Chapter 39

Into the Caves of the Dragon Lord

With the first rays of sunlight that peeked over the eastern mountains, the prince’s soldiers led the party to the docks, where a dozen or so longboats were moored. Each boat carried ten armed soldiers plus a captain. Stewards at the docks returned the party’s weapons and equipment. The party members were then led into the long boats, each member to a different boat. Rahl was led onboard the prince’s personal craft. Naturally, his was fancier than the others.

Connie was led into a boat with a group of eleven soldiers. They placed her at the fore of the boat with soldiers at the oars. The boat was narrow and flat-bottomed with a high keel and a raised stern. The boat was a heavy-duty gondola similar to those she rode in each time she visited Venice.

Once the soldiers and party members were seated in the boats, they waited passively for the prince to arrive.

Feeling awkward sitting in the boat with a bunch of strangers, Connie struck up a conversation with the closest man, a clean-shaven soldier in his early twenties.

“So really, how many warriors has the prince sent to battle the dragon?”

“Hundreds, that I remember,” he said, “including my oldest brother.”

“I will wager you hate that dragon, do you not?”

“Not as much as I hate the prince,” the young soldier replied.

This answer took Connie by surprise. “Is that so?”

An older soldier sitting next to the younger one broke in. “The dragon was once a peaceful being. The prince has made it our enemy. Now the dragon breathes fire on our villages in retribution each time we send more soldiers into its lair.”

The younger soldier continued. “All this over a woman. It isn’t worth it. I say if the dragon wants her so badly, it can have her.”

Connie shook her head. The situation with the dragon and the princess perplexed her. “There is something I don’t understand here. Why would a dragon want a human woman? I mean, aside from the obvious anatomical differences, what could the dragon possibly want of her?”

“A memorable meal,” the second soldier answered. “He probably ate the princess a few years ago. I think she’s long dead, and this is a fool’s quest.”

“No, she is not dead,” the younger soldier said. “Some say they have seen her sauntering around the countryside in secluded places, picking flowers, bathing in the waters of the marsh to the northwest. They say she rides on the back of the dragon through the sky on warm nights when both moons are fully present.”

“Nonsense!” the older soldier dismissed.

“It is not!”

“Then who saw her do these things?”

“I didn’t say anyone in particular saw her, but someone did; otherwise, there would not be rumor.”

“Bah, Phileon. A rumor is just that. It’s an old wives tale. No one has seen the princess in the two years since he swooped down, plucked her from the ground, and carried her away.”

Connie stroked the bridge of her nose as she ruminated over the conflicting stories. The whole thing did not make sense. She decided to play the devil’s advocate to the younger soldier to garner more information. “Let’s say the princess was held prisoner by the dragon. Why would she be out picking flowers in some meadow when she could use the opportunity to escape?”

“I’ll tell you why,” volunteered a mustached soldier who sat behind the other two. “The princess stays with the dragon of her own free will.”

“Why would she do this?” Connie asked.

He looked up at Connie with steely-eyed seriousness. “With all due respect, lady, theirs is a twisted relationship. The princess stays with the dragon because she has a heart of darkness.”

Now Connie had heard it all. The other soldiers broke out in laughter. Connie could not help but laugh along with them. Only the soldier who made the statement did not laugh. He shot the three of them a doleful look.

“I’m wondering why the princess would prefer to live in a dank cave with a giant lizard instead of the resplendent palace with servants at your every beck and call,” Connie said with a smile still on her lips. “The prince may not be the best-looking gentleman in the land, and he does overdress a bit, but a woman could do worse. Besides, he’s rich.”

“Ah! But the beast treats her well,” the mustached soldier said. “Those soldiers who have ventured deep into the labyrinthine cave and survived told of rooms filled with iridium, gemstones, and luxurious furniture.”

This comment only deepened Connie’s curiosity. She had more questions. At that moment, the helmsman barked out an order, “The prince has arrived! All hands ready at the oars!”

Connie looked to the dock, just the fully armored prince clanked by them on the dock. Just as she suspected, the prince was pompously overdressed, even in armor. He wore a breastplate engraved with intricate, gaudy designs. Algae-colored chain mail covered most other exposed parts of this body. His helmet was engraved in similar fashion to the breastplate. A ridiculously large orange plume jutted from the top. Twin Squires carried his shield so shiny that it gloriously reflected the light of the sun. The two-handed broad sword was so large that Connie thought that even Rahl might have a difficult time handling it. Connie watched the prince board his brightly painted long boat, complete with a dainty canopy to keep the sun off of his fair skin. The light of the morning sun reflected harshly off his armor. Connie wished she had a pair of sunglasses.

“Where is Azamel?” Connie asked one of the soldiers after she did not spot him on any of the boats. She wanted to wish him farewell in case they did not return.

“The prince is angry with Azamel after he spoke against the prince’s quest last night. As punishment, the prince has made him remain behind to organize a feast to celebrate the return of the princess.

Poor Azamel, Connie thought, knowing Azamel meant well for the prince.

The boats shoved off moments later. Soon, they were out in the middle of the lake. Connie realized, at that point, how large the valley really was. She watched the men push the boat forward with each stroke of the oars. She felt awkward to be the only occupant of the small craft sitting idle while the men slaved against the oars.

“I feel kind of awkward,” she said to the closest soldier. “I feel as though I should be doing something.”

“You just sit tight,” the older soldier said.

“I wouldn’t want to be in your slippers right now,” another said.

“Why not?” Connie asked. “We have over a hundred men out here. We should have no problem taking down that oversized lizard.”

“We shall not be entering the caves with you.”

“Then what is the use of all of you coming along?”

“We are to see to it that you and your companions do not leave the dragon’s lair alive without the princess,” the mustached soldier said, his voice laced with regret.

“I suppose it’s a case of do or die.”

“Yes,” he said, “and you will probably die.”

They reached the western side of the lake after an hour of rowing. A dense marsh of reeds and weepy looking trees obscured the shoreline. The boat aligned into a single file and followed the prince’s boat through a serpentine passage through the marsh. Though it was a bright, sunny day, the marsh was dark, and the further they went into the marsh, the darker and gloomier it became. Strange, creepy sounds issued from creatures hidden within the dense foliage. The soldiers rowed lightly as if not to disturb the somber quietude of the marsh. Connie saw dozens of abandoned Syzthedian long boats tangled in the fronds and brambles. Some were partially sunken and rotting in the shallow water.

