The Seren Trilogy

by Darren Lewis

  “STOP!”

  Malachite swung around to face the black dragon that had moved further out of the water.

  “Is this how we start? By attacking our own?” The black dragon's yellow eyes bored into Malachite's until the green dragon lowered his leg and angrily walked away. The black dragon looked over his shoulder to a dragon a shade of grey. “Take them and guard them.” The grey dragon advanced quickly causing Ellie and Cole to move with haste or be crushed. They were backed up against the cave wall and with nothing else to do, they sat down. Cole rested his head on Ellie's lap. She scratched his snout.

  Ellie. He thought. What are we going to do? Is that my father?

  Ellie looked at the grey dragon and then past it to the others, she took a deep trembling breath.

  I don't know, Cole. I don't know.

  The night before

  Dark towering clouds filled the sky with incredible speed. The moon and stars erased from the night sky. The clouds seem to tumble and grow with purpose. A lone figure stood upon a hill watching with interest as the clouds swept around them. A flash of lightning punctured the night sky and the figure turned towards it, cocking an ear in its direction. The grumble of thunder reached it. It thought for a few seconds before lifting a leg and hammering on the ground. It waited. Another flash illuminated the sky like a camera flash. The thunder was closer and the creature shook its head. It bashed its foot upon the earth again almost in irritation, almost demandingly. A flash of lightning and crash of thunder occurred simultaneously directly above the hill and the figure crouched reflexively. Shaking its head from the noise the figure stood on wobbly legs. There was no more, the night was silent. The clouds that had appeared so quickly dispersed with equal haste. If any other animals or persons had been around they would have heard a voice whisper.

  “Oh no.” Then the sound of running. Not the running of a human but that of an animal with four legs and great speed. The creature was almost invisible in the dark night, even in the returning light of the moon. It plunged hastily and recklessly through fields and bushes, disturbing cows, horses and nesting birds. A fox that happened to be on the hunt caught its scent and realising who it had smelled decided an easier meal could be found far from here and bounded away.

  On and on, faster and faster it went until it reached home. Panting it leaned on the shoulder of her friend and protector.

  “Plume,” she said breathlessly. “Wake Cast! Wake everyone. Now!” Plume nodded and dashed off into the warren.

  The black rabbit looked up into the night sky and shook her head.

  “Oh Ellie.” Rox sighed.

  III

  Ellie and the Battle

  Prologue

  “Honey?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Where's Ellie?”

  “In her room, I think.”

  Dad walked from the kitchen and down the hall to his daughter's bedroom. She had been quiet and withdrawn for the last few days, and he and Mum were a bit worried. They had just finished moving into their new home in the village. It had been hard work, but Ellie hadn't seemed to enjoy any part of it. It was puzzling Dad, as she would still be going to the same school and see all her friends. He reached her closed door and knocked.

  “Hello.” the muffled response came. He opened the door and popped his head into the room.

  “Can I come in?” he asked softly. Without looking up his daughter nodded. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed staring at a soft toy she held in her hands. Dad entered the room, nudging aside toys and clothes as he made a path to Ellie's bed. He then sat next to her and stroked her hair.

  “What's wrong sweetie?”

  Ellie reached over and took his hand. In it she placed the soft toy. Dad looked down, puzzled at this gesture. In his hand he held his red plush dragon. It normally sat on the headboard of his bed. Mum had bought it for him at a car boot sale last year. The longer he stared at it, the more it seemed real to him. Then suddenly and unexpectedly, tears came to his eyes. He quickly dashed them away and laughed nervously. Ellie was looking at him now and he met her gaze, her face a picture of expectancy and sadness. He coughed and swallowed noisily.

  “I….I don't know why I did that. But suddenly I feel as if something is missing.”

  Ellie nodded.

  “I felt the same when I saw Mum unpacking it. She said to put it back before you missed it.”

  Dad looked back down at the toy dragon and stroked its head.

  “This is important. This meant something.”

  A small smile broke onto Ellie's face and she nodded. He took a deep breath.

