The Dragon Savior of Tone: World of Tone: Book 2 (16 page)

“Do you have something I can use to mark on this, you called it a map?”

“Yes, it is called a map. Let me get you a piece of charcoal from the fire,” Rammy said.

Terra marked the locations of the dwarf villages and the land nymphs' valley.

“This is where things stand now. I must reach the black mountain in the end. We must first take out these dwarf villages. I will need you for both of the villages—the one beyond the lake and the one at the entrance of this great gorge. We then need to move up the curve of the mountains. I will fly from where the mountains end to the dark mountain. The lightning is too great for anyone to follow me.”

“Can you give us a detailed plan of what you wish us to do?” Naron asked.

“Not quite yet, you need to get yourselves and the tunnel ready for heavy fighting and a long march along the curve of the mountains.”

“We will begin our planning immediately. We will have to have both food and water to walk this distance. We will need at least a thousand pack beasts. We will begin putting the supplies together. When should we be ready?”

“I will need you to be ready to break through the mountain in sixty sun-risings. Can you do this?”

“We have been preparing for this fight for generations. We will be ready!” Naron said with complete confidence.

Chapter 24 - The Sisters

(A time of change is always difficult and often requires violence.)

- The Time of the Draman -

As they all watched, Terra changed back into the great white dragon. Fienna walked to him with Rammy and Nolla. They planned to stop at Solana before returning home with Rammy. Fienna grabbed Nolla around her waist and picked her up like a feather. She quickly climbed up Terra’s front leg and up his massive shoulder. She sat Nolla between two of Terra's neck ridges. She climbed back down and walked toward Rammy.

“Hold on, I can climb up there myself,” She told Fienna as she held her hand up to stop her from picking her up. Fienna shrugged her shoulders, climbed back up, and sat two ridges behind Nolla.

“You sit here.” Fienna pointed to the spot between the two women.

Rammy with her bag tied to her back reached up and managed to pull herself up to Terra's forearm. His scales felt harder than any metal she had ever touched. They were cool and smooth to the touch, but not cold like a water swimmer. She was able to stand on his arm and reach to his shoulder. Fienna bent down, grasped her hand, and pulled her up the rest of the way. It was as if she weighed nothing to this powerful and beautiful woman.

The two women felt something warm on their legs. When they looked down the white dragon's scales had started to glow a light orange color. It was as if their legs were stuck tight with tree sap to the scales. Terra looked back to see if they were all ready. He then extended his great wings. He jumped into the air and then pushed his wings down, boosting them to twenty human-heights above the ground. Rammy felt massive muscles flex as the wings pumped down. As they rose into the sky, Nolla looked down and became dizzy and sick to her stomach. She closed her eyes and held on tight to the crystalline ridge. She then felt a pleasant warmth travel up her body, settling her stomach, but she still kept her eyes closed.

Rammy saw how Nolla grabbed the ridge in front of her. At first, she was concerned until she looked down and immediately understood her problem. She had never been this high, and, on top of that, they were moving. She felt her stomach begin to sicken, but she was able to keep herself somewhat under control. She also felt a warmth move up her body. When she looked, the orange glow was creeping up her hips. She thought she should be afraid of it, but instead it took the sickness away and caused her to trust Terra. This must have been what her father had felt when he was healed.

Rammy looked down as they started to move forward. The distance they were covering was amazing. They would be at Solana by mid high sun. The wind was blocked by the dragon's neck and it made the flight much easier for the three women. When they came close to Solana, the dragon began to spiral down toward a wooded area, about three thousand human-lengths from the village. Terra landed in a small clearing near a stream. He touched down so lightly that the women barely knew that they were on the ground.

Rammy was the first to get off Terra's back with Fienna's help. Fienna again carried Nolla to the ground. Terra then changed back to his human form. The two women needed a short time to regain their footing. Their legs were a bit stiff from being stuck to Terra's scales.

“We will go to the village and prepare our people to take over. I will come back when we're ready,” Rammy told the two.

“Fine, we'll wait here,” Terra responded.

The two women trotted to the village and entered through a tunnel that started within the wooded area and ended in Nolla's home. Nolla's daughter was sent to get the group leaders. Within a short time, Nolla's little hut was filled with six humans. All the Guard members had prepared to take over the village. When Nolla told them the sisters would be dealt with by sunset, they became quiet and thoughtful. She told the leaders to get their groups in position and to move when they saw a great white dragon land in the village. They were surprised by the existence of a white dragon, let alone one landing in the village. Most had seen dragons high in the sky, but they never came near the village.

Rammy told them the dragon was on their side and was not to be attacked. That in fact, they were to protect this dragon. The group that was to take the circle would act as soon as they saw the dragon spiral down to the center of the village. They were told the dragon would land in the circle and all the Defenders should be taken out by the time it touched the ground. The Guards that were to act as the Defenders looked up at the dragon. Only ten Defenders guarded the circle. Nolla assigned two Guards to take out each Defender. The Guard was made up of both women and men trained from birth to fight for the humans of the coastal valleys.

The other areas of the village had about two hundred more Defenders, all of whom would be easily handled by the four hundred guards. Rammy left Nolla to finalize the plans as she returned to Terra.

Terra and Fienna relaxed by the stream. Fienna was not concerned about the sisters; she knew they were no match for Terra. She was concerned about the final battle between Terra and whatever controlled the lands beyond the mountains. She hid her fears, but as they slowly came closer to actually taking action, they grew.

“
You were very quiet during the meeting. Is something wrong, my love?
” Terra thought to her.

