Shaunna was about to protest but quickly realized that it would do her no good. So she replied, “Let’s go, Hope is waiting.”
They walked back toward the walls of the bowl-shaped valley, following the advice of an old man who neither of them was convinced was totally sane.
It was mid-day when they reached the bottom of the path they had followed from the top the previous evening. “We’ll probably have to wait until dark to find the door. There are probably enchantments on it to make it totally concealed during the day,” Shaunna explained as she sat down on the smooth stone of the valley floor.
“What makes you say that?” Taren asked.
“We are in the city dedicated to the Dark Lords. They hate everything to do with the light,” Taren could tell that Shaunna was tired as she spoke.
“Get some rest, and I’ll keep watch.”
The sudden change of topic took Shaunna off guard. She had almost expected more argument. “V...very well,” She lay down on the ground, letting the heat from the sun soak into her tired body. In a few moments until she was sound asleep.
Taren watched Shaunna as she slept. She really was beautiful. He remembered all the moments they spent together since she'd arrived in his life. He didn’t know when it started exactly, but he was sure he was falling in love with her, which was a good thing since he was going to spend the rest of his life with her. He was surprised at how happy that thought made him.
Once again his thoughts went involuntarily to Parel. He didn’t know why, but he felt thoughts somehow betrayed her. They had been friends for a long time, and he knew that she was in love with him. He had never really reciprocated the emotion, but she was the closest thing to a serious girlfriend that he ever had.
He covered his face with his hands. “What am I doing here? I’m just a kid. I shouldn’t have to do this,” He took a seat next to Shaunna, and sat in silence until the sun began to set. He severely missed the talks he used to have with Cyan. He had only had the sword for a short time, but he had come to trust the strange weapon immensely. It was easy to trust someone that he shared a mental connection with.
Taren didn’t like this place one bit. Through the hours that he sat next to the slumbering Shaunna, not once did an insect’s chirp break through the oppressive silence. No bird cries, no sounds of life at all could be heard, save the deep breathing of the sleeping girl next to him. He was agreed more and more with Shaunna’s assessment of the situation. It was a very bad idea to come here. True, he had learned a great deal about his mother, but Hope was missing and he was now waiting for darkness so he could break into an enemy stronghold that should be teeming with activity.
As the first signs of dusk appeared, Taren gently shook Shaunna to wake her. “Shaunna, it’s almost time.”
Shaunna was bleary-eyed as she sat up. “It’s time already? I just went to sleep.”
Taren laughed. “You have been asleep for hours,” He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. “It’s time to wake up, beautiful.”
Her cheeks flushed as she looked at him. Did he just call her beautiful? She didn’t know how to respond, so she went right into the plans of what would happen tonight.
“We will have one chance at this,” She pulled her dagger out and began drawing a map on the ground in front of her. “This is where they will most probably be keeping him,” She began.
“Wait a minute,” Taren interrupted, “how can you possibly know what the inside of this Under Fortress looks like?”
“Your grandfather was wrong. The followers of the anarchists, or the Dark Blades, did not build this. It was built at the same time we dark elves built the city. There is a hall of maps in the dark elf village that has maps from all over the world. I like to visit there whenever I go home. There is a map of the fortress in there.”
Shaunna never ceased to amaze Taren with her knowledge.
“As I was saying, this is where they will most likely be keeping him. This area was designed to be a prison,” She pointed to a small section of the drawing then pointed to a point outside the drawing. "This is where we are. This will probably be the best way to get there,” She drew a line in the most direct way from where they were to the prison section.
“What if that’s not where they're keeping him,” Taren asked?
Shaunna stood up as the last light of the sun disappeared over the top of the valley rim. “We’ll face that situation if we have to,” She turned toward the wall. “Quiet, it's almost time,” She pulled a dark bandana out of her bag to cover her hair. “You might want to put your mask on. We’re going to want to be as invisible as possible.”
As the last light of day disappeared over the rim of the bowl, a great darkness fell. In the darkness, a cave appeared in the wall in front of them.
Taren wasn’t sure how far they walked or how long it took them to reach the prison area, for a time seemed to have no meaning in the impenetrable darkness.
Eventually, a dim light began to pierce the darkness ahead. They found that the light came from the blade of Maxx and the blade of another sword that glowed with a golden light.
“Maxx, where is Hope?” Taren asked, seeing that the tall raven-haired elf was not present.
“They are taking him to the sacrificial grounds now,” his voice echoed through their heads. “Release me. We need to save him.”
Shaunna nodded. “I was wondering why nobody challenged us. They must be going to watch the sacrifice.”
It was then that Taren noticed the brackets holding Hope’s swords to the wall. Pulling the Sword of Star Fire from his pocket, he activated it, casting a harsh purple light around the room. In the unnatural purple light, he was able to see the grisly scene that they had not seen before. Dead bodies littered the ground, some of them cut into several pieces. A black pool on the ground showed where the blood of the bodies had been spilled. Apparently, Maxx hadn't gone down without a fight.
