Page 28

The heavy plume of volcanic smoke and ash most likely indicated a dragon—or more than one—recently hatched.

Griff now faced the dilemma of what to do next.

Go ashore, obviously, but then what? He didn’t know where to find Avera.

Didn’t know what to expect if a dragon had been hatched.

He wanted to save his little queen, but how?

He couldn’t even be sure where to find her, although the smoking mountain in the distance was probably where he should start.

Argent read his mind. “You do realize by the time your slow plodding feet get your carcass to the volcano they’ll be gone?”

“If she’s even there.”

“She is,” Argent declared. “She will most likely remain in place for a few days as the volcano is located in a rather inhospitable place, a veritable barren wasteland. No food for miles around.”

“And knowing this helps me how?”

“Four dragons will require quite a bit of sustenance.”

“Assuming they hatched all the eggs.”

“They did.” Once more Argent spoke as if there were no doubt.

“Do you think they’ll kill Avera?” Griff asked. The reminder of Argent’s ire being a good indication that the newly freed dragons would be angry when they found out how long they’d been kept in their stony shells.

“We cannot kill the blooded,” Argent reminded.

“Because even if distantly, the blooded are related to you and you don’t eat family,” Griff summarized.

“Yes. A strange foible of our kind.”

“How do you think your brethren will react when they realize they were kept trapped in their eggs for a thousand years?”

“Poorly. Merisu never did like being tricked.”

It jolted Griff to be reminded the continents had been named after the former dragons. “Why would the emperor release them? Doesn’t he know about Zhos and how the eggs are needed to keep it from escaping?”

“You’re asking me?” Argent laughed. “I’ve no idea what goes through a man’s mind. Although, if I were to guess, he most likely thinks he can control us. A foolish endeavor for we are the mightiest creatures of all.”

“So mighty you couldn’t defeat Zhos, only incapacitate it.”

Argent’s expression twisted into something less than human. “That foul being isn’t from here. As such, we lack the ability to kill it.”

“If that’s true, then we’re doomed,” Griff stated. “Once Zhos escapes, there will be no way to stop it.”

“Not entirely true. While powerful, it has limits, and there is a way to rid the world of it. It would seem the wily humans who betrayed us did so with a plan. A plan a thousand years in the making.” Argent stared at the sky.

“No one plots that far ahead.”

“Your ancestors did. Much has become clear since my release.”

“To you, maybe. Care to explain?”

“No.” Argent glanced at Griff. “We should go ashore to find out what is happening.” Argent’s gaze strayed to the clouds of smoke. “I must try and contact my kin.”

“I doubt we can send them a letter.”

“As if I’d trust a message to a courier,” Argent scoffed. “Dragons only converse face to face.”

“I thought you said it would take too long to get there.”

“On foot, yes. But you forget, I can fly.”

“I can’t,” Griff grumbled.

“You should know by now that isn’t a problem.” Argent grinned with gleaming teeth and a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Oh, no, not again. I don’t enjoy being carted around like a sack of potatoes.”

“And I don’t like you enough to let you ride me like a horse.”

“Well, it’s a moot point seeing as how you’re two-legged like me at the moment,” Griff retorted.

“Am I?” Argent winked. Without a further word, he dove from the side of the boat, leading some of the crew to call out, “Man overboard.”

Only it wasn’t a man that surfaced.

Screams erupted as a serpentine head breached the water.

“Dragon! Crank the harpoon,” hollered Kelly.

“Belay that order,” Griff bellowed. “Kreed, don’t let anyone attack.”

“Is that our friend?” Kreed yelled back.

“Aye.”

A statement that led to Argent saying in his head, Friend? That’s rather presumptuous.

Griff scowled. “What do you think you’re doing?”

I told you I wish to learn about the situation in Merisu.

“You could have been more discreet.”

Now where’s the fun in that? Argent pushed himself out of the water, further revealing his slick-scaled bulk. Griff had to wonder how he would be able to launch himself into flight.

Apparently, quite easily. One moment, Argent floated in the ocean, the next, he propelled himself from the water. He pumped his wings and shook like a dog, spattering everyone on deck, or at least those who hadn’t fled in fear.

“Will you be coming back?” Griff asked.

Your crew would be miffed if I didn’t return, seeing as how they all adore their precious captain.

“Wait? What?” Griff stammered, trying to make sense of the words, but not quick enough to avoid the sinuous tail that wrapped around him and lifted him from the deck.

The crew screamed, panicked and fearful at their captain being taken.

Kreed yelled louder, “Stop the caterwauling. The cap is fine. He and the dragon have an understanding.”

