The Underground of Hope
- Black Fury
7 –The Golden Dragon.
'While you were away getting yourselves killed, I did a bit of researching. Naturally, I wasn't looking for ways to kill the Shadow Lord for I, like the rest of you, assumed, him dead. I was actually interested in how the gems on the belt came to be.' Jasmine explained.
'That is easy; even I could have told you that, if only you had asked,' Barda growled, 'the seven tribes of Deltora gave up there Talismans to King Adin.'
'I knew that bit,' Jasmine frowned, 'I wanted to know how the tribes got there hands on such jewels, I thought there could be more. I didn't end up finding out that exactly, thought I did found out that there is a lot more to the tale then it let on.'
'Do continue…' Doom muttered.
'I was looking for answers to my question, when I eh…,' Jasmine's eyes flickered to Drahen, who smirked, knowingly, '…stumbled across a piece of information that lead to a completely new search.'
Drahen's smirk may have been missed by others, but Lief had seen it. He frowned. What was Jasmine hiding? What could she possibly entrust Drahen with? What had happened, while he was away?
Jasmine took a deep breath, biding time. She didn't want everyone to think she was going mad by seeing dragons when she touched the gems, especially Lief. He would insist she was sick and not allow her on the quest that was likely to take place.
'This new search involved…dragons.' She continued.
'Dragons? Dragons are extinct!' Doom thundered.
'Indeed.' Jasmine smiled, looking over at Lief, both of them thinking of the golden dragon in the caves to Plume.
'And this is going to help us defeat the Shadow Lord how?' Barda growled, impatiently.
'I haven't got to the finer points yet,' Jasmine sniffed, 'while I was reading I discovered that there "were" seven dragons – each dragon belonging to a tribe. It was the dragons who owed the gems on this belt – not the people.
'Four of these dragons hoarded gold; three preferred the sounds of music. Those three flew off to Pirra and stayed with the Pirrans when their people hated them for giving the gems to Adin. The remaining four flew off and began a quest of there own…'
'And the point is?' Doom cut in.
'The point is that the dragons' quest had something to do with an amulet – a golden amulet said to have enough power to rid the whole of Deltora of evil.' Jasmine concluded.
'How do you know all this is true?' Marilen inquired.
'We did not know that the Belt would work or that the Pipe existed, yet we tried anyway. I have once not listened to the sense of her words, and suffered from it. I say was look into the matter.' Lief retorted.
'But this is different; there was proof – live proof, on both quests. The belt was still with us and the gems had been seen before and as for the pipe the people who could tell us of it were still alive. The dragons are very much dead.' Sharn sighed.
'But they are alive!' Jasmine blurted out, and then quickly collected herself. 'I mean, there is no harm in checking and I read something about it…' with her last words she turned to give a pleading look at Lief and Barda.
Lief knew that look, it was the look that met she wasn't revealing the whole truth and she only wished to do so to Barda and himself.
'Which book?' Doom frowned.
'Oh I can't remember now, I read many.' Jasmine quickly gestured to the pile of books of the table.
'Can you remember the words, then?' Sharn asked, gently.
Yes, Jasmine thought, But I'm not sure…I'll won't say all of it.
'It said something like, three of the seven dragons were bewitched and the remaining four forgotten but alive – very much alive.' Jasmine sighed, remember the dragon's words.
'So you're saying that this…amulet if we found it, it could…help?' Marilen inquired.
'I'm saying that there is a chance.' Jasmine sighed.
'Well a chance is good enough for me,' Lief stepped forward, 'It beats sitting here worrying and not trying to do anything.'
'I shall inform the people…they should know, not of the quest perhaps but of the Shadow Lord…' Sharn moved out of the room and Doom followed.
Marilen hesitated.
'But you don't know where you are going.' Marilen whimpered.
'I have a good idea where to start.' Lief sighed.
'It won't be that easy, the amulet was split into four pieces, each piece guarded by a hoarder dragon.' Jasmine sighed, hopes falling.
'But, hopefully, if we find one piece it will draw as to the next, as the belt did with the gems and mouth piece to the stem of the Pirran Pipe.'
Marilen nodded and left, quickly.
'That reminds me!' Jasmine exclaimed, 'Penn, where we ever told of Dragons, who loved your music?'
Penn looked stunned and didn't answer.
Impatiently, Jasmine turned back to the books.
'It says here: "But when Pirra's Piper died and new ones wished to play for the position, each of the dragons, like the people of Pirra, preferred a certain type.
The largest of the three like the stirring music played by Plume the Brave
The youngest of the three like the beautiful music played by Auron the Fair
The most honorable of the three liked the haunting music, played by Keras the Unknown.
As the Pirrans split up they begged there favourite dragon to come with them. The Plumes liked the youngest of the three and the Keras liked the most honorable, but the Aurons, though content with the remaining dragon, preferred a hoarding dragon from far away."' Jasmine re-sighted.
Penn looked nervous.
'Yes, it is said that Dragons once where our friends, but they suddenly stopped speaking to our ancestors and where quickly forgotten.' She sighed.
'What was the name of the dragon that the Aurons, preferred over the third music loving dragon?' Jasmine inquired.
'I can not remember. Something like "Oblivon" or "Oblivack", something strange like that. I, myself never saw a dragon.' Penn explained.
'Oblivackon!' Jasmine shrieked, 'Now I know the names of the hoarder dragons, Donimad, Laizuli, the golden one and Oblivackon! Which means-' Jasmine grabbed another book and opened to a page, '- that Ruebi, Eraldme, Aythmest and Tapoz, one of them being the golden dragon's name of course, are the music lovers.'
