CHAPTER FIVE - The Scourge of Reatania

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 "Whoo-hoo!!" The ninja shouted as they flew their dragons at gusting speeds, turning tight corners as they flew past rock structures in the sea.

"Last one to Reatania cleans the dragon stables!" Jay yelled, and his dragon, Hurricane, roared heartily as it dove for speed.

"Hey--no fair!" laughed Lloyd, whipping the reins in his hands. "Let's go Drab!"

Jay and Hurricane flew past Cole and Ryo, and Sully roared before he bolted forward to catch up. Ryo screamed and grappled the sides of the saddle, but everyone just laughed, especially Cole.

"This is what you guys call fun?" Ryo asked, then made the mistake of looking over the edge and all the way down at the sea.

"Yeah! Why wouldn't it be?" Cole remarked. "Especially when you can do this--!"

Cole then pulled Sully's reins and they did a barrel roll in mid-flight. Ryo screamed again and this time, her eyes were sealed shut out of fear. Jay passed Lloyd, then Cole dove and flew past them both. The dragons roared with excitement.

Eventually, they did slow down and Ryo was able to open her eyes again without as much fear. She looked down at the sea they were passing and gasped. It was so blue and shiny, it was gorgeous. Wafting over it were gray blankets of mist, and then when she looked forward, she saw the inland they were heading for.

"Hey everyone! That's Reatania!" Lloyd announced with a point.

"Whoa..." Jay said.

Reatania was built almost like a city, it had taller buildings in some of its parts, and smaller homes in others. It was surrounded by sand, and the trees that grew were thin and leaning with leaves that dangled loosely in the wind.

"Where are we gonna land?" Cole asked, looking back at Lloyd.

"Uhh... good question..." he replied, then spotted a dock large enough for their dragons. "Wait, there's a spot! Follow me."

Lloyd and Drab dove quickly, and the other ninja and dragons quickly dove following. They each landed carefully on the wooden dock, and the people of Reatania looked up in horror. Some even ran away screaming.

"Hey--wait! Come back, they're just dragons!" Jay said, but the people were already out of earshot. "Aw man..."

"Eh, don't bother trying to tell them otherwise," said a Reatanian working at the docks. "They're all hopped up on tales about a stone-eating shapeshifting beast that's been extinct for over two decades. Anything with wings scares them into running."

The ninjas got down from the dragons and absorbed their elemental powers for when they'd need them later. Cole walked over to the dock worker, and noticed what made them Reatanian, despite looking like regular people.

"But you all have wings," Cole commented, and the dock worker scoffed.

"Exactly," he said, then lifted a crate onto a boat and started tying it down. "Ain't no trusting anything or anyone--not even your friends anymore. They're all so scared, it makes them foolish, I'd tell you."

"Stone-eating, shapeshifting beasts?" Lloyd asked as he stood next to Cole. "Do you guys have names for them?"

"We call them the abeko. But if you're not from around here, you've probably heard them being called the Griffie," the dock worker said, then turned to them and set his hands on Cole's shoulders. "Now listen, I wouldn't go around asking too many questions just because you're not from here. Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut, and since you already don't have wings, some people would want to be sure that you're not gonna turn into some hideous, yellow-tongued creature deadset on eating their homes and riches. Watch your backs."

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