❥ Drifting Dragons

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by brucewxynes

by brucewxynes

Drifting Dragons

1. Mika is a draker on the airship Quin Zaza. He earns his livelihood hunting the whales of the sky-dragons! The beautiful beasts are flying treasure troves, providing food and materials, and the Quin Zaza is among the last draking vessels. Mika's not just a talented hunter; he's also a gourmand with a refined palette and a taste for the exotic. Between his duties aboard the ship, his ambitions as an eater, and his new job training the rookie dragon hunter Takita, Mika's days are never boring. But even with the lively crew of the Quin Zaza as his family, the nomadic life of a draker can be lonely and dangerous...

2. As the airship Quin Zaza continues her never-ending voyage, the young draker Takita's days are filled with firsts. After her first chance to help butcher their latest catch, an excursion with Mika gives her the opportunity to learn more about the history of humanity's relationship with dragons. But what was supposed to be a simple stop turns complicated after a run-in with another draking crew, whose sloppy technique leads to disaster...

3. After departing Quon to continue her journey through the skies to the next port, the draking vessel Quin Zaza encounters a herd of small dragons, an aerial treasure trove for a ship low on food stores. The crew scrambles to the hunt, but amidst the chaos, Takita falls overboard! After narrowly escaping certain death, Takita opens her eyes to find a baby dragon, and the huntress Ascella... Light shines on dragon ecology in this third volume!

4. Continuing her journey through the skies, the Quin Zaza soon collides with a luxury airliner, leaving her grounded. Needless to say, the crew can barely afford to stay aloft, let alone pay for repairs. Just when it looks like the Quin Zaza might have to close up shop, they hear a rumor about a "shipeater" that's been gobbling up ships left and right...as well as the generous bounty on its head. Well? What are we waiting for?!

5. Chasing the handsome bounty on its head, the Quin Zaza tracks down the ferocious ship eater that's been gorging on ships one after another. But when the crew tries to bring it down, the dragon ends up swallowing Vanabelle whole! They know that if they don't get her out quick, she's done for. Cornered and fighting for dear life, can Mika and the gang finish the dragon and rescue their crewmate?!

6. Drifting through the skies, the Quin Zaza anchors at one of the world's largest hubs, Harley. There, Mika reunites with an old friend, Cujo. Though they used be draking partners once upon a time, the two bitterly parted ways after a certain incident drove a wedge between them. After a long night of reminiscing, Cujo enlists Mika to help him take down a dragon...the famous "Ol' Harpoon" Cujo failed to finish off three years ago. And so, the old duo take to the skies for one last catch!

7. Adrift in search of more profit and tasty morsels, the Quin Zaza touches down in the bustling commercial town of Majuro. There, Mika has a run-in with Captain Kurga, head of the infamous "Slayers". Unlike the Quin Zaza, the Slayers are hired killers who hunt down dragons by any means necessary, no matter how cruel or vicious. Mika and Kurga... When the two men with opposite ideologies come head to head, skies know what'll happen!

8. During their stay at the bustling trade town of Majuro, the crew of the Quin Zaza catches wind about an elusive dragon dwelling within the Tian Shan Maze whose meat is said to deliver the diner directly to paradise. Meanwhile, Captain Kurga of the slayer vessel, the Plana Grava, has been contracted by the city to fell the very same dragon in the effort of air route reclamation. To catch and savor, or to kill and let rot. When the two ships clash over the head of one dragon, a dogfight ensues so intense, it shakes the very heavens!

9. After weathering a fierce battle with the legendarily delicious Tian Shan dragon and the slayers of the Plana Grava, the Quin Zaza's crew only finds themselves in even deeper trouble. From seemingly nowhere, a mighty new dragon appears! And it's no ordinary beast of the skies-this is the one that took down the original Quin Zaza! Mika and the others might need to call on some help from the most unlikely of sources if they hope to survive...

10. In an effort to rebuild their wrecked ship, the crew of the Quin Zaza beseech the aid of Brno, heir to a major trading company, and his fiancée, Liriope. In exchange for the crew's help in solving a recent string of dragon fallings, they are invited to a party to celebrate the launching of Brno's newly renovated ship. Everything is going great...until Vannie sees a peculiar sight at the party and does something that baffles everyone! In the wake of her actions, the Quin Zaza is faced with yet another dilemma!

11. Mika and his crewmates of the Quin Zaza have followed their missing companion, Vannie, to her hometown of Arena. As a civil war rages on, Mika and the others learn of a dragon, the "mistmaker", that is plaguing Arena, as well of the shocking truth that Vannie is actually a royal princess! Having stuck the mistmaker first, the anti-royalist forces prepare to lay claim to the dragon first! Meanwhile, Vannie agrees to assist the royal army in taking down the very same dragon in order to save her long lost friend and benefactor, Tzita, who has been left comatose from the dragon's mists. Mika and co. with the parliamentary army, Vannie with the royal army, and their shared prize, the mistmaker. At last, the three-way conflict reaches its dramatic conclusion!

12. In a dramatic joint struggle, Mika and Vannie slay the Mistmaker, putting a long overdue end to the civil war between Arena's royalist faction and the Parliamentary Army! But just as the dust begins to settle, Vannie is asked to remain in Arena and succeed the throne in order to lead the people towards a brighter future. When the day the crew must say goodbye to Vannie nears, Mika visits her hospital room and asks her to make the same terrine she prepared once before. What words do the two exchange after their many journeys together, and what answer does Vannie arrive at at the end of her long journey? The Vannie arc finally reaches its tearful conclusion!

13. The crew's on a quest for a second core ballast to complete the Quin Zaza Mark 2. Luckily, they've already got a lead on one-the original Quin Zaza, which went down years ago. Or did it? Locals claim they've seen the old draker vessel wandering the skies like a phantom. Mika and the others have fought all manners of dragon, but how will they fare against a haunted ship?

14. Celebration for the new Quin Zaza's completion is cut short by some troubling news. The slayer crew of the Plana Grava plan on killing the legendary dragon Typhon to secure a contract that will endanger the dragon population with overhunting! The only way to stop this is by catching Typhon first. It's a three-way showdown with two old enemies. Hopefully, Mika and the crew are up to the challenge!

15. The deadly battle with Typhon is over, but the skirmish left Gibbs mortally wounded. While the rest of the Quin Zaza crew heads out to find a rare kind of dragon oil needed to save him, Gibbs reflects on his life and what drove him to be a draker. Will the crew return with the oil in time? Or are Gibbs's days aboard airships coming to a close?

16. The crew members of the Quin Zaza are grounded while waiting for Gibbs to recover, so they spend their time in the city of Sisyphus. There, they have a chance encounter with an odd woman who constantly watches the skies. She's hunting a rare gigantic dragon that's slowly plummeting to the ground from the highest reaches, an event that happens only once in a lifetime. Naturally, the intrepid drakers can't resist an opportunity like that, and so begins a new adventure!