A single stroke of Taren’s sword was all it took to free both swords from the bands that held them firmly to the wall. The golden sword clattered to the ground as soon as it was free from the wall. Maxx floated in the air in front of the two would be rescuers.
“Come, we must hurry!” Maxx said in an urgent tone. “Follow me, and keep your weapons ready.”
In the few minutes they took to reach the entrance to the sacrificial arena, Taren began to feel as if a power were going to burst from him. He had never felt such complete power before, not even when he had first placed the black glove on his hand. When he had felt the sensation while fighting the ogre, it had not been this strong. He was almost drunk with the power. He felt as if he could accomplish anything at this moment, even take on the Mother Dragon herself.
They burst through the doors at a full run, into an arena filled with thousands of people. In the center of the arena was a large post with a man tied to it. A deep sound reverberated from the stands as the spectators stamped their feet in time with some unheard music. The walls of the arena shook with the force of the sound.
They stood on the arena floor for a moment unnoticed when they heard a new sound. It sounded as if a great creature called out in anticipation. A great blackness blotted out many of the stars as the creature approached the arena. The sight of the shadow spurred Taren into action.
Deactivating the StarFire Sword, he pulled his shirt off. “Quick, free Hope,” He tossed the golden sword to Shaunna and rose into the air to meet the coming threat, the power of the Dragon Talons coursing through him. “Come; let's see if your talons are as sharp as mine.”
He had never risen into the air as fast as he did this time. It was as if a powerful wind had come up behind him and was carrying him into the sky. His wings felt as if they were on fire. It was exhilarating.
He summoned the claws from his hands as he approached the large shadow. He could tell right away that this wasn’t the Mother Dragon. It wasn’t nearly big enough for that, but he didn’t care. This dragon would be a good test for this power.
�
��Come to me. I will be thy death,” The dragon’s voice rang out over the drumming sound from the arena.
Taren just smiled as he flew toward the prospect of battle.
A thick stream of fire issued forth from the dragon’s open maw, shooting out about three feet before getting caught by the wind and turning back toward its origin.
Taren dodged under the flame, raking the dragon’s underbelly with his claws. The dragon screamed in rage and pain as the claws dislodged scales. Bright globs of burning, acidic blood oozed from the wounds, dropping through the night sky like falling stars.
Taren began to literally fly circles around the large beast, jabbing here and there with his claws, tearing scales in patches from all over the beast’s body. With speeds like unto a peregrine falcon, Taren struck again and again as the dragon kept trying to attack the smaller creature that was doing so much damage. Little by little, he tore away at the dragon until it finally began to fall, its fire extinguished.
The thrumming sound from the arena had ceased, and all of the spectators had fled for their lives. Hope and Shaunna were waiting for him when he landed. His wings hurt as if they'd been on fire.
“What was that?” Shaunna asked, pointing to the dragon carcass that fell on the arena wall.
“I don’t know. I felt this power that was overflowing by the time we got here, it needed an outlet,” Taren explained.
“Well, let’s get out of here before those freaks regroup,” Hope said.
The three companions met no resistance as they made their way back through the fortress to the door that had admitted Taren and Shaunna. The sun was just rising as they burst from the entrance into the valley. The extreme expenditure of power, coupled with the fact that he hadn’t slept much in two days, caught up with Taren at this point. He was not able to continue, so Shaunna and Hope carried him back along the path that had brought them to this cursed valley.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The Crystal Cavern
“And their blows rang with a rich, sweet music.” - Ballad of the Crystal Blades
Morning found the trio standing at the foot of the path they were to follow, trying to ascertain the conditions. The weather was not helping with their assessment. A heavy rain was falling, obscuring their view of the path after a few feet. Thunder and lightning chased each other across the sky, illuminating the landscape around them with sinister flashes that played tricks on the mind.
Hope shook his head at the thought of traveling the path in these conditions, but he didn't relish the thought of Silax finding them out in the open so close to her home. Without a word, he started to climb the steep path that would lead them to their final destination, the Crystal Cavern.
As they traveled the narrow path, there were places where the land fell away on either side of the slick stone, barely wide enough for a single person to cross.
Their travel was slow, impeded by the combined obstacles of the landscape and the weather. In spite of the drawbacks, no harm came to any of them, and they reached the mouth of the cave as the sky darkened. Pushed forward by a sense of urgency, they didn't stop to dry themselves or take comfort in the fact that they were no longer in the driving rain.
Fear seeped into them from the very stone. A massive pile of bleached bones was stood, meticulously stacked, next to the entrance. Deep claw marks scored the floor, marking the passages of the enormous black beast over the centuries. They were now in the last place that anyone would want to go willingly, in the lair of Silax, the Mother Dragon.
They sneaked, quickly and quietly, through the large cave that was home to the most feared creature in the world. Piles of gold littered the cave as if thrown around carelessly by some giant hand. It piled around the base of large stone pillars which braced the ceiling to keep it from falling. Lying on the side of a huge pile in the middle of the room, a large black monster, smoke billowing from her nostrils, was slept peacefully.
