It was just over a week later that they made it to Kyonaka, the capitol of Ryukyuu. Andrew felt exhausted from the last few days of the trip. They’d flown north over the desert, then spent a lot of time in the mountains bordering the coastal nation. Peter managed to convince the emerald and ruby dragons that lived in the mountains that they were just passing through, mostly by talking to them the same way he had the bronze dragons in the west. Meanwhile, Anna practiced her magic, leaving Andrew with his thoughts each evening, where he would worry about the king and queen.

  Based on what Anna told him, they were treating the situation like a game. He wouldn’t be surprised if they were so indiscrete that Sol, Daniel, and their mother already knew the trio had passed along a secret message. That wouldn’t be so bad of course, but if they’d been like that with anything those three had discovered before, then no wonder they never found the spy. The pair acting like children would ensure a spy would see any plan coming from a long way off.

  In the last two days of the flight, while Peter explained the concept of livestock to Ruby dragons, Andrew tried to bring his focus back to the task at hand. The Ryukyuujin king was a man named Osamu Shinryuu. No one in the west, save a few ambassadors, had met him before. But his reputation was that of a stern and fair ruler. Andrew hoped this meant he would be willing to join the summit for dealing with the Wisps. On the other hand, he couldn’t help remembering the incident in Nuidia, and wondering if the Wisp Steelers would try and find a way to repeat it here.

  They landed outside the capitol in the middle of the morning. The city was built on a mountainside, with no wall around itself. Instead, the whole thing seemed to rise gradually in tiers. Each street, as it rose up the mountain, was higher than the one before it. Surrounding the city were fields shaped like blobby crescents, green and shimmering with water, as if an independent lake filled with reeds was on each one. Through Peter, Jarnvaror described people working in them, and Andrew realized they must be farms of some sort.

  They waited at the base of the mountain, next to an arch that seemed to mark the entrance to the city proper. It wasn’t long before the welcoming committee arrived. The soldiers carried the same long spears that Captain Yamada’s men in the north had. They surrounded a group of five, all in flowing robes. Andrew was willing to bet that at least four of the five were mages. The central figure, though, was different.

  The soldiers parted for the man to approach. His robes were embroidered with more detail than the others, words written in the special script of the east decorating the sleeves and collar. A tall crown rested on his head with braded tassels dangling to one side. As he approached, Andrew could make out the wrinkles on the man’s face and his thin white beard. And, Andrew was surprised to see, he was rather short, almost a full head shorter than himself or Peter.

  Still, he stood straight and walked easily as he approached the dragon. All three Wisp Seekers slid down and bowed to the man in the eastern fashion.

  “Three riders,” the old man said. “Two young men and a red-haired dwarvish girl. All atop a metal grey dragon.” Andrew lifted his eyes to see the man’s expression. At first it seemed unreadable. Then a slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and Andrew saw his gesture for the three to rise. “I presume you are the Grealish Wisp Seekers that young Captain Yamada spoke of.”

  Andrew nodded confirmation. “And may we presume that you are King Osamu Shinryuu?” he asked.

  The old man nodded. “So strange to hear my family name put second,” he said.

  “We mean no offence,” Andrew said, bowing his head again.

  The king chuckled and shook his head. “Do not worry. I know the custom is different in other nations.” King Osamu swiveled his gaze to Peter, who was relating everything being said back to the dragon. “You must be the beast tongue,” he said.

  “Yeah,” Peter replied.

  “It is a great gift,” the King said. “And a great responsibility of its own. Especially for such a noble beast as this.”

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  Peter shrugged. “Dragons have always just been friends to me,” he said.

  The king nodded. “I can imagine,” he said. He glanced to the side. “Ah, Nami! No need to worry. Come say hello to our guests.”

  Andrew turned, expecting to see a child. Instead, a small calico cat trotted out, throwing nervous looks at Jarnvaror. But she didn’t stop until she reached the emperor and meowed up at him. The Emperor chuckled again. “No, this one won’t eat you. You’d hardly make a snack for him.”

  Peter’s eyes lit up. “You’re a beast tongue, too?” Peter asked.

