The swamp was stagnant and muggy. The midday sun beat down in little patches through the trees. There was not the slightest stirring of air. All was completely still except for the buzz of a myriad of small insects, mainly mosquitoes.
Then, quite unexpectedly, a single bubble deliberately arose to the surface. Just one.
It sat for a moment and then popped just as a fly tried to land on it.
Stillness reigned once more.
But then- two more bubbles. They too sat for a moment, and then were gone.
Suddenly the water seemed to come alive! It heaved up in a huge, shapeless mass. But it wasn't just water. The form of a large, thick-bodied dragon emerged as the water flowed off of it. It was a Mudwing.
The big dragon climbed out of the water and onto a clayey bank nearby where the sun was striking at its hottest. He shook like a dog, flinging the water from his scales as he sighed contentedly and plopped down into the warm mud.