Sands of Time - 20. Chapter 20

“Go,” Garnet said to Aegir as he shook his head to clear it. “Go back with your friends. I am okay.” Aegir still looked unsure, but Garnet proved it by getting back to his feet, hefting his gigantic War Hammer.

Aegir had just started to turn when Garnet spoke again. “Hold,” he said. Looking around at the battle, he saw only the two warrior dragons left. Until this point, they had been so focused on the wall's magic that they had never gotten into the fight. After the death of the True, however, they had now turned towards the ‘intruders’.

With a glance, he saw Olpha had moved up to Malachi while Thane was standing guard over Mablin, Gradon, and Darren. Moving over to guard Xavier and Lew, Garnet started to issue orders. “Syth, take Lucas, Killian, and the boys, and take out those two.”

“How dead do you want them?” Syth asked, grinning.

“I want their spirits to be weeping,” Garnet replied as he cast an Ice Shard spell, putting everything he had in it to bypass their magic defiance and do as much damage as they could.

Syth gave a feral grin as he fired two arrows in quick succession. Both dragons had been about to cast, but as soon as the arrows hit, Syth’s Lockjaw spell took effect on both, and their mouths stopped in mid-cast. He had to pump almost all his remaining force into them to bypass their defiance, but it was worth it.

“Sigvat, Hontel, Aegir, stay back.” Syth directed. “ Lucas, Killian, you guys take out the smaller one. I got the big boy!” As he spoke, his bow folded into the size of a small rod, which he tucked in his belt. With his Renders flashing, he took off at a sprint towards the larger of the two dragons.

Meanwhile, Garnet moved up and knelt next to Xavier. He placed one hand on his brother’s chest while his other hand fumbled for his holy symbol. It took him two tries to grasp it due to the blood on his hands and his wounded shoulder.

Once he had it, though, he closed his eyes and spoke to his god. “Lord of tricks and freedom, I beseech your aid to heal my blood brother and King.” His hand started to glow with healing energy that leached into Xavier.

Garnet immediately knew it was not enough healing energy to heal Xavier’s wounds. “Oh, by all the bloody hells!” Garnet exclaimed. “This is your fault, so the least you can do is heal him!”

The glow increased but only minorly.

Garnet lowered his voice to a soft growl. “Rovnar… Do not get stingy now… Remember, I know where your secrets are held.” Immediately, the soft glow exploded into a light resembling a falling star. When it faded, not only was Xavier healed, but so was Garnet. “Thank you…” He mumbled as he toppled over, panting from the pain of having all his wounds healed.

“MENTOR!” cried Aegir as he leapt to take Garnet’s place over Lew and Xavier. “I’ll protect you all… Until you feel better.” Garnet wanted to laugh at the boy’s bravado, but all he managed to do was smile as he gave himself over to Rovnar’s healing and passed out.

✶✶✶✶✶

When Mablin came to, his head was throbbing, and it took several moments before it would clear and his memory returned. He groaned. “Ohhh… By all the hells of demon kind! I feel awful. Is this the price for being stupid enough to attack a dragon?”

“Stop complaining…” came Gradon’s unsteady voice from somewhere nearby. “You are not the one that woke up with a gore-covered Bear Scorpion licking your face clean… I feel like I spent a week in a pub somewhere.”

Mablin didn’t want to open his eyes. His throbbing head hurt too bad, but he knew he had to. He quickly closed them again and then cautiously squinted through just one. Thankfully, there was only one of everything now. He looked down to discover he was still holding an unconscious Darren. Just a pace to the other side was a huge dragon’s head with the bloody gore-filled hole that the surprising young guardsman had excavated.

He cautiously turned his head to the other side and groaned. Gradon was sitting there with his head between his knees, and just beyond him was Suiadan, busily licking all his furry parts clean, at least the ones he could reach.

“Do not try to move around just yet. Wait for the gifting to settle in. You will feel much better in just a bit.”

Mablin looked up to find Thane looking down at him with a gentle smile. “This is all your doing… You planned it.” His questions were more accusations than inquiries.

Thane’s smile grew into a grin. “No Sir Mablin… I did not plan this… But I will confess that I took advantage of the situation… As it developed.”

“Someday, I will return the favor.” Just then, Mablin felt Darren stir and moan.

“What a rotten trick… Owww… I didn’t know moving into the spirit realm would hurt…”

“Stay as still as you can.” Thane gently urged. “You are not dead. You will begin to feel better soon.”

“You keep saying that,” Gradon growled.

“Well, if you want to take your mind off things, turn your head and watch as Syth does something else insane.”

All three turned just in time to see Syth dodge out of the way when the warrior swiped a paw at him. Mablin couldn’t understand why the Red’s mouth was open at a weird angle. His curiosity left him quickly as he watched Syth jump at the Dragon, landing on the beast's knee, before he bound three steps up and jumped again. His feet barely landed on its chest before he lept high, holding out his Renders wide.

Gradon’s mouth hung open as he watched the white-haired teen sail through the air before he slammed into the Dragon’s neck, his Renders being driven deep into the soft underside on both sides of the Red’s throat.

They heard Syth cry out in a language none of them knew. However, his words were drowned out by the scream of the Dragon. It wasn’t a roar; it was a scream of utter anguish.

The beast tried to throw Syth off, but its violent head twisting only increased the size of the cuts, as Syth stayed latched to his Renders and let gravity do the work.

“Holy…” Gradon breathed out.

“By all the…” Mablin echoed.

“But… He’s just an archer…” Darren whispered in confusion. A moment later, Syth leapt to one side, and the cavern’s floor shook as the Dragon hit the ground, over three-quarters of his throat carved out. The energy from the Dragon almost roared as it slammed into Syth, sending him to his knees.

Gradon’s mind flashed back to the last time he had seen the young Drow in action. “We will need a bigger spit if he decides to put Dragon Jowls on the menu tonight.”

