**No!** Gil cried, jumping back out of range. The dragon waited uncertainly. Clearly, it had been bluffing; it really did seem to fear Gil's sword. Sensing this, Gil put down his sword and stepped away from it. The dragon peered at Gil again, this time confused.
Gil smiled amiably, secretly hoping the dragon wasn't going to chomp him now.
**You see, I am quite harmless,** Gil offered peaceably. **Tell me, though, are all dragons as magnificent as you?** Gil asked on impulse, noticing the dragon's smooth, shimmering scales and large, crystal clear eyes. This was not the foul creature who had killed his mother!
The dragon tilted its head, apparently delighted by Gil's comment.
**What a polite young gnat!** he remarked.
Gil heard low footsteps and turned to his right. No doubt sensing that it was safe for them now, the other Emerald dragons finally approached.
**Who is he?** one of them asked.
**My name is Gil,** Gil offered.
**He speaks to us in Dragorian,** one dragon puffed in surprise. **Is he a Dragorian, then?**
**Don't be silly, Wistid,** one of the others said. **He is most clearly a human.**
**I think he's an elf.** Another said smugly.
**Vertilio's eyes have gone.** Wistid bellowed.
**But look at what he's wearing,** Vertilio argued peevishly. **He certainly looks like a Silver Elf.**
**Well, he doesn't smell like one,** another said.
**Are you going to eat me?** Gil ventured.
**Certainly not,** the dragon who had caught his fall shook its great head. **I wasn't going to eat you, anyway. I merely yawned when you interrupted my sleep. Humans are so tough, not at all as delectable as a nice, juicy antelope. And I would not harm a creature who can speak to dragons. It makes it quite impossible, once we have communicated on a personal level. But you should be careful, young one. There are many dangerous creatures roaming around here in these days.**
**I haven't seen any, but my friends warned me of land monsters— and wyverns.** Gil agreed, satisfied that he had remembered Galanor's warning this time.
**Wyverns!** The first dragon snorted. **Nasty, slinking creatures! Two-legged, sons of an overgrown salamander dragon pretenders!**
Gil sensed he had touched a nerve. **Nothing compared to a real dragon!** He chimed in. The first dragon regarded him with delighted approval.
**Actually, I was following some tracks nearby—** Gil began again.
**Vulpex tracks, I'm sure.** The first dragon nodded. **We found a vulpex not far from here.**
**Were there any other creatures nearby when you saw it?** Gil asked, wondering about the mystery surrounding his friends' vanished tracks.
**No, just the vulpex,** the dragon replied.
**Where is it now?** Gil inquired. If they could just tell him where it was, he might still find the others.
**Why, we ate it!** the dragons cried unanimously, as if it were the obvious thing to do to one's enemies.
**Nasty disgusting taste it had, too.** The great one added, as though it had expected otherwise. **But we didn't care for it coming and disrupting our nest.** Gil cringed, hoping Galanor and the others had not been eaten by the vulpex— or, for that matter, by the green dragons.
**So, how do you speak Dragorian?** Wistid continued, intrigued. **Are you a Silver Elf?**
Gil paused, considering. What was a Silver Elf? He'd never heard of them. Then he thought of his companions. Were the dragons talking about Galanor? Was a Silver Elf some kind of culinary delicacy for dragons?
**I was traveling with a strange elf.** Gil admitted hesitantly. **But I don't know what kind of elf he was. Galanor never did tell me.** He shrugged.
**Galanor? You know young Galanor?** the great dragon breathed suddenly, his eyes glowing.
IX: Transformation
Lilia, Galanor, and Ronan had been running since dawn. The sun had climbed into the sky, and the day had turned bright. They continued south over small rocky hills and under trees, through woods and high grasses and back over rough ground flattened by the passing of some giant creature.
Ronan clutched his staff tightly, grateful once again for its powers of strengthening his endurance. Again Ronan ventured a glance over his shoulder and shouted involuntarily. The monsters chasing them had been steadily gaining ground. Now they were only twenty feet away.
"Do these creatures ever give up? Lilia cried.
"No," Galanor replied. "They have greater endurance than natural creatures. My guess is that they will follow us until we tire completely."
