As if to reinforce her statement, a distant sound echoed through the room from the corridor. It was a high-pitched screech that Simon couldn't identify.
Everyone looked around and Anna shuddered.
“What was that?” she asked in a small voice. “A dragon?”
“I don't know,” Ethmira said and stood up abruptly. “Let's find out, shall we?”
The entire group got up and shuffled around the table to the door. The elf led the way back toward the main cavern and they all entered and moved to stand in the center of the large space, listening intently.
The sunlight filtering through the holes in the ceiling was cut off for a second and then brightened again and everyone looked up.
“Something just flew by over the hill,” Ethmira said tensely.
Another screech rang out, this one from above them. It was cut off abruptly and then a deafening roar echoed through the cavern and Anna and Gerard clapped their hands over their ears.
“Dragon,” Liliana spat and scowled upward as if she could see through solid rock.
“Dragon, yes,” Daniel said but then he cocked his head to one side, looking perplexed. “But something else as well. It sounds like there's a battle going on up there.”
Ethmira looked at the group.
“Can any of you use a bow?” she asked hurriedly.
“I can,” Eric volunteered. “I've gone out with the other hunters after game.”
“Excellent. Anyone else?”
“I prefer the sword, but I can use a bow if the situation calls for it,” Liliana told her, sounding less than enthusiastic about it.
“Good. Could you both come with me, please? I have a cache of weapons stored near the meeting room. If we are facing dragons, lady paladin, I doubt that your sword will be of much use. A bow, especially one of elven make, can penetrate even a dragon's hide.”
Liliana's eyes lit up at the thought and she smiled grimly.
“Lead the way,” she said and the three of them hurried from the room.
“I'm going out to the entrance to see what's going on,” Simon told the rest of the group. “Daniel, I don't mean to be insulting, but your...physical condition slows you down, so if you would, I'd like you to remain here until I get back.”
“He means I'm an old man,” Daniel said grumpily.
Virginia chuckled but looked at him sympathetically.
“Fine, I'll wait here. Keep your dead down.”
“I will,” the wizard replied with a wink. “Be back in a bit.”
He glanced quickly at Virginia, Anna and Gerard and nodded and then trotted out of the cavern and down the tunnel toward the entrance.
When he spotted daylight ahead, Simon slowed down and cautiously crept forward, looking up until he got a glimpse of blue sky through the branches of the trees. He stopped just inside the tunnel and scanned the forest, looking for any movement.
Everything was quiet but he felt a sense of unease. The trees seemed to be engulfed in a brooding silence and the wizard instinctively held up his staff and rattled off the incantation for his Shield spell.
“Invectis,” he whispered and saw the air around him quiver in response. Then he looked up again, watching the sky.
Sometimes instinct is all we have to rely on, Simon thought later when he'd had a chance to reflect on why he cast a shield at that exact moment. But whether accident, fate or sheer dumb luck, it saved his life that day.
He heard a hollow, reverberating sound above his head and to the left, like wind being sucked up through a massive tube and turned to see what the sound was.
A huge gout of black, smoking liquid sprayed down over him, drenching the rocky walls and the sandy ground and sending up intense fumes of gray smoke. It was followed by a massive roar and the huge head of a brown dragon shot down toward him, its mouth gaping open.
All Simon saw was row upon row of six-inch fangs as he reacted by throwing himself backwards down the tunnel. The dragon's head slammed into the gap in the rock and filled the space from one side to the other. It squirmed and snapped at him in a frantic effort to reach him and green blood ran down the sides of its scaly head as it tore skin off in an effort to rip him apart.
The wizard scrambled backwards on his hands and then rolled over and leaped up. He managed to get his legs under him and staggered back toward the cavern just as the dragon vomited more acid at him, fortunately coming up short, but leaving the ground pitted with holes and smoking craters as the liquid ate its way through the sandy surface.