Just after Gradon uttered his comment, the cavern shook, with the other Dragon’s head hitting the ground. They had been so focused on what Syth was doing that they had totally missed seeing Lucas and Killian killing the second Warrior Dragon. However, they saw the red wave of death energy leap from the dragon and impact Killian. Unlike the others, though, Killian rocked back a few steps but kept his footing.

Mablin sat up and groaned, then held out his hand to Thane. “Help me to my feet, lad…” Once standing on somewhat unsteady feet, he reached out to Darren. “Come on, Dragon Hunter… There is work to be done yet.”

✶✶✶✶✶

Madelyn groaned as she opened her eyes. The last thing she remembered was attacking the True, slamming her mace across his jaw, and backing off. Vaguely, she remembered Lew charging up and slicing his throat open, then nothing.

Frantically, she looked around. “Faelwen, Bruin!” She called out hoarsely. “Gradon… Aegir?” She tried to sit up but stopped as she felt the world start to spin.

“Stay down for a few minutes!” she heard Olpha say, “Let the gifting settle in.” She quickly glanced at where Bruin and Faielwin were recovering from their healing. “Your friends… and your family are just fine. Although it appeared Bruin was able to catch some of the gifting. “Talk to Thane, as he knows more than I, but you may wish to have Bruin tested.”

Madelyn turned her head toward Olpha’s voice, and once her vision cleared, she saw that she was wrapping a thick bandage around the remains of Malachi’s ankle. “How is Malachi?” she asked with concern.

Olpha let out a heavy sigh before responding. “He is as stubborn and contrary as always. He was so freaked out by what happened to his foot that I do not think he even felt the pain. I had to shove the herbs down his throat so he would relax enough for me to take a look.” She looked down at the unconscious Garm lying before her. “I ‘may’ have used a few too many, but at least he’s asleep.”

Olpha stood up and moved over to Madelyn. “Are you injured?”

Madelyn thought for a moment, then shook her head, making everything spin. “OH… No… I do not think so.”

“Good… But you need to lay still for a bit longer,” Olpha said as she used her height to look over the carcass of the dead True. She smiled at the sight of Aegir standing over Lew, Garnet, and Xavier, protecting them. He was gently weaving to and fro while looking in every direction as he watched for any danger.

Just beyond him, she could see Lucas, Killian, and Syth, not too far from the dragons they had killed. Even though they were still unconscious from the gifting and healing they had received, they appeared to be doing well. A quick look in the other direction revealed Thane helping Mablin to his feet. Not too far away, she saw two of the surviving guardsmen standing back to back, waiting for some other horror to attack them.

Olpha looked back at Madelyn and sighed. “There is both an advantage and a disadvantage to the magical healing that a Dragon Death causes. Most of the time, it is a good thing, but for Malachi,” she shook her head again, “Healing the stump so quickly means that the foot can not be reattached.”

Madelyn gasped as she looked at the young boy sleeping on the floor of the cavern. “I know there are magic spells out there that would be able to heal him,” Olpha said sadly. “However, even if we had access to them, none of us would be powerful enough to cast them.”

Xavier, having been awakened by their talk, said, “There is the Shaman spell of regrowth that would do the trick. But such a spell would require the Shaman to be a midrange Accomplished Echelon if I remember correctly.

“Alas, I do not have that scroll, even if I achieve that level.” He looked around and noticed that everyone, save for Lew and Malachi, was awake and either on their feet or getting there. “Lew will take a bit longer to awaken.

“While we wait… Fan out and make sure all the enemies are dead. Remove their heads so they can not come back. We will deal with burning the bodies later. And when that is done… Someone needs to go check on the caravan.”

✶✶✶✶✶

Mablin, having looked around and seeing no more of the dead to be dealt with, looked around again for Xavier and, seeing that he was not occupied with anything else, walked up to him and asked, “What the hell was that Green death magic all about, boy? It almost got us all killed!”

“That was the death of a very old and powerful Great Green,” Xavier shook his head to further clear the fog. “It was weird, though. It was not as far away as the Great White earlier but was not very close either. Strangely… He died in two places. That much I was able to tell.”

“How do you die in two places? Could you tell who killed it? Was it that red-headed Halfelf, Kandric?”

Xavier looked at Mablin and closed his eyes, thinking. “I am not sure how that is possible. Nooo… It was not Kandric. It was… A sibling… um… an older brother possibly.” Xavier opened his eyes, “Yes, a brother to Kandric.”

“There is another one like Kandric?” Mablin asked in shock.

“Um, not exactly. This brother is not as powerful as Kandric… Even so, he was more than able to deal with the likes of an ancient Great Dragon.”

Mablin took a deep breath and shuddered slightly and then he sighed. “Having just had my first experience of what it took for three of us to kill just one small dragon… I can’t quite imagine taking on a True, let alone a Great Dragon…”

A gentle smile crossed Xavier’s lips. “You will get used to it, and you will soon adapt to the gifting as well.” He scanned the cavern and saw that everyone had finished dealing with the dead and were drifting in small groups to where they were standing. “But for now, we need to move on. I would like for you to take most of the group back to the surface and check on your caravan. I suspect they are pretty nervous by now…” That had Mablin nodding his head. He paused in thought before speaking again.

“I will stay here for a bit and try to figure out what those two Warriors were up to. I want to know what they found so interesting about that limestone wall.” He paused, hoping that this half-truth would go unnoticed.

“I’ll keep Garnet, Syth, Thane, Olpha, and Malachi since it is unlikely that Olpha will let him out of her sight for a while… Lew will stay with us, too, since he is not awake yet.” Xavier paused again.

“You should take Lucas and Killian with you. All of you who have been dragon-gifted for the first time will have questions, and there are things you should know… Things that those two can help you with.” Mablin nodded his understanding and was pleased that Xavier had thought of that. “The younglings that unexpectedly took out that first Warrior are especially in need of some training to give them the fundamentals of dealing with magic.” Xavier paused again as he looked around once more. When he saw Aegir calmly keeping pace with Garnet, he chuckled.

