War of Dragons (39 page)

"What do you think John will do when he finds that we've gone?" Jenna asked.

Crystal shook her head. "I know what he'd want to do. Rush after us and make sure we're safe—and I mean we, not just Daisy. But his government might not let him leave. It was hard to enough getting permission for us to go in a group. I haven't told Daisy this of course; she'd take it badly. I wish he was with us now."

Jenna stood up. "Come on. Enough self-indulgence. I'm going to flirt with one of those boys in front of Arthur. He knows I'm only doing it to wind him up, but it doesn't stop him getting cross…."

Within half an hour they were all in the air, flying slowly towards the border. Mark told them before they left that they would conserve their energy at first and then cross the border as quickly as they could in case there were any border guards. It was still early and the air was cool where they were and Crystal was glad for the thick carrying bag she was travelling in.

They must have been approaching the border as Noah gave a signal to the other dragons, and Levi, the dragon carrying her, dropped into a deep dive, gaining speed as he did. Crystal watched the ground grow closer and closer and felt the rush of adrenaline as he pulled out of the dive just above the ground, having accelerated to an incredible pace. They were flying just metres above the ground, which was covered in loose boulders and rocks which would be unforgiving if he made an error. She resisted the urge to close her eyes, wanting to watch the ground pass beneath so quickly, knowing that she would probably never cross this border here again. Then she heard a sound that sent shivers down her spine; the unmistakable war cries of the Blue Dragons flying high above them. She recoiled instinctively into her bag, as if that could save her from their claws. Levi gripped her more tightly in response and she could feel his pace quicken, the flapping of his wings feeling more urgent and hurried. She peered out again, struggling to see as the wind blew in her face. They must have been spotted, as the cries grew more frequent and furious, sounding ever louder and louder. She could see no other dragons—not even the other Golden Dragons as they were flying so close to the ground, the rocks and trees blurring as they passed by. She knew the rest of the party would be nearby and would defend them if they needed, but she couldn't tell how many Blues there were above them or whether their alarm calls had attracted more Blues. She covered her ears with her hands, trying to block out the terrifying calls which seemed to be getting nearer, but it made no difference.

Just as she thought they were about to be caught it all went quiet. Levi continued at the same alarming pace as if nothing had happened, but she knew something must have occurred for them to all silence at once. Without the ability to communicate telepathically, she had no way of knowing what was going on.

There wasn't any visible landmarks, but Crystal realised that they must have crossed the border already and probably some time ago. Levi was slowly descending as the hills dropped away to open plains. She heard more calls from Blue Dragons, but these were much further away and posed no real threat as they wouldn't be able to keep pace with the Golden Dragons. Without any warning, Levi passed her to another dragon, who caught her expertly in the air but for a terrifying moment it felt like she was falling. Crystal knew this was necessary and had experienced this swapping many times already, but it still scared her each time that they did it.

The sounds of the Blue Dragons shrieking in rage had now completely faded away and Crystal realised that there was no one ahead of them; they had escaped. They were flying very low, skimming across the tops of trees and Crystal couldn't see anything but a blur of leaves beneath her. She tired of trying and pulled the top of the bag over her head and closed her eyes, allowing herself to fall asleep.

She couldn't tell how much later it was when she woke, the nearby angry calls of the Blue Dragons tearing her from her dreams. Crystal didn't know whether the dragon carrying her had slowed at all since entering this land, but he was flying very quickly at the moment and she peered her head out of her bag to see what was going on. The sounds of the Blue Dragons were echoing all around them and she swore that she could see blue scales flash past. A fireball burst on the trees just below her, making her scream in fear. They dodged to the left and then the right and she screamed again. Then she saw a Blue Dragon crash into the trees to the right and the sounds stopped again and they slowed immediately.

The encounter probably only lasted for a few minutes, but for Crystal it felt like a lifetime. She looked up and realised that Levi was carrying her again; he must have swapped back while she was asleep. How had they done that without waking her? They rose higher now, leaving the trees below them; the scouts must have indicated that it was safe to do so. They were now flying over a plain and Crystal could see several of the others beside her, the nearest of which was carrying her cousin. Jenna looked terrified and didn't see Crystal waving to her.

