"Raxtus!" Kendra exclaimed.
The dragon shook his head briskly, expelling water from his burnished snout. "Hello, Kendra," the dragon replied, panting. "Greetings, Bracken. You look well. And, wait a minute, small world! You're Warren, the guy who had the punctured lung." The dragon gave a nervous chuckle. "Glad you found a competent healer. And a barber. Sorry about the whiskers."
"This is our reinforcements?" Warren asked in concern.
"Think of me as your transportation," Raxtus said. "You'll feel less disappointed."
"We're very happy to see you," Bracken said.
The dragon dipped his head respectfully. "It's been too long. I'm glad you're out of confinement."
"You know Kendra and Warren?" Bracken asked.
"We met at Wyrmroost." Raxtus looked around. "I've been here before. The sealed shrine. Is that little door the only way out?"
"I'm afraid so," Bracken said.
Warren considered the door, then glanced back at Raxtus. "You're small for a dragon, but not that small." Kendra tacitly agreed. Raxtus had a body the size of a large horse. Even with his wings fully tucked, it didn't look like his midsection could fit through the hatchway.
Raxtus sighed. "I'll figure it out. Once you get really acquainted with humiliation, the dread starts to fade."
"What humiliation?" Bracken inquired.
"Take your pick," Raxtus grumbled. "I was referring to my avatar."
"Your avatar is a unique wonder!" Bracken cried.
"My avatar is a wimpy little fairy boy," Raxtus corrected.
Kendra stifled a giggle.
"I didn't have time to learn your whole situation," Raxtus said. He seemed intent on changing the subject. "The Fairy Queen stressed that haste was paramount. What's the plan?"
"Our most urgent objective is to flee Living Mirage," Bracken said. "Then we need to make our way to Finland."
"Why Finland?" Raxtus asked.
Warren related what they knew concerning the Eternals, including the whereabouts of Roon Osricson.
"Finland is a big place," Raxtus pointed out.
"I have instructions," Warren said. "Have you ever heard of Shipbreaker Fjord?"
The dragon stamped his forelegs and flexed his wings. "I adore Shipbreaker Fjord! It's one of the most scenic water-ways on the planet. Towering cliffs, raging tides, deep blue water. The area is magically concealed."
"I know the place too," Warren said. "The Sphinx said if we fly northeast from Shipbreaker Fjord, we can't miss Roon's hideout. A distracter spell shields his stronghold, but the camouflage should be no match for Kendra."
"Sounds easy enough," Raxtus said, swiveling his head to study the hatchway. "What awaits us outside?"
"Evidently our escape remains undetected," Bracken said. "None of us can say how long that will hold true. We should expect pursuit."
"Can you carry three of us?" Kendra asked.
Raxtus reared up and unfurled his wings. The dragon seemed much larger with his wings spread wide and his neck craned high. He fanned the area with a few trial flaps. After a moment, he folded his wings and dropped down on all fours. "I might be a runt, but I can carry three people."
"Are you sure?" Warren challenged. "A lot depends on this. I could stay behind."
"I can carry you three," Raxtus pledged. "Maybe not around the world, but I can get you away from this preserve."
"We're surrounded by desert," Warren reminded him. "Together the three of us must weigh around five hundred pounds. Have you carried three people before?"
"I've carried an elk," Raxtus replied. "It had to weigh more than five hundred pounds. Wasn't easy. Imagine running uphill wearing a backpack crammed with bricks. Not ideal, but doable. With you three as passengers, I'll lose much of my maneuverability. But I can conceal myself. Unless we get unlucky, this should work."
"Luck has a way of evaporating when you lean on it," Warren muttered. "Maybe you should go on without me, lighten the load."
"You're determined to be a martyr," Bracken laughed.
"This needs to succeed," Warren maintained.
"We'll escape together," Kendra said adamantly. "We need each other for what lies ahead."
"I can do it," Raxtus asserted. "If dragons depended on pure physics to fly, none of us would do more than hop around. Magic is involved. I'll find a way. I have my weaknesses, but flying is my forte."
Warren folded his arms. "If things go bad, promise to drop me."
"Enough with the negativity!" Raxtus said. "You're freaking me out!"
"Show a little confidence," Kendra urged. "This is the dragon who destroyed Navarog!"
Raxtus swiveled his head left and right. "Not too loudly," the dragon murmured. "He might have a relative."
"Well done, by the way," Bracken said in a low voice.
Raxtus swung his head away shyly. "She makes it sound impressive. I snuck up behind him while he was in human form. I'm not a fighter. But I'll do my best. The Fairy Queen made it clear that the fate of the world depends on our mission. I want to do my part. After all, your current needs don't require a fighter. What you most need right now is to run away. I know a thing or two about that."
Bracken patted Raxtus affectionately on the neck. "You're too humble. I can't claim to like many dragons, but you're the cream of the crop."
"Of course the unicorn likes the fairy dragon," Raxtus grumbled. "If you want to boost my self-esteem, act scared of me."
"You could bite our heads off," Warren remarked. "That's scary."
"I couldn't," Raxtus sighed.
"You could!" Kendra insisted. "I saw you gobble up Gavin."
Raxtus showed his impressive teeth. "Physically, yes, I could eat you. Emotionally, no way. Maybe while under hypnosis. How can you consume somebody you just spoke with? I mean, once I've had a conversation with someone, that person is no longer food. Some dragons get a big thrill out of talking with their meals, playing cat and mouse. I don't get the allure. Knowing a creature can converse takes it off my menu."
"Unless it's evil and threatens your dad," Kendra amended.
"Touche," Raxtus replied.
"We should probably depart," Bracken said. "We don't want to lose the initiative."