After the torrential rain, yellow-green mist smelling of sulfur rose above the jungle. The air around the weirwood saplings was much fresher, however, and the rain, rich in magical energy, had helped them grow considerably.
Around the tall weirwoods near the Dragon-Taming Tower in particular, many of the wild grasses had begun slowly turning emerald green.
Danyla walked over the slightly hot humus. Though its softness felt rather pleasant underfoot, it always gave her the feeling that some danger lurked beneath the soil.
Over the next few days, Danyla kept training the young dragons to fight the mutant beasts at close quarters. Azure Scales, White Teeth, and the others accumulated quite a few wounds, but they also grew stronger and more agile.
The nearby jungle was home not only to large numbers of enormous six-legged wild cattle, but also to countless Fang Giant Rabbits the size of wild dogs, as well as calf-sized Scabby Sheep and Scaled Boars.
When fighting for their lives, these rabbits could leap four or five meters into the air. Their sharp, chisel-like serrated teeth could easily tear through a great dragon's wings and scales.
Their pelts were not attractive, but they were tough and highly waterproof, making them suitable for leather boots and coats. Their two incisors, each over forty centimeters long, had an extremely high metal content and made excellent material for daggers and arrowheads.
The young dragon Vermilion Claws loved hunting those Giant-Toothed Rabbits most of all. His sharp claws could easily crush their skulls, though the rabbits often tore his wings when they suddenly lashed out.
But the plentiful fresh meat and dense magical energy nearby allowed his wounds to heal in less than a day. Those injuries also made his wings increasingly tough.
White Teeth preferred hunting the enormous Scabby Sheep.