He reached the dragon. He held his hand out, worried it would be too hot for him to withstand, and as he felt the heat radiating off the creature, he hesitated. Surprisingly, he was able to tolerate it, and he touched the dragon’s neck.
“Let me climb on,” he said.
The dragon swiveled his massive head toward him, his eyes glowing, and he regarded Jason for a long moment.
“I have no reason to hurt you. I want to help you. I want to make sure no one else can hurt you.”
The dragon lowered his head and Jason quickly climbed on.
Its body was hot, though not unbearably so. He worried what would happen if it became molten again, but for now, he was able to grab on, and he could withstand the strange heat, the metallic feel to the dragon, and he gripped the creature.
“We can go,” Jason said.
The dragon turned his head, looking at him, and as he did, the Dragon Souls began to move.
“Flap your wings,” he said.
The dragon stretched out his wings and tried to flap them, but nothing happened. And as an iron dragon, it was possible that he might not even be able to fly. Maybe this kind of dragon was incapable of that.
Jason frowned to himself.
“Run,” he said.
The dragon understood what that meant, and he took off, squeezing between the trees, and as he neared some of the Dragon Souls, his tail swung around and carved through two of the nearest ones.
They were split in half, and Jason turned away from the gore.
Not just an iron dragon, but one with a tail like a sword.
The dragon ran, the ground rumbling beneath his giant claws, and he continued to hurry, but Jason spun on his back, looking behind him. The Dragon Souls were chasing, and they were moving quickly.
Of course they would be. They understood the nature of their power, and they understood what it took to use their power, so it shouldn’t be surprising at all that they would be able to keep pace.
There had to be some way to keep ahead of them, but what was it?
Jason focused on the dragon pearl, clutching it tightly, and pulled upon cold.
Maybe the ice dragon would recognize his need, but if he did, then it was possible he would be summoned and then two dragons would be in danger.
It was best if only one dragon struggled.
Jason released his hold.
“Run down the slope,” he said.
All of this to find the dragon, and he still hadn’t the opportunity to ask anybody about dragons. Here he’d thought he might come here and find answers, and yet he’d had no idea that he would be rescuing a dragon like this.
They struck a tree. The dragon bounced off but Jason started to slide. He grabbed tightly, holding on to the dragon’s back, clinging to it. His fingers slipped between its scales, and he felt heat radiating from that spot, so he jerked his hands back, sliding along the dragon’s spine.
He scrambled forward.
That was a mistake. What he needed was some way of holding on to the dragon, but without burning himself.
It was possible the dragon couldn’t be held on to, not by him. Given how much heat radiated from the dragon, it might be more than he could withstand.
Jason hurried, scrambling up the neck of the dragon, and latched on once again. The heat radiating from the dragon was immense, but somehow didn’t burn him. The dragon bounced off another tree, and this time, his tail swung around, catching one of the tall pine trees. It spun all the way through, cleaving it as if it were a giant axe, and the tree began to fall, dropping behind them.
A barrier.
“Keep doing that,” he said.
The dragon growled and yet his tail flipped from side to side, and each time it struck a tree, it cleaved all the way through it.
Heat surged as it did, and Jason couldn’t help but feel as if the dragon understood exactly what he needed. The trees were knocked down as they went, leaving destruction, but better than that, blocking the Dragon Souls from easily reaching them.
They had to find some way to escape, some place to hide, and yet out here, Jason had no idea where the dragon could hide. He had no idea what he could do to help protect the dragon, if there was anything at all. It was possible there wouldn’t be any way to protect it.
He allowed the dragon to keep running, saying nothing, just clinging to its back.
The dragon raced forward, scrambling, and then it dropped to its belly and started slithering. It was the same way the dragon had moved through the tunnel, and surprisingly, it was able to move even faster. It was flowing along the ground.
It left a trail, and that trail would be easy to follow, but he suspected there would be a trail regardless. It wouldn’t matter whether the dragon was running or whether it was sliding. There would be a path behind him either way.
Jason could do nothing else but hang on.
As he did, he focused on the ice dragon. He thought about the power he needed, and he wondered if the ice dragon might have some way of helping him hide.
“We need to find someplace to disappear,” he said.
The iron dragon rumbled again, and heat exploded from his mouth.
They had reached a denser part of the forest and they bounced between trees, though not nearly as violently as Jason would’ve expected. It was almost as if the dragon were able to slither between them, to avoid most of them, but every so often, they would fully slam into one and Jason would go jostling along the dragon’s back. Thankfully, he’d uncovered a way of holding on to the dragon by gripping the spikes along his neck, but it was almost not enough.
As he gripped the dragon’s back, he squeezed, wrapping his arms and legs around the dragon, clinging as tightly as he could, afraid of being tossed off. If that were to happen, Jason doubted that he would be fast enough to be able to catch up to the dragon again.
“There is a place,” the dragon said.
