Jenneva’s mind drifted back to the cave where Uncle Hasra had died. “There is probably a magical entrance,” suggested Jenneva. “We will investigate it thoroughly in the morning.”
Morning came quickly, but Alex knew the time of day more from his internal clock than from appearances. The black cloud blocked the beauty of the sunrise and only a pale glow in the sky signified that there even was a sun. He turned to wake Jenneva and found her already sitting up.
“I don’t think I will ever get used to not seeing the sun,” she sighed.
“Then we will look forward to the next sunrise together,” promised Alex. “Our efforts are the only thing that will bring the sunrises back and we must never falter along the way. Come, let us find the Sword of the Heavens.”
After a bit to eat, Alex and Jenneva walked to the cave entrance and lit a torch. After walking around the circumference of the cave Jenneva closed her eyes and muttered something that Alex did not understand. Slowly, she rose and walked to the rear of the cave and placed her hands against the stone. The stonewall shimmered and a wide tunnel appeared in its place. Alex moved forward and entered the tunnel with Jenneva right behind him.
The tunnel sloped downward and was large enough to drive a wagon through. The walls were smooth and even, making Alex realize that someone had created the tunnel and he instinctively drew his sword. Not more that fifty paces into the tunnel, Alex detected a decaying smell as if some small animal had starved and died in the underground corridor.
After a hundred paces, the smell grew stronger as did the wind. A few smaller tunnels led off into the darkness on both his left and his right, but Alex continued into the head wind down the large tunnel. Alex walked slowly his sword in one hand and Jenneva holding his other. The tunnel started bending, first one way and then the other, but it never narrowed nor bent sharply.
After half an hour of walking, Alex halted. The wind was now so strong it threatened to extinguish the torch and the smell was becoming nauseating. Alex no longer thought the source was a small, dead animal, but thousands of dead animals all decaying from a recent death. Perhaps the collapsing of the Universes had killed and entombed a large number of rats or maybe even dwarves.
Alex stepped into one of the smaller side tunnels and pulled Jenneva with him. “Do you have any idea where we should look for the Sword of Heavens?” he asked.
“No,” admitted Jenneva, “but I’m inclined to keep following the large tunnel to its end.”
“I am, too,” agreed Alex, “but if the wind gets any stronger it will extinguish our torch.”
Jenneva nodded and played with her ring. Muttering some mystical enchantment, her ring began to glow brighter and brighter until the light it produced outshone the brilliance of the torch. “Extinguish the torch,” she ordered. “Save it for later, this spell will only last for a few hours.”
Alex snuffed the torch and placed it in his pack. The couple entered the large tunnel and continued their downward trek. After another half an hour the wind’s intensity made further progress difficult. Coupled with the growing stench of decay was the rapid rise in the air temperature. Alex was sweating and the wind rushing past him created a weird feeling of roasting, alternating with the feeling of freezing. He dragged Jenneva into another small tunnel and pressed his soaked back against the cool stonewall.
“Now we know why it’s called the Cave of Winds,” commented Alex. “Pretty soon the only progress we will make will be crawling.”
“If we have to crawl,” stated Jenneva flatly, “then we shall crawl. I only wish I had been better prepared for Sarac when I banished him. If I could have killed him, none of this would be happening.”
Alex looked at the coldness in her eyes and realized that she was blaming herself for all of the ills befalling the Universes. He looped his arm around her and drew her close and kissed her. “No, Jenneva, that is not true. The Dark One could just as easily have been Mordac, or Mitchel, or Dalgar, or anyone for that matter. The prophecy would still unfold no matter what you did. Our job is to imprison the Dark One and safeguard the children. We will succeed.”
“Succeed?” cried Jenneva. “We can’t even find the children we are supposed to be protecting. Even our own child is lost, Alex. How can you have such a positive attitude?”
“Because I have you, Jenneva,” embraced Alex. “You have always taught me to never doubt my abilities. Is the lesson any less appropriate for you? We will succeed or die trying and we’re not ready to die yet. Let’s go find the sword.”
