Demi morphed at ground level and set me down effortlessly. From where we stood, both sides of the river were clearly visible, and our master plan seemed greedy and narrow minded now that we saw the two opposing armies. Ultimately, we would have to go to Apollyon if we were to shut down the open chasm that the river had become, but at the moment it just seemed selfish to abandon our friends when we could make a difference from the onset.
I didn't want Demi spotted, so we made a split-second decision to have her fly toward Apollyon while I stayed behind. We agreed I would stay for no more than one hour, and that would still give me time to catch her before she got to the Black Fortress. She was to fly at maximum altitude as fast as she could and not look back or change her flight plan. I was to dish out as much carnage as the suit would allow without jeopardizing our rendezvous on the Provinces.
She had no more than taken off, when the green shimmering barrier made a shrieking noise and fell the rest of the way to the water. It penetrated without even so much as a ripple, and as it disappeared, so did the noise. Then for about ten seconds it was as quiet as a tomb as everyone on both sides stared at the unbridled river for the first time in disbelief. Nothing barred the way from one side to the other except the ancient prophecy of flowing water that supposedly held the demons at bay. But the real question was whether or not it was the water or the barrier that actually kept them as prisoners. Only time would tell what the demons had up their sleeves, besides arms.
A dragon appeared in the distance flying low and fast. In a matter of seconds, it was over the river and bearing down on the ferry which was still parked at the center of the Styx. I watched, curious and mortified as the creature swooped down and landed on the deck next to Cheron. They grappled momentarily and then went over the side, while the ferry dipped beneath the waves as if chasing its master.
A cheer went up on the far shore as they sensed the demise of the specter of death. Idiots, you can't kill Cheron, he's already dead. At best, all they managed to accomplish was to royally piss him off.
Several dozen demons on the far side began to pull on the guide ropes that stationed the ferry to the particular path on its way from one side to the other. Cheron had been keeping it in one spot apparently by will alone, and without his presence there was nothing to make it stay where he had parked it. The ferry slowly started creeping its way back to the docking platform on the demonic side.
I couldn't tell how many would fit on the ferry, but with air support it surely had to be more than anyone wanted. It was inevitable that the destruction of the watercraft would anger somebody, but hey, if you're gonna make an omelet you gotta break some eggs.
Walter activated the boot boosters, and from about five hundred feet we unleashed two rockets, sending them on their way to the ferry. When they hit, the explosion was immense causing the craft to totally disappear in the fire and smoke. When it cleared, the ferry was still inching along with no apparent damage whatsoever. Damn, that was disappointing. It seemed abundantly clear that the specter of death's boat was as indestructible as he was. Another cheer went up from the wrong side of the river, and this time you could tell that the last two minor victories had the demons fired up to a fevered pitch.
Oh great, now we had adrenaline pumped demons to contend with, like they weren't bad enough before?
Okay, so the ferry wasn't the end all do all, but I was fairly sure the demons weren't immune to the rockets, so we fired two more at the docking platform where they worked with abandon dragging the craft back to its incept point. The same result transpired after the rockets slammed into the dock, with one exception; there were no more demons on the platform when the dust settled. That one felt good. No one was very eager to get on the dock after that, and it took some coercion to get the next crew installed to pull on the ropes.
A large group of Drago men also saw what was going on and went immediately to the ferry dock to pull on the ropes from our side. It slowed the demon's efforts, but I could see it was a losing battle. Then without warning Cheron came out of the water like he'd been shot from a gun. He landed in a crouched posture and spun slowly toward the ropes on the side of the craft. The guidelines were severed instantly, and as they fell, the ferry began sinking into the river. Cheron never moved after cutting the ties to the shore and sank with the craft until they both were gone.
With the ferry out of the way, the demons abandoned the dock like it had become viral. The dock on our side was useless to us as well.
Somewhere to my left a call to arms sounded and the three trumpets that comprised it were beautiful, but at the same time mournful. Goose flesh crawled up my arms and a lump formed in my throat. I had heard that sound before.
A pounding erupted that was felt through the ground, and hundreds of dragons moved as one. The Aguivas pounced into the air and the Wyverns began to run. Voices thundered into the sky as each and every one of the riders shouted their battle cries. For the first time in anyone's collective memory there were so many reptiles aloft that truly dragons dotted the sky. One by one, the Wyverns lifted off and joined their brethren, and squadrons formed as they made their way to the far side of the river.
Out in front and predictable as gravity, was Queen Mother flying Basiliskos. Directly behind was Invectum, yet another chunk of predictability like a thundering one two punch of reptilian death.
As the Queen and her two Kings reached the far side, they produced more fire than I have ever seen come out of a dragon. It was like a wall of plumes that spread as if it had been sprayed with an igniter, and everything it touched burst into flames.
Right behind them came a veritable sea of Aguivas, ridden mostly by converted demons with a bone to pick concerning their former life. Their War Birds fanned out as they flew over the approaching army and laid down a flood of plasma that caught things on fire I wasn't even aware would burn. Without the banks of Projector Stations, the troops were for the most part sitting ducks and couldn't reach even the low flying Aguivas as they swept past.
Walter and I flew out in front of the first wave firing rockets a hundred yards in advance of Queen Mother's men, creating cover for their approach. Fire and smoke were everywhere, and the demonic hordes were effectively blinded by the explosions. Well, the ones who survived the explosions were blinded. The rest were just dead.
By this time the remainder of the Wyverns were crossing the Styx and laying waste to what was left after the first two waves. The squadrons spread out once they left the shoreline and began the process of encircling the hostiles to make sure that only a minimum would actually escape. A small contingency had maneuvered themselves around from the main carnage and were attempting to erect large rafts to sail across. Four squadrons banked hard to the right circling back to land, with the intent to stop the overzealous demons from embarking. Seeing this, the demons turned to fight, but twenty-four dragon riders armed to the teeth would have nothing to do with their feeble attempt and cut them down like cordwood. The dragons came up behind them and set fire to the wooden structures, rendering them useless.
Most of the demons closest to the river had been cleared out, and the fighting was beginning to get thick farther out, as the next few Legions surged forward anticipating the dragons. It was like they knew that help was on its way, and the fervor of the fighting increased accordingly. Dropping down out of the sky were dozens and dozens of squadrons consisting of Wyverns and Aguivas, all equipped with handheld Projectors. The tide was about to turn again, not to mention the question about if they had dragons was answered in the worst method possible. Where they had been kept was a mystery, but they had almost as many as Queen Mother. Missions would have to be run later to find the installation where these massive creatures had been held . . . well; assuming any of us lived through this to go there.
I saw a few familiar faces from the mountain and evidence of their tactics, having encountered them before. Princess Rhylana was riding her two dragons, one on top of the other, and Nata was dragging a huge sled behind his Grey, only this time it was loaded with Hell Hounds. They began leaping from the sled even before the dragon landed and attacked anything demonic that moved. Nata urged his grey forward, trampling the enemy as they quickly got to takeoff speed. Banking hard to their left, they flew back across the river to pick up the next wave of Hell Hounds. That maneuver would be carried out for the remainder of the day, and thousands of Hell Hounds conceivably should make the difference between victory and defeat.
