John goes from the hunted to the hunter -- until the hunter realized just how scary what he's hunting really is!
You can find Chapter 20
here
, Chapter 1
here
, and the story (Enchanted) that started it all
here
The main tunnel of the cavern remained dry as it burrowed into the mountain. John tried not to think of the sheer weight of the stone above and around them. The cave seemed ancient and sturdy but a cave-in would crush them all in less time than it took to realize it was happening. No amount of magic or infernal intervention could save them.
He shook the though from his head as a warm draft rose out of the depths. It carried a musky odor with it.
"That's different," Roxanne muttered.
They kept moving, falling silent as the air grew so warm it became stifling. Sweat beaded on their faces. A light in the darkness ahead boded an end to the passage.
"The light at the end of the tunnel," Zynga said with a snicker.
"That amuses you?" Roxanne asked
"It does," Zynga said. "So many jokes you wouldn't understand."
"I'd like to," she responded.
"Yes, well, I can't just explain them... you'd have to see what I've seen and go where I've gone."
"So maybe sometime you can take me there."
Zynga stared at Roxanne's back in surprise. Roxanne turned her head enough to offer her a smile and said, "I told you that you ruined me."
Zynga's lips twisted up in a grin. If Roxanne had come to terms with her true form already--
"Enough," John said, forcing Zynga and Roxanne back to the present. "No distractions, however pleasant you might find them."
"Sorry, milord," Roxanne mumbled.
The light grew brighter and soon they saw the end of the tunnel. It opened into midway up the wall of a large cavern. Broken nubs of stalactites dotted the ceiling. A glimmer in places, especially to the right, gave evidence of water on the ceiling and walls.
They approached the opening as stealthily as possible and slowly found themselves looking down a broad ramp made of rocks, packed with gravel and dirt. The egg shaped room had a pool that flowed in a river on the right into the mountain, no doubt heading toward the other passage they'd found that these dragonkin used as a latrine.
Gathered near it was a smooth shelf of rock where a score of leathery pods sat around a pile of stones. Two draconians moved among them, touching and rotating the pods and tending to them. The pods would shiver and throb in response.
"Saints protect us!" Helleen whispered as she looked to the left.
The left side of the room cavern was higher than the right. Large braziers flanked crude stairs that had been carved into the rock. The stairs rose less than a dozen feet to a flat shelf of rock with more braziers spread evenly around its edge. At the top of it knelt a nude woman. A nude woman with blond hair and a youthful but shapely figure they all remembered from Hawk Hollow: Arika.
Beyond Arika was a creature John had only seen in books. It towered over Arika with one might clawed hand raised. The hand was as big as the woman was.
"Master, I failed you," Arika pleaded. "Give me another chance. I won't underestimate them again! We will destroy them this time, not capture. I won't risk the wizard's power again."
"You have failed me," the dragon replied, his voice so deep and powerful it seemed to come from the rocks around them as much as it did from the terrible creature.
"Look at all the gold!" Roxanne hissed and pointed at the stacks of smelted ingots of gold. There were sacks setting next to it, with one open enough to reveal the shimmer of golden coins inside of it.
The dragon caught her in its hand and lifted her off the ground. It brought her up closer to its carriage sized head and said, "I intend to destroy you when my forces are replenished and promote another. Until then you may try to prove yourself worthy... perhaps I will only return you to the lesser ranks if you please me."
"Yes, Master!" she wheezed in the crushing grip.
He tossed her away, sending her flying through the air and rolling down the steps. She cried out and gasped but eventually rose to her hands and knees at the bottom."Thank you, Master!"
"How do we fight that?" Helleen hissed.
"Did you see when it rose up?" Artesia said. "It's belly looked... different."
"Arika is coming, back up," John warned the others.
"Back up where?" Zynga wondered.
"Up the tunnel a bit, I'll silence it so we can capture here."
Zynga grinned. "I should never have doubted you, Master."
John ignored her and retreated with the others. They split into two groups, one along either side of the passage, and john readied his spell until Arika entered the tunnel and began to walk along it. Her shoulders rose, her chest thrust out, and her demeanor changed from one terrified and cowed to a woman that was confident in herself. She showed no concern for lack of modesty.
John cast his spell and Arika almost missed a step. Her mouth opened but no sound came out. She twisted around, looking behind her, and then turned again to see all of them charging down the passage toward her. She turned again and started to run. Her bare feet slipped, slowing her a moment. Two steps later she was thrown to the ground as Sasha landed on top of her.
The rest of them arrived while Sasha had a paw on Arika's back, her claws extended. Her jaws were wrapped around the woman's neck from the back, her teeth poking into her skin and letting her know without any sound what her fate would be if she resisted. Jennaca tied her arms behind her back and then hobbled her ankles together before tapping Sasha and motioning for the tiger to get off of Arika.
Helleen and Roxanne picked the woman up and brought her back up the tunnel out of the globe of magical silence. John left his spell in place for now in case to block any noises they might make. Arika might yet be foolish enough to cry out.
The twins twisted her around and sat her down with her back against the wall. Arika looked up at them, eyes darting from one face to the next until she saw John step up behind them.
"John!" she gasped.
John held his spear in his hand and then slowly knelt down to one knee. He stared into the woman's face and studied her. He was certain of the fear he saw, but there was more going on. He sent his tendrils of magic into her. She squirmed a moment and then sighed and opened her mouth, almost as though she could see them.
"What--" he began to ask.
