A runner came up to where he, Geoff, and the leaders of the war parties stood to oversee the evacuation, breathless and sweating in the cool morning air. Elias offered him a water skin, letting him catch his breath before speaking. The runner took a deep draught and handed the skin back.
“Jonas sends word. He and the warriors with him were victorious. Four hundred pirates were slain, give or take a score. We lost one hundred and fifty warriors and rescued almost four thousand slaves. The ships are unable to carry them all.“
Elias patted him on the shoulder. “Good. Very good. What Is Jonas planning for the rest of the slaves we have liberated?”
“They are marching along the eastern coast to where we landed. Half of Jonas' warriors are accompanying them.”
Elias frowned, lifting an eyebrow. “And the other half?”
The runner sat down, still breathing heavily. “Jonas is leading them to capture the supply ships. They are docked on the west coast. He plans to sail them south, and back to Port Greenreef.”
Elias nodded. He called over Tao, who had come along as the leader of one of the warbands. The tall, lean, muscular elf was painted almost entirely white, with black swirls from head to toe. He jogged over and sat down next to Elias. “Yes, Kaiwhakaora?“ It was a name he had been given by the warriors under his command. It meant 'savior.' He was uncomfortable with it at first, but by this point, it just accepted it as his name.
“Take two hundred and fifty warriors, and head southwest as fast as you can. Join with Jonas and his forces, do as he tells you to. Help him take the ships, and sail them south.”
The warrior nodded and stood. “Yes, Kaiwhakaora. As you command.“ He jogged back to his warriors and started issuing directions. It was not long before a large detachment of elves left through the western gate at nearly a full run.
Elias stood as well. “One hundred elves will stay here and assist the rest of the slaves in boarding our ships, before boarding them themselves. Sail directly for Greenreef. The rest of us will march back to the Leviathan.”
As the warriors went about fulfilling their orders, one of the slaves, an old woman, approached, hanging back. Elias sat down, knowing that his size was intimidating to the elves who did not know him. “Come here, grandmother. You have nothing to fear from me. How can I be of service to you?”
Slowly, she walked up to him, dropping to her knees a short distance away. “My lord, thank you! We cannot possibly tell you how grateful we are that you finally came for us, as the prophecies foretold!”
So the slaves here had the same prophecy as the elves of the main island. “What matters is that you will be safe again, very soon. Once you board one of the ships, it will take you back to Greenreef.“
She nodded, bowing low. “Yes, my lord. Thank you, my lord. But there is something you should know.“
He leaned forward, his elbow resting on his knee. “What is it?”
She sat back up, her watery blue eyes meeting his. “In the mountain on the eastern coast, there is a cave. The pirates spoke of a great power there, one that they were unable to tame. They spoke of great chains, the chains they used to carry the greatest anchors up from the deeps, used to hold it down.”
Elias nodded. “We know of the weapon. Have any of the pirates spoken of what it is?”
She shook her head. “They never named it, my lord, they just spoke of it, and of keeping it fed. Once a month, an entire herd of swine was brought to the cave. Our rations were dropped to feed it when it arrived, nearly two hundred summers hence.”
Elias nodded. “Thank you, grandmother. Can you lead us to this cave?”
“Not I, my lord. My grandson knows where it is; he tended the herds that were fed to the cave, though he was never allowed inside.”
“Has he boarded a ship yet?”
She shook her head again. “No, my lord. He has stayed to be sure that his family boards your great ships first.”
Elias nodded, standing up and offering a hand to help her to her feet. “Thank you, my lady. If you could have your grandson come to me, I would visit this cave.“
She took his hand and struggled to her feet. “I am not a lady, my lord!”
“And I am not a lord, my lady. Call me Elias.” He smiled and gestured to the shore. “Take a boat from this place. Go where your people are, where you can be safe. Your grandson will be joining you soon. He will ride with me on my ship, once we have seen this cave and what it holds.”
She bowed again. “Thank you, my... Elias. Thank you, Elias.
