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Chapter 5:Trapped in the Track
Artha had arrived just in time to see the track open. Kitt, Lance and Parm and their dragons watched from behind a fallen column.
"Magna Draconis, what can't Word invent?" Parm whispered. A silent agreement passed between the good guys as they solemnly nodded slightly. Artha watched Moordryd disappear into the Shadow Track.
"So much for stopping him before he gets in." Artha mused. "Come on boy, ready to go?" Beau nodded. He was always ready. "We don't have much time, we have to make sure he doesn't pick anything up." Artha glanced back at his crew, "you guys stay here and watch Cain. Hyaah!" Beau leapt into a mad dash towards the entrance.
"What? Oh…Artha, be very careful!" Parm called after, making sure his voice wasn't loud enough for Cain to overhear. "Where are you going?" He asked as he turned to see Wyldfyr mag Kitt on.
"Isn't it better if he has some help in there?" She called down to Lance and Parm. Wyldfyr sped off after the Dragon of Legend before they could respond.
"Uh, yes, I suppose." Parm said to the air after she left.
"Now we're all alone out here." Lance said to Parm. Parm glanced around, realizing that they were indeed alone, save for their dragons. "Oh, my." He said.
Artha and Beau thundered recklessly past the gear which was maintaining the doorway. The vibrations in the ground shook it, and the lights winked out as it rolled to the side. As it laid dead, the entrance to the Shadow Track began to close. Beau's eyes widened in surprise. "The doorway, it's closing! Faster!" Artha said in surprise. Beau snorted and increased his pace.
"What? No!" Kitt cried atop Wyldfyr as she noticed the shrinking entrance. Beau gave a mighty effort and leapt through the entrance just as it snapped with a close. Kitt pulled back on the handles and Wyldfyr slid to a stop just before the now solid rock-face. "Artha?" She said, though she knew no answer would come. A slight wind howled past her ears and kicked up clouds of dust. To her surprise, an eerie chuckle drifted along with it. She looked at the eastern side and saw Cain, mounted on Coershun. His shoulders were shaking faintly. All Kitt could do was whisper an unbelieving no to what she now knew. It had been a trap.
When Beau landed, he skidded for a few more feet before he came to an absolute stop. Artha and he looked back. "Woah, now that was close." Artha breathed. Beau silently agreed. Artha turned his attention to what he came for. The Dragon Booster couldn't dwell on things that were in the past and not accomplish what had to be done in the present. Artha took in a sharp intake of breath as he realized his first dilemma. He couldn't find Moordryd. The Shadow Track ran on before him in an ominous series of passages. It was easy to get lost. He glanced down one, and then another. Beau stared hard down each one too until, finally, he saw Decepshun's tail disappear around a corner. A victorious glint entered his eyes, and he trotted to the place. "Nice going, boy." Artha praised. Beau grinned.
When the Dragon Blunder had jumped into the track, Moordryd immediately went down a random chosen passage with the scanner held up before him. He definitely did not want to run into any active draconium. That was the Dragon Booster's job. He glanced behind him. The Dragon Booster was no where to be seen. His eye's narrowed in frustration. He urged Decepshun back to the beginning of the opening, and peeked around the corner. To his utter annoyance, the Dragon Booster was looking down every other passage way trying to find him.
"For dragon's sake…" He silently muttered. He nodded to Decepshun, who scraped her claws on the ground to make the idiot look in his direction, then made sure her tail was clearly visible as she reentered the passage. Moordryd listened carefully and was relieved to hear the Dragon of Legend amble in his direction. "Let's just make sure he doesn't come too close, or doesn't lose us." He said to his dragon. Decepshun nodded.
As Beau picked up his pace, Decepshun went faster too, which concerned Moordryd. They were nearly galloping around the corners and turns by now. If there was any functioning draconium hidden around the bend, there would be no time to stop.
Beau looked on in annoyance as Decepshun barely remained in his view. "They know we're following and we're getting in too deep. Let's end this chase now!" Artha whispered to Beau. Beau agreed with Artha. They were too deep into the Shadow Track, and it was hard to know their location with all the twists and turns. Getting lost was much too easy.
Beau roared and sprang forward around a bend. Decepshun glanced back and hissed as Beau leapt behind them. "What? Go, girl, go!" Moordryd said after his brief pause of surprise. He had been hoping the Dragon Booster would stay behind until he actually found the draconium. Unfortunately, the scanner picked up nothing, and the track remained dead before him. Decepshun bounded down a narrow channel. Moordryd had to duck to avoid scraping his helmet on the ceiling. Beau followed close behind. Moordryd was beginning to wish he had brought more gear than the white rappel and red thruster he had on Decepshun. Perhaps he should have taken along some green ramming gear, it might have been useful.
