"No!" Mahi snapped back. "Bad land! Bad land!"

The small spines along Fia's back prickled at Mahi's denouncement. How many Bad Lands are there? she wondered. What's so bad about it this time?

Mahi clarified, "That island is part of the Wraith Isles. They don't really exist. Take a closer look. It's a mirage, trying to trick you. It lures dragons to roost and wrecks human ships on its shore. It'll disappear with you, if you let it."

As the three dragons stared at the dark silhouette of land, its boundary faded against the rays of sunlight. The island disappeared like it had never existed on the open waters in the first place.

Although the land mass was concealed from view, Viliant told them, I can still sense it. The whole island is just cloaked in shadow. Most importantly, he insisted, We can still rest there. The tip of his hopeful tail lifted out of the water.

"What shadows?" Mahi pointed out.

The broad daylight shimmed off the waves where the island should have been. In his experience, Viliant knew how much harder it was to manipulate his element without any cover. The island must control a large reservoir of mana to put up such an impressive display.

Viliant regarded the sinister island with greater respect, lifting his chin upward as he hung back on the waves. The flow of the ocean pushed him closer in that direction.

Mahi rushed forth with his wings swept low around Fia and Viliant. The dragon hastily steered the little ones away from the island's pull. "No. They'll be plenty of time to rest once we get to Carlinoa."

The pink dragonette's eyes brightened by the way that Mahi phrased it. "You'll go all the way to Carlinoa with us?" Fia squirmed from excitement now that Mahi sounded certain that he would accompany them the rest of the way to Carlinoa Island.

"So long as we keep having fun," Mahi stipulated, "I suppose. That means no Wraith Isle."

Viliant curled his tail back into the water, and he turned his dejected cheek to the side. If they rested at the Wraith Isle, that was the closest thing which he considered fun. The island appealed to his elemental affinity like a siren call. It made him wonder what secrets that land hid in its shadows.

Unlike her best friend, Fia felt relief wash over her after Mahi had given them a good reason to avoid the creepy island. "Hooray!" she cheered.

The three dragons paddled away from the shadow island which flickered in and out of sight. Despite this, Viliant craned his neck to peer back at it often. Even when he looked at a dark place from afar, the world seemed so much bigger and brighter now compared to when his world had been a cage. Viliant shook away the temptation of the Wraith Isle.

For now, he kicked his legs faster to catch up with Fia and Mahi. They swam at a slow and steady pace until the sun sank below the waves.

***

In addition to his help with navigation, Mahi also assisted the dragonets in staying afloat at night. "Come here, my little dragonet ducklings!" His broad, fin-like wings opened to invite them closer. The slush dragon provided them with partial support by making the water seem more shallow beneath them.

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Fia and Viliant no longer needed to worry about drifting apart on the nighttime waves. The pink dragonette curled against Mahi's right wing while Viliant suspended over his left.

While they rested, Mahi took care of keeping them all together. "You two better get some sleep. Tomorrow you have a big day ahead of you, filled with fun and games. I want to get at least one race of you guys."

"Don't get your hopes up," Viliant warned, barely able to open his bleary eyes a crack. After the eventful day and poor quality sleep last night, he was exhausted enough to trust Mahi to alert them to danger.

The slush dragon, native to this part of the ocean, was better adapted to recognize potential threats anyway. Already, Mahi enabled Viliant to cross these waters by protecting him from the magical surge of the heat vents. Most importantly, he kept them from perishing from dehydration. His slush magic acted as a potable source of cold, refreshing water.

"Drink up!" Mahi announced when he made an individual pile of slush appear in front of both Fia and Viliant.

The warmth from Fia's internal fire left her unfazed by the half-frozen water. She dipped her sleek neck to chomp on the tippy top. Once she had slurped up all the chilly water, she gasped, "Ah!" It reminded her of a flavorless version of the fruity ice that she had tasted in Malakow.

The uncomfortably cold water did not deter Viliant for long. His thirst made him endure the frigid clumps of slush which clung to the thin scales of his snout. "Ah," he sighed after he had finished his share. "Thanks, Mahi Mahi." To express genuine gratitude, Viliant even used the slush dragon's insufferable nickname.

"Now about that race…." Mahi prodded him again.

"Don't push your luck," Viliant sneered.

Despite the adult dragon's flippant nature, Mahi still looked after Fia and Viliant in his own way. Fia had greater confidence in their fast friend compared to Viliant, bringing her to fall fast asleep. The pink dragonette puffed out a small plume of smoke alongside her soft snores. Right when Viliant was starting to drift off, Mahi let out a low, ululating whistle.

The black dragonet jolted to full attention. He assumed that the odd sound from the slush dragon served as his signal. What is it? Viliant asked, shifting in the water cupped by Mahi's wings.

Mahi oscillated the pitch of his note in a jagged rift. "I'm singing…" he explained, keeping up the whistle in his throat. "I'm singing a song to my new friends. This is a lullaby for two dragonets! I bid you goodnight and a thousand happy days…." No matter what came to Mahi's mind, he put it to the tune which he made up on the spot. The slush dragon tipped back his head and shouted to the moon, bopping his chin to an irregular beat in his mind. Mahi tried to compensate for his lack of musical talent with his enthusiastic volume.

This ain't a lullaby, Viliant growled. The black dragonet flapped his wings over his face, kneading his claws against the leathery material. He only wished that Diwa had patched the rest of the holes in his wings so that he could better block out Mahi. Make it quieter, Viliant demanded.

"Oh, right," Mahi said, hunkering his head down. In a strained squeak, he warbled, "The dragonets are trying to sleep."

"And slower," Fia murmured. Her drowsy voice slurred her syllables together immediately after Mahi's ruckus had stirred her awake.

"Oh, no!" Mahi peeped. "I even woke one up. Go back to sleep, please." When Mahi continued to sing at this new, whispering volume, Viliant rolled over and gnashed his fangs against the air.

"No!" Viliant snarled. Even quieter.

Over telepathy, Mahi completed, I can't sing any softer than this.

Exactly, Viliant remarked, considering that the whole point. I want you to be so quiet, I can't hear you at all.

Mahi ended his rendition of a lullaby with a final humph. "Fine. Have it your way."

Once silence settled over the three dragons, they could finally sleep. The constant slosh of the ocean waves around Fia and Viliant ushered them into a dreamless slumber. The occasional twitch from Mahi did not disturb them as the slush dragon surveyed the dark ocean.

***

With a new day came new games to play. Fia negotiated the rules with Mahi, and Viliant tolerated their antics from sun-up till sun-down.