The journey through the sea was uneventful and even quite pleasant. However, that would soon change as they approached the mysterious land mass the team simply called the island.

The expedition team, as predicted, took two days to reach the island using the power of their steam engine, which was considered very fast if compared to the sailing ships or the steam-sail hybrid ship, which was still prevalent to offset the underwhelming power of the now two decades old engine design. The Blackjack's engine made it sped through the sea with relative ease.

Most of the ship was filled to capacity with supplies that could last for months and a lot of oranges to prevent scurvy. One of the members of the group revealed that he suggested them to get living orange plants but was vetoed by the captain since they had no idea what the rough seas beyond the island would do to it. Even then, he revealed he brought a potted orange tree into his room, as he later told Jamie.

The crew was hard at work, but Hans soon realized that most of them were in fact part of the engineering team. The rest belonged to different teams as Jamie later explained Hans and the others.

"The navigational and command team consists of me and the rest of us stationed in the bridge," explained Jamie as he relaxed in the smoking longue. "The rest of us are Mr. Ashford, the vice-captain, relief officer Mr. Boxer who is responsible for night shifts, Mr. Woodridge, alongside Ms. Templeton, are responsible for navigation. Finally, Misters Akala and Lashing are the lookouts along with their reliefs Akunole and Schwann. They will keep me updated with sea situations using the telephone system."

The rest would slowly be introduced to the passengers as the day went on and they took their rests from their shifts. The crew consisted of the main team and their reliefs, especially for the crucial parts of the ship such as navigation, communication, and engineering. Ulster was also interested in the latest use of radio telegraphy, which was far more efficient than the one still in use. It was used to relay their positions to other ships, though up until the edge of the known map, which was several miles off the coast of the mysterious island. For the rest of the journey, they would be on their own, though they would keep relaying their coordinates for as long as the signal could be received by their base in Angla.

The 15 passengers that was on that ship all came from different walks of life. Hans, in particular, found that he was not the only one who came from a village. He met a farmer named Michael Dune, a human who came from an Adal village in the Adaline region, which was Tragoria's neighbor. His reason was less of seeking the thrill of adventure and more to something more personal. He revealed to Hans that he had a bad harvest and he lost everything due to a fire. He joined the crew so that he could try and start anew using what he had left.

Ulster was the werewolf anthropologist that Hans already knew and befriended, and soon enough, he met many other people who became the passengers for many different reasons. Some, like him, wanted an adventure. Others wanted to get away from their old lives. The rest, however, had several reasons, some of which included research beyond the confines of the continent. One, which also the one that Hans also befriended, was the sponsor of the ship's expedition.

She was Adeline de Rochefort, a member of the respected de Rochefort noble family and who happened to be the daughter of William de Rochefort, the current head of family and the owner of their trading company. She funded the expedition against the wishes of his family, but they could not object because it was her own allowance and the fact that she was already an independent operator ever since she ran the Angla port branch. Hans easily befriended her because she was around the same age with him, and also, despite of her upbringing, she was down to Earth and did not mind the varied history of the passengers until they showed that they took the expedition for their own selfish reasons. Then again, she did not really think anyone like that would even want to join the expedition, or if there was any, captain Jamie would not let them board the ship.

Hans enjoyed the company of the two werewolves and grew the closest with the two. This was helped by the fact that Ulster was a cheerful character with a lot of knowledge regarding cultures, while Adeline was a receptive noble who, in Hans' eyes, was patient with Hans' limited knowledge on the things happening outside Sidve village.

On the second day of the journey, during teatime, Adeline conversed with Hans and Ulster about why she went on the ship and not staying in relative safety of the port town. Like Ulster and Hans, her reason was similar.

"I don't feel that I am destined to stay in the town doing my jobs. The fact that I owned a branch in a port town tells me that I need something different," she said. "Along with a youthful imagination, I funded this expedition."

"But paying for a ship this advanced must have cost a lot of money," said Ulster.