"So what do we do?" Lilia asked. She had been sending back bolts of lightning every time the monsters got too close, but now she felt the wand's waning powers in her hand and knew its power was fading without a wizard's invigorating touch.
Galanor shook his head. "We'll have to fight them."
"Oh no!" Lilia exclaimed, managing to stomp her foot despite their pace. "I knew you were going to say that. All right then," she added, pulling over her shadow hood, and she disappeared.
Galanor turned to the creatures following them. There were a few brubachwycs and chamaelaeons left and large, hairy, black rowdynchods. The rowdynchods looked like giant rats with red eyes and a wolfish maw. Then Galanor saw an enormous, hideous black vulpex looming behind and above the others, now revealed by daylight. The wolfen creature had long, protruding fangs and stood on its hind legs, with thick yellow claws on its diminished forelegs.
Swords would not be enough this time, Galanor realized.
He lifted his arms, and circling blue vapors began to wrap around his body. Galanor blinked, and when his eyes opened, they had taken on a terrible glare, the cat-like pupils somehow more pronounced than before.
A stream of blue vapors shot into a high arc above the monsters, then coalesced into ice daggers that rained among the startled creatures. The creatures wailed pitifully as the ice daggers continued to fall. Only the vulpex appeared unharmed; many of the other monsters fell to the ground, impaled by hundreds of fragmented ice shards.
"And now we run!" Galanor shouted. "That vulpex is immune to lightning—and the power of my ice storm," Galanor said, already running south again.
"How do you know?" A voice asked on his right, and Galanor saw Lilia's shadow running alongside him where few would have seen it, though he could just barely make it out.
"Can't you just take my word for it?" Galanor said.
"I can't go much farther," Ronan wheezed beside them. "We've been running since dawn, more than six hours now." He dug his staff in the ground, stopping for breath. Fifty paces behind them, they heard the vulpex's loud roar.
"Oh, damn!" Galanor shouted. "Aiovel made me promise not to change myself for our own safety, to keep our mission a secret, but— I have no choice." He said, sighing enigmatically. "Stay behind me, but give me some room," he added with new resolve. Then he motioned for them to move away. Ronan took a few steps back obligingly. But Lilia appeared again beside Galanor.
"Are you crazy?!" She screamed. We can't hope to stand against that thing!"
"Get ready to hold on," Galanor advised her. "And don't panic, whatever happens, okay?"
"But—"
"Lilia!" Galanor shouted. "Yes, you're right, my dear." He waved her to silence. He could see that a short explanation wasn't going to work. "You and Ronan don't stand a chance against that thing. And I could not protect you while I try to destroy it. I would ordinarily be able to destroy it, but you see, I spent much of my powers before dawn, fighting an ibrun that almost attacked you."
He paused briefly. "I don't know how long it would take me against this vulpex— too long, as far as your safety is concerned," he added, smiling bleakly.
"But what are you going to—"
"For once, Lilia, please just shut up and get ready!" Galanor
snapped as the vulpex stopped. Sharp teeth glistened in its wolfish maw. Galanor turned toward it, his eyes grown suddenly equally terrible, his small teeth glittering as he smiled.
Suddenly, Galanor began to grow. His shirt popped open at his front. His legs seemed to swell and his pants fell down to his ankles, now sticking on the end of his tail.
His tail? Lilia stifled a scream. Galanor had turned into a small blue-white lizard, half again the size of a human, his belongings and clothing now hanging from the ridges along his great, spiky spine. Then, as though inflated like a hot balloon, he began to grow. Rapidly. A second later, Lilia blinked at the magnificent, glittering wall of reptilian flesh obscuring her view of the vulpex. Galanor's tail flicked in agitation.
"Hurry up and get on!" His deep, booming voice managed in Roste, though Lilia barely understood. Ronan had already climbed to the top of the fifty foot high dragon, now fervently holding onto Galanor's neck with both arms.
Lilia jumped on. Galanor opened his mouth and shot flaming vapors alternated with ice daggers at the vulpex. Apparently, some things were true for all dragons; fire-breathing was one of them, and Galanor was no exception, despite his ice-breathing ability.