“As for Aegir, I think it would be best if he stayed with us. I suspect that any attempt to separate him from his Mentor right now would lead to a fight… And frankly, I think there has been enough bloodshed for the time being…”

Mablin looked at the pair and chuckled, too. “I suspect you may be right about that… Very well, I will gather everybody together, and we will head for the entrance… Truthfully, I am a bit anxious to see how the caravan has fared without Gradon or myself being there.”

✶✶✶✶✶

Lew didn’t open his eyes at first; he simply let his body absorb and settle. He wasn’t sure how he knew how to best handle a Dragon Gifting, but it was like he had read it in a book somewhere, and now, he just knew how to handle it.

It was hard to put into words what he was feeling, but then it came to him… power. Not normal power, but Dragon Power. It was almost like his blood was boiling, and that heat was slowly seeping into the rest of his body. In truth, he felt better than he’d ever had in the past. He knew he’d gained at least an echelon, maybe more.

He opened his eyes as soon as he was sure he was stable enough. Rolling his head to the right, he saw Malachi laid out on a hastily made litter, asleep or unconscious. ‘The Dragon Magic should have healed him,’ he thought, then looked the boy over. He gasped when he saw that his right leg ended at the ankle, and what was left was heavily bandaged.

Lew shakily rose to his knees and saw three more bodies laid out past Malachi. Three of Mablin’s guardsman, judging by their dress. He was conflicted. On one hand, he mourned the death of those he entered battle with. On the other hand, he was simply glad none of those he knew were dead.

Suddenly, he remembered the injuries he sustained in the fight. Instinctively, he knew he was healed, but his hands still traveled to all the injuries he suffered, just to make sure. He groaned out loud when he felt the bare spot on his tail. He remembered the Kobold that had latched onto the middle of his tail with its razor-sharp fangs. Before he had a chance to try and swat it off, Nimbi came along and ripped out the thing's throat. His tail was healed, but he had a bald spot where the fur would have to regrow. Nimbi felt Lew think of her and pushed up against him, purring contentedly.

Looking around, Lew saw that only a few of his companions were still in the cavern, and Aegir was sitting nearby, his staff in his lap, smiling at him. “That was wild, wasn’t it?” The boy asked enthusiastically with a grin.

“There are many words I could use to describe that fight… ‘Wild’ would not be one of them... I think frantic and frightening are near the top of my list,” Lew responded, also smiling. He glanced over towards where Xavier and Olpha were in what looked like a serious discussion, then looked back to the boy. “Where is everyone else?”

“They went topside… Partly to make sure we don’t have any surprises on the way back up… And also because Uncle Mablin is worried about the caravan.” Aegir was dismissive in his response, as his mind was still going over the fight.

“I see…” Lew said as he continued to look around, his mind trying to accept that their much smaller group could defeat this many beings.

Xavier clearing his throat caused Lew to jump slightly. When he turned, he saw those who remained behind were now standing in front of him. He did not think he had been lost in thought that long, but apparently, he had.

“I am glad we all came through this fight alive. Lew and Aegir, you both handled yourselves very well, and I commend you both.” Lew grinned, but it grew to twice its size when he saw Aegir’s stuck-out chest and high-held head.

Xavier’s smile faded as he looked around at the rest, then looked at Malachi before he spoke again. “Our victory has come at a cost… which we will all help Malachi deal with as time passes.” He paused briefly.

“Once again, Rovnar seems to have had more than one purpose on his agenda for sending us here… And I suspect that he is far from being done with us just yet.” Xavier paused again. “I sent the rest topside because you all deserve to know the significance of this place. However, before I do, I must give this warning. What you learn about this place could put your life in danger. Knowing this, is there anyone who wishes to wait outside the entrance of the cavern? There is no shame in following a wise course of action.”

Slowly, Xavier made eye contact with everyone. One by one, they all nodded in agreement. When Xavier’s eyes met Lew’s, he did not hesitate to nod. Even if a small part of him was terrified to find out what could make someone as powerful as Xavier give this sort of warning.

“Very well. First, though, you must learn some history.” Xavier moved and found a place to sit, prompting the others to do the same.

Once everyone was comfortable, Xavier took out his hip flask and drank some sort of liquid that looked extremely strong from his facial reactions and coughing fit. When he calmed down, he washed his mouth with water and then looked at everyone again. “I do not know if my father’s spirit will condemn me for telling so many people about the Sand Dragon’s greatest treasure, but for all of you to understand, I feel I must.”

When he mentioned the ‘greatest treasure,’ Olpha gasped. When he was done speaking, she quietly, and almost reverently, whispered two simple words, “The Archive?”

Gravely, Xavier nodded, which prompted Garnet to speak up. “What is the Archive?”

Xavier took a deep breath before he responded. “The history I spoke about is this. I do not know if this was done with every Dragon Race, but it was this way with the Sands. We have kept an Archive that holds records and knowledge from the time of the founding of our race. Every leader of our race contributed to the Archive. In short, the Archive contains thousands of years of wisdom and knowledge gathered by our race. Some of what is contained in the ancient scrolls could be catastrophic to our world if it fell into the wrong hands. This is a secret kept so tightly that it is a death sentence to even utter about its existence to anyone other than those who already know or are being anointed as the new Monarch or the new Archivist.”

“Is this really its location?” Olpha asked in a voice so hushed that all had to strain to hear the normally boisterous young girl.

“Yes,” Xavier answered almost as softly.

“How do you know about it?” Thane asked Olpha, confused.

Xavier started to answer, but Olpha held her hand up, causing Xavier to stop. After a brief moment, he nodded to her. He sat back and let her have the floor.

