by E. L. Todd
Cora crinkled her nose in disgust.
Rush couldn’t keep the grin off his face because she somehow looked cute no matter what she did with her expression. “Come on, let’s keep going.”
It was an all-day trek to the highest part of the mountain. They were miles from the entrance to the Stronghold, purposely keeping their distance from the Fazurks that were crawling around the entrance.
When they were this high up, a fire was out of the question, and the higher elevation brought a chill across their shoulders. They were a bit closer to the stars, so now they were a little bigger, a little brighter. Everyone was lying in their cots to get some sleep on the solid stone, while Rush sat with his arms on his knees.
The stars are really bright up here.
His eyes shifted as he looked into the darkness, hearing her voice in his mind.
Brightness entered the night when there was a streak across the sky. He noticed it but didn’t really focus on it.
Wow, a shooting star. That’s cool.
Can’t sleep?
Hard to go from flowers to this.
I can imagine.
You never seem to sleep.
I’ll sleep when I’m dead.
I’m really not tired, so I can take over.
It’s fine. Really.
Heavy silence passed for a while. There’s something on your mind.
My father.
Because of what happened here?
Yep.
I’m sorry.
Yeah…it’s…whatever. Doesn’t matter.
I have Dorian and Callon…and you don’t have anybody. But just know that you always have me, Rush.
He almost said something back, but he kept it lodged deep in his throat, where it died.
At first light, they maneuvered over the rocky mountains and approached the entrance to the Stronghold. From the top of the world, they had clear views of Anastille, of Polox in the distance, even Cora’s village.
In the other direction were the Shadow Lands.
Covered by heavy cloud bank, the world was still a mystery to the naked eye.
“Smell that?” Bridge called from the back.
Rush inhaled the pungent smell with his nose, recognizing it right away. “Great…they smell even worse.”
Now I’m hungry.
That’s disgusting.
Men smell worse—in my opinion.
Thanks…
“Baaaaaahhh.”
Rush’s hand reached out and snatched Cora by the arm, stopping her before she could go any farther. “Whoa, hold on.”
The goat appeared on one of the rocks, white with brown spots, his horns pointing straight out.
Cora stared at him before she gave Rush an incredulous look. “You’re scared…of that?”
“Not scared,” Rush said quickly. “Just learned my lesson.”
“Baaaaaahhh.” He wiggled his little tail.
“Shit, he’s calling for the others,” Bridge said. “What do we do?”
“You guys are ridiculous.” Cora yanked her arm out of Rush’s grasp and approached the goat. “He’s like two feet tall.”
“Cora, be careful,” Rush said. “I’m serious. He’ll buck you off the mountain.”
She gave him a glare over her shoulder. “I’ll take my chances, alright?” She stuck out her hand, took a knee, and then watched the goat smell her. “Hey, honey. You’re so cute.” The goat quickly became acquainted with her, so she petted her hand over his head and down his back.
He closed his eyes and dropped his head, rubbing his horns into her body.
Cora chuckled as she massaged his scalp. “Ah…this is the sweet spot, huh?”
Rush glanced at Bridge.
Bridge glanced back, eyes still wide. “Elves…”
Everyone loves Pretty.
I’ll say. “Hey…I have an idea.”
“What?” Bridge asked. “Buck it off the mountain while we still have a chance?”
“We need bait, right?” Rush moved closer to his friend, no longer concerned about Cora’s safety. “We put some bells on this guy and make him run into the Stronghold. All the Fazurks will come out to play.”
Bridge cupped his chin. “Not a bad idea—”
“That’s barbaric.” Cora abandoned the goat when she heard what they said, and now her eyes were worse than the storms on the sea. “We aren’t doing that.”
Bridge dropped his arms. “It’s better than one of us going in—”
“We’ll find another way.” Her gaze was still lethal, the suggestion enough to make her blood boil. “We aren’t sending a baby goat to his death.”
Bridge glanced at Rush again. “Elves…”
“Oh, trust me,” Rush said. “I already know.”
When they approached the entrance, they crouched down behind an array of boulders to examine the Fazurks. They came and went, some leaving the Stronghold and taking a trail toward the Shadow Lands. Others entered through the hole in the mountain, carrying kills they intended to roast over the fire. The Stronghold had been entirely claimed by these beasts, as if the dwarves had never been there in the first place.
“What now?” Bridge asked, squatting beside him.
“I don’t know.” Rush tried to count them, but there were too many. “Burning them will be easy, but the second I take flight, I’ll be visible from leagues around.”
“Can you burn them from the ground?” Bridge asked.
“Sure,” Rush said. “But I leave myself pretty vulnerable.”
“Not if you have another dragon.” Cora joined their conversation, her long hair in a high ponytail off her face, her black elven armor depicting flowers on the surface. The material was durable, so it moved and breathed with her, preserving her femininity while also showcasing her strength. “I can cover you.”
“You’re even bigger than I am,” Rush said. “A lot more visible.”
Cora gave a shrug. “I don’t think there’s any way to do this without that risk. We just have to be quick. Might have to retreat a couple times then return.”