As he turned a corner of the tunnel, Simon's shield flickered, spluttered a bit and then collapsed in a shower of sparks. The acid bath had been too much for it but it had done its job and saved his life.
Without his shield, the smoke and stench from the acid attack burned his lungs and the wizard staggered into the cavern hacking and coughing, his stomach threatening to spew its contents everywhere.
“My God, Simon, what happened?” Virginia cried out.
The group rushed forward and Gerard and Virginia each took an arm and helped the wizard to move to the nearest wall and slide down it. He sat on the sandy ground and leaned forward, coughing violently for a few minutes while Virginia gently patted his back.
“Anna,” Daniel said. “Could you go into that alcove there and get Simon some water please?”
She looked at him with wide, frightened eyes but nodded and hurried away, seemingly happy to have something to do. While she was gone, Simon finally caught his breath and then leaned back against the wall, sucking in deep breaths of fresh air.
“What's happened?” Ethmira called out as she, Liliana and Gerard entered the cavern. All three were carrying bows and had quivers of arrows strapped to their hips.
They hurried over to join the others standing around Simon, while Anna reappeared and pushed through the group to offer the wizard a cup of water.
“Thanks,” he gasped and took a few tentative sips, afraid that it might set off another round of coughing. But the cool liquid soothed his throat and settled his stomach and he emptied the cup before trying to speak.
“Dragon attack,” he was finally able to say in a raspy voice. “At the entrance. It was waiting in ambush.”
“In ambush?” Ethmira repeated in disbelief.
Simon nodded.
“But then, that means they know we're here,” she continued.
“They must have followed us, somehow,” Virginia said, shaking her head. “Damn it.”
“But how? We didn't see any dragons on the way,” Anna said tremulously.
“They could easily have been lurking in the trees beneath you as you flew over,” Daniel told them. “Easily. These brown dragons are sly, intelligent. And apparently,” he looked down at Simon, “patient. Instead of trying to break into these caves, they planned an ambush, made some noise above us to flush us out and simply waited to spring it. Crafty buggers.”
Simon leaned back against the wall, braced his hands on it and pushed himself up. As he staggered, Eric stepped forward and held his arm until he regained his balance.
“Thanks,” he told the tall young man, who only smiled tightly in reply.
“Sir wizard, I am beyond pleased that you survived that ambush,” Liliana told him. “But exactly how did you do that?”
Simon shrugged and futilely ran a hand through his short hair.
“Instinct? Experience? No idea. But for some reason, I cast a Shield spell just as I reached the exit. Saved my life.”
“Well, hang on to that instinct then,” she said with a crooked smile. “We may need it in the future.”
“Speaking of futures,” Virginia said as she looked at the tunnel. “Do we even have one? I mean, how the hell do we get out of here with a dragon squatting at the exit?”
“Ethmira, is there another way out of here?” Simon asked.
“Naturally,” the elf replied. “I would never choose a refuge without an emergency exit.”
A roar echoed down from above and Anna
shrieked. All of them looked up at the holes in the ceiling just in time to see fat droplets of dark liquid begin to rain down into the cavern.
“Acid!” Simon bellowed as the sand below the ceiling began to bubble and fuse into pools of scummy glass.
He turned to the elf.
“Let's get out of here, right now!” he told her.
She didn't hesitate.
“Follow me!” she barked and raced to the opposite end of the cavern and down the tunnel that led to the meeting room.
The others followed quickly, Simon lagging behind so that he could stay close to Daniel in case he needed any help.
His old friend smiled at him grimly, obviously aware of what the wizard was doing, and ran as quickly as he could.
The others got further away and turned a corner, disappearing from view, as the two friends tried to keep up.
“Go on ahead, you idiot,” Daniel gasped as he trotted along unsteadily.
“Not without you, dumb ass,” Simon replied.
The two of them exchanged broad grins and kept moving gamely along.
Shouts and screams from up ahead brought them to a stumbling halt and Daniel leaned against the wall of the corridor, gasping for breath.
