The Dragon Savior of Tone: World of Tone: Book 2 (15 page)

“Are you ready to go?” Setilan asked.

“Yes, we're ready,” Terra replied.

“Are you sure about Lampo? We know of no caves within that mountain,” the Old Sinut said.

“When we get to the mountain we will be shown how to enter the cave. Let's get going, it's going to take some time to get there.”

Terra took Fienna's hand as they walked into the water. His body began to glow orange. His color spread to Fienna. The glow showed the magic that allowed them to breathe underwater. The two split apart underwater, but a thin orange cord connected their bodies. They were met by ten sea nymph guards that would protect them while they were in their kingdom.

In time, they came to the mountain called Lampo and stopped. As they looked over the area, bubbles began to erupt from a single spot. It was several dragon lengths from the mountain's base. As they approached the bubbles, they saw a jumble of large boulders. The bubbles flowed from an opening big enough to allow Terra to swim through. He began to swim to the opening, but the guards blocked him.

“Let us explore this,” the leader of the guard told him. Terra shrugged and moved back. The leader swam into the opening and, after what seemed to be an eternity, he came back out.

“There is a long tunnel that leads to a cave filled with air. The cave walls are crystalline and glow as bright as a sun filled sun-rising,” the leader said.

“How could we have possibly missed this opening? Our people have used the mountain for the play of our young ones and to teach hunting for generations,” the Old Sinut said.

“Let's go look at this cave,” Terra told the others, as he and Fienna swam toward the opening.

Terra entered first, followed by Fienna and the rest. As he entered the tunnel, there was a glow from the walls. He touched it. It seemed to be a glowing green moss. A short swim down the tunnel brought him to an area that flared out to allow for at least four sea nymphs to enter. It then continued on and started to slope up. He came to a fairly large cave that ten to fifteen nymphs could fit in. He did not initially see where the tunnel continued, but he looked up and saw a ring of light around a hole in the cave's ceiling. He swam up and through the ring. He could see rippling light five to six dragon lengths straight up. He was just able to fit through the tunnel. When he came to the light, his head broke through the water into fresh air.

The cave's entire inside had been coated with crystal. It looked to be as thick as his thigh and it glowed as bright as first sun. It was as large as their home cave. It appeared as though it had been designed to live in, with shelves for sleeping. There was also a large, flat, sunken area perfect for children to play in. As they all pulled themselves into the cave, they could see it was big enough to hold several hundred within its volume.

“This will work fine. There are two guard posts on the way to the cave, and the cave itself is large and the air is fresh,” Terra said to the group.

“We will be leaving our daughter in your care. Can you protect her?” Fienna asked.

“We will bring a thousand to protect her. She will be the most guarded child on Tone. No one, no thing, will harm her. I will stay here myself,” the Old Sinut said.

“I speak for my father, the king, and we both will guarantee her safety. You will not have to worry about Cardana. She will be cared for with all the love we can give,” Setilan said.

“Thank you. We need her to be safe. It will make what we're about to do a bit easier,” Fienna said in a sad and concerned voice.

The sea nymphs left to look over the entrance tunnel and the two locations they would use as guard positions. As Terra and Fienna looked around one more time, an image began to form in a small enclave. It was the image Tone had used to talk to them.

“She will be safe here. I will prevent any harm that could come to her. I have created all of this and even the dark one cannot penetrate what I have created. You have much to do. Don’t worry about your daughter, I will watch over her. She will want for nothing and know nothing but love,” the image said in an odd voice that seemed to come from the vibrating crystalline walls.

“Thank you,” Fienna said in a relieved voice.

Chapter 23 - The Human Meeting

(Joining forces for the benefit of all is at best difficult.)

- The Time of the Draman -

The world for the humans was about to change. They waited for the Draman at the meeting place he had specified. Naron had brought Rammy, Rubbo, and Nolla with him. They watched the sky until Rammy finally saw a glint of light in the distance. Slowly, a white dragon came into view with a rider on its back. It appeared to be a woman. The great beast circled down and gently landed a few dragon lengths in front of the group. The dragon was enormous and seemed to be all muscle. The woman on its back was even more striking. She had multicolored blue-green skin and hair, which flowed down her back and was as long as her body. She wore odd, dark green, glistening clothes that looked as if they were fashioned from the water greens.

The woman climbed down from the great beast with the ease of long practice. She carried a small bag and stood back from the dragon. As they watched, the dragon began to shimmer, and then appeared to be getting smaller. Before their amazed eyes, the great beast began to change. The wings became smaller and the neck seemed to pull back into the body. The great snout on the head pulled back into the skull, the legs straightened, and the arms contracted. Soon the dragon became a powerfully built naked man. The woman walked to the man and handed him clothing, which he quickly put on. None of them had ever seen such powerful magic; it truly was the time of the Draman.

They turned and walked toward the human group awaiting them. As they came closer, Naron could see that the woman's skin was marked as if she had dragon scales. He realized he was looking at the Wogan. As they approached, Naron was unsure what to say. He and the others were overwhelmed by what they had just seen.

“We have come as agreed. This is my mate, Fienna. And I am Terra, as you know.”

“Forgive us, but we have never seen such magic. Shape changing is beyond anything we have ever imagined,” Naron said with amazement in his voice.

“My changing is not magic. It is what I am.”

“I-I see,” Naron responded.

“Have you made your decision?” Terra asked.