"And I would be lying if it did not. Captain Hines drove a hard bargain, but it was understandable due to this ship's technological advancement and its experimental nature. As compromise, I took the chance to tell him that I will join the ship as one of the first passengers and a representative of the company. I could tell that he did not want their sponsor to risk the rough seas, but I think he just don't want to get to my family's bad side."

"You are partially correct, Ms. De Rochefort," said Jamie, who was already approaching them. Even after the full moon had passed, Jamie stayed in his werewolf form while Hans reverted back to his human form came morning. When he talked about the ship's crew, he also stayed werewolf, making Hans wonder if he was, like Ulster, a turned werewolf.

"So, what is the partial, then?" asked Adeline.

"Isn't it obvious enough. You are part owner of this ship. The least you can do is at least draw an insurance claim if anything ever happen to us."

"Which won't come to pass, as you have assured me."

Jamie smiled. "I admire your confidence, lassie, but as a sailor, I know things won't go as planned all the time. In fact, I can tell that I have no plan beyond the island."

"So, how are we going to get to another land if that is the case?" asked Ulster.

"If we can't find land while travelling for at least a month, then we'll turn around. The best we can do is chart the sea. It may be a disappointing end, but it is still much better than not being able to get past the island. In fact, we may find that the island might have more to offer if this ambitious journey doesn't work out as planned."

It was still better than dying in the sea and joining the other unfortunates, I suppose, thought Hans. For him, he wanted to live and tell the tale when he returned. It might not be something ambitious like finding a new civilized land, but at least his travel was not for naught. The island itself provided a good place to start.

Several hours after teatime, the Blackjack found the mysterious island on the island. The ship was on a steady speed ever since she reached the open seas, and her steady speed was much faster than any other ships near her. Soon enough, they arrived on the island. However, as they got closer and closer to the visible beach, there was a foreboding aura Hans, and the other werewolves could not shake off. Hans could tell it was his animalistic instinct kicking in, trying to warn him that something was off about the island.

One of the passengers, a human named Cillian, noticed Hans' troubled expression and said, "Is something wrong?"

"Something...something's not right on this island," said Hans. "No, not that.... Something has set its eyes on us."

"What do you mean?"

"A predator caught our scent," said Jamie with a growl. "A predator much more dangerous than even werewolves."

"Jim, don't be hasty," said Ulster. "They might just be curious."

"Not 'they', lad. 'It'."

It then followed with a loud, booming roar from within the island jungles. The roar was so loud it caused the birds to flew away. Then, there was a sudden drop in temperature along with a rather violent jolt that forced the ship to stop. It served as distraction for everyone as a fast-moving shadow flew overhead, momentarily blocking the sun as it flew past. Jamie quickly took command and told the bridge to go full reverse. However, it was already too late.

There was a whistle coming from a nearby telephone line and Jamie accepted it. It was from Henrietta, from the engine room.

"Did we hit a rock?" she said. "The props won't turn! I am shutting down the engine to prevent damage but tell me what the hell is going on up there!"

Adeline leaned over the deck as she noticed ice creeping up to the rails. She gasped in surprise when he saw what caused the ship to stop abruptly.

"But that is impossible," she said. "The sea...it froze around us."

"What?!" Jamie quickly leaned over and saw what Adeline saw, followed by a bell from the crow's nest. A couple of seconds later, vice-captain Terry Ashford ran towards Jamie and said, "The whole ship's trapped in ice, captain!"

While he was still in disbelief, Jamie still relayed this information to Henrietta. Her reaction was as expected.

"Frozen?" she said in disbelief.

"I think it's better you come up here, Fischer," said the captain. He then closed the telephone line and said, "Well, we got ourselves in quite a problem. I will appreciate if you keep your wits with you."

The rest, troubled by this sudden change of events, could only go back to the smoking lounge and tried to calm themselves. Hans and some other passengers, however, stayed outside and examined the ice around them.

The sea around the ship was frozen like the surface of a lake in winter. It engulfed the ship unnaturally, trapping it in place as if it grew out of the sea itself.

