by J. Axbridge
“Mummies,” he yelled frantically. “There are Mummies in here!”
That news caught all of our attention and we ran to the boulder and took turns peeking in.
“We cannot disturb them, this may be a thousand year old sacred burial tomb,” Mayumi said, peering through the triangular opening trying to take in the whole room. “And those cannot be real mummies, look at the size of them . . . unless mummies are eight feet tall.”
“Who cares about their size, what if the only way to get out of this place is through that room?” I asked.
“Come on. I’ve never seen a real mummy up close. Can’t we go in? PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASSSSSE!” Ethan begged.
“Really . . . , do we have to go in there? You know it’s probably not the smartest thing to do especially if those things are like, huge,” Victoria added, with Caelyn nodding her head in agreement with her twin as usual. “I mean, someone did place a large boulder in the way for a reason.”
“Hey, we’re the freaking Allisters remember, we’re not even humans . . . Those mummies got nothing on us,” Arthur pushed lightly on the boulder seeing if it would budge.
“You are human Arthur, at least partly anyway.” Mayumi shook her head.
Arthur was determined, “Just get with the program people. We’ve survived the end of the world, hiking hundreds of miles, crossing uncross-able bridges, falling off mountains, climbing through dark caves and then going down some crazy underground rapids. If we can do all that then surely we’ll be able to make it through a room full of ‘dummies’,” Arthur said sarcastically. “I mean . . . come on! You two are fairies; we’re freaking werewolves and WE HAVE A FREAKING HUNTRA WITH US. What have we got to lose?”
“Mummies, THEY’RE MUMMIES you idiot, not dummies. You’re the dummy!” Ethan spat back annoyed with his brother’s sarcasm.
“Alright enough, but before I agree to going in there we must search around the rest of the lake first for other possible exit ways,” Mayumi looked at everyone for an argument, but without so much as a peep she paired everyone off. “Arthur, please go with Victoria, I will go with Caelyn, and Addie take Ethan. Meet back here soon and do not go down any tunnels or wander off. If we do not find anything then we can discuss moving this boulder.” Seeing no disagreement Mayumi tugged Caelyn’s shirt as she walked by heading around the cool neon green and blue waters. The rest of us followed suit heading in different directions to search the cave properly for a different way out.
Chapter 56 - The Real World
Adelaide
We were all cold, damp and rather muddy from climbing rocks searching for other ways out of the cavern when we’d returned to the boulder to make a decision on what to do. From our explorations around the neon waters, reality had set in. There were only two ways to exit this place. Either climb back up the waterfall we were spat from or trying the passageway covered by the large boulder, if we could even move it?
“Well that’s it then,” Arthur stared at the gushing waterfall. “We have no choice but to move the boulder, there’s no way we can get out the same way we came in, unless you can fly.”
On cue we all turned and looked nervously at the enormous rock blocking our only possible passageway out. I’m positive the others were thinking the exact same thing I was. How in the world are we going to move this thing?
“No need to worry,” Arthur blurted out as if he’d read my mind. “I’ll take care of this one,” He spoke in a deep voice as if he were a super hero. “Please, step back. We don’t want anyone hurt now, do we?” To stay in character he smiled like a cheesy super hero and winked.
“Oh brother,” Mayumi choked out a laugh, “I thought you were passed the cocky attitude. Do not make me hate you . . . and please do not hurt yourself.”
Arthur winked again, this time trying to look suave before taking a deep breath, bracing his feet on the damp rock floor and pushing hard. He pushed until his face turned a beet red and sweat began to puddle on his forehead.
“Not impressive Arthur,” Caelyn quipped after a moment of watching Arthur grunt and groan, putting her hands on her hips, mimicking her twin, Victoria.
“And your girlfriend’s watching too,” Victoria smirked, teasing him.
Arthur ignored their childish comments and stayed silent, looking as if he was about to explode when his arms began to shake. But instead of bursting or giving up, he looked as if he was actually gaining strength.
