Verse of Estoria Ballad of The Heavens

Drake inch closer to the truth

         “Stop complaining and get in the Pool,” Debra shoves Drake of the ledge of the lake sized pool. The young man splashes into the water and he kicks and flops as the chains on his wrists kept from using his arms. Bubbling liquid filled his ears and nose as he holds his breath within the cold blue. He feels a strong tug on his collar and he’s lifted out of the water by the red dragon’s claw and placed into waist high water. Drake shakes the water from his bushy hair as he wipes his face with his hands.

         “Ugh, do you have to be so pushy,” Drake uses his pinky to clear away the water from his ear.

         The dragon places a scaly forearm over the over the other and rests her head on it.

         “I couldn’t take the smell anymore.” Debra sighs through her hoarse nostrils. “Havne’t you bathed back at the Avian’s tree mansion?”

         Drake took several sniffs of his hairy armpit and pulls away once the sharp musty smell hits his nostrils.

         “Ok I get it,” he says.

         “The soap is over there,” Debra points with her claw to a trey of towels, several bars of soap and a bucket.”

         Drake wades through the waist high pool, grabs the soap, soaks it in the water and rubs it underneath his armpits. Pleased with the sweet, fresh aroma Drake removes his tunic, dunks it into the water and scrubs it with the soap. He grabs the bucket, scoops water from the pool and pours it over his head allowing the colling water to trickle down his back. Tossing the bucket aside, he removes his black trousers and scrubs himself from head to toe leaving no stone unturned.

         Debra happily slaps her tail onto the water as she longingly gazes at the young man’s muscular figure as the water brought out his defining muscles in his back. Scooping water into the cups of his hands he splashes his face to wash the soap away. He notices the Debra’s silence and he turns around and she quickly looks away as her tail slaps into the water. Drake’s eyes narrow and he lowers himself neck deep into the pool.

         “I can’t help it,” Debra shrugs as she rests her maw on her claw, tapping her nail on the side of her face. “You have a really tasty looking body,”

         Drake draws back as his eyes widen from the thought.

         “Relax,” she lowers her claw from her face and back on her forearm. “I was joking,”

         “Funny,” Drake splashes through the water, grabs his trousers and tunic, wrings the liquid out of them and folds them neatly on the edge of pool. Drake sits in the water and leans against the marble siding allowing his chin to touch the cold water.

         “This is relaxing…” Drake sighs as he rests his head on his folded clothes.

         Gazing above, a flock of rainbow-colored birds’ tweet as they enter and exit three rows of rectangular openings in the roof. Sunlight beaming through the openings filled the pool giving the white marble floored room its aquatic blue as the fresh air mixes well with the cool water.

         “You’re welcome, by the way,” Debra calmy says resting her eyes as her tail comfortably splashes in the water.

         “Were just even,” Drake sats as he folds his arms. “I’m still your prisoner, you know,”

         Debra simply shrugs enjoying the comfort of the pool splashing against her red scales.

         “Man, it never ends,” Drake sighs,

         “What do you mean?”

         “I never had moments like this in my life growing up. I was always running from something or someone. I had to fight a lot without even understanding why. I had to endure pain, hunger, death… loneliness,”

         Debra opens her eyes as she somberly looks away, somewhat shameful.

         “At night, I would stare into the sky wishing I was a shining star, because that’s all they need to do…be still and shine. Only to find that they disappear when day breaks.” Drake takes a deep breath as his eyes soak with tears. “I…I wonder if everything I’ve been through was ever worth it. Will I ever see the day where the scars, the tears, the loss…would make sense. Will I even live long enough to get it? My teacher taught me how to fight, how to read and many other things. But she never was able to tell me why. She would try…but,” Drake wipes his face from the tears rolling down his face. “It was either ‘you’ll understand one day’ or just silence. When she was taken from me, I felt…lost. What she taught me managed to keep me alive, but I was never really prepared for what came after. Having to find pieces of yourself while fighting, running…almost dying. It’s terrifying.”

         Drake sits up in the water only to see Debra snoring with her head on her forearms.

         “Well, at least she’s quiet,” Drake sighs, splashing the water as he climbs out of the pool. He snatches a folded towel from the trey dries off and places his soggy clothes back on.