It came like a hissing sound and the creature jumped forward, getting back to his legs, and then went running. The dragon moved far faster than Jason would’ve expected given his size, and he scrambled within the trees, managing to avoid most of them, and when approaching those that he couldn’t, he lowered his head. Jason learned to drop down, and when the dragon crashed into the trees, he no longer felt them with the same force. He was able to let the dragon absorb most of it.
When the dragon struck the trees, they trembled before falling.
It was amazing how powerful the dragon was. The way the dragon was able to crash into the trees, knocking them down, left him marveling at his strength, but it also left him wondering how much destruction they would leave in their wake.
It would be enough reason for the Dragon Souls to chase the dragon.
“You have to find some way of moving without leaving a trace,” he said.
“Why?”
“These others who are after us will try to use you.”
“They would not be able to use me.”
“They have some way of influencing dragons. Perhaps controlling them. I don’t really understand it, but I do know they will try to take your power. That’s the reason you were brought here.”
“What do you know about it?”
“I’m guessing you were brought here as an egg. The mine influenced you.”
“Why would you think that?”
“You’re different than other dragons.”
“How many dragons do you know?”
“Not enough, but enough to know that you’re different.”
The dragon managed to slither around the trees, and as he looked behind him, Jason didn’t see any sign of their passing. It was almost as if the dragon was doing exactly as he asked, trying to keep from leaving any footprints as they ran through the forest. The trees began to thin out and it was easier for the dragon to work his way around them. He reached a stream and ran alongside it. The dragon avoided stepping into the water, and Jason couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if the dragon did go into the stre
am. Would the water affect him the same way that it affected metal?
It was possible it would, which was reason for the dragon to avoid it. It was different than the ice dragon, a creature that could tolerate the cold in the water, but they would have to explore that distinction later, to try to understand just what everything meant for the dragon. For now, they needed to find a way to get him to safety.
“Where are you going?”
“You suggested a place,” the dragon said.
“No. I suggested you find a place that you know would be safe.”
“A place calls to me.”
“How does it call to you?”
“I feel it.”
Could it be another of the hatch mates? It was unlikely the dragon would be able to detect that so clearly, especially as the ice dragon couldn’t. Then again, what did Jason know about this dragon at all?
The dragon began to run more rapidly.
They were on open ground, and there was no snow on the ground. That was a strange thing, but even stranger was the way the dragon suddenly dropped.
The change was jarring, and he hadn’t expected it, but the dragon swept his wings out and they glided, though they slid along the surface of the ground nonetheless.
Below them was darkness.
Jason wasn’t able to determine what it was, only that it was blackened, and yet, the dragon seemed comfortable, familiar with it in a way that Jason was not. As they descended, he clung to the dragon’s back, thinking that if nothing else, if they were to crash, he would be protected by the dragon.
Then they glided to a stop.
The dragon scrambled forward. Walls surrounded them.
Jason kept his head down, clinging to the dragon’s neck, and when the dragon began to slither forward again, sliding along the surface, he stayed there, afraid to move.
They slithered for an impossibly long period of time, moving deep underground, and then the dragon came to a stop.
Jason lifted his head, looking around, afraid of what he might find. Surprisingly, they were in a massive cavern.
Heat began to build from the dragon and Jason scrambled down, not wanting to get burned, and he looked all around, taking in the sight of the walls and of everything else, and realized what this was.
An iron mine.
He’d never seen one, and even though he’d been near one in Varmin, he wasn’t sure the cell the dragon had been in represented a typical iron mine. This, on the other hand, had to be one.
They were in a massive chamber, and all around were other side tunnels. There was nothing but darkness in them, and yet, he had a sense the dragon knew exactly where they were and whether there was anyone else around them to be worried about.
“How did you know about this place?”
The dragon continued to glow, the heat radiating off his body giving off enough light to illuminate the entirety of the chamber. The walls were artificially made, scraped by pick and hammer, and yet the inside of the space was enormous. In the distance, it seemed as if there was a drop-off, and Jason feared to get too close to it. For all the time that he had lived atop the mountain, he’d never expected to go inside of it.
“I could feel it. It draws me.”
“I don’t understand what that means.”
“This place calls to me.”
Jason looked around. “Are there any others here?”
He studied the walls, the markings that were on them, and wondered how long ago it had been occupied. There had to be others here, and yet he didn’t see anything that signified another presence. The mine itself was completely empty, and because of that, he had to believe they were relatively safe.
Perhaps he could call to the ice dragon.
Then again, he wondered if the ice dragon would be able to tolerate a place like this. He needed snow and cold, and in coming here, the ice dragon might be somehow diminished.
“There are no others here.”
“Are you sure?”
“I would know.”
He nodded. He wasn’t about to challenge the dragon, especially as he suspected that it would know.
How long would they stay here?
It was possible one of these other tunnels would lead back out, and if so, then Jason could use it to explore.
