“Indeed,” Mogritas agreed. “Now, if you’re up for it, I’d like to show you something.”
“Sure.” Brandon held out a leg so Mogritas could climb on his back. “Where we goin’?”
Mogritas, in the blink of an eye, transformed into a huge eagle. The feathers were black, instead of brown, and his wingspan must have been at least twelve feet. “Follow me,” he said, and winked at Brandon with a gray eye that remained unchanged from his metamorphosis.
Mogritas jumped and took off, flying toward the mountains behind his fortress. Still startled by the change, Brandon took a second before following. He leapt up and flapped his enormous wings. Mogritas circled lazily and waited for Brandon to catch up.
It was only a short flight before they rounded a cliff face and landed in the mouth of a large cave. Mogritas shifted back to his normal form and walked inside.
The entrance was more than big enough to accommodate Brandon’s bulk, and the interior expanded even farther.
The walls were composed of more of the dark granite of the mountains and were smooth — whether from time or construction, Brandon couldn’t tell. He judged the size of the cavern to be about a football field. To his left, a shallow pit had been dug or carved, perhaps twenty feet in diameter. It was the only feature to the large cave, the rest of the floor being as smooth as the walls.
Brandon lumbered over to the pit and looked inside. It was only a couple of feet deep. The bottom held mostly dirt, but he could see a few remnants of bone here and there.
“Something used to live here I guess?” Brandon asked.
“Your ancestors,” Mogritas answered from behind him. “Or rather those who would have been your ancestors, had you been born in this world. This cave was home to a dragon, ages ago. There are many more in this mountain range, but this is the largest I’ve discovered.”
“How did they get everything so smooth?” Brandon asked.
“Taebri’i, earth spirits, I suspect. Some dragons had means to communicate with the elemental spirits. The taebri’i could have shaped the caverns to their liking.”
Brandon nodded and continued to investigate the cave.
“Big as it is, my home doesn’t have any place large enough to shelter you in poor weather. I thought you might like to claim this as your own. If you need anything, I can have my servants prepare it for you.”
Brandon nodded again. “Sure, that sounds good. I can’t think of anything right now.” He chuckled. “Can’t exactly use a couch or a bed.”
“Excellent,” Mogritas said. “The foothills below support large herds of deer and other grazers for you to hunt. I expect also you will want to retrieve your other friends from the Nomenstrastenai village — in a few days, once you’ve regained your full strength.”
Brandon turned back to Mogritas in surprise. He hadn’t thought about Mike or Scott in days. He was suddenly ashamed. So much had happened over the last couple of weeks! Of course he would have to go back and get his friends. Brandon wondered what they had become. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said. “I guess I’d better go hunt up some more food.”
Mogritas smiled. “There is a small river leading from the mountains to the forest where you can drink as well.” He shifted shape once again into the big, dark eagle. “I’ll leave you to your preparations. Again, let me know if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” Brandon said. Mogritas inclined his bird head and flew out the cave mouth, back toward the castle.
Brandon thought about going to hunt when a yawn escaped his jaws. Maybe just another quick nap.
* * * *
He slept, hunted and ate for the next several days. He also spent time exploring the mountain range. He found several more dragon caves, as Mogritas had indicated. They were all the same design, perfectly Spartan, except for a shallow pit, off to one side or the other. Brandon still couldn’t figure out what the pit was for, but it was obviously important to the dragons, since they all seemed to need one.
Brandon’s cave was indeed the largest. In fact, it was at least twice as big as the next largest he found. Whatever dragon lived in mine must have been a real monster! Brandon felt a surge of pride and he fancied he was living in the cave of the king of dragons.
It had taken him a few tries to get the hang of snatching a deer while in flight. He was glad no one was around to see his first few failures. His left wing was still bruised from a crash after misjudging his angle of descent. After some practice, however, he got good at “swoop and snatch”, as he thought of it.
