By the time the other Tigeroid airships came into the area the Chasers and Dragonoids were gone.
"This is bad," Aidan muttered to himself, "now we have no idea where they are."
He and the rest of the Tigeroid airships checked as much of the area as they could before dark settled in, forcing them back to the base.
"This is unacceptable!" Pyron raged, as he paced around the elders' meeting room.
"There's nothing we can do now, Pyron, except look for them and wait," Komorka said, her face filled with worry.
Sid sighed as Aidan came into the room, disappointment marked on his face.
"There's no sign of them anywhere," Aidan said, "it's like they've disappeared."
While the Tigeroids were trying to figure out their next move the Chasers were improvising their's.
When Jahara finally decided to help the Chasers they immediately moved out of the area an into a mountain range nearby. Both of the airships landed across from each other on a flat bed of rock and both the Tigeroids and Dragonoids walked out and stood in an uncomfortable silence.
"So," Jahara started, as Yvette walked out of the ship with Finn, "what's this all about? Why would you take the risk of asking us for help?"
"The Tai Chi symbol in Yvette is converging," Sena said, "and if we don't stop it, it will destroy both Yvette and the power itself."
"Yeah, well, what can we do about it?" Garnia asked, "it's not like we can just stop such a powerful force."
"But you can," Rai said, "the Dragonoids have a card that can stop the convergence, Hum, the still card."
Jahara and Garnia exchanged unsure glances and glared back at the Chasers.
"We don't have that card here with us," Jahara said, "but I do know the Dragonoid that uses the card. If you really think that this is the only way to save Yvette, then we'll help you, but it will be extremely difficult and dangerous. It might not even work."
"We're ready!" Tori said, Yvette smiled at his determination, the rest of the Chasers nodded in agreement.
"Okay," Jahara said, "then we need to leave your ship here, you won't need it where you're going."
Hesitating slightly, the Chasers and Yvette boarded the Dragonoid airship with Jahara and Garnia.
After they had been flying for a little while Rai spoke up.
"So, where exactly are you taking us?" he asked, trying to keep his nervousness out of his voice.
"To the only place where I know this Dragonoid would be right now," Jahara said, "but you can't witness this, or else I would be in more trouble than just letting Yvette's powers destroy itself. Garnia, take them down into the holding area."
Reluctantly, the Chasers and Yvette followed Garnia down into the lower levels of the huge airship and into what looked like a small jail cell.
"You better not be trying to pull anything on us," Yvette said, just as Garnia was about to shut the cell door on them, "my power is still increasing in strength and I'll make you regret it if you do."
Garnia looked at Yvette strangely before muttering something and closing and locking the iron door. The group sighed as they looked around the room.
It was pretty small and had no windows, the light coming from a small bulb on the ceiling. Yvette winced at another sharp pain in her stomach and sat down on a cold, metal bench attached to the wall. Sena sat down next to her, putting her arm around Yvette's shoulders while the boys found a place to sit.
They could feel the ship rumbling around them, Tori's breath caught in his throat as they began to hit some violent turbulence.
"I'm still not really sure about this, guys," he said, weakly, "even though Yvette's powers are strong, it'd still be hard to get out of this mess if the Dragonoids turned on us."
Sena tried to give Tori a reassuring smile, "we've just got to trust them, Tori. It's the only way we can save Yvette."
In the command room the Dragonoids were having doubts of their own.
"We're taking a big risk, Jahara," Garnia said, "no Tigeroid has ever been to this place, not even a lot of Dragonoids know of its existence either."
Jahara bit her lip nervously, looking at the clouds ahead as the airship surged forward, "we don't have a choice, Garnia."
"What happens if he doesn't even want to help us?" Garnia asked, "he might not even be alive anymore."
Jahara shook her head, "he's still alive, the Dragonoids would have sensed if he had died or not. Like I said before, we don't have a choice. Failure is not an option for us, Garnia, especially when it comes to the power that this girl has."
"What are our plans after this, though?" Garnia asked, "will we just take the girl and the Chasers prisoner? They'll most likely be at our mercy if we do save the girl, especially with the powers of the Dragonoid that we are seeking."
Jahara didn't say anything, she could feel emotions conflicting with each other in both her and Garnia.
The Chasers woke up to the sound of the cell door opening, Garnia stood in the doorway with six cloth sacks in his hands.
"You have no idea the risk we are taking bringing you here," Garnia said, "we need to make absolutely sure that you don't see one square inch of this place."
Garnia put a sack over each of the Chasers' heads and on Yvette. Then he lead them out of the cell and eventually out of the ship.
The Chasers gasped as the freezing wind hit them when they walked out of the ship, trying to keep ahold of whoever was in front of them. Yvette willed herself to keep moving, the pain in her stomach seemed to be growing even more. But then she stumbled, nearly knocking down whoever was following behind her.
As she kneeled on the cold ground, sucking in the icy cold air she could hear the sound of footsteps walking over to her, and then the strong arms of Garnia as he picked her up as if she were an infant.
