Gasham Black and Aram Grey rushed out the side door. Raised voices ensued.
“This is rubbish. There be no need for deliberation, Aram, for your guilt is obvious.”
“Nonsense, Gasham, it was your foolish son who brought the boy here. Now he can never be allowed to leave.”
“Don’t blame Darass. He told me it be you who grabbed the lad.”
“Liar!”
Flapping wings were heard just as Fandri’s guards brought him to the doorway. He saw a huge black dragon launch into the air.
“Gasham!”
Fandri and his fairy looked on wide-eyed. Waves of air rippled over Aram’s body as he shimmered into the grey dragon. The halfling and guards had to jump back when the barbed tail whipped towards them.
Fandri could not move fast enough. The tail sent him spinning across the hard-packed soil. He screamed as he crashed into a black column with a thud. Fandri-La dropped from the air and they moaned.
The grey dragon braced to rise into air, but the black swooped down upon him. Flames, claws and teeth collided as the dragons entangled and wrestled upon the ground.
The dragons’ roars were deafening to young Fandri who huddled by the column in the midst of the impromptu battle-field. His heart-beat thundered loud in his ears and pain racked his body. Fandri-La crawled towards him with a damaged wing and he put his hands over her for protection from the melee. He felt her trembling and fervently hoped the dragons would take to the skies.
Raised voices caught Fandri’s attention.
All around them mountain folk were transforming into dragons of all shapes and sizes from tiny red and maroon wyverns, to mid-sized greens and browns to huge blacks and greys. All bore sharped horns, spikes, claws and teeth.
Even blue and purple multi-headed hydras crawled out of the lake, dripping water on the halfling as their silver-shaded wings launched them into the air. Fandri was not sure if they knew what the fight was about, but they seemed keen for a fight and jostled each other in the sky as they watched the wrestling match below.
“Fandri, get out the invisibility cloak.” The fairy’s voice whispered close to his ear.
He started to tug the cloak out of his shirt, but sharp claws grabbed him and he was lifted high in the air. The cloak floated down to the ground and he watched as it changed colour to blend into the soil, then he could no longer discern it. Damn.
Fandri-La flapped her wings rapidly to keep up with the dragon’s ascent. Aram Dragon slowed at one point and she caught up. “Fandri, look in his claw there. He’s holding Varl as well.”
“Oh no.” The halfling glanced with wide-eyes to see his friend’s limp body hanging from another talon. “Varl, Varl, wake up. Quick!”
A rush of heat assaulted their senses and he gasped at the sight of the red bubbling liquid below. We’re over the volcano.
His breath caught in his throat as he inhaled burning hot air. His hands clutched at his neck. He looked at his fairy flying beside him and was shocked to see her face bright red and her eyes were protruding. She too raised her hands to her throat and he saw her wings shudder. He caught her as she started to fall.
Fandri tucked her safe in his pocket, just before a feeling of weakness swept over him and he felt the blood drain from his face. A tiny breath wheezed through his constricted throat and despite the dragon still circling around the hot volcano, goose-bumps appeared on his arm.
Black spots winked here and there in Fandri’s vision.
“Drop them in the volcano. One small slip and all our problems be solved.” The black dragon swooped down to Fandri’s level and his black catlike eye bored into the halfling.
Bile rose in the Fandri’s throat at the thought that his very life meant so little to this ferocious beast. I hope Aram will protect us.
Fandri swallowed the painful lump in his throat. His vision cleared as the grey dragon banked away from the volcano and skimmed to the ground. Thick mist filled the air here. The halfling sensed that Gasham Black had been caught unawares and was still circling over the volcano.
Aram lifted the boys close to his sharp teeth and Fandri’s heart pounded. “Do not struggle or you will sink into the tar. Stay very still and I will return.”
Fandri fell through the mist and landed with a plop into a warm pool of tar which almost completely covered him. He could see Varl a short distance away, but dared not try to reach him for thought of being swallowed up by this sticky substance. There was a foul odour in the air which he presumed came from the volcano.
Oh no…Fandri-La was in my pocket. The halfling began to squirm in panic and felt himself sink further into the tar. When his head turned to the side he saw the fairy lying on top on the tar. He let out a big sigh of relief.
Dark wings flapped overhead. “It is done. Let us return to the Council, Darass.”
“Ha. I’m surprised you had the gall to do it, Grey. You seemed to be defending that Diagro Scum.”
“There’ll be snow on Flame Mountain before that happens. Come, let us drink and forget this nonsense.” The voices trailed off as the dragons left the area.
Fandri heaved a sigh of relief.
“Varl, Varl, can you hear me?”
A pained moan came in answer and the squelch of something sticky.
“Varl, keep very still or you’ll sink and die in this tar pit. Aram Dragon dropped us while pretending to have cast us into the fiery volcano. He said he would come back for us, so make sure you don’t drown in the meantime.”
A deep sigh was heard. “You are a fool to believe one of their kind, friend Fandri. They care for naught and no-one and think of us as mere annoyances in their missions to thieve our farms. He will not return and we will die here, of that you can be certain.”
A large grey bird landed on Varl’s head, which was all that protruded from the tar. It had dull, lifeless eyes and a hooked beak. It squawked and other answering calls came nearby.
“Get away, you beasts.” Fandri called out to frighten them away, but more of the predators circled above them.
One landed on his head, and its claws dug into his scalp. He felt a trickle of blood run down his face. The bird attacked his cheek with a painful peck. Fandri felt petrified with fear. “Are they going to eat us alive?”
“It is better we slip into the tar and avoid this excruciating end.” Varl’s mournful voice was accompanied by squelching sounds. “Farewell, friend Fandri.”
“Goodbye Varl.” Fandri shed a tear at their fate and he too started to move his arms and legs through the thick tar.