya," she began, "I saw the NightWing talking with him slip back into this tree right here." She walked over to a specific tree.

Blue's heartbeat quickened. She walked closer and brushed her talons along the bark. Then she shoved her claws into the trunk, and a door swung right open. Blue shared an astonished gaze with Elk. 

Spectacular's eyes were wide and horrified. "Blueberry, I know what you're thinking. Don't do it."

"Why not?" Blue demanded, cringing at her full name. "Gleam saved me from Burn's cruel talons. If this is the way to repay her, then it's what I'll do."

"And if you die?" Spectacular's voice shook. "You don't know what's behind that door."

"I'll die a hero, then," Blue swallowed her fear. "Are you ready, Elk?"

"Ye-" Elk began, but Spectacular talked right over him. "No, Blueberry! As your mother, I forbid you from going in there."

"Mother, please," Blue said softly. "Gleam's my friend. I want to help her - I have to."

Spectacular was shaking. "But you don't understand," she whispered. "If you die, it won't be your problem, it'll be mine. I'll grieve and grieve and grieve for you every day, feeling so guilty because I didn't manage to convince you not to go into the sketchy hole."

Blue's heart twisted with the raw fear in her mother's voice. "I won't die," she promised, even though she knew it wasn't her choice whether or not she lived or died.

"I know you aren't going to change your mind," Spectacular growled, sighing. "Fine, just go. I'm just saying though, I won't save you if you get captured," she added good-humouredly.

"I love you," Blue said.

"Love you too."

"Can we get going?" Elk whined. Blue bumped snouts with her mother, thinking, this might be the last time I ever touch her. She shoved that thought right away. 

"Goodbye," Spectacular said quietly as Blue backed away into the entrance.

"Bye," Blue said, and Elk called, "bye-bye!"

Spectacular flew away. Blue gave Elk a quick look. "Are you ready to go in?" she asked briskly.

Elk nodded.

The two dragons, Blue going first, took their first steps into the chasm that may or may not cause their death.