Half of Queen Mother's forces were on the ground and conducting hand to hand combat, pushing hard to get the pressing Legions to pull back.
Princess Rhylana fought next to Sergei, and even though she was half his size, her two short swords flashed constantly, bringing down demon after demon. The Russian named Hell spawn was a brilliant red and performing his circular fighting routine with the precision of a surgeon. A surging mass of demons separated the two of them momentarily and as hard as she fought, Princess Rhylana took a sword blade in her right shoulder and moments later went down under the onslaught. She struggled valiantly, but multiple antagonists kept stabbing at her until one of the swords caught her across the neck. Rhylana's head was quickly severed from her shoulders and the Princess fell behind a wall of demons. Sergei attempted to fight his way back to her but was cut off numerous times and ultimately forced in a different direction. Minutes later he was so deluged with the enemy that I lost sight of him completely. It was tragic, Rhylana had worked so hard to get away from the Provinces so her and the dragons would have a safer life. If she had stayed on the other side of the river, perhaps death wouldn't have sought her out today.
Twenty yards away, Elfred fought with a Scottish battle axe and was yelling at the top of his lungs. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought he was actually having fun. The more demonic troops that piled at him, the harder he swung, but in the end, all the shouting and bravado wasn't enough to keep the tidal wave of evil from overrunning him. As Elfred went down, a Class four Soldier demon ripped the battle axe from his hands and sunk it deep into his chest. Big Red's head swung around as Elfred died, and it was that hesitation which ended the big dragon's life. Without the constant fire and talons ripping through the enemy, the mighty red dragon was pummeled by them until he too dropped to the ground on his side. I could see the hollow stare and knew he was gone. He and I had a somewhat less than illustrious beginning, but Elfred had become my friend. He died pretty much the way he lived, and I'm gonna miss his blustering Scottish tirades.
An unusual clanking noise caught my attention, and I glanced to my right where I saw Helup in his brand spanking new suit of armor. He'd been working on it since his arrival at the mountain, and it was a sight to behold. The majority of the suit was chrome, but there were insets of royal blue that made the suit sparkle. He carried a sword in his right hand and held a shield in the other, fighting and then blocking as needed. He seemed determined to fight his way single handedly from one end of the battlefield to the other. I was about to yell for him to look out, when he spun sideways lifting his arm as he moved. A small projector had been mounted to his sword arm, and it fired almost from point blank range. The bolt struck the approaching demon square in the middle of his forehead, dropping him like a stone. Helup glanced back at me with a grin on his face and held up his arm for my approval. I nodded and fired a dart that whizzed past his face striking another demon that was sneaking up on him from behind. He nodded back and let out a war whoop making his way back into the thick of the enemy troops. Seconds later a huge Projector bolt came down out of the sky at a forty-five-degree angle and slammed into Helup's chest, forcing him backwards and pinning the Blacksmith two feet above the ground like a monument. He was dead instantly from the impact, and not even the best armor slowed down the imminence of death. I didn't know him anywhere near like Queen Mother did, but I would miss him.
A Harlequin dragon shot over me and the heat of its passing was immense. Fire was pouring out of its mouth and the strafing run would lead it to our troops. Not going to happen. Walter loaded one of the heavier darts and fired immediately, striking it on the right hind flank. The fire spout suddenly faltered, and three seconds later it was coming down unconscious. Its forward momentum carried another thirty yards after it hit, both front legs under its chest and the dragon's head tilting over to one side. It was out for the count, and its rider jumped off to face six of the Drago warriors. He knew the outcome of that fight, but he never faltered and gave a good accounting of himself as he died by their swords.
I could see several dragons down and on their backs. Two of them had once belonged to Princess Rhylana, and a part of me believed that if the Princess had to die, it was best her dragons died with her. I couldn't tell if the rest of the dragons were theirs or ours, but it made my heart feel heavy and gave me thoughts of futility concerning this battle.
An Aguiva shot down in front of the sun aiming for me, and as fast as I was, there was no way to dodge this demonic kamikaze tactic. Right before the imminent collision, a large Blue Wyvern came out of nowhere, blocking out the sun, and missing me by inches. It also carried away the Aguiva that had me in his sights. The rider was decapitated, falling to the ground only yards away, and the War Bird lay limp in the dragon's talons. Thomas Arden, the Blue's rider, saluted me as he flew away, heading for the area that was the thickest in enemy occupied territory. He had a grave look on his face, and you could tell he would rather have been any place else in the known universe, but here. Dragons fighting dragons is the worst possible fate to a dragon rider, no matter what kind he flew.
Thomas had no more than turned his head back in the direction they were flying when a Gold Wyvern collided with Casseil right above her chest. Both dragons grappled, ripping at each other's throats until they crashed into the ground. A heartbeat later hundreds of demon warriors swarmed over them extinguishing the man who had been the Blue Grotto's Section Leader. Casseil shrieked once and then went silent. Like Elfred, Thomas and I had a shaky start, but we had come to know each other as dragon riders, and that's a bond that cannot be broken even through death. The mountain just lost a great man.
The fighting had ceased to be coordinated and turned into a gigantic free-for-all. I had to be extraordinarily careful because so many of my weapons would constitute friendly fire if set off in the wrong direction. With some degree of difficulty, I managed to work my way to where Basiliskos, Invectum and Queen Mother had been pinned down by at least a half a Legion. The three of them had their backs to each other and were standing on a pile of dead demons that had already come to a quick end. The two dragons were in human form, but don't let that dissuade your thinking about the level at which they fought. If anything, they were more dangerous and considerably faster. The two Kings had retrieved swords from some of the downed enemy and were slashing the demon troops into shreds. Neither of them left the side of their Queen, but she stopped me dead in my tracks as I neared the area they defended. It seems that every time I turned around, Queen Mother surprised me with some new wrinkle of her past and the abilities that it hid. There she was, completely nude and glowing like a star going supernova. Energy came off of her in waves and as it touched the enemy, a crackling sound was emitted. Whoever was unlucky enough to be in that path, was summarily lifted off the ground and blown back several dozen feet. When they hit the ground, they never moved again, only to be replaced by more. Her hair blew as if touched by an unfelt breeze, and I couldn't focus my eyes when I looked at her. It was as if I gazed through a camera lens that was locked into soft focus, and the movements that she made were so fast that it wasn't possible to keep up with the speed at which she conducted the battle.