“Go and see what's happening,” he wheezed. “And don't argue! I'll be along as soon as I catch my breath.”
Simon squeezed his thin arm and then took off down the hallway.
At the end, the tunnel took an abrupt right-handed turn and he literally bounced off of the wall with his shoulder as he took the corner and then stopped, skidding on the sandy floor.
Ethmira and the others were backing down the tunnel toward him, almost tripping over each other as they scrambled to retreat from a narrow opening about fifty feet ahead.
Simon could see the trunks of trees through the gap but a moving shadow darkened the exit and a low rumbling reverberated in the air.
“Let me guess,” he said quietly as the group backed up to his position. “Dragon?”
“Got it in one,” Gerard said under his breath. “We saw it landing just as we reached the opening, but the noise it made as it crashed through the trees must have covered our reaction, because it hasn't attacked. It's just...waiting.”
“God, it's like a cat waiting at a mouse hole,” Eric muttered. “What the hell do we do now?”
Simon looked at all of their faces, gauging their emotional state.
Virginia looked calm, as always. She was the rock of her group and he'd never worried about her ability to face any challenge.
Anna, like Gerard beside her, was shaking, but she kept glancing at Virginia. It seemed that she took strength from her friend's calm demeanor and was staying in control because of it.
Eric wasn't calm. Instead, he looked furious and scowled darkly at the distant shadow.
Better anger than fear, Simon thought. At least I hope so.
Ethmira and Liliana were both poised and waiting, taking in the situation but in control of their emotions.
“I have an idea,” the wizard said after his assessment.
Everyone turned to look at him, most of them looking hopeful.
“But it's going to be up to you four to decide if you want to go through with it,” he added.
Virginia looked at him levelly.
“Go ahead, Simon. I've come to realize that you're a fairly decent tactician, from what you've faced in the past.”
Daniel limped around the corner at that moment, saw them all standing in a bunch and looked past them to the end of the tunnel.
“Ah, a welcoming party,” he said flatly. “I wish I could say I was surprised.”
“I would like to know how they found this exit,” Ethmira said angrily. “From outside, it is very hard to spot.”
“Doesn't matter,” Simon told her. “We have to deal with the here and now. And right here and now we have to get out of this place. It isn't a refuge now; it's a trap.”
“Agreed. So what's the plan?” Virginia asked.
“I think that it's time for you guys to use your powers the way they were meant to be used. Eric, your Shield spell is stronger than mine, which means that it will protect you all from the dragon's acid attack for at least a few minutes, if necessary. Anna, I don't know if the dragon can see through your Invisibility spell or not, but I'm guessing it can't, so we can use that as the element of surprise. And Gerard, your Force spell is what we need most now. You will use it on the dragon and turn its own powers against it. All dragons are vulnerable to their own strengths; I've learned that much over the past two years. So now, we use that knowledge and kill that thing.”
The four of them were staring at him, Anna and Gerard open-mouthed. Eric was actually smiling in anticipation while Virginia looked thoughtful.
“Do you actually believe that Gerard's spell can kill a dragon?” she asked in a level voice.
“No, I don't,” Simon answered. “But I do think that it can do what I said it can, turn the dragon's powers against itself.”
“How?” Gerard asked nervously.
“Like this. You four link up as usual. Eric casts his shield and then Anna turns all of you invisible. You exit the tunnel and get as close to that monster as you can. Hopefully it won't detect you. I recommend moving as quietly as possible. When you get within range, say ten yards or so, Anna will drop her spell.”
“What?” Anna squealed and then clapped her hands over her mouth as she looked fearfully down the tunnel. When there was no reaction from the unseen dragon, she dropped her hands and stared at Simon as if he'd lost his mind.
“Are you kidding me?” she asked in a harsh whisper. “If I cancel the Invisibility spell, we'll be exposed and that thing will attack!”