         “Need to find a way out of here,” he mumbles staring at the large opened door. However, he frowns when he noticed a translucent distortion standing in front of the door that looked like hundreds of mirrors reflecting off of themselves.

         “What’s happening here?” Drake reaches up at a strange translucent shape and he touches the smooth surface. Then, from the point of Drake’s finger the distortion unveils, revealing a large silver scaled dragon with a long neck connecting to a massive with six wings folded at its back. Its chest has mirror like plating that sits in rows and its five colorful eyes glows as a deep growl shakes the water.

         Hairs standing on the back of his neck, Drake silently steps back as it stands on its hind legs and sneezes expelling an long pale object that hits the floor and twirls to Drake’s feet. Drake looks down and sees the long bone the size of a giant sword covered in ooze. At first, the large dragon pays Drake no mind as its head looks around the room and fixes it five eyes on the sleeping dragon in the pool. Drake sees the Debra sleeping as well and his eyes widen in horror. Eyes bouncing between the two dragons, he tries to wake her.

         “Debra,” he shouts but whispers as the silver dragon stomps towards Debra with its claw pounding into the water.

         “Debra, wake up,” he shout-whispers again not wanting to attract the behemoth’s attention. Yet, Debra’s draconic body rose and sank in peaceful slumber.

         Drake smacks his teeth and looks around for something he could use. He fixates on the silver trey near the pool, grabs it and flings it like a saucer towards Debra’s face. The trey pongs against Debra’s closed eye causing her to jerk her head.

         “For heaven’s sake,” she opens her eyes, rousing from her slumber, “Haven’t you ever heard of beauty sleep…”

         The silver dragon unleashes a loud merciless roar that forces Drake to cover his ears while Debra’s neck pulls back in utter shock. Afterwards, Debra freezes in fear as the silver dragon stands on all fours and circle the red dragon sniffing the air around her. It pokes it nose into Debra side and she shifts away forcing her on her feet. The red dragon whimpers while her dragon legs tremble in fear. The silver dragon towered over the red dragon as it marched around her looking at her scaly body. She gazes at Drake and sees him standing nervously gazing between her and the nearby exit leading into the hallway.

         Please don’t leave me! Debra pleads with her as she shakes her head.

         What do you expect me to do? Drake expresses with open arms.

         She pleads with him even more with her eyes as she silently shakes her head. Then the behemoth raises its claw and presses it on Debra’s scaley back pinning her in place. Debra whimpers in fear as she desperately pleads with Drake.

         “Shoot!” he spitefully stomps realizing he has to do something quick.

         “See, this is what I’m talking about,” He darts across the pool room for the bucket. “Every time I go somewhere, I’m expected to put myself in harm’s way for people I barely know.” He scoops water into the bucket. “And what I do? Help them, cause for some reason, I can’t say no.” He stands at the edge of the pool and stares at the silver dragon. “Its going to get me killed one day.”

         “HEY,” he shouts as he cocks back and hurls the bucket full of water at the behemoth’s face. The bucket bounces off of the behemoth’s face and the water splashes on the red eye causing it to sizzle as steam burst from its face. The dragon lifts its claw from Debra’s back as it jerks its head away in supposed pain. It shakes its head and uses its claw to rub the liquid from its face and halts when he see’s Drake gazing up at him while slowly backing towards the door.

         It pulls its head back, sucking it vast amounts of air through its nostrils as its chest expands and releases a powerful roar tearing chunks of marble from the floor. Drake’s muscles tighten as he’s lifted off his feet and flies backward into the hallway where he crashes, with chunks of marble smacks his torso. He quickly works to his feet and breaks off into a sprint as the large sized dragon burst through entrance shattering the stone side post and slides across the smooth floor. Hitting the wall, the dragon gallops after Drake bursting through pillars as it roars in rage. Drake’s huffs heavily as his feet beat against the marble floor, running with all of his might. Large cylinder debris soars over his head and shatters on the floor as dust covers the charging dragon as it rampages through the hallway like a tsunami. Sweat pouring down his face, Drake vaults over the pillar, slides on his side as he turns at the corner of the hallway and continue his sprint while the All Dragon simply burst through the corner of the hallway in hot pursuit.

