Chapter 3-Dragons New and Old
The walls that lined the descent to the bottom just barely allowed for Uria to get through and, as such, Verdra had little problem following after him. The older dragon only got stuck once, much to his own dismay and anger, which he took out on the walls around him and carved deep gashes into the already smooth wood.
How is this place protected? Verdra questioned as she tried to stay far enough back to avoid the swinging tail of the ruby male.
A series of complex layouts and multiple dead-ends. We hope that whoever comes down here either knows the way or gets lost and starves to death. He snorted at the end. A faint trickle of smoke drifting from his nostrils.
And this was carved out by dragons? Verdra inquired as the majestic sculpting on the walls led her to believe that another race had done these gloriously crafted rows of flowers that ran straight up and down the walls and seemed to stretch on for as long as there was a pathway.
The walls? No, we had our human friends help to make the design on the walls. It is simple but elegant and we enjoy it. Uria hummed deeply in his chest as he continued to move, his eyes straight ahead as he descended each leveled stone step with complete knowledge of where they were.
What about the steps? I have never seen such texture before on such a simple surface.
Those steps are of our doing. We melted the stone and had it fused with the wood and then hardened to form that which you see, Uria responded, glancing down at the step he was about to place his left foreleg down on.
The steps were of strains of wood and stone, fused so that it formed a ripple effect on each smooth surface. It had taken them days to complete each of the fifty steps and even longer on the walls as to determine the correct height and width so that each dragon could leave and enter without getting stuck. The only problem was that some of the dragons, the older ones mostly, never stopped growing. Although their growth was very slow, it was still there but the genetic makeup needed for it to be passed on to future generations had been lost over the thousands of years since the days of the Protectors.
Descending from the last step, and glad of it, Uria moved over slightly to allow Verdra to come to stop beside him. They had entered a large round chamber, its width massive enough to hold at least twenty full-grown dragons. The walls still had the flower design and the floor was just like the steps had been.
So this is . . . ?
This is our home now, Uria finished for Verdra as she was at a loss of words to match such beauty and realization for where they were.
The chamber had five wide slits cut out of the walls and those slits gave way to five new walkways without steps apart from one on the very left of the room. It was the one with steps that Uria led Verdra to and made sure she followed him as he began yet another descent.
How far can we go down? Verdra questioned as she followed Uria, worried that she might never see the sun again.
I am not sure, came the male's curt reply.
The ones that live down here, have they ever seen the sun? She asked, hoping for more elaboration on Uria's part.
Those that go out and hunt for us, like I, see the sun but the others do not and instead have another way to produce light. The male chuckled as he stopped for a moment and motioned to Verdra to look straight ahead.
Up ahead of Uria there was a small fixture pounded into the wall by brute force. Twin shafts of metal twisted up, down, and around it a single orb of blue light to enclose the precious object in a mix between a sphere and an upside down pyramid. A thin layer of cloth surrounded the top and draped down the sides as to cut back the glare from when one was entering from another well lit tunnel into the darker one that Uria and Verdra were in.
Amazing, the black female muttered, her voice barely over a whisper. Where does the light come from in this?
It comes from us, from our kind, Uria growled softly in response. Now then, come.
Taking one last look at the lantern, Verdra followed on behind Uria. She was confused on what he had said about the light coming from their kind. It made no sense. Dragons were not natural lanterns, that much she knew from having slept in darkened areas at night with no moon to provide her light. They could, however, see far greater in darkness than humans but, like the continued growth of adults, that trait had been lost as well. Now their kind was fading into nothing but a memory. A remnant of the powerful species they had once been at their height.
The two descended from the stairs and found themselves in another chamber, although this one had walls of pure stone. The greyness of the room seemed to dampen Verdra's spirits but she tried not to show it as Uria suddenly roared out and launched a blazing stream of fire into the center of the room.
Wh-what was that for? She growled as the male stopped the violent gust of flaming breath and turned his attention to her.
I figured you'd like to meet more of our kind. I was simply calling out to them as they dwell in almost darkness down here. Light, as I suppose you've figured out by now, attract those of the dark.
The red dragon's answer was more than Verdra had hoped for but it pleased her that she would get to meet more of her own kind. A moment passed and Verdra thought she heard a low growl echo from one of the many corridors the room split into.
Within seconds, Uria had jumped in front of her, teeth bared and low snarl rippling up from his throat. Verdra took a step back, not sure of what she had done as she heard another low growl echo from a different corridor.
Stay back, he warned as he crouched down, his underbelly touching the floor. Stay hidden in the shadows and don't move.
The low growling soon advanced into a whine as Uria grew tense with each passing moment. Finally he snorted and a burst of flame shot from his nostrils to reveal to Verdra that they were not alone. At least ten dragons, their colors ranging from the deepest black to orange-red, encircled Uria and her. One of them, a red dragon with ruby eyes, growled softly and finally spoke up, his voice deep and yet still having some hatchling-like qualities to it.
Why do you bring an outsider to us, Airu? Is it because you think she can help us fight against the monster that is Arxa? You know as well as I do that nothing can help our chances of winning this war against a dragoness who is as clear as she is cunning.
Pytris, my son, believe me when I say that I have brought her only here because of Finca. This is the child that was lost when the white dragoness was attacked. I never imagined she would be as black as night but her heart is good, Uria replied, growling softly at hearing the inverse of his name which he used for only one person.
The same was said about Arxa but we know how that turned out. A different dragon snapped back, the voice deep with seething anger.
Indeed, our ancestors should be blamed for cursing her as they did. Another dragon snarled as Uria struggled to respond.
Perhaps, Verdra growled as the thought came to her, perhaps this was not her choice? Perhaps fate played no role in what she became?
Uria growled softly in warning but it came too late as Pytris lunged toward her and slammed her down on the floor, his body on top of her own. The elder male snarled and swiped at the younger fire dragon with his tail but Pytris was quicker and snapped at it.
Listen to her. She speaks nonsense. The only other red dragon in the room snarled.
Silence Reath, Pytris growled as his red eyes sought out his half-brother who was younger than he and who had a different father.
Perhaps Finca's black hatchling has a point though. A new voice entered the conservation as a lanky brown dragoness approached Pytris with Reath at her heels.
Why say that Ryta? You know far well enough what Arxa is like with your own eyes, Pytris snarled softly as her warm azure eyes settled on him. I mean . . . You might be right after all.
Uria hummed knowingly as Pytris backed off Verdra and lowered his head. His son was in love and he was pleased, very pleased. Ryta and Reath stopped beside Uria and the dragoness raised her head to view Uria. She might be a new dragon but the quality of seeing better in the darkness than most had been passed on to her and to most of the dragons down here.
Suddenly a deep and powerful roar rippled through the air, bringing with it a sense of fear and respect coursing through all of the ten years old or younger dragons. . . .