The day after he’d injured his wing, he made an interesting discovery. A portion of the wall at the back of his cave didn’t feel right somehow, and he couldn’t figure out what bothered him about it. He put his front foot up to touch it, and it promptly went right through. The cave wall was an illusion!
Brandon cautiously poked his head through and found a passageway leading deeper into the mountain for fifty or sixty yards. It opened up into another cavern, even larger than his living area.
He let his eyes adjust — he saw well with little light — and gasped at the contents of the huge room.
Books and stone tablets lay everywhere, some in neat orderly stacks, others seemingly thrown about at random. Brandon looked at a couple of tablets lying near his feet, but couldn’t decipher the writing on them.
In stories, dragons always had treasure troves of gold and jewels. This, however, appeared to be a treasure of knowledge.
Brandon decided to keep his library a secret for the time being. He liked the idea of having something that was his and no one else’s in this world.
The next day, his wing felt well enough to fly again and he resumed his hunting and exploration. He didn’t spend much time in the library since he couldn’t read any of the texts, but it thrilled him to know it was there.
He didn’t need to drink often, but found it annoying to have to fly down to the river every time he was thirsty. Brandon thought it might be handy to have a big basin or tub to keep water in his cave. He would have to ask Mogritas about that.
A few days later, he decided he was ready to make the trip back to Crank’s village to get Mike and Scott. His injured wing didn’t bother him anymore, and he felt stronger and was much better at flying than before.
He also realized he had grown since he’d brought the others to Mogritas. He figured he was about the size of a small passenger plane — one of those commuters that could carry eight or ten people — which was appropriate, considering what he was heading off to do.
He started early in the morning, flying to Mogritas’s castle first to ask about his water tub. He had also thought to tell Mogritas about his library, but when the guard who met him on top of the tower informed him Lord Mogritas was unavailable, Brandon decided not to say anything. The guard assured him he would let the Lord know of his whereabouts and would see about something to hold water in his cave.
Brandon thanked the guard and took off to the west, flying high.
Mike and Scott were going to be in for a big surprise when they saw him!
20
Jenni and the others had been floating down the river for nearly a week, the miles breezing by. Crank was confident the junction to the Baer’naie was close.
Rachael and the twins, Nate and Ethan, were only two or three inches tall, and their wings had grown enough to allow them to fly. The three of them buzzed around the log, flitting here and there, as it was guided down river by Charles and Bonnie. At night, they seemed to glow on their own, like fireflies. If she’d had her blonde hair done up in a bun, Jenni thought Rachael would have been a perfect match for Tinker Bell, minus the wand and sparkles.
Matt had gained enough control that he didn’t need the bag of sand any more. He could inhabit any rock or stone and shape it into anything he wished. He had taken a large stone from the river bank and wrapped it around one of the bigger branches on the log. Jenni thought he looked like a rock doughnut.
Faith had talked with the forest the day before to find
another suitable fallen tree to replace their first log raft. It had become waterlogged after a few days and was too difficult for Charles and Bonnie to keep afloat. Faith got directions from the trees to another log which they wrestled to the river.
Carrie and Marco spent most of the time together. Jenni was happy for them, especially Carrie. She had been so much more alive and confident the past couple of weeks. Jenni could see that Mrs. Minch had been a real drain on her daughter. Carrie had never acted happy around her mother.
Jenni wondered sometimes how Mrs. Minch, Deena, and the two boys, Mike and Scott, were doing. Had they changed too? She was sure Crank’s people were taking good care of them though.
Crank and Denny were nearly inseparable. Denny was full of questions about the Nomenstrastenai and their ways. Jenni felt twinges of jealousy sometimes since Crank wasn’t spending as much time with her, but she was happy for Denny to have someone who could teach him about his new form.
Jenni smiled as she watched Sara, sitting on the log in front of her, bob her head to the beat of a song blasting through her MP3 player. Jenni decided to listen to some music too, but then Tori and Merlin landed on the branch behind her.