         Don’t look back, don’t look back, don’t look back. Drake thinks blowing huffs of breath through his mouth.
Drake looks back to see a dust storm of rage swallowing the entire hallway as the monster roared after him.
“Shoot,” his eyes widen in shock as he kicks his stride into an unmanageable pace. Feet aching, lungs burning, stomach cramping, everything in him is pushed beyond its limits as he desperately tries to outrun the behemoth. However, his sprint couldn’t last as she stops at a dead end with a long red tapestry of a snake dragon hanging on the wall.

         Huffing, Drake slowly turns around and stares at the Tsunami of dust and debris roar towards him as five eyes glowed behind the dust cloud. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Drake steps back as the All dragon’s head emerges from the cloud with its five eyes glimmering wildly. It opens its mouth and rays of light gathers into a singular point in front its gaping maw as it shatters pillars while it rages towards Drake.

         “I guess this is it,” Drake clenches his eyes close and turns his head away, bracing for the worst.
However, feet tap the floor as a figure rush from the shadows wearing a black hooded cloak flapping in the wind, grabs Drake’s arm and pulls him along towards the wall. The two passes through the wall as it ripples like water just moments before the behemoth roars pass and crashes through the end of the hallway and flies off into the sky, as dust escapes outside from the new opening.

         Tripping over a stone, Drake collapses face first onto the floor and remains there as he huffs in exhaustion. Standing within a hallway perfectly carved through the wall, the hooded figure steps over Drake, towards the wooden wall they just entered. Raising his finger, the figure draws a line through WATERVEIL and the verse vanished causing the wall to turn solid.

         “There,” the boyish voice sighs.

         Drake pushes himself from the ground and feels around for the wall amidst the darkness. Then a dull light shines from the tip of the hooded figure illuminating the cleanly dug out hallway. Looking up, Drake rises to his feet and dusts himself.

         “You ok, Drake?” the young man removes his hood revealing his blonde hair, blue eyes and round face.

         “CODY!” Drake shouts elatedly firmly tapping the tengu’s shoulder.

         “Shhhh,” Cody motions with his finger. “These halls are not sound proof you know,”

         Drake looks around the hall and nods in agreement.

         “How did you survive, I thought you were dead.” Drake whispers.

         “Avians who’ve lost their eagles in previous battles dug out tunnels in the dragon’s castle to hide. Since they’re big, they never notice us living under their noses.”

         Drake eyes widen in elation.

         “That’s genius I never would’ve thought of that.”

         “We use verses to cover our tracks.”

         “Does that mean there’s more of you?” Drake asks with an raised eyebrow.

         “Follow me,” Cody flips the hood back over his head.

         With a dull light shinning from his raised finger he walks deeper into the hallway as Drake follows. Feet crunching the small rocks, Drake runs his fingers along the rough wall, perplexed by the perfect rectangular shape carved within the concrete walls.

         “How’d you manage to survive?” Drake whispers as he pats the dust from his damp tunic.

         Cody continues into the tunnel as the light from his finger casts an orange glow on the interior.

         “When after the All Dragon appeared, our eagle was killed in the ensuing chaos and we landed on Alternean ground. You were unconscious at the time and I was trying to pull you to safety, but a red dragon appeared an took you away while I hid in fear.”

         Cody stops and lowers his head in shame.

         “I…left you behind because I was…a coward.”

         “Don’t beat yourself over it man,” Drake taps Cody on the shoulder. “You did what you had to do under the circumstances. What matters is that you survived and you saved my butt again.”

         Cody nods his head as continues down the hallway.

         “I couldn’t fly back without my eagle, So I snuck into this castle to find some food and that’s how I met the others.”

         “You mean there were avians here this whole time?” Drake raises an eyebrow.

         “I was surprised too,” Cody reaches over and scratches his shoulder. “The Avians here have been here for years.

         They’ve even crafted a small village within the walls of the castle.”

         “Why haven’t they tried to go back to their own home town?”

         Cody halts as he turns to look at Drake with a worried look on his face.

         “You’ll…have to see for yourself.” Cody sighs as he walks on ahead.

