A silence fell over them then as they both followed their own thoughts. Ravanan couldn’t help but see how she used a different color attack to meet her objective just like he had with Kianthyx. From there he ventured to consider another future for himself.
The following morning Ravanan admitted to Ishida “I’ve come to nine passageways.”
Ishida knew then that the blue dragon had bested all their crafted traps and wondered to herself if there was anything he couldn’t do. Somehow she felt small all of the sudden, he was bigger than her and he now owned her treasure. But she would never let her ill feelings show, after all she had almost killed him with her poison.
“And what will you do?” she asked.
“What all did Kianthyx try? I know you couldn’t have done anything because of the egg.”
“He tried an air bubble that filled the room, but his bubble was weak. He wanted to send lava down each tunnel and whichever one didn’t fill up had to be the one, but I told him that plugging the holes was the wrong thing to do. He tried placing his light spell on the rock, that didn’t work. Then he also tried just walking into them with the darkness but soon gave up. There may have been others but that is all he told me.”
Ravanan said nothing. He left the hole to hunt and think.
Later that day he was ready to try the trap again. Standing in the small corridor, Ravanan cast “SONAR” and waited to hear the sounds come back. He cast the same spell several times to be sure. It was the smallish one that was two to his left with two jutting out rocks, that was the correct tunnel.
Before he moved he cast “AIR BARRIER” with a bubble as large as he could make it which turned out to be larger than the room he was in, the bubble extended a ways in each tunnel.
Then he took a step, the bubble held tight against the blackness but the passageways still moved. So again he cast the sonar spell to check, the location was still right although the opening was different. He took the path without hesitation, solving the trap.
The path narrowed and so Ravanan morphed to an anaconda again. Slithering over the ground, the next trap he found was a water trap, its inky black surface hinted at unknown depths and had been intended to ward off humans, he could smell how the water had been laced with fear. He slid in, immune to chemically-induced fear, the narrow passageway narrowed before shrinking even further to become a tight fit. His aura took over his breathing as he continued to squeeze through and down, as the tunnel led him at a decent angle of descent. The lower he went through the submerged tunnel he could feel the acidity of the water increase. Ravanan had an idea about what was ahead of him and before going any further he cast “WATER BUBBLE” to seal the existing water around him, preferring to swim in a pH of six as opposed to a pH of one.
The tight channel finally opened up to an acid-filled chamber, the acid was dense and harder to swim through than normal water.
Ravanan recast his starlight spell to be brighter. It was a great trap. Had any human done the impossible and reached the room, they’d have melted before they found the exit, because there were four of them, and he was sure that only one was the real exit. His water bubble armor of pH six was slowly burning its way around the edges of his scales but he still had plenty of time left before taking any real damage from the weak acid.
He looked up to see that there was no air captured at the ceiling. As he searched the ceiling further, he saw a large selenite gypsum crystal, it hung neatly in the center of the ceiling, and was probably used for illumination, but without upkeep it was dark. Ravanan targeted the crystal – his first maintenance spell of his new lair – and cast the longest-lasting and brightest starlight spell he could on it without using up too much of his available magic on this one trap. He grinned as much as his snake lips would allow, happy with his spell that would last for half a decade or more. Now that the chamber was lit up again he noticed an illusion caused by the light.
Then he understood the beauty of the water trap, the ancient pair of dragons had sculpted a mirage lens in the crystal, promising air and an escape from the virulent acid, luring strong explorers away from the chamber exits and giving the acid more time to eat into the marrow of their bones. Created expertly by the ancient dragons the light bounced off of other crystals to give the alluring image of a dry ledge above, safe from the acid bath if only the explorer could hurry and swim to the mirage.
The chamber was beautiful with golden walls, piles of gold were at the bottom all of it fool’s gold and the source of the sulfuric acid bath.
Ravanan turned his attention back to the four exits, they could go a long ways before terminating. They needed more thought, more time than he could spare; so he left back the way he came. Once out of the murky acid Ravanan allowed his water bubble to collapse, there was a slight scalding to his scales but nothing that wouldn’t heal with a little time.
Ravanan slithered back into the first room where Ishida was imprisoned and let the morph go. He was deep in thought. He considered pinging each exit and using sonar but dismissed the idea because he couldn’t be sure that the dead ends didn’t have air trapped at the far end which would give him a false positive result. He also considered growing a tentacle to explore each exit but abandoned that idea because he knew his bubble of water around him couldn’t stretch very far before becoming too thin to protect him.
He’d swim each one of the exits if he had to. He would not fail. He’d had too much of that lately. A trap wasn’t going to beat him. There had to be a way in and he was not going anywhere until he solved it. There had to be tons of treasure down there, it was practically calling to him.
Ishida watched Ravanan come back from the depths. She had no idea that he had already gone beyond the trap that stopped Kianthyx.
As a red dragoness her poison was potent, but her most hideous venom was injected into her words. With all the surety of the world she said “I knew you couldn’t do it. You’re not that good. There was going to be something that stopped you, no dragon alive can break into that ancient lair. Those dragons were old, nearly 7,000 years.”
