Firestorm Mountain

by Raymond L. Weil

  Braxam nodded his head.

  “They’ve changed,” said Jacob impressed. “They seem to be much more intelligent.”

  “They are,” replied Cathy. “Ashley, Lynol, and myself can all hear them. I would say their intellectual ability is similar to that of a young teenager.”

  Jacob looked around at the ruins of the dragon pens. “I’ll have several workers begin cleaning their pens as well as enlarging them. If they’re going to be staying here we need to make them as comfortable as possible.”

  “What about hunting?” asked Ashley, stepping forward and putting her hand on Snowden’s neck. “They will need food.”

  “The land at the foot of Firestorm Mountain belongs to the Sylvar family,” said Lynol. “I don’t see any reason why we can’t turn it into hunting grounds for the dragons. We can release wild goats and some older cattle for the dragons to feed upon.”

  “Snowden likes the sound of that,” said Cathy smiling. “He says if they’re not too active they won’t need to feed more than several times a month.”

  Snowden and Braxam took their places in their pens and closed their eyes.

  “We’re tired,” sent Snowden to the three sorceresses. “We’re going to sleep.”

  “I’ll stay here and watch them,” said Sharon. “I need to work on Braxam’s wing anyway.”

  Lynol looked around. There were a number of people busy at work. She looked at Snowden who had already fallen asleep. Dragons had returned to Firestorm Mountain.

  -

  They spent several days in the complex answering questions and attending to the dragons. Lynol was amazed at everything which had been accomplished in such a short time.

  “Our sorcery abilities help a lot,” explained Jacob as they sat down in one of the conference rooms to discuss what was ahead. “There are spells that help with repairs and we’ve been using a lot of them the last few days.”

  “We also opened up one of the deep bunkers which contain our helicopters,” added Lieutenant Maria Trent. She was responsible for the security of the complex and the soldiers who had been awakened. “We managed to put a new satellite into orbit and we’ve made some amazing discoveries.”

  Cathy looked at Jacob with interest. “Show us.”

  Jacob grinned. “We know we’re not alone in the world.” A viewscreen came on showing a view of the Earth from space.

  “That’s beautiful,” said Lynol, seeing the blue white globe. “Is that from the satellite thing you launched?”

  “Yes,” replied Jacob. “I’ll have someone show you one of our satellites being held in stasis and explain how they work.”

  The view expanded until it showed a large landmass.

  “That’s Australia,” explained Cathy, recognizing its shape.

  “Watch this,” said Jacob grinning. “This is the view of Australia at night.”

  Suddenly the screen darkened but what was amazing was that several large cities were lit up with lights.

  “They’re using electricity,” said Cathy, realizing what the lights signified.

  “And they’re not the only ones,” said Jacob. “We’ve found electricity being used in Australia, South Africa, and even in the UK. It’s not widespread in any of the three. We estimate the population in those three countries at a little more than four million.”

  “Are there survivors anywhere else?” asked Lynol. She was captivated by the view from space.

  Jacob nodded. “Yes, we know about Ashley’s home. There are four villages there. We found another one in Florida and several more in Oregon and Washington. We suspect it’s much the same all across the world with isolated survivors in remote regions.”

  “Any signs of aircraft?” asked Cathy.

  “Just in Australia and only a few. I would guess their resources are quite limited.”

  “Are we going to try to contact them?”

  Jacob shook his head. “Not immediately. We need to get ourselves established first and then we’ll discuss making contact.”

  “So what do we do now?” asked Kristi, leaning forward wanting to hear an answer.

  Jacob grinned. “We’ve awakened nearly 60 percent of our people who were in stasis. We have several groups working on plans. Our first goal must be to get this complex back into full operation and launch a few more satellites so we can scan the entire planet. Then we need to begin educating the people around Firestorm Mountain. We estimate there is a total population of nearly 227,000 and that does not include us. It will take us a few years but we should be able to advance the locals pretty swiftly.”

