Although riding a dragon was far faster than traveling by ship, it was nothing like flying in an airplane with a pressurized cabin. After only a few hours in the thin, frigid air, we began to feel lightheaded from lack of oxygen, our bodies chilled to the bone.
We were forced to lower our altitude and slow our pace for safety's sake. By dusk, we finally spotted a lonely island adrift in the endless blue, and chose it as our resting place for the night.
Even an ancient, powerful dragon was still made of flesh and blood, no match for a modern fuel-powered engine.
"We'll rest here for the night and continue tomorrow."
I slid down from Xander's back, scanning the surroundings for a place to camp.
The island was not large. Wild and untouched, it bore no trace of human presence. Tropical islands like this rarely harbored dangerous predators, which meant we could sleep without much fear.
