Adventure (Dragons & Magic Book 2)

by Dave Higgins

  Edmond grabbed the hourglass from his belt and stared at it. There was more than an hour left. She couldn’t be dead. He should still have time to rescue her. “It isn’t fair! It’s too soon!”

  “Edmond, keep it down.” Daffodil pointed across the cavern.

  Edmond tore his gaze away from the evidence of another Goodman failure. In the distance, half hidden by shadow, the dragon slept curled on a pile of something white.

  Edmond drew his sword, shouldered his shield and walked toward the sleeping dragon. He might have failed, just like his parents always had, but he wasn’t going to run like they had every time a plan failed. He’d end the beast forever. It wouldn’t kill anyone else, not if he could finish it.

  “Edmond,” Daffodil whispered, hurrying to keep up with him. “We can’t help her now. We should use the scroll and go back to town.”

  “No. This ends here and now.” The scent of sulphur and damp granite grew as Edmond marched on.

  “We can’t fight a dragon,” Daffodil said. “You need to stop.”

  Edmond ignored her, his eyes probing the dragon for any weaknesses. The white pile seemed to be feathers. Thousands of feathers. All that talk of gold really had been a lie.

  He strode forward until he was a dozen paces from the dragon. Its breath heated the surrounding air, small puffs of smoke coming from its nostrils. Its chest, as large as a team of oxen, eased up and down in its sleep.

  Daffodil drew her sword and stood at his shoulder, as she had through eight levels of the dungeon.

  Behind them, Grew began to dance.

  Edmond didn’t even dare whisper, for fear of waking the dragon. Instead, he crept closer, raised his sword and swung at the belly of the monster with all his might.

  The sword bounced off, the reverberations almost making Edmond drop it. His cut hadn’t even scratched a scale.

  Beside him, Daffodil raised her own sword and brought it down, the blade whistling through the air. It, too, bounced off without leaving a mark.

  A fireball arced over them and hit the dragon in the nose.

  The ground shook and Edmond’s ears rang as the dragon sneezed. And opened its eyes.

  “Run!” Daffodil grabbed Edmond and sprinted for the nearest stone column.

  The ground trembled again, and the sweat evaporated from Edmond’s brow as flame gouted into the air. As they rounded the column, Edmond risked a glance back.

  The dragon lumbered across the floor at an angle, pace barely exceeding a gentle stroll, as if it weren’t worried about catching them. Then Edmond realised why, as its path cut off their escape to the steps.

  “The scroll,” Edmond said to Grew. “Use the scroll.”

  Grew fumbled in his backpack, sorting through scrolls. Pulling one out, he fumbled and dropped it to the ground. With a sigh, he reached to pick it up again.

  “No time. Run!” Daffodil led them off through a maze of columns, dodging and weaving. The dragon strolled behind, loosing gouts of flame in their direction every time it got close.

  Edmond realised it was hopeless; the dragon had them cornered. The only thing he could do was distract it. If he ran in one direction, waving, maybe the others could escape.

  He was about to break left, when Daffodil yanked him right. Off balance, Edmond tripped and grabbed a stalagmite for balance. The rock gave way under his hand.

  With a grumble, a section of the wall rose, revealing a corridor.

  Daffodil changed direction. Edmond barely kept his feet as she yanked him into the corridor. They kept running until they were far enough away to be out of range of the dragon’s flames. Chest heaving, Edmond looked back.

  The dragon stared into the corridor, head too large to fit.

  Edmond turned to Grew. “I thought you said there were ten levels?”

  “And I thought there was meant to be gold,” Grew said.

  Daffodil snorted. “We told you there wasn’t any gold.”

  “I thought you were kidding. Or didn’t want to share.”

  “We weren’t kidding,” Daffodil said.

  Edmond looked around. The corridor didn’t have any torches or lanterns. What little light there was, spilled through from the cavern. Mossy stone walls glistened with damp, and mould spotted the muddy floor.

  “Now what?” Grew asked.

  “There’s only one way to go,” Edmond said. “At least, until the dragon falls asleep and we can sneak out.” Edmond paced along the corridor. “He wasn’t meant to kill her yet.”