“This is the Oskella Marsh,” one of the soldiers said to Connie.

“So many boats,” she said, gawking at the large number of broken, abandoned boats.

“Those boats carried warriors to the dragon’s lair.”

“Yes, and they didn’t need them for a return trip back to Syzthedia,” another added mordantly.

Finally, they reached a sandy shore shaded with trees and shrubbery. They ran the boats ashore and disembarked. The party and phalanx of soldiers coalesced on the shore. From there, some of the soldiers escorted the party through a narrow, winding path through the marsh. Every so often, the flash of white bone or a corroded fragment of weapon or armor somewhere off the path caught her eye. The soldiers led the party down the path without speaking. Soon, the thick canopy of the marsh fell away to an expanse of blackened ground. This area was lit brightly by the sun. Here, in the stone wall of the mountain, was the opening of a cave. The cave looked artificial in its construction. It appeared to be the entrance of an ancient mine.

“This is one way to the dragon’s lair,” the prince said as he took the shield and great sword from his squires.

Snow lowered her staff to the opening. “Yes. The artifacts are there—somewhere.”

“There is a labyrinth of tunnels within the mountain,” the prince said as he removed a spindled parchment from a canister made of bone. “But I have the solution to the maze.” He grinned to himself. “Magic!” he called out to his spellcasters.

At that, three spellcasters surrounded the prince and cast multiple protections versus fire on his body in addition to the enchantments on his armor. To Connie’s dismay, the spellcasters used inefficient versions of protection spells that didn’t utilize the fire nodes full power. Connie looked to Snow. The sorceress had noticed this too. Connie was going to speak up about the matter but decided to withhold her opinion to avoid causing a scene with the prince’s personal spellcasters. Taking a cue, Connie cast fire protection spells on the party, and finally, on herself.

They entered the cave. Rahl and the prince stood in the front, followed by two of the prince’s heavily armored personal bodyguards. The rest of the garrison, who had come along on the boats, waited at the entrance of the cave with their weapons ready.

For the bright sunlight outside, the cave was dank and dark. The prince’s sword had a Light enchantment. It lit their way through the narrow passage with the brightness of a good propane lantern. Once they were inside the cave away from the daylight, Connie made her way to the front of the party, where the prince led the way, map in hand.

“Prince Georges!” Connie called.

The prince halted and turned around. “Yes?”

“Sire, I would like to make mention of the fire protection enchantments that were cast on you by your royal spellcasters. The spells are not very good. They are weak.”

“What do you mean they are weak?"

“I am only an apprentice, but I know enough of the spells they can cast. They will not give you protection against the breath of the dragon if he is as powerful as you say.”

The prince looked concerned. “So what do you suggest?”

“I suggest you allow me to cast another spell on you as added protection against the flames.”

The prince thought this over for a few seconds then gave Connie an impudent look. “My sorcerers are seasoned spellcasters. You are only an apprentice. Why should I heed your words?”

This was a logical question. Connie looked to her mentor for support. To her surprise, Snow only shrugged. Connie was on her own.

The prince turned away from Connie. “I am confident that my sorcerers have bestowed the protection I need for defense against the beast.”

“But it will only take a few seconds. I have a fire node for you.” She reached for one of the fire node cells she kept in pouches at her belt.

The prince spun around to face her. He stared at her for a moment, his face alight with anger. “You forget, apprentice—you are in my kingdom, and I am prince here. You will not question my authority. If I say that my spellcasters have done their job well, then that shall be enough for you. Do you insist on questioning me?”

At that, Connie heard the soldiers behind her unsheathe their weapons. Again, she looked to Snow for support. Snow raised her eyebrows at her but said nothing.

Rahl came to Connie’s rescue. “She means well, good prince. Though Connie is an apprentice, she is an excellent spellcaster. Perhaps you underestimate her.”

The prince shot Rahl a hard stare. “She very well may be, but she lacks respect for authority.”

“I apologize, good prince,” Connie said to defuse the situation. She bowed to him respectfully.

The prince stared at her a moment longer, then he relaxed his expression. “Your apology is accepted.” He turned around to the passage that beckoned them further into the bowels of the mountain. “Let us continue.”

They followed the prince through a maze of passages that seemed designed to confuse. As they stumbled behind the leaders in semi-darkness, Connie focused her eyes on the outlandish feather plume from the prince’s helmet. Its orange appeared as brown, and the top of it was threadbare and ragged from dragging along the rough ceiling of the cave. Connie heard Rahl ask the prince how he had acquired such an accurate map of the passages. The prince explained that the map was drawn from ancient records and amended by the accounts of numerous expeditions into the labyrinth. He stated that the map was drawn with the blood of his men.

At first, Connie tried to keep track of the turns they had made through the twisted passages. After twenty minutes of travel, she gave up and instead brought her attention back to the feather.

The passage opened into a huge, egg-shaped cavern. The cavern had a smooth, concave floor. A shallow pool of water rippled gently at its center. The sound of trickling water came from somewhere within the cavern. Scattered across the floor was a pile of bones, pieces of metal, and shreds of burned cloth. Connie noticed that many of the bones had char marks on them. Inside this room, Connie found and contacted an eight-power node of Water in the muddy little pool.

The prince picked up a Syzthedian helmet that still contained a skull. The skull fell out and broke on the floor of the cave with a brittle cracking sound. “This was one of my royal soldiers,” he said, his voice laced with regret.

The prince went on a rant about how the beast would pay for his crimes against the Syzthedian people. While he did this, Connie took a moment to survey the cavern. Though the light was poor, she saw numerous black smudges on its smooth walls. The dragon had been here.

She walked over to a charred area and wiped away a bit of soot with her fingers; the soot left her with black fingertips. She smelled the soot. It smelled of burned flesh and sulfur. She turned her attention to the cavern itself. It was definitely of artificial construction, possibly an intermediary storage area of some sort—a place to temporarily store the product of deeper levels of the mine until it could be brought to the surface.