Olpha looked at Thane and smiled. “Like so many other things, I learned about it from my father… For years, he let me believe that he was talking about his personal Archive, which filled several rooms behind his office. Then, one day last year, well last year to me, he ‘accidentally… on purpose,’ left a scroll on his desk where I would find it… It was a scroll of our family history, and once he was sure that I had sneaked in and read it… we had a long talk. That is when I realized that he had been doing things like that for years… Guiding my curiosity is what he called it.” She chuckled briefly and glanced at Xavier.

“Xavier started this by speaking about history. Let me continue that lesson.” She paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and continued. “As Xavier said, the Archive holds all of the knowledge those who look to the Sands for leadership could gather. From the first King of the Sand Dragons to Xavier, an archivist has always existed. Initially, it was another Dragon who was always a Mage. It was always another Dragon. I can not be certain about how things are now; so much has changed, but in the beginning, every Dragon Race had an Archivist, and it was always a dragon. That was until Xavier's ancestor, out of necessity, changed the order of things.

During ‘Oden’s last stand,’ the Sand King mourned his Archivist, who had fallen protecting him. Sympathetically, Oden told the King that he must choose another to take up the banner of the Archivist. Unfortunately, when he looked around at his other Sand Dragons, he saw no Mage of sufficient power to take up that mantle. But… there was one powerful Mage there that had shown her mettle on the battlefield, as well as her loyalty and devotion to the Sands.”

Olpha laughed a little and smiled. “I find it ironic, though. I always hated my name until my father told me that I was named in honor of the first of the Orakin line of Archivists who have served Seandra in that capacity ever since. She was also the first to take the surname of Shardholder.

“My father was the last Archivist of Seandra,” Olpha looked at Xavier, who nodded to her. “I guess that now means it is my turn.”

✶✶✶✶✶

Grima gratefully accepted the two bowls of stew from the woman who was cooking for everyone and looked at her hopefully. “We’s done wid our chores now. Can Yanni come sits wid us and eats too?” The woman’s heart melted and her eyes watered up a bit with happiness. This was the first time her youngest son had ever had anything like friends who wanted to be with him.

Eros, Yanni’s father, heard the question and knew what his wife was feeling and answered before she could do more than clear her throat and nod in agreement. “Of course, he can!” He walked over to his son who was sitting by the front wagon wheel with his own full bowl of stew. “What do you think Yanni? Would you like to go sit with your friends and have supper together?”

The boy’s face split into a toothy grin while his head bobbed up and down. “Yes please, Papa. Dat would be fun!”

“Fine. You hang on to your bowl so you don’t spill it, and I’ll take you over there.” With that, he reached down and carefully hoisted the boy up and followed Grima to where the other youngsters were gathered. When they arrived the kids scooted around to make room and Eros set his son down. He looked around at the group with a smile. “If anybody needs anything just call out and we’ll take care of it. OK?” This was greeted with smiles and nods.

While he was talking Grima set her two bowls on the ground for Quake and Mefrin who immediately attacked the food they held. Then she followed Eros back to the Chuck Wagon to get another bowl for herself.

Slaygo grinned as he sat down across from Lirius; the Red and Bronze Dragonling was one of the few friends he had had while in school, mostly because they were both outcasts. “Anything new?” He asked, and the Dragonling just shook his head while shoveling in another spoonful of the stew the cook had made for dinner.

“I still can’t believe they killed that many dragons!” Slaygo said excitedly as the others in their little ‘workgroup’ sat down. When Lirius felt the first dragon death, they all got busy. Ardi had the caravan pack up and move to where they now were, in front of the cave that the Dragon Hunters had disappeared into.

They had just arrived at the mouth of the cave when Lirius got hit by even more Dragon death, including a ‘hugely powerful Green’ and then the Red True. Grima actually had to catch him when he fell off of the top of a wagon when it hit.

“Can you just imagine what I could do if I was down there right now?” Slaygo eagerly babbled. “Just think of all the dragon blood I could collect and dry. Just a few kilos of dragon’s heart and liver… With some scales, claws, and maybe even a horn… WOW! I’d be set up for months and months, maybe even longer.

I don’t unnerstan’.” Yanni said, somewhat bemused by Slaygo’s enthusiasm. “Why’d ya want all that gunk anyway?”

“Gunk? That’s not Gunk! That is a treasure, 'cause I’m a Mystic.” Replied Slaygo, just a little surprised by Yanni’s question. “I could make all sorts of potions and powders that need that sort of stuff to work.”

Yanni dropped his eyes and quietly murmured, “Sorry… I got’s no magic in me like yous gots… An I don’ knows nuffin bout it.

“I’s gots no magic in me eider,” Grima offered. “But me brudder Siggy’s gots some cause he's be amnialdep, an he esplains what he can an sometimes I unnerstan… sometimes I done… He says maybe when I ged older I’ll unnerstan it bedder”.

“Me’sss be a Ssshaman,” Lirius hissed softly, “I got’s Magic, but Me’sss gotss lotss more ta learn.”

Slaygo was nodding in understanding. “I’m a Mystic so I have magic in me… But there’s bunches and bunches of stuff that I don’t understand either… So… Even though we are all different, we’re all the same too. Tell ya what… Let’s all agree to ask questions when we don’t understand something and then we can all work together to find answers.” By this point, every one of the youngsters in the group was smiling and nodding their heads… Especially Grima and Yanni.

“What’s a Mystic?” Inquired a much happier Yanni.

“Xavier be a Shaman!” Grima excitedly added.

Quake suddenly raised his head and cocked it to one side, listening intently. Without warning, he dashed through the camp and into the cave, barking the whole way.

“TO ARMS!” One of the guards shouted.

The shout echoed through the camp. Slaygo saw his mom running toward the wagons in front of the cave entrance, her sword drawn. He, Lirius, and Grima jumped to their feet. Lirius drew his mace while Slaygo pulled out a potion from his robe. Grima, though, moved to stand in front of Yanni, determined to protect her new friend.

