The True Dragon

by Andy Holland

  "Run!" Natan cried, sprinting past her and kicking up mud from his feet. Crystal snapped back to life and took to her heels, running as fast as she could after him. Natan was already twenty metres ahead of her. How could he run so quickly? He didn't look back once to see how she was, but then she couldn't blame him. This was her bright idea and even if he had wanted to, there was nothing he could do to help her. Just fifty metres to go now and Natan was almost at the cave entrance. He didn't pause, running straight inside. A horrible thought came into her head. Suppose there wasn't a tunnel at all, just a shallow hole? The True Dragon would have no trouble getting at them. But Natan hadn't reappeared, so he must have gone somewhere. She just had to keep running. Only twenty metres to go. She glanced back and barely suppressed a scream. The huge black True Dragon was bearing down on her and would be on top of her in a few seconds. She didn't know where she found the energy from, but she managed to put on one last burst of speed, dashing towards the cave.

  "Run!" Natan screamed. She couldn't see him very well in the gloomy cave but could make out movement inside. But she was going to make it! Then, just as she reached the cave entrance, to her horror, she realised that three people were waiting there! Had the Blue Dragons been waiting for them? She couldn't stop even if she wanted to, her momentum carrying her forward into cave entrance where strong hands grabbed her arms and pulled her inside. Two men lifted her from the ground as if she were a small child, rushing her away from the entrance. They didn't act a moment too soon. A huge clawed foot smashed into the cave just behind them, spraying rock and earth everywhere. If she hadn’t been so out of breath, she would have screamed, but she physically couldn’t. Despite being showered in dirt, the two men who carried her didn't pause for a second, half dragging, half carrying her further into the dark tunnel as quickly as they could. It was just as well they did. The clawed foot withdrew, tearing away great chunks of the rock to widen the entrance, before plunging back into the hole, frantically grasping at empty air as it narrowly missed them yet again.

  That was the creature’s last attempt to reach them, but the two men carried her a lot further into the tunnel before daring to put her down. She collapsed onto the hard tunnel floor, exhausted and having no energy to put up a fight if that was what was required. One of the men bent down beside her, holding a torch in his left hand and extending his right to her.

  "That was unbelievably stupid! What were you thinking? And what are you doing in the Circle?"

  Crystal looked up at him and was overjoyed to discover that they weren’t Blue Dragons! "You're a Golden Dragon," she gasped dumbly, still trying to catch her breath.

  "And so are you," the man replied as he helped her to her feet.

  "Well, a close approximation," Natan said with a chuckle. "You have no idea how glad we are to see you."

  "You haven't answered our question," a second Golden Dragon pointed out. "You were lucky not to be killed back there. Why were you screaming like that? Surely you must have known that would attract the True Dragons?"

  "We were being pursued," Crystal replied. "Ten Blue Dragons, General Perak's men. They would have killed us if we hadn't called out to the True Dragons. Unless that True Dragon got them they're still out there."

  The first man whistled in surprise. "General Perak, eh? That's a name we hear a lot about, but I'm surprised you have heard of him. You had better tell us everything. Perhaps you should begin with your names. I'm Captain Amos, and my friend is called Caleb."

  "I'm Crystal, and this is Natan," Crystal replied. "We were exploring the city under the ruins with our friend, John, but Perak was waiting for us. John collapsed the entrance to the city so that we could get away, but he is still in there with Perak. His men were waiting outside, and we've been running from them ever since."

  Amos frowned, looking unconvinced. "A city underneath those ruins? I've never heard of there being a city there, and if there was, it should connect to these tunnels, which it doesn’t, as far as we can tell. And why would General Perak be waiting for you? No offence intended, but you look like you're barely adults."

  "John was the one who led the True Dragons to attack their army," Crystal explained. "Perak wants revenge. We must go and help him."

  Caleb's eyes widened. "Oh. That John. We've all heard of him. I guess that does explain Perak's interest."

  "Although we had no idea he was here in the Circle," Amos pointed out. "There are still quite a few of us in the Circle so he should really have come and found us first. Look, as much as I would love to help your friend, you've blocked this tunnel. The True Dragon has collapsed the roof back there, and there's no way out that way. Don't worry, we aren't trapped, but it'll be a long walk before we can reach the next exit. I'm afraid that we won't get back to help your friend till dawn."

  "What?" Crystal cried. "But Perak is trying to kill John. We have to help him."

  The two Golden Dragons exchanged uneasy glances before Caleb replied. "I'm not sure how much you know about General Perak, but he's a ruthless killer. Even his own people are terrified of him. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but your friend is almost certainly already dead."

  Chapter 15: Trapped

  It took a minute for the dust to settle inside the Lost City and for a moment, John and Perak just stood and stared at each other. Perak snarled at him menacingly.

  "Do you think you've saved your friends?" he hissed. "My men are not far away, and that noise should bring them running. They'll finish them for me. All you've done is deprive me of the pleasure of killing them. I'll just have to make do with you."

  John watched as Perak slowly drew his sword from its dark leather scabbard. He had no weapon of his own and even if he had, he doubted that he would be a match for Perak. They stood just several metres apart, and Perak appeared in no rush to finish the job, smiling cruelly as he displayed the lethal blade.

