The salty tang of the ocean air swept over the bay, mingling with the sound of crashing waves. The sun hung low in the sky, casting an orange-pink glow across the shoreline where Sera and her group had made camp. The blue dragoness spread her wings wide, basking in the sunlight, her scales shimmering like sapphire fire. "Here," she said with a satisfied sigh, "no one will find us."

Nearby, Blue sat awkwardly, wincing as he rubbed at the bandaged stumps of his wing buds. Every now and then, he cast a frustrated glance at the others. His pride stung more than his wounds—being carried had been humiliating. He gritted his teeth, the tight line of his jaw betraying his annoyance.

Sera noticed, pausing her meal of freshly roasted antelope. Cricket had been surprisingly adept at hunting in the savannah, though she was now curled up, dozing in the heat of the midday sun. Sera turned her piercing gaze toward Blue, her golden eyes glinting.

"You know," she began, her voice steady yet thoughtful as she tore another chunk of meat from the leg bone, "you won't be useless when your metamorphosis hits." She let the words hang for a moment, her gaze unwavering. "We can really use your flamesilk to save the tribes."

Blue's antennae twitched, and his violet eyes snapped to hers, wide and full of doubt. "You think so?" he muttered, his voice quiet, tinged with self-reproach. He fidgeted, his claws digging into the sand beneath him. "I just... I don't know. It feels like I'm more of a burden than anything else."

Sera snorted, rolling her eyes. "Oh, please. We're dragons, Blue. Burdens aren't a thing—we either adapt or burn through the problem. And right now, you're just in your cocoon phase. When the time comes, you'll be ready. Flamesilk isn't just useful; it's power. The kind of power we're going to need to survive."

Blue glanced at her, doubt still shadowing his face, but there was a flicker of something else there too. Hope, maybe. Or at least curiosity. "You really think I'll make a difference?"

Sera smirked, her sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight. "Think? No. Know. So, stop moping. You've got something special coming, and when it does, you'll be the one carrying us."

Blue blinked, unsure whether to believe her. But as the waves crashed rhythmically against the shore and the sun's rays warmed his battered scales, the tension in his shoulders began to ease. Maybe, just maybe, there was something more to him than his current state of frailty.

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The warm savannah breeze ruffled the feathers of the gray-blue raptor as she crouched on the wide, gnarled branch of a baobab tree, her yellow eyes glinting in the fading light. Below her, the scrappy troodon, Petrie, perched awkwardly, claws gripping the uneven bark. His tail flicked lazily as he squinted at the distant horizon.

"Yeah, I saw them," Petrie said, jerking his narrow snout toward the direction of the bay. His wings twitched in irritation as if swatting away invisible flies. "They're that way. You know, if Ripper really thinks he can go up against dragons, he's more delusional than I thought."

Blue snorted, the sharp sound tinged with amusement and a hint of derision. "Ripper has a point, you know," she replied, the corners of her snout curling into a sly smirk. She flicked her tail dismissively, her bloody snout still gleaming under the dappled sunlight breaking through the leaves. "Dragons have reigned over this continent long enough. They've grown complacent, sitting pretty on their piles of gold or whatever nonsense they hoard."

Her talons scraped lightly against the bark as she stood, her movements fluid and predatory. She turned her gaze back to Petrie, who tilted his head skeptically, his orange eyes narrowing.

"Come on, Blue," he drawled, "you're really buying into Ripper's whole 'dinosaur supremacy' thing? I mean, we're good, sure, but dragons breathe fire. Some of them spit acid. And don't even get me started on the lightning ones—"

Blue cut him off with a sharp snap of her jaws, her teeth flashing dangerously close to his snout. "Just you wait, Petrie," she said, her voice low and full of quiet menace. "Ripper's right. The time of dragons is over. Dinosaurs will be the ones to rule the entire earth. And when we do," she leaned in closer, her yellow eyes burning with conviction, "you'll wish you hadn't doubted."

Petrie gulped, his feathers fluffing in nervous reflex as he scrambled backward. "Alright, alright," he muttered, raising a wing in mock surrender. "I'll give you that—you've got guts. Just don't expect me to be around when Ripper gets roasted like a spit lizard."

Blue chuckled, stepping back to survey the savannah below with a triumphant glint in her eye. "Dragons have had their day," she murmured to herself, her smirk widening. "Now it's our turn."