  “Not too swiftly,” said Cathy, looking over at Damon. “There are some things that may not need to be changed.”

  “Of course,” replied Jacob. “That’s why we’ll need Lynol, Ashley, Damon, and others to help us to decide what is best.”

  “We’re also going to double the size of the green area around the mountains,” added Bryan. “Some of our people will be returning with Ashley to her home valley and we will increase the green areas there also. Later we’ll spread out and contact the other survivors in the country.”

  “What about Joshua, Karl, and Gail?” asked Kalvin. “What are you going to do about them?”

  Jacob let out a deep sigh. “Joshua and Karl were responsible for a number of deaths in the fighting that occurred in this complex. We’ve decided to put them back into stasis for now. Gail showed us where their stasis facility was and we’ve also located the one Adam used. We’re searching the entire complex and mountain to make sure there are no more. As for Gail, she was just a follower and is not guilty of committing any serious crimes. She is a brilliant technician and we can use her skills. She will be undergoing some counseling and will have to report in to her councilor on a regular basis until we’re satisfied she is not a threat.”

  Lynol looked over at Cathy. “When will we be returning home?” Dresdia and her husband were helping to look after the Sylvar farm.

  “I know you’re in a hurry to return home. So am I. We have another few days of work and meetings we need to hold here and then we can leave. I’m sure Jacob can do without us for a few weeks.”

  “I wish you were staying,” said Jacob. “However, I understand how you feel and fully respect it. I hope you and Damon have a good life together.”

  Cathy nodded, taking Damon’s hand. “Don’t worry, Jacob. You’re still going to see me around a lot. There’s much here Lynol and Kalvin need to see and learn about.”

  “What about our amulets?” asked Ashley. She felt naked without it.

  “Loraine’s working on them,” answered Cathy. “She says she’ll have all three fully restored sometime tomorrow. She also said not to strain them like that again.”

  Lynol leaned back and took in a deep breath. She wondered what the future would be like for Galvin, Draydon, and the other towns and villages. The sleepers were now awake and a new and brighter world was waiting for all of them.

  -

  Several days later they were back home. Lynol climbed down from the wagon seeing Dresdia, Tarn, and Kyle come out on the porch.

  “Lynol, I’m so glad to see all of you are back!” Dresdia gave both Lynol and Cathy a big hug. “What happened?”

  “Let’s go inside and I’ll tell you. Some of it you will have a hard time believing.”

  Lynol and Cathy went into the house with Dresdia while Tarn and Kyle went to the barn with Damon and Kalvin to unhitch and feed the horses.

  Dresdia sat down at the kitchen table and looked at the other two women expectantly.

  “First off, Gilmreth is dead,” announced Lynol, knowing how much her best friend feared the dragon.

  Dresdia’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How?”

  “Well,” began Lynol, looking at her mother. “It seems Gilmreth was not the only dragon to survive. There are two more and they managed to kill Gilmreth.”

  “Two more dragons?” Dresdia’s face turned pale. “Where are they?”

  Lynol laughed. �
��You don’t have to worry about these two. They are quite friendly and are currently in the dragon pens beneath Firestorm Mountain.”

  -

  For the next hour Lynol and Cathy explained to Dresdia everything that had happened in the complex and at Draydon. When they were finished Dresdia leaned back and shook her head. “It all sounds so fantastic, but your mother is sitting here with us and I know you’re telling the truth. It’s just going to take some getting used to.”

  “Why don’t we have a picnic tomorrow at the pond?” suggested Cathy. “I might even have Snowden come and pay us a visit so you can see the dragon.” Cathy had brought a radio from the complex so she could contact Jacob and the others anytime she needed to. A small, temporary antennae had been erected on the high slopes of the mountain.

  “The picnic sounds great; the dragon I’m not so sure of.”

  Lynol laughed. “I know it’s going to take some getting used to but you’ll like Snowden.”

  “Very well,” replied Dresdia with some doubt in her voice. “Bring your pet dragon. I’m sure Kyle will be excited to see a real one.”