         The two stop at a dead end and Cody dips his hand into the wall itself causing it to ripple before stepping through the wall. Drake reaches and dips his hand into the wall, feeling a cool sensation overtake his limb, similar to what one feels when dipping his hand into a pond. He steps through the rippling wall and exits into an expansive courtyard. Winds lightly howl as water trickles out of a fountain, nearly as tall as a dragon and into a large pool of water. Drake gawks at the towering walls of the castle as gusting winds carries scores of flower pedals through the air. The shining sun sits directly above the area as its bright rays made the fountain water sparkle. The warmth of the sun and the freshness of the flowers within the garden nearly puts Drake in a trance as he gazes up at the sparkling water fountain.

         “Hey,” Cody whispers as he yanks Drake’s arm, pulling him out from his trance and guides him towards the north end of the courtyard where the garden rests. The flowers in the garden stood as tall as a normal trees as colorful petals litter the soft dirt. Walking through the flower forest, a sense of ease wash over Drake as the rich floral aroma fills his nose. They step over lush green vines and push aside hanging flower petals until they reached the wall. Just as before, the two of them pass through a hidden entrance and enter a large hollowed out room with a small town inside. Made from stone, the buildings are fused to the floor as if it was hollowed out from the wall with rays of light peering through rows of windows from the courtyard. Crackling torches hang on the walls of the opposite side of the room balancing out the light as a stone burning furnace sat at the back of the room with its smoke ebbing out of the nearby window.

         There’s a whole town carved inside of a dragon’s castle. Drake thinks watching feathered harpies and tengus carry provisions from one home to another. What’ll they think of next.

         “The village is called Unity,” Cody says crassly removing his hood.

         Drake noticed the contempt in Cody’s voice and looks to see him glowering at the group below.

         “C’mon,” Cody walks down a short flight of stairs. “You need to speak with the chief.”

         Drake walks beside Cody towards the center of the village where chattering people carrying baskets of bread, fruit, cloths, and weapons in and out of the village. However, Drake freezes when he spots a Alternean guard in her humanoid form covered in yellow scales, with leathery wings on her back happily clasping the arm of a green feathered Tengu while they walked together, giggling and chatting.

         “What’s going on?” Drake softly speaks a he watches the two walks past him with the Tengu’s arm wrapped around the back of the female dragon’s hips.

         “Weren’t yall was at war just the other day?”

         “It’s part of the reason why they haven’t left.” Cody scowls as he folds his arms. “Why they won’t help me get back home.”

         Drake watches as the Avian and the Altenean face each other and share a kiss before the yellow scaled and cream skinned woman waved goodbye to the brown skinned tengu before walking away.

         They just had a huge battle the other day. Drake scratches his head in confusion.

         “Hey handsome,” a blue scaled dragoness sneaks behind Cody and flirtatiously wraps her arms around his neck. Cody’s eyes widen in shock as her slick blonde hair flows over his shoulder as she gently kisses him on the cheek.

         “Whoah,” Cody screams kicking his feet and flaying his arms as his panicked face turns beat red. “W..What are you doing?”

         The woman pulls the young tengu’s face into her bosom and strokes his head.

         “I saw you were all alone. So I wanted to spend a little time with you.” Using her finger, she gently lifts his head upward where he could her brown eyes through her lush blond hair. Her lush pink lips and genuine smile nearly captivates the young man, leaving him flustered and speechless.

         She’s got him. Drake smiles as he folds his arms while watching Cody struggle to come up with words to say.

         “I..I..I’m not alone,” Cody struggles to fight the temptress’s charm “I’m with someone.”

         “Oh,” she pretends a shocked tone. “And who might that person be?”

         Cody points in Drake’s direction and Drake looks away, whistling, trying not to draw attention to himself.

         “C,mon Drake,” Cody shouts. “You gotta help me here,”

         “Sorry man,” Drake chuckles holding up his palms. “I can’t help you with that. She seems like a nice woman,”

         “Are you alone too,” The blue scaled blonde asks Drake while pulling Cody closer into her bosom.

         “I’m totally fine by myself.” Drake dismissively waves.

         “Don’t be silly,” she the woman says placing a firm hand on her hip. “Habitants of Endina weren’t born to be alone. Its always nice to be able to share one’s feelings with someone.”

         “I don’t really get what you’re saying,” Drake chuckles as he scratches his head.

         The woman smiles while skeptically narrowing her eyes.

         “Well, you’re about to find out,” she says before someone tugs on Drake’s arm.