Then they heard the same roar again, now louder as it was closer to them. The ship's crew readied themselves for a possible attack when something swooped over them, covering the sun momentarily when it flew over them before. Everyone still outside the deck managed to see what it was before it disappeared near the mountain of the island. Everyone could not fathom what they just witnessed.

"Impossible," said Henry Holden, a seasoned werewolf traveler alongside his wife Sarah Holden. "But my eyes cannot deceive me. That creature...was a dragon."

"Dragon? That can be right!" said Ulster. "It cannot be a real creature. It's just a creature born out of a myth! The Excourt College even uses it as part of their coat of arms!"

"Decide whatever you want," said Jamie as he looked around, anticipating a second round of attack from the flying creature. "It's a good thing it leaves us alone for now. We can't afford to be stay stuck here and be sitting ducks. Fischer, tell your team to get the ice breaking equipment and report to me top deck."

Henrietta, who reached the top deck as the creature attacked, nodded in affirmation and quickly disappeared back into the stairwell.

"Everyone of you is welcome to help," said Jamie towards those still outside. "But I suggest you all stay below decks."

Everyone agreed. However, just before they left the deck, Hans saw some people moving from the jungle and warned Jamie about it. We quickly became tense, with the werewolves already in their wolf form readying their claws in case it was an ambush.

"Calm down, all of you," said Ulster. "We are in their home turf. Any acts of aggression from our part will not make it easier for us."

Before long, some of them got out into the open and showed who they really were. To everyone's surprise, they were not human, nor were they werewolves. The bright midday sun shone on them, clearly showing that they were all reptilians. Humanoid reptilians. Much like a werewolf, they looked like lizards with human body proportions. However, they were unlike any lizards Hans or anyone knew, for they had feathers on parts of their scale-covered bodies and sharp talon-like legs and hands that was closer to a bird's than a lizard's. Then, to complement the appearance, a long, feather-tipped tail extended from the base of their spine, adorned with tribal jewelries.

Their clothing was also very tribal, with nothing covering their body except the loincloth they wore and cloaks for some of them. The rest wore minimalistic clothing that was decorated with bone jewelries and headdresses. For Ulster, it showed that no one, especially the people of Ternor, had ever made contact with them for a cultural exchange. For an anthropologist like him, it was a substantial discovery that he would not want to miss.

Everyone else, however, were quickly intimidated by their uncanny, non-mammalian appearance. Ulster was the one who remained calm after they showed themselves and was also the one who noticed that they did not point their weapons, only holding them in a non-combative stance or put them in their sheaths.

"They won't attack us," he said confidently.

"How can you be so sure?" asked Adeline.

"Only one way to find out."

Ulster prepared to climb down from the ship's side, which caused Hans to stop him by grabbing his hand.

"But I won't just blindly walk to them and cause a misunderstanding. Maybe you should come with me, Hans."

"I prefer we stay on the ship," said Hans.

"This is what I do, Hans. My job is to learn their culture, and this is me doing my job."

"He's right, Hans," said Adeline. She also prepared to climb down the ship. "If you need someone who can talk sense, I'll be your woman."

Hans looked as Adeline and Ulster climbed down the side of the ship. He soon felt that maybe it was worth doing, considering that of the three, he was the one with a possible skill in self-defense due to his job as a hunter. If they needed a protection, and none of Jamie's crew could provide it, then he might as well did so and prove that he was ready to tackle on the unknown. Without hesitating, he followed the two down. Jamie saw this and exclaimed, "Hey! What the bloody hell are you three doing?!"

"Trust me! I know what I am doing!" replied Ulster. He slowly walked towards the reptilian people, followed by Adeline and Hans. Hans was amused by how calm and composed he was on the face of potential danger. Maybe he already knew the reptilian people would not be a danger, and also on how good he was in reading the situation.

