Dragon Mage, part 5

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Tamora Pierce, but I do Own Maddy and all related characters

Note: don't worry about Daine, we have special plans for her and all will turn out well (mwa hahahahahah) and she is not really mean either, you'll see

Note, note: sorry for the looooong wait, someone **cough cough** COURTNEY forgot to give me the notebook



In an instant, the yard went into confusion, people running to and fro getting weapons and hurrying away. A hand grabbed Maddy's wrist and pulled her away. She was about to fight back, but realized it was Daine and decided against it. Daine led her down a passage and into a large room. It took her a moment to realize that it was a library. Daine let go of her wrist and said in a venomous voice,

"I did not lose my gift and I am stronger then you and right now I want to know what is attacking the palace!" Maddy just stood there rubbing her wrist; she had no idea what was attacking. Daine grabbed her wrist again when she was silent and said, no less venomously, "Alright, don't tell me!" she shoved Maddy back and went out the door. Maddy took a step to follow her when Daine slammed the door and locked it. Maddy wasn't expecting it, so she just stood there, shocked.

"Great, just great!" she said aloud. Then she started devising plans of escape as the ground around her shook. Books started falling left and right all around her. Quick! she thought. Looking around the room, Maddy say that there was no windows and her only bet was the door. She started barging on it, hoping someone would hear her.

"Help!" she cried!

This went on for half an hour until finally a knight who was hurrying by heard her. Cautiously he turned the key. As he did that, Maddy pushed all her weight against the door. It shoved open, past the knight, knocking him flat on the ground. Maddy did not take time to even apologize, but dashed down the corridor, through some passages, and realized that she had no idea where she was going. The ground and walls of the castle were shaking every now and then. Maddy was getting scared. Finally she saw a light in a passage up ahead. She ran toward it. It was a window, the perfect place to see what was going on.

Dragons raced across the sky, all of them blood read and all shapes and sizes. Looking down the side of a cliff, and looking over the sea, there was a ship. Standing on the front was a man holding a stone, his hand outstretched to the sky. He must be the one controlling them, she thought. Looking sidelong, Maddy saw the King, Queen, Prince, Numair, Daine, and several commanders and knights standing on it. They were all sitting ducks Maddy thought. I have to help them, though how? Looking down the hall she saw a wooden door. Was it the way to a tower? There was only one way to find out. Maddy raced towards it and pushed with all her mite. It didn't budge. She tried again, this time putting all her weight on it. It inched open, very slowly. When it was just open enough for her to squeeze through she did. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness; the only light that shown in was from a tiny opening left in the door. She was in a stairwell. It wasn't very wide, but she found the railing and started up. It took her awhile to find out how tall the tower really was. Step by step, she climbed in the dark climbing as fast as she could. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Maddy felt her hands touch a ladder, and could make out tiny beams of light from above. Slowly and cautiously she climbed the ladder, and carefully pushed the trapped door above her open. She had to shield her eyes at the light that streamed into the gloomy passage, and then scrambled up and out of it. Looking around Maddy found herself on a flat wooden circle with a 6-foot diameter and no railings to stop her from falling. Oh great, she thought, turning and facing the open area where the ship and dragons were. A fire blast hit her tower, shaking it slightly. Maddy braced herself and waited for the shock to pass. When it did she called out in her mind with all her strength,

"Winged family, listen to me!" Most stopped and looked over to where she was. Other kept flying. "PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!" Maddy tried with every last bit of strength in her.

"You'll have to come to us." one of them said.

"How can I? I don't have wings to fly." She shouted out loud. Just then she heard a screech. Turning around she saw a dragon coming at her. She frantically looked around, but the only escape was down. Quickly she opened the trapped door and grappled for the ladder. She only had her fingers on it when a whoosh of fire came hurtling past her. Quickly she pulled her hands back, but the ladder was not so lucky, the thing had turned to ash. Oh no! Maddy tried to think but her mind had gone blank. Her heart was beating so fast that she thought it would burst. She heard someone scream, maybe she, but it seemed like it was coming from somewhere far away. The dragon was right near her and then it stopped and turned. The dragon didn't hit Maddy but the power from one wing was enough to tumble her right off the platform. She began to fall off it.