Syne leads Brooke and Rush south, through Serribis and toward Port Korra with Dell tagging along. The Antarean often complains that his feet are getting tired, and Syne offers to carry him on his shoulders.

While traveling down the Titan River, they are intercepted by a familiar dragon. Syne, leading the group, has a bit of deja vu as the dragon recoils in a mildly threatening manner (but then, a dragon can't do much without seeming to threaten). Dell runs forward ... again ... to stop the dragon from eating them all. The dragon abruptly speaks up, asking where Dell's wings have gone. Both Dell and Syne are taken aback: "He can talk?"

The dragon introduces itself as Aequus. Since night is falling, he suggests they all take shelter in Dell's old cave which is not far. They can talk there.

• Aequus firstly apologizes to Syne for originally trying to kill him (back in Chapter One). He's always been wary of humans, and was defending Dell's territory.

• Dell is confused. He never knew the dragon was there for him, and wants a bit of an explanation. Aequus is happy to explain.

  • About fifteen years ago, he sought shelter from the terrible events of the Protean-Antarean war. An Antarean named Kydran also was looking for a way to get away from Antares, and Aequus flew him over along with a very young Antarean that Kydran had found in a raid on a Protean outpost.

  • Once arriving on the Titan Continent, Kydran thanked Aequus and left him to take care of the young Antarean. Aequus agreed, and ever since, has guarded the plains on which Dell grew up.

• Dell is even more confused. He can't figure out why Kydran would want to save him in the first place. Unfortunately, no one has an answer for that. Dell comments that maybe he can still find the answer on the Ruin Continent. Aequus wonders why they're all traveling back there, and how they plan to get there.

  • Brooke tells the dragon about the ore that Kydran has. This gets Aequus deeply concerned, and Rush agrees they must make haste to the Protean council and ask them what should be done.

  • Aequus tells them that rumors of magnificent ships crossing the ocean are false; no craft has ever overcome the great current that passes between the continents. He agrees to fly them over in the morning.

That night, Syne has another flashback to the scene of battle. When we wakes up, he knows that these images may be calling him from across the ocean.

-room for development-