Laurence | Temeraire
Lan Huan had the right of it, I'm afraid. I'm glad you listened to him. I suppose there must be some connection home if we've been able to establish communication, but I do not think it will be discoverable by the likes of you or I. But I do highly recommend learning a little of magic. Huan, and my friends Dorian, Eliot, and Quentin have been good enough to spend a little time explaining a little, though I'm far from saying I have any true understanding, and I still get badly surprised by magic often enough despite their efforts.
I've never been in the habit of setting fires. You have my promise to be careful, though, especially of anything I do not recognize as you're most likely right about the possibility of magical weaponry.