  “Melinda?” Daffodil asked. “He didn’t eat her, just burnt her. I don’t think there was a time limit on that.”

  The corridor ended in a flight of rough steps. With nowhere else to go, Edmond wandered down them.

  “One thing I don’t understand,” Grew said. “Her skin was burnt, so how come her dress wasn’t.”

  Edmond frowned, but kept walking. The steps ended in a wooden door before he could think of an explanation. After listening for a moment, he pushed it open, sword held ready.

  He was prepared for monsters. He was prepared for puzzles. What he wasn’t prepared for was Melinda sitting on a comfortable sofa, with her feet up, reading a book.

  “Oh,” Melinda said. “Hello.”

  Chapter 23

  The Witch

  Edmond waggled his arms. He didn’t seem to have stepped back into the reversed world without noticing. “Melinda? We thought you were dead!”

  Melinda held up one finger. A moment later, she slipped a bookmark into her book and laid it on a nearby table. “You were meant to. That body was a random hero who thought she could fight the dragon. It didn’t go all that well for her. You were meant to see her, turn around, and go home.”

  “But we’re here to rescue you,” Edmond said. “And kill the dragon.”

  Melinda shrugged. “Sorry to disappoint you. I don’t need rescuing. And I’m guessing you realised the dragon is invulnerable.”

  “But the dragon kidnapped you.” Edmond said.

  “No, Grakkrrsh brought me down here. The witch couldn’t come up to collect me, so she sent it instead. It’s surprisingly well behaved.”

  One confusing thought battled another in Edmond’s mind and they both lost.

  “But Edmond’s on a quest to rescue his one true love,” Grew said. “How’s he meant to do that now?”

  “His one true love?” Melinda asked. “You mean me?”

  Daffodil pushed past Edmond. “What did you mean the witch sent for you?”

  “We’ve been exchanging messages for months. She’s not the original witch; she says she’s number six, but who knows for sure? It seemed a better deal than being married off to Reg’s nephew so my father got a better deal on his rent.”

  “None of this makes sense,” Edmond said.

  “I can explain.” An elderly woman emerged from a doorway nearby and tottered across the room. After folding onto a chair like a barn raising in reverse, she rubbed her back and let out a sigh. “I’m Ashley Persell. I’m the dread and most fearsome witch of the High Nocking dungeon. At least, I am at the moment. I’m dying, you see.”

  Grew moved behind Daffodil, while Daffodil held her sword ready.

  Ashley ignored them both. “I used to live in the village above. Over thirty years ago now, an old woman wandered up while I was taking the geese to market. She talked about the vast riches that lurked beneath the earth waiting for someone to deal with the monsters. I told her I didn’t see why people should go racing off taking stuff from other people. Instead of getting angry, she told me how she’d been protecting and nurturing the residents of the dungeon since she was a young woman. As had the man who recruited her. Always, a simple peasant growing up to save the oppressed.”

  “The residents?” Daffodil asked. “You mean goblins and ogres.”

  “And much more besides. They’re all trying to get on with their lives. I’ll admit the Goblin King turned out to be shorter and less well dressed than I expected, but he’s good fun once you get t
o know him; you should see him juggle. The occasional heffalump from the village comes down and tries to kill us all, to defeat the witch. The innocent creatures of the dungeon need someone to protect them.”

  “They’re hardly innocent,” Edmond said. “They kill people all the time.”

  “People who’ve invaded their home,” Ashley said. “Anyway, for years it was only random idiots with more bravery than sense. Then Grakkrrsh appeared and turned it all upside down. It took me months to tame it, to show it that it could have a home here, if it learnt to share the levels with everyone else. Months when it had a steady diet of human heroes coming to kill it.

  “There’s something few people know about dragons. Their intelligence comes from what they consume. If they eat cows, they’re dumb as a rock. But if they exist on a steady diet of humans, their intelligence grows. By now, Grakkrrsh is as smart as a moneylender. If its intelligence grows any more, I might be its pet rather than the other way around.