  Lynol stood up. “Let’s go outside and see what the men are doing and tell them about the picnic.” She couldn’t wait for Dresdia to see Snowden. It would do much to reduce her fear of dragons.

  -

  The next day they were all at the pond sitting on blankets and enjoying the cool breeze. Several baskets piled high with food were sitting near them. The water was crystal clear as it always was being spring fed and Kyle and Kalvin were busy skipping rocks. A few fish could be seen hitting the surface feeding on insects.

  “Snowden’s here,” announced Cathy, standing up expectantly and looking up.

  The great white form of the descending dragon appeared and he landed gently in front of the group. “Hello,” said Snowden as he settled down making himself comfortable.

  “A dragon,” yelled Kyle as he rushed up unafraid to look closely at Snowden.

  “I heard him,” said Dresdia in amazement. “How is that possible?”

  “Interesting,” said Cathy, looking thoughtfully at Dresdia. “It indicates you have some latent sorcery abilities. There may have been a sorcerer in your family in the distant past.

  Lynol nodded. “That might explain the dreams you had about Gilmreth.”

  Dresdia stood up and approached the dragon. “I’m Dresdia, Lynol and Cathy’s friend.”

  “Hello,” repeated Snowden. “I am pleased to find someone else I can speak to. Today is a good day. You have no reason to ever fear a dragon again.”

  Dresdia laughed. Kyle stepped forward and put his hand on Snowden’s neck. Snowden lowered his head to make it easier for the young boy to reach him.

  “That tickles,” said Snowden, happy with the attention he was getting.

  Lynol sent a thought to Snowden. “When are Ashley and Todd returning to their valley?”

  “Tomorrow,” replied Snowden. “Jacob is going to have them flown home in one of the flying machines. Several other sorcerers are going as well.”

  Lynol knew many things were about to change while others would stay the same. This was going to be a time of learning and perhaps someday a new Golden Age would come into being.

  “Let’s eat,” said Kalvin, patting his stomach. “I’m starving.”

  Everyone laughed.

  Damon took Cathy’s hand and smiled. “I’m so glad you’re back. I really missed you.”

  Cathy leaned forward and kissed Damon. “I won’t leave you again. We’re going to have a wonderful life together.”

  Lynol smiled to herself. She couldn’t wait to see what the future held for them. For once the future looked very bright indeed.

  The End

  This concludes the Dragon Dreams series. My granddaughter has been bugging me for several years to write this book. I finally relented and did so. If you enjoyed Firestorm Mountain, please post a review with some stars. Good reviews encourage an author to write and also help sell books. Reviews can be just a few short sentences, describing what you enjoyed about the book. If you have suggestions please contact me at my website link below. Thank you for reading Firestorm Mountain and being so supportive.

  Raymond L. Weil

  For updates on current writing projects and future publications, go to my author website. Sign up for future notifications when my new books come out on Amazon.

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  Read on to discover another popular military science fiction series by Raymond L. Weil.

  Earth Fall: Invasion

  An Earth Fall Novel

  Chapter One

  In the Earth year 2027, on one of the seas of the planet Borth, a large fleet of primitive sailing vessels were gathered below a rapidly descending two-thousand-meter-long alien battlecruiser. Hundreds of ships with tall masts drifted in a tight defensive circle, their crews on watch for the mysterious attackers destroying their world. A sense of impending doom lay over the fleet as most crewmembers had seen their homes ruthlessly destroyed. City after city had burned beneath the heartless ravages of advanced weapons fire. Buildings had burst into flames and crumbled as the air was sucked away in the superheated updraft of the mushroom cloud that arose above the destruction. Only a few sailing vessels far enough away from the blasts had survived. Now they were gathered together, awaiting their fate.

