After two days of well-earned rest upon the western continent, the journey resumed.
The morning sun had barely risen above the horizon when the dragons once again took to the skies. Lily leaped from the cliff's edge with several powerful strokes of her enormous wings before catching an updraft that carried her steadily higher into the heavens. Behind her, Norberta followed with effortless grace, climbing through the cool morning air until she settled into formation beside her white companion.
Unlike the endless ocean they had crossed only days before, the landscape below changed constantly.
Towering forests stretched toward the horizon like an emerald sea, broken only by winding rivers that glittered beneath the sunlight. Massive mountain ranges rose unexpectedly from the wilderness, their snow-covered peaks piercing the clouds before giving way once again to rolling hills and broad valleys untouched by civilization.
Harry found himself looking downward far more often than ahead.
"This land is enormous."
Arya followed his gaze.
"It is."
Her voice carried quiet admiration despite having lived in Alagaësia for more than a century.
"There are many places in this world that even I have never seen."
Harry smiled faintly.
"I suppose that comes with dragons."
"What do you mean?"
"When you can fly."
He gestured toward the wilderness beneath them.
"The world becomes much larger."
Arya nodded slowly.
"Most people spend their entire lives within a few days' ride of where they were born."
She looked toward the distant mountains.
"A Dragon Rider could cross kingdoms before breakfast."
Harry chuckled.
"That certainly changes one's perspective."
Silence settled comfortably between them for several minutes as Lily continued gliding through the clear morning sky.
Far below, a broad river carved its way through the forests like a silver ribbon before disappearing into the distance. Herds of wild animals gathered along its banks, completely unaware that two dragons soared high above them.
Harry watched the untouched wilderness with growing fascination.
Something about it felt...
Odd.
After another few minutes, he glanced back toward Arya.
"There is something I've been wondering."
She looked at him.
"What is it?"
Harry gestured toward the endless continent stretching beneath them.
"Did the Dragon Riders ruled this land as well?"
Arya blinked.
Then slowly shook her head.
"No."
Harry frowned.
"They didn't?"
"Not that history tells us."
"But why?"
Arya remained silent.
Harry continued before she could answer.
"The Riders were the strongest force in the world."
"They had dragons."
"They had magic."
"They could travel farther and faster than anyone else."
He looked around at the seemingly endless wilderness.
"What stopped them from coming here?"
Arya did not answer, she looked down toward the forests below, her expression becoming increasingly thoughtful.
The question was a simple one.
"Even during the height of the Riders' power, no Rider ever spoke of ruling lands beyond Alagaësia."
"That doesn't make much sense."
Arya folded her arms as she continued thinking.
"The Riders never feared exploration."
"If anything..."
"...they encouraged it."
"Their entire purpose was to preserve peace."
"New lands would have interested them."
"They certainly possessed the means to reach them."
Arya looked toward the endless western horizon.
The conversation gradually faded.
Each of them became lost in their own thoughts while the dragons continued flying northward beneath the warm sun.
The wilderness rolled endlessly beneath them.
Forests gave way to mountain ranges.
Mountains yielded to broad grasslands.
Grasslands became ancient woodlands once more.
Hours passed peacefully.
So peacefully, in fact, that none of them noticed the dark shape approaching from the western horizon.
It was Mella who saw it first.
She had been absentmindedly watching Thunder attempt to count clouds—a task the young hatchling appeared to take with surprising seriousness—when something caught her eyes.
At first, she thought it was merely another storm.
But storms did not move like that.
The dark mass seemed almost alive.
And, more importantly...
It was moving.
Fast.
Mella frowned.
She leaned forward slightly upon Norberta's saddle, never taking her eyes off the distant black cloud.
Something about it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
"Harry."
He turned his head toward her.
"What is it?"
Mella raised one hand and pointed toward the western horizon.
"Do you see that?"
Harry followed her finger.
Far away, barely visible against the afternoon sky, something dark was moving toward them.
At first glance, it resembled an enormous flock of birds.
A very large flock.
Arya turned as well.
For several moments, she simply watched the approaching shape without speaking.
