Ellie woke beneath her makeshift shelter, her throat parched and her muscles aching from yesterday’s encounter with the seadrakes.
As she emerged from her shelter, her boots crunched on the volcanic gravel. The island’s terrain was a maze of sharp ridges and deep valleys, with ancient ruins peeking through the morning fog like the bones of some long-dead creature.
Strange crystalline formations jutted from the volcanic rock, rainbow-like refractions colored the landsape. Some crystals were as small as her finger, others tall as ship’s masts.
In the distance, ruins of what might have been towers or temples rose from the mist, their broken spires wrapped in crystalline growths like frozen lightning.
“Water first. Everything else can wait.”
Ellie picked her way through the maze-like terrain. The volcanic gravel shifted treacherously under her feet. She paused at what appeared to be an ancient archway, its surface etched with symbols. Something about this place felt wrong—as if the usual rules of nature had been suspended.
Walking back to her ruined skiff, she surveyed the damage. The hull was split in three places, the wood warped beyond repair. Without proper tools and materials, the vessel would never sail again.
A flash of movement caught her eye—something colorful darting between the rocks. She reached for her knife, then relaxed as a familiar laugh echoed across the stones.
“Still jumping at shadows, Ellie-belly? And here I thought marriage might have steadied those nerves of yours.”
Ellie turned, finding the Quibnocket perched on a crystal formation. His patchwork cloak rippled with colors, and his wiry hair seemed to dance in a wind that wasn’t blowing.
“Pip?” She blinked, wondering if thirst was making her hallucinate. “How did you—never mind. Of course you’re here. You’re always where you shouldn’t be.”
Pipwhistle grinned, revealing teeth that needed brushed. “Now, is that any way to greet the one who gave you such a lovely wedding gift?” He produced what looked like a Royal Sapphire from thin air, then made it vanish again. “It’s good that you’ve passed your dragon pendant on to young Pryce. It suits him better anyway, wouldn’t you say?”
“Pip, I don’t have time for—”
“Time!” He lept down from his perch. “Oh, but you do, dearie. This is Aetheria, where time plays tricks and the past mingles with the present like tea leaves in hot water.” He snapped his fingers, and suddenly the air was filled with dancing lights that formed images—seadrakes swimming through air, ancient ships sailing stormy skies.
“I need water,” Ellie said, trying to stay focused despite the mesmerizing display. “And my skiff is beyond repair.”
“Beyond repair?” Pipwhistle skipped over to the ruined vessel. “Oh yes, quite beyond repair. But then, some things must break before better things can be built.” He tapped the crystal embedded in the nearby rock. “See these? They’re not just pretty baubles. They’re memories, dearie. The seadrakes’ memories, to be precise.”
Ellie stepped closer to examine the crystal. Within its depths, she could almost see shapes moving, like shadows beneath ice. “What do you mean, their memories?”
“The seadrakes weren’t always what they are now,” Pipwhistle said. “The Dragonkin did that—twisted them, bound them with blood magic and false worship. But here on Aetheria . . .” He gestured at the ruins around them. “Here, the truth still echoes.”
“Stop speaking in riddles, Pip,” Ellie said, the dryness in her throat making her voice crack. “I need water, and I need to reach my son.”
“Water flows where water wills, but sometimes—” He paused, nose twitching. “Oh, very well. No riddles. Come along, Ellie-belly.” He gestured for her to follow as he skipped between the rocks. “The spring’s this way, unless it’s moved since yesterday. Places have a habit of wandering on Aetheria.”
Ellie followed him through a narrow passage between two crystalline formations. The rocks here were smooth, worn by something other than wind or rain. Ancient carvings covered their surfaces—images of seadrakes and humans, not fighting, but dancing together through waves that curved up into the sky.
“Here we are!” Pipwhistle spread his arms wide as they emerged into a sheltered cave. Crystal-clear water bubbled up from somewhere deep beneath the volcanic rock, collecting in a pool.
The cave walls weren’t just smooth—they were polished to a mirror finish, reflecting the pool’s light. Ancient pictographs decorated the ceiling.
“Drink up, but mind you don’t swallow any memories. They tend to disagree with human digestion.”
Ellie knelt beside the pool, cupping the cool water in her hands. “What happened here, Pip? What’s the truth about the seadrakes?”
“Ah, now that’s the proper question!” Pipwhistle settled onto a rock. “Before the Dragonkin came with their blood magic and binding spells, seadrakes were guardians of the deep places. They sang to the tides, kept the balance.” His voice took on a sing-song quality:
“When dragons rode the winds above,
And seadrakes swam below,
The world was kept in balance true,
‘Till pride did overthrow.”
“You’re saying the Dragonkin corrupted them?” Ellie asked, wiping water from her chin.
“Corrupted, bound, enslaved—such ugly words for an ugly truth.” Pipwhistle produced a piece of glowing crystal from his cloak, rolling it between his fingers. “But bonds can be broken, songs can be relearned. The seadrakes remember, deep in their bones, what they once were. That’s why they fear this place—too many memories in these crystals.”
Ellie stood, her thirst quenched. “Are you saying I could communicate with them? Find a way past them to reach Drakemere Island?”
“Perhaps.” Pipwhistle’s grin widened as they left the cave and walked back to the shore. “But first, you’ll need to learn their song. And for that—” He held up the glowing crystal. “—you’ll need to see what they once were.”
“How?” Ellie asked, eyeing the crystal. “Just looking at it won’t—”
“Oh, but it will!” Pipwhistle pressed the crystal into her palm. “Close your eyes, feel its warmth. The memories want to be seen, want to be known.”
Ellie hesitated, then closed her eyes. The crystal pulsed in her hand like a tiny heartbeat. Images flooded her mind—seadrakes gliding through pristine waters, their scales not the dull black she knew, but iridescent with colors that had no names. They sang to each other in voices that could shake mountains or whisper secrets to shells.
“I see them,” she whispered. “They’re beautiful.”
“Keep looking,” Pipwhistle urged. “See how it changed.”
The vision shifted. Dragonkin sorcerers stood on clifftops, their hands raised as they chanted in ancient tongues. Dark magic poured from their fingers, seeping into the waters, wrapping around the seadrakes like chains. The creatures’ songs turned to screams, their scales darkening as the magic corrupted them.
“Enough!” Ellie opened her eyes, her hand shaking. “How do I reach them? How do I make them let me sail to Drakemere unharmed?”
“The old songs still echo in their bones,” Pipwhistle said. “But singing them comes with a price.” He produced another crystal, this one dark as storm clouds. “The memories of pain are just as strong as those of beauty.”
Before Ellie could respond, a massive shape broke the surface of the nearby sea. A seadrake’s head rose from the waves, water cascading from its scales. But this time, Ellie saw it differently. Beneath the corruption, she glimpsed its true nature.
The creature’s eyes fixed on her, and suddenly her mind filled with a vision—Pryce standing before a chained dragon of immense size, its scales black as midnight. The dragon’s eyes burned with fury as Master Kestrel urged Pryce forward. “Break it,” Kestrel was saying. “Prove your worth by breaking its will.”
“No!” Ellie shouted, the vision shattering.
The seadrake reared back, its throat beginning to glow with deadly fire. But Pipwhistle stepped forward, his voice rising in an otherworldly song that made the crystals around them vibrate in harmony.
“Quickly now,” Pipwhistle said between notes, holding out both crystals. “You’ll need their complete song—both the light and dark of it. The seadrakes must know you understand not just what they were, but what they lost.” His voice dropped lower. “But remember, Ellie-belly—once you take these crystals, once you learn their songs, you can’t unlearn them. And some memories have teeth.”
