Chapter...the next one. ~ Confusion

Charity, Levi, Clesseath, Marina, Cless, and Bonnie stared at the goblins pouring into the dim cave. Clesseath let out a blood-curling roar that sent a large percentage of the goblins scurrying back the way they came. Levi, Cless, and Marina charged forward, screaming with rage at their departed friends and seeking revenge on the living pieces of filth attacking them. Charity stood by Bonnie, a strange expression on her face, and swayed slightly with her sword gripped in her hand. “Flint,” she whispered. Bonnie’s eyes grew wide when she recognized the look in her friend’s eyes.

“Levi! Marina! Cless! Get over here and stand behind Chair!” her voice was urgent and they moved to her instructions without question. “Whatever you do, don’t go in front of Chair!” They watched, curious, as Charity’s fingers turned white. Her face was still on the goblins and the exit Flint had used. She re-gripped her sword, permitted an evil smile to spread across her features, tilted her head back, and let her voice erupt in a throaty sound they had never heard before. Then she ran full-throttle at the cave exit filled with thorns, her sword cutting down any and everything in her way or remotely close to her. Without a thought, her weapon impaled three goblins that had foolishly rushed at her.

“Stay close at her heels!” exclaimed Bonnie. The group rushed to keep up with the maddened girl. Clesseath offered to carry Bonnie, an offer she gladly accepted considering her shoulder was wounded, and they flew directly above Charity. The light of the cave turned green as Clesseath’s emerald hue bounced off the crystals. The people on the ground were rapidly approaching the hole bordered with thorns and thistles, and the goblins were thinning out. Most of them had figured out that this group was not to be messed with, but those stupid enough to lag around and attempt to prove their bravery were struck down by Charity. If they attacked from behind, Levi would cast a spell that turned their heads around backwards. Marina and Cless took care of any side attacks with their arrows. Charity either didn’t see the thorns or didn’t care, for she ran right through the opening still wielding her sword and chopping down bushes in the process.

Emerging on the other side of the hole, everyone blinked in the sudden sunlight and found themselves in a deep, green forest. Charity was chopping away at trees in vain a few feet off. Clesseath had trouble squeezing through the narrow exit but he made it through by breathing in deeply and then letting out a puff of air once he was out. The green tint lasted a few seconds before the light stopped playing on his emerald. Charity was growing tired. Peering through the trees, she discovered she could see the ocean. Unfortunately, Flint had long since escaped and taken Will and Render with him as well as their dragons. She sighed and knelt on the ground, staring at her friends with distant eyes.

Clesseath landed and Bonnie slid clumsily off his back, falling onto her rear and refusing to stand up again. Levi spoke consolingly to Clesseath and stroked his shimmering green neck. Marina approached Charity hesitantly and sat down next to her.

“Hey…” she said, resting her hand on Charity’s arm. “It’s ok; we’ll get him next time. And we’ll get him twice as hard.”

Charity’s pained, green eyes focused on Marina and she offered a weak smile. “I hope so.”

Cless paced for a moment and then addressed everyone present. “That was really unusual.”

“No kidding,” said Levi. Cless shot Levi a dead serious look that wiped the smile from his face.

With narrowed eyes, Cless continued, “The last time I saw that stone it was in the hands of some pirate. How Flint knew about it and where he got it is a mystery.”

“Not quite,” corrected Charity. “We borrowed the stone from its owner a while back and used it to open a portal in a volcano. How it got into Flint’s hands from there is a mystery.”

“Er…not really,” interjected Bonnie. Her right hand clenched her left shoulder, and dark blood covered it in a sickening way. “I took the stone off of the pedestal after Render disappeared the first time and have carried it with me ever since. Flint must have taken it from me when he captured me or it could have fallen out of my pocket. There’s nothing mysterious about that.”

Charity’s eyes widened and she hastily got something out of one of Clesseath’s saddlebags. With fumbling fingers, she unwrapped some white cloth. “You’re bleeding,” she stated.

“I’ll be fine,” Bonnie protested. Charity shook her head and removed Bonnie’s hand from the wound. Blood covered half of her arm and beads of the dark red liquid had run down as far as her fingertips. The small hole in her shoulder made by the sword was black and made Charity’s stomach lurch. Something was very wrong.

Levi peeked over Charity’s shoulder. “That’s a magic wound. It needs proper care. Its most likely poisoned and infected by now; I’ll be surprised if you still have control over the movements in your arm.”

Bonnie stared at him. “Gee. Thanks.” She sighed. “All I need is some chocolate and I’ll be fine. Do you know if there’s any magical way to heal it?”

“I wouldn’t mess with it. Will or Render might know…all the more reason to get them back,” said Levi.

Bonnie frowned and said, “Back to Flint…why does he want Will and Render? There must be some reason he took control of the riders and their dragons.” Charity wiped some of the blood off of Bonnie’s skin and began to bandage the wound. She shook her head, not having any ideas.

“They would make good weapons,” commented Marina.

“True, but there’s got to be more reasons than that,” Levi said.

“Remember that cave? The one that can only be opened by three dragons?” asked Charity. “Is there anything else like that? Something that can only be opened by dragons? A kind of filtered force field?”

Cless snapped his fingers. “Yes! Some spells can be set to let only certain beings through! You can do it anywhere…I’m not sure a designated place exists; you can cast the spell anywhere you choose.”

“So,” started Marina, putting the pieces together as she walked back in forth and created trenches with her dark boots, “What’s you’re saying is Flint is using Render and Will to open a portal that can only be opened with two dragons and their riders?”

“As far as we know,” said Levi. “There can always be another reason unknown to us.”

There was a short, thoughtful silence, quickly interrupted by Charity.

“Can you move your arm?” she asked, nervously packing away her healer’s equipment and stowing it on Clesseath’s handy saddle.

Bonnie stared at her arm and grimaced. “No,” she muttered, slamming her other fist into a nearby tree. “I hate this!” she exclaimed. “I can’t move my arm, Maya is gone, and we don’t know where Render and Will are. Thunder!” she exclaimed, getting up and raising her arm to thump against a boulder in frustration. After a while of venting to the rocky wall, she sighed and slumped down onto a rock. Levi and Cless exchanged glances that suggested they were communicating telepathically.

“Now you know how I felt when I broke my wrist,” said Charity, a grim smile on her lips.

“Yeah,” said Bonnie, smiling back. “You’re amazing, Chair.”

Marina was standing up with her eyes closed and her head tilted to one side, shaking slightly. She opened her eyes and said, “I think they’re going that way.” She half-raised her hand in a southern direction. Her hand dropped to the side and her brown eyes narrowed. “But I’m loosing them…they’re getting farther away.” A blank look registered on her face. “I can’t sense them. Any of them.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “They’re gone.”

That, of course, was not entirely true. “Gone” usually refers to someone dead, lost, or permanently unreachable, and the riders and their dragons were only two of these three things. In fact, at this very moment, both Render and Will were awake and in the brig of the Dark Trepidation. They moaned as their vision slowly cleared and they found themselves on the grimy, wooden floorboards of the cursed ship.

“Ugh,” Will mumbled, sitting upright as he spotted a rat sharing his cell. He discovered his wrists were handcuffed with grobdenite and his ankles were likewise chained. Render stirred opposite of him and sat up, resting his back against the splintered, wooden wall. He tried to rub his head but his chains prevented him. He frowned and discovered he couldn’t shoot spells and cause things to burst into flames.

“What happened?” he asked Will. Will shrugged and looked clueless. He stared at the dingy walls.

“Well, whoever’s house we’ve ended up in this time has no taste,” he said with a straight face.

“Will…” said Render in a thick, groggy voice. “I don’t believe we’re in a house. Houses have nice tea sets and curtains and lots of pretty things in them.”

“You don’t say…that would explain the water leaking through the walls and that fishy person standing over there,” replied Will, proud of his deductive reasoning.

“Aha! They’re awake!” called a fish-man outside of their cell.

“Excellent,” replied a cool, calm voice laced with ice. Shadows fell across the floor as the person whose voice this belonged to came closer. Will and Render stared at each other and then back at the emerging profile. Their minds were beginning to recover from being invaded and they could think more clearly. A laugh answered their unspoken question; a chilling, grating, deep, threatening sound.

As one, they questioned the identity of the individual. “Slyth Brandy?”

“Well, we can’t just stand here like a useless pack of brainless monkeys,” said Levi, clambering onto Clesseath’s back.

“Well, where are we going to go?” asked Charity.

“The direction of the ship—south. We have to follow them and find what they’re up to, and I’ve a hunch the treasure is that way anyway,” answered Levi. Marina nodded her head and turned to face Bonnie.

“Where’s the Golden Dawn?” she asked.

Bonnie waved her hand in a general downward motion. “On the other side of the island, where we first came off. If you and Cless come with Chair and me, we can reach the spot in about half a day.” They decided to call it a plan, so they go ready to go and took off in that direction. The sun was setting as they came through the last cluster of trees and beheld the Spanish galleon, trimmings and accents glinting gold in the dying gaze of the sun. By the time the stars were swimming both above and below them, they were sailing in the direction Marina had last sensed the ship going.

“They won’t be able to outrun us for long,” claimed Charity, patting the wheel she was steering. Clesseath had taken Levi ahead of them as a scout to see if he could catch the pirate and their friends first. Cless stared at the retreating silhouette of a dragon and his rider, eyes thoughtful.

Bonnie tiled her head to one side, taking in the contemplative look on his face, and ventured to ask, “What’re you thinking?”

He shifted positions but his eyes monitored the dark figures, now only dots on the horizon. “I’m remembering the visions from the Whirlpool of Knowledge,” he spoke in a voice of one lost in thoughts.

Marina, who had been listening, commented suddenly, “You didn’t have one!” Bonnie turned to look at her, puzzled. “Cless didn’t have a vision,” Marina explained. “And Levi…” her voice faltered as a greater realization hit her. “He…he had power. And a small object” For a moment they were silent as each let their own presumptions play out before their eyes.

“But not all of them are true. At least not yet. Render hasn’t been in a hall of mirrors. You haven’t run down a hallway…and the dragons are still…alive,” said Bonnie, wincing slightly as painful memories of Maya whipped out and stung her.

“That means we still have a chance of stopping them,” said Cless.

