The power of its spirit enveloped the city, driving air traffic away. Cloudships and winged horses fled at the dragon’s approach. This gold dragon’s power rivaled Akura Fury’s.

A Herald.

[Xorrus,] Dross said, [left hand of the Dragon Monarch. She is called Desert-bringer, the Breath of Destruction, the Eternal Sandstorm.]

Lindon could barely breathe, but he tensed further. How do you know?

[Just like your new friend Fury, she was one of the Heralds who formed the original pact of Ghostwater. I found a record of her personally ignoring me.]

From this distance, it was clear that the dragon Herald was carrying a massive chunk of stone. Perhaps the top of a tower or a segment of castle wall.

He strained against the spiritual pressure to keep his eyes clear and open; a fight here could kill him and everyone else on the cloudship. Surely the Sages would know that better than he. They would hold back.

The dragon’s mouth opened, and her mocking laughter shook the ship. Xorrus said, “A gift from my father to the Queen of Shadows.”

She darted upward, deceptively swift, and dangled the stone over their ship. Its shadow covered Lindon entirely.

Then she dropped it.

The masonry was big enough to crush the ship, but Lindon didn't even have time to flinch before Fury caught it. Hovering two dozen feet over the deck, he held up the massive rock with one hand, staring upward. He didn't seem to strain in the slightest.

But from this angle, Lindon could see an emblem carved into the stone, larger than Fury's body: a series of rising stalagmites.

“Oh, you wiped out the Rising Earth sect?” Fury’s tone was light, even conversational. “I see, I see.”

The rainbow light around their ship intensified. Now the voice from the Ninecloud Court sounded nervous. “Honored guests, we humbly ask that you please settle your grievances in the arena. The collateral damage from a clash between you—”

Fury hurled the boulder.

It shot toward Xorrus with such an explosion of force that the wind pushed back everyone on the deck. A deafening roar tore through Lindon's ears, and he could no longer keep his eyes open.

When he opened them again, the gold dragon was laughing. The cloud of sand around her had grown. Had she dissolved the boulder into sand?

Akura Fury laughed with her.

Together, the Heralds laughed and laughed, but every second Lindon grew more nervous. Dross, if they start fighting, how much trouble are we in?

[I wouldn't say we're safe, but it’s nothing to be worried about. Heralds never come to blows. And besides, look how friendly they are!]

Charity had dropped her veil, her spirit unleashed, though she looked as calm as ever. And Min Shuei, the Winter Sage, still bared her sword. Small blades of frost, barely visible, played in the air around her in a constant snowstorm. Her expression twitched and her hand shook as she fought to keep herself under control.

Fury's laughter died down first, and he sighed as he wiped a tear from his eye. “It's funny, isn't it? Life is funny. I brought you a gift too!”

Charity's voice resounded in Lindon's mind. Get down! The mental command was so strong that everyone on the cloudship threw themselves to the deck at once.

Then Akura Fury struck.

A dozen black palms, each bigger than the ship, slammed into the gold dragon at once. The handprints of shadow madra dissolved the cloud of sand, but they didn't crack scales. They seemed to sink into the dragon's spirit. She roared in pain and gathered up golden fire in her mouth.

Cords of multi-colored light looped around both Heralds, locking their bodies and spirits in place. Xorrus' dragon breath dissipated, but she didn’t struggle against her rainbow bonds.

Her pained growls turned into laughter once again. “A cheap price for the Temple of Rising Earth.”

The Ninecloud Court voice echoed over them all, this time sounding stern. “By the power of Luminous Queen Sha Leiala, we have restrained you. You are still our guests, but do not take our Court lightly.”

Sha Leiala? Lindon thought.

[Monarch of the Ninecloud Court,] Dross explained. [Do you not understand how to pick up on context clues?]

What about Sha Miara? Lindon asked. Suriel had taken him to her coronation two years before.

[Never heard of her.]

Xorrus bared her fangs in a smile as the light of the Ninecloud Court dragged her backward. “I hope your sister will give my granddaughter some competition.”

Fury turned back to his ship, letting the light pull him away as well. “I don't think it matters. What do you think, Charity?”

Charity, cool as ever, inclined her head toward Xorrus. “I'm sure she will do your family proud,” the Sage said, “before the tournament ends and I kill her myself.”

Xorrus struggled against the light, snapping her teeth, but she was still pulled inexorably away.

As the dragon vanished, and Fury and the Sages withdrew their spirits, Lindon finally drew a deep breath and stumbled to his feet. He was still digesting everything he'd heard, but there was one encouraging fact among them: Xorrus had never mentioned the Blackflame team.

[That's good news!] Dross said. [Maybe she didn't think they were worth her time to kill! Unless she did kill them and just didn't think it was worth mentioning.]

Mercy returned, propping herself up on the staff of twisted black madra she called Suu. She panted as she spoke. “Sorry! I got stuck under the pressure. Did you hear what they said?”

“Sopharanatoth,” Lindon repeated. “Isn't that...”

Mercy nodded. “Yerin and I fought her after you killed her younger sister in Ghostwater. I coudn't tell for myself, because I was too weak at the time, but rumor says she's supposed to be strong.” She caught her breath for a moment and then added, “She might be favored to win.”

A Herald’s granddaughter had a personal grudge against him, and she was one of the strongest in the tournament.

[I wish I could say I was surprised,] Dross said. [Oh, wait, I could lie.]

We'll have to watch her fights, Lindon thought.

[How will that help us when we're avoiding her and letting someone else beat her?]

We want to beat her early. If he could beat her, he could weaken her influence and make it harder for her to get revenge and keep the Blackflame Empire out of dragon hands.

The rainbow light around Fury faded, and the Ninecloud servants in rainbow robes streamed out from the dock to usher the Akura clan inside. Lindon noticed they did their best to keep even their eyes from landing on Fury.

The Ninecloud voice echoed once more, “Now please have a pleasant stay in the Ninecloud Court. If there is any convenience you wish, allow us to serve you. Enjoy our hospitality within your tower for the next fourteen days, and then the tournament begins!”

Chapter 9

Yerin’s master had owned several paintings. He didn’t put them up anywhere, he just pulled them out every once in a while to admire them. Passing over the Ninecloud countryside was like flying through one of those paintings.

The trees had pale white bark and the leaves were of every bright color. Thousand-Mile Clouds were born naturally here, so they floated all around, some as big as islands. Vines and bushes spilled over their edges, or clusters of houses, and winged horses and tiny cloudships filled the skies.