***Magnus's POV***

They had been flying through the air for the past hour now, and he could finally see the beginning of fog in the distance. Magnus squinted at it, unsure what exactly it was.

"Hey, why is there so much fog?" He called up to Alec over the howling wind. Most of the other idle comments he had tried to make had went ignored by the big dragon, so he was surprised when Alec responded.

"We're about to enter the homeland of dragons. If I were you, I would remember your manners. You best be respectful. My father will not allow you or your friends to stay otherwise." Alec's voice was gruff.

Magnus had expected no less, though he was surprised Alec's father held so much weight in the world of dragons. He must just mean his father owns the land we'll be staying on. Nothing more, nothing less. Because there's no way he could possibly be . . .

No, he wasn't even going to entertain that idea.

One wingbeat later and Alec was plunging down. "Hold on."

"Ah!"

He heard someone —presumably Simon— scream from somewhere nearby. Magnus had hardly seen any of his companions since taking to the air. Held in Alec's other clawed hand, Clary was looking a tad green. Hopefully she doesn't get sick on any of the dragons, I can't imagine that would be considered good manners.

The ground was coming up fast now. For a heartbeat, Magnus wondered how Alec would possibly be able to land without the use of his front claws to dig into the earth. The moment passed as Alec landed hind legs first in the dirt. His wings did the extra leveraging as he lowered himself to the ground. Magnus could feel the dragon's grip on them tighten as he did so. The swooshing sound of Jace and Isabelle landing right next to them went off. He noted that Isabelle's wingbeats were the quietest, while Jace's were violent enough to rattle the trees close by. It was important to know you enemy, especially if you were planning to kill them soon.

"Woah! Easy there big guy." Clary was complaining. He expected her dour mood had only worsened when she had been denied the right to fly with the golden idiot.

"Heh. You want to live with dragons, so I suggest you get used to rough landings," Alec said gruffly. The dark dragon was having none of Clary's complaints.

Magnus paid little attention to either of them. "Brighten up Biscuit, it looks like we're here."

Though where here was exactly, he was unsure. It was likely the dragons had flown over many twists and turns before returning to their homeland, so much so that even a hunter like himself was left confused. Or maybe it's like the legends say: only those with purest hearts can find the sacred dragon homeland on their own, memorizing their path by mind and memory. He pushed the nonsensical idea away. His mother had spewed such tales all the time when he was a small child. And look how she ended up.

"Yes we are, though you probably can't see much yet." Jace commented.

The golden dragon and Isabelle no longer carried any passengers. Simon and Catarina were on the ground staring around at the scenery. Everything was covered in fog. It was so thick, like the white paste Malcolm used to shore up his home — plaster, he thinks the man called the stuff.

"Thats because we have to lead the way through. Only a dragon can see this place clearly." Izzy murmured. Clary was squinting still, as if trying to see something. Didn't she just hear the monsters? No humans can see anything except fog right now.

"Then why do I see blue?" Clary was shaking her head.

Jace came over to her side, his tail whisking behind him. Unlike the slender red dragon, his tail had none of the sharp, dagger-like spines, and instead had flimsy fin-like material sprouting along the middle of his back. Magnus was reminded of a mermaid by the material. They must give him some advantage in flight, though I have no idea what it might be.

"Heh, perhaps you're one of the few people who are more perceptive than the rest. Right Alec?"

Alec snorted. "Or good at guessing."

Jace was a little too close to Clary for Magnus to be comfortable with. He and Clary may be on opposing sides in regards to dragons, but he did not want any harm coming to his friend just because she was foolish enough to trust them. The small redhead was edging closer to Jace's claws. She seemed to want to be touched by him.

Reflexively his hands went down to his belt, and then he cursed under his breath. The two daggers he had carefully concealed were missing. But what could've happened to them? Did they fall out during the flight? They must have. He had thanked his lucky stars the dragons had not searched him further for weapons, thinking about just how foolish they were. At the feeling of someone watching him, his golden eyes looked up. Alec was staring at him, a certain smile on his face. It appeared smug for whatever reason.

"Well, I think I've had just enough of staring around at blank nothingness. Can you let us inside please?" Catarina asked.

"Yes. Let's go inside." Izzy agreed.

The three dragons exchanged looks. Alec stepped forward. Sounds clicked from his tongue like gold coins clattering to the ground. The language had to be dragon-speak, indecipherable to humans or any being who wasn't reptilian. His own Father had tried to learn the language many times to give him an edge against the monsters they fought daily. But none of the lessons produced any good. Eventually Asmodeus gave up.

Alec ushered them forward when he was done speaking, his long tail sweeping around Magnus and his friends with a long arc. Simon stumbled from the strong tug, as did Clary. Only Catarina and Magnus kept on their feet, balanced as ever. They had experience with dragons before, both good and bad.

"Wow! This place is amazing!" Simon gasped. He was the first to step inside, his sneakers digging into the grassy dirt. When his own eyes scanned the land they now entered, he could not help but agree with his bespectacled friend.

"Yeah, you're right Si." Clary breathed out. There were heavy footfalls sounding off behind them as Jace and Izzy followed their brother.

There were rolling hills on all sides. They were dotted in five petaled blue flowers, each with an orange pollen core at the center. Small streams trailed down each slope heading down towards what looked to be a lake. There was something huge at the center of it, but it was much too far away for him to see. Caves were pressed off above the hills, so high up they practically touched the clouds. Dragons of all shapes and sizes flew in the sky and walked on the ground. Magnus inwardly gawked at the amount of them.

All the hunting I've done . . . I don't think I've even put a dent in their numbers. There was a steep dip off to the left side. He wondered where it went. Fluffy white cotton shaped balls floated in the air —wishing buds— his mother had called them. These little things were said to grow only around beings deserving of luck and prospering. But why would they grow in the monsters' homeland of all places? Ridiculous. The land must've been owned by someone else before. There was no other plausible explanation.

"Welcome to the Dragon Homeland," Jace said in a grandiose way that made Clary giggle.

"What is this place called?" Magnus found himself asking. He wanted to know exactly what to tell his Father the next time they talked.

"This is the Star Flower Valley." Alec told them, the stripes on his chest lighting up at those words like he was proud. The dragon was smiling, and for some reason Magnus couldn't help but find himself smiling too. Well, that was until a new voice broke them out of the peaceful moment.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

******

A/N: Happy Easter guys! 🐰🐰