I shook my head as if to clear the cobwebs or to clear my failing vision, and then fired rockets into the approaching troops to try and force them back. Queen Mother glanced over in my direction and nodded her head in approval. She and the two dragons leapt off the pile of dead bodies to begin fighting in another area. As it became thicker and more Dark Lord troops came to cut her off, she was joined by Malachai, Terek and Cystic. Even the approaching enemy demons paused as they recognized the two top Generals and the Butcher from Gehenna. Then the dark troops attacked, and for a few seconds there were so many that my friends literally disappeared as the group of bodies overwhelmed the small area in which they stood. Then the mass swayed to one side, and Malachai's sword flashed over the top of the layered bodies. It hacked and flashed back and forth until a hole was cut allowing him to see out. Basiliskos' sword emerged on the far side, and with it came Invectum's. A bright light suddenly illuminated through the bodies, and with it shot soldiers that had been mangled and torn. As the troops were propelled backward, my friends in arms moved forward, and it was then that I saw that the small group was still intact, fighting harder than ever. Well, almost intact. As they surged forward, Malachai hesitated, took another step and then just sat down. I could see what he was looking at too, and he knew the massive blade sticking out of his chest was more than even he could live through. He waved the Ariella away and leaned back on one arm as ichor flowed out of his armor. This man had been the Butcher from Gehenna, a feared individual with an evil past. Yet, since he came to the mountain, I've seen a compassionate person dedicated to peace, and brotherhood. It doesn't seem fair to eradicate him from existence so soon after he had made such strides toward goodness.
The field was so littered with bodies that it was getting hard to see the ground, and Queen Mother's men were beginning to spread out, reaching farther toward the rear of the army.
Each of the riders with grown dragons were never far from their counterparts as the bonded partners fought to maintain the other in this desperate battle of good versus evil. Queen Mother's troops were hopelessly outnumbered, but in each and every case they fought with heart, determination and with an absolute will to survive. I didn't believe the enemy could make that same claim. Sadly, what the enemy could boast was grossly superior numbers, and a single-minded dedication spawned from abject fear of their leaders. In retrospect, it would probably be enough to end the reign of Queen Mother and her dragons unless Demi and I could re-establish the river Styx as the impassable barrier it had been for several millennia.
There were so many Legions, and the army was so large, that the soldiers at the extreme rear weren't aware of the losses on the front lines. Occasionally the closest of the Legions would surge toward the river as orders would work their way along the encampments, but it was slow going. It was the only thing that kept Queen Mother's troops from being immediately overwhelmed. The army was actually suffering from their size and the time it took to process orders from one Legion to another.
There was just one more thing I had to do before it was time to go, and that was to try my best to even the odds for the troops left from Mt Drago. No matter what Queen Mother had thought, this battle was only going to end one way, and that was not how she had envisioned the conclusion. Many of the people I had met and befriended were already dead, and the enemy dragons were slaughtering the Hell Hounds by the thousands. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Even the Chosen, as fast as they were, couldn't dodge the overwhelming numbers the demons brought to bear. No matter which way they moved, it was always into the swords of more troops coming from the rear of the army. A surge was always followed by another, until one of them got you. This war was hopeless unless we could bring the barrier back up and it would have to be done quickly. Once they crossed the river all hope was lost, and Mt Drago would be their next target. I had an enormous number of rockets still unused, not to mention I needed a smoke screen to mask my egress. I wanted no one to see my exodus to the interior of the Provinces, especially Queen Mother and her two dragons. Trust me, I'm not a coward, but staying here had only one conclusion for yours truly, and I'm not suicidal either.
Walter and I took to the air calculating how far back the army really went. It was immense and the distance could only be measured in miles. Ten minutes later our rockets had been fired and had caused untold damage, starting at the rear of the demonic offense and ending with a few hundred yards away from where Queen Mother now fought. The air was thick with smoke and there were still explosions going off in the distance.
I was now out of range from the eyesight of even the most discriminating dragon, which would obviously include Basiliskos and Invectum. The direction Walter had selected would also bring us not only to the edge of the army but headed for Demi and the Black Fortress. Little time was left in the originally planned hour, but I still vacillated and at least for the moment was unwilling to leave my friends. The planned hour had turned out to be an hour and a half by my chronograph, but how do you just leave?
What if something happened to Queen Mother after I left? No, that was stupid. She was surrounded by the greatest fighters in the history of war. What more could I possibly bring to the effort? She would be fine, right? Anyway, I didn't have a choice; it was either let down Queen Mother, or leave Demi in the lurch, and I couldn't do that. No matter how well you plan, there are some days that just suck, and this one qualified in spades.
Stick to the plan, Tanis, and get the heck out of Dodge before something else happens that will emotionally cause you even more grief, and don't look back. Isn't that what you told Demi to do? Just one more look around, you know, cuz what if? Man, I was a mess in distress. Get your butt in gear. Go to the Black Fortress, take the emerald key and incapacitate the dragon doing all the naughty bits. Simple...so what are you waiting for?
With the barrier back up, it would be a simple matter of evacuating the Provinces and going home. The army would be stymied with virtually nowhere to go and a lifetime to get there.
I set out toward the Black Fortress, and as soon as I was out of eyesight from even the army, I turned on the afterburners and began picking up speed. I was a tad behind schedule, but if I broke the sound barrier a few times I could make up for my original procrastination. Demi would wait for me, but the longer I made her wait, the greater the likelihood of something going wrong there too. Six one way and a half dozen the other.
Walter stabilized the suit at twelve hundred miles per hour, and then we settled in for the single most important flight we had ever made. In front of me was a vast wasteland with the Black Fortress at the backside of it, and a diminutive Emerald dragon depending on me when I got there.
Okay, Demi wasn't going straight there, and neither was I. We were both heading for the Ice Caves and the secret passage that led underneath the Black Fortress. Well, the underground passage that a whole bunch of people knew about but seems like a secret. While we were concocting this plan, it seemed logical that a smaller number of demons would defend the passage; it was suicide to attack them from the front. I didn't think the bad guys knew Walter and I had perused through the tunnels, and nobody else had been there in a long time. That qualifies as a secret, I think, or perhaps just wishful musings. It was too late now.
I was told once that we only learn from our mistakes, and our successes have a tendency to increase the chance of our making more mistakes at a later date. It seems futile sometimes to know that the person we become is more profoundly created by the mistakes we've made, instead of the victories we've achieved along the way.
Right now, I needed a success, even with the increased chance of making a mistake tomorrow, because I couldn't afford to dip down into failure today. My God, when did I become so morose?
Walter and I finally got to the turnoff point, took the speed down a couple of notches and decreased our altitude. Below us on the ground were four dragons and their riders. Three of the dragons and the riders were strangers to me, but the fourth was Famill. It didn't take rocket science to know that they were dead. Apparently, Queen Mother had come up with the same plan or at least something close. Famill was a Class Four Soldier demon and as such could blend in at the Black Fortress. He was probably supposed to steal the Crystal Key, sneak back out and rendezvous with his Grey dragon, Tanicur. From there it would have been a somewhat lengthy, but simple flight home where Demi could use the key to set the barrier. Not a bad plan, all things considered, but as it turned out, badly ill fated.
Way off in the distance I could see a miniscule Emerald flying reptile, and my heart jumped. We were going to catch her before she made it to the caves after all, and suddenly the day seemed a little brighter. The plan seemed possible again, and... Well, you know the drill. She always makes me feel better; she says it's her job. When a dragon calls you, only then will you understand. Trust me.
She must have sensed me coming up behind her because she slowed down, and I could see her cupping both wings in the standard landing mode.