It was only a few moments before Ardi cried out, “STAND DOWN! It’s Sir Mablin… They’re back!”

✶✶✶✶✶

Xavier surveyed the scene around him. Their victory had come at an unexpectedly high cost. No one had come through unscathed. Three of the guardsmen were dead, and of all the injuries suffered by the rest, Malachi’s was by far the worst.

He looked at the carcasses of the two Red Warriors and the Red True. For all the harm that they had caused, the healing and gifting that came with their deaths made up for some of it… Some of it… But far from all.

He scowled at the bodies of the two Warriors in particular. They had been the ones trying to take what was not theirs to take. For a moment, he considered following them into the spirit realm to make them suffer and die once more, but there was another much more important matter that he needed to attend to first.

Xavier walked up to the wall where the Reds had been busily working almost up to the minute before they died. He examined the stone and could see some scarring and chipping in the limestone and rock. He touched one of the jagged scars and smiled. He knew what they were looking for and why, but they were in the wrong place. Even if they had been in the right place, he doubted that they could have made any more headway than they did here.

He turned and looked at the small group that remained with him in the gore-filled cavern that had so recently been a battlefield. “Bring Malachi and come with me.” Without waiting for a reply he turned to his left and walked past the first stalagmite he came to. Then he came to the limestone formation. It was larger than he remembered it, but after eleven thousand years, that was to be expected. From here, he carefully took forty-seven paces and stopped.

The memory of his father standing here on the one occasion that he had brought him to this place was as clear as day. “In the fullness of time, I will move into the spirit realm. That is as it should be… For it is the nature of all living things to die.” He paused and looked at his son. “If it is ordained by the gods that someday you should somehow find your way here again, you will need to know how to step beyond this wall and enter the chamber that is behind it.”

Xavier could feel the presence of his friends behind him. Without warning he stretched his arm out and reached into the wall up to his elbow, garnering some gasps as his hand effortlessly passed through the seemingly solid rock wall. As his hand wrapped around a hidden handle, he couldn’t help but grin. The Reds had been way off on where they thought the entrance was. Of course, that was by design, which just made him grin wider. Even though he had never actually opened the Archive before, he had seen his father do it and was able to easily reach into the wall to grasp the hidden handle.

The hidden lever was pulled towards him with a twist and a pull. After a very short distance, the handle stopped moving. Xavier released it, allowing it to spring back into place. He withdrew his arm and took a step back.

Before anyone could say anything, there was a deep rumble in the cavern. Moments later, a previously unseen seam started to open. The wall moved back, leaving a recess that was almost a full meter and a half deep. There was a subtle change in the sound as the massive slab came to a stop. Another seam appeared, dividing the impossibly large stone in half, and each half began to pull away from the other.

More gasps could be heard as what seemed to be hundreds of torches flared to life, bathing the previously pitch-black area revealed by the opening doors in soft light.

No one moved or even uttered a sound as the doors noisily slid open. The grinding sound of the doors opening stopped after what seemed like forever, leaving an opening large enough for even the most enormous Great Dragon to pass through effortlessly. Silence reigned as they looked around in awe at what had been revealed.

Directly in front of the door was a vast raised dais, with a small amphitheater directly behind it. On the dais stood a podium and a pedestal with an ornately carved bowl on top.

While they could not see anything behind the amphitheater, they could all tell by the echoes that the place was beyond massive. “My father always said that it took Mount Riser to help create this place. I did not believe him before, now though…” Olpha murmured softly.

Xavier nodded solemnly, took a deep breath, and spoke as he strode into the immense cavern: “Do not enter till I call you forth.” A few moments later, the others jumped slightly as Xavier spoke loud and clear, but in a language, only Olpha was fluent in: the Language of the Ancients.

“The Prime of the Sand Clan has fallen…” Olpha softly translated as Xavier spoke. “I am Fahr’nahr Psyen-Raysyn’Xavier. I have come to take my rightful place as Prime!”

“What is going on?” Garnet whispered urgently, only to be silenced by a stern look from Olpha.

“It has been nearly eleven thousand years since the Prime has come here.” A disembodied voice spoke, seemingly coming from everywhere at once. Without warning, Xavier was enveloped by a blue shimmering light that came from the ceiling. While he did not cry out in pain, it was evident that whatever was happening was painful.

Olpha had to physically restrain Garnet from charging to his liege’s defense. “If you interfere, you will both be killed!” She whispered harshly.

After a few moments, the light faded, and the voice spoke again. “As it did once before, your blood marks you as one who can be Prime… What proof do you bring that you are worthy of being the new Prime?”

Xavier took two steps up onto the dais and moved to stand in front of the podium. With a flourish, he drew Sirocco, holding it high, as he spoke again in the tongue of the Olde Ones. “I wield and am bonded to Sirocco, forged in the Realms of Cataclysm. It holds the essence of the first Prime, who has deemed me worthy to lead our people.” He then slammed the sword into a slit at the base of the podium.

As soon as it slid home, he was once again enveloped in a blue light, although this time, instead of a soothing blue, it looked almost angry. That was verified by a scream of pain from Xavier.

As the light continued to envelop him, Xavier’s apparent form shifted. His halfling skin was still solid, but an outline of his full Dragon skin appeared. His head was thrown back in a pain-filled silent roar. A brief moment later, the Dragon faded, replaced by a sandy-furred Pantherling that was also silently screaming in pain.

The light then receded, and Xavier was left on one knee, hands clenched around the hilt of his sword, which was the only thing holding him up.

The voice spoke again, “The Prime has returned.”

✶✶✶✶✶

General Korbow stood in the treeline of the small clearing that was a kilometer and a half beyond the guards picketed in the security perimeter of his encampment outside of Slome. He pulled the collar of his heavy fur cloak tighter around his neck as the breeze picked up, blowing the light snowfall in his face. It was still four turns of the sand glass before dawn. He turned to the Red Dragonling who served as his personal Intelligence Officer. “Have you felt anything else?”