         He looks to see a dark-skinned beauty with long jet black hair that covered her eye. Purple earing dangling from her delicate lobes, she wraps her arms around his and rests her head on her shoulder.

         “You seem like a strong man,” running her finger from Drake’s neck to his chin. “Mind joining me for a night outside? The stars are plentiful and the flowers are fresh.”

         “Umm…,” Drake’s face flushes red as the purple scaled woman stands on her toes and gently kisses him on the cheek. His heart races as her alluring aroma pulls him deeper into her charm.

         “Hey, he’s new,” a green scaled woman rushes in an grabs Drake’s other arm. “Why don’t you spend time with me?”

         More women rush and gather around Drake pulling on him begging for his time. Cody loses himself in the blue scaled woman as she kisses him on the cheek while he reaches for Drake buried withing the crowd of women.

         “Stay strong, Drake,” he shouts.

         Later, the two sit on pillows on the floor of a hollowed-out sone room with a crackling fireplace on the far side. Cody sat on his ankles clenching his black cloak on his thighs, staring down in embarrassment with pink kiss marks all over his face. Drake rests his forearm on his knee and sighs and shakes his head. A middle aged Tengu wearing a rainbow cloak sat across from the two smoking a long, thin pipe, wearing red beaded necklace. His disheveled, spiky hair and cocky smile expressed his carefree attitude.

         “Sorry about the Alternean women.” He blows a puff of smoke and it vanishes. “They’re a bit frisky after the plague hit their people.”

         “I can see that,” Drake wipes the various colors of lipstick from his face with a white handkerchief. “They nearly pulled me apart back there.”

         “Looks like Devinane took a liking to ya, young Cody.” He says tapping the ashes from his pipe.

         He stuffs it back with green minty herbs before lighting it in the crackling fireplace behind him.

         “She’s a bit picky ya? Been trying to pair that one up for months now.”

         Cody’s face turns red in embarrassment as he clenches his cloak on his knees.

         “They don’t seem all that picky. They were savages out there,” Drake tosses the handkerchief onto the trey resting between the two.

         “Don’t be too hard on them young Drake.” The tengu takes another puff. “Besides, dragons rarely fight over a lover unless they notice something special about you.”

         “Well, tell them to slow down.” Drake shakes his head. “There’s nothing special about me.”

         “Why are you working for the Alterneans?” Drake crosses his legs and folds his arms.

         “I wouldn’t call it work, ya?” The tengu stares at the ceiling blowing another puff of smoke. More like…peacekeeping.”

         “Peacekeeping?” Drake face twists in confusion.

         “But, before we continue this conversation allow me to introduce myself, ya?” He slaps his chest. “I am Devan, Chief of this hollowed out town of Unity. Been here since ever since the first war helping the women here find new love.”

         “Whats the point in helping the women here?” Drake asks shrugging his shoulders.“I mean…were talking about bitter enemies who want to see each other dead.”

         Devan taps his knee as smoke ebbed from the opening of the long pipe.

         “Drake my boy, what happens to the women when they are robbed of their men?”

         Drake shrugs, waiting for an answer.

         “They lose their spirits. No hope, no joy, no pleasure or pain to experience. Since I’ve arrived, the woman were devastated losing their fathers, sons and lovers to the plague. So, using the verses at my disposal, I carved out this little haven for them.”

         “Why though,” Cody slaps his thighs and rises to his knees “They burn our villages, terrorize our children, kill our innocents…why lift their spirits? Why can’t you just let them die! This is treachery!”

         Davan holds out his hand, silencing Cody from his rant and he drops back on his heels.

         “Calm down lad,” he sighs as he lowers his arm. The man places the pipe on the floor as he stands and stares at the orange flames dancing withing the fire place. “I shared your zeal…once. In my first battle, I watched my friends die one by one. The very people I grown up with…gone in the blink of an eye. When my eagle was shot from the skies I landed here and hid, watching and waiting for a chance to avenge my people. I found a poisonus vine on the outer walls of the castle and decided to use it as a poison,” He stares at the ceiling recalling past events. Looking back, I wasn’t sure if the poison even affected the dragons...but it didn’t matter to me. I was consumed with rage, nothing was going to stop me, even if it meant dying. I tried to poison their food, but I was discovered before I could complete the deed and was immediately captured.”