Her words definitely rubbed Ravanan the wrong way and his aura defended him at once – he wasn’t guarding it as he constantly did when he was around Kalara. If felt good to relax and let his aura out. But now sparks ignited into a spiderweb of lightning and for his three striking distances, Ishida was covered with electricity.
At once Ravanan realized what he had done and was at Ishida’s side checking the egg. In panic mode Ishida’s aura erupted into a red cloud of poison.
“NO!” Ravanan roared as his blood curdled. Fighting himself, he quieted his glowing aura that was trying to outfight the poison for fear of more damage to the egg. “NO! NO! NO!”
With a grimace of pain he cast “CALM!”
Ishida was burned and shaking, but her and her aura were calming down.
Ravanan took her to the ground and bit her stomach. Their bodies were so close, she was in his grasp and in the tackle Ishida’s fang nicked his wing. She laughed in the most peculiar way as he jumped off her and retreated, leaving her bleeding and open.
From the other side of the room Ravanan cast “ANTIVENIN” then swallowed Ishida’s flesh. He glanced at his wing, it was sizzling from her poisonous tooth.
“What are you trying to do dragoness?!” Ravanan roared at her. “Killing me will not release you! If I’m dead my enchantment will continue for yearssss!” His body seized up for a moment, he jerked in pain.
Ravanan roared loudly and shook his head trying to clear the pain.
“Release me!” she ordered.
“NO!”
“RELEASE ME!”
“NO! I said no! I will not, not until that egg is buried and I can truly fight you.”
“You’ll regret it.” she said with an odd, hurt smile.
Ravanan cast “SILENCE” and let the poisonous dragoness be so that he could heal.
A few mornings later Ravanan was fishing, quietly fishing and enjoying it. By himself, away
from any dragoness, his mind was working on a plan for the trap while his body was working on healing the poison damage – his wing hurt the most. But at least the egg was saved.
“Damn she is dangerous” he said to the fish. He reached his black talons over and took hold of his right wing that Ishida had snagged with her tooth. Extending it slightly, looking at it, it wasn’t healing very well. There was still a black spot and dark deadened veins around the mark. He considered how he could heal it. The Aloe Eyes weren’t working. His normal healing spells weren’t working either. This was the first time a red dragon had actually bit him and it was the most stinging wound he’d ever received. When he was flying sometimes a nerve would catch and drive him crazy, making him turn suddenly.
What he couldn’t figure out was why she laughed. Did she enjoy the shocking pain of his aura? Was she wanting him to tackle her? What kind of dragoness would want a bite taken out of her? Or what if the venom in her fangs was the worst poison of all and she knew he’d be dead in a few days from that one little black wound – it was a troubling thought. And every time it ached a fear of dying crossed his mind. What did she mean by “regret”? Perhaps she did intend on killing him after he made it through all the traps of the ancient lair. And of course he had lied about the duration of the prison, he had to renew it every full moon. Curse that egg, without it she would already be dead.
Taking his catch and a cow for emergency, he cast “MORPH TO HUMAN” and traveled by anchor directly to the water’s edge of the acid trap. Ten fish, it was probably overkill.
It was a long, taxing process, controlling the mind of the little fish, placing it in the water, casting a water bubble around it and Starlight, and then swimming in its body all the way through the acid.
Through all four exits he did this, and each one opened up with air and a tunnel that continued on with dry ground.
But through the eyes of a flopping fish all four tunnels appeared the same after he jumped it out of the water, there were no distinguishing rocks or features – he would have to use the fish as the target of an anchor so that he could go to each of the four exits and look for himself.
With prey he only controlled them long enough to get them in place before walking out of their mind and eating them, he had never stayed to the end before. But with the fish he was forced to experience their little deaths as he made the fish lay there, wanting air, each one in a different position relative to the water’s edge. It was a sad thing to possess a mind as it dies, even the tiny ones, and with each fish Ravanan’s mood become more melancholy.
After conquering the acid trap he was drawing the four anchors to take him to each fish when he felt a twinge in his right shoulder blade.
Ravanan used two more flakes of biotite, cast “SIGHT” on them and held them like mirrors so that he could see what was bothering the skin on his back. He held one flake to the spot that hurt and the other he peered into closely. The poisonous wound was there, a jagged spot from Ishida’s tooth, it had stayed with his body during the morph. He needed to heal that thing before it killed him. It didn’t hurt like a serious wound but what if it became worse?
Concentrating more than usual Ravanan recast “MORPH TO HUMAN” and this time he re-painted his skin with how a flawless human should appear. Looking again the mark was gone even though he could still feel it inside him. That wound was going to have to be dealt with.
He continued on with his work, finishing the temporary anchors with the blood of the other fish and cow. His drawings made him feel like he was building a memorial to his four friends who had died except he was doing it out of greed and for reward. ‘Their worth didn’t match it though’ Ravanan told himself. He named the acid trap ‘the Hall of Fish’ and traveled as a ball of lightning to each dead fish. Seeing them lay there in their death pose was not helping his mood so he ate each one he came to as he made permanent identifying marks in the schist floor of each tunnel.