  “A few years back, it ate a couple of village idiots and it was months before I could control it again. That’s why we have traps now, to weed out the true morons.”

  Thoughts whirled through Edmond’s mind, threatening to overwhelm him. “Without you and the dragon, heroes wouldn’t come down here. Without the heroes, the dragon would eat the villagers.”

  “Not only that,” Ashley said. “Without the villagers or the heroes, the dragon would turn on us to maintain its Intelligence.”

  “What a mess,” Edmond said.

  “Which is why we tried to get you to stay away,” Melinda said. “I like you, Edmond. You’re helpful and pleasant. I didn’t want you mixed up in this. We told Yelash convince you to turn back, but you wouldn’t; not even after he told you I couldn’t be rescued. “

  “My intelligence is three,” Edmond said. “What were you expecting?”

  “Ashley even disguised herself and went up to talk to you.”

  “The changeling?” Grew said.

  Ashley nodded. “You’re a very stubborn man, Edmond. All to find your one true love. I wish I’d found someone as devoted.”

  “One true love.” Melinda looked away, then glanced back at Edmond through her lashes. “You mean that, Edmond? You love me?”

  “I…” Edmond was lost for words.

  “Because, I could use your help. I’m out of my depth here. Defending an entire dungeon against heroes is a lot to take on. I’m learning Ashley’s magic, but it’s slow. My Charisma makes performing it easier, but my Intelligence means it all goes in one ear and out the other. Will you stay?”

  Edmond stared at Melinda, imagining a life with her. His happily ever after. Spending the rest of his life... What? Staring at Melinda from the chair next to hers? He could imagine tricking adventurers. Even fighting them as long as he didn’t have to kill them. But every time he did, the person by his side was Daffodil.

  And, if he stayed down here, he wouldn’t see Daffodil again. He couldn’t imagine a day without her, let alone a lifetime. He turned to look for her, but found only Grew. “Where’s Daffodil?”

  “She left.” Grew pointed over his shoulder. “Went back up the steps.”

  The painted image of Daffodil being bitten in two by the dragon filled Edmond’s mind. He sprinted from the room and bounded up the stairs. His shield kept hitting the wall as he ran. Cursing every moment of delay, he slowed long enough to put his sword and shield away then sped up again. The shield bashed against his shoulder with each step, but he could move faster. Maybe Daffodil was checking the stone ogre hadn’t caught up. She wouldn’t face the dragon on her own, would she?

  Of course, she would. Without the dragon, there wouldn’t be any risk to the village. Daffodil always tried to protect people; it was one of the many things he loved about her.

  He dashed along the corridor, straining to see her in the dark. He didn’t dare stop to dance a light spell. He needed to reach her before she did anything foolish. His foot caught on something, sending him pitching headlong to the ground.

  When he looked back, he saw armoured legs glinting in the faint light. He climbed to his feet and danced the light dance.

  Daffodil shielded her eyes, wiping at her cheeks.

  “Daffodil?”

  “Leave me alone. I’m fine. Go back to your one true love.”

  “Get up. I have something to say.”

  Daffodil blew her nose on her sleeve. “It’s fine. I know you want to stay here with her. I don’t mind.”

  “Oh get up and stop being so stubborn.”

  Daffodil looked up at him with red eyes, tears trickling down her cheeks.

  All he wanted to do was wipe the tears away. Instead, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. “I’m an idiot. You know that?”

  “Not as much as I am.”

  Edmond reached up and stroked a tear away. “I’m an idiot, because I didn’t have to fight my way to the bottom of a dungeon to find my one true love; she was standing beside me the entire time.”

  Daffodil’s brows furrowed, as she stared up at him.

  Edmond tilted his head closer. “And my happily ever after starts right here, with you; if you’ll have me.”

  Daffodil’s kiss sent whatever else Edmond had been about to say out of his head. Instead, his whole body was filled with electric happiness. He wrapped his arms around Daffodil and kissed her, until they both had to come up for air.

  “But I’m only fourteen?” Daffodil said.

  “You think I won’t wait for you? I’d wait a lifetime for you, let alone four measly years.”

