Days passed, and Etin and Winnie surely and steadily integrated themselves with the group. Etin more so than Winnie, who had decided that lazing in the sun — preferably alongside Sarah — was the height of life and refused to spend too much time with the rowdy kids.

Etin had found himself right at home with the five Revenants, however, and absorbed everything they told him like a sponge. I left them to their own devices, knowing that Etin would prefer their company to my own. I knew through our link that he loved me as I did him, but he’d quickly realized I was not as fun as the pack of rabid Heroes. Ideas were had, plans were made and shenanigans were enacted — until finally I had to put my foot down after they decided to show Etin the wondrous experience of swimming.

Or, it would have been wondrous had the living skeleton not sunk like a lead weight as soon as he touched the water. I knew most of the kids were kind of airheaded, but I’d expected Cam and Alexis to realize what a bad idea this was and how it would never work. At least Cam had had the presence of mind to weave a working of Force to stop Etin from sinking and bring him back up, but the harm was done — Etin was now afraid of water.

And the Heroes were grounded.

It was with some relish that I informed the five that they wouldn’t be allowed abovedeck for a few days — I had read all bout it in Mother Sulli’s Guide, but I never thought I’d get the opportunity. But that relish soon turned to dismay as they completely tore apart the peace of quiet of the ship’s belly, and their punishment was prematurely lifted. Allegedly on account of their good behavior.

A few days later 5 Heroes and a skeleton stood before me, pleading to end this impromptu vacation and continue on to the dragons’ den. That the Earth kids wanted this wasn’t surprising, but Etin shared their desire, and his spectral eyes burned with a staggering intensity.

“Do you truly want this as well?” I tilted my head at the Awakened skeleton.

Yes, he sent as he nodded furiously.

“But why? It’ll be dangerous, especially for you.” I had delayed the excursion, having anchored the ship just outside the dragons’ known territory. I had no qualms about throwing myself into danger to reach my goals, and so did the Heroes, but Etin was practically still a newborn — Winnie as well, for that matter. They had no horse in this race, and the idea of dragging them along into certain danger didn’t sit well with me. Etin, at least — it was clear that Sarah and Winnie came as a package, and the bear had made it clear he’d follow Sarah wherever she went. But Etin…

Etin’s reply came as a single word. Dragons. He bounced up and down. I want to see the dragons.

I blinked, then turned my head to stare at the five Revenants. Aside from Shiro, they all bore traces of guilt on their faces, with Alexis even looking a little bit ashamed.

She must have noticed me staring, because she brought her hands up defensively. “I only told him a few stories! It’s not my fault he latched on to the idea of dragons.”

“He really wants to meet them, now,” Sarah added.

“I don’t even blame him. I mean, hey, it’s dragons,” Shiro said with a shrug.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose. “Dragons are dangerous. Has Alexis explained this to you?”

Yes.

“And that only makes you want to see them even more, doesn’t it?”

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

And there I had it. Permission from all those involved to sail straight into danger. I wanted to unravel the mystery of the gods’ plans, the Heroes wanted the same, and Etin merely wanted to see dragons. Logically, there was no reason to hesitate. And yet… he was a child. He wasn’t experienced enough to make these kinds of decisions. And—

With a start, I wasn’t sure the Heroes were equipped for a decision like this, either. Alexis was nearly an adult, but the others?

I opened my mouth to point this out, then closed it right back. The nagging voice in my head, the one that got louder every time I put points into intelligence was making its opinion on this course of action known, and it was not favorable.

The silence stretched as I thought hard on this decision. On the one side, I wanted to end this whole hunt — not by giving up, but by finishing it, and the dragons’ slice of the archipelago would be a major step forward. Perhaps even a tipping point. But did I have the right to bring others into possible death as well?

Alexis must have read my inner turmoil, because she broke the silence. “I know you’re afraid for Etin,” she said, staring at an empty wall, “but this isn’t about him. Or us. Or even you.”

I looked at her and motioned for her to continue.

“We need to get to the end of all this. And get the gods to stop, somehow. I don’t even care if I don’t get revenge for what they did to us, but if we don’t stop theem soon—”

“They’ll summon another batch of Heroes. More innocents to the slaughter,” Cam finished.

“Exactly,” Alexis said. “Cam has been looking into old records, looking for stuff on Hero summonings and all that. It’s usually a few years between them, but they’ve also happened as often as once every few months.”

“And it’s been just about half a year,” Sarah murmured.

The now somber Revenants stood in contrast to Etin, who was still excited about dragons, oblivious to the change of mood — until a few moments later when he finally noticed the change. He took a step back, as if struck, and the fire in his eyes dimmed. The impression of deep sadness roiled off him.

That sealed the decision.

“Very well. We’ll raise the anchor within the hour. As soon as that’s done, meet me back in my study. If we’re going to meet with dragons, you all need to learn how to behave properly.”

~*~

Nothing changed as we entered the dragons’ territory, but I still curled my fingers around the railing. The children may have been taking them lightly, but I’d been raised on stories of the dragons’ ferocity. The weakest of them was a match for an Archmage, and the information I sought was unlikely to lie in the claws of a weak dragon. No, we would likely have to parley with their leaders, and even with my recent System enhancements, I wasn’t sure I was up to the challenge.

If they noticed us intruding in their waters, the dragons gave no notice. We sailed towards the center of their island complex, where a gigantic volcano lay — little was known of their species, but according to rumors, that was where their leadership resided.