Five minutes later Walter and I touched down a few feet away from her to keep the back blast to a dull roar. She dipped her head when I got close and then she played bells. I was happy to see her too, and if it's possible for a dragon to be nervous, then this was what it felt like when they are.
The Ice Caves were just several miles up ahead from the position we now held, and it would only be a few minutes before we took our first step toward the Black Fortress. Walter set up a series of tones and random sound bites so I could have something to concentrate on as we approached the major cave entrance. We had learned from our last experience how strong the river Lethe's effect was that caused memory loss when standing too close to the caves of ice. If memory served, the effect goes away once you proceed inside to a moderate distance, and I was nervous, and would definitely stay nervous until that amount had been achieved unless, of course, I forgot to be nervous.
Walter turned off all of the sensors to the outside world and closed the shields to the two eye lenses. I was deaf, dumb, and blind to everything but my own thoughts. I felt pressure on my hand and again heard bells along with Demi's thoughts.
"I've got your hand Tanis and I'll lead you to the interior of the first cave before I let go."
I nodded my head, sending warm, soft, and fuzzy feelings to her to show my appreciation.
Then we were walking over uneven ground, although Walter was compensating for every move I made, and the end result was almost normal. Try it sometime and you'll find it's a lot harder than it looks. The feeling of vulnerability alone is enough to keep you rattled.
Before too long the sensors began turning back on and the shields reopened, allowing me to witness the outside world once more.
The caves hadn't changed since Walter and I had been there, and the temperature outside my suit caught my eye as the readout highlighted the numerical value of frozen. Reptiles don't do cold very well, and I immediately turned to Demi. She was shivering, and although we continued to move forward, her motions were definitely slower than outside of the cave. We weren't moving fast enough, and Demi would never complain.
Walter brought up the route we had taken on our first visit; I took the lead and picked up speed. Demi seemed pleased with the added exertion, and we virtually flew down the initial tunnel.
We eventually came to the section where Walter and I found the first guards and began slowing down accordingly. We really didn't need to run up on the first set of demons and get killed before we even got to the Fortress.
What we found was not what I expected though, and somewhat worrisome to say the least. The guards were dead, and not just the first set either; I mean for the next few miles, the stationed guards were all laying the same way. It was like they all died without any knowledge that it was coming, and whatever it was that happened to them was quick. Their expressions were passive, and they all collapsed or in this case simply lay down as if they were going to sleep. On closer examination there was energy running through the walls, and with the onboard sensors I could feel the number of electromagnetic pulses that still waved down the tunnel.
This was the work of Wizards, and not just any of them now mind you, but one or more of the highest order. The energy present in the walls extended for miles, and the amount of power required for this kind of display was mind boggling. The frequency had to have been selective as well because while it killed the guards, it apparently had no effect on us. Only a Thaumaturgist could have performed such a surgeon-like strike, especially on such a grandiose scale.
I really shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but the Wizards weren't known for playing well with others. A very intense feeling of dread came over me and I began to watch the shadows for movement. The leader of the Wizards, Curly was here some place, and I began to feel his presence everywhere.
It was quiet in the last two hundred yards of our quest for the Black Fortress, and the silence was worse on my psyche than actual battle. I was wound up like an eight-day clock, and Demi was strangely introverted.
There should have been some sort of contingency at their back door, but it was as motionless as a tomb. We stood and looked at the door that led into the bowels of the Fortress with some trepidation, knowing that the silence was about to end.
Well, nothin to it, but to do it.
I reached for the door handle, but before I could even touch it, the door opened...and Curly motioned us inside with the loaf of bread he had been consuming.
"It's good to see you again, Tanis. Demios, I presume?"
Demi morphed into human form and place her hands on her hips in a rather uncharacteristically defiant manner.
"It's nice to meet you, but only if you brought what we talked about. Without it, none of this is going to be worth the contract it wasn't printed on. Tanis doesn't trust you and this could go a long way to rectify that."
Curly had been watching me but swung his vision over to the little girl with the big attitude. I personally had no idea what they were talking about but had a sneaking suspicion that Demi had been busy working her own plan.
"Ordinarily I would be a bit put out with anyone talking to me that way, but under the circumstances, not to mention...you are a dragon, I have chosen to see your impatience as a sincere need to end up alive after your ordeal is finished. So, the answer to your question is yes, and we're forever in your debt as a matter of fact. So, thank you...from all of us. Now, this room is the only one which is fully under our control. Beyond the next door, I'm sad to say, you will be on your own. Further, the piece of tech that we brought will only show up once you have the Crystal Key in your possession, and not a minute before. We're not about to lose this particular prototype to the Dark Lords, and you'll understand once the three of you have gotten that far."
I hadn't said a word yet, which by the way is actually very difficult for me; oh, and I'm sure you guessed that he included Walter in his count of three. As well he should.
"Am I to understand that Demi has previously worked a deal for your help?"
Curly got into his best lecture stance, complete with the far away stupid look on his face.
"We contacted her instead of you, Tanis, because of plausible deniability. The two Kings scan you on an ongoing basis, not with suspicion, but to keep up with your missions, level of intent and anything that might be damaging to their most important offspring. That would be Demios, who by the way has the same ability to block her thoughts as Basiliskos and Invectum . . . A talent that you don't have, probably due to your less evolved mind. Had we contacted you, well, it wouldn't have been long before half the mountain would have known our intentions. No offense, just good common sense."
Ordinarily I would have taken offense to his blathering, but he was talking about Demi and that, at the very least, made him accurate.
I also knew he wouldn't be able to keep this area isolated for very long and I was itching to get this over with.
"So, let me get this straight, you're not going to help us until we get the Crystal Key, which by the way, doesn't sound like much help to me, and what prototype are you talking about?"
Curly didn't even flinch at my impertinence, and I secretly believed it was because Demi was standing next to me.
"It was our assessment that you and Demios were capable of getting to the key, but not without consequence. Once you have achieved that goal, it was our opinion that your company would need a way out. We understand you're also going to attempt a rescue that includes two green dragons which may or may not be acceptable with the concept. We disagree with that part, as a matter of note, not that it will dissuade you in any way. So, when you have accomplished that, then we will send in the Spiral to aid in your exodus to the outside world. We don't have time to go into detail but suffice it to say that the Spiral is a multi-dimensional craft that utilizes an advanced version of the A.E.S. power system."
We were going in with or without his help anyway, so I personally was done with his holier than thou attitude, and more than ready to go. Assuming we pulled this one off would dictate whether or not his blessed escape craft had any real bearing on our mission. I liked the name of it though, the Spiral. It had a nice ring to it and gave some mysterious promise of boom-boom. The A.E.S. was originally my design. No wonder it appealed to me.
Demi and I glanced at each other, obviously on the same page, murmured some vague goodbyes and stepped toward the far door. Maybe we wouldn't need his wonder craft. I mean who knows, it's possible we could deal with the full might of the Black Fortress and then blast our way out. Anything's possible, right?
I briefly wondered how I would have gotten Demi through the door if she hadn't been able to morph. It was big, but it wasn't dragon big, if you catch my drift. Then I wondered how the other two dragons had gone through. The legend says they came through and entered here, but either they built a new door after they came through or the dragons could also morph like Demi.