  "I've also trapped you," John replied, trying to sound calmer than he was. "Worm Dragons always have collapsible tunnel entrances like that, in case they need to keep out attackers. That was the only way in or out. For you. I can burrow out as a Worm Dragon. Kill me, and you're trapped in here for ever. We'll both die down here."

  "I doubt it," Perak replied dismissively. "I studied the maps outside. There are a few places it looks like you can get out. I can kill you quite safely."

  "Good luck with that," John replied before running and jumping from the platform and heading for one of the side streets.

  Perak called after him. "And I thought you would die with some dignity, John. I guess we'll have to do this the hard way."

  John didn't look back. From what he had heard about Perak, he was an excellent athlete and wouldn't struggle to keep up with him. He threw his torch away, heading into the darkness. The city was still lit by the torches he had put on the wall by the entrance, and miraculously they were both still burning despite the collapse of the entrance tunnel. He turned left down a side passage, then took the second turning on the right.

  "I can hear you!" Perak called mockingly from somewhere behind him. "You don't really think you can get away do you?"

  John carried on running, trying to put as much distance between him and Perak as he could. He turned again, taking a wide road to the left. The buildings all looked the same in the dim light, and he would struggle to remember his way back, although of course, there was no way back as he'd destroyed that way out. He wondered if Perak was right; could they get out of here? They had walked down hundreds of steps to get down here, and it would be almost impossible for him to dig his way back out, especially if he didn't know which way to go. He wished he'd looked at that map before coming in.

  He turned right again and stopped for a second to catch his breath. He could hear Perak's footsteps echoing through the city. He didn't sound like he was running that quickly, but John couldn't tell how far away he was.

  "Taking a break, John?" Perak called, still mocking him. If he had been running, he didn't sound out of breath. "Or are you
actually trying to hide?" Do you realise how futile that is?"

  John grimaced. Perak was just playing with him. Even if John were well he wouldn't stand a chance; Perak was several inches taller and was in perfect physical condition. He had studied the map of the city and knew where he was, but John was just guessing. He could be heading into a dead end. John ran forward again. Even if it was certain that Perak would catch him, he wasn't going to make it easy.

  John moved on at a slower pace. Even if he had the energy to continue running, it was getting darker and darker the further he travelled from the entrance where he had hung the two torches. Soon it would be too dark to see where he was going. He could light another torch, but then Perak would find him very quickly. Of course, Perak would also be struggling to see where he was going and would have to slow down, but something told John that Perak was probably better prepared for this situation than he was.

  John turned left onto another narrow street, continuing along it until it reached a wider street again and took a right, still heading away from the entrance. He tried to tread as quietly as possible, hoping that Perak would struggle to find him. He paused for a moment and looked back, trying to work out where Perak was. The only light source he could detect was the torches at the entrance and other than his own breathing, he couldn't hear a thing. It could mean that he had managed to lose the Blue Dragon, but John knew better than to assume that. Perak had made his name on his ability to use stealth as a weapon. As far as John knew, he could be just around the next corner.

  But he wasn’t, and John picked up the pace, still trying to tread as quietly as he could as he continued along the wide main street. The buildings on the left side of the street were in shadow so John stayed as close to them as he could, trying to conceal himself. He started to feel quite hopeful, now that he was far from the entrance and it was getting darker and darker. Perak would really struggle to find him here. Especially if he simply found somewhere to hide, as there were hundreds if not thousands of buildings to choose from. Some were little more than piles of rubble, but there were some that had all of their walls and could be used as hiding places. There were so many buildings that it would take ages for Perak to search them all. He was clearly obsessed with killing John, but would he risk his life to do so? At some point, he would have to focus on how he was going to get out of there and before he burned through all of his torches. John just had to keep away from him long enough for Perak to give up.

  "Ah, John, even in this poor light your steps are easy to trace," Perak called from nearby, shattering John’s delusions. "You could at least make it difficult for me."

  John darted to the left again, turning down a narrow alley. He couldn't tell how near Perak was but didn't want to risk being spotted. John knelt down and felt the ground. The rock was smooth but coated in a layer of dust. Perak would able to track his footsteps wherever he went!

  John knew that he had to keep moving and started jogging again. He wasn't sure how but he had to make it harder for Perak to track him. He turned down a narrow side street, one that was almost entirely in shadow. He could only just make out the outline of the buildings to the left and right, and the ground was cloaked in darkness. If Perak wanted to track him, he would have to light a torch to see John's footprints, which would take time and the light would let him know where Perak was.

  Up ahead he could see a larger building that towered over the others, its domed roof dimly lit by the distant torches. It would be a poor place to hide, as Perak would be bound to search there, but John was too intrigued to leave it alone. Was this where the Worm Dragon's kept their mysterious black Dragon Stone? If he did live through this, he needed to know more about this stone, and he couldn't miss this opportunity to find out if this was where it was.