“For now,” Marina muttered under her breath. A thick feeling of thoughtfulness settled over them, and they sat there for a while, thinking in silence. Suddenly, Marina snapped her fingers and leapt up in excitement. “That’s it!”

“What? Where?!” shouted Bonnie, hoisting herself up and peering critically around the ship.

“No, no, not here. Listen,” said Marina. “The hall of mirrors! Flint is taking them to a hall of mirrors! Like in the vision! Cless, do you know of such a place?”

A shadow crept over his face. “None is more well known than the Mirror Forest of Enlemoon. Strange creatures, people, bugs, and other beings not meant to walk upon the face of this earth dwell there, in the confusion of many reflections; waiting for a poor soul long since lost and insane to stumble upon them. They’re merciless and insist upon terrifying their prey before slowly devouring them.” He made a sickened face. “I can’t imagine why he’d want to go there.”

“Did you say…mirror forest?” asked Charity, trying to picture trees and shrubbery, bushes and vines made out of shimmering mirror material. She and Bonnie had switched turns at the wheel because Bonnie refused to be useless.

Cless nodded. “It was made in the days of old, when magic and lore were as common as the moon and the sun. There are many legends and theories as to how and why it was created, but all know that Enlemoon was never the same after.”

“So it’s outside?” Charity prodded. He nodded again. Charity’s excitement rose as she tried to re-arrange the facts in her mind to make sense. “Do you think maybe light could affect the stone? I don’t remember anything about that, but we only looked it up in one book and that was a long time ago,” she wondered out loud. “I mean, in a hall of mirrors, light would be reflected everywhere!”

“You might have a point there, Chair,” said Marina. “Maybe Levi would know. We should ask him once he returns from scouting.”

Levi was, at this moment, carrying on a conversation with Clesseath about beetles. They were soaring over the ocean at a blinding speed and could barely see the tumbling waves beneath them because their flight was so swift. “No, I wouldn’t want to be a dung beetle. I’d be a goliath beetle,” said Levi, out loud. Clesseath did a twirl and Levi gripped the saddle tighter, grinning and letting out a howl. The emerald dragon rumbled something in response, and Levi made a face. “You can’t be a cannibalistic beetle! That’s not fair.” There was a pause and he listened to his friend’s response. “No, you can’t be a beetle-eating bird either. Actually, you can be a bird. I’ll be a cat.”

The argument went on and on, until Clesseath was a wizard and Levi was a dragon. They realized how foolish the topic was and laughed. Unfortunately, they had been so entranced in their conversation they didn’t notice the darkening sky nor the approaching vessel. Their laughter died and the slow feeling of seriousness surrounded them. They were alone, approaching a ship, and it could rain soon. If it began raining too hard they would have to look for land because the wind and rain would sweep Clesseath off-course and make his wings heavy. The dragon swooped down to hover as close to the raging waves as he dared, unaware of the danger lurking beneath the shadows of the sea, in the murky depths, that was quickly lurching upwards and towards them.

Render and Will stared at their old enemy, disbelief evident in their faces. The man stood before them clothed in a crimson, velvet jacket with gold buttons, a faded cream shirt with ruffles and laces underneath, thick, black boots, brown pants, a belt laden with many weapons, and a large feathered hat. His square chin was lifted slightly as he looked over them, and his thin lips twisted into a taunting smile. “’Ello, captain,” he rumbled in a mocking tone.

Will stared at him then ran at the bars separating him from the man he so wanted to strangle. Slyth laughed as the fish-guard drew his sword and Will instantly drew back, silently fuming at the captain. He rattled his chain and stared at him as if that could hurt him. Render glared at the man also, but he made no move.

“What are you doing here?” he asked in a low tone.

“You would want to know. As if I would tell you.” Slyth drew closer to the grobdenite gate, peering at them like someone trying to see if they had made the right choice in something already purchased. “A bit scrawny,” he remarked, his dark, unfathomable eyes roaming over Render’s features. “A bit short-tempered,” he commented about Will, next in line to be observed. Slyth drew back and reported to the fish-man, “With a bit of work, I think they’ll do.”

“Do for what?” questioned Render. He still sat with his back against the wall in a shadow.

Slyth smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Yes. That’s why I’m asking.”

“Shut up,” the captain commanded, then turned on his boot heel and left with a flurry of his splendid coat.

Will turned to his friend. “What do you think they need us for?” The brig seemed empty and foreboding, the shadows lengthening and light dying in the dawning of day.

“I don’t know,” admitted Render. He repeated more softly and to himself, “I don’t know.”

Chapter 2 - Whirlpool of Knowledge

Volume 2. Thanks, Render, for starting again.

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Excitement and adventure were in the air. A giddy sense of purpose and climactic importance hung like a chandelier in the misty air on the beach. The group of friends bent over a map which Bonnie hastily placed on the sand and opened. It was worn and aged, and its leafy pages crackled dangerously as if they were protesting to their frail condition.

Will Robin’s eyes squinted as he tried to decipher the markings over the ancient map. On the left side was a series of lines and squiggles possibly representing mountains and rivers. The right side was filled with dots that could be trees and a tiny, red “x”. Charity stared at the coordinates on the bottom of the yellow papers while Marina read the words at the top out loud.

“Isle of the Night Star,” she said clearly, her voice quick in eagerness. “Property of …” her voice faltered as she frowned at the unknown name. “Berry Bates.” Her brown eyes looked up at the company there. “Who’s that?” Marina asked.

“Berry…Bates…” muttered Levi, his eyebrows close together making him look as if he was concentrating very hard. “OH! Bates!” he exclaimed so suddenly those nearest to him jumped. “I think I remember him. He was known for stealing knives, gold, and cinnamon. Yes, cinnamon,” he added, noting the looks on a few of their faces.

Render was walking over to Ancalagon with Will behind him when he clapped his hands together and asked, “Well, shall we get started?” Bonnie scooped up the map, grinning broadly like she usually did before a quest.

“Wait, wait, wait. First of all, where is this Isle of the Night Star?” asked Charity, following the others to mount the dragons. The sand beneath her feet was scratching her boots and the sensation made her cringe inwardly.

“I don’t really know…that’ll make finding it all the more satisfying,” said Render.

“I think we should ask around,” suggested Marina, brushing back a lock of dark hair that the wind had blown into her expectant face.

“Where to start?” asked Will. He gripped the scales behind Baladon’s neck and hoisted himself onto his back, swinging his legs onto the saddle of the giant dragon. Render mounted Ancalagon, who threw back his huge, black head and let out a blood-boiling roar.

“I’d say first stop is the Whirlpool of Knowledge,” said Render, matter-of-factly. “We can’t very well find a treasure on an island we can’t find. First one there gets to stir the water!” he called, then leaned back as Ancalagon leapt into the sky with a flash of white teeth. Marina and Cless immediately started to run with an inhuman speed and grace along the beach, soon becoming engulfed in the mists along the shore.

“Let’s go!” exclaimed Levi to Will, jumping onto Clesseath. Both riders whooped as their dragons extended their wings like sails and caught the wind. Charity turned to Bonnie, smiling.

“Where’d you park the Dawn?” she asked, ready to get out onto the open seas. Her green eyes sparkled as she rolled up the sleeves of her tidy blouse.

“Where I always dock it,” Bonnie replied, walking confidently toward the edge of the beach. A few seconds later, the mist cleared and she was standing on a long stretch of wooden planks extending out over the waters. Rocking softly by the dock was the beautiful Spanish galleon, The Golden Dawn. The two girls looked at each other, then at the ship. The next moment they were enjoying the wind in the sails creating a nice background beat to the swishing of the ship slicing through the waves.

The ever-ready crew rushed around the decks, preparing various things. Charity was bent over some charts of the sea and Bonnie was humming cheerfully at the wheel. The clouds overhead were few but large. A whooshing sound came from above them, and the girls looked up. Three dragons circled overhead, with shouting riders on top of them. They laughed as Ancalagon turned and twisted, seeming to be a dark star in the blue sky. Clesseath and Baladon raced forward, each trying to do more tricks than the other. Baladon swooped lower and flew alongside the Golden Dawn, dipping one claw into the water and sending sea spray up everywhere. Bonnie chuckled at the look on Charity’s face when a large quantity of water sufficiently drenched her.

“Hurry up slow pokes!” exclaimed Will, as he cut in front of the ship and Clesseath barrel-rolled to the side.

“It would be a whole lot faster if you’d stop getting in the way!” hollered Bonnie, grinning still.

“Please, children, stop your fussing,” said Render, sitting up straight and erect in his saddle like a regal prince. Ancalagon snorted and turned up-side down, a low chuckle reverberating from his throat.

“Children? Us? Look who can’t ride his dragon properly,” Levi interjected.

“I’ll show you how to ride a dragon!” Render said as Ancalagon turned upright and spun in dizzying circles around Levi. Clesseath let out a rumble and soared up into the air. All eyes were turned upward, and for that reason they all lurched forward when something big knocked against the prow. Charity’s eyes widened and she ran to peek over the railing.

“What is it? What’s there?” asked Bonnie, attention now on steering around a cluster of rocks. The stones had become more common as the landmass where the Whirlpool of Knowledge drew closer. The water became darker and harder to see through because the floor was covered with rocks. The air was suddenly silent as the dragons lowered down to be level with the ship. The only noise was their steady wings beating the air and their breaths on the wind.

Charity peered into the water. “I can’t see anythi—” She screamed as a giant tentacle reached up and wrapped itself around her waist, then picked her up off the deck. It had many scales that were dripping wet and it reeked like something long dead. It happened so suddenly they barely had time to react before it started lifting her over the railing. Charity growled and grabbed her dagger, stabbing it repeatedly with a mean look on her face. The dragons immediately flew over to it and began attacking the humongous tentacle. Their efforts seemed in vain, for the fire glanced off the damp scales of the beast and blasted them in the faces. The riders quickly did some mental collaboration and shouted a single spell that made the appendage burst into flames. Charity fell, flailing her arms and legs. Clesseath caught her in one outstretched claw and floated over the deck.

Bonnie let out some air she had been holding and released her grip on her sword. She concentrated on navigating. “We’re almost there,” she said.

“We’ll take Chair with us and head over to the whirlpool. Hope to see you there,” said Render. A sudden feeling of danger had slowly crept over each of them. Maybe there was something more foreboding to this quest than they had expected. Did they already have enemies? Bonnie nodded to the riders and watched silently as they flew off, a brief thought that the weather was suddenly chilly passing through her mind.