Lormar shook his head. “No sir. There is nothing new to report.” He paused. “We are a bit early. They should be here shortly.” Korbow just nodded and let his thoughts return to the events that had brought him out into this cold, snowy night.

He had found himself temporarily Commander in Chief of Alliance forces in the Slome/Bloody Rock Theater when Prince Rovanall’s Captain of the Guard was recalled because of the investigation into the Prince’s actions. He was not too happy with what seemed like a constant stream of reports and politically motivated meetings with the Slome City council and Alliance dignitaries… But that came with the job and was unavoidable. On the other hand, the campaign to reclaim Bloody Rock seemed to be going well, so, taken as a whole, he was content with the way things were progressing.

Two days ago, a hooded figure had walked into his command tent and, with an imperious wave of a hand, dismissed everyone. He had never seen the Guild pin prominently displayed on his cloak. It was a mixture of platinum and gold with small emeralds interwoven around the filigree. He had heard of a Legendary Guild pin but had never seen one, and it brooked no argument. Korbow quickly found himself alone and face-to-face with this cloaked stranger. “What I have to say is for your ears only, General…” whispered the unexpected visitor. “What you do with this information may decide the fate of most mortals in this realm.”

Three-quarters of a turn of the sand glass later, when he found himself alone once more, he was feeling unsettled, to say the least. The only good thing to come out of the encounter was the reassurance that he could “…trust everyone under your command, even so… be wary… and stay alert.”

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. The first order of business was to call his personal intelligence officer. “Lormar, I can not go into any details about this, but I want you to keep your eyes and ears open and report anything… And I do mean anything and everything that strikes you as the least bit odd or out of the ordinary, to me personally, as soon as it comes to your attention.”

It was that particular order that was why he was where he was right now.

Lormar broke into the General's reverie. “They are here.”

Moments later, the snow picked up and became a mini blizzard as three Warrior Dragons and their riders materialized out of the darkness and landed in the clearing with a flurry of wings. A moment later, Captain Delmark and his Griffin came in for a landing next to the line of dragons and riders.

“Thought it best to wait for the storm to settle before we landed,” he quipped with a grin that could clearly be seen even in the darkness as he leapt off of his griffin.

“Wish I had had the option…” Growled Korbow as he shook off the layer of snow that was now covering him from head to toe. Chuckles came from everyone in the group, including Lormar, who was shaking off his own newly acquired layer of snow. The laughter faded away as the Garm general began to walk down the line. The four riders came to attention, and the dragons lowered their heads nearly to ground level.

First was the Red Dragon Roh’de–drik, and his rider, Trickstan of the Woodland Elves. Next in line was the Blue Dragon, Bell’nh–arem, and his halfelf rider, Norden. Next, he came to San’de–rake, of the Silver Dragons and a son of Prince Milan, and Baraxter, his Pantherling rider. Finally, he came to the Alphar, Delmark, and Nath’dren, his Griffin mount. Without saying anything, he turned and walked back to a center point where every one of them could see him and studied them for a moment longer before speaking.

“Before I go any further… Each of you volunteered for this special mission. Each of you has been sworn to secrecy… You will never acknowledge this briefing… Is this clear?” Eight heads nodded their understanding and said nothing. “Good… Next… What I am about to brief you on may well land me in some serious trouble. If it goes any further, it could have serious repercussions on your individual military careers unless Premier Kandric intervenes on our behalf…” Once again, eight heads nodded their understanding even though he had not asked for it.

“OK… Enough of this horse hockey.” He focused on the Alphar. “As most of you, but perhaps not all, are aware, This evening, the deaths of four Red Warrior dragons and one Red True were felt here in camp. Those deaths occurred somewhere to our south close by, but something muddled the flow of death magic, and we can not be precisely sure in which direction those deaths occurred. It is a matter of concern that those deaths occurred in a surprisingly rapid succession…

“Another matter of considerable concern is that we have no idea of who… or what killed them… I need to know if we have an unknown enemy in what has been a very… eventful sector.”

Korbow focused on Roh’de–drik, the Red Dragon, and his rider Trickstan. “To complicate matters, my opposite number in the Red chain of command emphatically stated that all of his command was accounted for and that he had no idea what or why there should be any Red, let alone any other color of Dragons in that sector… If that is the case, we are faced with yet another matter of considerable concern.” The General paused again. “…And that brings me to this. What I am about to share with you was given to me with the warning that what I was told was for my ears only… I must stress that this goes no further!” Eight heads once again nodded in determination.

“It has come to the attention of the most senior echelon of the Red Dragon command structure that Prince Rov’na–rock, has gone rogue and set his eyes on the Throne that his mother now holds. This, if successful, could lead to a civil war among the Reds and destroy the Premier’s Alliance…” There was a stunned silence in the clearing as everyone took in the implications of what had been revealed.

“It would be a disaster…” Roh’de–drik finally whispered.

“Indeed!” Korbow replied emphatically. “It is just within the realm of possibility that the dragons that died were part of the Prince’s conspiracy… and that could mean that whoever or whatever killed them is a friend and not a foe… That is why I need to know what the hell is going on out there! … As a side note we have determined that the death of that Green Great dragon occurred elsewhere and is not a matter of concern for us.”

Without warning, Korbow changed topics. He turned to the Alphar. “Dalmark, at the first light of dawn, I want you to take a full wing of your Griffin riders and conduct a kilometer-wide sweep to the east for thirty kilometers. Then, turn to the southwest and fly an arc until you are directly south of the camp. Then, fly north until you are back here. You are in total command of the flight. If you encounter something that requires a fight, then fight… If not, then run like hell. Whatever happens, designate one of your Griffin teams to get back here and let us know what is happening… Understood?”

Delmark gave a salute in the Alphar manner. “Yes Sir!”