Alex and Jenneva pressed back out into the wide, sloping tunnel and worked against the wind and the stench. The tunnel bent slightly again and as the couple rounded the bend, Alex halted and grabbed Jenneva’s hand tightly.
Before them the tunnel opened up into a massive chamber with tunnels running off in every direction. Directly in the center of the chamber was the gigantic form of a monster that Alex had only seen from a great distance once before. Alex stared in awe at the huge mass of a dragon that lay before him. The dragon’s body was curled over a large mound of gold, silver, jewels, and bones, its head resting comfortably on the top of the mound. Its eyes were closed and it appeared to be asleep, but every few seconds, a puff of black smoke emanated from its nostrils and was quickly carried away by the tremendous winds coming down from some opening above the dragon’s head.
Jenneva dragged Alex back around the bend in the tunnel and into one of the smaller tunnels. “I think I could leave my breakfast here and no one would notice,” she quipped.
Alex laughed softly and nodded. “Do you think the Sword of Heavens is under the dragon?”
“If it is,” she answered, “it could take us a week to find it in that pile. Hold still while I fashion a Fire Ward.”
Alex loved Jenneva, but he had no concept of her magic. She certainly possessed a mastery of her subject, as comments from other Master Magicians had proven, but Alex could not comprehend how even the simple mind speech worked. Still, he was wise enough to know that if Jenneva said something would work, it would.
“This should keep us from getting severely burned, at least for a while,” she declared. “Still, keep using your shield to deflect as much of the fire as you can.”
“You sound like you have a plan,” questioned Alex. “What is it?”
“No,” smiled Jenneva, “I have no plan. I just don’t think we can afford to wait for the dragon to decide to leave before searching for the Sword of Heavens. I figure we will just go down and look.”
“Now you’re talking with the dedication of a Ranger,” admired Alex, “but I will feel better if you remain here while I go down and look.”
“Alexander Tork!” scolded Jenneva. “I am quite capable of taking care of myself. Your leaving me in Tagaret while you went to Kantor was forgivable, but I will not be treated like some frail wife.”
“Frail wife?” laughed Alex. “That could not be further from the truth. I went to Kantor alone because that was the best way to accomplish the mission with the least chance for casualties. If anyone in the Presidential Palace detected your use of magic, we would have both died. I want you to stay here now because here is the best place for you. Two of us digging through the pile under the dragon is foolish. One of us should be keeping an eye on the beast while the other digs around.”
Alex placed his hands on Jenneva’s shoulders and looked her in the eye. “If you have something to prove here, you can go down and dig around while I stay here and watch, but when I threaten the dragon with my sword and he laughs, you better be able to run real fast. I was kind of hoping that if he cornered me going through his pile, you could distract him from here while I got away.”
Jenneva’s face flushed with embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Alex. I guess I get a little defensive at times. Your plan is sound and I will create any diversions you need. Let me give your sword the same treatment that I have given my ring, in case we get separated.”
With his sword aglow, Alex stole into the massive
chamber. He walked silently around the perimeter of the chamber until he was behind the dragon and then approached the huge mound of treasure. The treasure consisted of kitchen knives and hammers as well as gold crowns and scepters. Shields, swords, helmets, and rings lay side by side with door hinges, barrows, and hoes. The dragon seemed to hoard anything metal, whether it was valuable or not did not appear to have any significance.
Alex started searching the pile behind the dragon where he was out of danger from a casual flick of the tail or claw. The stench this close to the dragon was almost unbearable. Several times Alex had to fight to keep the contents of his stomach from spilling onto the pile he was searching.
Alex was overwhelmed by the number of items in the pile and the amount of time it would take him to dig through the mound even if the dragon decided to go away for a while. Alex decided to quickly scan the surface of the mound and not bother digging until he had checked the entire surface.
When Alex reached the area where the dragon’s tail was curled, it moved towards him slowly, but still caught him unaware until it was too late. Alex quickly reached up and grabbed onto the tail as it swung lazily around. The dragon’s thick scales felt like a moldy metal, thick and sturdy, but also slick and slimy. Alex felt himself slipping and he dug his fingers under the scales to hold on better.