The distance between them closed rapidly.
The black cloud continued growing larger.
And larger.
Until...
Arya's expression changed completely.
The color drained from her face.
"No..."
She leaned forward, her eyes widening in unmistakable horror.
"No!"
Harry immediately felt every muscle in his body tense.
He had never heard that tone from Arya before.
"What is it?"
Her eyes remained fixed upon the approaching swarm. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Lethrblaka."
Harry had never heard the name before.
"What are Lethrblaka?"
Arya's answer came instantly.
"They are creatures of darkness."
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
The only sound was the steady rush of wind beneath the dragons' wings as the dark mass swept across the sky with terrifying speed.
Harry narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the individual creatures hidden within the approaching swarm.
Arya's hand tightened around the hilt of her Rider's sword.
"They're Lethrblaka."
"Servants of darkness."
"They hunt for the Ra'zac."
"They're what the Ra'zac eventually become."
Harry looked back toward the sky.
As the swarm grew closer, he could finally distinguish individual shapes.
Each creature possessed enormous bat-like wings stretched between long, skeletal limbs. Their bodies were lean and muscular, covered not with feathers but with dark, leathery skin that gleamed faintly beneath the afternoon sun.
Their heads resembled twisted birds, ending in long hooked beaks lined with rows of jagged teeth.
At first glance...
They looked like some grotesque combination of bird, bat, and dragon.
Each one was far smaller than Lily.
But the sky itself seemed to darken beneath their numbers.
"They're everywhere!" Mella shouted.
Before anyone could speak again—
Lily roared.
The deafening sound echoed across the heavens like thunder.
An instant later, brilliant fire erupted from her jaws.
The blazing torrent engulfed the front ranks of the charging creatures.
Dozens of Lethrblaka shrieked in agony as dragonfire consumed them, their burning bodies tumbling helplessly toward the forests thousands of feet below.
For a brief moment, a hole opened within the swarm.
Then it closed again.
More creatures surged forward, filling every gap almost immediately.
"They're still charging!"
Norberta answered in her own way.
Rather than breathing fire, she folded her wings slightly and dove directly into the middle of the swarm.
Her enormous body became a crimson blur.
The first Lethrblaka barely had time to react.
Norberta's tail swept through the air like a battering ram.
The wicked spikes lining its length tore through several creatures at once, ripping leathery wings apart before sending broken bodies to the ground.
Another lunged toward her head.
Norberta caught it between her jaws.
One powerful bite. Then she spat the remains aside and continued flying.
The sky erupted into chaos.
Lethrblaka attacked from every direction at once.
Some dived toward Lily's back.
Others slashed at her wings with razor-sharp claws.
Several attempted to force their way beneath her body.
Harry had already drawn his wand.
"Diffindo!"
Invisible blades sliced through the air.
Several creatures screamed as their wings were severed, sending them tumbling helplessly through the sky.
Another group immediately replaced them.
"Bombarda!"
The explosion shattered another cluster.
Burning bodies scattered in every direction.
Still...
They kept coming.
One creature darted beneath Lily's left wing before Harry noticed it.
Its claws raked across the white dragon's side.
Lily roared in pain.
Harry spun instantly.
"Confringo!"
The blazing curse struck the Lethrblaka squarely in the chest.
It exploded into flames before falling away.
"Lily!"
"I'm alright."
Her voice echoed calmly inside Harry's thoughts despite the pain.
"Just a scratch."
Harry looked toward the wound.
It wasn't deep.
But blood stained several white scales.
His expression darkened.
More Lethrblaka swarmed around them.
Farther away, Norberta had become almost impossible to follow.
The black dragon rolled violently through the air as three creatures attacked her.
One was crushed beneath her wing.
Another lost its grip and disappeared below.
The third managed to slash across her shoulder before Norberta twisted around and tore it apart with her jaws.
Even so...
Harry could see her breathing becoming heavier.
She was beginning to tire.
The battle had become one of endurance.
And the swarm possessed one advantage neither dragon could overcome.
Numbers.
Every creature they killed was immediately replaced by another.
