Blue Dragon Lair.
Three Ghosts huddled behind a rock wall, whispering as they watched the figure in front of the treasure... the Gold Coins... the silver Mountain.
"Just a quick look at the front line..."
"Ten Gold Coins."
"That's too much... Our last operation only cost ten Gold Narls... How about one Gold Narl?"
Yi Illymoyas threw back her wings and roared.
"My princess, please don't get upset... One Gold Narl is already above the market rate. Those White Dragons only ask for two barrels of Sea Fish..."
"Where are the Gold Coins?"
"That's what I was about to tell you. Please don't get angry..." Annan said, sounding small and helpless. "I'm out of money. Could you let me owe you?"
Lightning flickered around Illymoyas's horns. The Dragon Might she radiated made pedestrians in the street stop short, their hearts racing. Idelia had just begun to feel uncomfortable when a Flameglow shielded her.
"I really am out of money... Dragons can sense an object's value, right? Look, I even sold my Magic Ring..."
Three minutes later, the Blue Dragon carrying Annan crawled out of the Lair, spread her wings, and flew south.
Three hundred li from Star-Moon Bay.
Annan and the Blue Dragon returned to Glacier Harbor. The Rat Tide had pushed several li farther south since their last visit, straight into Glacier Harbor's field of wooden stakes. The Small Boats still floated in the distance. Their occupants were alive and well, so Annan had no need to worry about them.
Gema, foolish as he was, had done one thing right: his wooden stakes had slowed the Rat Tide a little.
The Ratfolk at the stakes either went around, tore them down, or tried to climb over. A few unlucky ones got caught on them and were eaten by