Dragon Cave Mountain
Page 12
“I have not bathed anywhere!” Lena protested.
“We can smell that,” LT muttered.
“Especially not in any fire,” she finished.
“But you have, Little Human,” the dragon replied. “That pool you stand in is made up of unlit dragon fire.”
“Oh,” Lena said, then her eyes went big. “Oh!” She scrambled out of the pool and tried to brush the moisture from her body and clothes. “Oh, no. Oh, no.”
“Do not worry, Youngling,” he said. “Dragon Fire is no longer active once it leaves a dragon’s body unlit.”
“Oh,” she said again. She didn’t seem convinced. She pulled the front of her dress away from her body and tried to ring the moisture out of the cloth.
“Mmm,” he rumbled in thought. “I am at a loss for what to do about this situation. A human has never set foot in Dragon Cave Mountain and now two have in one day. Not to mention a cyclops, an elf, and…is that a tiger?”
LT tucked his tail, flattened his ears, and took a hesitant step back.
“They are here because of me,” Zookie said. “I brought them here with me.”
His father turned an eye toward him.
Zookie fought back a wave of dread. Would his father be angry at him for bringing outsiders into the mountain? His punishment couldn’t be that bad, could it? What if it’s banishment? What would Zookie do? There has only ever been one banishment from the mountain, Zookie’s…
The large dragon stepped toward Zookie. The smaller creature winced, expecting the worst. Instead, his father wrapped his tail around him and pulled Zookie against his neck.
“I am eternally grateful to the moon and all the stars that you have returned to the nest unharmed,” the dragon rumbled.
It took a moment for Zookie to realize he wasn’t in trouble. Not yet, anyways. “They helped me. They all did,” he added, looking at Woody who gave him two thumbs up and a huge smile.
“Then my gratitude extends to you all.” The dragon stepped away from Zookie and he knelt on his forelegs, bowing his long neck low. “I am SlyClaw FireWing, High Leader of the FireWing dragon clan of Dragon Cave Mountain and all of its inhabitants. For the aid you have given in helping my son, ZooClaw, return, I am forever indebted to all of you and you will always be welcomed here among us.”
Zookie’s four friends gathered together in front of SlyClaw. LT looked like he was finally starting to relax. Tim stared at his father dully with his one eye. Woody’s face went red with pride.
“It’s not really what I was expecting,” Lena said, looking around. “But, I guess it’s kinda cool.”
Zookie sighed and shook his head.
“Wait,” she said, her eyes going big again. “Do we get dragon names?”
Zookie stared at her, his jaw hanging down a bit. She was one weird little girl.
SlyClaw rolled his wings in the equivalent to a human’s shrug. “It is unprecedented, but I suppose there is no harm in it.”
“I want to be ToothClaw!” Lena growled, bearing her teeth.
LT rolled his eyes. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“You come up with something better, then,” she huffed.
“I’m not the one who—” the tiger started.
“A dragon’s naming is done in a sacred ceremony,” SlyClaw interrupted. “And it is given by Dragon Elders. They do not name themselves.”
“Oh,” Lena said. “Well, you’ll probably come up with something cool, I guess.”
Zookie was only a hatchling when he received his name. Unlike humans, though, dragons could remember all the way back to being in their eggs. He remembered being surrounded older dragons who looked larger than mountains only days after cracking out of the shell. His father had leaned down to him and declared his name, ZooClaw FireWing.
After the ceremony, his mother had scooped him up and whisper his name over and over again.
His mother…
“Dad!” he said, his doublehearts’ beat accelerating. “Mom was taken by humans! I think it was that man, Dyokles, who took her.”
“I know, ZooClaw,” his dad rumbled. “Your mother, DawnClaw, spoke to me through MindSpeak when it happened. I have dragons out looking for her, but that human with a heart as black as a starless night has hidden her well with his dark magic.”
“You can’t find her?” Zookie asked. “But, she was taken by humans. We were near a human village. It was, uh…” His voice faded as he tried to think. When he had run away from the mountain, he hadn’t paid any attention which direction he went. On the way back, he had been turned around so many times, he just had no idea which way was which.
“Peace, Son,” SlyClaw said. “We will find her before any harm falls upon her.”