  “Okay, tell me.”

  Ellie began.

  Chapter 1

  Every rabbit in the warren was up and about. Cast winced at the noise of hundreds of paws thudding through the tunnels as he made his way slowly to the surface. It had been a long night. Rox had returned and woken them all. Someone very special to them was in danger, a danger so great the world itself was sending a warning. Before leaving the warren to go outside, Cast sat down to catch his breath. He watched rabbits he had known since their birth alongside rabbits that had come forward with his daughter rush past. It made him happy to see his home so full of life again.

  “Cast?” The old rabbit turned his head and saw Plume at the entrance. The young, brown and white rabbit hopped over to Cast.

  “Are you okay?” Plume asked. Cast nodded and placed a paw on Plume's shoulder. He gave the younger rabbit a serious look.

  “Plume. I know we disagree a lot.” Plume nodded. “And we both know you're quick to get angry.” Plume narrowed his eyes. “Not to mention, you do annoy the other rabbits.” Plume stamped on the ground with one paw angrily. “Just remember, you're my daughter's protector. What we're about to do, what we're about to get involved with, will test us all. Promise me you'll look after my daughter.” Plume calmed down and simply nodded, Cast smiled.

  “Good, I'll hold you to that. Now, help an old rabbit up the hill.”

  *

  Fortisan was tired. He hadn't slept for two nights and was currently running down a long, dark tunnel followed by one hundred rabbits. He had been one of the first rabbits to volunteer and bring his small warren forward with Rox the previous season. After the jubilation of saving the world had worn off they faced the task of creating homes for ten thousand rabbits. It didn't matter where these new homes were or where they travelled, they were always connected to Rox's warren. It had taken them eight new moons to reach their new home. They were tired but proud at what they had accomplished. This new land wasn't as lush and green as Rox's home but they had discovered a vast cave system to explore, and that excited Fortisan a lot.

  He and a few others had spent the day exploring the caves and now were heading back to their holes to sleep. In his he found his partner Meena. They curled up together and drifted off to sleep.

  “Fort! Fort!” Fortisan opened his heavy eyes and sighed. He got up slowly and quietly to avoid waking Meena and left the hole.

  “Fort!” he turned and saw Zest, their magic keeper, bounding down the tunnel towards him.

  “Zest! Shush! What's going on?”

  “It's Cast. He's contacted me!” Zest tapped his head indicating what Fortisan already knew. Cast could speak to any magic keeper of a warren, regardless of the distance. Fortisan tapped a paw impatiently.

  “Well?” he prompted Zest.

  “Rox needs you to explore the caves. She needs you to find someone.” Zest explained.

  “But those caves are huge! That could take seasons!” Fortisan protested. Meena had been woken by the commotion and came to stand next to Fortisan. Zest was shaking his head.

  “No, I know who we're looking for. It's Ellie. I can feel where she is.”

  Meena gasped and Fortisan drew himself up, tiredness banished. He had been very impressed by Ellie when he had met her as a rabbit a season ago. This was important.

  “Zest, Meena. Wake everyone. We're heading to the caves.”

/>   *

  If there's one thing I hate, thought Ellie, it's a bully. She looked down at the floor at the expanding puddle of water dripping from her clothes. The second is wet clothes, she concluded. She shivered and Cole wrapped a wing around her, bringing her in close to him. Firstly for warmth and secondly, and more importantly, for protection.

  The trouble had started a few minutes after the black dragon, who they had found out was named Corvus, had ordered the grey dragon to stand guard over them. He had studied them with cold blue eyes and then had given Ellie a look of disgust. It had reminded her of when she had tracked dog poo across the kitchen floor and the expression on Mum's face as she had cleaned the floor and Ellie's shoes. The grey dragon had then set about abusing Cole. Not physically, as Corvus had said they were not to be harmed, but by threatening Cole, calling him names, picking on his size, his colour, his wings, anything. Cole, though, had just sat there calmly, actually looking quite attentively at the grey dragon, almost as if he were listening to an important lesson being taught. That he couldn't get a reaction from Cole infuriated the dragon, if however he had taken the time to look at Ellie again, the dragon would've seen the young girl becoming redder and redder in the face, her fists clenched tightly. In her mind, Cole kept saying:

  It's okay, it's okay. Why does it matter what he says? He may be a big dragon, but he has a small brain!