Elias bowed to her. “I am at your service. We will meet again, madam. Go and be safe.”
As Elias prepared for the march south, a young elf with skin as blue as the deepest sapphires jogged up.
“My lord, my grandmother sent me to you.”
Elias held up his hand. “Please, just call me Elias. Your name is...?”
The young elf bowed. “Yandis, sir.”
Elias sighed. No matter what, it seemed he was bound to these grand terms. “You know the way to this cave your grandmother spoke of?”
“Yes, my lor... yes, sir.”
Elias nodded and held out his hand. Yandis paused, then slowly took his hand, and shook it. Elias smiled and shook it back. “Good! We set out very shortly. You will lead us.“
~ ~ ~
Elias jogged along with the two hundred elves, straining under the weight of his armor. It had seemed like a wonderful idea when battle was in the future, but it did not lend itself well to moving quickly with many unfettered warriors who traveled light. However, their swift pace made for a swift passage, and the small army was on the beach within an hour and a half. They stood at the top of the ridge overlooking the beach where they had landed.
Anchored out to sea were the Iron Oar and the Leviathan. From the south, they could see a mass of approaching elves. Their dark blue skins stood out against the stark gray and white of the beaches.
They were at least a mile off, but they were moving fast. To the north, four ships sailed east, and to the south, four more. The rescue had been successful, it would seem, and they still had time.
Almost as if reading his mind, Geoff stepped forward, panting for breath. “Not much time, Elias. Maybe three hours before the pirates at Hollow Island know that we've been here... we best be swift.”
Elias stretched his aching muscles and grunted his agreement. “Agreed. Get these elves onto the Leviathan, leave a single boat for us. I'll take ten warriors with me.“
Geoff paused, and seemed like he was going to argue, but nodded. Reaching up, he set a hand on Elias's pauldron. “Be safe, Redwood. I don't want to set sail without you, and we've done enough fighting pirates for this voyage.”
Elias set his hand on Geoff's shoulder. “I will come out of that cave, I promise you. We'll dine on the Leviathan this afternoon.”
Geoff led the elves down the cliff, around to the beach. Elias called for ten volunteers, and before long, he had half a score of painted warriors standing behind him, with Yandis by his side.
“It's not far, my lord,” the young elf said as he led the way up the mountain. “There's a wide trail where we would run the hogs into the cavern.”
The walk took less than twenty minutes, and they stood in front of the mouth of the cave. The opening was smooth, as if it had been charred and melted, the rock having run down the wall like water, pooling on the ground. Smooth and glassy, obsidian covered the floor as it had in the caldera atop the mountain on Greenreef. The tunnel sloped down, round and deep, swallowed by darkness past the intrusion of the sun's growing light.
A small pile of dried torches lay to the side of the entrance, and it was the work of a moment to light six of them. Holding a torch aloft himself, he stepped into the cave.
Immediately, he was greeted with a blast of hot, dry air. A rumbling sound rolled from the depths of the cave, causing the elves gathered at the entrance to step back a pace.
“My lord...”
Elias turned to see Yan
dis hiding behind the edge of the cave entrance. He nodded to the boy. “Go, Yandis. You've fulfilled your offer, go and join the others in the boats.”
Yandis bowed again. “Thank you, my lord!“ With that, he took off at a sprint towards the beach.
Elias turned to the warriors gathered behind him. “Let's see what the pirates have hidden down below.“ He turned back to the cavern and started walking slowly into the depths.
Chapter Twenty-One
12th Waxing Summer Moon, Year 4369
The torchlight reflected eerily off of the smooth glass walls. No cavern he had ever been in looked like this one... there were no stalactites, no pools of water on the ground. The walls were not granite nor limestone nor pumice, they were melted obsidian. Even the ceiling reflected the flames off of its polished black surface.
The tunnel proceeded at a gentle downward slope, curving to the right, a steady warm breeze pulsing from the deeps. The line of elves walked down it single file, Elias leading the way, the sound of his armor clinking echoing off of the walls of the cavern.