“Exactly,” Simon told her with a grim smile. “And when it does, Gerard, you will send its acidic attack right back at it.”
“I like it,” Eric said after a long pause. “Simple, direct, like all the best plans are.”
“Oh yeah?” Anna turned to glare at him and the young man stepped back warily. “It's also crazy.”
“Again, like the best plans,” he said with a gleam in his eye.
Virginia held up a hand to interrupt the argument and then looked at Simon closely.
“And you're sure this will work?”
“Honestly? No. That's why this is all up to you guys. All for one and all that. If you decide not to try it, I won't think any less of you. Instead, we'll have to go with option number two,” and he nodded significantly at the bows that Ethmira, Liliana and Eric were holding.
“Oh gees,” Gerard muttered hopelessly.
“There is a third alternative,” Daniel said as he watched Simon.
“Which is?” the wizard asked while everyone looked at the older man hopefully.
“We could just Gate out of here, couldn't we?”
There was a moment of silence and then Simon sighed and shook his head.
“I'm afraid not, old friend. I may have enough energy to Gate once, but then I'll probably collapse. And just where would I Gate to? The only location I know of in this world is the point where we entered the elven realm. And the last time we did that, we were attacked immediately by a dragon. That time I was able to fight it. But the next time? I won't have enough strength left to do anything.”
There was a collective sigh from Anna and Gerard and Simon smiled at them in sympathy.
“Add to that the fact that I can only Gate six people at a time, maximum. Which means I'd have to leave one of you behind. And I'll tell you all right now; I won't do that. Sorry.”
A rumble from the end of the tunnel made them all look in that direction nervously. The shadow of the hidden dragon moved for a moment and then was still again.
“It may be able to smell us,” Daniel whispered as he watched the distant shadow.
“Possibly. I think we need to make some decisions right now,” Ethmira said. “I'd rather attack while that thing doesn't know we're here. If we're lucky, we may get a few arrows in its
eyes. Might give us a chance to slip by it.”
“Doubtful,” Liliana said as she held up her bow and examined it. She nodded in approval. “But it's worth taking the chance. Even if we fall, Simon and the others might be able to get out while we have the beast distracted.”
“That won't be necessary,” Virginia said firmly. They all looked at her and she smiled calmly. “What is the point of having these powers of we don't use them for the good of others? Guys,” she turned to her friends. “We have to do this, don't we? If we don't try and Ethmira and Liliana die because of it, will any of you be able to live with yourselves afterward? Because I won't.”
“But, Ginny,” Anna began to say.
Virginia shook her head.
“No buts, sweetie. Time to grow up and do our part. If any of you say no, then it's no. But think of the consequences before you do.”
Simon and the others watched while the four friends exchanged uncertain glances. Eric finally just rolled his eyes.
“Can we just get on with this please? That thing out there is going to sense us eventually and then we'll lose the element of surprise. Anna, we can do this. All together.”
The slight woman frowned at him and then let out a long sigh.
“Fine then. I still think this is nuts but I trust Virginia.” She smiled shyly at Simon. “I trust you too. If you think that we can do this, then maybe we can. Let's get on with it, guys.”
Virginia gave her a one-armed hug and then looked questioningly at Gerard, who grinned nervously.
“Okay, why not? Who wants to live forever anyway, right?”
Eric gave him a clout on the shoulder and grinned.
“That's my boy,” he said and Gerard managed to chuckle a bit.
“Before we do this, Simon,” Ethmira said. Everyone quieted down to listen. “I'd like to know what happens if this works. Where do you want to go afterwards?”
“If it works,” Simon said grimly, “the dragon will be dead. The primal brown will know instantly that one of its servants has been killed. Remember, it thinks that the biggest threats to it have been eliminated. I would guess that the primal will be shocked, then enraged. It will come here to find out what happened.”
“Okay. And that's a good thing?” Virginia asked, her face suddenly pale.
The Dragons of Decay Page 39