Moordryd let Decepshun choose the passages while he frantically searched with the scanner. He swept it from side to side, with no luck. Was there even any working draconium? How big was the Shadow Track? Decepshun ran into a large chamber. Moordryd gasped as he realized there was no other way out. Decepshun halted at the other end of the cavern and turned to face the Dragon Booster. Moordryd tucked the scanner into his jacket.
"Nice for you to stop. Let's talk shall we?" The Dragon Booster said while Beau held up his head to show his authority. Moordryd glowered at the hero as Decepshun took a step backwards.
Moordryd decided to play stupid until he decided what was the best way past was. "How did you find out about this?" He yelled back with mock anger. The Dragon Booster chuckled.
"It's my little secret, Paynn." He turned on a more serious tone and pointed his finger at the Dragon Eye. "What I want to know is, what does your father plan to do with black shadow draconium?"
"What he's going to do with it is none of your business."
"I think it's very much my business."
"I think you should start minding your own business."
"Well I think neither of us are leaving until you tell me."
"I think you think too much of yourself, Dragon Blunder." Moordryd sneered back as he emphasized the last part.
"This is your last warning before I put the pain on you, Paynn. What does Word want with black shadow draconium?" Beau took a threatening step forward and growled.
Moordryd and Decepshun were unfazed. He sighed. "Fine," he said as he showed his empty hands. "It doesn't matter whether you know or not."
"I very much doubt that," Artha retorted.
Moordryd chortled. "You won't be able to foil him this time. My father's plan is unstoppable."
"Like the rest of his so called 'plans'? What is it?"
"My father plans to…blind you!" Moordryd said suddenly as he held up his flash stick.
"Flash stick!" Artha yelled as he heroically stated the obvious. The white hot light filed his vision, and he was only dimly aware of being pushed to the side as Moordryd made good his escape. "Beau." Artha said as his dragon staggered a moment. Beau shook his head to rid himself of the spots that strayed in his eyes. A few precious seconds later, and the Dragon Booster was back in pursuit.
Moordryd chuckled again as he noticed the Dragon Booster once again behind him. He heedlessly maneuvered Decepshun around a corner. He gasped as the screen on the scanner in his hand sprang to life. Showing up in bright white in the screen and laying right across his path was the draconium, and he was headed to it quickly. "Jump, girl. Jump as far as you can!" Unable to see the scanner and the danger it displayed, she snorted in surprise, but jumped, nonetheless. She knew about the dangers, and it was her quick reaction that saved them.
Moordryd hung on as he looked down at the ground as Decepshun leapt. They sailed right over the active draconium, and landed safely on the other side. She screeched to a halt and stood, panting. Moordryd let out a breath he never knew he held. He looked back at where the draconium lay, or should. It looked no different than the rest of the track, which made it easier for the Dragon Booster to walk into. A noise caused him to look up.
"Stop right there!" The Dragon Booster said as he stood glaring at Moordryd.
"I don't believe this!" Moordryd whined softly as he realized that the hero was only a few steps from the draconium and not moving. Decepshun hissed and moved backwards a couple of steps, taunting Beau.
Beau advanced a couple of steps before stopping suspiciously. Something wasn't right. He growled in impatient frustration. "What is it?" Artha asked softly as he leaned over to look Beau in the eye. Beau didn't answer, as he himself didn't know what was wrong. He only knew he could sense danger, and it wasn't the duo before him.
Moordryd's grip on the handles tightened with irritation as Beau stopped and sniffed around. The Dragon Booster shot Moordryd a suspicious look. Moordryd could almost see his mind uncovering the reason why he was really here. "Time to finish this." Decepshun took the time from taunting the Dragon of Legend to quickly shoot him a questioning glance. Moordryd pressed hard on the button for his white rappel gear. It shot out and clutched Beau on the chest.
"Wha?" The Dragon Booster said in surprise. Moordryd grinned and Decepshun started to retract the gear, pulling Beau towards the draconium. Unfortunately, he only slid a few inches before planting his feet firmly and holding his ground. Now he knew something was really wrong here. He growled and with a great effort, took a step back, pulling Decepshun ahead.
Her eyes widened, and not wanting to be undone, retook her ground, yanking Beau back to where he started. Beau stared at her in surprise. He threw his weight back and pulled as hard as he could. Decepshun, in return, pulled as hard as she could. The line of the rappel gear vibrated with tension, threatening to snap. It wasn't made for tug-of-war with dragons.
