Airi gazed at the shining towers of Xanadu, amazed that she was even there to see them. Jace walked ahead, guiding them through the city. Kajin was beside her.
   The dome was high enough to pierce the clouds, and some buildings looked mere yards from the top. The buildings were silver, though some chose to paint other colors as lining. The streets were made of a black material that was completely silent to walk on. People were everywhere, but it wasn't crowded. From time to time, a small vehicle passed, but most of the residents preferred to walk.
   "You grew up here?" she asked in awe.
   Jace glanced back. "Yes." he checked a small tablet. "We should hurry. Tyri wants us back before the others get here."
   Kajin looked thoughtful. "Any idea what she meant when she said we would be working together?"
   Jace shook his head. "That was the first I heard. She did tell me that five others would be joining me, but I have no idea why."
   Kajin nodded his head in the direction of Jace's hands. "How did you lose it?"
   Jace visibly tensed. "What do you mean?" his voice was edged.
   "How did you lose your hand? And don't tell me you have no idea what I'm talking about. Nobody wears gloves in an environment like this, and you keep flexing your right hand. When it curls into a fist, you can see the sharp edges only a prosthetic would have. So, how did you lose it?"
   Airi's eyes widened. She wasn't as shocked that Jace was missing a limb, but how Kajin picked up the tiniest details and put them together. She wondered how he had acquired the skill.
   Jace chewed his lip. "I belonged to the Titan Skyguard, the part of the military that rides gryphons. We were out on patrol, and I had flew ahead, which was pretty common. My sergeant called me back and had the rest of the squad fly ahead while he gave me the usual rubdown. When he finished, we got halfway to the outskirts of Xanadu when the bloodmen attacked. They're basically pirates that are constantly harassing us. There must have been five of them. Two attacked me and knocked me out of the saddle. I fell hard, but thankfully the armor was built for falls. On the way down, a stray rifle shot vaporized my arm." his fist clenched. "I spent about two days in the hospital, but I can't do much but walk for the next week. Maze, my sergeant, didn't make it."
   Airi was silent. She remembered the Luriks dragging in people that seemed to live for murder until they broke. She figured that every world had some sort of evil.
   Jace stopped in front of a long building on the edge of the dome. People wearing simple gray tunics walked in and out of a pair of massive glass doors. Some had bars of color on their chests, probably announcing rank. Each officer had a holster with a firearm, signifying that they belonged to a security force.
   He led them through the doors into a white room, every surface scrubbed down and every thing orderly. The only spots of color were the rank insignias. They stopped at a desk set in the middle of the room, or maybe hall was more appropriate. Glancing up, Airi saw all the different levels above them, about ten. Jace handed the woman behind the desk a card that she scanned and handed back to him with a nod. Another thing that Airi noticed was that nobody was talking.
   Jace led them to a set of doors in the back of the room and into a tiny box. Airi recognized it as a fancier version of the rusty lift the Luriks used. He clearly said "L 10",    and she felt the slight pressure that meant they were rising fast.
   Jace turned to them. "When we get to the top, we'll walk into the stables. But don't try to touch the gryphons. They are fiercely loyal to their riders and usually try to harm anyone else who comes near, unless the rider tells them it's okay."
   "How do you let them know it's safe?" Kajin asked.
   "Every rider is expected to know sign language and pitch a whistle, which the gryphons are taught to recognize. Types of commands come at different pitches. The gryphon recognizes the pitch and watches the hands for the rest of the command. It's complicated, but gryphons are very intelligent and can do a lot more than simply sit, stay, or speak."
   The lift's doors opened and they walked into a softly lighted gray level. Each stall was entirely enclosed except for a window above a door. Sharp cries sounded hear and there as well as the clicking of claws and an occasional whistle. They walked to the end of the first hallway to see a large open space, the back wall opening up to the outside. As they watched, seven gryphons wearing mechanical saddles were led to the area by humans wearing robotic armor. Each soldier touched a control on the side of their necks and a helmet unfolded from the collars of their suits. The gryphons lowered themselves till their bellies nearly touched the floor and the riders mounted. They locked their legs and arms to the saddles and the animals spread enormous wings, flying out the opening and into formation.
   Kajin whistled softly. "Quite the suits of armor."
   Jace shrugged. "Assuming you know what you're doing, they catch falls, and they shelter us from winds. The neck armor keeps us from getting whiplash, when your head snaps back from high speeds. The helmet allows us to communicate."
   He turned to the next aisle and halted at the third stall down. A large gryphon's head was peeking through the window, and it trilled softly when it saw Jace. He smiled.
   "Meet Streak. He was mine until I dropped out." He whistled low and made a quick series of hand gestures. "Now he knows you're friends."
   The gryphon tilted it's head and chirped, a sound that Airi would usually expect of songbirds, but by now she could tell that they were capable of a wide range of vocal sounds.
   Jace held out one hand, and Streak gently shoved his beak against it, rumbling softly. Jace smiled sadly. "Sorry, bud. They won't let me ride you unless I enlist again."
   Streak ruffled his wings and whipped his tail, appearing disappointed and restless at the same time. Airi recalled what Jace said about them being extremely intelligent, and wondered if they were smart enough to be considered sentient.
   Hesitantly, she reached out a hand, glancing at Jace. He smiled and nodded, and she put her hand on Streak's neck. The gryphon didn't object, and his one eye she could see, looked at her, looking curious, before leaning slightly towards her. She stroked his feathers, softer than anything she had ever touched. He rumbled again, this time sounding like pleasure.
   Jace reached into his pocket and took out a small fruit that Streak immediately snapped into his beak. "He likes you." he said to her.
   Airi smiled. Kajin was hanging back, obviously wary of the large animal, his arms crossed over his chest. "What do they eat?"
   Jace barely glanced at him. "Mostly fruit, but they do need meat from time to time. A lot of people are surprised when they hear that."
   Kajin nodded, looking a little relieved.
   A gentle chime sounded from the breast pocket of Jace's coat, and the tufts of feathers that resembled ears on Streak's head pricked at the sound, making him look almost like a cat, with wide, deceptively innocent eyes. Jace took out his compad and frowned at the message. Looking back at them, his mismatched eyes glinted. "It's Tyri. Apparently, the rest have arrived. She wants us back as soon as possible."