Artha stared at the screen; one eyebrow raised in curiosity. He had been called to the underground keep by his father as soon as the day's race had ended, due to a strange power source being detected in an unexplored portion of the Badlands.
"What is it trying to say?"
He asked his dad, Connor Penn, as his crew watched from behind.
"I'm not sure. It showed up halfway through the race when you guys were passing through that portion, so I thought it was your own signal, but it was far too weak. Ever since, it's been getting stronger and easier to identify, and it's definitely coming from a gold Draconium source. There might be an untapped vein in that area, or perhaps an ancient vault. Why don't you guys go check it out before Word gets an idea and sends his wraiths out?"
Artha nodded at the plan, then turned to the others, particularly his little brother, Lance.
"You stay here. Kitt, the professor, and I will go. There's no telling what we might run into, and I don't want you to get hurt."
"But..." Lance started to argue before being cut off by their father.
"No buts. Artha is right on this one. That area is well past the boundaries of all current maps, so you won't have any guidance except for this reader," Connor said as he handed a small, wrist-mounted scanner to Artha.
"You should still be in range, so call me when you get there. If you're not, then send a dragfly and I'll come out with the hauler just in case. Whatever is down there is powerful and must not fall into the wrong hands."
Artha nodded, taking the dragfly pod and placing it in his pocket. "Alright, guys, let's get going so we don't waste daylight. The last thing we want to do is get caught by hydrags in the dark."
Parmen shivered at Artha's remark about the hydrags. "I'd prefer it if we didn't have to deal with them at all. Not after last time. Cyrano barely made it out of there, even with Kitt's thrusters helping."
Kitt couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. "I've never seen a bull-class move faster than he did. You sure you wouldn't want to try again?"
Parmen balked before Artha placed a hand on his shoulder. "Alright, Professor. How about you take the middle this time? I've got the scanner, so I'll take the lead, and Kitt can watch the rear. Sound good?"
"Yeah. That sounds perfect."
"Then it's decided. If we leave now, we should reach the area by sundown. We should bring flashlights just in case it leads underground or into one of the caverns."
Connor had stepped away for a moment but now returned with a few flashlights for them. "I was just thinking the same thing. You might want to bring a few shovels, just in case, along with your jack sticks. The last time those caverns were scouted, there were a few rockslides and cave-ins. So be careful around any loose rocks and keep your ears open."
"We will, Dad. Let's get going, guys. The faster we get out of here, the faster we get through the nests."
Kitt, Parm, and Artha all left through the elevator that led up to one of the empty stalls where their dragons were waiting patiently. Cyrano, a green bull-class dragon, had fallen asleep but was quickly roused by his master's presence. Wyldfyre, a bipedal red magma-class dragon, was glancing around in boredom, occasionally nudging Artha's dragon, Beau, almost as if urging the other to race him around the paddock. Beau, a red and blue quadruped, was lying down, only returning Wyldfyre's nudges. The earlier races had worn him out for the day, and he had no wish for another unless it was absolutely necessary.
As they heard their riders' approach, each dragon stood and moved to wait outside the open stall doors. Beau let out a growl of contentment as he stretched his legs, while Wyldfyre shook off his fatigue with a full-body shake. Artha was the first to mount, followed by the other two.
"Alright, Beau. I know we just finished one of our longest races to date, but we may need to go even farther than that. You ready, bud?"
Beau gave a snort of annoyance before casting a knowing look at his rider, as if nodding in agreement.
"Let's go nice and slow through town until we reach the outskirts. No doubt the Dragon Eyes are already out doing Draconus knows what."
Kitt and Parm nodded at the suggestion and followed behind as Artha took point, leading Beau through the streets of Midtown at a light trot to conserve energy while staying on guard. A few times, he could have sworn he spotted a concealed wraith, but a second glance revealed nothing conclusive.
It took the three of them just under two hours to reach the wall surrounding the city, only being stopped twice by the occasional security patrol. Every so often, they heard the distant wail of shop alarms, knowing it was Mordryd Payne and his Dragon Eye crew at work. But they left it to the authorities—no call had come in for the Dragon Boosters' help yet, so it was being handled.
With a gentle nudge, Artha pushed open the door leading to the outer scaffolding. Stepping beyond the protection of Dragon City, they entered the Badlands. Distant peaks of desert dunes, rocky cliffs, and ancient ruins dotted the landscape alongside mile-long canyons. Only the toughest could survive and thrive out here.
"Stick close, everyone. We've got just under three hours until the sun starts going down, so let's pick up the pace. We're still not close to the beacon, but it's getting more distinct," Artha said before urging Beau forward as soon as they cleared the scaffolding.
