The unique blue energy signature, where and when it had appeared, and more importantly, the reactions of the two dragon hatchlings—all this information put together made Gawain realize in an instant exactly what the sentinel captain had found: the Azure Demon Mark.
"Where did you find this stuff?" Melita immediately caught on as well, staring straight at the tall sentinel captain. "How much is there over there?"
"We found traces of it south of the outpost and in a stretch of hills extending toward the eastern interior. There isn't much, but it's heavily concentrated, with the affected area roughly forming a band," the sentinel captain promptly replied. "Mostly, it appears on this kind of stone, though we also found similar marks on some metal wreckage. As for farther away... that lies beyond our current area of control."
Noreta had been standing nearby, listening with a grave expression. At last, she could not help looking at Melita. "What do you think? These marks..."
Melita said nothing, instead turning her gaze toward Gawain. He was frowning deeply as he considered something, and only after noticing her look did he slowly break the silence. "These marks should be the 'evidence' left behind by changes in the Azure Network. They may also be why the hatchlings resonated and became restless toward the West Coast. But we have no evidence yet linking the Azure Demon Mark to the Tower of Reverse Tide... Nor can I think of any connection that could exist between them."
Melita instinctively looked toward the towering structure standing upon the sea beneath the deep night sky. "So we're heading to that tower next, then?"
"Not 'we.' You and Noreta will remain aboard the Winter's Wrath for now, along with the other dragon warriors," Gawain said, shaking his head. "Amber and I