We passed into a long, high beamed ante chamber that had about ten demons milling around, all of them facing the other way. There was a series of roughly hewn tables between us and the demons, and it looked like they were setting the tables for a daily meal. We took a few more steps before two of them turned and spotted us. Before they could even utter a sound, Walter shot enough darts to bring them all down, and within the time it takes for my heart to beat a few times, they all went down and began snoring. The silence in the room allowed me to hear the sound of clanking gears coming from the next area beyond this one.
Demi turned to me as we walked over to the fallen demons, and let out a long, loud sigh.
"Really, Tanis? We can't leave them here like this. It'll take us longer than fifteen minutes to get to the crystal, and then we'll have these pieces of filth coming up behind us. You couldn't have used something just a little bit more lethal?"
Wow, this is the first time in damn near forever when my level of humanity hasn't been a good thing. You'd think after what I'd seen today, well you get the idea.
Demi told me to stand back by the door, and the look on her face kept me from arguing. Then she morphed into dragon form, gulped in a huge breath and toasted the entire ante chamber. When she finally inhaled again, the room was engulfed in flames, which included the demons on the floor.
Turns out large fires are pretty noisy, and there were other entities on other side of the far door. They chose then to come through and came face to face with a small Emerald dragon that was in an incredibly bad mood. The first two went down in flames, but the rest pulled back and slammed the door. I grabbed the latch, twisted it and pulled. Behind the opened chamber door were dozens of demons, presumably hungry, waiting for dinner. Walter shot three rockets into the room, and I shoved the door closed.
The explosions were very satisfying and left nothing in the room but fragments, which I saw after reopening what was left of the door. Demi changed back into human form, and we moved through.
Now we had to move fast. Explosions of that magnitude perform two functions primarily. One, it makes a real mess and kills everything that's even close. Two, it alerts everyone for several miles around. The long and short of it for us was now everybody in the Black Fortress knew there were interlopers. That causes the problem that ultimately no one really wants, and that's more company. Every soldier in the building was now on his way to where the explosions came from. We needed to make tracks fast before we got overwhelmed.
"Demi, which direction to the dragons?'
She closed her eyes and developed a furrow across both eyebrows. I glanced around the room just to make sure the bad guys weren't already here before looking back at Demi. She had already started making her way to the far west wall and I hurried to catch up.
Long before we reached the wall, she was already pointing to a section that cosmetically didn't fit with the rest of the mortar and stone. The section looked newer and definitely didn't have the feel of antiquity that the rest of the wall portrayed.
A quick scan from Walter showed me the exact number of stones that had been added, or in this case, replaced to presumably allow a large dragon to pass through comfortably. Bingo!
The newer stones were lighter in color and the mortar looked fresher and a lot cleaner. The renovation had not been done that long ago, and to me looked like a door in the making.
Demi was backing up and I moved with her, allowing enough room for the blast I was about to cause. The explosion that ensued was spectacular, and the new addition to the wall crumbled to cracker crumbs with no hesitation. Behind the devastation was a long and expansive hallway leading into the unknown. Through the dust and debris, I could smell dragons, older and angry, neither of which had played bells for a very long time.
Demi made a growling sound in her throat and began the morphing process which would take her back to dragon form. She didn't play bells either, and there was already smoke coming out of her nostrils.
We made our way through the gaping hole in the wall and began the ascent into the hallway. A few dozen steps later, we heard dragons roaring and a wave of heat floated down the hall. Our progress stopped and we stood still for a minute, waiting for...actually I wasn't sure what we were waiting for, but I wasn't all that keen to walk into a dragon's den when he and she were that pissed off. Even Demi waited, and that said something important, even if I didn't know what it was.
The sounds of battle wafted down the hall, and Demi glanced over to me nodding as her head turned. She could obviously hear something more than I could, and whatever it was, pleased her. She picked up the pace, and I began running just as a dozen or more demons shot out into the hallway with two very angry dragons in hot pursuit.
As they ran, all eyes were looking backward, so they were unaware of the problem looming in front of them. When they did notice, they skidded to a halt; they half turned to the rear with resigned faces and prepared themselves for the slaughter.
Demi was at a dead run at that point and barreled through them with spouts of fire spewing in every direction. All of them fell to the floor, and only half of them stood back up after her passing. She reversed her field, and then stood there; wings extended, crouched, and produced fire that tumbled across her exposed teeth.
That was when the other two dragons caught up with her, one on each side, as she made ready to dispatch the remaining demons standing in her way. Before she could make that move, the other dragons set loose a wall of flame that totally engulfed the demons and sent them in all directions. They burned to death in a fire too hot to put out.
I took that as a good omen, and Demi didn't seem too intimidated by the newcomers.
A close inspection told me immediately that the two dragons were not carrying an emerald piece of crystal, and I had to admit I was just a little disappointed. The thought of leaving here quickly had a strong appeal, but Murphy's Law outweighed luck every time. We stood there looking at each other and the silence became awkward. In the distance noises could be heard and from the sound of them, I'd say we had less than five minutes before large quantities of hostiles would be on our doorstep.
Demi kept staring at the male dragon, and suddenly I knew they were talking. An enormous amount of information was being transferred, and as usual, I was the only one present who couldn't hear it. I'm not even sure how I knew that, but I assumed it was Demi. I also knew it was okay, and when I glanced over to the female, she nodded like she could hear my thoughts.
I tend to forget about the communal abilities of the dragons, and although they have always been lenient in their attitude toward human thought patterns, I wasn't sure about these two.
Then just like that, we were moving back in the direction the two dragons had originally come from. Demi's thoughts manifested themselves in my mind as if they had been there the whole time.
"I'm sorry for the lack of introductions, Tanis, but Pteranus told me the crystal is with a demon named Enmakar. Once the barrier is down, the dragons need not hold the crystal to continue its function. Enmakar knows you're here and has made his way to a stronger location within the fortress."
While Demi spoke, pictures and background information about the two dragons also flooded through my head. Pteranus was the male and also the larger of the two. The other Green or Emerald dragon was Annanara, a female, and only slightly smaller than her counterpart.
These dragons had spent the last thousand years in the Caves of Ice dreaming from a state of suspended animation, and I don't think it was voluntary. They were angry, and for the first time free of the drugs used to imprison them. I was a little sketchy on how that happened, but there would be time later to hear that story. At the moment, armed with Demi and me, they wanted to get the crystal back, reverse the barrier, and kill Enmakar. Not necessarily in that order. I personally had no problem with that sentiment and was glad to help.
At the back end of the hallway was a left turn which took us to a large, poorly lit area designed for holding dragons against their will. The whole place gave me the creeps, but this room had to be infinitely worse than the rest of the fortress. The hallway we had just left was slanted, and I assumed we had made it up the equivalent of one floor. Technically, we were no longer in the bowels of this hell hole but were getting farther away from an exit with each passing moment.
The holding area was empty, and I could feel the suspicion crawling up my spine. Why was this room unpopulated, and where was everybody?
