Free Voyages of the Flying Dragon by Ben Chandler

used his telepathy to manipulate Crown Prince Alexis like a puppet. The memory caused her to shudder. As always, thoughts of their Ostian foe brought to mind the memory of Namei’s last moments, kneeling before Lord Butin as he ordered her throat to be cut.
    No! This was different. Missy wasn’t Butin. She was only lying to the people of Fronge to get Lenis back.
    To get what you want .
    With an effort, Missy brought her mind back to the captain’s question. ‘No, sir, I’m not sure, but I think we have to try.’
    Captain Shishi nodded. ‘Very well. We will return for the Bestia.’
    The idea of walking all the way back to the HiryÅ« only to return to this very spot made Missy chafe. If only there was another way! Then she realised, a little sheepishly, that there was. ‘That isn’t necessary, sir. I can call them from here.’
    Which is exactly what she should have done in the first place! Missy detached her spirit-self and went whizzing back up the tunnel. It was dark, and she passed many openings and turnoffs on her way back, but this was a mine after all, not a maze. It was designed to allow swift access for the miners and equally fast removal of their goods, not to confuse and mislead. After a couple of sharp turns her awareness was back in the main shaft.
    Missy raced back to the surface, conscious that the longer she took to reach the Bestia, the greater the chances that Karasu would complete whatever task he had planned for the temple and leave. Would her brother take the opportunity to sneak off Karasu’s airship? Would he have a chance? Missy felt her panic rising again and channelled it into increasing her speed.
    A moment later she broke out of the mine and into the fading light of evening. They’d been underground longer than she had expected. In passing she noticed that her crewmates and the townspeople had been busy setting up makeshift shelters on the northern end of the square and had even started salvaging what they could from the remnants of the morning’s fire. There wasn’t much left forthem to save. Ironically, they would need fire tonight, for although it was spring the mountains would be freezing come nightfall.
    The Bestia were all aboard the HiryÅ« , waiting for everyone to return. Terra was curled up in the Bestia hutch in Lenis’s cabin, fast asleep. Missy formed the image-messages she needed to communicate with him and gently nudged him awake, her spirit-self pressing against whatever subconscious dream had claimed the Bestia until he noticed she was there and stirred. She kept the message short and basic, as she always did. Simplification was one of the first things Bestia communicators were taught. Lengthy or complicated messages had a way of getting jumbled.
    Three images were enough: Lenis in trouble, the rubble blocking the entrance to Njord’s temple, and Terra digging. As the earth-based Bestia leapt up and out of the hutch, the other Bestia looked after him. Missy thought for a moment and then sent similar messages to all of them. She’d lost enough time because she hadn’t been prepared with Lucis and Terra in the first place. She may as well bring them all along in case something else sprung up once they were inside the temple. Assuming Terra could dig them a way in.

    Lenis emerged into the galley, one shoulder pressed against the inside of the airship’s hull. It was eerie, stepping out into a place so like the inside of the HiryÅ« and yet strangely different. The layout was the same, but there was a woman standingin front of Hiroshi’s stove, and the doorway leading to Long Liu’s cabin was open, revealing yet more stored provisions instead of an infirmary.
    The female cook had her back to him, so Lenis stepped cautiously out of the corridor and into the mess hall. He could see the mast-shaft through the exit on the other side of the hall. It wasn’t that far away, and Lenis was invisible,