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Marlin looked around the very tiny metallic room. There was just room for a small seat on one side. He sat down and noticed the straps on either side of the seat.
“Hmmm,” he thought. “Looks like a seat belt. I wonder what..th-th-that’s f-f-f-f-f-forrr.”
The room began to jolt like an elevator moving very rapidly. Marlin felt himself being pressed mercilessly into the small seat.
“Now I know why they call them ‘g’ forces.” He said through clenched teeth. “Gut-wrenching forces.”
He struggled to grab the straps and fasten them together.
He had just managed to secure himself to the seat when the decent occurred.
Marlin was knocked about in his seat like a rag doll.
Then the room was motionless.
Marlin rocked back and forth in his seat. Still no movement from the room.
He undid the straps and got out of the chair.
Hesitantly he tried the door. It swung open easily and stood swinging in mid-air as Marlin gaped at his surroundings.
“Where am I now?” he asked the air.
The room had landed on a small inlet. The water crashed viciously against the rocks. Marlin considered that for a moment. “That could’ve made for a nasty landing.”
Marlin spotted a cave entrance between the trees rolling their way up the hillsides from the inlet. He decided to head in the direction of the cave.
“Yippee,” he intoned with mock amusement. “More hiking. The most hiking I’m used to is hiking up my socks. There’s never a cab when you really need one.”
The cave wasn’t actually that far away. Marlin just felt like bitching.
Inside the cave Marlin came across a large cavern in which a man was arguing with a dragon. The man was in a fighting stance. The dragon was curled up and relaxed.
“Syngrine,” the man addressed the dragon. “I have come to ensure that you will never again damage other people’s property.” He waved his sword at the dragon.
“What are you talking about, Corbon?” asked the dragon.
“It was you who attacked Carast,” accused Corbon.
“No it wasn’t.”
“Yes it was.”
“What other dragons do we have of your size and weight?”
“It wasn’t me. Why would I torch Carast?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you’re getting old and forgetful.” Corbon chuckled. “Here comes a meal of steel.” He assumed a striking stance.
Syngrine belched. A thin stream of flame melted Corbon’s sword. Syngrine excused herself.
“My sword!” cried Corbon. “That was my favourite sword!”
“Now it can be your favourite puddle of metal.”
“Excuse me,” Marlin interrupted them. “But I’m looking for Syngrine.”
Corbon was pacing in front of Syngrine, sizing her up. “That’s the beast.” He said jerking a thumb in the dragon’s direction.
“Oh what do you want?” asked Syngrine.
“I need to fly to the Pool of Ranboon. I need you to take me there.”
“Syngrine isn’t going anywhere,” Corbon vowed.
“Oh stop,” murmured Syngrine as she placed a heavy claw on Corbon and pinned him down.
Corbon began squirming and protesting.
Syngrine asked, “And why would I want to do anything for you?”
Marlin pulled out two of the jewels he had picked up in the underwater city. “Here,” he said holding them up for Syngrine to see. “I know where there are more of these. Take me to the Pool of Ranboon and I’ll tell you where to find them.”
“Harumph,” yawned Syngrine. “A few baubles left over from the sunken gold city.”
“No no,” protested Marlin. “Not just a few baubles. I’ve been to the city.”
“Underwater?” both Syngrine and Corbon exclaimed. Corbon stopped fidgeting under the weight of Syngrine’s claw.
“Yes,” Marlin informed them. “I built a submarine and traveled there.”
“Submarine?” the two again questioned in harmony.
“It’s a vehicle for traveling under water,” Marlin explained. “I brought back an entire bag stuffed with gems.”
“And you’ll give me the bag if I take you to the Pool of Ranboon and back here?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. But cross me and you’re toasted roast, understand?”
“Perfectly.”
Syngrine lifted Corbon off the floor and shook him out a bit. “And as for you,” she said addressing Corbon. “You are coming with us to look after him.”
“Look after me?”
“Do you know anything about the Mystic Pool of Ranboon?” Corbon asked.
“Actually, I have no idea. Not a clue. Zip. Zilch. Nada.”
Corbon laughed. “Then give me a sword,” he commanded Syngrine. He held out his hand to Marlin. “I’m Corbon.”
“Marlin,” Marlin replied shaking Corbon’s hand.
“Oh you and your swords.” Syngrine looked behind her further back into the cavern.
She turned her neck and bit lightly onto the hilt of a beautiful sword. She dropped it at Corbon’s feet.
“Ah, very nice,” Corbon said admiring the sword.
“You really like swords, don’t you?”
“Yes, very much.”
“Do you fight a lot?”
“Not really. I just like swords. I like the feel of them. I like the way they slice.”
“So, not a lot of fighting?”
“No. I do wood carving. Very big pieces.
“Like ‘WoodHenge’?”
Corbon gave Marlin a blank look.
Marlin attempted to jumpstart the conversation. “Tell me about the pool.”
“Ah yes,” Corbon nodded with a faraway look in his eyes. “Ranboon. Ranboon was a sorcerer a long time ago.”
“Sorcerer? You mean like hocus-pocus and conjuring?”
“Ranboon disappeared into the pool over a millennia ago. No one has dared to enter it to find out where it goes.”
“Tell him the rest of the story on the way,” Syngrine interrupted him.
The two men left through the passage Marlin had entered. Syngrine went out the back.
Syngrine swooped down and picked up the two in each claw.
Corbon shouted against the wind to Marlin. “Ranboon’s pool is protected by living statues. They house the artefacts of Ranboon. Answer their questions truthfully and you can take anything you like.” He paused to wet his mouth from the wineskin off his belt.
“Is it safe for you to be travelling with Syngrine? I thought you two hated each other.”
“Us?”
“But didn’t you say that Syngrine had crisped your town?”
“Yeah. It’ll give them something to do. Carast is in the middle of the desert. Miles and miles of nothing but sand.
Hey,” he said shouting to Syngrine. “I bet they find some really great glass after the big meltdown.” They both laughed.
He turned back to Marlin. “I have known Syngrine all my life. Even I couldn’t believe that she would do such a thing.”
“Hmmm,” mused Marlin. “A fake king and a fake dragon. Interesting.”
They were landing already. “Make it back to this clearing and I’ll pick you up.” Syngrine took off toward the sky.