Barbarianne and Kiana stood anxiously at the prow of their flagship. Several in-world hours ago, Snow Dancer from Dreamers Fables had passed on a message to the alliance: Find Dracuoatlax before he reaches the Torching Mount; Venomheart is laying a trap for him there. The dragon couldn't have gotten home yet, thankfully. There was a vast distance between the Dream Isles and the Firelands. Some members of the alliance had spotted the dragon on his south and westward journey while in the Vales of Aergondi, and a few more had sighted him a couple hours ago as he passed through Memphani.

Kiana scanned the horizon carefully, seeing some sort of shape in the sky coming towards them. It was too big to be a bird. It had to be the dragon.

“Send up the flares! Sound the horn when he gets close!” she ordered, and her archers sent fire-arrows into the sky. As the dragon closed on their position, a horn was sounded, and a couple other guild members waved flags or banners frantically to get the dragon's attention. To their relief and amazement, he paused his flight, and Kiana climbed to the crow's nest.

“Friend of Lana, why do you seek me?” the dragon softly demanded as he came close to her. Kiana was reminded once again just how complex and individualistic some of the NPCs in this game were, and took a breath to calm herself.

“Lady Lana herself sent a message through friends from the other world,” she began, and the dragon moved closer, listening intently.

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“My dear master has spoken from the other world? By the fires of the mountain! What word does she send?”

“She warns you that the enemy is planning to kill you; even now they may be at the Torching Mount, poisoning your home with Dragonsbane.” Kiana told him.

“Hmm!” the dragon's eyes widened in surprise. “Such audacity! If it were any poison but that, I would go to teach them a lesson myself; but I will give to others the task of cleansing my home from that foulness. I must take a rest, however; to that end, I shall go to a secret location that only I am aware of -- fear not! None shall find me but Lady Lana, and only when I choose to let her do so,” he continued.

“Venomheart are no fools; they may try to find you again.” Kiana said, and the dragon chuckled.

“They may try, indeed, friend of Lana. But only such as I could reach the place to where I now go. Be at ease! You have delivered your message, and I will take care not to underestimate these mortals again!” Dracuoatlax told her, and then flapped off to the north instead of the southwest. Kiana climbed down in relief, and was met by Barbarianne and Nightwing.

“That sounded like it went well.” her sister-in-law said appreciatively.

“I'd say so,” Kiana agreed.

“Now we signal Reginleif and Johann,” Barbarianne said.

“And we turn the ambush back on the ambushers.” Nightwing grinned back.

“Let's go, gang!” Kiana smiled, and they set off to meet the others at a predetermined rendezvous point off the coast of the Firelands.