Connie looked for passages that connected to the cavern. She found no fewer than five. None of these passages were large enough for a creature any larger than a mule to pass through. This perplexed her. If the dragon had caused the char marks on the walls, then how could it have entered or left the cavern? She deduced that the dragon had a body the shape of a giant snake. But if the way she’d heard the dragon described was accurate, this could not be the case. Perhaps the size of the dragon was grossly overestimated, and it was actually quite small. But a beast of that sort would hardly strike the fear and awe into the hearts of the valley people as the dragon had. Finally, it was concluded that the dragon had access to some sort of spell that would enable it to move through the tight passages. Celestial spells existed that could temporarily shrink living organic material. This had to be the dragon’s modus operandi.

Connie told Snow and Theo about what she’d found. Both Snow and Theo agreed that magic was the reason. It was either that or someone had been casting enormous fire spells in the cavern.

Snow got out her staff and pointed it in the general direction of one of the passages. “The talisman is this way.”

The party led by the Prince and Rahl filed down the chosen passageway. After about ten more minutes of twisting passages, ahead they saw a blue light. “We must be close to the dragon’s lair,” the Prince said to Rahl in a hushed tone as he extinguished the Light enchantment on his sword. He stuffed the map into his belt and readied his shield.

They moved forward at a slower, stealthier pace. Here we go, Connie thought in apprehension. The passage extended another twenty paces. At this point, they found the source of the light as a glowing crystal set into a wrought-iron holder fastened to the stone wall. The light from the crystal was harsh with a blue-green hue. To Connie, looking at the crystal was like looking at a bare fluorescent bulb.

“A dragon that needs light to see?” Snow whispered to Connie.

“Is that unusual?”

“From what I’ve heard of dragons—yes, it is.”

The passage descended deeper into the mountain. Stairs were hewn into the stone floor of this passage. Crystal lights fixed to the wall at a periodic interval lit the way.

The stairs curved gradually to the right. As the party descended them, they heard the distant roar of a waterfall. The roar became louder with each step. The stairs descended into a gigantic cavern featuring the hourglass shape of joined stalagmites and stalactites. The light of dozens of crystals lit the cavern with an icy blue glow. Piled story-high heaps around the cavern like so much grain was a dazzling amount of jewels, gems, shiny iridium coins, and trinkets. The party—and even the prince—gasped at the enormous riches piled in the room. The room was a veritable treasure that could make the wealthiest king envious. There were two large openings and a smaller one that led from this chamber to other places. The sound of the waterfall came from the lit, human-sized passage on the left. More blue crystals lit one of the large caverns to the north. There was no sign of the dragon.

“We’re rich!” Maltokken sheathed his sword and started for the closest pile of treasure.

Theo, then Jalban grabbed him roughly by the arms to hold him back. “What do you think you are doing?”

“I—I’m going to look for the talisman!” Maltokken said.

Snow waved her staff at the piles as if it were a long-range metal detector. “The talisman is not in any of these piles. It lies straight ahead. Someplace over there.” She pointed the staff to the darkened adjoining chamber to the right. “It is very close.”

“What about the bracelet?” Connie asked.

“It is yet farther. We will go for the talisman first, as it is closer. Come. Let us go.” Snow stepped toward the passage with the staff outstretched.

“No,” the prince said. “We will locate the princess first. Then we will retrieve your trinket.”

Snow chaffed at this order. She turned to Rahl for concession. He nodded to Snow; his unspoken words told her they’d best listen to the young prince before proceeding with their own objective.

“So? Which way?” Rahl asked the prince.

He pointed to the smaller, human-sized passage. “That is the way. I sense she is there.”

They crossed the semi-smooth floor of the great cavern to the passage lit by blue gems. Maltokken and some of the prince’s bodyguards covetously eyed the piles of treasure out in the open that seemed there for the taking.

Beyond the narrow opening of the great cavern, more stairs led steeply downward. The passage leveled out and then opened up to a narrow, stone walkway that ran beneath a broad waterfall. The blue crystal light beyond the flowing sheet of water illuminated everything in a lovely azure.

The walkway curved around the waterfall. Here they found a large, metal door. The door appeared as sturdy as it was ancient.

Rahl pulled the handle. “It is locked,” he said above the roar of the waterfall.

“I can open it,” Connie said. She reached for the metal node at her belt. “A Shatter spell should do the trick.”

Rahl looked to the prince for approval. The prince nodded his affirmation.

“Very good,” Rahl said to Connie. “Cast your spell.”

Connie prepared the spell. She decided a six-power node would be enough to seriously damage the door. “Stand back,” she told the party. The party took their place on the walkway behind her. They drew their weapons and readied spells in preparation to challenge whatever awaited them behind the door.

Connie cast the Shatter spell. She felt the power of the six-power node flow through her body and into the door. She expected the old metal to shatter immediately. Instead, nothing happened. Nothing at all. She stared at the door dumbfounded.

“Well, we are waiting,” the prince said in a sarcastic tone.

Quickly, in an effort to save face, she recast the spell. She performed the casting slowly to be sure she got it right. Once again, the spell had no effect on the door. Connie frowned.

“Is something wrong?” Snow asked.

“You see? The spell didn’t work.”

“The door must hold a powerful Temper enchantment. Try to overcome it with a stronger node.”

Connie thought this made sense. She found another six-power node in her metal cell. Now, with the combined power of the two six-power nodes, she recast the Shatter spell at the door. She even used the long version of the spell to ensure success. For all her effort, the door stood there unchanged, impassive, mocking her.

“It’s still not working—even with thirty-six node power.”

“Let me try,” Snow said, stepping up to the front of the party. “I think I can remember a Shatter spell from my early days before Calicus.”

Connie gave Snow the nodes. Snow cast her version of a Shatter spell. The door remained unchanged. To make matters worse, one of Connie’s precious six-power nodes overheated and expired.

“Oopsie!” Snow said. “There goes a node.”

“Thanks, Snow!” Connie said, her voice full of sarcasm.

Snow handed the node cell back to Connie. “That’s why I hate elemental magic; nodes are such a limitation.”