“Is this the only way in?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“I just know.”
He maneuvered so that he could stand right in front of the dragon. He looked up at the massive creature, meeting the dragon’s eyes. “How is it that you know?”
The dragon took in a deep breath, and when he let it out, there was a mixture of steam and a faint orange glow to it. “The knowledge is there. I don’t understand why I should have it, but I do.”
Jason thought he understood. The dragon was born to this place, the same way the ice dragon had been born to the upper mountains. He had an innate knowledge of the tunnels, of the mine, and because of that, he would know all of the ways through here.
That was valuable to them, considering they didn’t know how long they would be trapped here and whether there would be others coming.
“There’s another dragon out there I need to get word to.”
The iron dragon looked down at him. “Is this one controlled by those others?”
Jason shook his head and held up the dragon pearl. He pushed as much cold into it as he could. Within the mine, as humid as it was, he found it more difficult to do so, but the longer he tried in places like this, where he shouldn’t otherwise be able to reach the cold, the easier it became. He was connected to that cold, probably the same way that the dragon here was connected to the mine. He was able to use that connection, that power, and because of it, he was able to push through the dragon pearl, using that to summon a sense of cold.
It was barely more than a hint of cold, nothing more than that, and yet as he summoned it, the pearl took on a pale white glow.
“He’s not controlled by the others. The dragon allows me to borrow from his power.”
It was a strange thing to think of, and yet that was the truth. The dragon did allow him to borrow from it. Because of it, Jason couldn’t help but think he should be able to do more with that power.
The dragon knew of him. The dragon knew he had his dragon pearl. If Jason could continue to control that, if he could use that, then he might be able to summon the dragon down here. It would involve somehow showing the dragon where he was, and unless he knew, it was possible that he wouldn’t be able to do so.
“You may bring him here.”
“I don’t know how to show him where this is.”
The dragon breathed a streamer of fire from his nostrils, illuminating one of the tunnels. “Take that shaft. You can use it to reach the surface quickly.”
“How quickly?”
“Quickly.”
“Why didn’t we take that way?”
Jason leaned forward, pushing the dragon pearl in front of him and letting more power flow from him, and as he did, he realized why they hadn’t taken that route. The shaft was far narrower than the other ones. It was possible the iron dragon couldn’t make his way out through the narrow tunnel.
“I would not have fit.”
Jason took a step back, regarding the iron dragon. The iron dragon might not fit down that tunnel, but the ice dragon wasn’t nearly as large, at least not yet. In time, it was possible the iron dragon and the ice dragon would be the same size, and yet, for now, the ice dragon was smaller.
He hurried forward, reaching the tunnel, and he crawled through it.
As the iron dragon had said, the tunnel was narrow, but not so narrow that he couldn’t make his way along it. He hurried forward, and every so often, he glanced back, worrying the dragon was unsafe. He didn’t like the idea of leaving the dragon behind him, not when the Dragon Souls were out, though there were fewer than when they had first been attacked.
How long would it take for them to summon other Dragon
Souls here? Once they knew there was an iron dragon in existence, they would bring reinforcements.
It was the same thing that would happen when they realized the ice dragon existed.
And here Jason had thought all he had to worry about was the ice dragon, but now with the iron dragon, he had to be concerned about much more. He had to worry about what the Dragon Souls might do and how much more they might attempt, and yet, he was even more determined to ensure that the dragons remained safe.
The tunnel led up at a sharp angle, and he found himself holding on to the wall as he climbed. There was no sense of movement, but a breeze began to drift along the length of the tunnel.
Jason remained motionless for a long moment, watching, and as he did, he wasn’t sure if there was something there he couldn’t yet see. The longer he remained, the more uncertain he was about what was there.
The tunnel stretched in front of him, far longer than he cared for, and he felt it begin to narrow, leaving him to wonder if the ice dragon would even be able to make it along the tunnel. It was possible it was far too narrow for the ice dragon to be able to get through here safely.
And then it widened again.
As soon as it did, Jason tested to see whether there would be enough room for the dragon to maneuver, and as he stretched his arms apart, he thought that there would be.
He hurried along the length of the tunnel, and when he felt a gust of breeze, he knew he was getting close to the very end of it. He moved faster and focused on the dragon pearl, using the cool breeze it was gusting through here, letting it flow over him, knowing that if he could reach the power within the dragon pearl, he should be able to summon the ice dragon.
And yet, he didn’t want to call the ice dragon too soon. It was possible there was a Dragon Soul out there, and he would need to be careful. He didn’t want to draw their attention to the fact that he had an ice dragon.
Unless they already knew. How many times had he used the dragon pearl in order to rescue the iron dragon? It had been quite a few, and because he’d drawn on the cold flowing through the dragon pearl, he had to think they would be aware of what he had done.
Iron Dragon: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (The Dragon Misfits Book 2) Page 11