“That won’t work,” Rush said. “Once they figure out that we’re here for a reason, they won’t leave. We’ll have to abandon the dwarves and Talc. We need to do this in one go.”
Cora gave a slow nod. “No pressure at all…”
“Wait.” Bridge was between them, so he turned to Cora. “You can talk to, like, any dragon, right?”
“It’s more complicated than that,” Cora said. “But pretty much.”
Rush leaned forward and watched his friend. “Where are you going with this, Bridge?”
“Couldn’t you talk to Queen Megora?” Bridge asked. “You know, through Talc?”
“I mean, I guess,” Cora said. “But why would I?”
“Couldn’t we ask her for some pointers?” Bridge asked. “Maybe she can tell us how to get these guys out of the mountain.”
Rush couldn’t stop himself from narrowing his eyes on his friend’s face. “That’s actually pretty smart…”
“Why are you surprised? I’m a scholar.” Bridge turned back to him. “So, obviously, I’m intelligent.”
“With half the stuff that comes out of your mouth…” Rush shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
Bridge threw an elbow into his side.
Rush gave a grunt as he dropped his head. “Okay, I deserved that.”
“So, let’s get rid of these guys on the surface before we go further.” Cora looked at Rush. “Ready?”
He continued to rub his sensitive ribs, wearing a slight wince. “Yeah, let’s get to it.”
The second Flare emerged, the Fazurks took notice.
Enormous, with blood-red scales and a toothy smile, he opened his impressive jaws and let out a stream of lava-hot fire. The flames matched his exterior color, creating an inferno of searing heat.
The Fazurks directly in front of him lit up like matches, burning from head to toe, their mighty roars becoming painful screams. Their knees quic
kly gave out, and they collapsed, now burning firewood.
His talons in the earth, he turned his head left to right, burning the stampede that came from different directions. This is fun.
Yeah, kinda is.
Too bad they taste like bat.
You know what they taste like?
I took a bite last time…terrible.
Wow, there’s a lot of them.
Their group increased in size from the north, so many that a single jet of fire couldn’t catch them all and guard the other side at the same time. We could use some help—
Already on it. The enormous black dragon appeared on the collection of boulders beside him, scales the color of darkness, the muscles in the shoulders as big as the ones in the thighs. Ashe opened his throat and let the fire stream out, red-hot, but a slightly different hue, with spots of yellow.
The Fazurks were engulfed in flames.
Everything is so much easier when you’re a dragon.
It really is.
Ashe marched to the entrance of the Stronghold, igniting every foe in his path, knocking the bodies aside with his massive talons when they got in the way. The hole was far too small for him to fit, but it wasn’t too small for his mouth. He sealed his mouth over the entrance and released the flame. That oughta do it.
Rush took care of the rest of the line until there wasn’t a Fazurk left standing. That has to be most of them. If there’s more, then they pop out babies like rabbits.
Ashe continued to blow his fire into the hole, but he pulled back and took a look. The ants are gone.
“Rush!” Bridge ran out from his hiding place in the rocks, his arm pointed at the sky. “Shamans!”
Cora, hide.
Ashe instantly transformed back into Cora, who collapsed on her knees once she was back in her body. She pushed herself forward, getting back on her feet and moving forward. Do you think they saw me?
I’m not sure. You were on the other side of the rocky outcropping, so I think we’re safe.
Rush came forth as he transitioned, tall on his feet.
“What are you doing?” Bridge came to his side, sweat gleaming on his forehead. “They’re headed right for us.”
Rush gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Trust me.”
The details of the two Shamans came into focus, their cloaks billowing in the wind, their monstrous steeds jet black like Ashe. Fireballs formed in their palms, throbbing with energy they conjured from their abilities.
Rush nodded toward Cora.
Bridge followed his gaze and watched.
They hovered feet away, reining in their steeds to halt in the sky. Their prey didn’t run and scream, and they were clearly bewildered by the sight.
Cora closed her eyes—and they fell.
Just like that.
The Shamans collapsed off their steeds, fell hundreds of feet, and then disappeared over the horizon of the mountain.
The surviving steeds took off, darting back the way they came.
Rush grinned. “Attagirl.”
Bridge turned back to Rush, wearing an incredulous look. “Did that just happen?”
“Yep.” He crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at the other dots in the distance, other Shamans that had seen the fire explode from his snout. They halted their steeds then turned around, retreating. “Ba-ha-ha-ha!”
“Uh…why are you laughing?” Bridge watched the sky before he turned back to Rush, eyebrows raised.
“Because it’s hilarious. These guys have been up my ass this whole time, and then bam, they’re gone.” He snapped his fingers. “Like that.” He dusted off his hands. “Poof.” He gave another laugh. “Man, I’m going to really enjoy this.”
They moved through the entrance of the Stronghold, immediately surrounded by rocky caverns, smoke from the fires, and dead carcasses that littered the ground. The scaffolding had collapsed from the inferno, so there was no way to get down except to climb.
Once they were far enough down to give adequate space, they transitioned into their dragons. Flare carried everyone to the bottom, while Ashe never volunteered. He landed at the bottom of the cavern, looking into the passageway that led deeper underground.