         Drake’s eyes widen in shock while sitting on his pillow.

         “You were the one they caught trying to poison their food…Debra told me about you. I thought they executed you?”

         “That would’ve been the case, but the two female guards faked the execution and spared me. They hid me…” Davan lowers his head in shame. “Even gave me food and drink. In fact, they hid a couple of Avians when they were stranded here. They told me they didn’t want to see any more people dying, as they were already seeing the plague decimate their people. I didn’t trust them at first, but hearing the agonizing screams of their loved ones made me think otherwise. After a month or so hanging here, I noticed the women…disheartened after it was reported to them that Queen Raina died on Salatia along with her young sons.”

         No, they were murdered by Radius. Drake thought but he held his thoughts and listened.

         “Without any more males,” Davan continues clasping his hands behind his back in front of the fireplace, “The women knew that they would likely die without the possibility of experiencing love. So, some set off to find it in foreign lands while others accepted their fate and stayed in support of their kingdom. Seeing that these lovely ladies were alone, I enlisted the aid of Menia, the head of the dragon guard and she shared verses with me to carve out this little village.”

         “Ever since,” Davan continues as he turns around, sits cross-legged on his colorful rug, picks up his pipe and smokes, “We saw a different side to dragons, ya. They wanted the same things we wanted. Peace, love, unity…the one thing that everyone wants but eludes us so.”

         “But there had to have been some tension. I mean…” Drake shrugs while waving his hand, “Both of you had been fighting all this time.”

         “That’s the strangest of all things, young Drake.” Davan answers, pointing his pipe at they young swordsman. “Yes, while there were moments of tension between us, all it took was a talk between us to understand our differences, ya. As you may have notice already, the dragons are a feared race, capable of much destruction and power. Thus, they remain in constant infamy…only seen as creatures of havoc and chaos fit to be put down for the greater good. This…image drives them in a corner, forcing them to be the very thing everyone fears them to be to protect themselves.”

         “But isn’t that what they are?” Cody states casting an accusatory glance at Davan. “They attacked first…remember?”

         “Cody, my boy you have much to learn. All you remember is the pain inflicted upon you and our people. But…understand,” he stabs his pipe at Cody as he blows a puff of smoke in the air. “We have been a greater threat to them than they are to us.”

         “What?” Cody frowns.

         “Tell me Cody, what made us strike them in the first place?”

         Cody shuffles uncomfortably with his eyes shifting to his left, recalling the history of the war.

         “The plague…,” he remembers “The disease that took some of our people’s feathers away. The king said the dragons were behind it, so we attacked.”

         “Think young one.” Davan says tapping his finger on his temple. “Do you believe that the proud and powerful dragons would stoop low to resort to sneaky underhanded measures to eliminate their enemy?”

         Cody eyes shifts left again, struggling to find an answer.

         “I’m not saying the dragons is innocent, young Cody” Davan throws his hands in the air. “But if they wanted to strike from the start, wouldn’t they would’ve used their superior strength and destruction to wipe us out?”
Cody and Drake sat quiet pondering Davan’s question often staring at each other while feet taps are heard from passing villagers.

         “Th…there’s no way to tell if they weren’t responsible.” Cody hesitantly says. “They just tried building a wall to destroy us, so I’m sure they’re just as capable.”

         “Of course they are capable of building things.” Davan responds quickly opening his arms displaying the house. “They help build this very building, ya? But do you think they know the avian body well enough to create a disease that specifically manipulate their feathers?”

         “Hold on,” Drake open’s his palm. “You’re… making it sound like that the disease was made by an avian.”

         “I didn’t want to jump to conclusions,” Davan shakes his head. “But it makes sense when I think about it.”

         “THAT’S NOT TRUE,” Cody slaps his thighs. “Why would anyone do something like that…to our own people?!”

         “Its not just the avians,” Davan says, “Its…” he relents as looks around, listening a the people walking around his house, suspicious of anyone hearing. He stands to his feet and looks at Cody and Drake sitting on their pillows with a stern look on his face. “Follow me,”

         The two rise and follow Davan as he brushes aside a burgundy sheet blocking the door. Exiting they walk towards another burrowed out entrance from the town and entered the hallway where Avians and Alterneans frequent. Cody and Drake silently walk behind Davian in hallway lit by lamps above, passing couples holding hands, winged Avians carrying food supplies and Alternean women flirtingly waving at Drake and Cody. They turn at a T section leading to a lit hallway were no one visited.