Lilia flung herself on top of the dragon's backbone and scrambled for a handhold under one of Galanor's smooth scales. However, she nearly jumped off in panic when she heard the vulpex shriek. To her immense relief, it soon sounded as though the creature had run away. But now realization hit her; she was sitting on top of a dragon!
In a moment, Galanor flapped his great wings, his back muscles moving like ocean waves, almost knocking Lilia off. Thank goodness she was a Sea Elf and used to dealing with waves! she thought to herself. Then Galanor the dragon lifted high into the air, but she could see nothing, clinging to Galanor's spiky spine, sliding and dangling when her feet refused to catch Galanor's smooth, soft skin.
"So, where are we going?" Lilia said through chattering teeth as she lurched from side to side like a puppet. Nearby, Ronan grimaced weakly, no doubt stricken by seasickness.
"To Argolen, of course," Galanor bellowed. "We'll just have to hope the Black Dragons don't see us. Oh, and make sure my things don't fall off, will you?"
* * * * *
Dylan knew he and Mygdewyn were in real trouble. It was only a few hours until sunset, he guessed, and the Dragon Shield was fading. At least, he thought he sensed the spell's power waning as he held the wand in his sweaty hand. The knuckles and muscles of his hand ached from holding the wand all day, but he dared not let go.
The dragons were dozing around them. Dylan and Mygdewyn had been moved to a corner away from the Dragon King lest they tried to steal some of his treasure while he slept. Dylan felt despondent; he was about to give up hope. Mygdewyn had fallen asleep several hours before, escaping the real nightmare, but Dylan had to struggle to remain awake, tempted to sleep by the snores about him.
"Dylan." Suddenly, he heard a faint whisper. Great. So now he was hearing things!
"Dylan, it's me, Aiovel." This time Dylan decided to chance a look about. Rubbing a crick in his neck with his other hand, he glanced past the dwarf where a shadowed figure in a grey cloak stood. Aiovel pulled back her hood.
How did she know where they were? Dylan wondered. And how had she gotten there to rescue them so quickly? They were at least five days away, if not more. Come to think of it, Dylan wondered, how did she get in here— and unnoticed, too? And even if she had used her skill as an Elwellyn Shadow Elf to travel in and out of the realms of substance, her presence was likely to be discovered.
In due course, the dragons stirred. Soon the room was filled with their bellowing roars as they sensed their newest visitor. Scathaechir awoke with the clattering of falling gems and coins from his unstable throne.
**Who dares to—** he stopped, sniffing the air with great flaring nostrils. **Ah, what are you doing here, Dragorian?** he asked. **This is my domain!** He added, seeming no longer in good humor.
Why didn't he just roast her? Dylan wondered. Aiovel was standing right in front of the dragon King, yet he did nothing to her. Dylan couldn't help but stare as Scathaechir's snout stopped inches from Aiovel, and he blew an innocuous puff of smoke into her face. Then the dragon drew back and glared down at her officiously.
**I have come to reclaim my companions, Scathaechir,** Aiovel said patiently, in the same tongue Dylan had used. No wonder she hadn't needed the wand! Dylan thought. Aiovel spoke the dragons' language without it!
**You will not take what is mine!** King Scathaechir bellowed louder than before, shaking the cave with his reverberating echoes. Several fragments of the roof fell onto the dragon shield and bounced off harmlessly, but Dylan had wrapped his arm over his head involuntarily.
**No one dares invade my cave— not even you.** Scathaechir seethed, flames licking around his jaws. **I have overlooked your interference before, Dragorian. I will not do so again. If you do not leave my cave at once, I and all my subjects will eat you for dinner!** He finished, rage swelling his yellow pupils. Dylan didn't deny the dragon King's ire, but he wondered why Scathaechir did nothing to fulfill his threats.
Could it be that Scathaechir was only bluffing? But how could that be? Scathaechir dwarfed Aiovel a hundred times over; he could have dealt with her with a single sharp claw.
**Words, words.** Aiovel said, undaunted, as though she didn't believe the dragon could harm her. **However, I do intend to leave, Scathaechir. At the same time, I'll be taking my companions with me. And, let me offer you some words of advice—don't try to stop us,** she added in an irreverent manner.
What was this? Aiovel was threatening the black dragon King? Dylan wondered if he could reach her in time before Scathaechir struck her dead. But could he even draw her into the Dragon Shield?