All of us on the Reborn Sparrow had gathered around the prow — I intended to keep watch at all times in case we were intercepted, while the kids were more interested in being the first to spot one of the targets of their obsession.

When distant smoke rose above the horizon, Shiro broke the silence. “Is that a dragon?” he asked, his eyes squinting with effort.

I shook my head. “That should be our target — the Dragon’s Eye volcano.”

“Wait. We’re headed to an active volcano?” Cam asked with a blink.

“What, are you scared?” Sarah said with a wicked smile.

“Dragons are one thing, but a smoking volcano? That’s dangerous.”

“And getting eaten alive by a dragon isn’t?” I asked.

“That’s different. You can reason with a dragon. There’s no reasoning with a volcano.”

“Rest assured that the volcano is the least of your worries — and as long as you remain polite, the dragons shouldn’t be an issue either. You remember your lessons, yes?”

“Yes,” they chorused in unison, a rote response to a question I’d asked a dozen times by now. Even Etin and Winnie droned the reply alongside the Heroes.

I watched the smoke grow bigger, and once the Dragon’s Eye was visible on the horizon, the kids began murmuring excitedly. Worry gnawed at my insides, however, as I failed to spot any signs of activity. Had the dragons moved on from this area? Were they hiding themselves with magic, ready to drop an ambush on us?

A quick scan using Soul Sight indicated that there weren’t any around us, but ways to hide magical flows existed. I did spy a tiny surveillance spell, a weaving of Fate and Dimension so small I might have missed it had it not been the only sign of magic in hundreds of miles. Its magic had a strange flavor to it, unlike most I had analyzed, but it was hard to get a good look at it from this distance.

I nodded politely towards the scrying spell — destroying it might have incurred their wrath, and they were perfectly justified to want to keep an eye on us. We were intruding, after all — but the question remained. Where were the dragons? If they were watching us, it stood to reason that they were in the area, and commonly ships that intruded on their seas were met with quick retaliation — so why were they not making themselves known?

Soon, we were approaching the Dragon’s Eye. From this side, I could see a small bay, with a series of docks arrayed along the shore — but unlike the Floating City’s bustling docks, these ones were completely devoid of life. Of any other ship, as well. With so many options to choose from, I guided the corvette to the closest dock.

Within five minutes, the ship was secured, and the eight of us set foot on the ancient planks that made up the docks.

Alexis tapped her foot against the wood. “Isn’t this just like the ship…?”

I scanned the docks, seeing nothing magical or out of the ordinary — and yet, the docks were in pristine shape, despite the construction looking positively ancient.

“I believe you are right. It’s the same kind of construction as the Reborn Sparrow — and my tower as well, though that one is stone. Curious…”

“Yay, magic wood,” Shiro muttered under his breath, triggering a snort in David.

“But where is everyone?” Sarah asked. “This is giving me major creepy vibes.”

Before I could tell her my hypothesis, Etin released a mental shout. Barely a moment after, a giant silvery shape took off far beyond the treeline, flying directly towards us. I heard squees and gasps to my right, but ignored them as I prepared myself to defend, drawing Force to my hands.

But my worry had been misplaced. The silver dragon landed heavily some thirty feet away from us, sand and dust rising from the impact — the docks, however, didn’t even buckle under the weight.

The dragon wasted no time getting straight to business. “Who are you, and for what reason do you dare intrude on our lands?” it rumbled, and I wondered how it could speak our tongue through its reptilian jaw.

Setting the sudden curiosity aside, I gave the creature a shallow bow. “My name is Julian Crane, an Archmage from the continent.”

“That answers merely half of my question, Julian Crane of the Continent. Why are you here?”

“I gave you my name, dragon, yet you have yet to give me yours. I would know who I am speaking with before I answer your questions.”

The dragon glared, going silent for a moment. “You presume much, mortal.”

I shrugged and smiled. “Do I, really?” I asked, meeting its gaze. I’d impressed the need to be polite and respectful to the kids, but I couldn’t afford to behave the same around the dragons. If I wanted to get anything out of them, letting myself be stepped over would not help in the least.

Finally, the dragon nodded. “I am Al’vathazen, third of my name, first son of the Matriarch,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine. “Now, answer my question before I decide you are enemies.”

I cleared my throat. “I seek an audience with the oldest of your kind. Those who still remember the times when the gods still walked among us.”

Al’vathazen bristled, beset by anger. Of all possible reactions, this was not one I expected. “You dare? None have spoken to the Matriarch in over a thousand years — not even I, her firstborn — and you think you, a mortal, are worthy of this great an honor?”

I squared my shoulders. “If that’s what it takes, then yes. The information I seek is vital not only to me, but to many others.”

“You…” Al’vathazen seethed, “you dare!” Like lightning, he brought up a claw, ready to strike us down, but Force came easily to my fingers. Even now, though, I was hesitant to hurt the dragon before me — I couldn’t make another enemy now, not after the Floating City.

To my luck, I never had to release the spell I’d been holding. Al’vathazen paused, his claw still mid-air, a blank look in his eyes. He lowered his arm and turned to look over his shoulder straight at the volcano. Moments passed as the dragon stood petrified.

Finally, Al’vathazen turned back to me. “It appears you are in luck,” he said, his voice quivering with poorly concealed emotion. “I have just received a communication from the Matriarch. Her Majesty shall see you now.”