“Why don’t you try casting a spell on the stone around the door?” Theo asked.

“Now that is a good idea,” Snow shot back at Theo. “Try that, Connie.”

Connie collected sixty-four power of crystal nodes. She cast the long version of a Stone Shatter spell on the stonework around the door. To her astonishment, nothing happened. She threw up her hands in vexation. “Is this entire place enchanted, or what?”

“Maybe we ought to search for another passage,” Snow said.

“No!” the prince said. “The princess is behind this door. I can sense her presence.”

“Then what do you recommend?”

“We have to find a way through that door.”

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

“If I could see through the door, I could teleport and open it from the other side.”

Connie shook her head. “From what I’ve seen already, I doubt my metal Transparency spell would work.”

Snow addressed the party. “Any ideas?”

The party returned her request with dumb looks. “There has got to be a way through that door,” Connie said, still haunted by the ineffectualness of her spells. She examined the door closely. She used her dagger to poke and pry around the metal rivets and bands that held it together. Almost by serendipity, she found a keyhole hidden behind a sliding plate. “Rahl, I need a magic key!”

“Great idea!” Theo said.

Rahl tossed her his ring of enchanted keys. She held each key in front of the keyhole as she had seen Rahl do at the cathedral gate in Roggentine. None of them transformed into a shape that would open the lock.

“No luck!” she said.

“There must be a magical shield on the door that keeps the magic keys from working,” Snow said. “Now I’m becoming worried.”

“Why is that?” Rahl asked.

“Whoever created these enchantments is a formidable spellcaster. I would not want to meet him or her in a dark alley.”

“I suggest we try to bash the door down,” the prince said.

Rahl walked up to the portal and did a quick assessment. He rapped on it a few times with his knuckle. “This door is at least three fingers’ width thick. There is not a chance we will be able to bash it down.”

“What shall we do then?” the prince moaned, looking distraught for the first time.

While the party discussed the situation among themselves, Connie was busy examining the lock. Picking locks was a basic part of her CIA training, and she learned her lessons well. She used to brag to MacGregor that there was never a lock she could not pick.

She cast a Light spell on the tip of her finger and held it up to the keyhole in order to get a good look at the lock mechanism. The mechanical lock inside the enchanted door was actually quite simple compared to those currently used on Earth. She thought the lock would be relatively easy to pick provided the magical enchantment of the door did not extend to the lock mechanism itself. “Snow, can I borrow your hairpins?”

Snow pulled out the two crochet needle-sized rods that held her hair in a bun. Her silvery blond hair tumbled over her shoulders. She handed her hairpins to Connie. “Here you go. I want them back.”

Connie stuck one of the rods in a crack and bent it to a 60-degree angle. Then she began tinkering with the innards of the lock with the hairpins. Moments later, there came a loud click followed by a grinding noise from someplace within the wall. “There. That should do it,” Connie said as she handed back the hairpins to Snow.

Rahl smiled at Connie, obviously impressed by her. “I didn’t know you could do that.”

Connie could not help but feel pleased by her performance. “Just another earthly skill I brought over.”

The party readied their weapons and spells. Rahl grasped the door’s handle and pulled. The door opened with a loud groan.

When he saw what lay beyond the portal, he stepped back in amazement. Beyond the door was a luxuriously decorated chamber. It looked like it belonged properly in the prince’s palace in Syzthedia, not deep within the base of a mountain. Rahl stepped down a small group of carpeted stairs to a highly polished floor inlaid with iridium and gold. Three arched, ornate, wood doorways, one in each wall, led from the room. Grand tapestries hung from the ceilings over the walls. A crystal chandelier of five crystals lit the room. These crystals radiated yellow light instead of cold blue. They bathed the room in a warm glow. The furniture, for all the fluffy pads, pillows, and cushions, was built strictly for comfort.

“What is this?” the prince asked.

“Your beloved princess lives in luxury,” Snow said. “It seems to me the dragon can provide most anything for her that you can.”

On hearing this, Connie could not resist drawing a comparison of the present situation to an old television game show she remembered from when she was a little girl. She whispered to Tristana, “We have here the prince as the kooky-dressed contestant. A princess lies behind one of these three doors. A dragon lies behind another. Behind another door is nothing at all. Shall it be door number one, door number two, or door number three? The host says he will give the contestant a quick two hundred Rezni if he does not choose a door. If I were the prince, I’d take the money and run.”

Tristana responded to Connie with a quizzical look.

Connie shook her head. “Oh, I knew you wouldn’t understand.”

Cautiously, Rahl pushed open the leftmost door. Beyond the door was a vast library filled with thousands of books. Gasps of wonder came from the party.

The party stepped inside to investigate. There was no sign of the princess here.

“Look at the size of this library!” Snow stated, her eyes aglow at the sight of the rows of shelves.

“I wonder if there are spell books in there,” Theo said.

“My thoughts exactly,” Snow added.

“Or book on lost herbal remedies,” Jalban stated.

“Bah! Reading is a waste of time.” He turned away from the room.

“Some of those books look ancient,” one of the bodyguards said.

Connie looked around for the prince’s reaction while the others ogled the library. She caught a glimpse of him furtively slipping inside the center door.

“The prince!” she shouted.

At once, the party turned around. She pointed.

“He entered the door!”

Rahl pulled back the curtain with the bodyguards close behind. There, the party saw the prince standing before the princess. The princess sat at the center of a large, round, white bed. A white veil surrounded the bed. All the furnishings in the room were quite feminine in design and all white, a symbol of purity. The princess herself was dipped in a seductive white lace.

“Sanja,” the prince said.

The princess, her dark hair bejeweled in diamonds and iridium, only stared at the prince as if he were an unwelcome stranger. “Georges?”

“Yes, it is I.”

“He said you would be coming, but I truly didn’t expect to see you,” she said with casual indifference.

“By he—I suppose you mean the beast.”

An enigmatic smile formed on the corners of the princess’s lips. “I understand why you would call him that.”

“Come now. The people of Syzthedia await you.”

“Who said I wanted to go?”

“Don’t you want your freedom from the dragon lord?”

The princess did not reply. She looked away from the young prince.