Ravanan didn’t feel much like exploring after that and found himself wanting to think on something else. Surprisingly what came to his mind was talking with Ishida more, trying to figure her out. She was fascinating, different from Kalara, both the old Kalara and the new. Before now he’d never spent so much time with a fiery red dragoness.
Ishida looked surprised to see the blue dragon emerging from the cave since she thought he was out hunting. And then all he did was sit and stare at her. She sat up and watched him watch her.
Time passed and finally Ishida spoke “I know you have all the answers you need and my egg is nearly ready. Am I dying today?”
“Are you so eager to die?”
“No.”
“Then I guess today isn’t the day.”
More time went by and nothing was said. Ravanan thought she looked curious. “If you have something to ask me, then ask.” he told her.
“OK, I will. You protected my egg again, I understand that, but you also chose to speed the healing of my burns and the bite you gave me – why? They weren’t mortal wounds, having them wasn’t hurting the egg, and they weakened me for when we battle next.”
Ravanan hadn’t expected her to ask that. He said flatly “I’ll keep my answer until I have yours. Why did you laugh during that mess we had?”
“I found it funny that we were both accidentally hurting each other.”
“Funny? Your egg was almost lost and you found it funny?”
“Yes.”
He was amazed at her definition of humor and yet he was also happy to learn her poison-filled aura was accidental as was his shocking aura. “So if I were to come within your aura right now you wouldn’t poison me?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want you to bite me again, it hurts and I have enough pain already in my head.”
Ravanan stood up, thinking to test her aura.
Ishida spoke out “Now will you give me your answer?”
“I don’t have to answer you, dragoness” he took a step closer “I made progress today and solved another trap, how does that make you feel?”
“I admire you for doing what I couldn’t. You impress me, achieving the impossible.”
Ravanan knew she was speaking truth but her words and voice were so sweet to hear that he feared a trap and stopped where he was.
Seeing that he wasn’t going to answer her Ishida asked “How is this? That I am compelled to answer but you don’t offer any information to me? I don’t even know your name!”
“Ravanan of Kynasteryx Diamid”
“and where is my answer then Ravanan?”
“Alright, I’ll answer your question after you tell me this – “Ravanan extended his right wing, showing her the black wound. “How can I heal this fang mark on my wing before I die from it?”
Ishida laughed, “You can’t. And you won’t die from it either, it’s a scar not a wound.”
“It still hurts.”
“It always will.” Ishida said with an alluring smile.
Ravanan couldn’t help but be intrigued. As long as he lived he would be marked by the red dragoness who nearly killed him, carrying a part of her with him always.
He reached the edge of her aura, wanting to claim that wicked smile that was hiding behind her words and teasing him, to take the prize that should come with the noticeable scar he suffered by her.
“Alright” he said “I healed you again because I don’t want to be the cause of your pain.”
“You’re already causing me pain, hurting me by keeping me imprisoned and charming me.” she reasoned.
“And if I release you, you’ll attack me to win back this ancient lair.”
Ishida turned away from him “You don’t trust me. Despite the fact that I must tell you the truth on every question you ask.”
“Do you want to harm me?”
“No.”
“Tell me then, do you want to fight me to get this treasure for yourself?”
“No.” she stressed.
“Fi
ne.” Ravanan gave it some thought. “Do you want the treasure of that ancient pair?”
“Yes.”
For some time he stood there outside of her aura, listening, trying to feel her unspoken words, seeing only her back full of blood-red spikes running down her spine all the way from her pronged horns to the feathery tuft of her tail. Her folded, feathered wings looked like an iridescent shield, only the reddish tint at their bases gave away their presence, in the air they reflected the sky so perfectly that the diamid dragons looked wingless. She was a beautiful sight. If only he could look into her wine-colored eyes..... He searched for a way to get her to turn back to him.
“What did you mean the other day when you said I’d regret it?” he asked her.
Forced by his enchantments to speak honestly but keeping her back to him Ishida replied “I said you’d regret it because I could be good for you, you know my poison is good in a battle, and your mate is gone. If we fight I know I will lose and die. Then the rest of your life you’ll always wonder what could have been between us.”
“So you want the ancient treasure and me with it?”
“Yes.”
The silence that overtook them was heavy. Ravanan deeply considered Ishida’s answers as he stood there watching her. She’d basically proposed albeit unwillingly. He hated feeling awkward. He wasn’t ready to respond to her and knew he should.
It was easier to leave, to give himself time and so he left for the Hall of Fish. He set himself to trying each submerged tunnel. Three of them led on for a long ways but finally after some slippery ledges with long drops and other such karstic hazards they terminated.
The other passageway, which happened to be number two in his numbering system, was the true exit. It was broadening and soon was wide enough that he was able to morph back to his base dragon form. It had straightened out and was void of traps. The rock floor was angling up at a gentle rise and then became steeper. After changing to a sharp incline, the cave terminated at a solid rock wall of dark gabbro. Ravanan was not fooled. It was the same trick he used on the ledge at Black Blade, the spell worked on humans and simple-minded animals, and from a distance, some dragons as well.
The Cursed Dragon Page 31