The next morning was bright and hot and steamy. The sun baked Saguaro's scales while the wind and sea-spray clogged the spaces between them. Too much salt. It was too humid for her tastes.

Herring and Holler however were relishing in it. As they travelled, both were hooting and flying and swooping around each other. Herring would dive into the sea with a splash that would soak Holler while he hovered in the air. Then they went about chasing each other again.

Saguaro held onto Orphaner as he carried her. Even when he was half-asleep, he held steady in the sky. A kind of steady that made Saguaro forget she was up too high, and that she couldn't fly. The muscles of his back and wings were strong and broad. Not like Holler, who would tumble off-kilter if Saguaro so much as leaned too far to one side.

She patted Orphaner's face with her talon. "Hey, snoozy. Wake up. You can't sleep and fly at the same time."

"Says you." Orphaner yawned. "I can do anything while sleeping. I can even sleep while I'm sleeping."

"Ok well you're making me nervous. If I hear one more snore out of you, I'll hit you."

"You're hitting me now." He shook his head and snapped his jaws around the space in front of Saguaro's talon.

"Ah! You almost bit me!"

Orphaner laughed. "But I didn't. See? I'm awake."

Saguaro rolled her eyes and knocked her knuckles on Orphaner's head. "I should hit you for that."

"You and hitting. Jeeeez."

"Hey!" Herring shouted. He propelled himself out of the water, wriggling like and eel in the air until he was high enough for his wings to beat. "You see that island up ahead?"

Saguaro looked where Herring pointed, and sure enough, lingering on the horizon was an ominous claw-shaped island, curled in such a way that made it look like it was hooked into the sky and the clouds around it.

"That's our place. Welcome to Archive Island!" The SeaWing smiled. He dove back into the sea and beckoned the others down to join him.

Orphaner plunged into the water, taking Saguaro with him. She detached from his back and kicked her way to the surface, holding onto the wing Herring stretched out for her to keep her afloat.

I hate not being a strong swimmer. Maybe when we get back Herring will help me practice.

Orphaner resurfaced a moment later, swimming around on Herring's other side, along with Holler.

"Ok here's the plan." Herring said. "I'll slide in through the tunnels under the island, and let you in on the south side. South entrance. Should be a huge cave mouth with stalactites like teeth. Do NOT be spotted. Orphaner, try to hang back away from the island. NightWings are too suspicious. Holler can camoflauge and shield Saguaro if need be."

"What do you want us to do?" Saguaro asked.

"Lay low outside. Look like a soldier. Most won't bat an eye at you, especially if you're with Holler. A SandWing and a SeaWing together, not a problem." Herring explained. "When I let you in, stay with me. Don't speak, look mean. Holler will sneak away to get the plans and then we get the fuck out."

"Okay. Got it."

Holler looked at Saguaro with a worried look in his eye. "Try to hide you not having wings." He said. "Remember that dragon you fought yesterday?"

The one who recognized me.

"Yeah. He knew I'm AWOL. Anyone who sees me will know."

Holler nodded. "Exactly."

"Just stick to the plan and you'll be fine." Herring said with a dip of his head. He tucked his wings in and dove under the surface, twisting away towards the island.

Orphaner turned and beat his wings to take him farther south. He cast a look over his shoulder and smiled at Saguaro as he wung away.

"Alright. SeaWing camoflage is a go!" Holler beamed. His scales shifted quickly from their pea-green and brown to a sea-blue, dotted with his "glowing" green spots. He puffed his neck out and angled his ruff to look like webbed spines on his head.

"How do I look?"

"Like a war veteran." Saguaro said. "add some scars if you can. That'll explain why you look so gaunt and are missing some spines."

"Genius!!" Holler shifted a few scales on his face to look like scar tissue. Saguaro could see he did the same to spaces along his stomach and tail. "Better?"

"Perfect."

They swam the rest of the way to Archive Island. Saguaro still wasn't a strong swimmer, and by the time they'd reached the island she'd swallowed more seawater than she wanted. Holler seemed a bit tuckered out too. But swimming made it harder to spot them than if they'd approached from the air.

Holler helped her out of the water and the both of them clambered up the rocky beach to the south end of Archive Island. There they waited, with the wind buffeting them. Holler kept close to the wall of rock to keep from his wings being snatched by the wind. Saguaro however kept an eye on the sky to the south, seeing if she could spot where Orphaner had flown to.

They waited there until the sun hung at the top of the sky. A familiar talon closed around Saguaro's shoulder.

"Come on." Herring whispered. "Guards inside are asleep for the most part. The ones patrolling are watching the north entrance. Holler, there's an expensive looking scroll case in the room down this hall to your right. Big room, stacked with scrolls. It's right on the table."

Holler saluted with one talon and slunk silently into the cave. He shimmered as his scales changed, and his body slipped right into nothingness as he became fully camoflaged.

Herring led Saguaro right inside. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she made out the walls on either side, painted with murals of phosphorescent liquid. SeaWing liquid? Or maybe a plant-based paint?

"Just stay here. If he runs into trouble we'll be here to help." Herring whispered again.

"How are we helping?"

"If we get rushed, you take the plans from him and bolt."

"Why do I have to run?" She snapped back in a hoarse whisper. "I'm a better fighter than either of you."

Herring rolled his eyes. "Ok fine you fight. I'll make Holler go. He flies faster and is better at hiding."

They waited in the dim of the corridor, and Saguaro heard a strange squish-thunk. Of webbed talons stalking the hallways.

Herring silently scooted Saguaro under his wing, and she dove to hide behind him. She could see through a gap between his legs at the SeaWing who had approached. She was huge, and littered with pale grey scars that tore deep groves through seafoam green scales. She whipped her head to her right, and locked eyes with Herring.

"Who the shell are you." She growled.

"Private Herring, ma'am."

"And water you doing?"

"Guarding the south entrance, ma'am."

She looked Herring up and down, and for a second Saguaro thought she'd seen her. But the SeaWing snorted, seemingly satisfied.

"Whale? Water you staring at me for?" She growled. "At seas, soldier."

Herring sighed with relief as the large SeaWing turned and swept away.

"A good general, Prawn is." He whispered. "If she is a bit scatterbrained."

Saguaro heard shouting from down the hall, as the General Prawn was scolding some subordinates for their tardiness.

"I told you noon sharp, sea slugs!!" She bellowed. The sound rattled Saguaro's bones. Her beration was followed by a quick wave of "yes ma'am" "sorry ma'am"

A ripple in the wall to their right caught Saguaro's eyes. Holler's eyes met hers and he walked past them both, brushing Herring's side with his tail.

"That's our cue." Herring said. He released Saguaro from his wings and turned to follow Holler.

A gasp followed them down the hallway, and Saguaro turned to see a sky-blue SeaWing, with his eyes wide in horror.

"You." He said, pointing a claw at Saguaro. She turned, and lowered her eyes.

"Yeah. Me, what about it." She said, planting the ends of her stumps on the ground.

"You're that spy. Blister's pet."

"I wasn't her pet. I was subcontracted for my work."

"And what are you now? Rogue?" The SeaWing gasped again, and chewed on his knuckle. "Are you working for Burn now?"

"That's none of your business. Keep your mouth shut and I'll leave, and we never have to talk about this again." Saguaro said. She raised her tail threateningly.

"You ARE working for Burn!!" He shouted. Before Saguaro could catch him, the SeaWing went screaming down the hall. "SPY!! SPY!! SECURITY BREACH!!" He screamed. Soon the whole alarm was raised, and Archive Island was under lockdown.