Page 1 of Scorpio Dragon

Chapter 1 - Morgan

“I think we’re getting close.”

Morgan looked up from the swirling gray vortex she’d been gazing into for the last hour or so, wincing a little as her forehead came unstuck from the glass. The cabin of the strange little ship they were on was quiet, with many of its passengers sound asleep with their windows covered. Morgan supposed it made her look like a kid to be peering out into what lay beyond the windows, but she didn’t care. This was her first trip through the Fog, something she’d spent most of her life thinking was an impossibility. She wasn’t going to miss the view, even if it had been nothing but swirling gray for the last hour.

“How can you tell?” she asked, raising an eyebrow with amusement. Cato grinned at her from his seat across the table.

“Just a hunch.” He wiggled a hand mysteriously, and the ring he was wearing on his index finger glinted in the cabin’s low light. Cato’s extensive collection of magical artifacts was difficult to keep track of, though Morgan did her best. Ever since the mage had crash-landed in their lives, he’d been opening up a brand new world for their sheltered little community. Though it unsettled many of the more traditional dragons back home, Morgan had always been determined to learn as much as she could from him, from the workings of his magical artifacts, right up to the vast world that lay beyond their doorstep.

And now, for the first time in recorded history, they were taking a tentative step beyond that threshold. Upon making contact with the outside world, Queen Lana had been emphatic that they begin to form diplomatic ties with other insulas—islands in the Fog that surrounded their home. It had been Cato’s idea to reach out to a university he’d heard of on his travels, dedicated to the study of elemental dragon magic. They’d been surprised when the Dean had come to visit their insula in person, and even more surprised when he’d offered two full scholarships to the dragons of the community as a kind of welcome gift.

Even though the preparations had lasted a year, some part of Morgan still felt overwhelmed by how quickly everything was moving. From learning that a world existed beyond the borders of their little world, to sending a few representatives of their community out into that world—it was a big step. A terrific honor, to be chosen to be one of those representatives, and a huge responsibility, too. She was grateful that she was at least sharing that load with Callan. He was one of the calmest and most level-headed dragons she knew, as well as being sharp and insightful, and she had no doubt he’d represent their community proudly. As for Morgan… well, she understood the political significance of this undertaking well enough. But if she was honest, the real appeal was learning more about magic. For as long as she could remember, she’d been aware of some deeper current in herself. It was like intuition, but somehow more intense, more profound. She’d always been searching for some sign that it wasn’t all in her head, rummaging restlessly through the countless books of their Palace Archives. To learn that there was an entire university dedicated to the study of such things had been like a dream come true.

She was interrupted from her reflections by a sudden shift in the light in the cabin, and she felt her sister Acantha stir beside her, always alert to any situational changes. Acantha was Captain of the Palace Guard, and at first Morgan had worried that accompanying the group to the university would take her away from her duties too long. But if there was one thing that edged out her dedication to her job, it was her dedication to her family. Acantha had insisted on being part of the delegation, and Morgan knew better than to try to argue with an Earth sign who was set on a course of action. And right now, as the Fog outside the window thinned and began to give way to the blue sky of a whole new world, Morgan was grateful to have her sister by her side.

To get from the Valley to Sanguine, the insula where the university was, had been a surprisingly roundabout process. Traveling through the Fog, Cato had explained, wasn’t the same as traveling from one side of the Valley to the other. Time and space didn’t quite work the same way… you could walk at a certain speed for a certain time without any way of predicting how far you’d travel, or where you’d end up. Directions dissolved in the Fog, distances, even the passage of time itself. They’d known that for centuries, of course, that the Fog was dangerous, that spending any time in it would quickly turn your sense of direction to mush and addle your mind—but what they hadn’t known was that with the skillful application of magic and a certain kind of mental focus, travel between worlds could be made possible.

With her limited understanding of the Fog, Morgan had assumed they’d set out from the Valley and end up on Sanguine. But Cato had shaken his head. Sanguine was surrounded on all sides by the ocean. If they tried to go on foot, they’d end up underwater. And besides, Cato didn’t know the way. Traveling between insulas took practice, the development of a kind of magical muscle memory, and it was made even more complicated when you traveled in groups. Over the years, inter-insularly travelers had learned the knack of conveying not just individuals, but entire vehicles through the Fog. And as demand for that service grew, businesses dedicated to it had grown and thrived. Cato had connections at one of the most widespread and well-known, and had been able to organize passage for the four of them.

Necessarily, their roundabout journey had taken them through Isthmus, an insula that functioned as a kind of central hub for inter-insularly travelers. It had been quite the journey. First, the long, unsettling walk from the edges of the Valley into the unknown, Cato’s eyes glowing with a silver-gray light as he wove the magic that would keep their minds clear of the disorienting influence of the Fog. Morgan shivered a little at the memory of the Fog pressing in around her, the curious silence out there, the unsettling ambiguity of the distance they were actually covering on foot. And then, just as overwhelming… Isthmus. Crowded with more strangers than she’d ever seen in her life, bustling and utterly unknown.

Not that they’d actually seen much of Isthmus itself. They hadn’t left the hub, in fact. One minute, they’d been walking through the Fog in silence… the next, they were emerging from the swirling gray vortex to find themselves in what seemed like an enormous entrance hall, with several doors set in the wall at its far end and dozens of people hurrying back and forth. Grateful to have Cato with them, the shell-shocked group had been ushered through one of the doors by a bored-looking dragon who’d lifted an eyebrow at the paperwork Acantha had handed her.