Bereft of a veil, Connie noticed the princess wore nothing at all beneath the flimsy lace.

“What do you think you are doing?” she shouted, struggling in the prince’s grasp.

“There is a banquet waiting for us. There will be a great wedding. You will be my bride.”

“I don’t want to be your bride!” she said.

“Then you prefer to be the dragon’s whore!”

The princess slapped him hard across his face.

Connie looked away from the scene. She was embarrassed for the prince. It was obvious she didn’t love him. She left the room and waited in the vestibule. One by one, the others in the group followed her lead.

Connie sat down on one of the love seats in the fabulously furnished adjoining chamber. She ran her hand over a plush, ornate cushion while trying to tune out the sordid drama playing out inside the next room. Rahl joined the others in the chamber. He sat next to Connie. He drew a long sigh, then leaned forward and cradled his face wearily in his hands. It seemed the emotional turmoil in the white room drained him.

“Azamel was right about the princess,” he said.

“In what way?”

“She does not share in his love.”

“Does love matter, Rahl?”

Rahl looked up at Connie. He gave her a wistful smile. “I wouldn’t have a woman as my queen if she did not love me. My kingdom would be worthless to me without the iridium of her heart.”

“That is a sweet thing to say.” Connie felt this sincerely. Whenever Rahl opened his heart to her, her own heart melted in return.

Snow was the last to leave the white room. She sat on a dainty pillion chair across from Rahl and Connie. “The princess is a spirited woman.”

“But the prince is persistent,” Rahl said. “Do you think she will leave with us?”

“Not of her own will. But knowing his nature, I don’t think she really has a choice. We shall see.”

“I’m wondering where the dragon is. I am certain he will not allow us to take his princess away.”

“Well, now that the prince has his princess, we can retrieve the talisman and the bracelet and leave the caverns before the dragon realizes we’re here.”

A few moments later, the prince left the bedroom, followed by his bodyguards. They escorted a brooding princess between them. A long, navy blue cloak draped over her shoulders concealed her white lace. Her hands were tied behind her back.

“See? What did I tell you?” Snow said.

The party regrouped and headed out of the vestibule, beneath the waterfall, and out to the treasure room. Without speaking, Snow held out the staff and allowed it to guide her toward the unlit passage where she detected the talisman.

“Where are you going?” the prince asked, giving her a hard stare.

“You have your princess. Now we will retrieve our talisman,” Snow replied.

“No. All of you will come with us. Only when the princess is safely delivered to the surface may you come back to retrieve your artifact.”

“Rahl!” Snow said.

Rahl spoke to the prince, “The talisman is close by. Perhaps we should seek it out while we are still in the cavern. Besides, was not that our agreement that we would retrieve the talisman after we found the princess?”

“We do not have an agreement. I am Prince of Syzthedia. I am ruler of this kingdom.”

Rahl sighed. Connie could tell he was losing his patience with the young prince.

“Snow, retrieve the talisman,” Rahl said. “We are going to the surface.”

“No. You will stay with us,” the prince ordered.

He drew his sword. His bodyguards did the same.

Snow threw down her staff and stood poised to cast a spell. “Make your move,” she said to the three Syzthedians. “I will enjoy this.”

Before anyone could act, a figure stepped out of the dark cavern, where Snow was headed. Connie instantly recognized him.

“Azamel?”

A number of startled gasps came from the party and the Syzthedians as he walked across the cavern toward the party. He held something in his left hand. It glinted supernaturally in the blue light. Connie saw it was the talisman. Azamel stopped a half-dozen paces from the party. Then he stood without speaking as if he were waiting for a certain reaction from the group.

“Azamel!” the prince said at a loss for words. His voice betrayed a mixture of bemusement and anger. “You fool! How did you get here? Didn’t I leave you at the palace?”

Azamel held out his hand to the princess. “Sanja. Come to me.” At those words, the rope binding her wrists slipped off and fell to the ground. The princess glided between the befuddled guards and rushed to Azamel’s side.

“Don’t let them take me away from you,” the princess pleaded to Azamel as she clutched him tightly. “Don’t let them take me from your side.”

Azamel responded by placing his arm around her. He held her close. The prince stared at them, stunned beyond words.

“What—what is going on here? Who are you?” the prince asked.

“I am Azamel. I am also the one you know as the beast.”

The prince’s bodyguards stirred uneasily on hearing this. Azamel glanced affectionately at the princess beneath his arm.

The prince addressed the princess. “Do you not want your freedom? Do you not want the kingdom I offer you? Come with me, and you will rule by my side as Queen of Syzthedia.”

“I would rather die than go with you.”

Azamel affirmed her decision with a squeeze. The Princess Sanja gazed up at his face. Her eyes glowed with adoration for him. Connie felt a queer tinge of envy when she saw this.

“Good prince, I suggest you leave this place and go back to the kingdom,” Azamel said without malice. “Leave here wiser and released from your wrongful obsession, knowing that Sanja does not want to be with you.”

“You have enchanted her. That is why she stays with you.”

Azamel shook his head slowly. “No.”

“Liar!” the prince accused with sanguine emotion.

Snow spoke up. “Azamel speaks the truth. I do not detect an enchantment in her. This woman is not a prisoner. You must face the reality that she does not need to be rescued.”

“No!” the prince shouted at Snow. The vociferousness of his shout almost seemed to knock her over.

The prince’s eyes filled with tears. “She will come with me. She will be my queen.”

“I am sorry to have hurt you,” Azamel said. “It was never my intention.”

The prince began to weep openly. He dropped to his knees while clutching the hilt of his sword. Azamel gazed down at the prince with gentle pity in his eyes. Connie saw this. She thought that if not for the princess at his side, Azamel would most certainly rush up to console the young prince.

Azamel looked at the talisman in his hand. I believe this is what you seek. I have had it for centuries. I know not where it came from. To me, it is just another bauble, but I know what it means to you. Please take it and use it well.”

Snow picked up her staff and brought the tip of it near the talisman. The metal tip of the staff glowed yellow. She smiled. “Yes, that is it.”

“And what of the bracelet?” Snow asked. She waved the staff in the air in a slow circular motion. She frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Rahl asked.