Artha and Moordryd merely hung on and cheered for their respective dragons. "Come on 'cepshun, pull!" Decepshun lowered her head and tried to get a better footing.
"Beau, you can do it!" Encouraged, Beau started to gain the advantage, sliding Decepshun forwards. "Yes!" Artha cheered. He saw Moordryd glare at him. Artha thought he saw panic in his glaring, grey eyes. If that were so, Moordryd was apparently trying to pull him into something. But what? There was nothing in front of him. He looked around. There was nothing to the side or on top.
Moordryd noticed the Dragon Booster glance around as Decepshun slipped forward another inch. Her claws scraped on the ground. He held up the scanner, careful not to let the Dragon Booster see it. A few more feet and his dragon would touch the draconium. Time for red thruster gear. He flipped open the cover over the button and pressed. While he reversed them, Decepshun invoked the Vysox. With her eyes glowing red, it was easy to drag the dragon on the other end of the line.
"Beau, come on!" Artha called as Beau grunted in exertion and surprise. They were being pulled to an unknown danger, and if Artha or Beau had been aware of what it was, they would have been quicker to pull themselves free of Moordryd's grasp. Beau's claws scrapped on the floor as he slid forward.
Under her heavy expression of fatigue, Decepshun grinned in victory. Moordryd's sudden laugh worried Artha. Had Moordryd succeeded? Succeeded in what? Decepshun stopped pulling, as there was no need now. Moordryd held up his scanner in full view of the Dragon Booster. In the screen, Beau was standing right where the active black shadow draconium lay.
Moordryd laughed again, as Artha stared in puzzlement. What was he holding and why did it make him so happy? Tremors in the ground caused Artha and Beau to look around worridly. Chunks of rock fell from the ceiling as the track shook. Huge pieces barely missed hitting Artha.
"Hey, Dragon Loser!" Moordryd called. "Have fun with the shadows!"
"Nooooo!" Artha screamed before it was cut off by the draconium which now encased him. It snaked up from the ground and covered Beau and Artha at a horrific pace. Moordryd gasped as he saw the draconium climb along the rappel gear which still connected the two dragons. Decepshun noticed this and quickly fired a mag-blast, breaking the line. It fell like a rock and hit the ground with a dull thud. Then the track grew still.
"Wow." Moordryd gasped. "Nice going, 'cepshun." He patted her head as she basked in the compliment. He retracted the rest of the line, and smirked at the Dragon Booster's still figure. Decepshun snorted at the motionless Beau. He had finally done it. The Dragon Booster was helpless. He noticed that a huge chunk of active draconium had fallen from the ceiling in the quake, and was within his reach. This should be enough to please his father, he thought. He carefully mag-pulled them and placed them into a safe box, which he had brought along just for this. He closed the lid.
"Well done." Came a deep voice. Moordryd instinctively reached for his amulet.
He held it up. "Did you doubt me?"
"There is always room for error." Moordryd contemplated this as Armaggeddon continued, "Now that the Dragon Booster is gone, events will pass quickly. Your father will be eager to take control of the city, lest the Dragon Booster somehow comes back. Which is very doubtful."
Moordryd smiled and chuckled. "Now there is no one to stop me!"
"The Dragon Booster is gone, yes, but there are other obstacles you will have to face. Never think the way will be easy. You will face grueling challenges, and eventually, you
will have to take down your father. He will stand in the way of your destiny." Moordryd slowly lowered the fiery amulet as he listened to his teacher. "But," Armaggeddon said suddenly, causing Moordryd to hold the amulet back up. "With my teachings, you will be able to accomplish this."
"How can you be sure?"
"I can sense enormous potential in you, Moordryd Paynn. You will become a great mag-blaster."
"Greater than the Dragon Booster?"
"Yes, far greater." Armaggeddon's fiery eyes glowed in furious pride at having found a worthwhile student. Moordryd smiled.
"Greater than you?" He ventured to ask, not expecting any agreements.
"Yes." His answer shocked Moordryd.
"What? Really?"
"Listen to me and train hard, and you will become the greatest mag-blaster of all time. Far surpassing anyone. You are very advanced, my student. Nothing will be beyond your reach. With time, you will view me as a rookie, a mere novice compared to what you will do." Moordryd stared hard at the amulet in his hand. Was he telling the truth?
"Are you su…"
"For now, race. Quickly return, time is running short. There is not enough time, I fear, for what we must accomplish." The burning eyes died out and Moordryd was left staring at the amulet. Greatest mag-blaster of all time? Not just this era, but all time? It couldn't be possible. He couldn't accomplish that, his father had always said…. Moordryd frowned. His father knew nothing of his potential. He grinned manically and turned to the Dragon Booster.