Pteranus never slowed down and was heading for a large set of doors on the opposite side of the room. Over to the right side of the doors was a gigantic beam used to keep the door shut. It looked solid enough, but with a sufficient number of demons it would only be a matter of time before it got caved in. Pteranus hefted it like it was a toothpick and slammed it down into the slots on either side of the door well. I glanced back as a banging noise manifested itself behind me. Annanara was performing the same function on a similar door, the one we came through from the hall. We had successfully trapped ourselves in a room close to the bottom of this fortress. There was no way in, at least for the moment, but there was also no way out.
That was when the two dragons morphed into human form and motioned me to join them.
Demi and I walked over to the adjacent wall several steps behind them as the two pointedly headed for apparently a certain spot.
Pteranus looked up and indicated to me that I should do the same.
"Demios has told me of your abilities, metal man, and I have need of them. That dark spot on the ceiling is an iron grate which leads to a ventilation shaft running to the top of this castle. I need that grate removed, and for you to fly up until you reach the top floor. Over by the fireplace you will find rope if you need it. Tie the rope off at the closest landing to the only opening at the top floor. We will climb up, as the shaft is way too small for a dragon to fly through. Do not gain access to the top floor until we have climbed up."
I decided to overlook the "Metal Man" part. This dragon was way too serious, the kind that might go from stern to dangerous in a heartbeat, and I was having one of the worst days of my life.
Walter had been listening and showed me a close-up of the grate. Pteranus had been correct in his assessment; it was indeed iron, and I gave the order to fire. The rocket left my shoulder launcher with a whooshing noise and headed for the target. Seconds later the grate was dropping to the floor, and I gathered the rope, although I'm not sure why because I had several hundred feet of cable built into the suit. Walter activated the rocket boosters, and we flew through the opening and headed up. Pteranus was right; there was not nearly enough room for them to fly up this shaft.
It was fairly dark in the shaft and the smell of sulfur was pungent everywhere. The walls had a strange mixture of wood and metal that defied explanation no matter what I mentally conjectured for its purpose. Occasionally I flew through wafting smoke, but the higher we flew the less there was.
Every twenty feet or so there was one of the grates along the walls that denoted each floor, and I kept count as we flew. Fifteen stories later we reached the top floor and the fortress roof. To my left was the last of the grates and a massive beam that I secured the onboard cable to. I affixed the rope to the end of the cable because it looked easier to hang onto and lowered them as quickly as I could. It turned out to be easier than I imagined due to a one-foot ledge that ran around the entire shaft at each and every level.
I heard Demi's laughter bells as the bundle approached the floor with the fireplace and the trapped dragons. Moments later they were climbing steadily toward the ledge where I perched waiting.
They stayed about ten feet apart as they climbed, never slowing down, never faltering. Even in human form a dragon is as strong as an elephant, with a level of stamina unequaled by any other creature.
In due time, they reached the beam and one by one swung over to the ledge. Pteranus started to move toward the grate but stopped when I positioned my arm to block his progress.
"I think it would be better, certainly more frugal, to let me remove the grate and be the first to enter the chamber beyond. Queen Mother would be very upset with me if I saved one of her dragons just to let him die a few minutes later."
The large man-shaped dragon pondered my statement momentarily before taking a deep breath.
"Queen Mother is dead, just like whoever is on the other side of that metal plate or will be when I'm through with him."
That took me back, and my heart sank. Queen Mother, dead? She was alive when I saw her last; surely, she was victorious and stopped the demons. The Ariella can't be dead.
Demi's thoughts broke through mine and gave me the dreaded confirmation. For the life of me I couldn't understand why she wasn't more distraught than she was. My whole existence came to an end, and all I could think of was destruction - theirs, all of them if I had my way. Demi seemed sad, but there was something else behind it that I just didn't understand. She should have been devastated even more so than me. Maybe I didn't see the hope she portrayed because I was so devoid of the sentiment. I don't know what is worse, knowing the very moment your loved one dies, like the dragons, or finding out only when you get back. I guess it's bad either way.
After retracting the cable and dropping the rope, I turned toward the grate, reached out and ripped it off the wall with one hand. There was no one in the room that I entered, but I wasn't to be denied.
"Walter, scan the surrounding rooms and find me the demon, Enmakar."
My three companions stepped in behind me and were very quiet. They fanned out, sniffed the air, and moved slowly. I looked over at Demi when she pointed at a door on the far side of the room to my right. Walter confirmed half a dozen life forms in the next room.
I scanned for booby traps as we all walked in that direction, but we kept our movements deliberate and methodical. Demons like Enmakar don't go down easily, and they always put as many underlings out in front of them as possible. We weren't even sure if the head demon was in the next room; well, I wasn't sure anyway. Annanara was first to reach the door, and she didn't hesitate to open it and step inside. I went to go in after her, but she was in the progress of changing back to dragon form, and the room was only just big enough to accommodate her bulk. A burst of flames engulfed the entire area, and multiple shrieks erupted from somewhere deep inside the unseen room.
The heat drove the rest of us back a few steps, and Annanara walked back through to us in human form. She had a very satisfied air about her, and I noticed the charred remains behind the Emerald female's smoking clothing.
"There are no other doors in that room, and Enmakar wasn't among the demons I just killed.
There were three other doors at various intervals around the room in which we stood, and the demon I sought, my quarry, had to be here behind one of them.
"Walter, tell me which door because I'm tired of playing games."
"There is an energy signature behind the far-left door that is stronger than any other we've encountered since entering this fortress. I believe it is the one you seek, Tanis."
Walter then showed me a glowing blip on one of the screens inside my helmet, the overall shape, size and distance.
I wasted no time making my way to the door in question, firing a rocket as I moved. The entire massive oaken frame exploded, and I walked through the flying pieces until Walter and I stood in the next chamber. Small Projector bolts glanced off my suit, and as they reloaded, I charged the closest one to me, and ripped his head off.
Another salvo of bolts impacted my suit, and that's when I saw him. The head demon himself was attempting to climb out of one of the windows that littered the room. Walter shot a cable at the receding figure and hit Enmakar in his upper right thigh. I retracted the cable, which yanked the demon off the windowsill like reeling in a fish. He shrieked, and that made me feel better. On any other day I would have been shocked at my behavior, but this was today, and I felt no remorse for the entity that was responsible for the death of Queen Mother.
He hit the floor with a thud and rolled over to face me. His mocking grin infuriated me, and without even so much as another thought, I shot a rocket into his mouth. It jammed itself into the back of his throat, waited a couple of seconds, and then detonated. Bits and pieces of his skull and brains shot across the room, randomly striking me and Pteranus. Trust me, I didn't care. I did however take umbrage to the male Emerald dragon following me in.
The rest of the demons present in the room lost all their will to fight and kill, the minute Enmakar died. Demi and Annanara entered the room shortly after the explosion and made short work of the demons closest to them, while Pteranus polished off the ones who were supposed to have protected Enmakar. What a joke.
When the last of the shrieks, moans, grunts, and necks snapping had died away, I searched through Enmakar's pockets looking for the Crystal Key but was not rewarded with success. My God, will this day never end?
