Jade woke up in the morning feeling more refreshed than he had since he had first made his journey into the Surface. That felt like so long ago, it was hard to imagine that it had only been a few weeks since he had met CloudWing.

A few weeks since he had last seen his father.

Jade’s father, Anatase, was a charming man—to his peers. Any people below his age, he considered below his status—including Jade. Jade had heard many times how he was an accident, and the cause of his mother’s death. Usually, Anatase ignored him, but on nights when he was stressed he would go on rants. Jade had learned when to be out of the house.

He pushed these unhappy thoughts to the side and jumped out of bed. He was safe, with his friends.

He looked at CloudWing, still asleep on a dragon bed. The WindDragon had proven to be the best companion Jade could ever ask for. He had sworn to protect Jade with his life soon after they had met, and enjoyed Jade’s company. The two shared views on almost everything. It was like having his own brother.

The two had gone questing together for the time he’d been gone—saving villages, rescuing fellow humans from dragon’s clutches. That was how Andy had known his name.

Jade yawned and stretched. CloudWing opened one eye as Jade was examining his sword, the one with the eye on the hilt.

“It looks creepy,” CloudWing commented, sitting up and curling his tail around his claws. “I feel like it’s watching me, but in a good way, which makes me worried somehow, and also makes me question my sanity at the same time.”

Jade laughed. “I feel the same way.”

“Does it even have a name?” CloudWing asked suspiciously.

“No, but I’m going to name it.” Jade had decided this during the night. The sword had served him well—getting him out of several tight spots with SpineDragons, helping him impress villagers out on the Wasteland. It deserved a name.

“How about Guardian?” CloudWing suggested.

Jade looked up from the sword. “That would work. I wonder how we can engrave it on the hilt.”

He turned back to the sword. “Woah!”

“What?” CloudWing hopped out of bed and came to Jade’s side. “Oh my claws! Was it like that before?”

The sword had changed. On the hilt, on the opposite side of the eye, was the name Guardian. The eye had changed, too. It seemed to glow. When Jade looked at it, he could have sworn it winked.

“I think you have a magical sword,” CloudWing said in amazement.

Jade nodded. “Let’s not worry the others, though. We already know that Sapphire’s satchel is enchanted. I think one more magical item will just make everyone anxious.”

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CloudWing nodded. “And I still don’t trust one of them—Turquoise’s brother, Alex.”

Jade stared at him. He had forgiven Alex, and hadn’t even considered he was untrustworthy—if a little bit annoying. He was funny, though.

“Why?” Jade asked.

“I mean—” CloudWing held up one claw, as if he were searching for the right words. “I don’t distrust him, if you know what I mean. I’m just keeping an eye on him.”

Jade shrugged. “Do what you wish. I, for the record, trust Turquoise, and if Turquoise rusts Alex, then I trust him.”

CloudWing also shrugged, and they went out into the hallway together, both sensing that the subject had been dropped.

The others were all coming out of their rooms. Turquoise and Alex had slept in the same room, claiming that it felt more natural. All the dragons had decided to stay with their riders.

Turquoise rang for a servant, and a small LavaDragon appeared out of a nearby doorway. Turquoise asked for directions to Princess Ember’s room, and soon they were all at her door.

Ember opened the door. “Hi! I was expecting you. Well, not really, but kind of. Come on in!”

They all stepped into Ember’s room, and Sapphire gasped. Jade figured it was Sapphire’s kind of place, because everything was covered in art supplies and art. Ember was really good; many of her drawings and paintings were incredibly realistic. There were sunsets and sunrises, sunny valleys, sunny mountaintops, and sunny scenes of dragons playing together with cute furry animals like foxes.

“Are there no night scenes?” Sapphire asked.

“I prefer to draw happy, busy, sunny landscapes,” Ember said passionately. “Not that I’ve seen them, of course,” she added. “I have to look at other dragons' drawings from ancient history.”

Jade wondered what it would be like to never see the sun and the Surface. Then he remembered that, before Pyrite had gone missing, he had never seen the sun and the sky. It made him sad to imagine all the thousands of people in the Caves who had never been up here. Maybe that was why they had events like the Gathering and the Surface Hunt.

Alex touched the tiny fox pouncing on a miniature flower. “It's so cute,” he said. “I love foxes.”

Turquoise snorted. “You look like one.”

Alex shot her a look. “Really?”

“An ugly one,” Turquoise added.

“Shut up.”

“Like, really ugly. If you were any uglier, you’d be a catfish. I can already see the resemblance.” Turquoise was giggling now.

“Glad I look slightly better than you,” Alex said.

Andy roared with laughter, as did everyone else in the room.

“You just witnessed the most incredible comeback I’ve ever heard,” Andy said, patting Turquoise on the back and wiping tears from his eyes.

Ember was also laughing. “What is a catfish?”

They all started laughing again, and continued to giggle while Sapphire drew a picture for the princess. When she was finished, Ember stared at the paper.

“Clashing rocks!” she exclaimed. “It really is ugly!”

Everyone laughed again. When their laughter had subsided, Alex went over to the painting again.

“Maybe one day, I can get a fox pet,” he said wistfully.

Jade walked up to him. “Maybe someday.”

Turquoise cleared her throat, then turned to Ember. “So, we stayed the night. Now what do we do?”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to leave,” Ember said sadly. “When the gong strikes three times, that’s your cue to leave. It should be in a few minutes, so I’ll say goodbye. But before you all leave, I have a question.”

Turquoise raised an eyebrow. “Ask away.”

Ember pointed to Andy. “Why is he different from the rest of you guys?”

Andy shifted uncomfortably. “They’re from the Caves,” he explained, “so their skin is pale. I’ve been in the Surface my whole life, and so my skin is a lot darker than theirs.”

Ember nodded like she understood. Then, in the distance, three gongs clashed.

“Well, goodbye!” she waved to them as they walked away from her room, towards what they thought might be the direction to the entrance.