They walked closer and closer until they were face to face with them. The reptilians had a varied and beautiful scale colors that were shown off due to their lack of modest clothing, at least in the three Tragorian's eyes. This caused Adeline to look away in embarrassment, while Hans was more intimidated by their slitted eyes and their low, guttural sound. It almost sounded like they were trying to warn them not to get closer.

"Hello," said Ulster. "We come in peace."

The reptilian looked at him in confused. Ulster realized that there was still a language barrier between the two, so he resorted to try and explain their peaceful intentions with gestures. First, he pointed to one of them, then to their weapon, then shook his head. He was trying to explain that they were not there for a fight, with the weapon symbolizing aggression.

The reptilians grasped what he was saying, with one of them letting out a melodic, chirping noise and trills much like how birds communicate. But in the three's ears, they sounded more like sentences with proper inflections and intonations. A language of birds.

Ulster then tried his best to explain what they were there for. The reptilians seemed to understood what he was trying to say, but the language barrier prevented a good communication. Ulster's gestures were quickly taken by the reptilians and they also made gestures that Ulster could easily interpret.

They then gestured the three to follow them, as Ulster explained. Hans started to feel that the whole thing could end up becoming a trap, especially since they had no idea what the reptilians were trying to say and their inability to read their expressions.

"Ulster, I know you try to talk with them in a peaceful setting," said Adeline. "But stay on your toes."

"I suggest we transform so we might get an edge," said Hans. "They've already seen Ulster's appearance, so they might not interpret it as a hostile act. What do you think, Ulster?"

"Just try and don't do it in front of them, okay? I thought it's something you purebloods consider private matters?"

"On the contrary, maybe we should," said Adeline. "We can't let them think we're trying to make fun of them. Show them that we are not trying to trick them. Sometimes, you need to put everything on a table if you want to have a smooth negotiation. Trust is as important in business."

Ulster contemplated on Adeline's reasonings and could only agree. Between the two of them, she was the one who knew how to negotiate. Ulster proceeded to tell the reptilian tribesmen to wait as Hans and Adeline prepared to transform.

It wasn't hard for a pureblood werewolf to transform between forms. All they had to do was to conjure the image of a wolf in their minds. The transformation itself wasn't painful, as they seemed to seamlessly lose their human appearance and slowly turning into werewolves, to the awe of Ulster and the reptilians. For them, the seamless transformation felt more beautiful than harrowing, and it showed when they finished.

As Hans opened his eyes, he found that he was already a black-furred werewolf with blue eyes, courtesy of his father's eyes (his mother had yellow eyes). Adeline, on the other hand, turned into a red-furred werewolf which made her look almost like a fox due to her slender build. Hans had already guessed that she would turn into a red-furred werewolf due to the color of her hair, so it did not surprise him.

Even so, it did not stop him from commenting on her werewolf appearance.

"Are you sure you are not a werefox?"

"I don't have a bushy tail," she replied with a smile. "It is something we de Rocheforts are known for."

Ulster noticed that the reptilians talked among themselves, clearly in awe and surprise of the transformation. He then tried to make gestures that it was a sign of trust, hoping they understood what he meant. Fortunately, the apparently did, and they beckoned them to continue following the group.

"A show of trust is the first step of friendship, unless if we're talking business," said Adeline, explaining the reason why she asked for the transformation. "And right now, we are not negotiating. We are trying to let them know we are not invaders."

"Guess there are things I can still learn from you, miss de Rochefort," said Ulster with a smile.

What Ulster said also applied to Hans, who silently nodded as they continued with the reptilians through the jungle. Before they got out of the Blackjack's crew's sight, however, Hans turned and said, "We won't be long, Jim! "

Jamie could only scoff as the three went into the forest. "He's a bit too eager for an adventure," he said.

***

The jungle the Reptilians guided them was thick and looked rather overgrown. Foliage and tall trees surrounded them while also preventing most of the sunlight to penetrate through. However, it wasn't a hard trek for the three werewolves, considering that the reptilians laid down a path with paved rocks. Ulster was fascinated by this fact and started writing down on his notes.