  But Ellie was too angry to calm down. The fear she had felt earlier was being completely replaced by anger. She would never back away from a bully. She didn't care who, or like now, what they were. She rose and stood in front of Cole. She didn't speak. Ellie looked defiantly at the bigger dragon. The dragon laughed, the sound like a steam train pulling out of the station. He bent his massive head low, face to face with Ellie. The grey dragon opened his mouth slightly and Ellie saw his teeth. They were easily the length of her legs. She also felt his hot breath on her face, it smelled like rotten eggs, making her grimace.

  “What are you going to do about it, runt?”

  Ellie considered her options, and though few in number, decided on what Dad would call the last resort, or desperation. She hooked her elbow back and punched the dragon square on the nose. To Ellie it felt like hitting a warm wall and she snatched her hand back and cradled it against her chest. The effect on the dragon was astonishing and quite spectacular. Though not injured in any way, the grey dragon was shocked to have been hit by something much smaller. He reared back onto his hind legs, his front paws scratching his nose where Ellie had punched him. Then, either through clumsiness or from countless years asleep, he seemed to forget about his tail. His back legs came into contact hard with his tail and then his bulk took over, it started tipping him over backwards. He trumpeted in alarm and quickly spread his enormous wings to try and save his balance. But it was too late to save himself, and the grey dragon went crashing down in a heap. Ellie gasped, eyes widening with shock. She felt a bit guilty. Maybe I should've listened to Cole, she thought. Cole looked at her hand, then her face.

  “Wow!” he exclaimed. Neither noticed the black dragon approaching as they watched the grey dragon untangle his tail from his legs. The next thing Ellie knew she had been plucked up and held high in the air by her feet. She was nose to nose with yet another dragon, only fifty feet in the air this time! She felt the dragon walking as she bobbed up and down and she heard Cole's cry of distress.

  “You will behave!” Corvus roared angrily, and dunked her in the lake.

  Since then, they had both been left alone. The grey dragon had been ordered to join the other dragons, but his eyes never left Ellie or Cole. Ellie shivered and looked around the cave. She knew they had to get away and warn someone. As she was studying the back of the cave for a hole or tunnel in which to escape through, she thought she saw something moving in the dark. It was quite small and was near an opening in the rock wall.

  Cole she thought. Turn around and look at the wall behind us, your eyes are better than mine.

  Cole unfurled his wing from Ellie and looked where she told him. The grey dragon raised his head slightly to see if they were up to no good so Ellie sat down and started wringing her cardigan out.

  There is a hole back there, very small though. Maybe it was a…ohhhh. What's that?

  Cole had shouted the last part and it made her wince. She looked around quickly, her jaw dropping as she realised what she was seeing. Her best guess put their number at about one hundred. A figure came over from the dark and sat next to Cole's body, so it couldn't be seen by the dragons.

  “Hello.” It whispered. “I'm Fortisan, I'm here to help.”

  Ellie almost laughed out loud with relief and joy at the sight of the rabbit sitting next to Cole.

  *

  Fortisan quickly told Ellie and Cole what had been happening. From Rox's conversation with the world to Cast speaking to Zest and telling him how to find them. Fortisan and the rest of his warren were wary of Cole at first but trusted Ellie's reassurances that he was a friend and it was the large group of dragons on the other side of the cave they all had to worry about. Though Ellie was extremely grateful that the rabbits had been looking for her and they wanted to help, she couldn't see what they could do and expressed her concerns to Fortisan. He shrugged and said with a smile.

  “It's not as if we can get you back down that tunnel.” He then turned his gaze on Cole. “Especially him!” Cole snorted and lowered his head so he could talk quietly and unnoticed.