They had made it most of the way across the cave when a sickly sweet voice echoed through the area. "Aaah! I have guests,” The three intruders quickly took refuge behind the nearest pillar. "I smell the kinglet. How nice of you to spare me the task of hunting you down. If you have come for your little friend, you are too late. She is gone,” Taren almost called to see what had happened to Parel but stopped himself. Calling out would give away his position.
"I also smell the assassin. The master is very sore with you, lass. I would not like to be you when he catches you, but I do so hope that I can be there to watch,” They could tell from her voice that there was a wicked smile on her face. "Lastly, I smell the accursed healer. I still have not recovered from the wound you inflicted upon me, therefore I think I will eat you first.”
Fire burst around them as the dragon brought her breath weapon to bear against the pillar that hid them. Their clothes and hair began to steam as the flames spread out on either side of them around the pillar. It seemed like an eternity that the fire surrounded them.
When at last the fire died away, they all heard a voice in their heads: "Run, now!"
All three of them dashed through the remaining space between them and the small tunnel that led into the bowels of the mountain where they would meet an enemy almost as fearsome as the Mother Dragon herself.
With a scream of rage, the dragon jumped after them, issuing forth a stream of fire that filled the entire tunnel they just entered. Taren grabbed the small cylinder from the easy access pocket, held it firmly in his hands, and focused on a single thought. Protect us.
A shimmering barrier appeared between them and the dragon's fire, stopping the superheated flame before it reached them. Hope and Shaunna watched in awe as Taren stood there in intense concentration, holding back the devouring fire.
An ear-splitting roar shattered the silence as the stream of fire came to an end. They had escaped the Mother Dragon again, and she knew it.
"ELLOY SPAWN, I will chew on your bones extra long!" Silax screamed after them.
Taren grinned as he dropped the protective barrier. "Well, at least we're warm and dry now.”
They hurried through the tunnels, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the fury of the dragon as possible. Shaunna led the way, holding a strange glowing crystal before her like an illuminating compass. Hope followed behind her, holding the golden sword in front of him. Taren took the rear position, the Star-fire Sword glowing ominously in the black tunnel.
Taren had no idea what to expect when they got to their destination. He'd grown up with stories of the nobleness of the Crystal Blades, but as he thought more he realized that those stories had only mentioned six blades. From the way that Shaunna and Hope talked, it sounded like there were thousands of these things, all handcrafted by his father and the human Derek Fantis. Apparently, as a race, they had become filled with so much pride that they made the elves look pious.
The strange voice echoed through their heads again. "We should stop here.”
Hope stopped and unstrapped the large crystal sword from his back. He released the sword, where it floated unsupported in front of him.
"My name is Maxximillian Crystal Blade,” The sword began. "I was once referred to as the father blade, being the first to be forged at the hands of the creators. In the Drake Wars, we served the races diligently. Then the virus came. The virus brought us to knowledge of ourselves, but at a terrible price. Half of our number disappeared without a trace, having succumbed to the evil intentions of the virus. The rest of us, save two, are in constant combat with the virus. The combat has made most of our number tired and bitter. The second forged, a blade by the name of Karan, has appointed himself leader and convinced most of the rest that we are immortal, apart from the events of the world above. I intend to make an example of Karan, and prove to the multitude that we are in fact mortal.”
The words were spoken without emotion.
"I ask you not to interfere. When we cross this line," a thin glowing line appeared on the floor in front of them, "they wil
l know we are coming. Be prepared.”
Maxx floated off in the direction they had been traveling, and the others followed. It took about ten minutes after the stop that Maxx had called before they saw the light ahead of them. None of them knew how long they had been traveling through the labyrinthine passages before then.
When they took the final step that carried them into the cavern, it was like walking from a nightmare into a dream. It was as bright as a clear mid-day in summer. Light came from the crystal that lined the entire cavern. The walls and floor of the cavern were smooth. No stalactites or stalagmites broke the smooth expanses of the crystal. In the center of the cave stood a magnificent castle; constructed of the same crystal. A village of thousands of stone huts, the only part of the cavern that was not crystal, had been built around the palace.
The magnificence of the castle, in contrast to the plainness of the stone huts was startling. The castle was made of clear crystal, with a soft multicolored glow coming from it that seemed to change as they watched. The parapets of the castle extended thirty to forty feet into the air, ending in sharply pointed roofs that made the towers look like large crystal arrows. The doors of the castle were gold, with an image that looked very much like Maxx embedded on them.
The stone huts were less than spectacular next to the castle. They were little more than piled stones that had small holes in them for entry.
A crowd had assembled at the mouth of the passage from which they had just emerged. Thousands of bladed weapons floated in small groups. A sword that was almost a match in size for Maxx was at the head of the mob.
"You're not welcome here," The sword said in a deep baritone. "Whenever you come here you bring calamity among us.”
Maxx floated forward to meet the other sword. "Well met, Karan," He said politely. "I bring sad tidings, and a warning,”
Something that sounded like a derisive snort came from the sword that was Karan. "A warning, bah, what could possibly be terrible enough to be a danger to us? We are immortal.”
Master's Mind: The Dagger of Dragon Rose: Book 1 Page 24