The walking seemed to be going on forever, the freezing cold wind caused the Chasers to tremble, but it didn't really affect Jahara or Garnia much. What the Chasers couldn't see was that they were walking in a rocky valley of grey, snowy mountains. Here there was no warmth and hardly any sunlight through the thick mist and snowflakes. It was the perfect place for the Dragonoid that they were looking for.
"Are you sure you remember where it is?" Garnia muttered as Yvette winced again, he was beginning to worry that they wouldn't get there in time.
"I would never forget…" Jahara replied, then she gazed away, lost in her thoughts.
Finally, Jahara called them to a stop. They stood in front of a large wall of rock.
"There's nothing here," Garnia said, "what's going on Jahara?"
Jahara didn't answer; she just took out one of her cards that seemed different from what Dragonoid cards usually look like and swiped it.
The wall began to tremble; different symbols appeared and glowed on it. Then, slowly, the wall opened, revealing a long dark corridor lit with torches.
"You can take off your bags now," Jahara said, "and don't try anything you'll regret. You are in the domain of one of the greatest Dragonoids who's ever lived. He can easily destroy all of us without a second thought."
The Chasers exchanged nervous glances as they removed the bags and followed Jahara and Garnia into the hidden corridor. The opened slid shut after they all passed through and the only sound they could hear was the crackling of the torches and the sounds of their own footsteps.
"So…who exactly is this guy that we're seeing?" Rai asked, breaking the tense silence.
"Yeah, I mean, you're kind of putting us in danger bringing us to him," Donha said, "so it might be good to get some background info on him."
Jahara and Garnia were silent for a minute, and then Jahara spoke up.
"He's one of the greatest elders of the Dragonoids," she said, "but he's different. His power is much greater than the other Dragonoid elders, and he could have easier ruled at the side of the Emperor. But after the Emperor took power and control over Sunn, this elder chose a life of solitude and hasn't been seen since. Besides by me, after the reign of the Emperor began, I used to come visit him here."
"What's his name?" Tori asked, trying to look brave.
"Elder Fym," Garnia replied.
"Why do you guys think he's going to help us?" Yvette asked, softly, still in Garnia's arms.
"We don't know if he'll help us," Jahara replied, "Elder Fym is very unpredictable, I know this because he was one of my mentors. I was his pupil long enough to learn that he acts and thinks only the way he wants to. I also know that he has the card that we're looking for and that he's our only option."
The group walked on in silence until they came to a huge, thick looking door.
"From here on, I'll be the one doing the talking," Jahara said, "I've known Elder Fym longer and can maybe compromise with him better."
The rest of the group quickly agreed and Jahara turned and knocked on the door.
Nothing happened, but then the door groaned and creaked and slowly opened up. Jahara walked forward and everyone else followed her.
They walked into a huge chamber, filled with dark shadows and cold drafts. The only source of light and warmth came from a large fireplace in the center of the stone wall. In front of the fireplace was a tall back chair; from where they were standing, the group could see that someone was sitting in it.
They walked up to the chair and stopped just where they could feel the faint warmth of the fire. They stood there silently, waiting to be addressed.
"Jahara…it's been so long, my dear," a voice sounded from the chair, the voice was old, yet held a certain power in it.
"It's an honor to be in your presence again, Elder Fym," Jahara said, bowing respectfully, the group did the same.
Elder Hym stood up from the chair and turned to them.
He wore thick woolen robes and cloaks, used to fight the cold of the chamber and the mountains. His face wasn't nearly as wrinkled as the Chasers guessed it would be. He had a few wrinkles but his face seemed far from tired and old. His eyes were grey and fierce, piercing into each of the Chasers' eyes. The only evidence of his aging was in his voice.
"What brings you here, Jahara?" Elder Hym asked, "and with such unlikely companions."
Jahara cleared her throat and began, "we need your help, Elder Hym. There is a Tai Chi power in this girl." She motioned to a Yvette in Garnia's arms.
"Hmm, how peculiar," Elder Hym said, walking slowly over to Garnia and Yvette, "I was certain that something like this would happen. With how reckless the Tigeroids' Tai Chi symbols were cast to the Earth."
"Yes, Elder Hym," Jahara said, "she has the Tai Chi symbol, Tun, the movement card, in her, but it is beginning to converge. If we don't stop the convergence, then both the girl and the power will be destroyed."
Elder Hym nodded and walked back to the fire, his back facing them.
"I remember that you had the reverse card," Jahara said, "Hum, the still card. We were hoping, Elder Hym, that you could help us. We would be so honored if you could."
Elder Hym didn't answer, and the Chasers held their breaths.
"I suppose…I will help you, my dear," Elder Hym said, "but on one condition…once she is saved, the girl must stay here with me, forever."
Sorry this took so long, but all your guys' emails motivated me and I plan on writing again, so thank you. I'll be continuing this story in part 6.