“I hate to say it, but that bracelet is deep, deep within this mountain, much farther than we have already gone.”

Azamel spoke. “I am intimately familiar with these tunnels and caverns. It is likely that your Heptakon is in a distant, ancient part of the cavern complex that collapsed centuries ago during an earthquake. Unfortunately, it would take an army of miners months to excavate it for you.”

“We don’t have that much time,” Rahl said. “Snow, what do you think? What should we do?”

“There may be yet another copy of the bracelet in the Desert of Ontagane. I will consult with Calicus on this. If so, we can make a detour and retrieve it from there on our way to the Atranox.”

“Very well, then.” Rahl put his hand on the prince’s shoulder. “Come, we should leave now.”

The prince nodded. “Yes, you may be right. I may be wrong. If he wants her—” The prince got to his feet. Suddenly, he leaped at Azamel with his sword. Without enough time to dodge, Azamel pushed the princess away to safety. The prince’s sword impaled Azamel just below the ribcage on his left. Azamel cried out.

“Then he shall die for her!” the prince shouted, his voice echoing from the cavern walls.

The princess screamed as the wounded Azamel fell to one knee. The talisman he held fell to the ground and tumbled away. Snow snatched it up. The prince withdrew a bloody sword from Azamel’s side.

“Azamel!” the princess screamed again, clutching him, his blood pouring through her hands. The prince’s bodyguards pulled her off of him.

Azamel wiped the blood from his side. He looked at the blood with an expression of disbelief as the prince gloated over him. “How could you do this to me?” His breathless voice was nearly a cry. He looked from his bloody hand to the staid face of the young prince. “How could you do this to me? I loved you. I’ve always loved you just as I loved your father, your father’s father, and those who came before.”

“The princess is mine, as is the kingdom. Take her to the surface!” he ordered his bodyguards.

“Azamel!” cried out the struggling princess as the guards led her to the stairs.

“I cannot allow you to take her,” Azamel said to the prince, his voice tinged with profound regret.

“I shall do as I please! And you shall die, beast!” The prince swung his sword down on Azamel. The sword cleaved Azamel deeply through the shoulder. Azamel collapsed to the ground.

“Azamel!” the princess screamed again as the bodyguards hustled her through the passage.

The prince looked down pitilessly at Azamel, who lay unmoving on the cavern floor, thick blood oozing from his grievous wound.

“You’re not a beast after all. You’re weak, old man!” The prince spat. “Had I known you were so weak, I would have slain you myself two years ago.”

Connie felt deep remorse at the scene that just unfolded before her. She hurt deeply, though she was not directly involved. She turned to leave the cavern.

“You have your princess now. Let us leave here,” Rahl said with disgust at the prince. He sheathed his sword and headed toward the passage out of the complex. The rest of the party did the same.

All at once, the flux of powerful magic filled the air. Everyone froze in place to feel its presence. To Connie, it felt like fluttering waves of static electricity on her skin and a tingle just beneath her breastbone. Snow looked to Connie in alarm.

“By the gods!” Jalban said as he headed for the exit. Maltokken followed at his heels.

Suddenly, Azamel’s body began to glow with a deep red haze. The prince took a few steps back, ready for anything—shield in one arm, sword in the other.

All at once, the deep red haze flashed brightly with the brilliance of lightning. Those viewing it were momentarily blinded. Seconds later, Azamel’s body began to twist and contort. It broke open with a mushy sound. Then, rising from the body and also growing larger with each moment, was a gigantic brownish-gold dragon.

The dragon was huge and terrible to behold. It had bat-like wings longer and wider than those of a 747 airliner. Its mouth was a cruel-looking maw of sharp fangs. Its eyes, each the size of a large umbrella, glowed with a fiery, evil-looking red, and they had a vertical slit for an iris much like that of a cat. It had a lizard-like appearance with a smooth skull and a long snout. Its neck was long and relatively thin. It had four-fingered claws at the end of each leg. The entirety of its body was covered with huge scales. The dragon rose at least five stories until it nearly reached the top of the cavern. The creature easily dwarfed those who remained behind. Once the dragon had stopped growing it, it shook its tail and let out a deafening roar.

Connie had read fairytale books when she was young, and she’s seen the quaint, fanciful renditions of mythical dragons in those books. She never gave them much thought. But now that she was face to face with a real dragon, and she saw it in all its awful might, mortal fear flowed through her body, and for the first time in her life, she was so profoundly terrified that she could not move. She stared up at the beast.

The prince backed away defiantly. “Connie!” Rahl called out from somewhere. “Connie!” he called again.

Only on hearing her name called a second time did Connie come back to her senses somewhat. She looked around the cavern, dazed and disoriented. Gradually, she realized that aside from the prince, she was the only one left in the chamber—everyone else had bolted.

Rahl called to Connie again from the top of the stairs. “Come! Let us go!”

The dragon bellowed its throaty roar again. It raked its claw into the ground a few times, like a bull ready to charge. The floor of the cavern shook when it did this. A few rocks fell from the ceiling. Connie turned to look at the prince. He now approached the beast with bravery. The cavern filled with the stench of hot sulfur. The smell was almost overpowering. Connie felt faint. She thought she would black out at any moment. Her senses had overwhelmed her to the point where her mind was no longer solvent. She no longer cared whether the dragon crushed her with its claws or incinerated her with its fiery breath.

Vaguely, she felt someone grab her by the arm. She thought she might have blacked out for a few seconds, for the next thing she knew, Rahl and Snow had grabbed her by the shoulders and were nearly carrying her up the stairs.

By the time they had reached the top of the stairs where they entered the passage, Connie had returned to her senses. She shook off Rahl and Snow's grasp and turned to watch the prince.

The prince swung his sword at the dragon. The enchanted blade he carried sunk into the dragon’s front claw. The dragon roared in pain. The dragon tried to grab the prince with its other paw. The prince deftly dodged the claw. He took the opportunity to rush the dragon’s belly. The dragon saw this, and it knocked him to the side. The prince fell to the ground. He rolled away just as the dragon brought its claw down on the prince. The prince got to his feet and advanced again on the dragon.

