Dragon Charmers: #1 Mountains of Fire

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Dragon Charmers: #1 Mountains of Fire Page 18

by Linda McNabb

CHAPTER FOURTEEN - RED MOUNTAIN

  Were you going to call for us? A deep voice said from behind them. Logan turned and saw both Silverhorn and the blue.

  ‘We haven’t got time to help put out the fires,’ Zared said, although it clearly pained him to abandon the townsfolk. ‘If we don’t stop the dragons activating the crystal, we’ll all have far more problems than a few fires.’

  Climb on then, Silverhorn said quietly.

  Logan stood with his arms folded and glared at Zared. ‘So where are my parents now?’

  ‘We don’t have time for this just now, Logan,’ Zared replied with a shake of his head.

  ‘We never have time for it,’ Logan persisted, still refusing to move.

  I carried your parents far away to safety. I would have taken you as well if you had not fallen as I flew out of the pass, Silverhorn rumbled. We were being chased by the red dragons and could not stop.

  ‘I saw you fall and came to get you,’ Zared added. ‘You were only a toddler. You’ve never liked flying ever since then.’

  When I returned, the charm was hiding the pass and I could not find Radolk Falls, Silverhorn added. I have not been back since.

  ‘But when this is all over you can go and bring them back,’ Logan stated hopefully.

  ‘He can’t,’ Zared replied softly when the white dragon did not answer straight away. ‘He doesn’t know where they are. I cast a spell that made him forget where he had been as soon as he left them.’

  ‘You charmed a dragon?’ Alyxa asked, eyebrows arched in surprise.

  ‘I should not have done it. I know that. I did it for the best of reasons,’ Zared tried to explain, but he looked devastated that he had put a charm on his friend.

  I would have done the same in your position, Silverhorn said kindly.

  ‘But you know where they are, Zared,’ Logan said pointedly. A flood of relief that his parents were alive raced through him.

  ‘No, I told Silverhorn not to tell me before he left.’ Zared sighed deeply. ‘If nobody knew, then nobody could tell the dragons.’

  I have a few odd memories, but they could be of anywhere. It was hot and there was no snow, Silverhorn explained. That is all I remember.

  Logan did not speak. He couldn’t. He might never find his parents.

  ‘Logan, we have to go,’ Alyxa said, touching his shoulder. ‘If we don’t stop Firetongue, there won’t be any point in looking for your parents.’

  Logan shook himself out of the self-pity that was clouding his mind and climbed onto Silverhorn’s back. Suddenly a thought struck him; Zared must be his grandfather if the queen was the old wizard’s daughter. He frowned as he forced the thought all from his mind. There were more important things to do right now.

  The red dragons were flying off now, heading towards a large smoking mountain a short distance away, with Longtooth in the lead. The old red was still carrying Djana and Erik.

  I will help if I can, the blue said, kneeling for Myles to mount.

  ‘Thank you,’ the prince muttered without a hint of any of his usual arrogance.

  Nothing more was said as the two dragons lifted off and flew over the burning city. Logan stared at the flames as he tried to come to terms with finding his home only to see it burn and not be able to do anything about it.

  All the red dragons had vanished from the sky by the time they drew near the smoking mountain. Silverhorn circled it several times and landed at the base, near a large steaming lake. The sun’s last rays were streaking across the sky and it was fast turning into night. For once Logan didn’t even give a second thought to being out in the dark.

  ‘We can’t enter by the top of the cone or they’ll see us. There’s a crack in the side near here. It was caused last time they shocked the mountain into life.’ Zared slipped off the dragon’s back and strode quickly to a large crevice.

  ‘Do the dragons know this is here?’ Logan asked as they hurried into the dark crack in the mountain’s side.

  ‘Yes, but they don’t see it as a problem. It is too small for them to fit through and they don’t view humans as a threat to them,’ Zared replied.

  Silverhorn had shrunk down far enough to follow them, but the blue was left outside, sticking its head in, looking like it wanted to come too.

  ‘Let’s prove them wrong,’ Myles said angrily. ‘We’re not just going to sit back and let them take over our world.’

  ‘How exactly are we going to stop them?’ Logan asked, having drawn his sword to light their way. The soft blue light it gave off reminded him that he still had many unanswered questions about his past.

  ‘We have to get Erik away from them. I have no idea what we’ll do after that,’ Myles said, sounding worried.

  ‘Why are there crystals set in the ground all along here?’ Alyxa asked, pointing out the fist-sized gems studded along floor at regular intervals.

  ‘It is part of their plan to change the world to their liking,’ Zared muttered. Logan could tell that the presence of the crystals was worrying the old wizard.

  It must have taken years to mine this many crystals, Silverhorn commented, even with the strength of the red dragons and the toughness of their claws.