  He picked up the pace and rushed towards the curious building. The narrow street he was on abruptly ended, and he found himself in a large circular space that surrounded the building. He paused for a moment, feeling very exposed and hurriedly looked left and right for any sight of Perak. But he knew he couldn't afford to wait if he wanted to look inside so rushed across the empty space towards the large door and ducked inside without any further hesitation. He immediately plunged into darkness, all light from outside disappearing as soon as he entered the door. How would he see the Dragon Stone like this? If he lit a torch, then Perak would find him easily, even if hadn't managed to track him this far. Then again, maybe he wouldn't need to. He could feel its presence. The dull ache that he always felt in his chest softened and he experienced a calm that he hadn't felt for a long time. John ran his hand along the smooth walls of the corridor he was in and gingerly tiptoed further into the building. He was now in complete darkness and moved very slowly, anxious not to trip and make a noise that might attract Perak's attention. But he was sure that the Dragonstone was here, feeling stronger and healthier with every footstep.

  "I knew you would come here," Perak called from behind. John started forwards in surprise, tripping and falling to the ground. Perak laughed mockingly. "Well, I suspected anyway. Now I know."

  John heard a tapping sound and then a light appeared. Perak had just lit a torch and was venturing into the building. He would have a good idea of where John was and would come straight to him. John quickly rose to his feet and started shuffling further into the building, knowing that Perak would be heading towards him.

  He could hear Perak laughing behind him. "John, John, do you really think you can escape me? Stumbling around in the dark like that? You're making it too easy for me. At least try to get away!"

  John sped up, knowing that whatever he did Perak could hear him. He stretched his arms out and found the other wall of the corridor, feeling for any doors that might lead him out of here. Suddenly both walls ended, and he could feel nothing. He reached out ahead of him into nothing, walking forwards cautiously. Then the light from Perak's torch reached the room and lit it up. It was a cavernous domed hall with a circular hole in the middle surrounded by a metal guardrail. John rushed to the rail and looked over, but could see nothing in the space below.

  "Ah, here you are," Perak said as he entered the room. John was panting and struggling to catch his breath, but Perak looked completely relaxed. "Only one way in. I guess this is the end of the chase."

  John quickly walked around to the other side of the room, so that the hole was between him and Perak. Perak shook his head and laughed.

  "Do you think that will save you?" he asked mockingly. He put the torch in a holder in the wall so it lit up the room, and then unsheathed his sword, swinging it from side to side as if to warm up his arms. "Feeling fit, John? How long do you think it will take to catch you?"

  John shrugged, refusing to answer.

  "No matter," the taller man replied indifferently. "It isn't as if I'm in a rush." He lowered his sword, before beginning to jog to the left, going clockwise around the room. John did the same, trying to keep as far as way from Perak as he could. As he reached halfway back towards the entrance, John sped up, rushing for the torch, but Perak turned around and ran back towards the entrance as well. John stopped and ran the other way, going back towards the far side of the room.

  "Ah, this is a fun game," Perak taunted, starting to jog clockwise again. "How long do you think you could keep it up before I catch you? Or before your legs give way?"

  John said nothing in reply, jogging in the same direction, keeping on the opposite side of the hole to Perak. Talking would just waste his breath. This time Perak went a little further before changing direction, tempting John to run towards the torch and try to get out, but he sprinted back towards the door very quickly, and John turned around just in time, keeping Perak on the other side of the room.

  "Not tempted to dash for the door?" Perak asked, still moving, going around the rail in an anti-clockwise direction. "How else can you get out of here? Better do it quickly, before you run out of energy. And it doesn't look like that will take that long."

  He sped up again, maki
ng John speed up as well, before suddenly changing direction and running the other way. John turned as well, also wondering how long he could keep this up. They did this several times before Perak stopped by the doorway. John was gasping for air, but Perak barely looked flushed.

  "Want to catch your breath, John?" he asked. "It won't help. Your legs will give way eventually anyway. I could run all night if I wanted. I've done so on many occasion. I think you won't last more than a few more minutes. Why not just give up now?"

  John took the opportunity to look around the room. The domed ceiling was quite high but was undecorated, just bare rock, as were the curved walls of the round room. The circular hole was the focus of the room, taking up over half of the floor space. He looked over the guardrail into the hole but could see nothing but darkness with no indication of how far down it went.

  "Thinking of jumping, John?" Perak asked. "Looks a long way down, don't you think?" He pointed to his backpack. "Of course, I have some rope, so I could easily follow after you, without worrying about breaking my legs. But feel free to jump if you prefer to die that way. The sword would be quicker and less painful, I think."

  John stared back at him. Perak's voice was calm, but his eyes betrayed his irritation. He wanted to kill John himself, not for John to die falling into a hole. And Perak was right, John couldn't outrun him. Eventually, John would tire, and Perak would have him. The only chance was to jump into that hole and hope that he survived the fall. It might lead to another way out.

  Perak knew what he was thinking. "Don't…" he started angrily, but it was too late. John summoned what remaining energy he had and sprang towards the guardrail, quickly climbing over it and hanging on the other side. He was committed now, as Perak had started running around the circle towards him. He lowered himself as much as he could before letting go, watching Perak's infuriated face above him as he dropped into the black.