Noticing this, Hans asked, "Is it really that remarkable, Ulster?"

"They are a jungle-dwelling tribe, Hans," he said. "The fact that they know how to lay down a road is enough to tell that they are more civilized than they looked. Maybe they do understand what we are trying to tell them."

"It will make things easier if we know how to speak their language," said Adeline. "The fact that there were no interpreters with them means that we are the first off-islanders they have ever met."

"Can't imagine myself learning how to chirp like birds," quipped Hans. "Then again, if we can't talk to them, we can't ask them about the dragon or whatever that flying creature was."

Hans' concern was shared between the three. But before they could be concerned even further, they got out of the jungle and into a clearing, which was the site of a tribal village populated by the reptilian people along with giant, slow-moving reptiles. Their sheer size alone made the three wonder how big the jungle they went through was, because the giant reptiles would be hard to hide otherwise.

The village was not the biggest thing that attracted them. Hans quickly noticed that the village was at the base of the only mountain on the island. The mountain's summit was obscured by a persistent cloud, with parts of it covered in snow.

"That's strange," said Ulster. "That mountain's not near high enough to even have a snow cap. The island's hot as it is."

Hans then noticed a stone slab with the carving of a dragon near the pathways leading to the mountain. The drawing was not detailed, but it clearly showed a silhouette of a dragon carved by crude tools. The slab was decorated with torches and flowers.

"So, that dragon is their living god," said Hans after he pointed out the shrine.

"I don't think so, Hans." Ulster approached the shrine and started writing on his note. "The dragon is their guardian."

"Not god?"

"If it is their god, that slab will be covered with more than flowers. They are worshipping that idol over there."

Hans turned towards where Ulster was pointing at, confirming what the gray-furred werewolf already know. There was a different carving of a reptilian person with tribal armor that looked like it was to represent a hero or a god. Unlike the dragon carving, this carving was more detailed and was given color instead of just plain black. There were also foods around it, given as an offering.

"But clearly, the dragon is mightier than the reptilian warrior, right?" said Hans.

"That warrior could be their god, so his authority is higher than the dragon's. Or the dragon does not demand anything from these people. But I am leaning more towards the dragon being a fellow outsider, like us."

"You mean, it came from somewhere aside from our continent?"

"It's the only explanation I can give," said Ulster with a shrug. "There is no way a dragon that big remains undetected in the known world. It may be the key to the mystery of the unknown seas."

Before Hans could even be in awe of Ulster's explanation, he felt a light, but rather sharp, tap, on his leg, causing him to turn towards the tap's direction. A young, red-scaled reptilian was offering Hans a drink out of a coconut. Hans simply took it and gave the young reptilian a smile, the only way he could say 'thank you' that the child could understand. Just as Hans wondered if they could understand mammalian expressions, the kid seemed to understand and let out a toothy grin, showing Hans rows of sharp teeth as she walked away. Hans assumed that this young reptilian was she based on her softer gaze and the muted color of her scales compared to the males, which had colorful scales. It reminded him of some birds where the males were more attractive than the females.

The distraction proved Hans that maybe they forgot to be courteous. They were in someone else's village, after all. It would make a bad first impression if they suddenly thought they were in a safe place. Ulster and Adeline certainly started to think that way, but Hans did not want to feel safe just yet. It would be easier if he knew how to speak and understand the reptilians' language, though.

As Hans contemplated on a good way to understand the reptilians, he heard a chirp that sounded like a beckon. He turned towards the noise to find an older reptilian standing there. Hans, trying to be polite, wanted to say hello just before the old reptilian walked towards him and, without prior warning, touched his head. Hans was surprised by this, but he did not try to struggle. The old reptilian proceeded to say something, during which Hans felt a cold sting hitting his head like having a splash of cold water. This caused him to react, reeling back from the reptilian's touch. As he shook his head, however, the strangest thing happened.