  -

  Talog Dumas stood upon his sailing vessel, gazing into the cloudless sky. His ship was on the outer edge of the fleet. A speck high up steadily grew larger. With a chill, he recognized one of the hated spacecraft which had come to his world to destroy it. His people were a peaceful race, dedicated to living in harmony with their world. They had developed just enough technology to allow for trade and to communicate with one another over the long ocean distances.

  “What do we do?” asked Marcol Dumas, Talog’s brother. “Our homes are gone and our families have perished in the energy fire from the alien ships.”

  “I fear we can do nothing,” replied Talog, seeing the sadness in his brother’s eyes which was in his as well. “We have no weapons and all our communication attempts with the aliens have met with failure. Our home city has been destroyed as well as all the others. Only a few fleets of our sailing ships survive. I am afraid this is the end of our race.”

  Talog looked sorrowfully about his vessel. For years he had cruised the oceans of his world, trading between the numerous floating cities. He looked back at his brother. Their families and nearly everyone else they knew were gone. “I fear, brother, that shortly we will be joining the rest of our people.” Stepping forward, he put his arms around Marcol, hugging him.

  Looking upward, he saw a circular hatch open on the spacecraft. He knew doom had come to the fleet. A few vessels hastily set sail to evade this enemy but Talog knew there was no escaping what was about to happen.

  -

  From the Trellixian battlecruiser a single missile exited an open hatch and accelerated toward the assembled ships below. In a massive explosion, the twenty-kiloton nuclear warhead detonated 1,500 meters above the clustered vessels. Beneath it, the water turned instantly into superheated steam. Ships burst into flames, and others simply disappeared. The rush of inbound air and steam soon created the tell-all mushroom cloud associated with a nuclear explosion.

  As the blast radiated outward, the masts on the remaining ships were filled with hurricane-force winds and were torn away. The blast and accompanying wave of water caused many of the vessels to capsize. When the mushroom cloud dissipated all that remained were a few scattered pieces of wreckage drifting on the surface.

  -

  Talog found himself in the water. He had been blown off the deck of his ship from the force of the blast. Looking desperately around he saw no sign of his brother. A few others were in the water nearby, calling for help, but no one he recognized. His people were excellent swimmers and could swim underwater f
or hours as they had gills which they could use to breathe. Talog knew swimming away was useless; they no longer had any place to go. He could do nothing but wait for death and hope it was quick. He was ready to join his family and friends in the afterlife.

  -

  The battlecruiser descended lower and powerful energy beams flicked out, playing over the wreckage, ensuring no one lived. Where the beams touched wood, canvas, or survivors, flames flared up briefly and then died out. Shortly the calm ocean water was devoid of any wreckage as if the fleet of sailing ships had never existed. The commander of the battlecruiser, satisfied his mission was a success, ordered his ship back into orbit to seek other targets.

  -

  In the water Talog resurfaced and looked around. The spaceship rose higher into the air and soon vanished from sight. With a deep sigh, Talog scanned the ocean near him, seeing no other survivors. Kicking his webbed feet he swam toward a nearby island which had a small underwater village near a deep ocean trench. His only hope was the enemy had missed that village and he could find refuge there. If not, perhaps he could find enough in the wreckage to allow him to survive.

  -

  The battle commander of the Trellixian fleet looked down at the once inhabited world his ships had conquered. A sentient ocean-dwelling species had inhabited the blue-white globe with their tall sailing ships, traveling from city to city. They had adapted to living on both the land and in the deep ocean waters. The Olcons, as they called themselves, had spread their civilization across their world, including numerous small chains of islands. Where their massive cities once floated on beds of kelp now only blackened ruins remained. Across the entire planet every visage of civilization had been wiped out. The last Olcon oceangoing ships had been annihilated wherever they gathered for mutual protection.

  Currently Trellixian soldiers in heavy combat suits were sweeping the planet and the deeper parts of the oceans to ensure there were no survivors. Already word had been sent back to the Trellixian High Command advising them the planet Borth was now ready for colonization. Sometime in the next six weeks the first of hundreds of colony ships would arrive. Within ten years the planet would be a thriving Trellixian world.