The dragon’s tail started twitching nervously, tossing to and fro as Alex struggled to hang on. Alex climbed higher on the dragon’s tail as it began to smash into the mound of treasure, seeking to dislodge whatever was clinging to it. Suddenly, the dragon’s eyes popped open and it turned its head towards the source of its discomfort. When it finally spotted Alex, the dragon cruelly opened its mouth, showing rows of black chair-sized teeth surrounding a tunnel that emitted the foulest odor Alex had ever inhaled.
The dark tunnel of the dragon’s mouth spat a long tongue of flame towards Alex and the Ranger scampered higher up the dragon’s back, seeking to conceal himself between the large scaled fins that adorned the beast’s back. The dragon rose up on its hind legs and twirled around trying unsuccessfully to snare Alex with its front claws or knock the human from its back with a swipe of its tail. Finally, the dragon backed itself into a corner and sat down.
“Okay, thief,” bellowed the dragon, “I’ll offer you a moment’s reprieve to try and talk your way out of this.”
“A moments reprieve?” Alex laughed. “The only reason you stopped fighting is because you cannot reach me here on your back. Your own scales protect me from yourself. It looks to me like all I have to do is wait for you to fall asleep again.”
The dragon roared with laughter. “An amateur! A thousand years since I was last awakened by a thief and I have to get disturbed by an amateur.” The dragon shook his massive head and chuckled. “Let me explain something to you, thief. I can sleep for years and I can also abstain from sleep for years. Did you happen to bring a bag of food with you? A very, very, large bag of food?”
Alex threw a quizzical look at Jenneva who was still standing near the entrance to the chamber. Jenneva shrugged and smiled.
I don’t know, Alex. This is new to me, also. The last thing I expected was a talking dragon with a sense of humor. Do you think he would really hurt you?
Jenneva, didn’t you see those flames? Trust me, if this creature can get his fangs into me, he will.
Don’t be too sure, Alex. Try reasoning with him. I’ll stay unobserved in case you really need my help.
Alex looked around the cavern and realized that he could never leap off the dragon and run for cover before he would be incinerated. “Okay, so I’m an amateur with dragons, but I am no thief. Tell me, are dragons edible?”
“Edible?” roared the dragon. “Are you serious? Do you really think your puny sword is going to stand a chance at hurting me? My scales are better than any shield you may have faced.”
“Ah, but this is no ordinary sword,” teased Alex as let his sword point lower to one of the dragon’s scales. Holding the sword with both hands, Alex carved his initials into one of the dragon’s scales.
“Hey, what are you doing?” bellowed the dragon.
“You said that I might need some food while I wait here,” retorted Alex. “I figure I could probably nibble on you for a couple of years before you decided to let me go.”
The dragon became rather fidgety and tried moving his body closer to the wall, trying to crush or dislodge the thief on his back. When it became apparent that Alex was not going to be dislodged, the dragon laughed. “You know, I think I like you, thief. Perhaps I will let you go free for showing such good spirit.”
Alex scanned the dragon’s body looking for any section that might be vulnerable to a quick sword thrust, but finally figured that only the head would serve his purpose and that was not very likely to happen. “Oh,” quipped Alex, “so I should just slide off your back and walk merrily out of the cave, right? Of course, you wouldn’t think of roasting me on the way across the floor now, would you?”
“Okay,” sighed the dragon. “Look, you don’t want to be here and I don’t want you here. If you promise to take nothing and to never return, I will really let you leave. If not, I will have to eat you.”
“Foolish, maybe,” commented Alex, “but I actually believe you. I can very easily agree never to come here again, but there is something that I must take with me, something that is worth more than my life.”
“Don’t be foolish, thief,” scolded the dragon. “If you die, you won’t be taking anything with you. What do I have that is worth so much to you?”
“The Sword of Heavens,” declared Alex.
The dragon’s body convulsed and gyrated in fury. “Never,” roared the dragon. “Now you must surely die, thief. The Mage, himself, entrusted the Sword of Heavens to me and I pledged my life to protect it. Only one of us will leave this chamber alive.” The dragon started twirling his body furiously back and forth, smashing into the walls of the chamber.