Harry fired spell after spell.
He forced the attackers away whenever they came too close, yet the swarm simply refused to retreat.
It was like trying to empty the ocean with a bucket.
Mella wasn't idle either.
From Norberta's back, she hurled spell after spell into the densest parts of the flock.
Several Lethrblaka burst into flames.
Others tumbled from the sky with shattered wings.
Yet no matter how many fell...
Countless more continued charging.
"They're endless!" she shouted.
Arya had abandoned spellcasting entirely.
Instead, she fought with her Rider's sword whenever a creature came within reach.
The emerald blade flashed repeatedly.
Each strike severed wings or pierced leathery bodies before the corpses vanished beneath the clouds.
Harry froze for the briefest instant.
His eyes widened.
"...Maybe."
He had never attempted such a thing before.
But if these truly were creatures born of darkness...
There was one spell he had to try.
He closed his eyes for only a single heartbeat, shutting out the screams, the beating wings, and the chaos surrounding him.
Then he reached deeper into his magic than ever before.
Power surged through every part of his body.
The wand trembled in his hand.
When Harry finally opened his eyes again...
They shone with brilliant determination.
"Expecto Patronum!"
Silver light erupted from the tip of his wand. It exploded outward like the birth of a star.
The dazzling radiance expanded across the heavens, so brilliant that even Lily instinctively narrowed her eyes.
Within that sea of silver...
A shape began to form.
Then it continued growing.
Larger.
And larger.
Until even Lily appeared small beside it.
A magnificent silver dragon burst into existence.
Its translucent scales gleamed like polished moonlight, while enormous wings spread across the sky with a majesty that stole the breath from everyone who witnessed it.
The Patronus opened its jaws.
Then it roared.
The heavens themselves seemed to blaze.
The charging Lethrblaka faltered.
For the first time since the battle began...
They hesitated.
One creature turned away.
Then another.
Within seconds, the entire flock dissolved into chaos.
The Lethrblaka fled.
They scattered in complete terror, racing back toward the western horizon as though every instinct they possessed screamed at them to escape.
Within moments...
The dark cloud that had nearly surrounded the dragons was gone.
Only the endless blue sky remained.
Harry slowly lowered his wand, breathing heavily.
His gigantic silver dragon circled high above them, its shimmering body illuminating the heavens like a second sun.
He stared after the fleeing creatures in disbelief.
"...It worked."
Beside him, Arya remained utterly speechless.
She had seen Patronus before.
"So powerful..."
Mella simply stared upward with wide eyes.
"It scared them..."
Harry looked at the magnificent dragon circling above.
"They're creatures of darkness."
His breathing slowly steadied.
"It was worth trying."
The silver dragon gave one final majestic sweep across the sky before dissolving into countless sparkling motes of light.
One by one...
The silver sparks faded into the afternoon sunlight.
For several long moments, no one spoke.
The only sounds were the steady beat of dragon wings and the rush of wind past their ears as Lily and Norberta continued flying northward.
Harry looked over his shoulder one last time before slowly lowering his wand.
"I don't think they'll be coming back."
"I hope not," Mella replied, letting out a long breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
Only now did the adrenaline begin to fade.
She looked down at her trembling hands in surprise.
"I didn't even notice..."
"What?"
"I was shaking."
Harry smiled reassuringly.
"That was your first real aerial battle."
She laughed weakly.
"I suppose it was."
Arya remained unusually quiet.
Her eyes wandered repeatedly toward Harry before drifting back to the empty sky where the colossal Patronus had vanished.
The overwhelming purity of the magic itself had driven an entire swarm of creatures born from darkness into blind panic.
It was unlike anything recorded in history.
Harry noticed her staring.
"What is it?"
Arya slowly shook her head.
"I was simply thinking."
"About the Patronus?"
She nodded.
Silence settled once again.
Lily continued gliding effortlessly through the afternoon sky despite the shallow scratches across her white scales.
Harry gently rested one hand against her neck.
"How are you feeling?"
"I've had worse."
"You should have told me you were hurt."