The moment his claws touched the rocky ground; Beau broke into a steady sprint. He didn't need to be told twice—he knew they had to move fast while making sure the others could keep up. Wyldfyre was bred for speed, so Cyrano was the only one they needed to watch. Thankfully, the bulky bull-class dragon was managing to keep pace without the use of red thruster gear this time—but just barely.
Parm wanted to voice his concerns about their current speed but held back. If they wanted to reach the source of the signal first, every second and every mile counted.
Artha soon lost track of time as the landscape around them shifted from canyons to mostly ruins. Many had already been mapped and explored, but a few didn't appear on the map they had been given. The further they traveled, the more common these unmapped structures became—until a tall ledge blocked their path, marking the edge of mapped territory.
Reaching into one of the two saddlebags, Artha pulled out a set of white climbing gear and had Beau mag lock it.
"I'm going to head up and see what's up there. I don't sense anything off, but from here on out, we're going in blind. According to the scanner, we're only about half an hour from the source, so we're not far now."
As he finished speaking, Beau launched the white claw from the chest-mounted portion of the climbing gear. The claw latched onto a boulder at the top of the ledge, and after giving it a firm tug to test its hold, Artha signaled Beau to begin the ascent. With the help of his claws, the dragon made quick work of the climb, and the two cleared the wall in no time. Once at the top, Artha detached the gear and sent it down to Parm via a golden mag-stream, watching as Cyrano secured it in place. He held his breath, a flicker of worry crossing his face, until they too crested the wall. Letting out a sigh of relief he hadn't realized he was holding, he turned to Kitt, who did the same.
Now that the hard part was over, they resumed their sprint toward the signature. The three arrived at the source of the reading just as the sun began to dip below the distant horizon. In front of them stood not just a rocky outcropping but a massive ruin with four large stone columns covered in ancient Draconic runes and script. There were no statues outside, but whoever—or whatever—this temple was meant for had been powerful.
Dismounting Beau, Artha approached the columns and ran a hand down one as he examined them.
"What do you think, professor? Can you read them?"
"Not all of it, no. Most of the ones at eye level have been worn away, but what's left is readable."
Parmen pulled out a handheld scanner and began to scan what he could currently see.
"This tomb... years... final resting... booster. Unfortunately, that's all I can make out, but I think we can determine just what's in there. Your father said it's a gold Draconium energy source. The text says this is a tomb for a booster. No doubt it's for the original Dragon Booster. Artha, I think we should call your father. He definitely needs to see this since he's a Dragon Priest. It's their duty to protect things like this, yet there aren't any signs of anyone being here for at least a thousand years."
Artha's face shifted from enthusiasm to deep thought within seconds as he contemplated their next move. Whatever was in there could help him, but if it couldn't be read or was lost to time, then this was all for nothing.
"Alright. I'll give him a call, but I think we should go inside. I don't see any mechanisms on the doors this time that would require a key to get in."
After finishing his examination of the door for any indents or keyholes, he brought up his watch and punched in his father's number. Surprisingly, he picked up, though it could only be a voice call—they were too far for video.
"Well? What did you guys find?"
"Right now, nothing much—just a massive temple with weathered runes describing a tomb for a booster."
"It's not clear which one, but we were able to narrow it down based on the Draconium reading. It doesn't seem like anyone has been here for a long time, so I think you should make your way out here. Follow the service tunnel down and stick to the canyons. We managed to sneak past the Hydrag nests that way."
"Alright. I'll see you guys in a bit then. Don't do anything rash until I get there. Remember, you're completely alone out there."
"I know, Dad. We'll be careful. See you when you get here."
Walking back over to his friends, Artha relayed the news that his father was on his way. "It wouldn't hurt to explore a little. There aren't any signs of wraiths or anyone else around here besides us. We just need to keep an eye out for traps. The only issue I see right now is that the door is way too small for our dragons. They'll have to wait outside."
Beau, who had been surveying the front of the temple and the surrounding area, balked at the idea of being left behind without his rider. If he had a voice, he would have certainly protested further, but Artha shut it down with a single stare.
"I know you want to come in, bud, but you won't fit through the door without damaging it. None of you will. Dad's coming soon, so you won't be alone out here for long. Alright?"
Beau responded by using his chin to pull Artha close in a sort of hug before releasing him, backing up to the other dragons, and assuming an almost guard-like stance. Artha watched until he was sure they were settled before turning back to the door and giving it a push. Nothing happened—just the clatter of a few loose rocks nearby. He shoved harder, causing more stones to fall.
Seeing this, the others joined in, pushing against the heavy doors until they finally began to give, groaning as they swung inward. A thick cloud of dust billowed out, forcing the group to step back, waving at the air in an attempt to clear it.
"Well, that confirms your suspicions, Parm. These doors haven't been opened in a long time. No wonder it wasn't on the map. Which means, hopefully, whatever's in here hasn't been disturbed since it was first placed."