“The Valley, huh? New addition.” She jabbed at a strange device on the table in front of her, and Morgan tried not to stare at the glowing screen she was consulting. Still, the woman followed her curious gaze and gave her a quick smile. “Low tech, I’m guessing.”

“Sure is,” Cato agreed. It wouldn’t be the last time Morgan was mystified by their surroundings as they traveled through the enormous, sprawling building. Cato led them through what felt like endless rooms and hallways… every time she thought they must have reached the end of the place, another wing seemed to open up, always crowded with people, always featuring some new technological artifact with a purpose that mystified her. Finally, the scent of salt had reached her nose, and the group had found themselves standing on a long pier with a ship waiting at the end of it. The water was calm, but clearly deep enough for ships to come and go, and Morgan had found herself wondering at what a mammoth effort it must have been to build this place. Because everything in front of them—the ship, the pier, and the water—was all still indoors, still within the confines of the vast building. The vaulted ceiling stretched over their heads and towards the far end of the space, where everything gave way to swirling gray Fog.

“How?” she heard herself ask, unable to articulate the question further. It won a chuckle from one of the innumerable staff members who was currently checking Callan’s bags.

“Money,” the dragon replied, tipping her a wink. “You’d be surprised what’s possible for billionaires.”

The attendant had hurried away shortly afterwards, and Morgan had been meditating on what she’d said ever since. Finance was among the many concepts that had been introduced to them along with the revelation of worlds beyond their own, and it had been its own unique kind of shock. The dragons of the Valley had a vague system of exchange in place, a method by which value was measured and understood, but overall, resources were managed according to the needs of the community and decisions made by the Queen and her advisors. Things understandably grew a great deal more complicated when they moved beyond one isolated community, when more complex trades needed to take place, and to be handled fairly. As a result, Cato explained to them, wealth had become something that was hoarded, exchanged, consumed, developed. Money became a central part of people’s daily lives. The day Cato had explained that there were entire organizations dedicated to the management of money, Morgan had laughed in his face.

But now that she’d experienced what money was capable of making possible, the urge to laugh had faded completely.

She was still thinking about it now, as the last traces of the Fog faded away through the ship’s little window. Callan was leaning forward to peer through the window as well, as eager as she was to get a glimpse of the island the two of them would be calling home for at least the next year… and if everything went well, potentially even longer. Courses of study at Brisant varied in length, with some students staying for multiple decades before they’d had their fill of knowledge. Even their brief look at the university’s introductory courses of study had been enough to make Morgan’s head spin. But what better use was there for her unlimited draconic lifespan, after all? That was, assuming she could afford to keep studying once the scholarship had finished. That thought made her feel uneasy. The barrier of money had never existed for her before…

Around them, the passengers were stirring as the increased rocking of the ship confirmed that they were out of the Fog and on their way to the island. Everyone was headed up onto the deck of the little ship, and after a moment’s hesitation, Morgan followed, keen to get a glimpse of her new home. And what she saw when she reached the surface made her jaw drop.

Turbulent water surrounded them. This was nothing like the ruffled waters of the lake back home… this was an ocean, with a restless current that made the waters surge and heave beneath the boat. Up ahead of them, jutting out of the water as though it had been thrust like a blade, was the towering volcanic peak that made up the island from which Brisant University took its name. The stone of the mountain was a rich, deep ochre… the color, she couldn’t help thinking, of dried blood. But its base was swallowed by a lush thicket of green that only seemed brighter in contrast.

Beside her, Acantha was gripping the boat’s rail so hard that her knuckles were white. “It’s—damp,” her sister said, wrinkling her nose. “Is there a storm coming?”

“The sky’s clear,” Callan said, his eyes on the puffy white clouds above them. “But that’s no guarantee it’ll stay that way for long, from what I’ve learned of the climate here.”

Morgan leaned over the rail, her heart beating hard in her chest as she scanned the distant island for what she was most excited to see… and there it was. Right at the tree line, just below where the towering volcanic peak became too steep for vegetation, there stood a great building, constructed in careful harmony with the landscape around it. She’d seen illustrations in the materials the Dean had brought to show them, as well as studying the maps of the extensive campus, but seeing it in real life still took her breath away. Around her, she could hear the other passengers murmuring and pointing… and when she glanced over her shoulder, she could see glints of color in the air around them, shades of excitement and anxiety dancing and flashing like sunlight.

Acantha’s steady green eyes were on her, and she put an arm around her sister and squeezed her tightly.

“Thanks for coming with me,” she murmured, quietly enough that only Acantha would hear. “I think I’d have chickened out and run home if it wasn’t for you.”

“Are you kidding? I couldn’t have stopped you if I’d wanted to. This place is where you’re meant to be, little sister. You’re going to be amazing.”

Morgan nodded agreement, feeling her own complicated tangle of worry and excitement growing heavier and heavier in her stomach as the little ship approached the shore. Acantha was right, of course. She’d spent her whole life desperate to learn more about draconic magic. Now, she was finally here. She only hoped that she could live up to the weight of expectations—not only from her family and her community but from herself, too.

Chapter 2 - Archer

It was a heavy burden to bear, looking this good. But he was convinced that he was up to the challenge.

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