Little did I know what a profound mental statement that was at the time.
A banging noise caught my attention and I turned to see Pteranus tearing up Enmakar's desk, obviously attempting to find the key. Demi was running her hands over a section of the far wall, while Annanara dug through a bookshelf behind me. It occurred to me that for whatever reason, these dragons could not sense where the device was and had no idea where the head demon might have put it. I would have thought its presence would've been undeniable to them. That's what I get for thinking.
I brought up my gauntlet and activated the energy tracker. The suit was capable of scanning for all frequency changes and electromagnetic pulses. The Crystal Key had to emanate some sort of signature and for the device to do what it did, there would have to be a detectable, undeniable wave form I could measure. It never occurred to me that the dragons wouldn't be able to find the key or even be apart from the signal once it was activated.
"Walter, give me an update on the scan in progress please."
Two screens appeared in my helmet, one showing the areas already scanned, and the other showing the pings he was sending out. It looked similar to a radar monitor and was making blip noises while I watched.
I wondered briefly if the demons downstairs had gained access to the room we had barred, and idly watched as the dragons tore up the chamber we now occupied.
A blip showed up on the screen indicating an anomaly, and it clearly pointed toward the window Enmakar had tried to escape through. Walter also highlighted the distance which told me it was close. The window was open, and I could see the panorama of Apollyon in the distance. It just led to the outside wall of the tower that this room was housed in.
Curiosity took me to the windowsill and leaning forward I could see out to the demonic forces below. Perfect, they were dragging several Projector Stations into position to bombard the tower. We had about five minutes before bolts started entering through this side of the structure. That's when I saw the extra balustrade just to the right of the windowsill. It was about six feet over and three feet down. I could determine no reason for it to be there, but Enmakar chose this route instead of the stairs, which had to be through one of the doors in the room behind me. For whatever reason, Enmakar had selected jumping out a window rather than protection from his troops on a lower floor.
I stepped up onto the ledge and leaned out, calculating the jump to the second ledge just inside the balustrade. Jumping six feet in the suit was no herculean feat, believe me, and I found myself face to face with a door that looked like it had been made out of stone. It blended in so well that you could not see it unless you stood directly in front as I was then.
Pressing on one stone after another, I eventually found one that when pushed slid in, recessed from the others, and caused the entire apparatus to swing in. The smell that wafted out was one of age and mildew, but a candle was burning on a shelf to my left. Someone had been here recently, and the candle appeared to be one of two sources that produced light in the room. The total floor space amounted to little more than a walk-in closet, and other than the shelf, was denuded entirely of furniture.
A pentagram had been etched into the floor and was glowing softly as energy ran through it, pulsing like it had a life of its own. In the center of the five-pointed star was a large pyramid shaped emerald that also pulsed to the same rhythm as the pentagram.
Not only was Enmakar a vile, evil piece of Yak crap, but while alive, was at the genius level in deception and subterfuge. The dragons had been unable to find the key due to the energy running through the pentagram, not to mention, had Enmakar not tried to take refuge in his secret room, we might never have replaced the barrier.
Right as I reached down to retrieve the key, Walter yelled not to reach into the energy field surrounding the crystal. I had already put my gauntlet into the field and was thrown sideways into the wall. A crackling noise erupted in my helmet and the suit powered down immediately. It got very quiet, and for a minute I thought that maybe serious damage had been inflicted to Walter. A few more seconds passed, and then lights started flickering as screens began to manifest themselves before my eyes. Walter's voice sounded like it was a thousand miles away.
"Tanis, can you hear me?"
"Yeah, soft and clear buddy, I wasn't quick enough to stop my hand from going into the field. Sorry. How much damage did we take?"
There was a whirring sound in my ears and then all the lights came back on.
"Minimal damage, although we will have to run for a while on backup power. Should take about an hour to effect repairs to the system. As you know, the backup power will run for three hours before total failure, so we should be okay."
Our intrusion onto the energy field had apparently done nothing to the pentagram, which is par for the course, and the only damage done had been to us.
"Walter, do we still have Sonics?"
"Yes, Tanis; they are presently online."
Good, cause I want you to crack the floor, preferably where the five-pointed star sits. My guess is that it will put an end to the power that runs through it."
I could hear Walter winding up the coils, and the room began to shake. A few seconds later, a large crack ran across the entire length of the star, and it simply powered down. No fanfare, no dramatic finish, it just stopped. Kneeling over the threshold and placing my hand back into the field produced absolutely nothing, so I picked up the Crystal Key.
The only thing left to do was figure out how to get out of this hell hole of a fortress and get back to Mt. Drago before there wasn't a Mt. Drago.
I had no more than thought about going home, when a low droning sound drowned out every other, including my own thoughts. I don't think it was strictly volume either, but it emanated on a frequency that made you grind your teeth and grab your ears.
The crystal in my hands began to vibrate, and then suddenly a vivid green box made from grid lines appeared in the room. The shape of the box was identical to that of the small room I occupied and pulsed with energy to an unheard beat. I could no longer feel the floor beneath me, and I realized the surface was smooth, very much unlike the rock hewn flooring. The room had taken on an eerie green glow that reflected on the walls, making them appear shiny, but caused my vision to blur. It hovered around and under me releasing so much power that I thought my head would explode. Then, with no forewarning, I was moving sideways and flew through the wall.
There was no impact with the mortar or stone, but rather I drifted between them being both a part of them and not actually touching at the same time. The green box stayed with me during the interchange, and we appeared in the room right next to the dragons. They didn't seem surprised, and that bothered me.
I got a better look at the device after it changed locations, if for no other reason, because of space and lighting.
It had somehow changed its size to fit in the room and configured itself to include all three dragons regardless of where they stood. It was now made up of energy bars the size of baseball bats that crisscrossed around us until it formed a different shape than before, but still a box. It radiated a green chaotic power that defied my imagination, and yet seemed familiar to me. Curly's words floated back, and I realized why this machine seemed to strike a chord of familiarity within me. This was the Spiral, a machine based on my original design for the Advanced Encounter Suit. Not even I had dreamed that transmutational science could be utilized at this level. A spot that was directly in the center of the room began to glow a much deeper green hue, and then rose up out of the floor until it reached a height of four feet. Hexagonally shaped, it had the look of a podium, but there were controls and winking lights across the top. This was probably where the Spiral could be controlled and flown to different destinations, but I for one had no idea how.
The third and final door in the room chose then to fly open and disgorged a single file of demons that kept flowing through until the amount of space in the room was reduced to none. Several of the opposing force smacked the door so hard in their passing that it tumbled toward the machine and disintegrated on impact. A couple of demons went out the same way.
Then we were moving sideways again and felt nothing as the five of us shot through the wall leading to the outside world. Without thinking, I grabbed onto one of the bars next to me but felt only the sensation of cold metal. Good to know it wasn't lethal to the touch if you were on the inside of the box.