“Any Questions?”

“None, Sir.”

The General nodded “Good…” and turned to the Silver Warrior. “San’de–rake, and Baraxter, I want you two to take charge of a flight that includes these two plus two more that will join you shortly to form a full flight. At dawn’s first light, I want you to fly due west thirty kilometers, then turn southeast and fly an arc to a point due south of the camp and then north until you return. Fly as high as you can and try not to look like you are on a recon mission. You are in complete command. It is up to you to decide the best course of action in whatever situation you may encounter. If you need to, fight, but designate one of your team to head back here and report ASAP. Is that understood?”

Both the dragon and the rider gave a salute and nodded

“Any questions?”

“No Sir…” came the dual response.

“Good! Now, gentlemen, I’m sure you have preparations to make, so do not let me detain you any further… And good luck. Remember, I need to know what the hell is going on out there.” With that, the General turned to the dragonling standing a pace behind him. “Come on Lorimar… Let’s find someplace warm and inviting and get some sleep.”

✶✶✶✶✶

Xavier stayed on his knee for several moments before he rose, keeping one hand on the hilt of his sword. He took several deep breaths before he looked up and out to his friends. “Well, that was fun.” He deadpanned but then smiled weakly.

“And here I always thought it was Lucas who was the… peculiar one,” Thane responded right before Garnet spoke.

“That did not look like fun from down here.”

“Well then, the ‘fun’ shall continue.” Xavier paused as he drew himself up to his full height. He took a couple of long, deep breaths before he spoke again. This time, everyone who had them, activated their translation crystals, save Olpha. “The Archivist has fallen. As Prime of the Sand Clan, I assign and install those duties to a new Archivist, the Marchioness of Sandstorm, Olpha Shardholder.”

Olpha strode into the Chamber, her head held high. When she reached the Dais, she stepped up onto it, and then went over to the pedestal that was holding the ornate bowl. She reached inside the bowl and pulled out an equally ornate knife. Slowly, she enveloped the blade with her other hand. When she started to draw the blade across the palm, she spoke loudly, “I, the Marchioness of Sandstorm, answer the Prime’s request that I accept and assume the Title and responsibilities of Archivist.” As the blood dripped into the bowl, the same blue light came from the ceiling, shining brightly on Olpha. She grunted in pain, and then the light was gone.

Only one person noticed that while Olpha was moving, Xavier lifted up two scrolls and another object from the podium and tucked them into his vest.

“The new Archivist is recognized.” The same voice boomed. When Olpha opened her hand, there was no mark on her palm, and the knife was dry. When she looked in the bowl, her blood had disappeared, leaving the receptacle spotlessly clean. Slowly, she replaced the knife and then moved to stand behind Xavier.

“I have also brought guests with me,” Xavier said firmly.

“As is your right as Prime,” The voice said, then continued. “But be warned, they may not carry anything out of the Archive, nor are they allowed to enter areas that are restricted.”

“They understand,” Xavier replied.

“Have them step forward to be recognized,” Xavier called out to Thane and Lew. “Advise your pets about what is going to happen and keep them calm. All will be well.” Then he raised his hand and beckoned his friends in. Once, they were all near the podium, but before they could say anything, the blue light shot down again from the ceiling, enveloping them all. Only Malachi, who was still unconscious on his litter, failed to react to the light. Aegir cried out while the rest grunted in pain.

“Sorry about that,” Xavier said somewhat ruefully after the light receded. “However, if you ever return here, it will not hurt at all, as the Archive will now recognize you.”

“Well, that is good… I guess.” Syth commented as he looked around. “Is this place as big as it seems?”

“Bigger,” Xavier said as he withdrew his sword and resheathed it. “The first time I came here, it reminded me of the Seandrean Coliseum when it was set up for The Sand Skimmer Mallet Ball Championship.” Those who had been there looked back at him with wide eyes.

“This is the main level, with three levels above and three below. If you find stairs going down, there should be a gate in front of them; DO NOT go down. Those are the restricted areas. Feel free to look around, but please, do not touch anything without asking Olpha or myself first,” Xavier said while looking directly at Aegir. “If you think the pain of being scanned was bad, touching the wrong thing will either kill you or leave you wishing you were dead.”

Aegir gulped and nodded quickly while placing his hands behind his back. Xavier smiled and nodded. Thane and Lew made their mental connections with the pets. Amakiir quickly landed on the edge of the dais and happily accepted the emerald treat that Thane offered him. Suiadan settled down next to Malachi and seemed content to stay there while Nimbi pushed up against Lew’s legs and purred.

“I need to speak to Olpha for a bit, but I figure we should rest here for a spell, then join the others up top before sunrise.” Without waiting, Xavier took Olpha by the arm and led her towards the back of the archive.

They walked in silence, with Xavier leading the way back, then up to the top level, and finally to a small sitting room. He gestured for her to sit and did the same before taking a deep breath and speaking softly. “When my father showed me the archive, he also pointed to a scroll that was sitting on the podium. It had been for my brother, but he said he would place one there for me. It would detail some of the secrets that I did not know yet and would not know until it was my time to rule. He left them there in case he fell before he could teach me himself.” Xavier pulled a relatively thick scroll from his vest, which he had tucked away earlier.

Olpha was confused as to why he was telling her this but remained silent… there had to be a point. “There were two items on the podium that had not been there before.” He took another deep breath before he pulled out the other scroll. “This is for you,” he said with finality. She took it, ready to ask how he knew it was for her, when he spoke again, his voice a scant whisper. “This was sitting on top of it.”

She gasped as he withdrew a highly magical pendant, one she had only ever seen around her father’s neck. Her hands shook as she took it. Without further comment, Xavier quietly opened his scroll to read, giving her the illusion of privacy, knowing she did not like others to see her with tears in her eyes.