“I hope Marina and Cless are having a safer time than we are,” she thought.

Since they had parted, Marina and Cless had run swiftly over many miles on the beach. Cless was excellent at direction and he led them to a series of tunnels that were magically enchanted. They led under the seas and ran nearly everywhere save for when it got too deep. Marina enjoyed looking out of the enchanted tunnels that were transparent and seeing all the fish.

Vivid colors and strange hues danced in front of her eyes as breathtaking creatures swam by in schools and groups. She smiled at a fish whose buggy eyes blinked at her when it crashed into the glass. Coral reefs and sea anemone all amazed her with their beauty and completely unique patterns and designs.

“It’s so quiet and peaceful,” she said to Cless, smiling and treading lightly upon the glass tunnel floor. Her black dress swished around her ankles, making the only sound in the tunnel besides their breathing. The dress made her appear innocent, but she held many hidden weapons in the folds of cloth, including a sword and two daggers up her sleeves.

“Not always,” Cless said in a low voice. A large shadow covered the glass tunnel as something huge swam over them and obscured the sun. The two friends glanced up and felt shivers race down their spines, for above them was a monstrous creature the likes of which they had never seen before. It had long, dark scales on every inch of its fish-like body. Its head resembled a dragon’s, and its snarling mouth contained rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth ready to slice through flesh. Tentacles poked out from its body in such a way that it seemed like a squid until it thrust itself forward and its fishy body could be seen. It left a stream of purplish-black fluid in its wake as it swam through the sea in a pulsing motion, projecting itself forward with its tentacles as its body coiled up and then jolted forward.

“What is that?” asked Marina, her brown eyes wide and intrigued.

“Not something I’d want to mess with,” said Cless, following its movements with a thoughtful yet intense gaze. He memorized its appearance and pattern, taking note of the waves it created that could probably be seen from above the water. “Forget it for now; we’re probably late,” he said as he resumed his fast pace. Marina took two steps and matched his pace, but her eyes never left the sea monster.

“Cless…it’s coming this way!” she exclaimed. They turned and saw its yellow eyes boring into them from a black face, like two coals in the night. It opened its dangerous jaws, and somehow they got the impression it was grinning.

“We can’t stop now. We have to keep moving. The end of this tunnel is just up ahead. The walls are protected by magic, so we should be safe,” Cless said, picking up his pace. Marina breathlessly ran beside him, her feet feeling heavier because she knew the beast was swimming toward them this moment. The silence inside the glass tube was overwhelming, and Marina let out a breath. WHAM! The tunnel shook as the sea monster collided with the tube. Cless and Marina fell to the ground, their arms spread out to catch them. As soon as they were on the floor, they jumped up again and continued running, not daring to look back. A second tremor shook the path before them, but they managed to continue their race without faltering.

The exit to the tunnel drew closer. It was a wooden door set into the glass. Marina’s heart quickened when she saw it. Her lungs were struggling to fill with air, but she was determined not to stop. Just as they drew closer, the monster was suddenly right next to them, extending its jaws to their next footfall. Its teeth slid off of the slick glass, but as they raced through the door, neither one of them would forget the look in its yellow eyes that seemed to follow them, memorize their faces, and decide to lie in wait until he would meet them again.

Once outside, Marina and Cless panted and caught their breaths. When they looked up from their doubled-over positions, they were puzzled by their surroundings. The tunnel had led them back to rocky land and out of the water. The land they were standing on was hard, black rock. Its many jagged boulders and pebbles scattered all over the island made it seem like a mountain range. They were in a kind of canyon, for steep walls surrounded them on two sides and stretched as far as they could see.

“What took you so long?” asked a voice. They turned to see Will and Render waving to them as Baladon and Clesseath landed, blowing back bits of rock with the wind generated by their mighty wings. Levi and Clesseath emerged from a dark cloud above them and landed also, Charity sitting patiently in Clesseath’s clenched fist. He gently put her down and she looked around her.

“We got distracted by a … thing,” Marina tried to explain.

“You too?” asked Bonnie, coming out from behind a boulder she had been inspecting.

“Do you think…do you think whatever it is, it was sent to deter us?” questioned Charity, fingering a knife in her belt nervously.

Will frowned and dismounted Baladon. “Why would they want to do that? Is the map really that valuable?”

Render and Levi also dismounted and paced in the narrow canyon. “It seems we don’t know what we’re dealing with yet,” said Render, his hand on his chin thoughtfully. “Which means the visit to the Whirlpool of Knowledge should be very enlightening.”

They all agreed and set out in a southern direction. As they walked, they noticed the farther south they went, the less rocky it became. The stone beneath them became earth, and before they knew it they had come out of the canyon and into a mushy swamp area. The trees were tall and aged, most twisted and bent over. Dark clouds that had loomed above had dropped down to mingle in the trees. An aroma both sweet and bitter wafted through the air, tempting them to trace its source. Soon the silent air was interrupted with the music of water rushing somewhere nearby. With a few more steps, they came upon a sudden pond. But it wasn’t a pond. It was a whirlpool. The dark water was spinning around in circles, flowing over the edge of its embankment and splashing onto the grass. By this time it was dark and the travelers were aware of that sense of excited dread of the unknown.

“So…how does this work, exactly?” asked Charity, curiously eying the mysterious liquid. She wondered if it was special water, or simply normal water that had been enchanted. Would it hurt to drink the water? Would she turn blue?

“We have to tell it to be still in the ancient language,” said Render, “and then it will tell us what we need to know.”

“Does it do that automatically?” asked Marina. Her hand had unconsciously moved to touch her quiver, reminding her she was armed in case any danger arose.

“It depends on the person asking. It’s enchanted to provide knowledge to the seeker, and that’s just what it’ll do,” answered Levi.

As agreed, the person who had arrived first got to rouse the water. Will stepped forward and knelt at the water’s edge. Levi and Render stood behind him on his right and left sides. Will lowered his head and closed his eyes, thinking of the proper spell. Opening his eyes, he whispered words into the night that would awaken the knowledge contained in the waters. The whirlpool stopped flowing suddenly and stood so still not a ripple showed on its surface. The darkness seemed to breathe in the sudden silence.

A roaring sound issued as the waters drew up into a column that rose many feet above the adventurers, spinning and twisting but staying always in the same place. It seemed to illuminate everything around it, for the trees suddenly sparkled like stars had been set into them, and the eyes of everyone there glittered like jewels. The glowing water cast shadows on their faces that made them seem older and wiser. Their hair was blown back from their faces with the pulsating wind coming from the swirling liquid column and the edges of their jackets fluttered in the breeze. The column reached up so far Marina wondered how much water the whirlpool really contained; for it seemed like the sky itself was consumed with the swirling lights of knowledge. Curiosity and a slight feeling of apprehension rooted itself in their stomachs. All eyes were on the pillar of rustling light currents.

“Show us the Isle of the Night Star!” shouted Will, gazing up at it and shielding his eyes. The waters stretched back into a kind of screen, stretching horizontally in front of them. The color changed from its many hues into a simple, dull white. Then, as they stared, a series of images floated across the screen. First there was a magnificent view of mountains from overhead, their twisting ranges looking like snakes bent on getting somewhere fast. Then the scene shifted to one of plunging straight down into a valley in between two black mountains. Closer and closer the green grass raced toward them, until suddenly it opened up and there was a straight vertical drop for a good amount of distance. The images blurred and Cless muttered, “The Sky Mountains and the Valley of the Moon.”

Then, suddenly, there was a cave half-filled with water and the prow of a boat extending in front of the vision. Dark waves rocked the boat and they could see a faint outline of what could be an island out in the middle of an underground lake. The waters went murky and calm. The three closest to the water began coming back toward the others, turning their backs on the water. Suddenly the waters roared up again, spinning and lighting up with another gust of powerful wind that knocked Levi over and forced Will to his knees.

“What’s going on?” someone shouted.

The waters reached out once again, seemingly of their own accord, and flashed another set of images. This time the images were startlingly real. Before they were of something unfamiliar, superficial, and far away, but now they were depicting people they all knew and loved. In the water’s vision, Will was hunched over a sword that he had stabbed into the ground while it was raining, eyes closed and head bowed. With a swirl of foam the image was gone and replaced by one of Levi holding up a small object in both of his hands with an evil look in his eyes as lightning and thunder emanated from his billowing cloak. The water darkened and Marina was seen running down a hallway with eerie red light, breathing heavily and eyes looking wide as if she were either searching for something or running from someone. Marina’s eyes narrowed at this, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away from the waters. The red tint changed to one of green as Charity was seen chopping down everything in her path made of trees with a crazed look in her eyes. The eyes changed to Bonnie’s, and her mouth remained in a firm line as she watched herself from the perspective of someone else as they stabbed her shoulder and she slumped to the ground, still. Render was seen next, his eyes stained white all the way through, holding up his sword in a hall of mirrors and letting out a scream that chilled the blood of everyone there. The last and final scene was the most horrifying and foreboding of them all. Baladon, Clesseath, and Ancalagon were on their backs, falling into darkness, none of them moving. A series of minor dragons fell after them, seeming as leaves fluttering after a fallen tree. Chilling fear penetrated them all.

“Enough!” cried Cless, snapping his whip. Render and Levi shouted something in the ancient language together and the waters hissed. The liquid column collapsed into the ground, steaming and bubbling with a dark color running through its fading light like veins of night lighting. The wizards were panting and everyone stared at each other, confused and fighting terror.

“Render…what just happened?” asked Bonnie, her hand placed protectively over the hollow in her cape where Maya was sleeping. Will smoothed out his jacket and Charity re-tied her hair. Marina adjusted her weapons distractedly and Levi soothed his minor dragons. Ancalagon let out a puff of smoke, a hint that he was mentally communicating with his rider.

“I think that we just experienced too much knowledge. There are some things we just aren’t meant to know that we have now been exposed to,” Render said. His eyes were still on the violent waters.

“But…everything we saw…will it happen?” asked Charity, frowning. Cless shook his head. His red eyes looked ready for a challenge.

“I think someone is trying to mess with our heads. We just have to be aware of what could happen and make sure it doesn’t. Still…it could be dangerous,” he said.

