Alys begins her search outside Ilireagrappling her way through stony terrain and cliffs before finally finding a cave late that night, whit the dragon she’s searching for.

Alys gripped the cold stone, her fingers aching and her shoulders sore. Why hadn’t she taken Murtagh’s offer? Flying over this finger-tearing and boot-wearing landscape would have made her search so much easier.

But alas, she had said no, and no one was going to fly out and find her until sunset.

She looked down, holding onto the grey stone with one hand buried in a crevice just big enough to hold her. She was only a few feet off the ground, but this was her third hard climb this morning in this dark, overgrown, rocky forest—how so much vegetation grew here was a mystery. And from what she could see a league away in the small village she was staying in, these climbs went on for another few leagues, at least.

Alys sighed, looking at the beams of sunlight gracefully blessing the lush forest floor through the thick branches and leaves of the canopy above. Was that the universe trying to show her some sign of hope? Or was it telling her that there was a slim chance she’d actually find this dragon? And even then the chances of them siding with her were even slimmer—like the few flowers she’d seen among the ferns and dock leaves.

She hated to admit it but maybe it was right, maybe she should have been smarter and listened to Ugauc when he sensed something up, instead of being curious and—

Alys cut off that thought and turned around, the swelling growing in her throat again. Not now! She reached her other hand up and found a nook to use to lever herself upward.

She had thought about using magic to get to the top, to teleport herself or to fly herself up, but that felt lazy as though finding the dragon that way would decrease her chances even more or getting them to join her. She wanted to prove herself as a worthy rider to this dragon, to prove she was willing to go above and beyond to help them recover from their loss.

“But is that the best way to do it?” Alys thought aloud—after all the only things to hear her would be the squirrels and crows. “To force them to bind with someone else?”

“I’m not going to force them!” she hissed at herself. “I’m going to give them and option and prove that their addition to the Dragon Riders will be the most helpful.”

But then she realised what she said. She pulled herself onto the plateau and looked up at the next steep climb—it was four times her height. “I can’t just guilt-trip them either,” she said, bundling up her dreadlocks and tying them up with a hair-tie. “I have to prove that we can help them, whether they bond to me or not.”

“But what if they don’t like the thought of being tied to any one person or place?” She shook out her arms and walked on the squidgy moss and under the shadows of the tree to the next cliff to climb. “What if they’d just rather stay here?” Her cloud of uncertainty and despair grew darker.

Alys gripped the stone, finding crevices to lock her fingers into and pulled herself off the ground. “Then I guess I can respect that,” she said, staring at the pale grey stone as she grappled her way up.

She huffed, hoping the spell she cast earlier that morning would work and she wouldn’t have bloody fingers by this evening. “But I still want to help them,” she said. “Umaroth said they were suffering; so surely there’s more than a broken bond that’s hurting them, right? So maybe I can help them with that first? At least then I’d feel better knowing I helped them.”

She sighed and dragged herself up onto the next plateau, her fingers felt like they were nothing with nerves and bone. The tips of her fingers were swollen and in utter agony. “Barzûl,” she swore. She drew in a breath and without uttering a word, her fingertips tingled, and the pain faded; they looked as though she’d barely been climbing at all. Alys bobbed her head, satisfied and started towards the next cliff; this one was five times her height.

She paused and sighed. “For the dragon,” she said, her face hardening. She took a step forward. “For the dragon,” she echoed, reaching for the next crevice to dig her fingers into.

Alys’ climb was long and hard, and she argued with herself the whole way up about the morality of convincing a broken dragon to bond with her, to the point where when she finally stood in front of a cave—the cave the Eldunarí had showed her—she lingered, wondering whether going in was a good idea or not.

The mouth of the cave was huge; as big as the door to Shruikan’s old prison in Ilirea. She could see the walls of the city from where she stood a few leagues away.

Alys felt as though she would enter and never see the light again; that the dark cave would snap her up and swallow her whole like a giant snake and refuse to let her go.

She drew in a breath, trying not to focus on the darkness. “Here I come, mystery dragon,” she mumbled. She held up her hand, glancing at her gedwëy ignasia. “Garjzla,” light, she instructed. An emerald orb of glowing magic formed a close to her palm and she walked forward.

Alys’ hand itched to grab her sword, but she stayed strong, forcing herself to believe that violence and threats would not be needed, nor wanted, today.

The darkness enveloped her as she walked forward. She could feel painful, telepathic tendrils coming from deep inside the cave. She winced feeling her back and neck get sore and a stinging in her left eye. Alys paused, waiting to see if her entire body got sore, as it did during the night when she and Ugauc would randomly connect, and his pain would be hers.

But no other discomfort came.

Alys drew in a breath a straightened her posture—this was the mystery dragon’s pain. She continued forward, she footsteps echoing around her with the empty sound of dripping water. The pale green glowing light illuminated what she needed to see.

She brushed through an inch deep puddle of water, the pain in her back deepening. She pace slowed the farther she went in, as did the pain. Helping this dragon would be her number one priority once they met.

But when the agony was so intense her head began to grow light, a warm breeze washed over her, and a rasping sound surrounded her.

Alys spun around, holding her glowing orb high. The cave fell quiet, and she forced away the pain, blocking her mind. Minutes went by before the air around her was sucked to the side. And minutes later the rasping came again.

It was breathing. Long breaths with long pauses between each one to fill giant lungs.

Alys could almost hear Ugauc say, What were you saying about listening to me more? with a hint or sarcasm.

How big was this dragon?

As big as Shruikan?

As big as Belgabad?

“Hello?” she called. Her voiced echoed around her. “Skulblaka,” she said, walking towards where the warm breeze came from in the chamber. “I was hoping we could talk?”

A low grumble came from close in front of her. Alys inched closer, holding her orb as far out as she could until it reflected against somethings matte black. She reached out, thinking it was part of the cave wall, only to have one of the black somethings fall off at her touch and fall to the floor, shattering into dozens of pieces.

It was a worn dragon scale; she knew the feel of them too well.

And this dragon was very sick.

“I’m here to help you,” she said. “I just want to make sure you’re all right.”

The grumbling came again; this time it was louder, angrier. Pain shot through Alys again, rendering her to her knees. How did you find me?! growled the dragon, his agony hers.

Alys held her hand to her eye. “The… Eldunarí,” she forced out. “They said you needed my help.”

I need no one! he snapped. Leave! He left her mind.

Alys returned the barrier to her mind and pushed herself to her feet. How had he lasted so long in so much pain? “Please,” she pushed on, forging her way to his head. The light of her orb had grown dimmer, but it’s light was enough to spot the glimmer of his eye high above her.

The dragon’s lip lifted as he snarled, flashing stained teeth right in front of Alys’ face.

She peered up at his pale blue eye, ignoring the stench from his mouth. Its pupil had a silver sheen and was surrounded by blood coloured sclera. Something about this blinded eye and a giant dragon sounded familiar.

“Who are you, skulblaka?” Alys asked, standing back and brightening the light from the orb so she could see as much as she could of him.

I… am no one, Shur’tugal. So, leave, he replied dimly, this time not sharing his anguish with her.

Alys wanted to scoff but she bit her tongue, thinking. A dragon this large was unheard of; apart from one… who had been killed by being stabbed in the eye with a Dauthdaert.

“Are you Shruikan?” Alys asked.

The cave stayed silent, until he took another breath. Yes, he said. I… am Shruikan.