CHAPTER NINE
As I said before, dreams can turn into nightmares very fast.
And Pearl's dream was teetering on the edge.
She didn't know if this dragon was hostile or what, but he seemed to be panicking, thrashing his tail and head as if desperately trying to relieve himself of the leaves draped strategically over his eyes. She was too far from any Seawing villages to get backup to help her investigate this, and if she left, he would probably free himself and be gone by the time she returned with more dragons.
He could be useful. He could have information about Burn, where she was attacking next.
Oh, if only she hadn't suggested hiding Queen Coral's jewels so close to the mainland! Then she wouldn't be in this position!
Mustering her courage, she crept onto the sand, the crunch of the sand beneath her talons seemingly amplified by the silence of the beach. Nervously, she reached towards the Skywing's head, noticing his ears pricked up, listening.
She snatched the leaves off his head and threw them behind her.
"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" She growled, resisting the urge to shake the tiny itchy sand grains off of the webbing between her claws. Because that would not be imposing and commanding at all.
"My name is Inferno." The Skywing responded in a in a hoarse voice. "And you are?"
"None of your business." Pearl frowned. "Why so close to Seawing territory?" She gestured towards the crashing ocean. "Are you a spy?"
"No, I promise." The Skywing said openly. "I was part of a search party."
"Why are you under this tree?"
The Skywing frowned.
"I don't know, actually."
"Hmmph." Pearl scowled. "I'm going to have to take you to someone who can interrogate you properly. Stay put."
The Skywing raised his brows, and Pearl remembered he was stuck under a tree.
"Fine. But when I free you…" Pearl trailed off as she skirted the tree. Frowning, she rammed into it experimentally. It rolled forwards a little, towards Inferno's head.
"Oof." The Skywing said blandly.
Pearl snorted and flapped over the tree, standing next to the Skywing's head. Heaving with all her might, she slowly shoved the tree down Inferno's back and off his tail. As soon as the tree was off, the Skywing leapt into the air, flapping his wings. Pearl rolled her eyes and stepped firmly on his tail, keeping him grounded.
"Moons be blasted!" Inferno cursed, falling back to the sand with a thump.
"Nice try." Pearl said, quickly grabbing his forearm and releasing his tail. "Let me find some seaweed for a nice little blindfold…" She slowly dragged him towards the ocean and began feeling through the waves with a talon.
Inferno stood patiently for about a minute. "Aha!" Pearl cried, grasping a slimy green strand of seaweed over her head. The Skywing looked at it with disgust and skepticism. Pearl lowered it and shot him a look.
"What else am I supposed to blindfold you with?" She said with no small amount of exasperation.
Inferno's muscles bunched and she knew what was going to happen a second before it happened.
But she still couldn't stop him as he twisted his arm out of her grasp and shot into the sky.
But Pearl wasn't giving up that easily.