Dread sank into his chest, slowly turning to horror. He was stunned, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Distant, but so numerous that they filled an entire swathe of sky, well over a hundred dragons were flying in the direction of the Chasm. Traveling in close formation, each had a rider on its back, an armored soldier or a sorcerer with a staff.

How is this possible? Eiric asked. The eldran king’s composure was truly shattered; he was as shocked as Dion was himself.

The scene was just like the painting. It could only be the Arch of Nisos. The descendants of Aleuthea had found it, and now they’d put it to use.

And as in the painting, all the dragons were fiery red. Their savage coloring, bright scarlet, contrasted with the eldren’s silver scales and Dion’s black.

Dion knew then that Palemon had accomplished the impossible. He’d secured the copper chains he needed, but more importantly, he now had the dragons to harness.

Eiric . . . They found an artifact in the ancient city. An arch. I . . . I don’t understand it. But we’re too late.

We have to get out of here, one of the other eldren said.

I know, Eiric replied. He turned, and the golden orbs of his eyes met Dion’s. But they have a purpose. We know what they plan to do.

Kargan paced the deck of his flagship, the Nexotardis, and proudly took in the sight of the fleet around him. If Javid had once thought that he wasn’t taking this Palemon seriously enough, well, he couldn’t say that anymore. He’d spent a fortune and deployed the full might of Ilea, the most powerful naval force in the world. Bireme after bireme sailed ahead, oars churning the sea into foam, pulling in beside each other to form long rows.

Under the command of their skilled captains, the warships were forming up as soon as they passed through the narrow strait that divided the Maltherean and Aleuthean Seas. Flags communicated positions; helmsmen nudged vessels to keep them all in their place. With only the occasional signal to a wayward vessel, Kargan managed it all with a lifetime’s experience behind him.

At the back of the armada, another eighty-foot-long bireme exited the steep-walled Chasm. It was a dangerous crossing, with towering cliffs on both sides, but Kargan hadn’t lost a single ship. The first row of vessels drifted forward, clearing space for the newcomers. Crewmen shouted to one another, voices carried on the stiff ocean breeze.

‘That’s the last of them,’ General Dhuma called from the other side of the ship. Dhuma had been instrumental in preparing the fleet’s departure, and Kargan had finally restored the man’s rank.

‘Raise the flag,’ Kargan ordered. ‘We’re now on the Aleuthean Sea, and we’ll maintain battle formation from here on.’