         “Doesn’t this place lead to a dead end?” Cody asks looking up at Davan.

         However, the pipe smoking Tengu didn’t answer and continued down the hall. As they continued further into the hall, they turn at another corner that lead to the dead end with a torch propped up on the wall. The tengu, grabbed the crackling torch and holds it high near the wall.

         Where is he taking us? Drake thinks as he watches Davan scribble ‘MOVE’ on the wall in glistening white letters. Stone scrapping against stone the wall slides open revealing another darkened hallway.

         “Stay close,” Davan says as he walks further into the hallway. Once they pass the threshold, Davan knocks on the stone twice and the stone slides back over the exit. Path darkened; the two young men follow close as the torch was the only source of light.

         “After some time had passed, I wanted to create multiple rooms just in case the wrong person discovered us. We could simply pack up and retreat to another location if need be. When digging out this hallway I discovered something…disturbing.”

         The tengu stops at the middle of the hallway and turns around.

         “Tell me, young Drake, what do you know of light verses?”

         “Verses that manipulate physical form.” Drake says, suspiciously eying the tengu wondering where this was leading. “It supposed to be the most common of all the verses.”

         “Just because light verses are common doesn’t mean there arnt any rare and powerful ones out there, ya?”
“How powerful are we talking about?” Drake asks.

         “Ones that can manipulate space.” Davan says.

         A wave of confusion washes over Drake and Cody as they stare at Davan.

         “Space?” Drake asks scratching his head.

         “Yes,” Devan nods. “Its hard to explain but there’s a particular verse that can make a small space seem big and a big space seem small.”

         Drake and Cody just stare confusingly at Davan unable to process what he said.
Davan sighs as he shakes his head.

         “Think of it as an infinite storage space that you can hide between the walls, ya…let me show you.”

         Davan places a finger on the center wall and walks. While drawing a glowing white line hallway into his stride, about a room’s length, his finger scribbles ‘WINDOW’ and steps back to watch the light verse take effect. Then rays of light shines from the glowing line as it opens up to a wavy window. Cody and Drake steps back in awe as the wavy wind solidify with the white lines shining at the edges. Inside, they see a grey room with, ‘MINOREXPANSE,” floating near the roof in white letters.

         “Minor expanse?” Drake gawks at the verse through the window. “What does it do again?”

         “The room you’re looking into is as tiny as a pebble yet as big as this island.” Davan says staring in awe. “Like another world, ya? I happened across it by accident when my verses collided with its power while drilling through this area.”

         “Who put it there?” Cody turns his head up at Davan

         “Look below,” the tengu points.

         Drake and Cody steps forward near the erected window and peers down to see scores of dragons piled across the room motionless with sufficient space in between them. Their large darkened scales bereft of the original color is a clear a sign of a dragon’s death but none of them decayed. Whitened eyes and a gapped maw, their faces were twisted in shock as if they died in extreme agony.

         Drake swallows a lump in his throat as his heart raced and his arm tremble in anxiety. He quickly clasps his arm to hold it still as he watched the horror beneath. Cody stares in disbelief disturbed at the seemingly endless piles of dead dragons.

         “Is…that what I think it is?” Drake asks.

         “Yes,” the village chief nods, “Every male dragon that died of the plague is currently being held here.”

         “Th….,” Cody wipes nervous sweat from his brow. “They could just be keeping them here to keep the disease from spreading.”

         “I wish it were true, Cody my boy. But all the females told us that the dead were taken to Mahogany’s lab for testing and then incinerated by the fire.”

         “Mahogany?!” Drake whips his head towards the chief in shock and the chief simply nods in response.

         “This room… is her doing.”

         Drake looks back down at the piles scattered across the room.

         What could she possibly be doing with the bodies?

         Among one of the piles, Drake notices something. An open dragon claw sticking out from a pile of corpses. He squats to get a better look, while narrowing his eyes.

         “Did yall see that?” Drake points at a pile nearby.

         “See what?” Cody walks near Drake and squats with his arms over his knees.

         “There…I thought I saw something.”

