Voyages of the Flying Dragon Read Online Free PDF Page B

sneak on board and find the stones of ebb and flow. This might be the only chance we get.
    Missy felt her knees suddenly weaken. Her hand moved involuntarily towards the Quillblade inside her robe.If she could only touch it, the shintai would absorb her fear and allow her to think clearly. Lenis squeezed her other hand hard. She let her free hand drop.
    Don’t , Lenis’s thought cracked through her mind. We have to be quiet if we’re going to sneak on board their airship.
    Missy didn’t know what to do. She felt paralysed. She’d been so desperate to get to Fronge so she could help the townspeople, but Lenis’s plan made sense. He hadn’t lost sight of their true mission. They had thought it would take months to track down Karasu, and now here he was. He had the stones they needed to unlock Suiteki’s power so she would be a match for Ishullanu the Demon King. They had to take this chance, but where would that leave the people of Fronge? Missy firmed her resolve and put her trust in her crewmates. They could take care of Karasu. It seemed impossible that they had just stumbled upon him like this. What were the chances it would happen again? She and Lenis had to try and steal the stones of ebb and flow from him.
    How are we going to sneak on board? she asked.
    In answer, Lenis dropped her hand and reached up to stroke Atrum’s fur. The colour returned to his cheeks. A genuine smile appeared on his face. It was a familiar look, and it told Missy that her little brother was planning some crazy stunt. She found herself mirroring his grin.

Lenis pulled his sister behind him and edged up to the shattered remains of Fronge’s gates, doing his best to ignore the townspeople’s fear. An undercurrent of tension thrummed through him. He could imagine the crew of the Hiryū facing Karasu’s warriors in the square, each eyeing the other, seeking an advantage. He just hoped the others could distract the Shinzōn mercenary long enough for him and his sister to reach Karasu’s airship, sneak aboard, and steal the stones of ebb and flow. This could well be their last chance to get them.
    He risked a peek around the splintered wood of the gates. As he had imagined, the crew were facing off against Karasu’s warriors. The two groups were almost evenly matched, but behind them about fifty townspeople huddled together, surrounded by even more of Karasu’s men. The flames of the town had died down, the glowing embers of a deeperheat barely masked by the blackened timbers and stone of Fronge. Lenis could feel it, even from all the way across the square. If the captors left their charges, Karasu would have the advantage, but then the townspeople would be free. They had no weapons, but perhaps given the opportunity they would help the HiryÅ« ’s crew fight off their tormentors.
    Lenis poked his sister in the ribs. Missy, I want you to hang onto my hand, he thought, and she nodded. No matter what happens. Atrum is going to cloak us, just like he did the HiryÅ« back in ItsÅ« when we escaped the Warlord’s forces. It should work, but we have to maintain physical contact … I think. He felt her uncertainty and was grateful she trusted him enough not to raise any objections. But I also need you to listen to what is going on with the others. Lenis felt his own excitement building as he outlined his plan. Somehow communicating it to his sister made it seem like more of an adventure, a stunt like the ones they used to pull back when they were slaves in Pure Land, and less of a reckless and desperate plan upon which so much depended. If Karasu tries to return to his airship, we need to know about it.
    Missy nodded again and squeezed his hand. He could sense her nervousness and also her desire to draw the Quillblade. For a moment he considered suggesting she do just that. He needed her clear-headed, but he pushed the notion out of his head before it formed into a thought she