Another deep rumble came from the depths, accompanied by a hot blast of air. It felt almost like an earthquake, the rumbling in the air and their chests. As they moved deeper into the cave, the air grew hotter and drier. Elias knew that these mountains held fire and molten rock at one point, and Ahi Maunga was not far away... could the Cursed Island be sitting on a lake of fire as well?
The tunnel curved sharply to the left, and a smell of burned meat grew. Elias drew up short, holding up a fist to signal a stop. The elves behind him drew up close, clustering around him. He turned to face them, unslinging his greatsword and drawing it out of the sheath. Jonas's prediction was sitting at the foremost of his mind.
“Whatever lies beyond the turn of this tunnel, we must be ready for it. If it is hostile, be prepared to fight. If it is too much, be prepared to run. There is no shame in retreating if we must. If we can turn it to our cause, then that is what we shall do.”
The warriors behind him murmured assent, still nervous and agitated. He turned back to the cavern, and took a step forward.
“If you're going to come in here, then you should just hurry up and do it. I take it by the fact that you're not running and grunting and squealing that you're not food, so come inside and be quick about it.”
The voice was powerful, loud, and reverberated off of the walls around them. Elias gripped his sword, holding it in front of him.
“There's only a need for that if you make there be a need for that. Come now, I haven't got all day, I'm a very busy person.”
Elias looked back at the warriors clustered behind him. They hung back, gripping swords and torches, looking between Elias and each other. Elias nodded to them, and gestured down the tunnel with his head.
As he rounded the corner, a deep red and orange glow came from farther into the cave, and the heat intensified dramatically. The cavern eventually grew wider, until it was a great chamber, larger than Elias had thought possible. The ground sloped downward, dropping off into a wide pit of molten stone. The lake of lava was large, but not as large as the caldera atop Greenreef. The ceiling of the chamber arched high overhead, with myriad tunnels leading upwards through it.
Several small, dull black islands of stone peeked out of the lava, and one long, shining one, seemingly made of small mirrors, reflecting the light of the lava around the room in small bright patches. It was as if small candles were scattered about the room, flickering on the walls, but there were no candles. The heat would have melted them long ago.
The temperature of the room was stifling, and Elias was starting to sweat under his armor. He looked around the room, finding no source for the voice. “I have come in, as you requested. Show yourself before I bake like a turkey!”
The silver island shuddered, and began to move. It dipped down, lower into the lava, then rose again before submerging entirely. From the edge of the pit, a bulge formed on the surface of the lake of molten stone. It rose above the edge of the pit, then higher, the lava running down like streams of thick syrup. As it broke open across the top, it rolled down like a curtain, revealing a flash of silver.
As the lava peeled away, the features behind it were revealed. Dozens of small silver horns ran along the reptilian snout, the scales reflective in the burning red light. Tightly closed eyes were bordered by ridges of spikes where eyebrows could have otherwise been.
The enormous head that rose out of the lava was at least the size of a horse and attached to a neck the size of a small redwood or a thick oak. The scales covering it grew larger and larger the farther down they went, until they were the size of his hand before they disappeared back into the molten stone. On either side, about five yards back, large, flat wings rose out of the fiery pit, the leathery skin taut and mirror-like, casting shadows across the ceiling of the great chamber.
The creature's eyes slowly opened, focusing on Elias in the dull red light. They shone with their own light, bright blue casting a contrasting shade with the red. It was a dragon, silver-scaled and huge beyond reckoning. It had a dark black collar clamped around its neck, and an iron, eight-pointed star chained to its forehead, much like one would put decorative barding on a horse.
Elias took a step back, tightening his grip on his sword. “I've seen that symbol before, and each time, it was with someone trying to kill me.”
The dragon chuckled, the noise almost deafening in the chamber. “Then you and I have something in common. Every time I see one of your type wearing it, they seem to be trying to kill me too. Though, to be fair, the sentiment is generally mutual.”