'Some of those names sound familiar.' Penn exclaimed.
'I agree, I had heard many a tale of the dragon called Tapoz, from my mother,' Barda stated. 'Yet they were the "once upon a time" stories.'
'But how will you know where to start?' Penn inquired.
'We have seen a dragon before…but it is bewitched so maybe that is one of the music loving ones, who won't owe a piece of the amulet in question.' Lief sighed.
'The music loving dragons stayed in Pirra and promised to stay with its people.' Jasmine added. Kree cawed softly as she grabbed the book he had been sitting on.
'Just read here – from there to here and this one too, and you will understand a bit more.' Jasmine opened the books to the right papers and pushed them in front of Lief and Barda. After a few minutes silence, with only the sound of Filli scratching his claws on the table, they had finished.
'Doran couldn't have slaughtered all the dragons, so how can he bring back a piece of there skin?' inquired Lief.
Jasmine shrugged.
'So Adin didn't get the gems from the tribe leaders, he got them from the tribe's dragons. Then because the gems had replenished there powers, when they were weak the dragons stayed that way and lost battles, losing the trust of their people and as years passed probably forgotten.' Barda exclaimed.
'It is cruel how they turned on them, when they only meant to help. They thought that when their gems were combined, the power would be greater and they were right,' Jasmine said, looking at the belt. 'Unfortunately when the Kings and Queens of Del wore the belt less and less, the Shadow Lord's power became strong and the dragons must have believed it time to use there last weapon – the amulet.'
'But they could not agree on who would go on the quest and the amulet was split into four.' finished Lief.
'I can't believe what I'm hearing,' Drahen finally spoke up. 'Are you all saying that you're stupid enough to go and hunt for dragons?'
'Yes, we are.' Barda growled.
'They are savage brutes, who trashed cities, stole maidens and killed knights and those who were stupid enough to challenge it!' Drahen shouted. 'If you must go I do not suggest on taking the lady with you.'
'Why ever not?' Lief snapped. 'She can fight with the best; the dragon is far more likely to be unable to scratch her than us.'
'Oh, a dragon wouldn't harm, Miss Jasmine, he would kidnap her, as they kidnapped tens of maidens before her.' Drahen frowned.
'I am no maiden.' Jasmine sniffed.
'Perhaps not, although the Dragon, if alive, would not seek you out, it would still take you if you walk into its den.' Drahen snapped.
He seemed completely bend on not letting her go, not that he had a choice, but why? Lief thought. He sounded so…desperate.
'Don't worry; if Jasmine chooses to come with us, that is surely her decision, she is aware of the risks.' Smiled Lief.
'Of course I will come! I found out of this any way, I shan't have you getting the glory at the end of it.' Jasmine smiled back.
'Very well then, we should leave as soon as possible, it is unfortunate that we have to go back to were we were only hours ago, but at least we shall know the track.' Barda grunted.
Drahen hung his head.
'You're all doomed, it will eat you the moment it sees you!' He whined.
Not this one, Lief thought. It will be sleeping like a baby, when we dash out with the treasure.
The confidence that had filled Lief heart only moments ago had been swept away like the fresh air he had breathed before entering the dragon's cave. It was dark and dank, except for the red and orange glow of the fire, which danced on the top of the torch Barda was holding.
'We can't see much beyond this little island of light we have made. How can we see where he hides his treasure?' Jasmine asked.
'It will be particularly hard as we can't look at the dragon.' Barda grunted.
'I saw a glimpse of gold before I left, to drown in the golden sea. I know it has some and it is near the hole of light.' Lief stated.
'Well that in it's self is hopeful. If the dragon hoards gold then it should been a hoarder.' Jasmine nodded.
They turned the bend and the great gleaming goldenness, lay before them. Quickly they turned their glaze to the cave walls. Apart from the dragon and themselves, it seemed empty.
'We have to get behind the dragon. That is where its treasure might be.' Lief insisted.
'But how can we do that?' Hissed Jasmine.
'We can slink along the walls then turn our backs to the dragon so we don't have to look at it.' Lief explained and without warning, press himself against the cave wall, edging slowly towards the dragon.
With a moment's hesitation, Barda and Jasmine followed quickly behind.
The walls of the dragon's lair were made of rock. It felt cool under Lief's hands as he scrambled along. Jasmine had said that only three of the dragons had been bewitched, with any luck the three would be the ones they were facing. He didn't relish the idea of fighting a dragon, let along four. But, He thought. What ever way I look at it we shall have to fight at least one, let us hope that it is smaller than the one before me.
Lief steadily moved along the wall, he was nearly there. He was determined not to look, though he could see a golden blare out of the corner of his eye. It seemed to have a radiant glow to it that made him have faith in what he was doing and despite his fears of the dragon waking; his mind had sharpened now that he was concentrating.
Lost in thought, Lief's foot kicked a stone. Or what thought had been a stone…but then did stones clink like that? He looked down and saw that it wasn't a stone at all, but a coin, a gold coin.
He'd found the dragon's treasure.
Black Fury: Well that's it for a very LONG time, coz...well I don't know, but it will be a long time, I kinda have the feeling that not many people are reading it anymore. :( I know this chapter wasn't very interesting, but i just wanted to have most things explained in one chapter so I don't have to explain 'em again. Plz review, I'd really like to see what you think!!