✶✶✶✶✶
 

Once Syth was satisfied that the Archive was perhaps the safest and most secure space that could be found in the Mortal Realm, he relaxed and allowed Xavier and Olpha to wander off on their own. Even Garnet was comfortable with the idea too.

Syth noticed Lew and Nimbi still sitting on one side of the great dais. He had wanted to talk with the Pantherling about something for some time now, but things had been moving so fast lately that he’d been unable to find an opportunity. Coming to a quick decision and muttering, “Now is as good a time as any,” he walked over to the pair. “That was quite a fight… It’s been a while since I have had that much fun…”

Lew looked up when he heard the familiar voice and grinned. “Are you sure you are not related to Aegir?” He asked with a laugh. “It certainly was a fight. I’ll give you that. But I think we need to talk about your definition of fun! Although… Nimbi seems to be very pleased with herself over the whole affair.” The two of them laughed gently as only people who have shared an experience like the one they just had, could.

Syth hesitated a moment. This was unaccustomed territory for him, and a lot was riding on the outcome. “I have been wanting to have a word with you for some time now.” He looked around to see where everyone was at the moment. “A quiet word… In private… If we could?”

Lew was instantly intrigued. The hesitancy in Syth’s voice was unusual. The two of them had a casual, easy-going friendship once they got to know each other. He looked around. “Sure. How about we take a walk and see what is in that direction over there? He said pointing across the great cavern. Syth smiled and nodded, and the pair soon strolled companionably with Nimbi at their heels.

Syth broke the easy silence between them. “As I said, I have been meaning to talk with you, but as usual, things got crazy. The thing is… Well, I need your promise… An oath on your honor… Not to talk about this with anyone else.”

Lew really was curious now. This really was unlike Syth. “Well, I could do that, but I can not lie to Xavier…”

“Neither can I…” Syth replied. “He would be the one exception… But only if he asks a direct question… I think he will approve anyway, and I do not want to involve him with this if I can help it. He has got a lot on his mind already.”

“Interesting…” Murmured Lew as he came to a decision. “Very well, I can do that. I swear on my honor not to talk about whatever you are going to tell me, to or with anyone but Xavier… And then, only in answer to a direct question.” He paused and looked at Syth with a grin. “OK! So tell me. What’s the big secret?

Syth laughed. “Thank you… I have been thinking… about something special… And I need your help…” For the next quarter turn of the sand glass, Syth laid out what was on his mind.

At one point, Lew gave a low whistle and whispered, “Wow! That is interesting. How can I help?” By the time they had walked a bit further, the two conspirators had formulated a plan of action. Now it was only a matter of waiting for an opportunity to start the ball rolling.

Just then, they turned a corner, and all three of them came to a sudden stop and stared in astonishment at the scene in front of them.

“WOW! Will you look at that!” Exclaimed Lew with utter delight.

Spread out before the astonished trio was a very… very… very large pool of crystal clear water. At one end of the pool was an impressive travertine formation that must have taken millennia to grow to its present size. Water bubbled out of the top of the formation, cascading down and filling the pool. It was obviously a natural spring of considerable age and beauty.

At the other end of the pool, a creek flowed out, carrying away the excess water. Someone had built a delicate marble bridge over the creek, making it easy to access all sides of the pool.

Nimbi was the first to approach the pool, with Syth and Lew right behind her. She sniffed the water and looked at Lew expectantly. Both boys dropped to a knee, thrust a hand in, and swirled the water around. Then the two conspirators looked at each other, and with grins splitting their faces, it became a race to see who could strip first and dive into the large pool of warm water that was fed by a thermal spring. Moments later, there were three large splashes as Nimbi joined the pair.

✶✶✶✶✶
 

Xavier sighed when he found the proper room. He left Olpha in the sitting room while she was reading. She barely acknowledged when he said he would return shortly. When he entered, it was just another room full of scrolls, books, trinkets, and other items that some distant dragon thought were important enough to store here. Had it not been for the insanely powerful preservation spells woven into the creation of the Archive, everything in this room would have turned to dust millennia ago. However, nothing in here looked old unless you knew what you were looking at.

He moved to the back of the room and pulled the rack away from the wall. He again drew his sword and bloodied his hand. He used the blood to trace a glyph on the wall. With a grunt, he moved the rack back into place and then left the room.

Entering the next room, he again pulled the back rack away from the wall. It took him a moment to locate the barely visible crack in the wall, but when he did, he slotted the sword into it, as far as it would go, turned it 180 degrees, then pushed it the rest of the way in, until only the hilt was visible.

Finally, he moved to the side and pulled that shelf out. He milked his hand to get the blood flowing again and traced yet another glyph on the wall. Then he thrust his hand deep into the wall in the center of the glyph. His hand found the handle, so he grasped it hard. He gave an involuntary cry of pain as the handle bit into his already bloody hand, and the familiar blue light enveloped him again.

Once the light went out, he slowly rotated the handle 90 degrees, pushed it in, rotated it back, and pulled it back out. When he let go and removed his hand, the wall slid back, then to the side, revealing a room he had only glimpsed once before, but he had dreamt about it many, many times since then.

He could not help but grin as he walked around, silently taking in all that was there. He was about to leave when something caught his eye. He nodded to himself as he picked the object up from off the shelf and slid it into a specially made pouch that was sitting next to it. Finally, he turned to leave, a smile plastered on his face. One that did not leave as he reset the locks and made his way back to the small sitting room he had left Olpha in.

When he entered, his smile slowly faded as he saw the tear streaks on her face. “May I assume the scroll was from your father?”

“It was.” She said, simply meeting his gaze.

“Is there anything in there I need to know about?” he asked softly.

“There is.” She said with a deep sigh. She opened her mouth to continue when she was interrupted by a distant scream.

"AIEEEEEEEEEE... HELP! MENTOR COME QUICK!! THERE'S DEAD PEOPLE IN HERE... AND I THINK THEY STILL BE ALIVE!!!"