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