  “But you’ll be twenty-two.” Daffodil made a face like a walnut sucking a lemon. “So old…”

  Edmond kissed her again. Joy washed over him in waves until he thought he’d burst.

  Grew grinned at them when they stumbled back to the witch’s chambers. “You finally kissed her.”

  “I kissed him,” Daffodil said.

  “Either way,” Grew said. “It’s been so obvious. Even I could see you were into each other.”

  “And yet you said nothing,” Edmond said.

  “How could I get a word in edgeways? It was all ‘my one true love’ this and ‘my one true love’ that.”

  Edmond clapped Grew on the shoulder. “Okay, okay. So I’ve been unbearable, but that’s done now. We can go home and forget this ever happened.”

  Melinda coughed from her place on the sofa.

  Edmond realised with a start he hadn’t answered her yet. “Sorry, Melinda. The thing is, I don’t love you. I thought I did for the longest time, but I was missing what was right in front of my eyes.”

  Melinda shrugged. “That’s fine. You coming down here gave me an idea anyway. I can turn some heroes against their own; get them to fight each other before they even get too deep into the dungeon. Then we can feed the survivors to the dragon.”

  Edmond winced. Now he’d reached the bottom of the dungeon and found his true love, he thought the endless death would end; that was what always happened in books. But this was like his mother’s schemes—only with more bleeding and screaming. It was going to go on and on without changing, forever.

  At least until the dragon died of old age, or they ran out of witches. “How long do dragons live?”

  “No one knows,” Ashley said. “I don’t think anyone’s ever seen one die of old age.”

  Edmond racked his brain. All he remembered was books talking about how many hundreds of years a dragon had persecuted a land. It didn’t seem promising. “If we tell everyone we killed the dragon, the heroes will stop coming, but it’ll turn on you. Or raid the village again.”

  “The villagers call Grakkrrsh my pet,” Ashley said. “It would be more accurate to call it my curse. I didn’t want it here; it turned up. The best I could do was tame it a little, but even I see a glint in its eye sometimes, like it’s sizing me up for its next meal.”

  “Why can’t you kill it?” Daffodil asked.

  “Kill, kill, kill,” Melinda said. “Tha
t’s humanity’s answer to everything.”

  Including, from what Melinda suggested, how to keep adventurers from killing goblins. Edmond decided not to mention that, though. It didn’t take Charisma 4 to know that wouldn’t help things.

  Ashley sighed. “I tried. My magic wasn’t strong enough. I’ve watched warriors hack at it, wizards throw fireballs at it, and rogues try to stab it in the back. Nothing works. It’s invulnerable.”

  “People have killed dragons before,” Edmond said.

  “Have they?” Ashley asked. “Or have people written about other people doing it? From all I’ve seen, I doubt anyone could kill a dragon given a hundred years.”

  Edmond exchanged a look with Daffodil. “You want to try?”

  “Try?” Daffodil asked. “Fighting the dragon that no one can possibly hurt? How?”

  “That’s the thing, isn’t it? We need to figure that out.” Edmond turned to Ashley. “What powers do you have? Could we use them against the dragon?”

  “My powers are based on reciting verse,” Ashley said. “I can influence people’s minds, but I have earth magic as well. I can do some air magic, a tiny bit of fire magic, and nothing to do with water. Grew can probably do more with fire than me already, and he’s nowhere near his potential.”

  Grew beamed for a moment, then frowned in thought. “Fire’s not likely to do anything against a fire-breathing dragon.”

  “Ashley, you could mind control the dragon and get rid of it,” Daffodil said.

  Ashley shook her head. “I tried. My magic works well on humans and some animals, but the dragon wasn’t convinced. I tried to block it in with earth, but it can melt stone with its breath. The dragon made the cavern above us, not me.”

  “That makes sense,” Grew said. “They live underground, after all. They need a way to work the earth.”

  “There was only one thing that half worked,” Ashley said. “I slowed the air around Grakkrrsh’s snout. After a while, it lay down, but I couldn’t stop the air entirely. And once my mana ran out, it lumbered around again, unharmed.”