         Cody and Davan quietly watch the pile not picking up anything out of the ordinary. A few moments pass and Drake stands to his feet.

         “Must be seeing things,” Drake sighs shaking his head.

         Cody screams and collapses onto his backside and shuffles away until he hits the wall with his legs trembling in fear.

         “L…Look,” Cody whimpers, while he shakily points at the window.

         Drake looks down again and the opened three fingered claw protruding out from the pile of corpses closes.
Drake and Davan gasps horror, as something stirs beneath the pile. The claw clasps down on the head of another dragon corpses and, like a swimmer rising from water, a dragon pulls emerges from the pile. Its scales were a darkened blue with patches of bleached scales all over its face and torso. Limp corpses roll down the mound of carcasses as the reanimated creature pulls its final leg from the pile. Eyes blackened by dark power, thick, black mist oozed from its nostrils and mouth and spreads across the floor. Its head snaps upward looking at Drake and Davan through the mirror. Black veins pulsate on its face as it snarls at the Group through the window.

         “It can see us?” Drake says snapping his head between the window and Davan.

         “We need to leave,” Davan says snapping his fingers.

         The undead dragon opens its wings, leaps into the air and charges at the window in roaring rage just before the bright line above and beneath the window snaps close, leaving the three men in shocked silence. Cody sat frozen in fear as his trembling knees nearly knock on each other. Drake just stood there eyes widen in shock staring at the wall.

         “Curses,” Davan slams his fist the wall. “That’s why the All dragon attacked the castle.”
“We need to do something or those things are going to be all over the islands.” Drake turns to Davan while pointing back to the wall.

         “W..what…happened to them?” Cody sits against the wall, knees still trembling.

         “Its probably the disease…,” Davan rests his head on his arm leaning against the wall. “Or something else entirely…I’m not sure.”

         “Whatever happened,” Drake folds his arms, “They don’t look all that friendly to any thing that wants to live.”

         “What are we gonna do?,” Cody looks up at the puzzled village chief.

         A silence settles, within the hallway as Drake waited for an answer.

         “I am a monsieur of love,” Davan repeatedly beat his head on his forearm. “Not a expert on crisis.” He turns around with his sandals scrapping the gravel. “Drake, the reason why I decided to share all of this to you, is because that King Radius believes that you’re the key to their salvation. Simply hearing about you from young Cody here has led me to believe the same.”

         Davan walks up to Drake and places a supportive hand on his shoulder.

         “If theres anything you can do…please help us. I’m willing to listen to anything you have to say.”
Drake turns his head away, heavy in thought as he taps his finger on his arm with his eyes shifting all over the place.

         “You said the guard helped you before?” Drake asks looking at Davan.

         “Yes,…she and I are…husband and wife.”

         “Ok,” Drake sighs lowering his arms to his side. “You’re going to have to tell her what’s been happening. Try and find a way off the island or if you can’t…hide from them.”

         “Cody,” Drake calls out calmly.

          “Yeah?” The young white feathered tengu stands to his feet, still shaken from what he saw.

         “Is there some type of way to get in contact with the Whistle top forest?”

         Cody reaches into his bosom and pulls out a blue feather and holds it out for Drake to see.

         “It still works, but we’re too far away.”

         Drake smacks his teeth as he taps his feet on the floor.

         I probably lost mine when they found me. Drake fingers his chin pensively.

         “Hold on to it.” Drake says “We’re going to need to be ready to warn them if need be. How good are you with your verses?”

         “I have about twelve of them,” Cody shoves the feather back in his collar. “Mostly wind verses and a few light verses.”

         “I’m going to confront Mahogany about what we just saw and I’m going to need your help. My verses has been silenced, so I won’t be able to use them but I’ll use what I can to hold out against her. While she’s distracted, I want you sneak inside and figure out what she’s planning. There’s bound to be some clues lying around.”

         “You can count on me,” Cody resolutely slaps his chest.

         “Right,” Drake sighs. “Its not much, but it’s a plan. Just don’t do anything reckless and if things get too hot, just run. I don’t want anyone hurt on my account.

         “We’re with you my friend,” Davan taps Drake shoulders. Cody nods resolutely, confident of Drake’s plan.

         “I’ll turn myself into royal guards, I’m sure they’re searching for me.”