“Well, now we know where we need to go. Can we leave? This place gives me the creeps,” said Marina. They all agreed and set off the same way they had arrived. However, no matter how hard they tried, no one seemed able to get rid of the images of themselves. Will finally had the idea of mentally striking up a song that they all sang. Yet the notes held an aftertaste of a morbid thoughtfulness…

Part 20 ~ The End

{at least...I think it's part 20...}

“Let’s have a celebration,” said Will, as soon as his feet touched the deck of the Golden Dawn. Marina’s Elven eyes observed the large ship, taking in the smell of the sea that she immediately loved. She peeked over the edge of the ship and watched the waves gently lolling against the old wood, like the fingertips of a skilled masseuse. The sun shone brightly down on them, welcoming them to this century, to their own time and place.

“That sounds like fun,” said Levi, hopefully. The rest of the group of friends thought it over for a moment. Marina and Bonnie bounced up and down on their toes in anticipation, excitement rising inside them.

“Alright,” said Cless, gazing over the wooden deck of the ship. “Let’s have a feast,” he said. Immediately, a long wooden table with tons of food sprouted out of the center of the ship. It was over spilling with duck, chicken, venison, fish, turkey, apples, grapes, oranges, pears, peaches, cobblers, chocolate, rolls, bread, bowls of stew and soup, cheeses, pineapples, and even vegemite. Will and Bonnie swarmed the table, hungrily piling the steaming food onto the silver plates that appeared on the table. The others raced behind them and followed suit.

They had feasted before, but for some reason the atmosphere this time was different. Everything had a sense of conclusiveness…of ending. Most members of the party shrugged it off and enjoyed the jokes being told. They had a riddle contest, a spelling bee, and even made some music that tugged at their hearts and made them laugh, sing, and dance. The Golden Dawn seemed alive and able to share their light hearts. She swayed in time with the music, rising on a swell of water and gently floating down a following wave.

Charity looked around her, at her friends laughing and smiling in the sunset’s dying light. “It seems like such a long time ago that we started out…when this all began,” she said to Will, who was sitting next to her. Her eyes grew distant in memory.

He smiled and said in what he imagined was an enlightened tone, “We were young and foolish then.” He stood up to get more food and tripped over one of the racing minor dragons.

“Not much has changed,” said Levi, grinning at the look Will shot him. Miya and Moss continued running around and chasing Luna's dragons. Clesseath, Baladon, and Ancalagon swam alongside the ship. Render looked around and noticed Bonnie was missing. He found her bent over a notebook below decks, tapping her writing utensil again her leg in irritation. She glanced up at his footsteps.

“I’m trying to remember all of our adventure…” she tried to explain, glancing around the dim wooden walls, “But I can’t remember very much…only bits and pieces here and there. It seems like so much has happened. I never want to forget this,” she said, looking into her notebook. She sighed and stared around the room. He peeked over her shoulder.

“I remember that,” he said, the memory playing before his eyes. “I could help you remember. If you want, we could write in turns,” he suggested.

“Really?” she asked, hopefully. “Thanks, Render,” she said, closing the ship’s log. She didn’t notice a brown piece of paper that slipped out and landed on the floor. She followed him up to the others, imagining what a cool story theirs would be, told from two different perspectives.

Marina had wandered over to the edge of the railing and stared out at the sea. The waves were gentle this evening, and the colors of the sky bled into the waters. Purple, deep crimson, and gold mingled with the green of the sea, shimmering and sparkling ribbons of light bordering the horizon. Luna approached her and looked into her face.

“Marina…is it over?” she asked, tickling one of her minor dragons.

Marina’s brown eyes scanned over her friends’ joyful faces. The golden light illuminated their faces as they joked and teased. The night was coming soon, and Render and Cless had promised fireworks. The dragons would give them a light and fire show. It sounded wonderful and exhilarating. Everyone was so happy. She smiled down at Luna’s face.

“This is only the beginning,” she said, leading Luna over to her friends. They smiled at her and quieted down.

“You guys…turn around,” commanded Levi. They did, and they held their breaths as they watched the sunset die and melt into the sea of purple and red. The wind brushed their hair from their eyes and whispered in their ears in a long-forgotten language. The stars and the moon jumped from the sea to the sky over and over again in the shimmering waves. The Golden Dawn rocked up and down, swaying to the music of the sea.

The sky was their timeless friend. The sea was the song stuck in the back of their minds. The earth was everything in between. With the wind at their backs, their dragons {or friends’ dragons} below them, and their friends beside them, it seemed like nothing could stop them and they had come very far .

Adventures had made them realize many things. Lessons learned, fears confronted…They sighed in unison. The satisfaction of battles won, evils vanquished, friendships made and built stronger, and the promise of future adventure lay heavy in the air. It was so reassuring they could almost taste it.

“Yes…” said Marina, still in awe of the sunset, “This is only the beginning.”

The End.

~ Captain Bonnie Spinner

Man when was the last time somebody posted here?? Well...I really shouldn't be talking since I've disappeared from the blogging vicinty for months at a time. So....how's the pirate stuff been going. Everybody still have their eyes??? *cricket cricket* So. Um...I'm gonna cut this one short just for the sake of you guys. I don't have any pirate news. I don't know when the next chapter of the story is either. Sorry.
~CC

Chapter 20 ~ Plans

Will blinked in the sunlight. The people that had rescued him from the slave traders were clothed in bright, colorful clothes and most of them had tattoos or body art. Different colored dyes decorated the skin of a large man who walked toward him, spear in hand. An Indian near him poked him with the bottom of his spear, an evil grin covering his painted face. The large man let out a shrill call and the Indian took a step back, looking guilty. Will looked around nervously. “Not very friendly,” he thought, “Yet they haven’t killed me…” He shifted uncomfortably as the man approached him and walked in a slow circle around him, his dark eyes seeming to judge him. A deadly hush fell over the tribe as they watched with awe-filled faces. Will’s stomach turned as the man stopped circling him and looked him in the eye. Will held his gaze. Then the man looked at his hand, the one that was marked with the sign of the dragon rider. He turned to the silently waiting tribe. He opened his mouth and proclaimed in a loud voice while raising his arms, “Lepoonea!” The whole tribe shouted and raised their arms, jumping up and down and dancing. One of the men disappeared as the tribe rushed up to Will. He was engulfed by hands touching his hand or ruffling his hair. The man reappeared with a spear and a torch, and two other men trailed behind him with bundles of fire wood. “That’s the third time I’ve heard that word today…” thought Will, “and I’m beginning to not like it.”

Render, Levi, Luna, Cless, Charity, and Bonnie exchanged worried looks. The dragons paced around anxiously. “How can we find him? He could be anywhere,” said Charity. “Could you send him another mental message, like you did to us?” she asked Cless.

He closed his eyes for a second. They waited in silence. His eyes flashed open. “He’s too far away,” he said, lowering his head and looking thoughtful.

“We could send the dragons to look for him,” suggested Levi. They considered this for a moment. The people here still weren’t used to dragons, and many spies were sure to report anything suspicious to Borom.

“Isn’t there a kind of meeting place for the traders?” asked Luna, “Someplace we can be sure to find him?”

“Of course. It’s an underground area of the black market,” said Render, getting up from the rock he was sitting on and pacing. “We can go there, but we’ll have to be careful. That’s where all the traders sell the slaves. It’s illegal and many evil people are sure to be there, but I’ll bet Will has ended up there if he hasn’t escaped already.” They nodded and made ready to travel in that direction. The dragons would stay on the ground, walking beside their riders, and the whole group was to be silent. It was only a day away. The week was growing shorter. They needed to get Will and stop Borom before it was too late.

Will watched as the men began preparing a large bonfire. The Indians had circled him and were trying to talk to him, also offering him spices and cloth. Before he knew what was going on, he was wearing a hat covered with flowers and a necklace made of fruit. The Indians led him over to a tree near the growing pile of logs. They all stopped very suddenly and turned to look at the large man, whom Will guessed was their chief. He approached Will solemnly and spoke in a strange tongue. Will peered at the people, confused. The man stopped talking and five strong Indians approached Will. They grabbed his arms and as he struggled, tried to tie him to the tree. He kicked one of them in the stomach and he fell over. He managed to punch another in the eye. Eventually, he was overpowered by more Indians. After a flurry of arms and legs, they backed away from Will, now tied to the tree. The chief turned to face the anticipating Indians, and exclaimed solemnly, waving a lit torch in the air dangerously close to the pile of logs at Will’s feet, “Lepoonea!” Will blinked, finally guessing what Lepoonea meant. Sacrifice.

The group traveled through a large forest on the side of the waterfall. It was about afternoon time and the trees above them glared at them, almost daring them to step closer. They glanced nervously around them. “Stay close,” Clesseath warned, “There’s a tribe of Indians here. Not as short as pigmies, but equally dangerous.” As the day wore on, they began to hear a faint noise. It was loud and continually growing, like a whispered breath on the wind.

“Is that…chanting?” asked Luna. They quickened their pace but stayed closer to the shadows. Soon they crouched in some bushes and peered out at a large clearing with lots of colorful people dancing and chanting around … something. Levi peered at what they were surrounding. Charity sucked in a sharp breath. “Will!”

The chief turned to Will, met his eyes, smiled, and lowered the torch to the logs. Will struggled violently. He suddenly remembered his knife and tried to get it out of his boot. A flaming arrow came out of no where and killed the Indian on the spot just as Baladon came roaring out the trees, eyes aflame, scorching the trice. The Indian fell, but the torch fell with him, lighting the wood on fire. Luna, Render, and Cless were firing arrows from the trees surrounding the clearing and using magic to fight the tribe. Levi, Charity, and Bonnie jumped out of the bushes, swinging their weapons wildly and striking anyone in their path. The minor dragons flew to Will, spitting on the fire in an attempt to put it out. Will clenched his teeth as he clutched his knife and began sawing away at the bonds tying him to the tree. In a few second he was free, and he joined in the brawl. The dragons erupted out the trees, flames of varied colors engulfing the Indians in a brilliant show of lights. The archers’ arrows struck their targets every time. The fighters fought hard. Eventually, the clearing was no more than an almost empty, scorched patch of grassless earth. Once the last of the cannibalistic Indians was properly disposed of, the gang cleaned their weapons and approached Will. He grinned at the sight of his friends. Charity laughed. He frowned. She pointed at his head. He reached up and pulled off the flowery hat, smiling too. Render dropped out of his tree without a sound and welcomed Will. Cless flew down and Luna followed him, gracefully landing on her toes. Bonnie approached him and they briefly swapped stories. He noted she was now wearing a loose, brown shirt under a leather jacket with black pants and a large belt filled with her knives and her sword hanging at her side. Her hat was the same as normal, as were her rings, and she smiled broadly when he explained he had almost been eaten. Charity told him of her pyromaniac removal of her captors. He laughed at that.

