Salvaging 4

The floating island drifted low over the sea, its underside trailing pale roots into open air where the ocean shimmered far below. Above, a wide rain pool had formed naturally in a smooth stone basin, catching cloudwater and wind alike. Small flowers grew in uneven clusters around the pool’s edge, bending and straightening with each gust. Birds circled the drifting landmass, occasionally dipping low before veering away again, as if unsure whether the island was safe to settle on.

Levi stood at the edge of the pool, Nox resting comfortably around his neck. Tucker waited behind them, careful with his weight so the ground would not shift too sharply. Speedy crouched low near the shallows, already focused on the water, her short tentacle mane curling tightly as it tracked movement beneath the surface. Cyborg stood slightly back near Tucker’s shoulder. His mechanical body creaked faintly whenever the island swayed. The yellow artificial wings on his back clicked once, but nothing further happened.

The pool was already littered with salvage: a broken chest lid half-buried in reeds, scattered coins flashing between stones, a cracked clay jar, and strips of driftwood tangled in submerged grass.

Speedy entered first.

She did not hesitate. The water broke around her in a sharp splash as she plunged in, immediately kicking forward through the shallow basin. Her movements were fast and direct, ripping through strands of pondweed and shoving debris aside with efficient force. Her tentacle mane stayed tight against her head, ready to grab anything she deemed worth keeping.

Nox slipped into the water moments later, far smoother. Where Speedy moved like a strike, Nox moved like a current, quiet, controlled, precise. He used small shifts of earth magic beneath the pool’s floor to loosen stones and reveal objects without clouding the water.

Levi crouched at the edge, watching their movements carefully. Tucker lowered his head slightly, not intruding, simply steadying the space around them.

Then the wind shifted.

It was subtle at first, a pressure change in the air, a soft dip in sound. Then a shadow passed over the island.

Levi looked up.

Something large circled between drifting landmasses.

At first, it seemed like a single dragon.

Then it turned.

Two heads became visible on the same body.

Ethora and Delta.

The two-headed dragon descended slowly, wings steady and controlled, not rushing or circling out of curiosity alone. They angled toward the island with intent, cutting through wind currents with practiced ease. Speedy surfaced briefly, shaking water from her eyes, then paused mid-motion as she noticed them.

Tucker’s posture shifted slightly, not defensive, just attentive.

The dragon landed on a higher stone ledge near the pool. Grass bent under their weight, but the island held.

For a moment, everything slowed.

Ethora lifted her head first.

Delta followed a heartbeat later.

Neither spoke.

They did not need to.

Levi moved without thinking, stepping closer as recognition settled into something quieter than words. Ethora and Delta responded immediately, not with hesitation, but with certainty. The distance between past and present collapsed into a single shared moment.

Ethora lowered her head toward him first, close enough to touch without overwhelming. The second head remained slightly back in posture, watching but not distant. When Levi reached out, both heads leaned in just enough to meet him halfway, as if confirming something that had never truly been broken.

Tucker gave a low rumble, not alarmed, but acknowledging something important had returned to the island. Speedy, entirely uninterested in emotional timing, surfaced again with a wet splash and immediately resumed pulling debris from the pool floor.

The salvaging did not stop.

It simply adjusted around the reunion.

Ethora’s attention drifted toward the water almost immediately. Curiosity pulled focus downward, tracking movement beneath the surface where Speedy and Nox continued working. The second head followed the same line of sight a moment later, more analytical, scanning patterns, currents, structure.

For a moment, the body shifted as if it might dive in.

A subtle hesitation passed through both heads.

That was enough.

They stayed above the water.

Instead, Ethora lowered her head briefly toward Levi again, another quiet contact, familiar and grounding. The other head remained still, but its gaze softened slightly as it lingered on the scene. Speedy surfaced again with a piece of metal caught in her tentacle mane, tossing it toward the shore pile with a sharp chutter of satisfaction.

Nox continued working beneath the surface, shifting stones beneath the water, revealing something heavier lodged in silt.

Levi pointed toward the pile. “Keep sorting, coins and metal together, broken wood separate.”

Speedy responded with a noise that suggested she was already ignoring half the instruction.

Nox, however, complied like the good boy he was.

Tucker stepped closer to the water’s edge and carefully hooked a partially buried crate with one claw, dragging it onto the grass. The wood was swollen and water-darkened, but intact.

Cyborg stepped forward. His mechanical fingers clicked against the latch. One pull.

The crate opened.

Inside were coins, a silver chain, a polished pearl necklace, small pearl earrings, and a few loose gems settled in damp cloth.

Speedy surfaced sharply, eyes locking onto the treasure immediately. Levi’s eyes narrowed, he knew his dragon, knew her game and she froze mid-motion before slipping backwards back into the water with a chitter. Tucker lowered his head slightly toward the treasure, then gently nudged a purple flower that had been knocked loose back upright near the crate. It held in place, swaying but intact. Cyborg did not reach for anything. He had no need for gold or jewels, no need for anything really.

As the salvage continued, Ethora and Delta remained above the water, watching quietly. One head tracked movement with open curiosity, occasionally shifting as if reacting to something in the pool. The other remained still, more observant than expressive, but not detached.

At one point, the more curious head leaned slightly forward, interest clearly drawn toward Speedy’s movement below. The other head shifted again.

They stayed.

The pool gradually cleared as salvage piles grew along the shore: coins, metal fragments, broken jewelry, useful wood, and a few intact treasures set carefully aside for sorting.

Birds circled overhead again, less cautious now that the island had settled into rhythm but still not daring to land with Levi and his group of dragons still on it.

Eventually, Nox surfaced fully, pulling himself from the water near Levi’s feet, water dripping from his horns. Speedy climbed out of the pool, shaking herself vigorously, then immediately returned to organizing her “important” pile, which now included one coin, two shells, and seaweed she refused to explain.

Tucker remained steady, watching over everything.

The emotional weight of the earlier moment did not vanish, it simply settled into the background of the work. When the salvage was nearly complete, Ethora and Delta lowered their heads once more toward Levi.  There was no goodbye spoken. Just simple acknowledgement. Then the two-headed dragon lifted from the island, wings catching wind currents cleanly, and rose back into the space between the drifting landmasses.

Speedy watched them go for half a second.

Then immediately went back to the water.

Levi exhaled slowly, looking out over the cleared rain pool. This could be considered a job well done. He’s heart still ached at seeing one of his beloved dragons again but they had seemed happy and that was truly all that mattered.