The dragon narrowed its eyes for a moment, regarding Elias. “No... you're not a man. You're an elf. A rather large one, but an elf nonetheless. You have a different smell than this lot, but I haven't forgotten the scent of mountain elves.”
Elias lowered his sword. “You come from the mainland?”
Slowly, the dragon climbed halfway out of the lava, its scales still shockingly clean for being submerged in molten rock. Its arms were oddly humanoid in proportion, with shoulders and elbows similar to a man's, and large, five-fingered hands, covered in fine silver scales and tipped with talons the size of short swords. Black iron manacles were attached to its wrists, just as the collar around its neck.
It leaned on its elbows, crossing its arms at the wrist, chains dragging across the black glass floor. “Yes. Yes, I was hatched on the mainland, but histories are not why you are here. What brings you into my very dangerous home, little giant?“
Elias stepped forward again. “We heard that the pirates who are terrorizing these islands were hiding a great and terrible power here, trying to bend it to their will. I wanted to come and see for myself.”
The dragon spread its arms. “Well, now you have seen it. What do you plan to do?”
Elias unslung his sheath and put his sword away. “What will you do if I set you free?“
The dragon lifted a hand, and rested his chin on it. Behind him, a great tail swished back and forth in the molten stone, causing it to splash on the walls on the far side of the chamber. “I imagine I would leave this cave and try to return to the mainland. There's nothing for me here on these islands, not even vengeance. The ones who captured me have long since died, and the ones who hold me do so out of fear and ignorance. No reason to kill them for that.“
Elias lifted a brow. “I thought that dragons were creatures of wanton destruction, endless greed, and a lust for gold and blood that had no rivals.”
The dragon shook his head. “No... you're thinking of humans. And, well, perhaps some of my more... brash cousins.”
Elias crossed his arms, regarding the dragon. “My name is Elias Stromgard. Do you have a name?”
The dragon grinned, a somewhat terrifying sight. “We do indeed have names, but they are, as would be expected from a mammal, impossible for you to pronounce. Call me Sargoth. If you need a family name, use Silverwing. I was the third male hatched in a clutch of twelve, and th
e only male to survive to maturity.” The dragon inspected its claws as a man would inspect his fingernails. “We were the only bloodline whose scales are actually made of silver. Dragon silver, of course, which does not melt under fire, but silver nonetheless.”
Elias marveled at the dragon before him. He had no idea that dragons were intelligent beings capable of conversation. Every tale he had ever heard of them cast them as feral, dangerous, man-eating monsters that only existed to destroy. “How did you get here?“
The dragon sighed. “I was captured on the mainland, about two centuries ago. They drugged a cow until it died, and I took the bait. By the time I woke, I was being dragged across a desert with these damnable chains on me. They loaded me on a boat, and brought me here.” Tapping his talons against the ground, the dragon mused. “Though this cave is getting a bit cramped, it's better than being in the hold of that stinking ship. I'd much rather have flown.”
“You would fly for an entire month? You can do that?”
Sargoth chuckled. “No. I've been down here for two hundred years. I doubt I could properly raid a cow field now. I'm hardly the dragon I once was. No, I would likely have to sell half my scales to have a ship built to carry me, and hope I wasn't chained again.“
Elias gestured to the chains. “These chains can hold you?”
The dragon tut-tutted at Elias. “So many questions. Is that why you are really here, to just keep asking questions until the mountains are ground to dust and the islands sink under the waves?”
Elias looked down, embarrassed. “Apologies, Sargoth. I have never met a dragon before.”
“And I've never met a mountain elf that doesn't recognize magical chains when he sees them.”
Elias held his hands up. “May I approach?”
Sargoth laid his claws flat on the ground. “You may.”
Elias approached the dragon and looked over the manacles. They were solid, as if they had been forged onto his arms, with no visible seams. He reached out to touch them, and found that they were cool to the touch, cooler than the air surrounding them. The links that were connected to the manacles ran down into the lava, but never seemed to take the heat.
Rising Thunder (Dynasty of Storms Book 1) Page 26