All of the sudden, the chirps and the trills from the feathered reptilians were replaced by intelligible Tragorian. The village felt so different now that he could hear the conversation happening around him. He was so shocked by this that he was agape as he listened to the villagers talking about the werewolves.

That awe was only broken when the old reptilian started speaking.

"It is a welcome gift to you, guests from the mainland," he said. "Let us welcome you to our island proper."

"W-what did you do?" said Hans, astonished. "How did I...?"

"This gift was given to us by this island's guardian." He then looked up to the mountain. "She taught my forefathers to bestow this gift upon those who hatched since then, and now I am bestowing you this gift so we stand on equal grounds."

"So, it's some sort of...magic?" said Hans in disbelief. He thought that it was just his awe and shock that he said something so ridiculous, which was why when the reptilian nodded in affirmative, he became surprised.

"Magic less obstructive than the one she put your ship in, as I heard from the scouts," he said. "On her behalf, I owe you an apology. She is our guardian, and she is doing her job a little too well. This is the first time anyone has ever reached the beach."

Before their conversation could continue, Ulster heard Hans talking to the old reptilian. While Hans was clearly talking with Tragorian, the reptilian was still replying with the usual chirping sounds. It sounded as if they were communicating.

Curious, he approached Hans and said, "Hans? What are you doing? Are you trying to communicate?"

"No, It's..."

Before Hans could say anything else, the old reptilian did the same thing to Ulster and Adeline. All of the sudden, the two werewolves heard the chirps and trills slowly becoming understandable Tragorian, almost as if the reptilians were speaking their language like a native speaker. This revelation also shocked them as much as Hans did.

"Unbelievable!" exclaimed Ulster. "It's like I have been given a revelation!"

"I extend my welcome to you all," said the old reptilian. "Welcome to our island, mainlanders."

"Honored to be your guest," said Adeline with a bow.

"And I extend my welcome to the rest of your people in the ship," said the old reptilian. "It is unfortunate that our guardian gives a bad first impression, but it is what she is: a guardian."

The three found that the other reptilians, now capable of understand the three, turned to them and made gestures to welcome them properly. They felt honored, but they had no idea on how to react to their politeness.

Nevertheless, Hans and Adeline chose to return to the ship while Ulster stayed to talk with the old reptilian. The two werewolves were escorted by the same reptilians who they first met. Before long, they reached the ship. The crew and some of the passengers were trying to break the ice around the ship, only to find that the ice was either too hard or too thick for pickaxes to break through. They also found that the ship unnaturally lodged into the sand by the equally unnatural ice, which, despite the hot weather, did not melt. The temperature around the ship was as cold as winter, but after stepping out of the ice, it abruptly became the island's hot temperature.

Jamie noticed the two returning to the ship and greeted them.

"Hey! Been wondering where you've been," said Jamie. "You worried me to death back there!"

"Forgive our brashness," said Adeline. "I prefer a hands-on conversation than suspicions. As for the reptilians, they extend their welcome to all of you. They gave us the means to properly communicate with each other."

"Ah, that's a relief. Unfortunately, not everyone shares your idea, miss de Rochefort. I'll make a general announcement about your success, but I doubt anyone would be convinced."

"For formality's sake, I hope this convinced you."

"Cannae turn down an invitation, now, can I? And besides, I will look bad if a noble lassie is far braver than the captain, right?"

Adeline simply smiled at Jamie's compliment. Hans, however, started to wonder if their journey would be cut short here, now that there were no progress on the ship getting off the unnatural ice. Maybe the ice only responded to the dragon, and without the dragon, the ship wouldn't budge.

If that was the case, he would be disappointed that they did not cross the sea, but he would still be glad that he was part of an expedition that met the indigenous, reptilian people of the mysterious island two days travel with a steamship.

Yet, he had a feeling that they would meet with the dragon again. If that was the case, maybe they could talk it into freeing the ship. Then again, a beast that could trap a ship like that would be a hard negotiation.

That was if the dragon could even understand them.