Suddenly, like he’d got a second wind, the boulder ever so slowly began to move and then miraculously rolled out of the passageway entrance emitting a noise similar to an old rusted sliding door screeching in pain being open for the first time in years.
“WOW that made my heart pump. Did you see me move that thing?” He said, as if even he was amazed. Then he glanced at his muscles, flexing them as the boulder rolled to a stop leaving the room wide open for us to explore.
“Really . . . you are not Thor, Arthur; you are just a half breed. Get over yourself already,” Mayumi grinned. “But hey, those muscles do suit you.” Arthur turned red with embarrassment as Mayumi did a once over of his bulging muscles still grinning. It was enough to make me puke and I turned away pretending to gage.
“Ladies first,” Arthur motioned, but quickly stepped in front of Mayumi as she was about to enter and he walked in first. Sighing, Mayumi shook her head then followed him in, followed by the rest of us one by one into the room that was dimly lit from the neon waters outside.
Ethan was so excited you’d think Christmas came early when he shouted, “Welcome to The Mummy Room,” as he entered. It was the name he had officially given the room claiming he was the first explorer to ever discover it.
“We need to be careful, there could be booby-traps, DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING!” I reminded the group over and over. “Do I sound like mom or what?” I added to no one in particular.
“Got it, Indiana Joanie,” Arthur sarcastically snapped an invisible whip with his right hand. “Don’t touch anything.”
Ethan once again, inquisitive as ever and on his own was so enthralled with the large mummies that he was already kneeling down next to one examining it closely the way a doctor would look over a patient with a broken bone. “This is really weird. It’s not like the mummies I’ve read about. These mummies are big, really big and they look like they’re wrapped in a brown, leathery material, not the white gauze type wrappings I’ve seen in books.”
“Come on, forget about the stupid mummies.” Yelled Victoria.
“Yeah, help us find a way out Ethan!” Caelyn sounded annoyed and not to thrilled to be in the Mummy Room at all.
The twins’ uncomfortable and slightly frightened expressions on their faces spoke volumes as they kept glancing back at the mummies in the middle of the room as if they’d come alive and attack us like in the horror movies.
“WHOH, HOLY—SHIT!” Arthur shouted. “That freaking mummy moved, right there!” He pointed to the one nearest him.
“Stop teasing the twins’ you idiot!” I hollered from across the room. “They’re scared enough as it is!”
“Arthur, you have watched too many horror movies?” Mayumi yelled, her voice echoing throughout the room before turning her attention back to the walls, pushing and prodding, searching for a secret exit.
“Ethan, you like this freaky weird stuff. Go ahead - poke one, see if it moves?” Arthur egged our little brother on the only way annoying older brothers can.
“Addie told us not to touch anything,” Caelyn said angrily staring at her brothers. “And that obviously includes the mummies!”
“Don’t even think about it Ethan,” Victoria scolded him.
“What, is my widdle brodher scared?” Arthur prodded further.
Ethan never being one to back down to his brother’s challenges simply smirked at the twins and cautiously poked the leather like wrappings with his index finger. “See Arthur, nothing happened, they’re not moving they’re dead mummies. And you’re a dummy.”
“TOUC
H ME AGAIN AND YOU WILL HAVE BREATHED YOUR LAST BREATH - HUMAN!” Suddenly a loud, wispy voice rang out from underneath the leather wrappings.
Ethan screamed in fright, stumbling backwards landing on his butt hard. The twins’ terrified screams repeated over and over like they were in a bad horror movie while Arthur, Mayumi and I shouted out mouthfuls of expletives as we grabbed our weapons ready to defend ourselves from the wakening mummies.
“Move over here Ethan,” I hastily motioned for my little brother to back up next to me.
Quieting down in shock, we watched in terror as large leather wrappings slowly folded back and opened up. Immediately we realized that those leathery things weren’t wrappings at all; they were wings, long dark leathery wings. At least ten feet in length they were attached to the back of a dark greenish creature as tall as the wings wide, unnervingly similar to humans except covered in thick brownish/green scales from head to toe with a line of small spikes over its head.