"You hear that? You hear? I will be the most powerful warrior the world has ever seen! No one will be able to stand in my way. You've failed, and I've won, Dragon Booster! Finally, I've won!" He shouted at the statue. His shoulders shook with hysteria. "I've got a race to win now. See you, Dragon Loser! Maybe I'll come back and visit!" He laughed. And to his dragon he said, "let's go, Decepshun!"
She gave a quick roar, adding power to Moordryd's words and bounded over the draconium and past the Dragon Booster. Which frightened Moordryd, since the scanner was in his hand and she couldn't see the draconium. She landed safely, and ran on. But before they rounded the bend, Moordryd pulled back on the handles and glanced back at the frozen hero. All rage and frenzy gone from his system, he looked back. The draconium surrounding him glistened eerily. What would happen to the world without the Dragon Booster? He knew his father would start another war. Without the Dragon Booster, that was very possible. No one would be there to stop it, or unite dragons and humans. But Armaggeddon's plan would work, and Moordryd would control the second Black Draconium Empire. He was breathing normally once again, and continued staring at the world's only hope of freedom.
Decepshun shook her head in impatience. She was eager to win the race, provided they got there in time. "Hey!" Moordryd said as he nearly fell from the saddle. "Alright then, let's go." Decepshun smiled in victory, and trotted off. Suddenly, from behind came a clatter. Moordryd quickly snapped his head around. "What?" Moordryd said loudly as he looked for the Dragon Booster. Could he be free already?
His voice bounced back to him in an echo, as he saw the Dragon Booster where he had left him. The hero was still frozen in his surprised and fighting pose. Moordryd glanced around the track. The draconium glinted in unnatural silence as isolation pressed down hard around Moordryd. What had made the noise? His heart thudded in his ears. Was there something else out there?
He breathed a sigh of relief as he glanced down. Not too far away lay a bomb, which must have fallen out of his jacket. It was the most powerful bomb he had taken along with him. He glared at Decepshun and silently blamed her for causing it to fall. When she noticed the bomb and his glare, she purred and pretended not to notice as she turned her head and surveyed the track in the opposite direction. Moordryd sighed and started to get off his dragon, then paused. He glanced back at the Dragon Booster, then the bomb. All the Dragon Booster really tried to do was help people. Time was running short and he didn't have time to pick up the bomb. At least, that's the best excuse he could come up with. He left the bomb, and pushed forward on the handles roughly. Decepshun leapt away down the tunnel immediately.
At first, Moordryd panicked when he realized he hadn't paid much attention when they were running in the Shadow Track. All the tunnels and corridors of a crystal purple looked exactly like the last. Decepshun smirked and ran through the maze with ease. Unlike her rider, she had the sense to remember where they had came from. Moordryd let her take control, as he trusted the long, confident strides she took. All the same, he eased his tentative grip on the handles when the door finally came into view. He smirked and urged her forward. She took a few steps, then stopped and growled softly. "Come on. Go." He said, becoming agitated. They were almost out. She ignored his persistent pushes on the handles and refused to move.
Moordryd looked ahead. There was nothing different about the track before them, unless…. He reached into his jacket and pulled out the scanner. Dazzling white flooded the screen. His father was right. The Shadow Track was growing at a very fast rate. The active draconium barred his way from the exit. "Think you can jump that?" He called to Decepshun, and let her view the scanner for a moment.
She snorted at the ease of the challenge. With a powerful leap they were on the other side. Quickly, Moordryd planted a few bombs around the exit, and timed them. Decepshun flicked her tail from side to side, eager to be out in the open air again. "Done." He said. They jumped through the seemingly solid doorway, and soon, a welcoming haze of grey sky and a warm breeze greeted them. He paused and planted the last of his bombs on the cliff near the entrance. Decepshun aided him by magging him to the high places.
"Hurry!" He said as he landed back onto the saddle. She ran out into the clearing, away from the impending explosion.
"Artha! Artha, pick up!" Lance wailed into his wrist-comm. Parm sat nearby on Cyrano, worriedly watching the youngster. "Artha!" Lance nearly hollered.
"Hush!" Parm whispered fiercely, holding a finger to his mouth. "Do you want Cain to hear?" Lance looked at the still figure on a rise in the ground on the eastern side. Cain was still mounted on Coershun, watching Kitt, who was pacing in front of the Shadow Track's closed entrance.
"No." He said against the lump in his throat.