They camped there for the night and determined to tackle the castle tomorrow. Render and Cless spent the night talking over various plans. The others listened, ejecting ideas occasionally, or slept. The morning came with a light mist and a slight amount of rain. The minor dragons raced around, excited. The large dragons and riders left for a nice, long ride. They had been absent from the sky for too long, and they used the mist as an excuse for riding without being seen. When they got back they talked a bit more about the plan and set out toward the castle. There was no need to continue to the black market since they had met up with Will. It was straight to Borom from here on out.

“Alright, so, one more time, run the plan by me again?” asked Will as he trailed behind Baladon.

“We split up,” started Render. “Back group climbs through the garbage chute. Front group rides in the back of the wine cart through the front gate. You’ll have to sneak into the cart when the guards aren’t looking, but there are hollow barrels at the back of the cart for you to stow away in. Front group goes directly to the King’s chambers, once they’re inside an unattended, staying in the shadows. Back group slays all guards, making rounds around the castle. Lock all the doors and windows. There can’t be any way for the army of Borom to enter. Front group has to somehow take care of Borom and make sure the King lives. Once he is safe and the castle is clear, we’ll meet up,” said Render.

“Hm…are you sure you thought this out all the way through?” asked Charity, skeptically.

“No,” he replied truthfully, “But we’re short on time and this is the best we can do.” They nodded and walked in silence for a while. Cless walked in silence, doubtful thoughts leaking into his consciousness. Tomorrow was the big day. Tomorrow was the day that they had to change. Tomorrow was the day in history when things went wrong, and they had to stop it. Tomorrow was the day that they would re-write time…….hopefully.

~ Bonnie Spinner

Chapter 19 ~ Escape!

{Render is having fun on vacation. I got this via email...here it is.}

Escape!
Bonnie fell to the floor. She saw nothing. It did not take her long to untie the ropes on her hands and dispose of the gag and blindfold. She noted her surroundings. She was in a small dirty prison cell. This place was quite disgusting, so much so that I do not wish to describe to you the grime and dirt of this unpleasant place. She saw through the cell bars that the other wall of the hall way was also occupied by cells each one of them with a prisoner inside. She had noticed quickly that the floor was soaking wet for her clothes that were in contact with the floor were soaked by who knows what. There was an awful smell of rotting flesh. She jumped when she felt squirming in her Moonbeam cloak! She reached into the hallow and pulled out a reptilian creature. She recognized the red scaled face to be Miya. “Miya you little rascal.” Bonnie said softly while also stroking the soft spot behind Miya’s ear. It was then that Bonnie noticed a disaster! She reached up to her head and there was no hat! “NO!” she screamed! She searched the whole room with a frightened stare. Nowhere in the room could she find her awesome hat. She sat in the corner and crossed her arms. “That was such a cool hat!” Bonnie said with a scowl. “I need to get out of here.” Bonnie then watched Miya walk through the bars of the prison cell. “Miya go find the keys but don’t let anyone see you!” Miya shook her head with a disagreeing face. Miya was scared. “Miya we need to get out of here, it will be the best for the both of us.” Miya looked down the hall and back at Bonnie. With a look of determination Miya scurried away. Through the time Miya was gone Bonnie got a live scene in her mind, she was seeing and hearing everything Miya was. Miya sneaked up the hallway to the right. The opposite side was a dead end. Up at the end of the other side were four guards all playing a game of cards. Miya looked up. From Miya’s point of view she was very low to the ground which Bonnie wasn’t use to. Miya searched each of the Guard’s belts for a key chain. The one closest to her had no keys to be seen neither did the guard next to him on his left or right. It was the furthest guard who had the keys in his possession. Miya, like a mouse crept under the table. She and Bonnie jumped when one of the guards screamed “Cheat!” and the table fell over and the three other guards started beating up the guard with the keys. They took no notice of the little Minor Dragon cowering behind a broken chair. She sneaked over to the guard who was on the ground. “That’ll teach ya to never cheat in a game I am in!” said one of the guards. The three took out the knocked out guard’s bag full of gold and walked out of the prison. Miya had noticed that the guard was knocked out to a bloody pulp, therefore, giving her the opportune moment to take the keys. “You can do it Miya.” Bonnie said through her mind to Miya’s. Miya took the key chain in her mouth but to no avail. The key chain was secured on the man’s belt well, much to well for a Minor Dragon. Miya had an idea. She spat on the chain. This corrosive saliva that the Minor Dragon had produced proved to be worthy of many uses. The chain melted and snapped releasing the keys. Miya ran back to Bonnie. “You did it!” Bonnie said. She was proud of her little Dragon. Bonnie tried many keys before she got the right one. The door opened and Bonnie was fully aware of the hallway for Miya had seen the whole place before. She walked down the hallway. She took the remaining keys and threw them in another cell with another prisoner and walked out. She had noticed now that she was on a porch that was hanging right off a hill and under the porch was a large river. This porch was connected to hundreds of rope bridges going to house and market buildings all over the place. This place had an eerie green light to it. The trees were so spread with leaves that the sky was not seen. Bonnie knew that she couldn’t be seen in the clothes she had now, so she looked for a target with a comfortable style yet inconspicuous. She looked around and noticed someone with a suit that quite matched her style. She then headed for this “target.”

Charity was alone in a room that looked like a restaurant storage closet for it was full of food stuff. The “owner” came in and forced her to stand up. Screaming and twisting Chair’s arm the man said “You will work for me with no complaining or your suffering will become legendary!” the man threw her into the kitchen very close to braking Charity’s arm. “Start with the Dishes!” the man finished while walking out the door. He shouldn’t be messing around with me! She thought rubbing her arm. She looked at a container that had rolled out of another closet opposite of the room that said: “Lighter fluid: Highly flammable! keep out of reach of children! Use caution when using around flames!” She walked over to the closet and opened the door. The Closet was completely full of these containers of Lighter fluid and highly flammable logs that are used to start the huge oven in the kitchen and fireplaces in the main dining room. She looked around for matches and found some. She took out a steak knife from the silverware drawer and punched a hole in one of the containers and spilled the fluid all over everything in the closet with flammable components. “Oops. “ She said also making a trail of this liquid out of the closet near the middle of the Kitchen. She dipped one of the log’s top in the remaining fluid and set it aflame. She searched the kitchen for the exit. She got to the exit with the flaming stick. She threw the stick to the trail of fluid that wound and curved its way into the explosive closet. The fluid caught on fire and danced around the room following the trail toward the closet. She then walked away. She didn’t look back and was within a safe distance when she heard a huge explosion and a gust of hot air blew across the river she was next to. There was screaming and destruction. Charity had escaped with a grin on her face.

The trail was dark and rough. Render saw through the bag that was supposed to blind him. The bag was made of a weak material. He sat in a large stage coach that had a good sized collection of slaves. The Grobdenite chains were still secure. The bag was then removed from his face. “You will help us get into the castle or your friend dies!” it was the castle Borom was about to take over, the very castle the king was in. The old man they had “met” at the stall that had access to the cart then removed the bag from the face of the gagged Luna! At the same time Render saw all these little things flying toward them with a surprising speed. He knew that they were Luna’s Minor dragons coming to the rescue! He had also seen a large black thing fly across the moon. He reached the mind of the flying creature. It was Ancalagon! “We are here.” the voice of Cless in Render’s mind had said this. “You do not want to be killing her.” said Render. “Why not!” said the Old man. At that moment a huge explosion of black fire had erupted from Ancalagon’s mouth and spewed over a small group of Borom’s army. The old man looked over where the flames had come from. At the same time the minor dragon’s had swooped in and started to dissolve the Grobdenite chains with their corrosive saliva! Render and Luna broke free. Cless flew to the rescue from his hiding spot and started shooting fireballs from the palms of his hands. The flames would change color as they flew through the air. Render had used magic to retrieve his swords and other weapons. With the weapons flying in the air he had dispatched of the old man. Luna had escaped behind a rock with the minor dragons. Ancalagon roared and landed near Render. Render jumped onto Ancalagon and they launched away towards the moon. Cless had said a word that was undecipherable and as he thrust his hand toward the remaining soldiers of Borom’s army they all fell over as a huge shockwave of blue energy blasted them across the battlefield.

Will was dreaming. And this is what he had dreamt: he was on a beach with pink sand and purple butterflies. People surrounded him. These people were having tea parties and laughing as purple dolphins jumped in and out of the pink ocean. Unicorns and pink buffaloes were running up and down the rainbows and flowers which were singing. He was running down the beach with long silky hair that was flowing in the wind. Suddenly he had awakened in a dark deep pit. He looked up and found that he was being stared back at by a little boy who looked like he was an Indian of sorts. “lepoonea!” the little boy screamed. “What?” asked Will. The little Indian boy ran away. A few moments later Will heard footsteps. A whole group of these Indians looked down at him and spoke in their strange language. One threw a rope down to Will. Will hesitated. Here he was going to climb a rope up to either his death or life. He started climbing the rope and the Indians got excited. Will reached the top of the crater he crawled out of and looked around. Obviously the slavers got ambushed by the Indians for there were dead people and broken wheelbarrows and stuff scattered everywhere. “LEPOONEA!” the whole group of Indian people screamed. Will flinched when they screamed.

Bonnie was walking along being as inconspicuous as possible. At moments she would try to cover her face with the large hat she wore as people passed her by on the road. It was nothing like her other hat. She missed it… allot… She then noticed a rough fight going on further down the road. “I saw it first!” said a man’s voice. “I know who owns this hat!” screamed a familiar feminine voice. “That is a LIE!” the man yelled. Bonnie ran toward them. From the back she took out the sword she had found and took the hilt and slammed it on the man’s head. He fell over and at the same time revealing the girl who was arguing with the now knocked out man. It was Charity! “Chair!” “Bon-Bon!” they embraced and exchanged their stories. The two great friends had reunited. After they had told each other their story as detailed as possible Bonnie wasn’t surprised at what Charity did to that restaurant and neither was chair surprised at how bonnie got a hold of her new threads. “I found something of yours” said Chair handing over her awesome hat. “You found it!” said Bonnie very happy! They headed down the road both very happy that they had found each other and that they had found Bonnie’s wonderful hat.