  They continued in silence for several minutes, then Zared motioned for Logan to put the sword away. For a few seconds they were plunged into darkness, then a dull red glow lit the tunnel and a blast of heat hit them.

  ‘Quiet now,’ Zared warned them. ‘It’s not far to the main crater. You’ll have to take your cloaks off, or you'll faint from the heat in there.’

  Logan had already started to unbutton his cloak anyway and they quickly dumped them in the tunnel and hurried on again.

  The narrow crevice opened out into the crater so suddenly that they almost ran straight into a red dragon sitting just in front of it. Luckily it had its back to the opening, so they were able to draw back a few steps and then peered cautiously out into the crater.

  They knew that dozens of red dragons had flown over from the city, but Logan was shocked to see there were hundreds of dragons inside the volcano. Most were lazing on the ground, or perched on the uneven walls of the crater. In the centre of the floor was the source of the red light that bathed the entire cone. A pool of semi-congealed lava hissed and gurgled as it struggled against the crust of cooling rock on the top. A burst of fire erupted through the crust and a plume of smoke rose up the cone and out the wide opening.

  Firetongue had landed near the lava pool, but Longtooth and the two human passengers were on the far side. Erik’s cheeks were flushed from the heat and Djana wasn’t looking as confident or happy as she had a few minutes ago. No doubt she had seen her city burning as they flew to the volcano.

  Firetongue let out a howl to get the rest of the dragons’ attention, and the howl echoed around the inside of the cone with an ear-splitting shrillness.

  Every single red dragon was up on its feet, attention focused on the only golden dragon in the cone.

  Fellow dragons, Firetongue bellowed. The time has come for us to leave this cone.

  A huge roar greeted this news and the red dragons’ flames made the air even hotter. Firetongue waited for the clan to settle again before continuing.

  We have toiled long and hard to get to this day. Many of us have given years of hard labour, digging out the crystals and shaping them. Many a claw has been damaged and broken. Today is the day I have waited for for so long. Today I claim the world as my own.

  The tone of voice said that the dragon didn’t really see the other dragons as its equals, but the red dragons were too excited to notice this slip up at the end of the speech.

  All that is left to do is to change the crystal and activate it, Firetongue said, beckoning Longtooth forward. The red dragon nudged both Djana and Erik ahead of it.

  It was then that Logan noticed the large green crystal balancing on the top of a golden pyramid. It stood a dragon’s length from Firetongue, and dozens of smaller crystals, of varying colours, were studded around the s
ides. Trailing off across the floor were more crystals, set into the rock floor itself, and they led in a line towards the crevice where Logan and the others stood. They all shrank back a short way into the tunnel as dozens of dragons looked at the line of crystals.

  That green crystal is causing the vibrations that are charming the humans, Silverhorn told them quietly.

  ‘Who made it?’ Logan asked in a whisper. He could feel his dislike of the red dragons fading even as he stared at the huge crystal. He pinched himself to take his mind off the mesmerising vibrations the crystal gave off.

  There was a short silence before Zared answered in a voice full of regret. ‘I showed the red dragons how to make it.’

  They were supposed to make one that would enhance the heat from the lava. Silverhorn carried on when the old wizard fell silent. Zared offered to make it for them, but they convinced the king they should know how to do it for themselves. Dragons can do some magic when they have the life of a volcano to draw on. Making the crystal drained most of the life from the volcano and the volcano began to die again.

  Logan was a little confused, but he was sure it would all come clear soon. He peered back into the cone of the mountain and saw Djana lifting off the green crystal and replacing it with a deep blue one.

  ‘Did they make the blue one as well?’ Alyxa asked, just next to his ear as she peered over his shoulder.

  ‘No, Rhia and I made that one,’ Zared replied. ‘I did not want to. I did not trust the red dragons, but Firetongue convinced the king that we could all live in harmony.’

  ‘What does it do?’ Myles was staring at the crystal, as if he expected it to explode at any second.

  When it is activated by the royal fire it sends a shock into the earth that reopens the passages to the dragons’ life-giving lava deep in the ground, Silverhorn answered softly.

  ‘Royal fire,’ Logan repeated numbly and his hand strayed to the hilt of his short-sword. Suddenly a lot of things clicked into place and he understood why Zared had taken him so far away. ‘So that was why they were looking for me for all these years.’

  ‘Only now, with all these crystals,’ Zared pointed to the row of crystals running down the tunnel, ‘they will send the shock right along the natural fault line of the ground. Hundreds of mountains will erupt into life. The ground will split open and fire will tinge the sky red.’

  ‘We have to stop them,’ Myles pointed out unnecessarily.

  ‘We have a few hours left.’ Zared did not sound hopeful. ‘The sword will not spark without moonlight and the moon will have barely risen. It will take hours to come in line with the top of the cone.’

  A bellow, that could have come only from Firetongue, filled the cone and echoed down the tunnel; Position the mirrors!