“What - the hell - is that?” Arthur mouthed to Mayumi who slowly shook her head left to right twice, confirming she had no clue at all.
“I have never seen or heard of one of these things before,” she whispered to Arthur and me.
Slowly the imposing creature stood and faced Ethan and myself. Towering over us, its deep set eyes the color of flames peered down menacingly.
“Attack me and I will kill you!” Its slow raspy voice hissed as the creature looked around the room at the six of us before asking, “Why did you wake me?”
“Sorry, that was um.., an accident. I thought you were a mummy?” Ethan raised his eyebrows, seeming more curious than afraid. “You’re like the drawings I saw outside this room on the cave wall, aren’t you?” He asked, leaving me to wonder where all this bravado he’d had kept coming from.
“Boy, for such a young human you do not seem afraid of me? Why are you here boy?” The creature asked Ethan, clearly intrigued by his youth and fearlessness.
“Um, we were searching for a way out of this cave and accidently fell in the rapids out there and it took us here.”
The creature’s flickering eyes scanned our group slowly once more.
“What are you?” Arthur asked, breaking the silence.
The creature’s head swiveled fast, turning to face Arthur, “Are you here to kill us?” Hissed the flame eyed creature.
“Kill you? Why would we want to kill you?” Arthur asked with confusion. “We don’t even know you?”
“WHY KILL US?” bellowed the creature, “Because that’s what humans have always done, hunt us and kill us. They tell grandiose stories of fire breathing creatures larger than the giant oaks to scare everyone and then send out hunting parties to slaughter us. Come to our homes, the caves to trap and commit murder. We are the last of our kind and now you have searched us out to SLAY US!” The creature yelled with rage.
“No, wait, hold on! We did not search you out,” Arthur said quickly. “We are only trying to escape some crazy people who are trying to kill the six of us. We fell into some rapids like my brother Ethan said and it brought us here. That’s it, that’s the truth!” Arthur finished, hoping his story would suffice. “And look at your size; you think we could actually kill you?"
“HOLY BALONEY, YOU, YOU ARE A DRAGON!” Ethan spat out excitedly. “YOU’RE A REAL LIVING DRAGON! Well not like the dragons I’ve read about in books, but YOU’RE A DRAGON!”
“The boy is the smartest one here! We are not just dragons,” The dragon creature motioned to the others still lying on the cold rock floor. “We are ‘GuDra’; the last of, ‘The Draco’; we are the protectors of our race. For the rest of the world above us, we are only stories, not real. Only one human knew that we still existed and he would visit us every three human years and tell us stories about what had become of the world above.
“What is a ‘GuDra’?” Ethan asked, smiling like a kid having found hidden treasure.
“GuDra means – ‘Guardian Dragons.’ It’s our purpose, it’s what we do. We protect and we guard.”
Slowly each of the other dragons started to wake. Their wings would fold back and they’d stand facing us with their fiery eyes flickering.
“Are you guarding something now? Is that why you never leave this place?” Ethan asked, surely wondering if they were guarding some sort of pirate or medieval treasure.
But the GuDra didn’t answer; they only stared in absolute silence.
“Listen, we are not here to harm you. We only need a way out. Can you please help us with that?” Mayumi asked, politely bowing her head as I continued to watch the unreal scene unfold before us, speechless.
“First my young female human, we know nothing of you, who you are? Where do you come from and why you are here? Next, what will you give us in return for letting you live?” The apparent leader of the dragons replied.
Before Mayumi could answer, I knew it was my turn. As bravely as possible I stepped forward. “My name is Adelaide Allister, this is my brother Arthur,” I pointed at Arthur and he nodded. “These are my twin sisters Victoria and Caelyn,” each one waved tentatively towards the GuDra trying to hold brave faces. “And this is my youngest brother Ethan, the one who woke you . . .” Ethan smiled wide. “And over there is our friend Mayumi.” She bowed deeply once more then politely nodded to them.
