King of The Dragons (Wings of Fire X Monster Hunter)

Part 1: Chapter 5 & 6

"Potable?" Fatespeaker interjected. She was watching them with wide, startled eyes, and Starflight remembered that she didn't know yet that he'd been raised away from the island, too.
"Drinkable," Starflight explained. "Is that what those pipes are for?"

"Very good," said Mastermind, waving his talons excitedly. "We have only one freshwater source on the island, and it's become rather contaminated with ash over the last few years, so I invented this magnificent contraption to provide safe water for the entire tribe....."
He talked on and on, pointing to the various pipes and explaining the science behind the process. Starflight listened with fascination. He'd never met a dragon who seemed so full of information - who openly and compassionately talked about it - like a walking library of scrolls. Of course Stormcaller was like that, but he liked to keep most of his findings to himself.

"Come, come," Mastermind said eagerly, gathering his helmet and leaping. "I'll show you what else I'm working on."
Starflight glanced at Morrowseer for permission , and the large NightWing rolled his eyes and sat down with a yawn. He flicked his tail at Legendseeker, who nodded his head in response and followed after Mastermind. Fatespeaker didn't wait to be invited; she flew behind them as Mastermind led the way down to the bottom level.

"Here is where I do all my volcanology," he said, striding between the tables laden with cauldrons of lava and streaming holes dug right into the ground. "I'm testing for materials that can withstand eruptions, and working on scales models of barriers, and outlining possible implementation systems. No wonder I need an assistant, right?"
"This place is pretty cool," Fatespeaker said, glancing around at the volcano experiments.

"It's amazing," Starflight said. He peered down at the smoke issuing from a deep hole. He wanted to study each each section of the lab in careful detail. There was a strange contraption in the corner that looked as if it was designed to fit entirely around a dragon and then be filled with something - water, maybe? He couldn't even imagine. He already had a million questions and a couple of ideas about lava that might be worth testing, if his dad didn't mind some suggestions.

Legendseeker was scanning the lab, bit by bit. As far as Starflight could tell, the NightWing didn't find any of his father's experiments interesting.

Mastermind flicked his tail at a corner of the lab where tiny versions of the mountain had been constructed with little fortresses stuck on the side. Several of them were already smoldering ruins. "Not going well, as you can see!" He laughed a little, almost nervously. "Queen Battlewinner isn't pleased about that. Of course, she has her own ideas about where I should be focusing my attention. Come, come!"

He lifted off toward the top level. Starflight took one more look around, wondering what could be more interesting or important than protecting the tribe from the volcano. 'I wonder if he's done any research on NightWings infecting the prey they bite. Maybe I could him study it.'

He shook himself, blinking. 'Sounds like I'm planning to stay.' He glanced at Fatespeaker, then quickly away at one of the smoking jars of lava. 'I might not not have any choice about that. But - they have to let me Sunny again. If I'm trapped here forever, without here, without even a chance to say good-bye-' 
"Come on!" Fatespeaker interrupted his thoughts, tugging him into the air.

They hurried after Mastermind and discovered that the third level was another balcony with several doors ranged around it, each one marked with three or four different symbols. Legendseeker was already next to Mastermind, who was in front of one door.

Starflight's father rubbed his front talons together. "About a year ago, we discovered a truly, truly astonishing natural phenomenon. You won't know about this. The Talons of Peace have no idea; none of the tribes do. Our understanding of this biological anomaly is as yet so new and incomplete that we haven't even put it in any scrolls - certainly not the ones we distribute to the mainland, but also not even the ones that are For NightWing Eyes Only. I'm preparing a treatise on the subject, but there's still so much to learn that I have no idea when I'll think it's ready for publication."