“Especially with your weak Human eyesight,” Flicker added. “How do we know that’s what we’re looking for?”
“We don’t, not yet,” said Grandion. “But any building which is so well concealed halfway down the side of an Island, in such a remote location, has to be hiding something. My guess is a secret mine.”
As they flew closer, Grandion deployed his concealing magic in full force. They ghosted by a quarter-mile offshore, eyeing the portion of tan-coloured brickwork they could see, set flush against the side of the Island. Narrow windows provided some ventilation, but were clearly designed to be difficult to detect, especially as the suns lowered on the far side of the Island, deepening the shadows on the east-facing cliffs. Little else was visible from afar.
Dragonet and Dragon swapped notes.
Flicker said, “To the left of the building is a cave or ravine heavily overhung by those prekki-fruit trees. I thought I saw the tailpipe of a Dragonship in there. And you saw that Green Dragon leaving to patrol, Grandion. We’ve been very fortunate on the timing.”
“What would they mine in there?” asked Lia.
“Gold or gemstones,” said the Tourmaline Dragon. “This is the way Dragons used to work their Human slaves. You see, the closer you get to the Cloudlands, the better the pickings. It has something to do with the way that the Ancient Dragons raised the Islands. But the atmosphere is poisonous lower down. So it is safest to mine inside of an Island. That outlet you spotted, Hualiama, is likely to be the exhaust for a smelting operation. They’ll mine, refine and work the metals down here, and then ship out the finished product by Dragonship.”
“Lighter than handling all that ore,” she agreed. “I’m familiar with the theory, Grandion. But if the King was being held here, why would they have just one Dragon guarding the entire Island?”
“Actually, it’s the presence of that Green which reveals Ra’aba’s hand,” said Flicker.
Grandion snorted, “Is one Dragon not enough?”
Her emphatic agreement elicited a chuckle and an aerial bounce from her ride. His fires began to fulminate, a low vibration transmitting itself through his Rider’s seat into her bones.
“Down, Dragon,” said Lia. “We need to find the King first–and who says there aren’t more Dragons inside?”
“Dragons do not sneak about, it is dishonourable–”
Typical Dragon! Lia interrupted, “Grandion, why don’t you go challenge that Green with a nice bit of honourable thundering and leave the sneaking to the little people? If Ra’aba’s men know we’re coming, they might kill my family. Besides, I’m already disgraced.”
Swiftly, they hammered out a plan. Flicker and Hualiama would have two hours inside before Grandion attacked, or if the dragonet warned him earlier, he would ‘tidy up’ for them, as the Tourmaline Dragon put it. Lia readied her blades and implements of sabotage. If only the Master of Shadows could see her now, she thought, tying her black head-covering in place and blacking her face with coal dust mixed with a little oil. She slung the Haozi hunting bow across her back, clipped a quiver of arrows to her belt, and readied her Immadian forked daggers at her hips.
Grandion turned, and flitted toward a narrow, square window beside the exhaust outlet Lia had identified. Go burn the heavens, Rider, he said in her mind. And, be careful.
I will.
The Dragon added, Don’t let her do anything rash, Flicker. Call me the instant you need me.
Lia said, Stay out of sight, Grandion. Paw?
She clambered over his wrist onto his paw.
Scouting swiftly, Flicker returned to say, The Dragonship’s flying the purple of royal Fra’anior, but has the symbol of a windroc.
Ra’aba, she nodded. He isn’t here, is he?
Seems unlikely, the dragonet reassured her.
Balanced in the palm of Grandion’s right forepaw as the Dragon hovered just twenty feet from the building, Hualiama sucked in a breath. This was it. This was the moment of change; after which, a Human might never again ride her Dragon. Yet her duty was clear. She must set aside her feelings for the sake of her kingdom.
Grandion tossed her gently across the gap. Lia made a soft-footed landing courtesy of her tacky shoes, and grasped the ledge. She lifted herself into the gap before glancing back.
You’ll hear me before you see me, said the Tourmaline Dragon, bending his neck in a regal bow. Go. Save your family, Dragon Rider.
Thanks, Grandion.
Hualiama’s eyes blurred as she squeezed her slight frame through the window and dropped into the room beyond.