Because of the mental message Render received from Levi the group of magic users and both minor and major dragons went straight for a huge waterfall to meet up with their elvish wizard. Luna and Render flew on Ancalagon and Cless flew with the help of his dragon wings. The minor dragons were tucked away in Luna’s hallows. They caught sight of the waterfall but there was no elvish wizard. They landed near the waterfall. The minor dragons jumped out and into the water playing around with the small minnows and splashing each other, diving in and out. There was warmth to the water. Render and Cless already knew what was going on and so did Luna in her own way. A shape started to form by the waterfall, the shape of a dragon. It was first the outline of the shape and then it started to fill in. it changed from the color gray to green. Soon it stopped morphing and changing and turned out to be Clesseath and Leviticus. “Here is my little green Wizard!” exclaimed Render. “The same.” replied Levi. “Listen, we need to find Charity Bonnie and Will. They are the last missing peoples.” “I will try to commune with them by the way of the mind.” said Cless, sounding all profound.

It was nightfall. The sun had just disappeared and the moon was only starting to fly over the sky. Mist was flowing from the grass and road like a steaming pot. In some places the mist was thicker revealing no surroundings. The mist arose also from the calm river that danced near the road calming down the tension of any who walked by them. The clouds which were few were illuminated by the beams of the large white moon. Bonnie and charity were moving slowly. “Come where the water is singing the loudest. “ said a voice in Bonnie’s mind that sounded much like Cless. “Chair.” Bonnie said. “What?” “I heard a voice that said: Come where the water is singing the loudest. What do you think it means?” asked Bonnie. “Reminds me of a waterfall.” answered Charity. “You are a genius!” they walked along the water hoping that soon they would find this waterfall. There was a sound of water splashing and spraying. They moved faster. The trees cleared out some revealing the waterfall and the people around it. There under the moonlight stood Ancalagon, Clesseath, Cless, Luna, Render and Levi. The minor dragons were flying toward Bonnie and chair at a fast speed. There was little Moss determined to find Miya. Miya crept out of her Pocket-Den and looked up to her best friend. They came to each other and made all kinds of noise. The other Minor Dragons joined them. Charity and Bonnie made it over to the group camped by the waterfall. The group by the waterfall looked at what Bonnie was wearing. Render came to Bonnie. “Will is missing.” He said. Bonnie had a look of shock!

~ Render Moonarrow {posted by Bonnie}

Part 18, Lost and Found

Miya! Where was she? Bonnie reached out with her mind frantically as she stood up. Cless, Levi, and Will all had grim faces. “Why can’t I sense her? Why is everything black?” she asked. She looked around desperately. Render, who had fallen over, got up and stood silently near Ancalagon with a "what-just-happened?" face. Luna and Charity were watching Luna’s dragons fly around, checking behind ropes and barrels. They were on the Golden Dawn. Bonnie rushed around the deck, groping out to Miya with her mind, but she was only met with darkness.

“She might be too far away,” said Render, trying to sound encouraging. “Where was the last place you saw her?”

“The island,” said Bonnie shakily. A few minutes later they were back at the island. The shores seemed cold and sepulchral, not at all like they had the day before. They searched mentally and physically for the little lost dragon. Moss, Levi’s minor dragon, was searching everywhere his tiny eyes could see. Miya and Moss had become very good friends in the past few months. Cless made a sound and they rushed over to him. Something small was flying around in the mist near some trees. Bonnie jumped to its mind but was met with a mental jolt and stab. Suddenly tiny creatures were all around them, flapping long wings and jabbing the travelers with sharp claws. They shrieked and the travelers dropped on their hands and knees, covering their ears. The high-pitched squealing continued as the creatures pecked their unprotected legs and arms. Moss and Luna’s dragons flew to meet them and spat in their faces. The spit seemed to dissolve parts of them, for soon they were flying away, taking their high-frequency noises with them.

Charity stood up and turned to Cless. “What were those things?” His face looked worried.

“Holips,” he replied.

“They’re small, winged creatures vaguely resembling clawed bats that produce deafening sounds when disturbed or trying to protect their home,” finished Render. He looked around and Ancalagon jumped into the air, parting the mist with his wings. Stepping closer to the trees, he peered upwards. “We’ve got a nest here!” he exclaimed. Levi joined him and climbed the tree, looking at the cocoon-like formations. Bonnie’s face lit up with a sudden idea.

“Are holips like birds…do they like shiny things?” she asked, walking to the tree. Render nodded. Bonnie approached one cocoon with a large hole in its side and peeked inside. She made a small sound, stuck her hand into the nest, and pulled out an un-moving red dragon. “Miya!” she exclaimed, then stroked her back. Her tail twitched.

“She’s unconscious but alive,” said Luna. Bonnie cradled Miya as they walked cautiously back to the ship.

“I’d guess she was in their nest looking for shinies and the holips found her…” said Bonnie.

“Shinies?” asked Will, an eyebrow raised.

Bonnie made a face. “That’s what Miya calls them…shiny stuff.” They reached the ship and Miya stirred, making a small noise. She blinked and Bonnie began scolding her immediately for being so adventurous alone, but she was also glad Miya was ok. After a while they had dinner, which was very good. At the end of dinner, Render stood up and looked at the faces around the table.

“I think we’ve tarried here long enough. We need to save Alagasia before it’s too late. Levi, Cless, and I can weave the time gateway with the scepter of time by tomorrow morning. Everyone should be packed and ready to go by sunrise.” The attentive faces upturned toward him nodded with determination and excitement. They clanked their mugs together and had one last drink before going back to their quarters and packing. The morning came with mist and a rising glow in the East. Seven people gathered on the deck of the Golden Dawn around a glowing, circular hole in time and space. They all exchanged excited glances, but Cless reminded them to be wary and alert. Cless and Render went in first. Then Luna and Levi. Will, Charity, and Bonnie went next, and then all the major dragons.

When they emerged on the other side, they were in a large alleyway surrounded by brick and stone walls. They rushed out of it and into the bright streets. “This is the city Silthrim, before it was destroyed,” said Render. Charity gaped at the awesome structures and buildings before her. “This day is one week before Borom takes over. That gives us time to figure out his plan and stop it from ever happening.” They spent a few minutes simply looking at the city. Charity was amazed at how great the city was. The ventured into the marketplace, hoping to glean some information from the people there.

“Stay close and don’t wander,” whispered Cless to the pirates who had never been to Silthrim before, “There are many people here interested in all manner of trade…even if it’s not legal.”

“What do you mean?” asked Will.

“Slave traders,” Cless said mentally to all of them. They began to grow wary and cautious, nervously looking at the faces in the crowd. The dragons were hiding outside the city, but Will wondered if they would be able to make it in time if an emergency arose. They began tapping into people’s minds, and were surprised to find many of them strongly guarded.

“They seem to have a lot of magic users here,” Levi remarked. Render approached a tall, old man hiding behind a stall in between two buildings. The man was a member of Borom’s spies, put in position here to work with the palace guards and get information that way. His mind was guarded heavily. Cless decided to question him, but carefully, for if the spy knew who they were he would call re-enforcements and maybe even Borom himself.

“What are you selling?” asked Render, trying to sound inconspicuous. The man glanced up at him then had a double take seeing his pointed ears. His eyes darted around all of their faces and he peeked into their minds though he was instantly thrown out. He jolted at their barriers.

“Rope, weapons, and barrels,” he stated in a low voice. Cless fingered some of the items on his small stall.

“Petty items. Why should we buy any of this?” he asked.

“Petty items?” exclaimed the man, drawing back as if hurt. “I’ll have you know that these ‘petty items’ are requested by the king, and I bring them to him personally every Tuesday in a cart –” he tried to stop himself but it was too late.

Here they had a man working for Borom who had access to a cart that traveled inside the castle, directly to the king, every week! How easy would it be for someone to hide in the back of the cart and kill everyone in the castle once Borom ordered? Borom was the king’s adviser, and if he could smuggle in enough men this way, he was sure to conquer the castle. They realized this and also the fact that next Tuesday was in one week. The man saw understanding on their faces and took off at a run down the path between the buildings. They followed him, eager for more information. On the other side of the buildings was an empty square. The man ran into an old, run-down house like all of the other empty houses in the desolate square. Suddenly, people poured out of the houses, surrounding them with weapons. The people didn’t make a single sound, and they circled the travelers, immediately pushing and shoving them apart.

“Slave traders!” someone shouted, and they began fighting against all the people surrounding them. Their faces were covered with black material and they held their weapons up to their throats. Slowly, the travelers began to be carried by the crowd in separate ways. Chains made of grobdenite were thrown over the riders. The friends’ voices were raised, but someone immediately covered their mouths before they could utter a whole sentence.

“Render!” someone called.

“Will!” shouted another.

“Chair! Where are y—” the phrase was never finished.

“–promise we’ll see each other again!” another voice called. They were silenced with gag cloths, and separated into groups of two. The hands and faces crowding around Charity were so many she couldn’t see the sky, and suddenly all was dark.

~ Captain Bonnie Spinner
*Link to the next Chapter coming soon, after Render writes it *glare* jk...no glaring. Not nice.

REAL Will stories

Go to my blog to find out the real stories. Also go to Captain Couldn't Care Less.

Chapter 17, the death of one held dear

Chapter … 17?

See Render’s “The Scepter of Time and the Tavern of Death!”

As Luna walked through the portal, her lungs compressed, the air was sucked away, and she felt she couldn’t breath. Dancing colors multiplied around her, blinding her from her friends. Just as she felt she would pass out from lack of breath, her feet felt wood, and her eyes snapped open to reveal a beautifully bright sky. She was standing on the deck of the Golden Dawn and as she looked around, her friends emerged from the portal behind her. A light breeze playfully tossed her light locks of hair about. The waves from below omitted a relaxing sound, for they were calm and tame. The dragons emerged and her thoughts turned toward the serious matter of Ancalagon’s injury.

“When is this?” asked Charity. They heard a sound from the other side of the deck, and turning, saw another portal…with them standing next to it. Then their twins disappeared into it.