  Even with the heat staining everyone’s cheeks red, Logan could tell the wizard had gone pale. Zared’s eyes showed a fear that Logan had never seen before. They crept out into the cone and stared up at the opening. A large shiny disc was being moved back and forth by three red dragons. All of a sudden the moonlight reflected off the disc and shone down into the cone, bathing everyone in silvery light.

  Bring forth the royal sword! Firetongue ordered. Erik stepped forward, looking a little concerned. He drew the silver sword and held it aloft. A single blue spark flashed from it and brought gasps from the clan of dragons.

  Firetongue looked bothered at such a small spark. It will have to be enough. Enchantress, sing your spell.

  Djana lifted the crystal-and-gold flute to her lips and began to play a quiet melody that could barely be heard.

  Louder! the golden dragon bellowed.

  Djana looked fearfully at the dragon and began to play a little louder, but it was still not loud enough for the golden dragon. The large blue crystal began to glow with a soft blue light which then spread down the row of crystals set into the floor.

  ‘What are we going to do?’ Myles asked, jabbing Logan and Alyxa in the arm. ‘Are we just going to watch?’

  Logan pulled his slingshot from his back pocket and picked up a rock. After two quick circular swings Logan let the rock fly towards the deep blue crystal. It struck true and hard, just as Erik stepped towards the golden pyramid. The force was enough to knock the crystal to the ground, but not enough to put so much as a chip in its surface.

  ‘Now they know we’re here,’ Zared pointed out dryly as hundreds of eyes turned in their direction.

  Logan instantly regretted his impulsive action, but at least they weren’t going to activate the crystal just yet.

  Intruders! Firetongue roared. Flames shot out towards the humans and it seemed there was no way to escape. There wasn’t enough time to back down the tunnel, and Logan covered his face with his right arm and pushed Alyxa behind him in a feeble attempt to protect her.

  Leave my human friends alone. Silverhorn’s voice, a few seconds later, was Logan’s first indication that he wasn’t dead. He peered out from behind his arm; the white dragon had grown immense enough to completely shelter them from the flames.

  Silverhorn started stamping towards the golden dragon, hissing long flames, but leaving the others at the mercy of the red dragons.

  ‘Run!’ Zared shouted, trying to shove them back down the tunnel. ‘I’ll try to hold them back.’ Logan reluctantly moved back a few steps. There was no way any of them could possibly do anything other than run for their lives.

  Alyxa did not move back, though, and she even stepped further out into the cone. Logan was about to drag her to safety when she began to sing. She drew her necklace from her tunic and started to swing it.

  ‘Is she trying to charm this lot?’ Myles asked incredulously.

  ‘It looks like she’s succeeding,’ Logan said, pausing and staring at the motionless dragons. The only ones not taking any notice were Silverhorn and Firetongue. They were circling each other and swiping with vicious-looking claws. Their tails lashed out behind them as they fought, narrowly missing several red dragons.

  Myles took one more cautious look at the dragons and then started to sprint across the hot rock floor. He was heading straight for his brother, who was attempting to reset the deep blue crystal on the pyramid. Erik had dropped the silver sword to the ground at the foot of the pyramid and it no longer glowed or sparked.

  Logan felt helpless. What could he do that would be of any use? He looked at the slingshot that he still held and glanced at the rocks on the ground. No, they would not be enough to smash the crystals. He needed something harder.

  ‘Get to safety!’ Zared shouted to him as the wizard headed off across the floor of the cone as well. The old wizard drew his staff and started shouting spells. Balls of light and fire shot from his staff as he ran. Logan wondered if Zared were going to help Silverhorn, but instead the wizard headed around the lava pool and directly for Djana. The enchantress was still trying to play her crystal flute. Still under the charm of the green crystal, she obviously could not stop.

  At that moment a thought came to Logan; he shoved the slingshot in his pocket and drew out his sword. It glowed with an intense blue light and began to spark in the reflected moonlight, almost making him drop it. He turned his back so that he shaded the moonlight and began to chip at one of the crystals set in the stone floor.

  Alyxa’s singing was filling his ears as he jabbed as hard as he could, counting on the sword not to break. The crystal was looser, but it was still in the ground. Alyxa’s voice wobbled a little as it rose higher and higher. He knew she could sing better than anyone, but how long could she hold these dragons?

  He kicked furiously at the crystal and it finally came loose, and he scooped it up, dropping the sword to the ground. He loaded the crystal into his slingshot and took aim on the pyramid. He frowned as Myles and Erik were fighting over the blue crystal and he could not get a clear shot at it. He turned his aim on the green crystal and took his shot before he could change his mind. His missile flew straight and struck the crystal with a resounding crack that made even the two
fighting dragons turn to look. Both crystals shattered into tiny shards, and for a second there was total silence in the cone of the volcano.