Connie was amazed that the prince was doing as well as he was. The dragon was obviously old and not altogether fast. This gave the prince an unforeseen advantage.

“He is insane,” Rahl said.

The prince put another deep gash in the dragon’s front claws. Now the beast drew back. Connie thought the dragon might be withdrawing, but then she saw what it was doing. The dragon took a deep breath. The prince knew what it was doing. He crouched down and placed his shield over his body. The dragon brought its head down to the prince like a snake striking in slow motion. A huge flamethrower of flame rushed from its open mouth. It beat down on the shield and covered the prince completely in flames. The breath of the dragon seemed, to Connie, to last forever, and while the flames belched from the dragon’s mouth, it appeared that the prince was already consumed.

“Oh, my God!” Connie said

Then the flames stopped. Amazingly, the prince staggered to his feet. At first, it seemed that he was all right, but then when the smoke cleared, they saw that he was burned badly. The prince’s shield glowed red and had melted. He threw it down. His sword had shattered from the heat.

The prince began staggering toward the stairway. Connie looked to Rahl and Snow, who had also been watching the grim battle.

“We have to help him,” she said to them.

“It is too late. There is nothing we can do for him,” Rahl said.

She turned to Snow.

“It is not our battle, Connie.”

Connie returned her attention to the prince. The prince was still retreating toward the stairway when the dragon swung around and batted him hard with its huge tail. The force and direction of the blow actually knocked the prince to the base of the stairway. The prince now lay unmoving. The dragon crawled slowly toward the prince with its evil-looking teeth like a tiger stalking its prey.

“I think he’s dead,” Rahl said after the prince’s crumpled, burned body did not move on the dragon’s advance.

Suddenly, the prince stirred. His head bobbed up, and he raised his sight to the three party members at the top of the stairs. Connie got a good look at his face. It has been burned so badly that his cheekbones seemed to poke through his flesh. His metal armor had melted in place onto his body. His flesh had been charred black. It was amazing that he had made it as far as he had.

The dragon was almost upon him now, its mouth dripping with saliva. The prince, no longer able to move, gazed up at the party one last time. He seemed to want to say something to them, to impart some message or word of wisdom for the party to carry with them. Maybe even an apology. But then he lowered his head to the staircase to wait for the dragon.

Now the dragon towered over the prince. The prince stood easily within its striking distance. The prince, seeing it there, looked away. The dragon glowered down at him. Then it began to inhale. Finally, the inrush of air stopped. The dragon looked up at the three party members who stood there in horror. It glared at them and let out a low snarl. With the dragon’s glowing red eye upon her, Connie felt the terror rise up in her again.

“It wants us to go now,” Rahl said. The three of them ran swiftly up the stairs.

Moments later, a bright flash shone from the opening to the cavern behind them. This was followed immediately by a blast of enormous heat. They wait in the stairway for a short while after the blast and intense heat subsided. They stared at the opening to the passage, waiting and listening, hoping that the prince would emerge, but there came only darkness and silence.

Rahl, Snow, and Connie found the party waiting for them in the egg-shaped chamber along with the princess. One of the bodyguards was dead and the other was missing. Theo was in the process of extracting the humor from the dead guard.

“Where is the prince?” Jalban asked on seeing them.

“Dead. What happened here?” Rahl asked.

“The prince’s bodyguards wanted to bring the princess to the surface. Leave you three behind as dead.” Maltokken said. “We did not agree with them.”

“There was an altercation,” Jalban said, weapon still in hand. “The other guard got away.”

Snow held up the shiny talisman. “Well, we have what we came for.”

“What about the princess?” Maltokken asked, gazed lasciviously at the brooding woman.

Rahl studied the princess. She looked away from him in defiance.

“There are men at arms waiting for us on the surface,” Theo said, rising to his feet with the guard’s bloody heart cradled in his hands. Tristana dutifully held out the humor container to him like a surgeon's favorite nurse. He dropped the bloody organ into the humor container and closed the lid. “We can use her as a bargaining tool. Otherwise, what is there to stop them from attacking us now that the prince is dead?”

“Theo is right,” Snow said. “We can use her as a hostage until we can get out of the valley, then we can set her free before we leave.”

“We will not do that,” Rahl said finally. “We will let her go.”

At those words, the princess glanced at Rahl with a look of subtle surprise.

Snow spoke up. “We cannot let her go, Rahl. She is all we have to bargain with.”

The party seemed to agree with Snow on this. Connie spoke up.

“I agree with Rahl. Let the princess go. If she wants to be with the dragon, then I say she should be allowed to make her choice.” Connie walked over to Princess Sanja. She stared into the eyes of the woman. The princess stared back into Connie’s, unflinchingly so. Connie looked to Rahl. He tossed her his dagger. She cut the rope from the princess’s wrists. “You are free to go,” Connie said to her.

Appearing rather puzzled-yet-eager to take the opportunity, the princess gingerly walked down the passage leading to the dragon’s cavern.

“Wait,” Connie said before the princess passed through the portal.

The princess halted, then she spun around to face Connie squarely. “Allow me to give you something.”

She waited while Connie dug into the Threshibian bag. Connie pulled out the large, blue acorn she found in the forest outside Roggentine. She handed the acorn to the princess.

“I’ve been carrying this thing around with me for a long time. I really like it a lot. It comes from some kind of tree that grows outside my city. I want you to give this to Azamel.”

“Why?”

“Just consider it a gift. I’m sorry that things ended up the way they did. All of us are.”

The princess stared at the acorn in her hand. Its blue sheen reflected the light from the spell Connie cast on Rahl’s sword.

“It’s pretty,” she said. “I’ve never seen one like this.” Then, without another word, she turned and headed down the dark passage back toward the dragon.

“Let us depart for the surface,” Rahl said. With that, the party filed into the passage they had originally taken to the chamber.

Snow spoke to Connie as they walked side by side through the passage. “That was dumb,” Snow said, referring to the acorn.

“Why do you say that?”

“That dragon is probably looking for us now. He’s going to roast us like he did the prince.”

“I don’t think so. He had his chance to do so on the stairs. He did not. I think he understood.”

Snow shook her head. “What do you know of dragons?”

