trying to stay alive."
"What did you see?" Kendra asked.
"It lasted only for an instant," Strom said. "But I saw a flash of green light come from up there, by where that flat spot is, next to the dip. See where I mean?"
No one did.
"If you'll fly us back up there," Strom said, "I'll show you."
"We'll have to get some serious altitude over the sands," Kendra said. "You know how dangerous the air above those peaks can be. One downdraft, and you'll be smeared across the mountainside."
"Maybe we should wait here while you look," Osbourne said. "I'm sure the extra weight just makes it more dangerous."
"Come on, Osbourne," Strom said. "I see a big, black fin coming. Don't get eaten."
"Very funny," Osbourne said until he, too, saw the giant fin racing toward shore. He managed to get back in his place atop Valterius before anyone else. The fin continued toward them, pushing a wall of water with it, and one of the oversized seals was thrown into the air by the wave. The shark's head and gleaming white teeth gnashed the air as the seal writhed, trying to escape its fate. The shark was ready and struck as soon as the creature hit the water. It was over in an instant, and Osbourne paled even further.
Strom wasted no time in regaining the saddle, and the dragons kept close watch on the shoreline. Strom didn't want to think about who would win in a battle between shark and dragon, and he triple-checked the straps holding him in. Kendra checked them herself once, and they were on their way. With a powerful leg thrust and a few wing flaps, the dragons gained the air. Soaring low over the water, they could see oversized shadows moving beneath the surface. Strom didn't want to know what those creatures were. Knowing such massive beasts now ruled the seas and the skies, he felt a great deal smaller than he once had. It was an adjustment all of them had to make. On the Godfist or even the Greatland, humans had been at the top of the food chain. Here the same could not be said. These days, no place was safe.
Soon black beach rushed beneath them again, and warmer air pushed them upward. Higher and higher they went, and it still wasn't high enough to suit Kendra or Sinjin. Strom's head felt as if it would explode, and he wasn't certain how much more he could take. Kendra showed him how to relieve some of the pressure by holding his nose, closing his mouth, and blowing. Though he felt much better afterward, he still wasn't certain how much more altitude he could withstand. Thin air left him struggling to breathe. Kendra noticed his discomfort and signaled to Sinjin.
"Be careful," he shouted.
Flying through the valley had been a frightening experience. Knowing it was a good bit safer than what they were about to do made Strom's stomach hurt. Clouds obscured much of the landscape below them. The air moved in ripping torrents, sheared by the peaks themselves. Tenacious trees clung to the heights, reaching out to them and coming perilously close. Valterius pulled away from the rocky peak, but Kendra would not be so easily dissuaded. Strom held on with a white-knuckled grip. If she or Gerhonda miscalculated, they could slam into the side of a mountain. Clouds obscured his vision, and he waited for death to come. Instead, they burst into an area almost completely surrounded by peaks. Misshapen spires surrounded a grove, and by their very shape, they directed the persistent wind into the hidden valley, creating a persistent updraft.
Gerhonda floated on the updraft, small movements of her wings allowing her to turn them in a slow circle. Moments later, Valterius burst from the mists, his roar echoing within the sheltered vale. No one spoke as they took in the beauty of the place. At the center stood a clearing of weathered stone with twenty-four towering green crystals on the perimeter. And in the surrounding valley walls were openings large enough to admit dragons. Each one was shaded by overhanging rock that made them difficult to see from
"What did you see?" Kendra asked.
"It lasted only for an instant," Strom said. "But I saw a flash of green light come from up there, by where that flat spot is, next to the dip. See where I mean?"
No one did.
"If you'll fly us back up there," Strom said, "I'll show you."
"We'll have to get some serious altitude over the sands," Kendra said. "You know how dangerous the air above those peaks can be. One downdraft, and you'll be smeared across the mountainside."
"Maybe we should wait here while you look," Osbourne said. "I'm sure the extra weight just makes it more dangerous."
"Come on, Osbourne," Strom said. "I see a big, black fin coming. Don't get eaten."
"Very funny," Osbourne said until he, too, saw the giant fin racing toward shore. He managed to get back in his place atop Valterius before anyone else. The fin continued toward them, pushing a wall of water with it, and one of the oversized seals was thrown into the air by the wave. The shark's head and gleaming white teeth gnashed the air as the seal writhed, trying to escape its fate. The shark was ready and struck as soon as the creature hit the water. It was over in an instant, and Osbourne paled even further.
Strom wasted no time in regaining the saddle, and the dragons kept close watch on the shoreline. Strom didn't want to think about who would win in a battle between shark and dragon, and he triple-checked the straps holding him in. Kendra checked them herself once, and they were on their way. With a powerful leg thrust and a few wing flaps, the dragons gained the air. Soaring low over the water, they could see oversized shadows moving beneath the surface. Strom didn't want to know what those creatures were. Knowing such massive beasts now ruled the seas and the skies, he felt a great deal smaller than he once had. It was an adjustment all of them had to make. On the Godfist or even the Greatland, humans had been at the top of the food chain. Here the same could not be said. These days, no place was safe.
Soon black beach rushed beneath them again, and warmer air pushed them upward. Higher and higher they went, and it still wasn't high enough to suit Kendra or Sinjin. Strom's head felt as if it would explode, and he wasn't certain how much more he could take. Kendra showed him how to relieve some of the pressure by holding his nose, closing his mouth, and blowing. Though he felt much better afterward, he still wasn't certain how much more altitude he could withstand. Thin air left him struggling to breathe. Kendra noticed his discomfort and signaled to Sinjin.
"Be careful," he shouted.
Flying through the valley had been a frightening experience. Knowing it was a good bit safer than what they were about to do made Strom's stomach hurt. Clouds obscured much of the landscape below them. The air moved in ripping torrents, sheared by the peaks themselves. Tenacious trees clung to the heights, reaching out to them and coming perilously close. Valterius pulled away from the rocky peak, but Kendra would not be so easily dissuaded. Strom held on with a white-knuckled grip. If she or Gerhonda miscalculated, they could slam into the side of a mountain. Clouds obscured his vision, and he waited for death to come. Instead, they burst into an area almost completely surrounded by peaks. Misshapen spires surrounded a grove, and by their very shape, they directed the persistent wind into the hidden valley, creating a persistent updraft.
Gerhonda floated on the updraft, small movements of her wings allowing her to turn them in a slow circle. Moments later, Valterius burst from the mists, his roar echoing within the sheltered vale. No one spoke as they took in the beauty of the place. At the center stood a clearing of weathered stone with twenty-four towering green crystals on the perimeter. And in the surrounding valley walls were openings large enough to admit dragons. Each one was shaded by overhanging rock that made them difficult to see from
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