Book 3: Chapter 49 (1/2)

“That’s definitely Grimmoldesser,” Emile whispered to Susan. The two phoenixes huddled next to each other, hiding behind a particularly large leaf. “Look, it’s Lindyss. She’s the elf who kicked Kondra’s butt.”

“Don’t call the dragon matriarch by her name,” Susan said, smacking the back of Emile’s head with her wing. “That’s disrespectful. But you’re right. I wonder what those two are doing here?”

“Does it matter?” Emile asked and shrugged. He stood up straight and spread his wings before hopping off the branch.

Susan’s eyes widened. “Emile! Did you forget Grimmoldesser tried to eat us but only stopped because Tafel was there!?” She leapt off the branch after her brother, tackling him to the ground. The two tumbled in the dirt, rolling and screeching until they collided with a hard wall-like object. They froze and fell silent as they untangled and raised their heads. A black dragon’s face was gazing back down at them.

“Grimmoldesser!” Emile said. “Um. Hi.”

Grimmy exhaled a puff of smoke through his nose, blowing Emile’s and Susan’s feathers backwards. “It rarely happens, but sometimes snacks really do appear by themselves,” he said with a grin.

Lindyss smacked his scales near his eye. “Those are Tafel’s siblings,” she said. “Don’t eat them.”

“Hmm?” Grimmy raised an eyebrow as his eye rolled up to stare at Lindyss. “And how do you know that? You can tell phoenixes apart?”

“Of course not,” Lindyss said and snorted. “How is anyone supposed to distinguish one red bird from another when they look exactly the same?” She pointed off into the distance. “I heard them talking while they were hiding in that tree over there.” She took a sip from her drink before leaning over Grimmy’s snout and gestured towards the phoenixes. “If you two are here, does that mean Vur and Tafel are nearby as well?”

“Maybe,” Emile said and shrugged.

Lindyss knit her brow. “Maybe? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean, either she’s here,” Emile said as flames spouted out of his beak, “or she’s been eaten by a pack of wild dogs. Either one.”

Lindyss stared at Emile. A few moments of silence passed. Lindyss turned her head towards Susan, who was fidgeting by shifting her weight from one leg to the other. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on? Because, clearly, your brother has issues.”

“Right,” Susan said, bobbing her head up and down, causing Emile to let out squawks of protest. “What Emile meant to say was we don’t know because he dared Tafel to leave and was shocked when she actually left. Tafel left behind a bead for us to let her know if and when we were in danger, but Emile threw it away because he’s a butt.”

“If I’m a butt, then you’re a sister to a butt!”

“So if I eat them, no one will know?” Grimmy asked, blinking at Lindyss.