“
No, Things are moving very fast. Are you sure that you can handle this whole thing?
”

“
Yes, I have everything planned out now. Many will die and their blood will be on my hands. I'm afraid it will change me. All that death because of one dark being. It's, I don't know, so useless. Do you understand what I mean?
”

“
I understand, but the blood will not be on your hands, it will be on the hands of the one that started this all those seasons ago.
”

“
In my mind I know you are right, but in my heart it's still wrong somehow. Will you still love me after all this?
” Terra thought to her with a bit of fear. She had never felt fear within him.

“
Nothing, not even death, will stop my love for you,
” Fienna thought to him. Terra smiled and hugged her. They made love in the green glow of the woods and the world seemed to grow just a bit stronger that sun-rising.

As Rammy came close to the place where Terra had landed, she sensed a change. The plants seemed greener and the scent was fresher— brighter somehow. She came to the clearing and saw the two laying against a tree, with Fienna asleep in Terra's arms. She almost didn't want to interrupt.

She stepped into the clearing and Fienna awoke immediately, her senses were extraordinary.

“We're ready,” Rammy said as she approached the two.

“Good, I assume the sisters live in that big cave with the wooden panels that lay in the circle of caves.”

“Yes, it's the big cave in the circle. We call the panels doors and the caves are known as huts. You have been there?”

“Yes, I visited both villages on the lake. I would like you to take Fienna to the village and I will fly in. When I land, I will deal with the sisters,” Terra said in a very subdued tone.

Fienna trotted behind Rammy toward the village. She thought the human moved quite slowly, but she kept reminding herself not to compare normal humans with Terra. He was unique by any standards. They reached a cave in a wooded area just outside of the village. The cave led to a tunnel, which ended in a small cave. Two of the three humans in the cave stepped back when Fienna entered. They seemed afraid of her.

“She won't hurt you, you have your instructions. Go,” Nolla demanded and the two left through a swinging panel.

“Terra is coming. He is circling above. He has started to descend,” Fienna said in a powerful low almost trilling voice. Rammy looked at Fienna wondering how she knew that Terra was landing.

“We should go to the circle, please put this on,” Nolla said as she handed Fienna a large cloth to cover her colorful body. They moved through several small paths until they reached a circle of small, human made caves, with one large cave across the circle.

Terra landed and Fienna could see a number of black clothed figures scattered on the ground, either dead or unconscious. As Terra turned toward the large wood panels, a human dress in black came running out of a dark path. He had a large pointed stick, which he stopped to throw at Terra.

Fienna growled in anger. Rammy and Nolla looked back at Fienna and saw smoke coming from her nostrils. Suddenly, she opened her mouth and a stream of super-heated fire came from her throat and struck the black figure. The human instantly burst into flames. He disappeared into a vortex of boiling fire and heat. Where he once stood, only a glowing pile of ash remained. The two women backed away from the angry Wogan.

When Terra looked back and saw what had happened, he smiled at his mate. He then reached for the two large panels. He grasped the top of each panel and tore them away from the stone walls. He dropped one and used the other to knock down the wall, so that he could more easily fit into the small clearing just beyond the panels. Terra dropped the other panel and waited for the dust to clear.

As he stepped through the now collapsed wall, he saw three female humans standing on a shelf. They were about the height of his chest. They were holding hands with their eyes closed. A small dark globe was forming in front of them. Terra didn't hesitate, he breathed in and let a blast of orange flame hit the humans. The globe dissolved and the humans curled into a huddled mound. As Terra's flame died, the sisters stood up and looked at the great dragon. All three began to laugh.

“Our magic protected us. You can do nothing to harm us, we are more powerful than you can imagine!” The red haired sister yelled out. The sisters again clasped hands and began to concentrate, but nothing happened. They tried again and again, nothing. Their magic was gone. As they realized what had just happen, fear began to take control of their minds. They had done so much to the villagers and they knew of their hatred for them. They had to escape before those they had ruled only a few moments ago killed them.

The dragon looked on, simply smiling. As they turned to run, six villagers met them. They were taken to the hut that once held the humans who had opposed the sisters. Terra had no interest in the sisters and left their fate to the humans they had harmed. He turned and returned to the circle. He looked at his mate and smiled.

“
Meet me in the clearing near the stream. There's not enough room here
,” Terra thought to Fienna.

“
I will be there as soon as possible. I will bring Rammy
,” she thought back to him.

Terra bent down, then leaped into the air and simultaneously pushed his massive wings down. The force of the air was so powerful it swept humans off their feet and blew debris about like so many feathers. Fienna simply stood in the middle of the chaos and smiled with pride. Later, the two met Terra at the clearing. They soon were airborne and on their way to the crevice.

Chapter 25 - Rammy and the Dragons

(Making new friends is far from easy.)

- The Time of the Draman -

Rammy looked down and saw a crevice in the rocky cliff below. Dragons flew above the crevice and perched on the edge of the deep cliffs that led down to the base of the great crack. Terra began to slowly spiral down and landed on the shore of a small pond. Five or six odd creatures began to trot toward them. They looked similar to humans, except they had golden green tinted hair and slim bodies. Their skin appeared to be smooth, but they were a greenish gray color with dark orange shading. As they came closer, she could see small slits in their necks that seemed to be closed. She then saw them swimming in the water, but instead of legs, they had two tail-like limbs. She realized that they were sea nymphs. She had heard descriptions of the creatures and recognized them instantly. How Terra brought together dragons and sea nymphs was beyond her understanding.