A World Within

by James Somers

  Strom circled over the edge of the Deadwood near the base of Mt. Doom. He was completely hidden by the nighttime sky and his black scales. Strom’s dragon-eyes easily pierced the veil of darkness to pinpoint the boy with his companions and two wils chasing after them.

  As Strom watched them below, he thought about his dragons back at the fortress of Mortis. The dragon’s hope for survival hung in the balance. Strom also considered the challenge issued by Mortis to try and destroy the boy. Finally he remembered one of his own which had been killed in the boy’s presence in a village beyond Parengore Forest. The great black dragon seethed with anger.

  Strom descended gracefully toward the ground as the predators and prey both ran into the open rocky ground at the base of the mountain. There was a substantial gap of about two hundred yards between the boy and his companions and the wils who were chasing them. Strom landed between the two groups causing the wils to stop in a hurry when they saw the mighty dragon.

  Minion quickly spied the terrain. Open fissures in the rock lay here and there where a wil could hide. Before Minion could protest, One stepped toward the dragon, ranting about their mission. “Hey, dragon, we were sent by Mortis to dispose of the boy. Move out of our way or face the wrath of our master!”

  Strom settled his gaze on the tiny wil as a low growl rumbled in his throat. Minion scrambled for the closest fissure in the rocky ground. Strom blew a stream of fire, catching One just as he was about to further his threats in the name of Mortis.

  Strom turned around to find the boy. The dragon took flight again as the sun began to push away the dark of night. The dragon’s great leathery wings bore him up quickly as he sought to face this boy which Mortis claimed had so much power.

  Strom watched them below as they ran. Catching them would not be difficult at all, but he did not intend to act foolishly. One of his kind had informed Strom of the dragon in the village as it sought to kill the boy. A mighty wind had tossed the dragon around, then lightning had fried him to a crisp.

  Strom had heard also of the Spider Elves and their lost riders. Tales had been told already of a mysterious boy aided by all sorts of mysterious power. But was it true, or just folk spinning yarns—the stuff of children’s fantasies? There seemed no way to be sure except to find out…perhaps the hard way. Mortis certainly had no problem claiming the boy would be nearly impossible to kill.

  Strom closed in on the trio still running for their lives. They had already spotted him. Strom prepared to unleash the venom of his flame against them as they tried desperately to escape him. The flash of heat lightning in the overcast sky of early morning caught Strom’s attention and he reconsidered. Not out here, he thought. Just in case the rumors are true.