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The three week journey to the Bsani airship docks had been quiet save for what appeared to be an outbreak of forest fires in the kitsune lands. Nadia asked what could cause such a high number of forest fires in spring time. The wolf smiled knowingly. Bianca answered. "Pre-summer burns are regular to prevent a massive rolling fire during the summers. They gather all the fallen dry needles, branches and dead wood and burn it so that the summer fires do not have as much fuel to continue to consume." Bomani chuckled. "Too late in the season for those little princess. Too much smoke for that just to be burning forest." He said. Chiko sighed in resignation. "They are purging fires. I can smell the taint of purified necromantic flesh on the wind." The wolf smiled. "That they are. The druids have begun to root out traitors in their ranks who accepted bribes to allow passage and squatting. The Necro Hunters that mopped up after our action are now hunting and purifying camps of their taint. " Bianca glared at Ceberune. "There were no indications of necromancy at that camp wolf...what did you plant there?" he smiled. "Nothing more than what already existed. I will forgive your ignorance on the matter Bianca, but the Matriarchy uses many dark arts and artifacts to aid in these kinds of endeavors. We were able to secure the tent of the camp's entropy lord before he was able to destroy himself and his tools. There was at least one Soul Orb there attuned to somewhere up north. After that it was a simple matter if giving the Necro Hunters a little push in the right direction." He said with a self satisfied smirk. Bianca grumbled. "What if you have become tainted wolf?" Ceberune chuckled at her assertion. "Who is to say I am not already and have been since you met me?" Chiko spoke up. "The fact that you were chosen and trained by Suzujomei for one..." she said. The wolf laughed. "I am not tainted, but certainly not because I was chosen or trained as a Grandmaster. There have been Grandmasters that have taken up vows of celibacy in the past. Many assume it is to preserve their honor, or a long term test of their will. The vow is not taken to protect them, or something about them. It is taken to prevent the spread of the taint." Bianca was writing as fast as she possibly could in her sage's book at this point as they pulled up to the sand stone walls and wrought iron gates of the massive coastal fortress of the gryphon airship docks.

The airspace above was filled with impossibilities. Massive stone and wood platforms rose above the sand stone and rock below. Each with even more massive merchant airships. Measuring hundred of yards long, these massive ships each brought goods and people to and from the east and Midraria. One caught the wolf's eye however. The smallest ship in the dock seemed familiar somehow. Half as long as the smallest merchant ship in dock, this one was designed to be a sleek warship...or at least was. She was still sleek, the figurehead at the front of her still the beautiful well endowed dragoness he had remembered. The name is what spoke to him however. On the forecastle of the ship, painted in black letters upon her hardened wooden hull was "The Dragon's Call". Bomani looked around the familiar docks as Bianca took notice of the familiar ship as well. Chiko smiled, watching how full of curiosity Nadia was as her eyes hungrily took in every detail they possibly could. Activity was everywhere. Passengers embarking and disembarking the ships, cargo being loaded and unloaded. One ship was preparing to dock and did so with little difficulty, all to the hungry and curious gaze of Nadia. Ceberune smiled as the approached the Airship guild to book passage. The male gryphon at the door bowed to them respectfully, the wolf returned the sign of eastern respect. "Greetings and welcome to the Midrarian airship guild. How can we help you today sir?" the male asked. The wolf smiled and answered. "I am here to book passage for me and my retinue." He nodded walking behind the booking counter and removing the quill from its inkwell and opening a large log book. "Your name sir?" "Ceberune Onyxclaw." "Number in your party?" "Five. Myself, Princess Bianca Lepomadre, Highpriest Bomani Rajkosey, Lady Chiko Akahoshi and Lady Nadia Vulprosa." The male nodded and wrote down the information. "And your title sir?" he asked respectfully. The wolf opened his muzzle to answer when a familiar husky female voice answered for him.

"That, Candrious, is Grandmaster Ceberune Onyxclaw. Lord of Onyxclaw estate in the Kitsune Patriarchy, and infamous Ronin and Lonewolf of the East." Hearing the voice, the wolf's ears flattened against his skull,Bianca's drooped, Chiko giggled happily as she rushed forth and hugged the huge female gryphon. "Oh my, look at how much you have grown Chrysea-san! You were no taller than Helenka when we parted ways in school." The well muscled and curvy female stretched erotically for the males in the group. She stood about as tall as Bianca, her top half having a light to dark blue plumage, her beak was parrot like, but more flexible and bright yellow. Her chest bore the mother-load of tits. Likely the biggest of the group of four females, and as most airship workers, she had clothing that flaunted it. Her sizable nipples peaking just above the blouse, which was too short, showing off her midriff and her well muscled stomach. She wore typical tight pants which showed off her shapely ass. The feline tail showed off a light tan coloration for her bottom half. The most surprising part of her though was her badge of rank, a captain aboard one of the score of the ships docked outside. She smirked, seeing the general mood of the group as she made her presence known. "Aye. Good living and hard work does a body good. It is good t'see the lot of ya. I think I'll be taking care of their passage personally Candrious. Mark m'ship full and schedule her to cast off in the next open window." She said, still smirking. "Of course Captain." The male said as he walked over to a different set of log books and charts, marking some things then looking up the information requested. "The next undock window is in four hours captain." He said. "Thank ye Candrious. Now, if you folks would get yer gear together and follow me, I'll show ye to my ship and we can get ye situated." She said and walked out with the other five in tow. He wolf had a sinking feeling what was going on as she led them down the row to the smallest ship on the row. "All aboard my ship ladies and gents. We leave shortly." She said as she began barking out orders to prepare to leave. "How in the nine hells did you afford this ship Chrysea? " Bianca asked, still taken aback by the ship they were led to. "T'was my mother's dying gift...I got the one thing that I wanted, and Goldie got the rest." She said. The wolf was in awe. The Dragon's Call had been a beautiful ship when she was in her prime thousands of years ago. When it had taken him on that journey a short ten years before, it had been barely able to stay at altitude. Now it sat in a berth, three hundred feet above the ground, fully restored and then some. "How much of this are you responsible for Chrys?" the wolf asked. "All of it wolf. It took me years to get her looking like this again. Though I shouldnae take credit fer the entire ship. I restored the hull and much of her original deck. The engines needed a full replacement though. The core was easy enough to get. I spent nearly three months machining parts for her. So aye, all but the new engine core is mine." She said proudly. "She looks like she did in the stories..." Chiko said in awe. "That's what I was going fer. A once proud warship she was. Now she's a sleek luxury cruiser." She said proudly. "Now stop gawking and get aboard. We're casting off shortly." She said, shooing the group onto the lift platform. "Ye may wanta hang onto something. This lift is a bit..." she was interrupted as the platform shot skyward at an unexpectedly high velocity. When it came to a stop, only Ceberune and Chryseaa were still standing, the others having been floored by the sudden acceleration. The ship stood majestically. "All aboard the 'Call. We have a long trip t'make ladies and gents. So strap in and get ready for the ride of yer lives." She said as they all filed up the gang plank. The wolf looked eastward, a pang of foreboding hitting him as his attention returned to not falling off the gang plank.

End Book 1