Dylan blinked, horrified. Aiovel's gaze had grown suddenly as fearsome as the dragon King's; her cat-like eyes glittered with malicious intent.
Suddenly the Black Dragon King leaped up, his jaws opening. The other black dragons gathered around him, ready to attack the small Shadow Elf Queen.
Aiovel stood her ground. A silver light drew around her, illuminating the chamber, and Dylan saw clearly how truly formidable the dragon horde was.
He watched as Aiovel spread her arms wide, uncertain which dragon would be first to pounce. To his amazement, the dragons were swept back heavily into the walls with a resounding crash, driven away as though by a tremendous gust of wind. Dylan expected them to move, but they remained pinned against the walls of the cave, frozen and helpless.
"Now hurry up and let go of that wand!" Aiovel shouted. "I cannot hold them for long. And when they're free, they'll be in a truly vengeful mood." She began to run away toward the mouth of the cave.
Behind them, the Black Dragon King bellowed with what passed for laughter, a kind of triumphant laughter that seemed to disturb Aiovel.
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Dylan screamed, realizing that Mygdewyn had awakened at last. Grabbing the dwarf by the shoulder of his cloak, Dylan ran, dragging Mygdewyn along.
At the mouth of the cave, Aiovel stopped. The Dragon King's laughter grew faint behind them.
"Take my hands," she instructed, and they formed a ring. A golden aura enveloped them, and from it grew two giant, vaporous wings. A moment later, Dylan found himself floating down to the foothills below the black mountain. What convenient talents Aiovel had! Next time he faced Nolan, he had to remind himself to bring her along.
On the ground, Aiovel let go and sank to her knees, panting for breath. A few moments later, she rose and started away again, though she was clearly exhausted.
"Did you have a nice nap, Mygdewyn?" Dylan asked as they hurried away from the cave headed north. The dwarf nodded.
"There didn't seem much else to do, after all." He shrugged.
"So, Aiovel, where is ever
yone?" Dylan wondered as they jogged along. Aiovel was stumbling, her face haggard and drawn by exhaustion, but necessity kept her going. Now that Dylan and Mygdewyn were safe, though, Dylan's thoughts had turned to the others. Had they faced as great a danger? Were they even alive?
"I don't know," Aiovel admitted, little wrinkles gathering between her fine brows. "They were alive when they left camp, that I know. I sent Gil to find them, but I didn't have time to follow their tracks."
Gil? Dylan grew alarmed. What in blazes could Gil do?
"I only hope he is safe." Aiovel responded as though reading his thoughts. "And at least Galanor is with the others." She added.
Aiovel sounded certain that Galanor could protect them all single-handedly! Dylan sniffed, vaguely aware that he was jealous.
"No doubt they will be heading to Argolen." Aiovel continued. "At any rate, I hope we will meet them there."
"We're going to Argolen?" Mygdewyn asked.
"I thought I saw some kind of city below us," Dylan said, remembering their morning flight. "Big piles of stones where the hills ended, and a river cascading down, flowing into the wide river we crossed."
"We shall have to cross that river before we are safe from Scathaechir." Aiovel nodded. "Only Scathaechir's youngest children can cross the River of Argolen, you know— like the ibrun that brought you to the caves. So once we're on the other side, we should be quite safe. The River Inverlen feeds into the River of Argolen; they will lead us to the ruins."
Dylan stumbled along tiredly, feeling every step in his knees. They couldn't get there soon enough for him.
* * * * *
**Who is Galanor?** The great green dragon blinked at Gil. **Why, if you are traveling with him, I would assume you knew. Galanor is an Ice Dragon of course, only he prefers to travel outside his home in his Dragorian form.
**Galanor comes from the other side of the boundary, you know.** The dragon continued to gesture in the air with his foreclaw. Gil was too shocked to interrupt. Galanor, a dragon!? That was impossible! **He tells us there is a hidden city of Ice Dragons over the river; I don't remember much of that side, myself. There used to be a place called Dellfalland over there, though, that I remember. I went there once, looking for a— oh, I can't remember. Some trinket no doubt.** The dragon's eyes glazed as he searched his dusty recollections.