Not really. Griff understood nothing. Although, he really, really hoped Argent didn’t drop him. If he’d thought riding gripped in a clawed paw was bad, bobbing along like a kite on a string behind the dragon proved to be worse. Up and down, side to side. Griff, who was never seasick, felt queasy.

“Where are we going?” he asked to distract himself.

Merisu.

“Obviously. Are you heading for the volcano?”

I’m not sure. With so many of my brethren hatched in such a small area, my appearance might cause strife. We do not share territory well.

“Meaning those dragons aren’t your friends.”

Friendship is a human concept. We exist. We are the same and not. We do not usually associate.

“Sounds lonely.”

Another human emotion.

“Are you claiming you don’t feel?”

Feelings are for the weak. I am dragon. My life is about hunting, gathering, learning, and hoarding.

“What’s the point if you have no one to share it with?”

I used to be surrounded by blooded.

“Servants don’t count.”

I enjoyed conversing with a few. Your father, for one.

“I wouldn’t call what you do conversing. More like bitching, moaning, mocking?—”

And what do you think humans do?

“We laugh. We share experiences. We help one another.”

Not all. Although, I will admit your crew are rather intriguing. The old one who works in the belly of your ship has some interesting thoughts.

“They’ll be even more interesting next time now that Garth knows you’re a dragon.” Because his crew weren’t dumb. They’d put the pieces together. Argent missing, dragon appearing.

Back in my time, we had tinkerers. One made me the most intricate harness.

“Harness for what?”

Nothing. Argent went silent.

To Griff’s surprise, they alit on the shore of Merisu with Argent’s tail depositing him gently.

“Why are we stopping?” he asked. “I thought we were going to the volcano.”

We are not alone in the sky.

“Say what?” Griff craned to look and blinked as sunlight glinted off something in the bright blue and cloudless expanse overhead.

Be quiet.

Before Griff could ask why, a dragon plummeted towards them. Argent didn’t move, but rather sat tall and—dare he say—arrogantly, waiting. The beast that alit was much smaller than Argent, its scales silvery sheened, its appearance dainty.

Greetings. I am Argent, formerly known as Verlora . Argent bowed his neck, but never took his gaze from the smaller dragon.

Greetings to you, as well. I was known as Daerva but have yet to choose my new name. My hatching had some unexpected issues. Her head pivoted and her gaze slitted. Why do you travel with a blooded? Are you not aware of the betrayal?

I know what the humans did. However, this one has proven useful.

Watch yourself. In the eons we’ve been gone they’ve plotted against us. I know not all the details, but can assure you, it is unpleasant.

I’m aware they kept us in the shell and used us to guard Zhos’ prison.

Did you know they plan to sacrifice us again once the rift between our worlds opens?

Argent hissed. I suspected as much. Never again, though, will I donate my life and blood.

I’m afraid our kin won’t have a choice. The blooded have trapped them. I only narrowly escaped being collared.

“What collars?” Griff blurted, somehow a part of the conversation.

As if you don’t know, the small dragon hissed. The blooded who hatched our eggs betrayed us again, placing collars around the necks of Merisu, Okkilam, and Pequilh. I only narrowly escaped. Alas, our brethren weren’t as lucky. The blooded control them now.

How is this possible? Argent huffed. We are dragon. A human cannot order us around like a dog.

Tell that to the three who are captive.

Why didn’t you free them? Argent exclaimed.

How can I when the blooded have ordered them to capture me if I come near? Merisu struggled to give me warning before a command forced it to attack.

Argent stiffened. That is disturbing.

Hence why I chose to move on. Given the issues with this continent, I shall find another to roost upon.

Verlora is mine, Argent hissed, claiming his stake.

Keep it. I was thinking of seeing how my namesake isle is. Surely Daerva is as magnificent as me.

Griff felt a need to interject. “Um, Daerva has been taken over by an imposter. Benoit had the Voxspira family killed, all of them but Avera, and stole her throne. It’s also where Zhos is strongest, so you might want to avoid it.”

So, it truly does awaken?

“Yeah. Apparently, once your eggs were removed, it managed to start wiggling free from its prison. Or ice lake or whatever’s holding it in place. Avera tried to get the stones back to stop it, but the emperor got to her first,” Griff summarized.

Stones? You speak of the eggs as if they are unimportant objects to be used.

“Sorry,” he hastened to say. “I only recently found out they were eggs. You have to understand, until I met Argent, I thought dragons were a myth.”

This world is very annoying, the small dragon said, and he could practically hear the sniff.