The plains stretched out continuously ahead, not a single tree or hill to break up the landscape. Crystal tired of staring at the featureless grasslands and retreated inside the bag once again, out of the wind, and slowly dozed off for a second time. The next time she woke they were landing in a rock-strewn patch of grass at the bottom of some hills. The sun was setting and she realised that it was getting quite late.

"Enjoy your nap?" Levi asked, helping her out of her bag.

"Yes, thank you," Crystal replied, rubbing her eyes and feeling a little embarrassed.

"How on earth could you sleep through that?" Jenna asked, raising her eyes and shaking her head. "I lost count of how many times we ran into Blue Dragons. My nerves are wrecked. I swear one was just seconds away from grabbing us at one point."

"You're alive, aren't you?" Mark pointed out. He was rolling up their travelling bags. "What more do you want?"

"To know where we are for a start. Is it safe for you to all have transformed? What about the Blue Dragons?"

"We're in the Circle of Death!" Levi announced dramatically before laughing to himself.

"They post warnings around the edge of the area," Thomas added. "You wouldn't notice them from the air normally, but we were flying very low so they were easy to spot. We're about half an hour in and they all avoid this place so we should be safe from them."

"What about a disease?" Seth asked. "Could it be that this place has diseases? Or maybe poisonous plants?"

"No, there's a monster," Joseph replied casually.

The group all turned to face Joseph, who was sat behind them, preparing their evening meal.

"What?" Jenna asked. "A monster? You didn't mention that this morning. You all said you didn't know what was here."

"
I
didn't say that," Joseph replied. "No one asked me. I thought everyone knew what was here."

"He was preparing your breakfast when we discussed this," Levi pointed out. "Joseph is a chef as well as one of the scouts."

"Great. Very interesting," Jenna replied with complete disinterest. "Tell me about this monster."

Joseph shrugged. "Oh, we don't know much about it. Not really. Just descriptions from books. But we know it's meant to be huge. Too big to get into these caves. We should be fine in there. We checked all around and it isn't anywhere near."

"What caves?" Crystal asked, looking around.

"Just over there," Arthur replied, pointing to where the bulk of their group had gathered. They were moving things into a cave which had a large opening.

"Another night in a cave?" Daisy asked. "Is there no alternative?"

Mark shrugged. "Probably not. What's the problem with a cave? It'll keep us dry and warm. We won't even need to put up tents."

Arthur replied for her. "Daisy's not keen on caves. John almost died in the last one."

Mark rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You'll have to tell me more about that story. John has been a bit poor on providing details on what he's been doing over the last year. But yes, sorry, another night in a cave. I have no idea what these monster stories are about, but I think it's best if we all stay together."

"Do we get a choice in this?" Jenna asked, even unhappier about going back in a cave than Daisy.

"Mark!" Noah called from over by the cave. "Get everyone inside the cave. Joseph can finish preparing the food over there, but I want everyone else inside before the sun sets."

Mark turned to Jenna. "You heard the boss…."

They set themselves up deep into the cave, where the light from their fire wouldn't be visible from outside. The cavernous chamber they chose was huge and they set up all of their beds in the same area with plenty of space to spare. After they ate, Crystal asked permission to venture outside to use the toilet.

Noah frowned. "I guess everyone will need to do that. Probably best if everyone goes now and then we can get some sleep. More eyes will make it easier to spot trouble when it comes."

"If it comes," Daisy corrected. "We should be safe here, shouldn't we?"

Noah stared at her. "I meant what I said. Don't take long out there. We have no way of protecting you here, so you just need to get back inside quickly. Everyone! Toilet break. This is the only time anyone goes outside till morning. Let's go!"

Crystal and Jenna walked together, whispering to each other. "He's a bit bossy, isn't he?" Crystal muttered.