  “I just need a small distraction. Just enough so Ellie can climb onto my back and we can get out of here.” Fortisan looked around the cave, a questioning look on his face as he could not see how they intended to escape.

  “Don't worry, we'll be fine.” Ellie whispered.

  The small rabbit had a good look at the still talking dragons. After a few moments he nodded and then spoke again to Ellie and Cole.

  “Okay. Be ready.” And he started back to the group he had brought along.

  “Fortisan.” Ellie whispered. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. “Thank you and be careful, please.” Fortisan winked and hopped off.

  *

  “Listen to me, Malachite. We know nothing of the human world now. If we try and start a war with them we will be defeated on the first day!” Corvus repeated to the green dragon who had now calmed down and had joined them all. The others nodded in agreement.

  Malachite lifted a leg and pointed with a long claw at the young girl and red dragon. “There's your knowledge. Their minds will tell us part of what we need.” His eyes gleamed viciously. Corvus sighed and lowered his head. It was possible but painful. If Corvus read the minds of either the girl or dragon they would be left empty, no memories, nothing. He looked over his shoulder at them. They were both so young. But what choice did he have? This was about survival. He refused to believe it was revenge. Corvus looked up and just as he was about to order the prisoners over he heard the shuffling of feet down by his paws. He looked down, straight into the eyes of a rabbit. How odd, he thought. Well, I am hungry. Corvus bent his head down until his snout was close to the rabbit's nose. Still the small creature seemed unafraid. The dragon shrugged and started to open his mouth to feed when the rabbit spoke.

  “Hello. I'm Fortisan. How are you?”

  The black dragon huffed a laugh. A talking rabbit!

  “I've never met a talking meal before, little one!” The other dragons began laughing, each sending puffs of black smoke into the air. Fortisan nodded and laughed.

  “That's funny. I've never met a group of overgrown bats before.”

  The laughter stopped but Corvus grinned.

  “Brave words, little rabbit. Do you actually know what I am?”

  “Apart from stupid? Yes, I know you're a dragon. Do you know what I am?”

  The black dragon shook his head in amusement. Fortisan grinned broadly.

  “A distraction!”

  Corvus frowned and then the realisation dawned in his eyes. He snapped his head around to Ellie and Cole, th
ey were no longer backed up against the cave wall and instead they were flying towards the centre of the lake attempting escape!

  “Stop them!” He commanded. As the dragons started turning to give chase, one hundred rabbits began hopping, running and sliding at the dragon's feet causing them to stumble and crash into each other. They tried to crush the little creatures under their large paws but the rabbits were too fast.

  “No!” Corvus screamed as Ellie and Cole reached the centre of the lake and vanished.

  “Out! Out!” Fortisan ordered and the rabbits disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. It had all taken a minute or two to happen. Corvus shook with anger. Clearly they had more than just humans to worry about in this world now.

  *

  That was close!

  I hope Fortisan and his family are okay.

  Me too.

  Ellie?

  Yes.

  They'll be able to follow us back to your home.

  I know.

  Chapter 2

  A human temple stood atop the hill where the rabbits had gathered. It was seven sided and open to the elements. Strong pillars supported a domed roof. Seven small steps led to a carved star in the shiny floor. The people who had asked for it to be built here probably didn't know why or understand why they should have this structure put up, only that they should. Rox knew. This spot was very special. It was one of many points around the world that was a focus for the energy that kept the world alive. Rox hoped that Cast could tap into that energy with his magic and help their friend.

  Rox was nervous as she watched her warren gather on the slopes of the hill. She knew there was danger but not what it was. She wanted her family around to help if needs be. She hopped over to stand under the domed roof of the temple and looked around the surrounding countryside. Behind and to her left were the woods they called home. The hill itself was free from trees and bushes so looking right she could see the coastline and the sea beyond. The sun glared off the water, making her squint. To her front and a distance away was a human house, the owners of which had built the temple.