Merlin screeched in Jenni’s ear and she missed what Tori said. “Ow!” Jenni cried and stuck a finger in her ear.
Tori gave Merlin a playful thump on the head from her seat on his shoulders. “Quit that!” Merlin responded with a quieter peep. “I keep telling him he doesn’t have to announce his arrival to the world every time he lands, but he won’t listen.”
Jenni laughed. “It’s okay, what’s up?”
“We’re coming up on the other river. Maybe half a mile or so.”
“Cool,” Jenni said. “Let Crank know. I don’t know if we need to do anything special or not.”
“Okay, will do. C’mon, Loudmouth.” Merlin eyed Tori, looking as if he was trying to decide if she might make a good meal, then he hopped up and flapped toward the front of the log.
Jenni tapped Sara on the shoulder and she fumbled with her MP3 player as she turned around.
“What’s goin’ on?” Sara asked.
“Tori says we’re almost to the new river.”
Sara nodded. “Oh, okay. I guess we should check to make sure everything is tied tight. Water might be rough.”
“Good idea,” Jenni said and she turned to check the bags and packs in her vicinity. Sara packed up her music and let Carrie and Marco, seated in front of her, know what was happening.
One of the twins buzzed by Jenni and she got his attention to let him know the situation and to pass the word on. He nodded and sped away.
The river they were on had grown large, maybe a hundred yards from bank to bank. The water had cleared a lot over the past few days as the run off from the mountains eased and the silt and dirt settled into the riverbed. They floated straight down the middle and never could have managed it without the help from Charles and Bonnie. They kept the log steady and Jenni never felt in danger of tipping over.
Soon after, they came around a slow bend and the forest opened up to reveal the Baer’naie river. Big and powerful, it was possibly three times the size of the one they were leaving. The waters appeared to be relatively calm though, and Jenni didn’t think they’d have much trouble.
They passed smoothly into the main channel, heading south now, rather than east. Crank hadn’t been sure, but guessed they’d have about two more weeks of travel at their current pace to reach Seren’naie.
Peering around Sara toward the front, Jenni saw a disturbance in the water ahead of them. The river was churning in a wide area, creating bubbles and froth. They were headed directly for it.
She tapped Sara on the shoulder again. “What’s that?”
Sara looked up and shrugged. “Beats me.” She called ahead, “Crank, do you see that up there?”
Jenni watched Crank turn from his conversation with Denny and examine the river ahead. He called down to the water, presumably to ask something of Charles or Bonnie, but Jenni couldn’t hear.
They were nearly on top of it when the water boiled more furiously and a geyser fountained in front of them. An appendage separated from the tower of water, rising ten feet or more, and lunged toward the log. Jenni heard Carrie scream in front of her and Sara.
A ball of water, three feet across, exploded from the river and flew backward, splashing behind them. The log began to pitch and roll.
Jenni grabbed onto the branch behind her, trying to keep her seat. She saw Marco and either Crank or Denny fall into the river.
The plume of water reached out and swatted the river on the other side of the log, sending another ball flying behind them. What little stability they had vanished and they were all cast into the churning water.
Jenni yelped and barely managed to snatch a breath before going under.
She popped up a few feet away to see the watery behemoth pick up their log and tear it to pieces. Huge splinters went flying in every direction, along with all of their backpacks and supplies.
Beneath the giant, the river started to swirl, creating a whirlpool which got wider by the second. Jenni could already feel its pull.
She saw several other heads bobbing in the river, and found Sara fighting to hold onto a chunk of their former transportation. Jenni yelled at her over the roar of the angry water, “Try to swim to the near bank! That way!” Jenni pointed to the west.
Sara nodded and stroked in the direction Jenni had chosen, stopping briefly to help a couple of the others.
The tower of water receded and added its strength to the growing whirlpool.
Rachael buzzed by Jenni’s head, a look of panic on her tiny face.
Jenni pointed west again. “Tell everyone to swim that way! Try to stay together!”
Rachael nodded and zipped away.
