Polyplax woke up surrounded in darkness and a ringing in his ears. Trying to call out a "Hello?" but found his muzzle binded in thick vines. He could feel crusts of dirt in his scales, making him uncomfortable.

He felt all his memories rushing to his head, though he couldn't think clearly due to the ringing in his ears. He was trying to remember what happened before he fell unconscious.

"Oh, you're awake." An impatient voice said. Polyplax lifted his head to see his kidnapper. She was a dark green with scattered gold scales. A LeafWing.

He noticed another one next to the LeafWing. He was a magnificent and handsome blue and purple SilkWing. And a SilkWing? What are they doing working with the LeafWings? The SilkWing took off the bind, smiling softly.

The blue one spoke next. "Sorry for knocking you out. Sundew's idea." He said this so casually Polyplax thought that the SilkWing and the LeafWing were...friends?

"I'm Blue, by the way. This is Sundew." He pointed to the LeafWing.

"Bad Blue!" No telling names!" Sundew smacked him.

"Umm... What is a SilkWing doing around here with a LeafWing? SilkWings are supposed to be serving the HiveWings. I should report you immediately!"

"I told you," Sundew hissed. "Pantala to Blue, he's loyal to Queen Wasp."

Polyplax gawked at the two arguing, still confused as to why they were together and not killing each other already. The vines seemed to loosen a bit, so he decided to quietly wriggle out of them. He managed to get his head out of the vines, now working on his wings. Sundew seemed to notice his grunts because the vines snapped back on him.

"Oh no, you don't! Especially with your loud and obnoxious grunts, it's like you're begging to be caught!" she snarled.

Polyplax dropped his head. What are they going to do with me? Feed me to the LeafWings?

"So, how'd you get past the carnivorous plants?" Sundew hissed, her sharp teeth glistening in the sunlight. Her wings were spread out, so he got a good look at the strange markings in the membranes.

"Mmphm" He gestured toward his mouth. The vines loosened up. "First of all, how did you do that?" He poked the vines that once clamped his mouth.

"No, I'm the one asking the questions here, HiveWing. So you answer my question." She said it as if it was the worst word any dragon invented.

"I didn't know there were carnivorous plants here, only carnivorous and wretched LeafWings," He snapped. "And, I guess that SilkWing." he waved a talon at Blue.

"What should we do with him? We're not getting anywhere." Blue pointed out.

Sundew, with her face the angriest Polyplax has seen it, shouted "YOU LITTLE--wait what? Oh, thanks." Blue gave Sundew a casual look. Polyplax gave a puzzled look at the two of them.

"Cricket's here. In the jungle." Sundew seemed to calm down.

"Great! Wait, why did she leave?" Blue's eyes lit up, then narrowed into slits as he stared at her suspiciously.

"Well... I may have, kind of, maybe sent her on a mission to the Wasp hive to find my best friend..."

"Wasp? Wasp hive? Perfect! Wait, you said Cricket? I think I know her..." Polyplax said happily, then muttered the last part.

Sundew simply growled, as she always did apparently. Then she asked, "What should we do with him? I think we should knock him unconscious again."

"What? No!" Blue cried. "I swear Sundew, you are so sadistic."

"That's what I told Hibiscus once.." She muttered, yet both dragons caught it.

"Would you mind telling me more about...Hibiscus?" Blue asked.

"Later. But right now we gotta get your crush." Sundew remarked.

"I--wait--what?! She isn't my crush!" Blue said, his face turning red.

"Sure, lover boy." Sundew sarcastically said. "Watch HiveWing over here, annoy him to death on how you fell in love with Cricket."

Polyplax watched the two bicker some more before Sundew left.

Blue 'hmphed' and crossed his forearms, pouting.

"Soo..." Polyplax started. "Who is this... 'Hibiscus' dragon Sundew is crazy about?"

Blue sighed. "Apparently she's a hybrid, a SilkWing, HiveWing, LeafWing, and her mother was killed by Wasp, and she's on a mission to assassinate her. Oh, and she's older than Sundew." With a shrug, he concluded, "That's all I know about her."

A...hybrid with all three tribes? Polyplax thought, confused. Seems pretty interesting... but she's trying to kill my queen! If her mother died because of her, so be it!

Silence was hanging in the air between them before Sundew crashed down with a familiar dragonet...

...who recognized him immediately. "I-It's you! The HiveWing I saw talking with Wasp that day!"

Sundew and Blue shared a look, and said in unison, "You two know each other?"

"In a complicated way, I was visiting the Queen, and I saw him talking with her. Then Wasp asked me some questions and tried to mind control me, and he was trying to make her stop. It's no big deal."

"Whatever. You said you have news?" Sundew shrugged off the short story, where Blue was still grumbling about his and the LeafWing's earlier argument. "Yeah, actually. It's about Hibiscus." Cricket said slowly, analyzing the other female's face. Annoyance spread across her facial features, Sundew slapped her forehead, muttering "go on".

"Well, I found her in the throne room, where apparently she's been hiding for hours. And I told her you were in the market...to trick her to come with me. When we were about to leave, HiveWings came in." Cricket said. "She told me to escape, so she distracted the guards and I left and flew here immediately. I think she got captured by guards."

Ha! Polyplax thought. Serves her right.

"Ugh." Sundew groaned. "Another rescue mission."

"What about him?" Blue asked again.

"As for him," Sundew smirked. "He's coming with us."