“Maybe he’s not a typical dragon. I mean, he gave us the talisman, didn’t he?”

“No, actually I picked it up when he dropped it. For all you know, he wasn’t really going to give it to us. Maybe it was only a ruse, a way to distract us until he could cast some spell on us. Dragons are supposed to be greedy, you know.”

“All right, Snow, I’ll concede I don’t know as much about dragons as you do. But giving him the acorn seemed like the right thing to do.”

Snow sighed. “I suppose you didn’t lose much,” she said with a lilt in her voice. “It was only an acorn.”

“Yes, it was only an acorn. I really liked it, though. I found it the first day I came to Cerinya. You know, this place kind of grows on a person. I almost feel like I was born here, and Earth is only this place that I dreamed up.”

“Well, don’t get too fond of those ideas. If we ever complete this quest, we will have to return you to your own world.”

A strange, wistful sadness came over Connie on being reminded of this. “Yes, and I’m certain you and Calicus will see that it happens.”

Connie cast a Light spell on Rahl’s sword so that they could find their way through the murky gloom. They wandered through the passageways for at least half an hour. Without the map the prince had, the walls and passages looked much the same. After a while, they chanced the body of the prince’s second bodyguard sprawled in one of the passages. His head was crushed flat as though it had been placed in a vice.

“A man should not have to die like that,” Maltokken said with disgust.

“I think I am going to be sick,” Jalban said, turning away from the ugly sight.

Theo checked the body for its humor. When he turned the body over, he discovered an open cavity in the man’s chest where the humors had already been removed. “Whoever did this does clean work,” he said, examining the clean, surgical excision.

The party members looked to each other. Everyone knew who had done this to the guard.

Theo raised himself to his feet, and the party moved on. Rahl led them through the labyrinth of passages with his self-proclaimed unerring sense of direction. After twenty minutes, they found themselves approaching the body of the guard from the same direction they had come before: they had traveled in a full circle. Snow scowled at Rahl.

“Are you sure you know how to lead us out of here?” she asked.

“Yes, I know,” he replied.

“We’ve passed those bones three times now.”

“I know that.”

“Why don’t you allow me to lead for a while?”

“Have patience, Snow. I know how to get us out.”

Snow sighed huffily. She bit her lip to prevent herself from saying anything further. Connie patted her on the back.

“Don’t be too upset, Snow,” Connie said. “Women have this problem with the men on Earth, too.”

Another half-hour or so passed. Finally, they saw a light at the end of the passage they were on. As they approached, they saw they were headed for the same passage they first entered. Just outside, a hundred or so men at arms waited for them.

Concealed in the darkness of the cave, they stepped back where they could not be seen.

“What do you think?” Rahl asked Snow. “Are you able to cast the spell you did yesterday?”

“No, not that spell. The condition was right for me to conjure the plasma. This is different. Besides, that spell took most of my celestial Kah. I haven’t recovered all of it yet for other spells.”

“I guess we have no choice but to find another route,” Theo said.

Snow sighed heavily. She sat down on the floor of the passage, slipped off her sandals, and massaged the soles of her feet.

“We could be wandering through these passages for days.”

“The only other option is to fight the men outside. It’s going to be messy,” Rahl said.

Seconds later, Tristana, who stood deepest in the cave, tapped on Connie’s shoulder.

“What is it?”

Tristana pointed to a dim, yellow light rising from deep inside the passage.

“Someone is coming!” Connie said to alert the party.

The party drew their weapons and waited. Then they saw it was Azamel carrying an oil lantern. His form bore not the slightest trace of the horrible injuries dealt to him by the prince. Connie’s knees began to wobble as she recalled the immolation of the prince and the crushed head of the guard. She was ready to plead for mercy.

“You might as well put away your weapons,” Snow told the party, apparently feeling the same as Connie.

“You all seem to be lost,” Azamel said.

No one replied. He poked his head up the passage to view the men waiting there. “Is that your welcoming party?”

Connie mustered her courage. The opportunity had come to either face her fear or face a lifetime of nightmares, on the provision that Azamel hadn’t followed them in order to finish the job he started with the prince. “The prince said there were other ways out of the mountain besides this one; we haven’t been able to find one,” she said.

“The prince was right,” Azamel said. “There are many ways out, but most are magically hidden.”

“Can you help us?” Connie asked him. She noticed Snow roll her eyes when she did this.

“Help you? Yes, of course. Follow me,” he said.

Connie took a quick glance at Snow. The sorceress’s expression betrayed her utter astonishment that the dragon had responded favorably.

The party followed Azamel back down into the passage. Connie stayed close behind him.

“The years are very long,” Azamel said wearily. “I had spent so many endless hours alone within the wells of this mountain. I am blessed to have found one that shares my spirit.”

“The princess?” Connie asked.

“Without her, I might be consumed by the darkness. The light she brings to me is the light that illuminates my soul.” Azamel led the party to a fork in the caverns. “This is the way. You must always take the center passage.”

“But there are only two passages here,” Connie said.

“Are there? Now look again.” Azamel held the lantern up to the intersecting passages. Miraculously, a center passage appeared between the other two. When he moved the lantern away, the fake stonework of the passage faded back into view.

“An illusion?” They entered the cave with Rahl and the prince in the lead, and the end rank was followed by two of the prince’s personal bodyguards. The rest of the garrison, who had come along on the boats, waited at the entrance of the cave with their weapons ready.

“Yes,” he replied. He handed the lantern to Connie. “Use this magical light to lead your companions from the valley.”

“How will I know where to go?” Connie asked, holding the lantern in her hands.

“As you choose a passage, notice the flame in the lantern. If it flutters, you have chosen wrong. If it continues to burn bright and steady, you have chosen correctly. The path is long and tortuous, but soon enough you will find yourself outside the mountain.”

“Thank you, Azamel.”

“Farewell.”

Without another word, Azamel turned and headed down a dark passage that led to his princess and what remained of his beloved prince. Connie felt a lump in her throat. She wanted to say something more to him—maybe a few kind words of apology, words of appreciation for sparing them, anything to make him stay for just a few more minutes. Then, as she watched him vanish into the pitch-black passage, she realized that there was nothing to say, for he had understood everything.