"Stop!" Aunt Phil said, stepping fully into view.
Obediah whipped his head around and sneered. "Or you'll what? Stop me? I don't think so." Then he unhooked the lantern hanging from his belt. "But just to be sure." He hurled the lantern toward them.
The glass shattered and the oil spilled out as the lantern hit the ground at their feet. With a faint whoosh, the kerosene burst into flames.
Aunt Phil shoved Nate back into the tunnel to avoid being burned. "If you ever return," she called to Obediah, "I'll let the wyverns have you. Consider yourself warned."
They both watched in helpless fury as Obediah made his way up the cliff. After a moment, Nate felt something run across his feet. He looked down to find a swarm of salamanders rushing toward the flames. They threw themselves into the fire, rolling around like pigs in mud. They glowed bright red and orange as their bodies absorbed the fire, putting it out.
"Did you know they could do that?" Nate asked.
"Yes, I just wish they could do it faster," Aunt Phil said.
By the time the salamanders put the flames out, Obediah had disappeared from sight. "He got away," Nate said, fearing that any hope they had of finding his parents had disappeared with him.
"Yes, he did," Aunt Phil said, her voice full of disappointment. "At least for now."
"Can't you do something?"
"Like what, Nate? He has all my climbing gear! And even if I managed to climb that cliff, he'd be gone before I reached him." Aunt Phil heaved a great sigh of frustration. "Well, at least the wyverns will calm down."
"I don't care about the stupid wyverns or the dumb Covenant," Nate said, clenching his fists. He wanted to pound them on the cave wall, he was so angry.
"Yes you do, Nate. You care very much. But you care for your parents more, which is perfectly understandable."
Aunt Phil's being reasonable didn't make him feel any better.
"I'm not buying his explanation," she continued. "He's up to something, and he's shown us he can be quite ruthless in getting it."
"Does that mean you think my parents might be—"
"No, Nate. I'm sorry. Meeting Obediah hasn't changed my mind about that. Now come along. We'd best start making our way back so we can reach Urien before the deadline."
When they finally emerged from the wyverns' cavern, the daylight was beginning to fade. It grew even darker as a shadow moved overhead.
It was a wyvern. A giant one. Urien, Nate thought.
The dragon landed on the ground directly in front of Aunt Phil.
"Ear trumpets," she murmured.
Nate grabbed his and stuck it into his ear.
"You have removed the intruder," Urien said. "And just in time." He glanced over at the sun low on the horizon.
"And we've had a bit of luck with Old Nudd," Aunt Phil told the leader of the wyverns. "I think you'll find him a changed man—er, wyvern."
"Thank you," Urien said. "And once again, the Covenant stands." He glanced at Nate. "Would the two of you care for a ride back?"
"We would be honored, right, Nate?"
Unable to find his voice, Nate merely nodded. Honored, but terrified, too. How would they get up there? How would they stay on? "Best climb in the rucksack," he told Greasle.
"You don't have to tell me twice," she said.
Urien arced out one wing and laid the edge of it on the ground. Using the spines as a sort of ladder, Aunt Phil climbed up. Nate followed, surprised at how easy it was. The dragon's wing was smooth and strong, unlike anything he'd ever felt before.
Aunt Phil seated herself right where Urien's narrow neck met his wings. Nate settled in behind her and held on for dear life. With a great leap, the wyvern launched himself into the air.
Nate's stomach fell so hard and fast, he thought he was going to be sick. But the wind rushing against his face quickly chased away the feeling. Screwing up his courage, he opened his eyes.
Far below, the ground spread out like thick green velvet. Bright blue lakes glittered jewel-like in the fading light. Except for the swish of Urien's great wings, everything was quiet. This was much, much better than an airplane, Nate thought.
All too soon, Urien reached Dewey's house. He circled once, then landed, a smooth, gliding finish that was much different from Aunt Phil's bouncy, jouncy landings. When he'd stopped, he swept one wing out toward the ground so they could climb off. Nate took his time, trying to memorize the feel of the dragon's skin under his hands.
When they were on the ground, Aunt Phil said, "Thank you for the ride."
Nate didn't have time to get his ear trumpet in place, but he was pretty sure the wyvern's rumble meant You're
welcome. Then Urien launched himself into the air and flew back to the mountains.
Nate had ridden a dragon. He could hardly wrap his mind around that. He had ridden a dragon and captured a basilisk and helped a phoenix egg hatch. Surely those things proved that anything was possible!
Anything.
Suddenly, it didn't matter if Aunt Phil believed his parents were still alive. He believed. He believed with all his heart. And he'd been right about a lot of things that Aunt Phil had been wrong about: trusting Greasle, not leaving his aunt in the wyverns' treasury, recognizing that the egg wasn't a dud.
Maybe he'd be right about this, too.
* * *
NATHANIEL FLUDD'S GUIDE TO PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS
carrier pigeon: a specially trained pigeon who carries messages attached to its legs. An especially useful means of communication when traveling in the wilds where telegraphs and telephone wires do not reach.
coal: a black rock widely used as fuel.
Covenant: the binding agreement between wyverns and humans that severely limits the wyverns from rampaging or destroying humans and their property.
Dinas Emrys: the hillock where Lludd captured the wyverns and managed to bind them with the Covenant. Since then, it has become the traditional meeting place for parley talks between humans and wyverns.
ear trumpets: specially designed devices invented by Meridian Fludd in 1642. They were originally designed to amplify long-distance communications between ships, but were later adapted and modified by Llewellyn Fludd to reshape and compress the sound waves made by wyverns so they are recognizable to the human ear.
geode: a rock that contains a cavity lined with crystals. Remarkably similar to wyvern egg duds.
The Geographica: the highly prized collection of Fludd maps of the world. There is only one in existence. Last seen being carried by Nathaniel's father, Horatio Fludd, before he was declared lost at sea.
gremlin: a small, oily creature about the size of a monkey with the face of a bat. Lurks primarily in engines and machinery. First discovered by World War I pilots.
juvies: wyverns who have reached two years of age. They sport all of the strength and skills of adult wyverns but none of their judgment or ability to reason.
Lludd: The heroic leader of Wales around 100 BC. With his brother's help, he managed to trap and ensnare the wyverns.
manticore: a rare and terrible beast with the body of a lion and the face of a man. Lives in the wilds of India. They are extremely hard to tame, and Gordon Fludd's companion is the only recorded instance of a manticore's being successfully kept in captivity.
mead: a honeyed drink that was instrumental in getting the wyverns to agree to the Covenant. Used today as a token offering to wyverns in parley protocol.
Muscovy: a medieval Russian area centered around Moscow.
Obediah Fludd: a direct descendant of Octavius Fludd. Carries the tradition of bitterness and intrafamily feud with the rest of the Fludd family.
Octavius Fludd: the black-sheep son of Mungo Fludd, who was given the northeast direction to explore. After years in the frozen wilds of Russia and Muscovy, he became bitter and paranoid.
parley: a formal attempt to meet and resolve a dispute.
regurgitating: when adult animals consume food, partially digest it, then bring it back
up to feed their young.
salamanders: elemental creatures of fire. They are small, lizardlike beasts unharmed by flame.
Snowdonia: a forested area in Wales where the wyverns' territory is located.
treasury: one of the most carefully guarded areas of any dragons' cave where they keep the treasure they have accumulated throughout centuries of rampaging and collecting. Older dragons are often attracted to the warm glow thrown off by the treasure.
Wales: a country in the United Kingdom, to the west of England.
yearlings: wyverns who are one year of age or younger. Essentially harmless.
zeppelin: a rigid airship or dirigible.
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The Wyverns' Treasure Page 7