“But how?” Zookie asked. “There are so many humans out there. So many villages.”
“Her heart may be guarded by Dyokles’ magic, but we will find her even if we have to scour this entire planet,” his father assured him.
“I know where she is.”
All eyes turned toward Lena.
“I, uh, I don’t know how, but I think I can feel her,” she said. “She feels like she’s that direction.” She pointed to her right. “It seems like she’s far away and moving farther.”
“How do you know?” Zookie asked, skeptical.
“I just said I don’t know how, didn’t I?” Lena said.
“Mmm,” SlyClaw grumbled. “I believe it has something to do with the Everstone.”
Lena looked at the stone in her hand. It remained dark and colorless.
“The Everstone is the last remaining piece of the first FireWing’s heart,” SlyClaw explained.
“Ew!” Lena exclaimed and dropped it to the ground.
“Lena!” Zookie hissed.
“It connects all members of the hive’s hearts,” SlyClaw continued. He didn’t seem bothered by the girl dropping the Everstone to the ground. “Normally, I think Dyokles’ magic would block it, too, but when he touched it, the Everstone absorbed a bit of his magic.”
“So, it allows her to see through his magic,” Zookie said, understanding settling on him.
“I believe so,” SlyClaw agreed. “I also believe only a human will be able to tap into Dyokles’ human magic to be able to lead us to DawnClaw.”
Zookie watched as realization crept onto Lena’s face.
“So,” she said hesitantly, “you want me to lead you to find her?”
“It is a lot to ask of one so young,” SlyClaw said. “You are barely a youngling. Your own parents must be as worried as we were when ZooClaw went missing.”
Something else crossed Lena’s face. Zookie wasn’t knowledgeable enough about humans to recognize it, but it passed as quickly as it appeared.
“Are you kidding? I’m a FireWing, now!” Lena declared.
“That’s not exactly what a naming does,” SlyClaw started.
“Besides, I’m never one to pass up an adventure,” Lena said. “Have I ever told you about the time Tim and I found ourselves surrounded by a hoard of very angry pixies?”
Woody shook his head no, a look of awe on his face. LT groaned. Tim grunted. Zookie sighed but smiled as the girl bent to scoop up the Everstone. The cavern filled with a bright green light as it came back to life.
END
Dedications
For our family who frequently and enthusiastically fuel our weird imaginations.
Acknowledgements
There is no other way to start an acknowledgement section other than thanking Matt Akin for the amazing cover art. It is definitely worthy of hanging in a frame.
To Christy for helping pull the book together. She’s the one who typed up the story from Anéla and Scott’s handwritten mess of bad handwriting, grammar, and spelling. Not an enviable task.
To Declan whose energy is contagious. Sometimes, I think he’s the one who keeps the family going.
Also, you the reader. If it wasn’t for you, none of this would be possible. We thank you from the b
ottom to the top of our hearts. If you enjoyed Dragon Cave Mountain, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Reviews are the lifeblood of authors.
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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38462655-dragon-cave-mountain
Scott Ferrell
The year Scott was born was like any other, though a commemorative quarter was produced to celebrate his arrival (or so he assumes). He grew up in a place in America that’s a little too hot and now lives in a place in America that’s a little too cold. Growing up, he hated reading anything that didn’t have cool drawings of muscular men wearing spandex punching other muscular men wearing spandex. That is until he found a book that transported him to a world full of knights, elves, dragons, and gods. In the time that followed, he’s devoured many worlds.
A few years ago, he traveled far and wide in search of the Everstone. He wasn’t expecting what he found…
www.munboy.com
Anéla Ferrell
Anéla also was born in a place in America that’s a little too hot and lives in a place a little too cold. In her short time on Earth, she has challanged the norms of life. She has swam in hurricans, flown across canyons, and lived within herself.
Anéla’s journey began with dragons. It’s only fitting that her tales do, as well. This is only the first of many stories she will tell in her lifetime.
Until she decides to tell these stories, she searches the cosmos for the Everstone with her dad.
Coming Soon
Enter the Deep
Book 2 of the Everstone Chronicles
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Dedications
Acknowledgements
Anéla Ferrell