  Instantly the vibrations were gone and Logan’s mind began to clear. He could see it was having the same effect on Djana and Erik. They both paused, looked confused, and then horrified at what they saw around them.

  The red dragons started to move, shaking their heads as if trying to clear them; Alyxa had stopped singing. She lay motionless on the ground and Logan could only assume that the golden dragon’s tail had struck her. He bent down and checked she was still breathing, before turning his attention back to the problem at hand.

  Logan knew he had no time to dig out another crystal to smash the blue one. He frantically tried to think what to do, but came up with nothing. Now that Djana was no threat, Zared had turned his attention to the blue crystal. Erik had dropped it and stepped back with Myles. The wizard bombarded the crystal with balls of fire and bolts of lightning.

  As the smoke cleared, Logan was dismayed to see that the crystal was still whole. As Logan saw a burst of fire erupt from the lava, he knew exactly how to get rid of the blue crystal. He ran over to the crystal, picked it up, and threw it right into the middle of the pool of lava. The red dragons howled in anger but were still groggy and staggering, powerless.

  A loud smashing sound diverted the red dragons’ attention from Logan for a split second, and he used that moment to start running for cover. As he reached the unconscious dragon charmer, he turned to see what had caused the sound. The first thing he noticed was the lack of moonlight, and then he saw a smashed mirror on the ground.

  Hovering just above it all was the blue dragon. Time for you to get out of here, the blue said in the stunned silence.

  Every red dragon was looking from the broken mirror to the slowly sinking blue crystal. Even Firetongue let his attention wander for a second. A second was all Silverhorn needed. The white dragon swiped hard at the golden dragon’s head and knocked Firetongue to the ground where he lay motionless.

  ‘What happened?’ Alyxa was sitting up and rubbing her head. Logan bent to help her to her feet as the red dragons continued to fight the effects of Alyxa’s charm.

  In a few seconds the blue had landed and picked up Myles and Erik and was flying them out the top of the cone. Silverhorn shrank to half the size he had been, scooped up the wizard and Djana with one front claw and Logan and Alyxa with the other.

  The breath was knocked out of Logan as they shot up out the top of the crater. He looked back, knowing it would be only a few seconds before the red dragons regained their senses and flew after them. Already one was perched on the top rim of the mountain and looking around in confusion.

  ‘If only I could seal them in there,’ Zared said as Silverhorn carefully deposited each one of them on his back. ‘But that spell takes a day to prepare.’

  ‘So you just need them to stay put for one day?’ Logan asked, an idea coming to him. It was a risk but they didn’t have a lot of choice right now.

  ‘What did you have in mind?’ Zared asked, sensing Logan had a plan.

  ‘If I can cause a small explosion at the top of the cone it should block the cone for a short time,’ Logan said, reaching into his back pocket for the stone jar of dragon’s heart. He didn’t wait for the wizard’s permission or advice. He took aim and threw the stone jar straight at the volcano.

  Hold on everyone!

  It only took Silverhorn a second to realise what Logan had done. He grabbed the blue dragon around the tail and flew straight up with a speed that made Logan’s head hurt. Below them a massive explosion ballooned out and a deep rumble shook the air around them. The blue light from the blast lit the night sky for a few seconds, and then faded back into darkness.

  ‘A few flakes would have been enough,’ Zared said, leaning over the dragon to look down, but there was no hint of reproach in his voice. ‘Finally your skill at blowing things up has become useful.’

  ‘Look, one escaped,’ Myles pointed at the lone dragon, creeling as it flew off into the darkness with a speed that said it wasn’t likely to return.

  The dragons flew back down. The mountain that had been there was gone; a huge pile of rubble lay in its place. If any of the dragons had survived the explosion, it would take days to dig their way out. Blue smoke was still rising from the rubble and was tinting the moonlight.

  ‘Braveheart,’ Myles stated, as the dragons hovered next to each other.

  ‘Pardon?’ Logan didn’t understand.

  ‘I think Braveheart would be a good name for the blue... if he likes it. Unless he has another name he wants.’

  It is a good name, the blue dragon replied with what was almost a grin.

  ‘Braveheart, will you take us back to the village?’ Myles asked, then after a pause he grinned and added ’please’.

  ‘Take us there as well, please, Silverhorn.’ Logan sighed with relief. ‘We’ve got fires to put out and a sealing spell to make.’

  The white and blue dragons flew them back towards the city of Radolk Falls – where the golden palace gleamed in the light of the burning city. Logan was upset at the sight of the destruction and Alyxa touched his arm.

  ‘Don’t worry, the reds are gone and we can rebuild the city.’

  Logan smiled, knowing she was right as Silverhorn circled down to land in front of the golden palace. They dismounted and he hurried down the hill to help save his burning city.

 


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