To be honest, I shouldn't have even felt that. I was wearing gauntlets and couldn't have had a texture or temperature sensation at all. It constituted one of the weirdest things that has ever happened to me, but hey, I was in a green matrix box with a see-through floor. A box that flew through walls without flattening me into a mammal pancake and was about to whisk me home. I can accept weird.
As soon as the Spiral hit the open air it stopped and hovered over one of the fortress's courtyards giving us a bird's eye view of the surrounding landscape. From here we could see the second army bivouacked just outside of the fortress, and if anything, it was larger than the first. Just for a moment this all seemed impossible, and a deep remorse settled over me.
A bell sounded from the podium, and a holographic transmission rose up out of the floor. It looked like a man, well, a man with no feet and he was mostly transparent. He flickered periodically and made some intricate settings at the control panel. How he touched anything was yet another mystery, but as soon as he finished, the Spiral began turning in a circle. Slowly at first, but speeding up until my stomach started to churn, and I knew I was going to be ill. The holographic man glanced over at me, made some other adjustments to the control panel, and then spoke.
"Most underdeveloped species have physical issues once the Spiral is activated. The vertigo you're experiencing is considered normal, however we would appreciate it very much if you would not vomit on the craft. A centralized handrail has been provided for your convenience, and if you'll be so kind as to lean over the rail before evacuating the contents of your stomach, we would be most grateful. Once the Spiral achieves light speed the vertigo should subside and will remain normalized until we drop back to sub-light velocities. Thank you and we hope you have a pleasant day."
I glanced behind me and noticed that a handrail had materialized between the grid lines. It had been placed in such a way for someone, namely me, to hang onto while I barfed over the side. As humiliating as it seemed, it got infinitely worse by the fact that I was apparently the only underdeveloped species aboard the craft. The nausea did pass though, almost immediately after the Spiral moved away from the building, and I was thankful.
After I gave up looking for a breath mint, it occurred to me that the holographic man had said something about getting to light speed. While I gazed at the horizon, the sun stopped moving toward us, and began to move the other way. Like an epiphany, it all began to gel in my consciousness and my heart leaped at the chance it promised. We were moving not only through space, but also time as well, and if my understanding for progress within the time continuum was even remotely accurate, we were going in reverse, if you will. Time was moving backwards, the direction of the sun being only the first indicator, and things were also beginning to accelerate well beyond their normal speeds.
While I watched, I saw several dragons flying backwards, but by the time I processed the oddity, they were gone. The day went and came as I watched, each moment inexorably taking us closer to home during a time we had already lived through.
By the time we had reached the first province it was morning again, and the battle was playing out in front of us only this series of events was happening in reverse. Some of the tragic deaths I had witnessed earlier were undoing themselves as I watched amazed.
I observed several rockets returning to my launchers, and then saw me streak across the sky backwards, undoing all the carnage I had wrought. Ultimately all the combatants disappeared, and the Tanis on the field left to go back to the start of his day. Then there was nothing, just the empty Province and the promise of yet another dismal day in hell.
The nausea swept over me like earlier, but before I could barf again, the Spiral shot through the side of Mt. Drago and settled gently onto the floor of Commons. I noticed immediately we were close to the mouth of the Emerald Grotto, and there were literally hundreds of people milling around until they saw us land.
Commons actually looked congested as I emerged from the Emerald grotto, and pockets of people were going through the same type of preparations as the Tanis I was watching had already gone through. He could see the green grotto in the distance, and I knew several memories flooded into the foreground of his mind. It seemed like forever ago when his biggest concern was where he wanted to live, or how many Charley Temples he would consume in the course of a day.
That was when he spotted me and stopped dead in his tracks to openly stare at me. We both moved toward each other at the same time, only one of us understanding what was really happening at that moment. Thirty feet, twenty feet, and the Tanis I was looking at started turning transparent, a progression that continued until he was gone. He looked at his hands right before he ceased to be, confusion written all over his face, and I felt sorry for him. I could see Demi, his Demi, standing in the main corridor of the Emerald Grotto fading at the same rate as the previous me.
I turned around because the three dragons had been very quiet, never moving with a silent sort of agony that chilled me to the core. They were still in human form, and I felt waves of pity coming from Pteranus and Annanara. Demi on the other hand looked anxiety ridden, but it wasn't due to her reaction, it was all about me. The past few hours were catching up with me and they could sense an impending meltdown. I had watched so many perish, and even though I knew it never actually happened, a man could only take just so much.
I shook my head only to realize that somewhere along the journey home, I had taken my helmet down, probably during the first puking session, and the look on my face must constitute a Kodak moment.
Well, needless to say, having me and three dragons show up riding high tech causes a bit of commotion, and it only took seconds for a small multitude to gather around us. A minute later Queen Mother pushed her way through the crowd, and the look on her face would've melted an ice cube quicker than the sun. Angry or not, her face was the single most wonderful thing I had ever seen. It took that moment to convince me she wasn't still dead.
Pteranus and Annanara moved up to where Demi stood beside me and projected mild anger. They already knew who she was, Demi had obviously told them what to expect, but they were more loyal, at least at the moment, to Demi. Queen Mother took one look at them and grinned, recognition in her eyes.
"I had long since thought you were dead, Old Ones. I am heartened and gratified to find out I was wrong. Welcome home."
The Ariella gazed at them a minute longer and then turned to Demi and me.
"You've got a lot of explaining to do, Mister, and that goes for you too little dragon."
Yeah, and I've got some things to talk to you about too, Toots. I've seen some things today that need explaining.
Demi blushed and dug her toe into the floor trying to give her best adorable impression. Queen Mother wasn't about to buy into it though, and she made one of those exasperated noises, which caused Demi to laugh. That caused those wonderful bells, and whatever anger that the Ariella harbored, dissipated into the air like so much smoke.
That didn't mean that we were off the hook, now mind you, but most of the severity had gone. It took the better part of an hour to run down the entire adventure, complete with the unsettling news of Queen Mother's demise. Trust me, that didn't go over very well, and all of her close friends dying didn't get a good reaction either. She was only truly convinced of the reality of our mission when I produced the Emerald Crystal Key. She turned it over and over; gazing at it like it was from outer space.
A feast was planned, a rather impromptu one, but elaborate; and by noon the entire mountain had been informed of our desperate mission and the success it gave to everyone. I was there and did my best, but it was Demi that should get the credit. Without her our lives would have been snuffed out like a candle.
The mead flowed, oh, and the Charley Temples. Everyone ate their fill while the music was festive and lively. It was great to see the people laughing and dancing all because of my little Emerald dragon.
I was on my third turkey leg when the rider Analise, a worried look on her face, came up to Queen Mother.
"I'm sorry to bother you at such a happy time, Queen Mother...but I can't find Bullba anywhere."
The Ariella stood up and moved away from her chair. Bullba was a young Aguiva but was generally a very obedient companion.
"How long has he been gone?"
Analise looked stricken and glanced around nervously.
"About an hour, but"
Queen Mother waved off her answer and tried to seem relaxed - notice I said tried.
"It's a big mountain, but not that big. He's got to be here somewhere."
Analise shook her head emphatically.
"I don't think so. I'm looking through his eyes...and I can see buildings."
***