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