The pull of the whirlpool grew increasingly strong and Jenni realized she would have to swim around it to get to the west bank. She couldn’t see anyone else and hoped they’d all gotten the message.
She struck out down river attempting to maneuver around the furious cyclone.
A sharp tug on her right leg pulled her under.
She gulped a mouthful of air before going down. Jenni opened her eyes, trying to see what held her, but the cloudy water obscured her vision. The whirlpool spun fast and deep and she moved inexorably towards it. She kicked in desperation, to no avail.
Her lungs burned. Then Jenni saw another form in the water — it was Crank! An unseen force dragged him downward as well.
Jenni’s body tingled with a rush of anger and energy.
She felt pressure around both feet — her shoes suddenly gave way and she was free. She kicked and rushed a few yards closer to Crank.
Jenni stroked powerfully with her arms and legs, gliding quickly through the water. She grabbed Crank’s arm and pulled him away from the deadly whirlpool. His eyes were wide with fright. She pushed hard toward the surface and they broke through, Crank gasping for air.
The two of them swam away toward the western bank, the river churning angrily behind them. They caught up to some of the others and everyone swam raggedly for the shoreline.
Finally, they crawled onto the mud and sand of the bank, exhausted. Jenni saw Sara helping Denny, and Carrie and Marco were lying next to each other. Tori and Merlin landed nearby, and soon after, she saw the twins and Rachael fly in. There was no sign of Matt or Faith.
Jenni called to the others. “Did anyone see Faith? Or Matt?”
Everyone looked around and shook their heads. Just then, a rush of water from the river boiled up toward them. On top of it, Jenni could see a small, limp form. Faith! The water gently deposited her on the bank and slid away. Jenni knelt down and Faith rolled over and coughed, spitting out water. After retching a couple more times, Faith looked up at Jenni and nodded that she was going to be okay.
“Charles or Bonnie must have found her,” Crank said, following up with a cough of his own.
“What was that out th
ere?” Sara asked.
“Undei’i, a water spirit, like Charles and Bonnie, I would guess anyway,” Crank answered.
“But it was huge!” Jenni said in shock.
Crank nodded. “Spirits vary in power and ability. There may have been more than one out there too.”
“But why did they attack us?”
Crank shook his head. “I don’t know.” He turned back to Jenni and said, “You saved my life, Jenni. Thank you.”
Jenni smiled at him and blushed. “Well, what would we do without our guide?”
“How did you manage to get free?” he asked her.
Jenni shrugged. “I’m not sure. I felt something on my feet, then I think my shoes came off. I guess whatever it was lost its grip.” She looked at her feet. Her shoes were indeed missing. Additionally, the bottom portions of her socks were shredded. Only the elastic around her ankles was still intact.
Crank examined her feet. “Strange,” he said. “Your socks have been torn apart, but there are no scratches on your feet at all.”
They were startled by a mound of sand and mud forming up in front of them. It created an arm and waved at them. They relaxed, realizing it was only Matt and he was safe.
“Matt, do you know if Charles and Bonnie are okay?” Jenni asked.
Matt’s form moved but Jenni had no idea what he was trying to say.
“Oh my gosh!” Denny blurted out. “We’ve all been so dumb!”
Denny hunted around for a moment, then grabbed a stick and walked over to Matt. “Matt, can you take this and write in the sand?”
Matt took the stick from Denny in a muddy appendage and bent closer to the ground. Understanding dawned on Jenni what Denny wanted. Maybe now they could talk with Matt!
Matt made a few rough scratches in the sandy shore, then stopped and dropped the stick.
“Maybe it’s too hard for him to control his movements,” Crank offered.
The sand in front of Matt smoothed out magically, then letters and symbols began to appear.
They scrambled around to see what Matt was writing.
“C & B OK,” it began. “Find packs & bring back.”
Jenni looked at Matt’s “head” and asked, “So, Charles and Bonnie are all right, and they went to find our backpacks and bags in the river?”