Flare looked up at the solid wall where the dwarves were hidden. The wall hasn’t been breached. They’re safe.
Can you feel Talc?
Yes.
Can you talk to her?
I’ll try.
Flare is trying to talk to Talc right now.
Alright. We’ll keep an eye on the passageway. Whenever Ashe saw a group of Fazurks emerge around the corner, he released another stream of fire.
Flare returned. I can feel her mind, but the barrier is too thick for us to speak. Dragons aren’t meant to be underground.
While they spoke with their minds, everyone else took a seat and waited, watching the dragons do the work. Lilac took out an apple and peeled the skin with a knife. Bridge unrolled a map and took a look. Liam leaned against one of the rocks as if he might take a nap.
Pretty, try. I’ll take your place.
Flare took over the passage, blowing fire at the monsters that continued to come even though they knew full well what the outcome would be.
Okay, hold on.
Ashe walked to where Flare had been standing, his eyes finding the same location in the rock.
Besides, this is more fun. Flare opened his throat and released a stream of fire over and over, watching their bodies burn at the opposite end.
Rush waited, but he was too eager for news to keep quiet. Can you hear her?
Yes. We’re talking.
What is she saying?
I can’t do two things at once, so give me a minute.
Rush let Flare take over while his mind wandered elsewhere, waiting for Cora to return with the news he hoped to hear.
Why are you so anxious?
Because we need to get out of here as quickly as possible.
Why?
I’d rather not continue the last conversation I had with my father.
He’s injured.
I’m sure he’s healed by now. And I doubt he’ll come alone this time.
Okay, I’m back.
What did she say?
Queen Megora said there’s some kind of filtration system farther inside. It allows them to circulate the air, get rid of the mold and moisture, and draw in fresh air from the outside.
How does that help us?
Because if we turn it on and blow our fire, the flames should reach every single part of the mountain.
Awesome. That’s a great idea!
So, she’s going to walk me through it. Give me directions until I find it.
Wait…back up. You aren’t going in there.
I’m the only one who can talk to her. It has to be me.
Tell her to come out.
She said she won’t until the Fazurks are gone.
Coward.
Rush.
Sorry. Not sorry.
They left their dragon forms and returned to their two feet once more.
Rush gave everyone a quick rundown of the plan, which required them all to stay behind. “I’m going to escort Cora to the lever for the filtration system.”
“But that leaves us with no dragons,” Bridge said.
“There’s no other way,” Rush said. “I’m the only one who can match them in battle. If she goes in there alone, she’ll be ripped to pieces.”
“Eh-hem.” Cora stared, her eyes narrowed.
“Cora, these things are huge. Trust me.”
The hostility reigned. “It makes more sense for you to cover the tunnel—”
“No.” He pulled his sword out of the scabbard and marched to the entrance of the cavern. “We don’t have time to argue about this. They’re coming, so we need to be quick. Let’s go.”
Cora jogged to his side, and the two of them entered the tunnel. She withdrew her red blade and carried it, her fingers tight around the pommel. Their footsteps were loud in the cave, th
eir breaths heavy too.
They switched their conversations to their minds so their voices wouldn’t give away their presence. How far in is it?
When we get to the next opening, there will be a hall to the left.
You’ve got to be kidding me…
What?
Last time I was there, it was full of Fazurks.
Maybe there won’t be as many this time— They rounded the corner and saw an army of them emerge out of the tunnel on the other side. This time, they had weapons—and shields. Oh boy.
Go to the lever. I’ll handle these guys.
How?
Just go.
She took off at a run, turning left and entering the hall.
The Fazurks raised their swords, released a roar, and charged.
Allow me. Flare came forth, fitting into the cavern with just a few inches to spare, and charred them into blackened meat.
Cora, are you alright?
I’m fine. Just…having…a hard time…getting there.
Why are you talking like that?
Because I’m hauling ass!
More fire. Flare stepped over the fiery carcasses and stuck his head deeper into the tunnel from which they’d come, burning them to smithereens. Okay, that should buy us enough time.
Rush came forth and reached for his sword and sprinted into the hall. Tables were turned over. Pints full of ale were on their sides, with shiny pools on the floor. Fazurks were on the far side, chasing after Cora, who was running on top of all the cabinets to get to the lever in the corner.
Rush climbed onto one of the tables and let out a loud whistle. “Idiots, over here.”
They all turned to regard him, their teeth pushing out of their jaws, serrated like saws.
“Who’s a good boy?” He clicked his tongue and patted his thighs. “Come on. Come get it.”
Their attention off Cora, they came forward, their growls turning into roars.
Rush withdrew his blade and spun it around his wrist. “Step right up. Who will be the first to lose their head?” Go!
Cora continued her run and dropped down onto the floor. The lever was in the corner, made of a thick rope. Both hands gripped it tightly, and she used her whole body to pull down, to make the hard mechanisms turn.
When the sound of the wind was audible, Rush knew it’d been done. Run. I’ll be right behind you. The Fazurks came for him all at once, climbing up the table or reaching for his legs. He slashed his sword across a couple throats, kicked one Fazurk in the head, and then stabbed his blade into the spine of another. His eyes were no longer on Cora, just focused on his own survival.