  The King nodded. “I have found them a great comfort in my years of ruling this land,” he said. “And I would be happy to talk with you more about it. But I imagine you have come here for a different reason.”

  Andrew nodded. “We are, your…” he realized he wasn’t sure what honorifics the royalty of Ryukyuu used. Not knowing what else to do, he pressed on with, “your majesty. Captain Yamada suggested our countries work together to deal with the Wisps.”

  The king nodded. “Yes. He mentioned. We received a letter a few weeks ago, officially asking for consideration on that front. But I doubt our response has reached the far city of Woadrok quite yet.”

  Andrew nodded. “We were not aware of your response when we set out,” Andrew said. “However, an interaction with the queen of Selasem has accelerated our leaders’ desire to meet with the other nation. The Selasi queen proposed that we use the upcoming tournament in Borac as a summit. Our king and queen agreed, and they all hoped that you would come as well. And for Captain Yamada, who we fought against the Mottled with.”

  King Shinryuu nodded his understanding. “I see. That would be an excellent occasion. Warriors from all three of our countries gather to test themselves at that tournament.”

  “Does that mean you’d like to attend?” Peter asked.

  The king sighed. “Unfortunately, that will be difficult,” he said. “For myself and my warriors, travel is out of the question.”

  “Why is that?” Andrew asked.

  The king looked out to the north. Andrew followed his gaze. From this height, they could just make out the ocean spanning across the horizon. “The Nordar have begun raiding again,” Shinryuu said.

  Andrew frowned, knowing he’d heard the name before, but not sure how to place it. Next to him, though, Anna gasped. “Now?” she said. “But they’ve been isolating themselves for the past thirty years!”

  The king barked a laugh. “Isolating themselves? No, they’ve been abiding the conditions of their last surrender.”

  “What?” Andrew said.

  “When I was young and my father still sat the throne, the Nordarin were known across the north east as proud and violent pirates. They controlled the seas. They were not at all like the pirates of the west who attack only the weak, and then only when they outnumbered their victims. Instead, their goal was to find worthy opponents to duel. If they won, they would take everything. As prince, I lead the armies that put a stop to it.”

  “Until now,” Andrew guessed.

  The king nodded. “We grew lax in our watch over them. We thought they had genuinely reformed. But it seems that wasn’t the case. I do not know if something has happened, or if the time is simply up, but they are back, and back in force. Towns along the coast have been going up in flames. I need my men their protecting my people.”

  “That’s awful,” Anna said.

  The king nodded. “I am sorry. Your mission is important. The Wisps are causing problems here as well. But this is more urgent. I cannot abandon my people in this time of need.”

  Andrew frowned, thinking over what the king had said. “You have no idea why the Nordarin have begun raiding again?” Andrew asked.

  The king shook his head. “I would understand it more if my counterpart had passed away. But as far as I know, he has not. His son is leading most of the raids, and he still calls himself a prince, not a king.”

  Andrew looked to Anna. “Do you think this could be related?” he asked.

  “To what? The Wisps?” Anna replied. As she said it, her eyes got wide and she nodded. “Maybe. Yes. In Grealand, some of the Wisp problems seem natural, but others are the result of a group we call the Wisp Steelers giving Wisps to bandits, rebels, and pirates!” She placed heavy emphasis on the final word, and the Ryukyuujin king narrowed his eyes.

  “That is a possibility,” he said. “A small one. I have not known the Nordarin to speak much of the Wisps. But if it is the case, we could not afford to overlook it.”

  “Perhaps you could send Captain Yamada in your place,” Andrew suggested.

  The king thought for a moment. “He is a valuable commander. It would be hard to see him go. Still, if you’re right… Yes. I suppose that is the best option available. I shall send for him, and we can discuss the specifics of his travel detail.”

  “We could go and get him,” Peter offered. “We’re a lot faster than any messenger.”

  The king looked at Peter. A smile crossed his face. “I think I will take you up on that,” he said. “Of course, he’s on the front line with the Nordar right now. It is good you go with a dragon. You will need his might if you find him when he is with the enemy.”