"It wasn't serious."
Her amused voice echoed inside his thoughts.
"You worry too much."
Farther to the right, Norberta stretched her wings experimentally.
"I'm hungry again."
Mella stared at her.
"You've only just finished fighting."
"Fighting makes me hungry."
"I think breathing makes you hungry."
Norberta considered that.
"...Also true."
The tension left by the battle slowly melted away.
Nearly an hour passed before Harry finally looked ahead.
A small smile spread across his face.
"We're here."
Arya blinked.
She looked toward the horizon.
Then frowned.
"...Where?"
Mella shaded her eyes with one hand as she searched the endless ocean.
"There isn't even an island."
Harry simply smiled.
"There is."
He slowly drew his wand once more.
"It's simply hidden."
He raised the wand toward the empty horizon.
Then, in a language neither Arya nor Mella recognized, he quietly spoke a series of ancient words.
At first, nothing appeared to happen.
Then the very air ahead of them began to shimmer.
It rippled gently like the surface of a perfectly still lake after a single stone had been dropped into its center.
The distortion spread outward.
The empty horizon bent.
The illusion began to disappear.
Mountains emerged first.
Great green peaks rose from nothingness, their summits crowned with ancient forests untouched by civilization.
Then came cliffs overlooking the sea.
Crystal-clear lakes reflected the afternoon sunlight.
Dense forests stretched from one end of the island to the other.
The entire landscape seemed to materialize from thin air.
Arya forgot to breathe.
"...Impossible."
The island itself was not what stole their breath.
It was the sky above it.
Dragons.
They filled the heavens.
Some soared effortlessly among the clouds, riding invisible currents of air with practiced grace.
Others rested upon towering cliffs overlooking the sea, their immense bodies gleaming beneath the afternoon sun.
Young dragons chased one another through the sky with playful enthusiasm while older dragons watched lazily from rocky ledges.
Everywhere Arya looked...
There were dragons.
White dragons.
Green dragons.
Bronze dragons.
Black dragons.
Golden dragons.
Blue dragons.
Red dragons.
Some possessed long serpentine necks.
Others had broad, powerful bodies built for battle.
A few were so enormous that they dwarfed even Lily.
The air echoed with the sound of beating wings and distant roars.
Arya's emerald eyes widened until they seemed almost too large for her face.
"...By the stars..."
She had spent more than a century believing dragons stood upon the edge of extinction.
Mella's reaction was no less dramatic.
Her mouth hung open as she slowly turned in every direction, unable to decide where to look first.
"When you said Dragons Island..."
She laughed softly in disbelief.
"...I thought it was only a name."
Below them, one of the dragons looked upward.
Then another.
Within moments, dozens of heads turned toward the newcomers.
Lily suddenly released a joyful screech that echoed across the island.
Roars answered from every direction.
One after another, dragons lifted their heads toward the sky.
Some launched themselves from the cliffs.
Others spread their wings while still standing upon rocky ledges.
The heavens erupted with welcoming cries.
Norberta answered with a roar of her own, every bit as loud as Lily's.
Thunder became so excited that he nearly tumbled from Mella's shoulder.
Lily landed gracefully upon the soft grass.
Norberta touched down moments later beside her.
The instant their claws met the earth, dragons from every direction began approaching.
Some walked.
Others glided in from the sky before folding their wings.
Most were wild dragons, guided primarily by instinct rather than speech.
Only a handful possessed minds developed enough to communicate clearly.
Yet none of that mattered.
Recognition required no words.
One elderly bronze dragon lowered his enormous head toward Lily in greeting.
A green dragon gently brushed its neck against Norberta's shoulder.
Several curious young dragons gathered around Thunder, sniffing the tiny hatchling with obvious fascination.
Thunder chirped proudly, puffing out his chest as though meeting royalty.
Dragons greeted one another with the easy familiarity of creatures welcoming family home after a long journey.
Arya slowly turned in a full circle, trying unsuccessfully to take everything in at once.
The last sanctuary of dragonkind.
She now understood why Harry had protected its existence with such absolute secrecy.