Before the shutting down of the Dragon Gate Network, all the Domes and outer cities of Thale used to be interconnected through a smaller network, but now that ability had been cut off. With enemies in the water and looking for a chance from above, traveling from island to island could be dangerous. This added to Thale's problems of resource distribution.

There was a transit area in Icestorme, just like most other capital cities where now defunct Dragon Gates stood like monuments of a better time. Everyone was reluctant to demolish them in case one day the Network could be safely reactivated. 

Morganna and the city planning committee did not choose to build the Bridging array in this place. Instead they chose a new area. Similar to Chrystianna's plans within an abandoned warehouse, they planned to open a new area for transportation. But this one would be built in an octagonal plaza, with five areas dedicated to larger arrays connected to the other continents; the other three areas would be dedicated to five smaller arrays connecting Icestorme to other priority cities.

It would be surrounded by shops and other businesses and governed by the appropriate offices. Mason, the more talkative of their two guides, explained all this to the guests from Silvermoon. "Of course this is all planning for the future. For now we are just grateful to be able to connect Silvermoon," he added diplomatically. 

Everyone was dying to wrench the secrets of the Bridging Array from Silvermoon and the few mages who understood it best, but no one would force it. There were written and unspoken rules regarding spells exclusive to both mage and mage's tower.

Britiana smiled at him blandly. "In time I hope everyone can be connected, but the Bridging Array really isn't a replacement for the Dragon gates," she said.

Mason chuckled. "Don't sell yourself short, my lady. Frankly, it's the best we have right now," he admitted honestly.

ZsaZsa piped up at that moment. "More mages at the Tower are learning the mechanics. Possibly within the year, wide-scale connectivity will be possible," she said, speaking with the authority of the apprentice of the Deputy Mage of the Silvermoon Tower. Not only was this a comfort, but also a subtle warning. The Bridging Array belonged to Silvermoon and would not be shared with other organizations anytime soon.

Mason was personable and perceptive. He easily understood the implied meaning, but chose to respond to only the obvious one. "Then, we look forward to that day," he said simply.

It was maybe a fifteen minute walk from the Icestorme Hall to the new transit area. It was a massive area that was paved with the same sort of whitish-gray marble-like stone that most of the building in Icestorme was built with. It wasn't shiney, but matte. Still, when the sun shone on the stone, it seemed to glitter with some sort of hidden mineral. Guards stood quietly around the plaza with some patrolling.

The areas designated for the arrays were pavilion-like with tall columns holding up tile roofs across from the entrance of the plaza. Although the Domes could protect against the cold and regulate the temperature inside, they didn't prevent rainstorms. In the arid environment of Thale, they welcomed rainstorms. The patron deity of the Platinum Dragons was Oshango, the God of Weather. Other than cryokinetic type abilities, they could also possess abilities relating to storms, so they saw rainstorms as a blessing from Oshango. 

Marius wordlessly led them to the central large pavilion that was roughly a 120 by 120 foot octagon elevated from the ground by both steps and ramps. "This is where the Silvermoon Bridge will be located," he explained. He looked at the group, slightly perplexed. Aside from the Silvermoon siblings and the young mage, the rest of the group were dressed as guards. "Do you need additional personnel?" he asked. 

Although he hadn't said much, he'd listened to their entire conversation along the way. He understood that they weren't willing to share the array, but he wasn't sure how three people were going to create a hundred-foot array.

Britiana smiled at him. "No need," she assured.

Darius then took control of his team, assigning them to guard the area around the pavilion from below, only himself and Isa would be in the pavilion itself with ZsaZsa and Britiana.

Marius and Maddox generously did not attempt to join them, however, they stayed nearby to oversee everything themselves.

Britiana, ZsaZsa, Darius, and Isa walked up the steps into the pavilion. Darius assigned himself and Isa to patrol in opposite directions on the outskirts of the extra ten feet around the working area.

ZsaZsa and Britiana walked around the pavilion, measuring the size and finding the center. Marius and Mason watched from below, surprised because it seemed only the two women were going to draw such a large array alone. Such a large space, bigger than the largest Dragon, was going to be filled by two tiny women?

What they didn't know was that Britiana, ZsaZsa, Raven, Delaney Crowley and some of their aunts, had weeks to work on perfecting the spell and find the best way to make it larger to transport larger groups or items.

First Britiana and Zsa made marks with chalk at the center and certain parts at the edge of the pavilion floor for reference. They met in the center again and put down a stack of papers. Each paper was drawn in an obscure line or shape that made no sense to anyone but the two women. 

They picked up the top sheet of paper. ZsaZsa used a flicking fire stick tool to ignite the paper. It burned away in a flash, leaving only the mark floating in the air. The two women seemed to grab at the air near the mark, then ran to premade marks in opposite directions, stretching the mark, enlarging it to fit the appropriate dimensions.

They did this countless times. By noon, there were hundreds of marks floating in layers a few inches above the ground and there were no more papers. The Icestorme brothers were a bit astonished. "Is that it?" Mason asked.

Britiana glanced over at him. Even at such distances hearing each other wasn't difficult for Dragons. "No, we're taking a break for lunch before the next step," she answered as she grouped up with her brother and Isa.

"Should we send for a meal?" Marius asked.

"No, thank you. We'll eat here. We don't have time to wait. If we go too long, the marks will fade and the spell won't work right and we'll have to start over again," Britiana answered.

Darius had already pulled out a table and two chairs for the girls to sit and relax before the next step. Isa approached and took up his station behind Britiana soundlessly. Darius gave him and the other guards permission to eat some rations while he set up a meal of energy rich food for the two. This stage of the process used more physical than magical energy, but running hundreds of feet every few minutes for several hours was taxing even for a Dragon.

Marius and Mason looked at each other, not knowing how to respond to their words or actions. In the end, they decided to forgo lunch themselves so they wouldn't miss what would happen next by being too busy eating.

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