“Stop!” shouted Jenneva. The dragon halted, searching for the source of the new voice. Jenneva walked into the open and faced the dragon. “It is under orders from the Mage that we have come for the Sword of Heavens. The Ancient Prophecy requires it to remove the Dark One.”
The dragon’s eyes narrowed at the small form of Jenneva. “So, thief has an accomplice. Why should I believe that the Mage sent you? Why would he not come himself?”
“The Mage is busy with Alutar,” answered Jenneva. “If he asked you to guard the Sword of Heavens, then he must have also told you that someday it would be needed. Today is that day.”
The dragon tilted his head toward the diminutive form of Jenneva. “He told me that it would be required one day,” admitted the dragon. “He also told me how I would know that day. Do you know?”
“The seven jewels will be gone,” answered Alex as he slid off the dragon’s back and joined Jenneva. “Look, if the Mage trusted you with the Sword of Heavens, then I can trust you with my life. The Ancient Prophecy has begun and the Universes have collapsed. The Sword of Heavens will be naked. If it is not, you may eat me.”
Alex sheathed his sword and grabbed Jenneva’s hand. The dragon peered at the two figures for a long moment and finally spoke. “Lay your sword on the ground and go up the small tunnel on my right. There is a single chest at the end of the tunnel. Bring it down here.”
Alex did as the dragon ordered and returned with the chest. He laid the chest on the ground and opened it. The top item in the chest was the Sword of Heavens and the jewels were missing.
“I am glad that I did not eat you,” mused the dragon. “I am Wyka, Keeper of the Sword of Heavens. How can I aid the friends of the Mage in their quest?”
“I am Jenneva, student of the Mage,” replied Jenneva, “and this is my mate, Alex. You have already helped us, friend of the Mage. We need to study the scrolls in the chest and then we must locate the Dark One so that I may imprison him.”
“There is one who can tell you where to find the Dark One,” state
d Wyka. “The Oracle of Estara will know. I will take you there when you are ready.”
Alex and Jenneva decided to go through the chest outside the claustrophobic cave and agreed for Wyka to meet them there the next morning. They both inhaled deeply after clearing the cave entrance and informed Kaz of what had happened and about the dragon’s planned arrival for the following morning. Jenneva found and memorized the imprisonment spell while Alex hunted up some dinner.
Jenneva was fascinated at the remaining contents of the chest and Alex could hardly drag her away long enough to sample the roast grouse that he had prepared. After dinner Jenneva remained isolated with the chest until she couldn’t keep her eyes open any more.
In the morning Wyka appeared at the mouth of the cave and Alex handled the introduction with Kaz. Alex hoisted Jenneva onto Kaz’s back and then scrambled to a position on Wyka. Wyka took to the sky heading northward and Kaz and Jenneva followed. Wyka flew gracefully and Alex actually felt rather comfortable, which surprised him. They flew over the entire length of Sordoa and the central valleys of Targa before approaching the Boulder Mountains. Wyka started dropping altitude and mountain peaks started sliding by on both sides of her. Suddenly, Wyka swooped up and landed on the very peak of one of the mountains.
“If you climb down my tail,” Wyka instructed, “there is a small path. Follow the path to a cave opening. You will see nothing abnormal about the cave itself and the only way to speak with the Oracle is to introduce yourself first. I will wait here for you.”
Alex climbed down and followed the path to the cave entrance. He waited there until Kaz and Jenneva landed and together they entered the cave. Alex whispered Wyka’s instructions to Jenneva to let her handle the introductions.
The cave was not very large and it appeared empty. They walked around the entire cave and could find no sign of any life. Jenneva stepped to the center of the cave.
“Greetings, Oracle of Estara,” she called, “I am Jenneva, student and friend of the Mage. I seek your enlightenment.” After several seconds with no response, Jenneva continued. “I have brought my mate, Alexander Tork, and our friend, Kaz, with me.”
Ancient Prophecy Page 23