"Don't worry, Lance. Artha's been in there before, and the Shadow Track is broken." Parm said in a calm voice which surprised even him. "He can deal with Moordryd easily. I bet he's coming back out right now!" Parm motioned extravagantly with his hands. Lance nodded. He remembered the Shadow Track. That desolate tomb. Lance thought about what Parm had said.
"He's probably got Moordryd by the pants and dragging him out here." Lance piped up.
Parm smiled. "Of course he does. He's the Dragon Booster." Lance smiled gratefully in return as Fracshun nuzzled him. A voice caused them to turn to the clearing. It was Kitt.
"Come on, Cain! How do you work the gear?" She shouted up to him. She had the gear in her hands, and was turning it over and over. Parm had looked at it earlier and couldn't figure out how it did what it did. It was a technology that far surpassed his knowledge. He couldn't even turn it on. There was probably a very easy way to activate it though, despite its complexity. Moordryd had been able to do it. Parm knew it was hiding under his nose, but he just couldn't figure it out.
"Cain!" Kitt said, holding the gear above her head with one hand and glaring defiantly at him.
"I can't hear you!" Cain's voice drifted lazily back to her. She nearly snarled. She would've gone up there and forced him to tell her, she knew she could do it, but it was impossible to reach him. Cain had made sure he was safe from anyone or anything that tried to reach him. He was on a hill with extremely steep sides, and it was a piece of cake for Coershun to throw a mag-blast at whosoever attempted the climb. And being a bipedal dragon, the task was made ever harder for Wyldfyr.
"CAIN!" Kitt yelled in exasperation. Cain's erratic laughter floated its way down. He wasn't telling her anything. He couldn't if he wanted to. He didn't even know how it worked.
Kitt rolled her eyes and Wyldfyr hissed. Not at Cain and Coershun, but at the Shadow Track. Parm, Lance and Kitt all raised their eyebrows in surprise. Moordryd was on Decepshun, galloping away from the track at a high speed. Kitt glanced eagerly to the track, expecting Artha to come riding gallantly in hot pursuit. Wyldfyr took a hesitant step towards the track.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion rocked the air. Hot chunks of rock and air slammed into her, throwing Wyldfyr to the ground. Cain and Coershun slipped down the slope and followed Moordryd. Cyrano hid behind a huge fallen column and Fracshun quickly magged Lance on and hid behind him.
Wyldfyr painfully rose back to his feet and tried to stay there. Tremors running through the ground from the explosion rocked him from side to side, threatening to make him fall down. Kitt readjusted her helmet. "Art…ah…Dragon Booster!" She yelled, then gasped in horrific shock as the side of the cliff above the track fell. Shock waves ran through the ground as the stone hit the soft earth. Wyldfyr braced himself against it and managed to stay on his feet. Dust hung heavy in the air as both dragon and human alike coughed. Kitt waved her hand in front of her face to clear it. She squinted at the track, trying to penetrate the thick filth. Parm and Lance peeked from behind the column.
As the dust cleared, they saw the new terrain. Where the once proud and ill-omened gateway to the track stood, now lay an impassable mound of rubble. The entire side of the cliff had fallen.
Lance's gaze swept the carnage. "Artha!" He yelled oblivious to the fact that Moordryd and Cain might hear. Parm didn't stop him, he only stared in dread.
Kitt searched the new mound of enormous chunks of rock and dirt. She saw no opening and no Artha. "No." Her whisper was lost in the steady breeze that carried the dread they all felt.
"No!" Lance and Fracshun came out from behind the pillar and arrived at her side. Parm followed soon after on Cyrano.
"How are we going to get through that?" Kitt demanded of the others.
Parm looked at her incredulously. "Get through that? Oh, I don't know. But maybe it would be possible if we had nearly a hundred earth class dragons to move it! I mean, look at that! The entire cliff came down!"
"Then we…we call Connor." Kitt said. Lance sniffed, and for his benefit, Kitt said to him, "Artha's okay."
"How do you know?" He looked up at her with worried eyes.
"Artha may be an idiot at times, but he's not stupid enough to walk right into an explosion. He must have stayed clear. He's probably waiting for us to clear the entrance so he can stop Moordryd…argh!" She slapped a hand to her helmet. "Moordryd! We can't let him get those samples to Word!"
"But we can't leave Artha!" Parm said and Lance nodded.
"Uh…you guys stay here, call Connor and get Artha out. I'll stop Moordryd!"
"Alright then…" Parm said. Lance and he looked at each other worriedly.
"Hyah!" Kitt said as Wyldfyr took off after the two Dragon Eyes. All too soon they were out of sight, and only the dust trail Wyldfyr had kicked up told of their presence there. Lance contacted his father and Parm looked about worriedly as he realized that now they truly were alone.