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"Our e," 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 stas "I adore Shipbreaker Fjord! It’s one of thetides, deep blue water The area is ically concealed"

"I know the place too," Warren said "The Sphinx said if we fly northeast from Shipbreaker Fjord, we can’t hold, but the cah," Raxtus said, swiveling his head to study the hatchway "What awaits us outside?"

"Evidently our escape re 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 sees spread wide and his neck craned high He fanned the area with a few trial flaps After a s and dropped down on all fours "I ht 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 reh around five hundred pounds Have you carried three people before?"

"I’ve carried an elk," Raxtus replied "It had to weigh ine running uphill wearing a backpack crammed with bricks Not ideal, but doable With you three as passengers, I’ll lose much of et unlucky, this should work"

"Luck has a way of evaporating when you lean on it," Warren hten the load"

"You’re deterhed

"This needs to succeed," Warren ether," 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 ic is involved I’ll find a way I haveis o bad, proativity!" Raxtus said "You’re freaking ed "This is the dragon who destroyed Navarog!"

Raxtus swiveled his head left and right "Not too loudly," the dragon ht 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 hihter 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 hter What youor two about that"

Bracken patted Raxtus affectionately on the neck "You’re too huons, but you’re the creaon," Raxtus grumbled "If you want to boost my self-esteem, act scared of me"

"You could bite our heads off," Warren rehed

"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 so thrill out of talking with their et 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"

"Translation?" Raxtus said glumly "Tiering the hilt of his sword "Can’t you take us out the way you cah the Fairy Queen’s realh her realm connects to all of her shrines, the distance between shrines is reat way to travel Here’s the problem: When she opens a portal to let anyone into or out of her realdoh without opening a portal But I can’t carry passengers that way"

"Do you go to her realued

"I never stay there," Raxtus said "It would beunhealthy Eically Look, I’only If I lived there, I’d lose all sense of what I am I’d end up like a child who refused to leave the nest, never adom As wonderful and diverse as Earth can be, no beauty quite compares"

Bracken cleared his throat uncoht," Raxtus said "Do youyour eyes?"

"Not at all," Bracken said

Kendra covered her eyes Even with her hands in the way, she sensed the bright flash

Several of the fairies in the area tittered It was hard for Kendra to decide whether they were ," Raxtus said, his voice pitched higher

The coh to see the back of a rather scrawny fairy with shaggy silver hair and an elaborate set oftoward the hatchway The fairy was the largest Kendra had seen, about a foot tall His head turned as if to glance back, and Kendra closed her fingers before he completed the motion