"Hmm, yes, I suppose he is. What do you think he meant by when trouble comes? Do you think we're not safe in this cave?"

"They wouldn't have chosen it if it wasn't safe," Crystal replied. "I think we're in danger only when we're outside."

They had just reached the cave entrance and looked out onto the moonlit scene, the stream looking a long way away. They hesitated uneasily before venturing out.

"Do you think we really need to wash?" Jenna asked, straining to see into the darkness. "Perhaps we could find a place in the cave to use as a toilet?"

Crystal shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous; we have to sleep in there. Look, everyone else is going out. Come on, stay with me. I'll keep you company."

Crystal took her hand and led her out to the stream. Jenna hid behind a tree for a moment before re-emerging to wash her hands and face.

"Come on, Crystal, let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps."

"I thought you didn't like caves," Crystal replied, still washing. "Now you want to rush back to one?"

"Yes!" Jenna replied, a hint of panic in her voice. "There's something wrong out here. Everything is so silent. Listen! You can't hear any animals or birds—it's too quiet."

"It is night," Crystal pointed out. "You don't usually hear many things when it gets dark."

"No, you still hear things. This place is all wrong. It's like a grave. Please, can we just go?"

"Alright, alright," Crystal replied irritably. "I'm ready now. You didn't have to wait that long, did you?"

Jenna threaded her arm through Crystal's and hurried her across the grass back to the cave.

"There's no need to drag me," Crystal objected. "I am coming."

Just then, they heard a loud thud which shook the ground and brought them both to a stop. They looked around nervously. "What was that?" Jenna asked. Crystal could feel that she was trembling.

"I'm not sure," Crystal replied. "It sounded like something heavy."

A second thud was heard, followed by another and then another. "I don't think we should be out here," Jenna whispered.

"I agree," Crystal replied, starting to move again. "Let's get back."

They marched back, meeting Jude and Noah at the cave entrance. Jude was one of the five who scouted ahead and hadn't spoken to them before. He had a hard, determined face and was staring intently into the darkness behind them.

"Good, you're the last," Noah whispered. "Run along; go and join the others."

Jenna needed no encouragement and hurried into the cave, leaving Crystal with Jude and Noah. "Aren't you two coming in?"

Noah shook his head. "Not till we can see what this thing is. We need to know what is out there. None of us have seen a True Dragon. It knows we're here anyway. You should get back inside though."

The thuds were getting louder and the three watchers clung closer and closer to the cave wall as whatever was coming approached. As if from nowhere, a large silhouette appeared in front of them, casting a shadow over the cave entrance as it passed by. Crystal retreated a little into the cave and tripped over a rock, screaming briefly in alarm. She could see the silhouette stop outside. It paused for a second before charging thunderously towards the cave. Quick as a flash, Noah and Jude lifted her under the arms and dragged her away from the entrance as she watched a monstrous clawed foot slam into the cave floor where she had fallen. Noah and Jude didn't slow, continuing to run, dragging her with them and Crystal cried out in alarm as a second clawed foot reached into the cave, just missing them as it sunk into the cave wall, digging out great chunks of the rock.

"Silent now," Noah hissed, still dragging her. They had turned a corner and could no longer see the entrance, but could still hear the monster tearing at the rock as if trying to dig them out. Noah and Jude set her down on her feet and the three of them hurried back to the others, where they were greeted by a host of worried faces. Noah silenced everyone with a finger to his lips and she sat down with the others and waited.

The creature continued to dig out the rock for some time before finally losing interest and stopping. The scraping and crashing of falling rocks was replaced by the thuds of the creature walking away. It wasn't till long after the sounds of the creature had faded that everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"What was that?" Jenna whispered.

"A dragon of course," Levi answered. "What else would it be?"

"At night?" Jenna asked. "I thought that wasn't possible."

"John tried it once," Crystal pointed out. "It almost killed him."

"Why did he do that?" Noah asked, fixing her with a penetrating stare. "He should have known how dangerous that was."