“The day we left for Alagasia,” replied Render. The pirates began rushing around, hoisting the sails, yelling at the crew, and testing the wind. Charity climbed into the crow’s nest swiftly, spy glass in hand. Bonnie took the wheel and turned it in the right direction, immediately humming a familiar tune. Will turned to the remaining siblings.

“Would you like me to show you to your cabins?” he asked.

“No need,” said Cless, taking out a piece of cloth and moving it to a little unused corner of the ship. He placed it on the ground and Will watched as it unfolded into a tent.

“A tent?” he asked. “Honestly, Cless, we do have spare cabins—” he trailed off when Cless pulled on the flaps to reveal a magically enhanced interior with large marble columns, many drapes, couches, tables, a bed, and three large globes. “Ok…nevermind.”
The others made similar tents. Flint watched, choosing to go look at the cannons below deck.

The dragons chose to sleep, each kind of curled around Ancalagon protectively, as if that could keep the poison from spreading. Render sat nearby, his hood up, brooding over all that had happened. The minor dragons sat on Ancalagon, each trying to help in some way. It would take three days normally to get to the Isla De Murtagh. They hoped to cut that time in half. The sails were doing marvelously. Everyone was sure they would make it in time. In three days the poison might take its toll.

The day passed rapidly and the night began descending quickly, without warning upon the travelers. It was as if the sky were trying to drown them in its starry depths. The water swirling around the ship began to grow restless and fierce. Bonnie smiled a bit at this. Charity pulled out a long telescope and looked out over the dark waters. Will was helping with the sails again, for the wind had picked up and they had to re-adjust them. Luna walked over to the side of the ship, keeping her balance very well. She looked over the railing and into the watery depths. Her eyes opened wide. “There’s something in the water,” she said to Cless.

Flint overheard. “It’s called fish.”

“No, something bigger,” she said. Render got up and walked over to them. Cless and Levi stared into the darkness and told Luna to stay away from the edge of the ship. Their Elven eyes picked up movement. Something was there. Something very large, apparently, for a huge wave rose and fell that did not look at all like a sea wave. Render narrowed his eyes. Luna’s ears strained to pick up something in the silence. Charity had turned in her cramped compartment among the masts to try and see what they were looking at. Will, Render, and Cless drew their swords uncertainly and stood rigid on the deck. Bonnie’s grip around the wheel tightened and she struggled to keep her eyes on the sea ahead of her. Some of the crewmembers had drawn their weapons and stood, terrified. Levi tried to penetrate the mind {or minds} of whatever was in the water. His brow furrowed. He could sense nothing. He opened his eyes again. Slowly they edged close to the rail, their weapons stretched out uncertainly in front of them.

Another unnatural wave rippled in the sea. Everyone held their breaths. Charity leaned forward. She thought she saw something in her spyglass. She turned it to make it focus. There. A wave. A huge wave. She blinked. A very fast, large wave was coming straight toward them! She zoomed in and was speechless. She tried to utter a cry of warning.

“Crabs!” she shouted. Just then the wave struck the side of the ship and sent them all sprawling across the deck. As soon as the wave of crabs hit, they began scampering up the side of the ship. They made a sharp clicking sound with their claws, and soon they were swarming the deck. A few people nearest the rail weren’t fast enough and soon got covered in biting, scratching claws. Someone screamed. Bonnie tied the wheel down and joined in the fight. Render and Cless fought near their dragons, stomping on all the crabs they could see. The dragons {except Ancalagon} rolled on top of them, squishing as many crabs as they could. Will and Levi jumped on all crabs in sight. Flint took out his pistol and fired at the pesky creatures. Charity watched from her lookout place. She took out her glass. She saw something that made her face harden. The travelers were fighting on one side of the ship where the crabs were, but on the side they were blind to, something more hideous and dangerous than petty crabs was silently slithering up the ship.

“Quiss!!” she shouted to her friends. They turned and saw giant tentacles coming from mushy bodies reaching over the railing. The quiss were numerous and looked hungry by the speed they were approaching the friends, however it was very hard to tell because of their lack of mouths. A small quiss attached itself to a struggling crewmember. Will rushed to help as Flint screamed, the suction cups on the tentacles around his neck tightening. The quiss killed Flint to the resounding chorus of No’s arising from his friends. Luna drew an arrow and shot a nearby quiss. Levi killed one that had grabbed his leg. Render used Elven blades to kill several. Cless was still fighting the crabs, flying and flapping his wings to blow them over the side of the ship. The quiss kept coming. They never seemed to stop. Charity took out a blow gun acquired on a previous adventure and shot some. She could hardly tell where they landed; she was blided by tears for her brother. Cless joined them in slaying quiss now. Will sliced one open. His eyes narrowed and he bent down near the carcass. He rose and walked over to Bonnie, holding out two fingers dripping in quiss blood.

“Blue,” he said. Bonnie killed his quiss and looked at him.

“Blue blood?” she repeated with an astonished look. The quiss, as if at an unspoken signal, all stopped and slid over the side of the deck, gone as quickly as they had come. Render finished tying two quiss together and looked at what lay ahead. Levi glanced over the side of the ship also.
“Hey! Cliff!” he shouted. Bonnie rushed to take the wheel. Luna looked to where Levi was pointing. They were headed for a rock wall! A great cliff loomed up in front of them. “Steer away!” called Levi. But their course remained steady.

“You’re going to run into it!” called Luna. Will shook his head as they continued to head straight for it. Luna felt her heart beating two times faster than it should have been. They shut their eyes as they continued to hurl through the restless sea toward the unmoving rock. It was only a few inches away now. They were going to die. Darkness…
And yet…They could breathe. They opened their eyes. They were in a large cavern. Glancing behind them they saw a veil of moss covering the entrance to the cave they had just entered. Bonnie was smiling triumphantly. Will and Charity laughed. They all relaxed and continued down the river in the middle of the tunnel.

“The cave cannot be seen by day ~ it’s covered by water,” started Charity, “And by night it gets so dark that no one can tell the difference between the brown moss and the dark cliff.” Levi blinked and began chasing Will around the deck for not telling them. For about ten minutes they continued on their steady journey. Then the tunnel made a turn and they somehow began to sail upward. They came out of another cliff and into the open sea. Luna retired to her tent and fell asleep. Levi stayed with Will, who was showing him the different parts of the ship. Cless pulled out a book and read in his cabin, below deck. Render stayed close to Ancalagon, who was growing increasingly tired. Everyone was a bit edgy and no one had a good rest. Bonnie kept on the wheel, still humming a low song.

They drifted along the sea, the Golden Dawn creaking in sync with the waves. They were very close. An hour or two later they all woke up to lower the sails and the anchor. They climbed into small boats while it was still dark and rowed down a river. Dark trees lined the sides of the river. It was very peaceful and tranquil. Then they came to a house mounted on some trees. It was not overly fancy, nor was it shabby. They stopped and climbed up the ladder. Will knocked on the wooden door. There was a small sound from inside and the door opened.

Tia Dalma was a small, dark lady who wore a long dress and had many markings all over her body. She smiled at the sight of them and ushered them inside, her accented voice echoing in the room. They sat around a table. She walked around a corner, grabbed a tray with eight mugs, and sat down, distributing the warm mugs all around.

“I’ve been expecting you,” she said, a slow smile spreading over her features.

“Were the quiss really necessary?” asked Will. Her smile faded.

“The crabs were mine,” she said, “How da ye know de quiss are mine too?”

“Blue blood,” said Bonnie. Tia Dalma turned, as if seeing her for the first time.

“Safety precautions,” Tia Dalma explained. She looked at the Elves and Cless. “Ah…” She got up and looked out the window. “You ’ave a dragon.” She closed her eyes. “An’ ’im is dyin’…”

~ Captain Bonnie Spinner

Ok, so I admit this chapter isn't really ACCOMPLISHING anything new...So...your turn!


Mother's Day and Other Junk...?

Part 15, Birds Eye View

Chapter 15

I do believe this is Chapter 15. See “Week of Terror” on Render’s blog.

Charity, Render, Flint, and Levi had surfaced with their dragons from the tunnel they had been walking in. They still had one week to get to the city of Silthrim and after that the cave where the scepter of time was kept. They were running low on supplies and were growing weary. On their second day they decided they would like to stay in the city for one day to buy supplies and to get some much-needed rest. They were all looking forward to getting there. Render and Levi were the only ones who had been there in their travels, and they told the Kidd siblings all about the great city.

“The city is large, colorful, and bright,” started Render, projecting an image from his palm of pointed turrets and glistening towers. “It used to be the greatest city in all of Alagasia. I haven’t been there for a while, and I surely hope Borom hasn’t gained control over it, too. It’s the second largest city here and it’s the nation’s center of trade.”

Levi helped to show the city from a sky angle, and Flint and Charity felt as if they were flying over the great city and its many high, strong, buildings. The buildings seemed to be made of many shimmering, sparkling colors, contrary to normal whitewashed ones. There was a gorgeous marketplace, filled with sounds and smells that the siblings could smell clearly, as well as breathtaking fountains, intriguing sculptures, and enticing sights all around them. They could hardly believe it was not real. Charity reached out to touch a pear a fruit seller was selling and frowned when her hand only grasped the empty air.

The whole rest of the day was spent listening to them tell about this grand city. It was known all around the world for its food, silks, and fine weaponry. The people there were the greatest cooks, tradesmen, and warriors, and many of the best stories ever written were imagined and told by Silthrim’s story tellers. Charity could not imagine such talented people all living in one city together and that just made her more anxious to get there. They decided that the dragons should go around the city separately, for folks here had not seen dragons in years and had ceased to believe in them. Anything suspicious would be reported to the city guards, who reported to the shade. They would meet the dragons in a forest on the other side of the city. They were traveling over grassy hills, and with mounting excitement they raced up the last one, ready to finally see the great city itself. They held their breaths as they reached the top, but when they looked out over Silthrim they were astonished by what they saw.

Cless the Dragoon, Luna {his sister}, Will, and Bonnie made their way to the cave where the scepter was hidden. They had to travel through a forest and then a desert. The cave was near the outskirts of this desert, closer to them than to their friends traveling through the city. They had just stopped for lunch one day when they checked their supplies again. Bonnie frowned at the report that they had only a few rolls and fruits.

“Why is the chocolate always gone?” she asked sulkily. Luna looked up, head tilted to one side as if listening.