“The reason we’re here is that our friend, who was a werewolf, was killed by vampires. Before he died he gave us a map that would lead us west to safety and also directions to something called,” I paused thinking whether I should tell them about the book or not but figured what the hell, they live down here so what would it matter. “‘The Book of Symbols,’ this is the truth, I swear to you. We mean you no harm; we are on our own quest.” I told them everything I could think of in the spur of the moment, hoping that with it all on the table the GuDra would let the six of us go on our way without any trouble.
“The Book of Symbols you say?” The lead GuDra hissed and raised its scaly eyebrows in surprise. “I’ve heard of this book, it’s an ancient book. Your friend who died . . . , you said he was a werewolf. Was he aged?”
“Aged, you mean old, yes he was aged and his name was Alexander Braddock,” I replied.
“Braddock! He was the human who visited us. A brave, kind and smart human, he would teach us your modern ways and language.” The dragon paused, “He’s dead?” The GuDra leader asked with mistrust in his fiery eyes.
“Yes, he’s dead . . .” I said sadly, “Did the Elder Wolf really teach you our ways? Is this how you know about The Book of Symbols and how to speak our language?” I asked curiously.
“That is not your business human girl . . . but in return let me ask you. Why do you seek this ‘Book’? Nothing good will come of it, and only death will hunt its keepers.”
At that question I looked nervously to Mayumi and Arthur not sure if we should tell the GuDra our secrets. Mayumi noticing my concern stepped beside me and took over once again.
“You see Sir. May I call you Sir?” Mayumi bowed deeply again.
“Call me Ravot!” The dragon hissed.
“Yes . . . , Ravot. The world we knew and what you were told of is gone. The humans are no longer in control, most have died but some have been infected and are dangerous, we call those humans ‘Red Eyes’. Also there are these creatures called vampires who are trying to take the world over. They are fast and very disgusting and drink human blood to survive. They are now turning what is left of the human race into vampires so their numbers grow larger every day as the human population disappears from the face of the earth. . .”
Mayumi waited for a response, yet seeing none she continued. “The reason my friends and I are searching for ‘The Book of Symbols’ is to keep it safe before the vampires find it and use it to kill those of us who are still alive and fighting to stop them from ruling what is left of the world above.”
Ravot listened in silence until Mayumi was finished. “These ‘vampires’ as you call them. Who is their leader?”
; “His name is Lawrence Karayan and that thing is one hundred percent pure evil. That is why we need to get out of this place and find that book before he does,” Mayumi stood tall and brave. I now understood why she was so confident in high school and basically wasn’t afraid of anything. She was a true, honest to God, throwback warrior queen and it was no wonder Arthur was in love with her.
Ravot paused closing his eyes a moment. When they reopened they were lit with flames. “KILL THEM - KILL THEM ALL - THEY ARE LIARS!” He hissed savagely.
Each GuDra closed their eyes momentarily before reopening them with their eyes ablaze. Slowly they encircled Mayumi and then the rest of us who now cowered together in the middle of the room with no possible way of escape from the large dragons. This was our end, at the hands or rather the fire of a dragon. Who’d ever have guessed that in a million years? Images of my parents and Jax floated through my mind as I decided that I wanted to die at peace and not be afraid of what was ahead.
I couldn’t help but watch as Ravot opened his mouth and burning red flames shot out, the other GuDra followed suit and I turned away as fire streams shot from all directions encompassing us. There was nowhere for us to run, the flames engulfed us too quickly and the GuDra breathed out their deathly fire until they knew we were mere human ashes. Yet, as the flames continued to spray I found I was still able to think and was in no pain, I was still alive somehow. Warm, yes - but definitely not dead burnt to a human potato crisp. Or at least I didn’t think I was?
Ravot ceased his stream first and the other GuDra followed suit one by one. To his surprise and ours, we were still alive, including Mayumi; none of us had been burned in the least. Victoria and Caelyn were sitting holding hands weeping softly with their eyes closed in the middle of our small circle. Arthur and Ethan had their hands over their faces and backs turned to where the streams of flames came from, covering the twins. Only I and Mayumi stood and stared at the GuDra, our faces in utter surprise.