Wings of Fire: The Unwanted Hybrid-COMPLETED(UPDATED!!)

Verbena dodged another one of the snake's bites. When it came into the light, she saw it had bright yellow scales splattered all over with green.

The snake struck again, the hybrid dragon ducked. She skillfully grabbed the snake by its head so it couldn't bite her. The snake hissed.

He is a pretty snake! What is he doing here?

Verbena checked him over. He didn't have venom, should she keep him? She'd wanted a pet in the Scorpion Den, they had a lot of snakes there, he would remind her of home. But did she want to be reminded of her old home?

The snake seemed to relax, he flicked his forked tongue and stared at her with his yellow, unblinking eyes.

Where should she put him? Verbena released her grip on the snake slightly. She looked around her hut, there was a pile of sleeping leaves in a corner, there was a palm frond basket full of fruit on a small table, there were a couple of jars with fireflies inside for light, as RainWings didn't have fire breath. She should make herself comfortable.

Verbena found a stick that could be used as a torch. She set it on the table. The hybrid picked up the firefly jar and opened it, setting the bugs free. They buzzed around her for a moment, almost in gratitude, then flew out the window.

Verbena set down her pouch. When had she last eaten? The golden dragon put the snake where she had found him; he seemed to be tired of being held at the moment.

"Verbena! I'm back!" She suddenly heard her father's voice from outside. "How do you like it?"

"It's nice," she replied, taking her satchel from him. "A bit empty though."

"We can fix that!" he said, suddenly his eyes widened and his scales shifted to a lighter green. "I see you've got yourself a snake friend."

"Can you help me unpack?" Verbena asked. Teak nodded, then they got to work.

The hut was much nicer now, she had her scrolls on the table with the fruit bowl, in which she had put the extra food, she had her blanket folded neatly next to the sleeping leaves, and she had the water bottles that she was using at the doorway (the rest were in her bag).

"When can you teach me how to tree-glide?"

"Now, if you're ready!"

Verbena grinned. Her second RainWing skill! The two dragons went outside. Teak sat down.

"Alright, first, do you have a prehensile tail? Try to toss me that twig." "Um okay."

Verbena twisted her tail around the small stick. She tried to pick it up, but it fell, she tried a second time, but still no, then it worked. She was able to do it.

"A prehensile tail is how we can hold onto the trees, so if you have one, you can tree glide. Let's go!" The RainWing and the hybrid flew up to the canopy layer of the rainforest.

"So, all you gotta do is jump!" Teak yelled as he leaped off the branch they were standing on and used his tail and claws to hang on and release branches as he swung from tree to tree.

"Come on! You can do it!" The green RainWing shouted from his spot on a tall tree.

Verbena gulped, her snout and ruff turned acid green as a signal for fear in the RainWing color spectrum. "O-okay," The hybrid stepped off the branch and immediately locked onto the next one with her claws. She swung, she swung again, then she let go, flipping in the air, stretching out her prehensile tail, and then she grasped the next one.

"You're doing great!" Teak said, giving her a claws-up. Verbena did this again, and again, getting closer to her father each time. Finally, she landed on the same tree her father was on.

"Yay! Now I know how to tree glide! So can you show me around the village next?" "Yeah, sure, come on!"

***

She saw Glory's Pavilion, she saw the Medicine Hut again, she saw the Hatchery, and she even saw the Great Banyan Tree. And then it was time to go home.

Her yellow and green snake yawned in his corner. And I need to name him! How about... Lemon? Sunshine? Maybe... Zest! Yes, I like that. The hybrid looked outside, it was very dark, and she couldn't see the moons through the dense greenery above them. Zest slithered out of his corner and she watched him go out the doorway. She knew he would come back soon.

The golden dragonet curled up on the sleeping leaves. What were her friends doing? An image of Tiderider suddenly appeared in her mind. Everything went black.

Verbena is walking through the dark jungle, but everything looks bright. Does she have night vision? Her talon reaches out to push vines out of the way, but her talon is blue and black and has webbed claws.

What is going on? Verbena thinks. Dream-vision Tiderider jumps out of his scales. "Who are you?" He demands. "Why are you in my head?"

Chill! It's just me, Tiderider!

"Oh, phew. Do you know the way out of here, because I sure don't!"

Hm. Try climbing the tree on your left.

"'Kay," he murmurs back. Dream-vision Tiderider reaches over and wraps his talons around the tree next to him. He slowly scales the tree and ends up on the emergent layer of the rainforest.

See that massive tree over there? Go towards that.

Tiderider spreads his wings and flaps off.

I'll meet you there in the morning!

That was beyond weird! The golden dragon thought. Who should I do next? Her stomach grumbled in protest. When she sat up, the hybrid realized the necklace she stole was resting on her chest. She'd forgotten about it completely. Could this be causing the vision?

Verbena shook the thought away and walked over to the table with the stick on it. She lit it on fire and set it in the empty firefly jar. Verbena walked over to the fruit bowl. She picked up a cherry guava and sliced it in half, preferring to eat the insides.

Verbena saw a long silhouette at the door. Zest was back from hunting, and he had a swollen belly, which meant he ate. Verbena picked him up and put him in his favorite corner, then she lay down again and fell asleep.