“Soldiers!” she said softly, “Soldiers that report to Borom!” They decided it would be worth their while not to kill them…yet. They were coming. The small group determined to hide in the trees and eavesdrop. Cless flew up with his dragon wings. Luna and Bonnie climbed a different tree and watched from high among the branches, swinging their legs slowly. The soldiers drew closer. Will climbed the tree and got settled just in time, watching as two figures on horses passed below the trees at a walk. One of them had dark hair and the other had light.

“Then what is this great plan he keeps telling us about? What is this ‘new age’ he keeps referring to?” asked the one with light hair.

“You don’t know?” asked the dark one. The light shook his head. “Slaves,” he said after a pause. The friends in the trees looked at each other, their expressions concerned, angered, confused, and a bit frightened. Will leaned forward to catch the next thing they said, but leaned to far and began to fall out of the tree. Cless reached out a hand and Will was suspended in the air, not daring to make a sound.

“He plans to appoint more captains and guards, harvest more troops, and force all his city civilians into submission.”

Cless held Will in the air, his muscles aching with the effort. Will tried not to make a sound. He wondered if he should move. He began to lift himself up with magic and toward the tree but the brown-headed soldier stiffened and looked around.

“Did you hear something?” he asked.

“No,” replied the other then proceeded to ask his question, “How do we fit into this master plan?”
His companion stopped looking around, much to the friends’ relief, and replied, “We would be superior. The civilians would live, breathe, and die trying to serve us. We wouldn’t have a single need in the world.”

Will desperately flailed his arms, trying to swim through the air to get to the tree. Cless grimaced as he moved to pull him with magic back into the tree soundlessly. They all released their held breaths.

“What about the armies in the North?” asked the first.

“Who says Borom won’t stop here? He’s going to conquer the whole of Alagasia! The North will be his too. No one can stop us now. Aren’t you glad you picked this side?” he asked. They both laughed a chilling laughed that made Luna’s stomach flip over. They passed below them. Once the soldiers were out of hearing range, they looked at each other, each not knowing quite how to handle this new information.

“I can’t believe this!” exclaimed Bonnie, dropping out of the tree with a thud. Miya flew out of her cape and chirped in her ear excitedly.

Luna gracefully lowered herself and swung out of the tree, landing on her toes. “We need to get to the cave quickly. The faster we get there the faster we may be able to stop this all from happening.”

Cless flew out of the tree and Will followed him to the ground. Cless was looking between two trees and stared at what he saw.

Render frowned. Silence. Flint, Charity, and Levi could not understand either. They were looking at the city. They were looking at the great and glorious city Silthrim, famed and revered throughout all of Alagasia…and yet…it was hideous. They slowly walked down the hill and toward the city gates. The city was brown. No colorful, bright, shimmering turrets or towers could be seen anywhere. The walls were crumbling, not looking like the fortress walls they should have been. Trees that were supposed to be orchards had been chopped down, ripped apart, or had merely died. They approached the gates that were supposed to hold the millions of people back, but there was no one. Not a single soul rushed up to them to ask for an entrance toll. They entered the city silently. The walls on the inside were covered with mud, ash, and plants. All the magnificent buildings had been destroyed. The houses they had seen projected from previous memories were now no more than piles of rubble on the ground. Debris, rubble, trash, dirt, and wild ivy reigned free. A few deteriorating shacks had broken windows without doors. Noting the thriving vegetation, they guessed it had been deserted for quite some time.

Render slowly entered one. Broken glass, shards of pottery, and a few random forms that once could have been furniture littered the floor. He was careful not to step on those. Charity stood in what they had guessed to be a doorway, tears in her eyes.

“What happened here?” she asked, looking at the burned walls.

Render shook his head. “I don’t know. I would give anything to know.”

Levi called to them from outside the shack and they met him standing in what looked to be the center of the city, where a great fountain used to be. It was bare, empty, and silent. Not even a breeze ruffled their hair. It made them all edgy and uneasy.

Levi was standing in between some buildings partially sunken into the ground. He was crouched beside an item that Flint was investigating. “What’s that?” asked Render, joining them as Charity glanced up at the sky quickly. The skies were blue, an uncharacteristic color for a day so sorrowful.

“A bird cage…” said Flint.

“A bird cage?” repeated Charity. “Why would the people of Silthrim need birdcages?”

“Well, many of them had pets…” said Levi, as he glanced at the buildings around him once more. “Most of their animals were very healthy and lived abnormally long lives, some even longer than their masters.”

Charity blinked. “That’s it!” she cried, and began walking through the piles of rubble in an effort to get out of the city. The others followed her, curious.

“What’s it?” asked Flint.

“I know how we can see what happened here!” she said. They had reached the exit out of the city. There was a small forest that the dragons were hiding in and then there would be a large desert, at the end of which lay their destination. She hurried into the trees as the dragons flew over to them. She looked around, her eyes searching the treetops desperately. The others grew very excited. Levi looked at her face, then at the trees. Understanding spread across his face. Render and Flint soon caught on and began looking in the trees. Finally they found what they were looking for.

Cless’s face was unreadable. Luna looked over the trees with him. Will and Bonnie joined them, their eyes wide and unbelieving. Before them, so numerous they looked like sand on a beach, was a gigantic army. There were so many soldiers that the whole countryside looked black. Bonnie squinted. “What flag is that?” she asked.

Luna’s Elven eyes picked out a dark flag. “That…is Borom’s army,” she replied. They stared in utter disbelief.

“They weren’t kidding when they said he would take over the world!” exclaimed Will.

“We’ve got to do something. Now I see how imperative it is that we go back and stop all this from happening!” said Bonnie. Luna looked at Cless’ face.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

“It all seems too easy. We’re almost to the cave and we haven’t encountered any enemies at all except for those officers. I’m starting to wonder if he doesn’t know we’re here after all. One would think that after he met us in the woods he would be more wary,” he said in a low voice. They reflected on that and for the first time took into consideration that there might be guards at the cave. They moved on, each submerged in their own thoughts.

Render had seen a small bird walking on the ground. Levi held it still with magic and Charity ran out from their hiding spot behind some bushes and brought it to them. Render and Levi worked together in sorting through its memories before they came to the right one. When they found what they were looking for, they projected the memory so Flint and his sister could see. They watched the fall of Silthrim play out before them.

The bird had been kept inside a cage, by a window. They felt it thinking about food. It was in a small, quaint little house with a lazy cat sleeping on the floor and a baby in a cradle nearby. The bird looked out the window and up at the sky. Merry folk walked by and obstructed his view so he chirped and whistled at them threateningly. The street outside was packed with people, making a loud ruckus that made the bird move his head as if trying to get the sound from his ears. Suddenly someone screamed so loudly that everyone stopped. The bird looked out the window but saw nothing but curious people. Another scream pierced the air along with the sound of thunderous voices and the loud clomp of hundreds of boots stomping on the ground. All at once the people began shouting and running, dropping their bags and leaving the people they had been standing with. Sounds of swords being drawn, arrows being fired, and glass being shattered echoed around the city. A line of Silthrim soldiers lined up outside the window, swords drawn. The door burst open and a terrified woman with dark brown hair rushed in. She opened the bird cage, shooed the cat out, and scooped up her baby with one hand. The bird hopped to the edge of the cage just as another figure ran into the house. It was a soldier, dressed in black with a bloody sword held high. The woman clutched her baby close to her, sobbing, trying to protest. The bird flew out the window just as a scream erupted from that house and a baby cried. The streets were full of these soldiers, battling away at everyone. Houses were burning. People were crying. Everything was being destroyed. This bird’s eye view was not at all like the previous ones they had seen projected before them. The bird flew away to safety among this forest, and it had stayed there ever since.

They withdrew from the bird’s thoughts. Charity was covering her eyes with her hands. Render clenched his fist. Levi scooped up the trembling bird and set it on a nearby branch. “That’s horrible! A whole city! Gone like that! Innocent people, their children, their animals! What kind of people would kill like that? What kind of people would have no disregard for life? Who were those heartless monsters?” asked Flint, enraged.

“I’d say they’re Borom’s troops,” replied Render. He stood up. “This has gone too far. We can’t delay. This world is crumbling. We need to make haste and get to the cave before all is lost. We have to do all within our power to stop this from happening again.” Charity looked up, still a bit horrified at the cruel brutality being drilled into the evil soldiers. They set out in the desert, trying to make up for lost time.

Will and Cless were walking ahead of the girls. Luna and Bonnie talked briefly of minor dragons, their own still sleeping in their hollows. Gradually the group came to a stop.

“Why are we stopping?” asked Bonnie.

“We’re here,” replied Cless. A huge cave stretched out before them. They walked to the entrance. A thin, purplish air seemed to be covering the whole entryway. “We can’t get in until they arrive with the dragons. Three dragons is the only thing that will break the barrier,” he said.
Bonnie sighed and said, “I wonder what’s taking them so long."

“I wonder if Borom has tried to stop them,” said Will. Just then Luna pointed to something in the sand dunes far off. Dragons were flying in the sky. They beamed. It would take them about ten minutes to get to the cave, but they were overjoyed at the sight of their friends. They watched as the dragons flew over the gigantic sand dunes and came closer. They were about five miles away. Their smiles soon faded. The sand behind their friends seemed to be growing larger…it seemed almost as if…Their eyes widened.

Charity glanced backward from the back of the dragon she was riding on and could hardly contain her fear. “Sand storm!!” she shouted. They all looked back to see huge amounts of sand building up, growing higher and higher. The dragons increased their speeds. Then, all at once, the sand collapsed and rushed out at them, as if trying to swallow them up in its great, sandy jaws. Faster they flew, yet faster still the sand waves gained on them. Charity turned around and closed her eyes. She could hear it, coming closer and closer.

The onlookers shouted and cheered, urging them on, although they knew they were not heard. They watched as the sand grew closer and closer.

Flint could feel specks of sand on the back of his neck. He looked behind and his eyes stung. He quickly faced forward. “Hurry!” he called. The rushing sound was painfully loud. A cloud of sand began to cover them. They were so close!

“Almost there!” shouted Render, then choked as he breathed in sand.

Their friends waited by the entrance, still whooping and hollering. Sand obscured them from sight. And then…all was silent.

~ Captain Bonnie Spinner

PS. Sorry if it was a little graphic…in describing the city…Render, your turn.

The Scepter of Time and the Cavern of Death