Kayla followed close enough behind to still remain discreet as the group moved to the docks and onto the deck of the mainland ship.

The vessel that had carried the mainlanders across the ocean was a stark contrast to the natural beauty of the Reefs. It stood proudly against the horizon, a product of mainland engineering, metal, and innovation. Its hull, devoid of the intricate carvings and ocean-inspired motifs of Bel Dais craftsmanship, gleamed with the cold, polished sheen of steel.Towering masts rose from the deck, supporting sails that were more akin to sheets of canvas than the billowing cloths of traditional maritime vessels. The sails, unfurled to harness the ocean's wind, bore the emblem of Yudrosil, a distant homeland that seemed worlds away from the tranquil shores of Bel Dais. As the ship drew closer, the clanking of metal against metal and the hum of machinery became audible. Kayla was startled by the sound of the wood beneath her boots but didn’t linger. She didn’t want to lose the group or get caught by any of the sailors aboard the ship.

Kayla followed her father and the group of mainlanders below deck, shrouded in shadows that was broken up by strange blue flames housed in glass that hung from the supports of the ship. Boxes, crates, sacks, and chests were all stored here. The Duke, eager to impress his guests, led them to the heart of the ship where their Sand Dragon lay dormant, covered by a heavy tarp. The metallic beast gleamed dimly in the flickering lantern light. It rested upon some kind of slab and was held in place with chains. Kayla tried her best to position herself on top of some crates so she could see the machine.

As the tarp was removed, Kayla couldn't help but notice the Sand Dragon's peculiar appearance. It was an amalgamation of Bel Dais craftsmanship and mainland engineering. Its metallic body was robust, but its crimson scales seemed out of place against the otherwise rugged exterior. It was as if it couldn't decide whether it belonged to the Reefs or the mainland.

Haxan, although trying to maintain his composure, couldn't hide his skepticism. He regarded the machine with an uncertain expression. Kayla knew her father well enough to recognize the worry in his eyes. "It's... interesting, but it doesn't look like any Sand Dragon I've seen before." He crouched next to it and began to look it over, stepping over the chains that were used to keep it in olace for transport. When he pushed a few buttons on the control panel, he frowned, as if expecting something to happen.

The Duke notices, and explains “I’ve had the very best engineers in Yudrosil repair the contraption. It was in a rough state when we unearthed it in the east, you see.”

Kayla wondered what The East was. Some other mainland country?

“It’s a mess,” Haxan declared, stepping back and pulling the hair of his short beard.

The Duke, unfazed by Haxan’s doubt, continued to boast.”We have combined the best of both worlds here. Bel Dais craftsmanship and mainland innovation. But, despite our efforts, we can't seem to get it started."

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"I know. I just tried to turn it on. I'm afraid I cannot fathom how the mainlanders from Yudrosil have altered it so. It's like trying to fit a Reefspear into a Tidemane."

The Duke, still enthusiastic, prattled on about the Yudrosil technology. "Haxan, my dear friend, you must understand, Yudrosil tech is sleeker and more efficient. Their innovations are renowned across the mainland. This Sand Dragon should be a testament to our progress, but the inferior tech proved it couldn’t handle augmentations or modification."

Kayla, unable to contain herself any longer, strode confidently from the shadows toward the bewildered group. Her father noticed her, looking unsurprised. He explained to the Duke who she was.

"Duke, this is my daughter Kayla. What she lacks in social graces she more than makes up for in her talent as a mechanic. She's specialized in the sand dragons."

“Let me look at it, father.” She asked. The duke questioned the offer, but Haxan assured him it was alright. Kayla replaced her father next to the machine and traced a finger across the faux scales that gave the machine it’s reptillian name. Her finger caught a groove and she pulled back a scale to get a look inside. Her fingers worked swiftly, but her mind raced as she assessed the damage, her desire to prove herself competing with the fear of failing in front of her people and the mainlanders.

"You've got the essence of both,” she explains as she works, “but there's a fundamental issue here. You see, the magnetic sands mess with mainland tech whereas Bel Dais tech draws from it.” With a few precise adjustments, Kayla pulls out a useless Yudrosil component, revealing a jumble of wires that had been clumsily integrated into the Sand Dragon's mechanisms, much to the horror of the Duke. She deftly rewired the Sand Dragon, reconnecting its core to the Reefs' natural magnetic energy. The machine began to hum, its crimson scales glowing brighter, as it came to life with a graceful, fluid motion. There was small applause from the Bel Dais gathered. Kayla smiles smugly at her Father, and then notices that the duke’s son had drawn much closer while she was distracted. He looked past her, at the innards of the machine, with fascination. At this distance, Kayla could smell his flowery perfume and see the subtle embroidery upon his clothes. It confused her.

"This is amazing!” he finally exclaims, confusing Kayla more. “How did you do that?"

She hesitates, unsure if he, like his father, was talking down to her. "It was the power source your engineers put in. The sands of Home are naturally magnetic, so the sand dragons dont need mainland gravity stones or power sources. In fact, the magnetic nature of the sand is exactly why the grav stones won't work, they wont be able to compensate for the variations in magnetic polarity that one might find out in the dunes. Hit a pocket thats polarized the opposite way and the stones would snap to the sand, bot glide over it.”

Cornelius nods enthusiastically “Amazing. Natural energy harnessed effortlessly by a machine. May I ride it?” Kayla stands and motions for him to go right ahead, it’s his bike after all. The duke’s son mounted the dragon, and very poorly sat upon the leather seat, as if he was riding a horse. The dragon bobbed up and down with the new weight.

“Wonderful work, Kayla,” the Leader said. She beamed at his praise. “Now that it is working again, you can begin tutoring young Cornelius tomorrow.”

Her smile was replaced by a frown, and the Leader turned away before she could protest and began conversing with her father and the duke to make arrangements for tours and tutoring. Kayla took the opportunity to leave, and quickly. She needed to tell the others about this.