“Yes, we will fight.”

“Good, we must discuss how to add you to our other fighters.”

“There are others?” Rammy asked.

“There will be more than ten thousand dragons, sea and land nymphs, and, of course, you now.”

“You can get dragons to fight with us and not eat us?” Rammy questioned.

“The dragons will not eat you, they don't like the taste of humans,” Terra said, laughing a bit.

“We did not know the land nymphs still existed. We thought they were destroyed during the last great battle,” Naron explained.

“They still live in a valley protected by a great wall. They are weakening and will soon be overrun by the squat creatures that attack them constantly.”

“You mean the dwarfs?” Rammy asked.

“Yes.”

“How do you know these things?”

“I have friends.”

“We have a cave where we can talk, if that is what you wish.”

“Lead on and we will follow.”

The group went into the opening that led to the massive cave complex the humans had built over the generations. Only a few knew of the true extent of the caves and the number of Guards that inhabited them. They were led to a large cave with a large flat rock in the center and smaller rocks arranged around it. The humans sat on the smaller rocks; Fienna and Terra did the same.

“We are preparing. We need to know when you wish to move and what your plans are,” Naron said.

“Well, that is the difficulty. I have a plan, but I don’t know yet how we can get you across the mountains. How many fighters can you offer?” Terra asked.

Rammy looked at her father oddly. Terra still did not fully understand human facial movements, but he had a feeling that they were holding something back.

“We have nearly one hundred thousand fighters and five thousand to support them. How do you plan to combine all these different groups into a fighting force?” Naron replied.

“It depends on whether or not we can get the humans to the other side of the mountains. I will need to get you to the entrance of the mountain paths that were closed by the Solans. Those paths are now impassable lakes. How to get you beyond those lakes is the question.” Naron looked as if he were trying to decide something as Terra finished his explanation.

“I have the answer to that problem. You see, our ancestors were miners before they became fighters. They dug into the earth for metals and salt. For generations, we have done the same, creating these tunnels and our homes. The first one to hold my command position was the last commander of the human fighters. He wanted to know what was happening on the other side of the mountains. He left writings where he explained that without this knowledge we would never be able to regain our homelands. So, he started two tunnels through the mountains. The entrances were hidden and protected. A tunnel on each side of the Lake of Solan was painstakingly dug. For many generations, we worked to cut the tunnels.

Each tunnel splits into two paths. One path ends in caves near the top of two mountains. The caves have small view slots that overlook the large village that the dwarfs built. The other paths lead to the base of the two mountains and end thirty human-lengths before they break through to the dead lands beyond. The tunnels have been maintained and improved, and through them we can put fighters on both sides of the dwarfs’ village,” Naron explained.

“That does seem to take care of the problem. I can now complete my plans.”

“Would you like to visit the tunnels? We can show you the dwarfs’ village,” Rammy asked.

“I have already seen what's on the other side of the mountains. There are four locations the dwarfs now inhabit. I have been told all four must be destroyed.” The four humans were surprised.

“Did you fly over the mountains?” Naron asked.

“Not physically. In my mind, I can see far from where I am.” They all looked at each other.

“You have far sight?” Rammy asked.

“If that's what you call it. I can see where I wish to see.”

“I told you before that the two lake cities were about to attack each other on the water,” Naron said.

“Yes, what happened?”

“The ships sank as we planned and they were all killed, including the so-called king of Southlake. We will be taking over Southlake within three sun-risings. Rubbo will be leaving after our meeting to take control of the city. We have the people in place to deal with those left behind. Solana is a problem; the three sisters have magic powerful enough to stop us,” Naron explained.

“You wish for me to help you?”

“Yes, if you could stop their magic it would prevent many from being killed.”

“I will help, if you help me. I need someone to assist me in the training of my dragon friends. They have never fought as a group, only as individuals. They must learn how to fly and fight together. Do you have anyone that could do this?”

“Rammy is the best we have in the organization and training of fighters. I think she would be willing to help,” Naron said as Rammy nodded her head in agreement.

“What will you do with the sisters?” Nolla asked.

“I will cure them of their magic.”

“Will you do it now?” Nolla inquired.

“When we leave here I will go to Solana. Do you wish to come?” Terra asked Nolla.

“Yes, please. If you give me just half a sun-rising, I will prepare our fighters to take over the village. We will move as soon as you deal with the sisters,” Nolla said, as she thought of what was needed to be done in Solana.

“Now, getting back to the tunnels. I don't think I need both of them. I need your fighters to be on the left side as you face the Barrier Mountains from the coast.” Terra told the group.

“On that side, the tunnel comes out in a box valley that can’t be seen by the dwarfs. We can set up there, it is big enough for twice the number of fighters that we have,” Naron responded.

“I need to know how many fighters you will be able get through that tunnel, and when you will be ready. I want to move as soon as possible.”

“Well, that depends on how long you expect this fight will last,” Naron said.

“Do you have a drawing of the lands beyond the mountains?” Terra asked.

“Yes, we have a copy of the original map of Tone. Rammy, could you please get it?” her father asked.

“I'll be back in a few moments.” She left and quickly went to her father's cave. She knew exactly where the map was kept. She remembered copying it as a child; she knew every line and letter upon its surface.

She returned and laid the map upon the central flat rock. The map approximated what Terra had viewed in his mind flight. It did not have the three dwarf villages or the land nymph's valley.