“Indeed I do,” affirmed Hronso, sounding pleased with himself.
The pain from his burned skin made Ethan grit his teeth as he stood up. He glanced over in Kat’s direction. Her face was a mask of sheer terror and her eyes were filling with tears.
“I will not ask you again,” shouted Hronso.
Ethan’s heart pounded. I have to remember, he thought desperately. He pictured the moment the dragon had placed its head in his hands. What had he felt? Peace. Love. Then something else. Sorrow. But why? He imagined Hronso charging in, sword poised to strike. But after that, no matter how hard he tried, everything was still as blank as ever.
He saw the red glow of the dwarf weapon begin to flash again. Kat clutched at his arm.
“To the back of the cave,” ordered Markus.
Again they ran. The fire burst forth, this time striking the ground where they had only just been standing. The heat blasted Ethan’s already burned back and it took all his strength not to cry out from the pain
“Why aren’t you fighting back, Dragonvein,” taunted Hronso. “You did threaten to burn me again, did you not? Do you lack the power?”
“Why don’t you come down here and find out,” Ethan challenged.
Hronso responded with harsh laughter. “Bring them to me!” he ordered his men.
The song of steel was quickly followed by the stomping of boots.
“Better than being roasted alive,” remarked Markus somberly.
“You should disappear,” Ethan whispered to Kat.
She glared at him defiantly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but Jonas had already grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
“Stay with me,” he told her. He took a few steps further to the rear, allowing Ethan and Markus to stand together in front of them.
“I really wish I knew how to fight with this damn thing,” Ethan said, looking at his sword.
Markus smiled. “Just remember that the sharp end points away from you.”
He returned the smile and readied himself.
The stomping of the soldier’s boots drew closer. Ethan could now make out their ominous silhouettes; they were closing quickly. Yet again his mind concentrated fiercely, searching for a way to produce the same bolt of fire that had dealt with Hronso before. Try harder, he kept telling himself. Try harder…..
Then he heard a faint rumbling sound. For a moment he thought it was coming from inside his head, a result of the intense pressure he was creating within himself. But the sound quickly grew much louder, and then the ground began to shake violently. Large chunks of rock and debris fell from the ceiling and smashed onto the floor between him and the soldiers. They halted, unsure what to do.
With the shaking growing ever more intense, both he and Markus were struggling to keep their feet. They turned and stumbled toward the rear wall, grabbing Jonas and Kat as they passed. Once at the dead end, the four of them huddled together, unable to do anything more than watch as larger and larger rocks fell. Within moments the soldier’s torches had vanished from view.
“Come!” a deep voice called out a few yards to Ethan’s right.
He looked across to see that a small section of the wall had opened as if on hinges. Standing just inside was a shadowy figure no taller than four feet, yet extremely broad in the shoulder.
“Come,” the figure repeated urgently. “Unless you wish to be buried alive.”
Ethan shoved Kat and Jonas ahead. Markus followed close behind. Once inside, the door closed behind them. The clamor of the collapse continued to reverberate, filling the air with dust.
Shielding his eyes, Ethan peered ahead, but the way was too dark to see. He reached up and touched the ceiling. It was only just high enough for him to walk upright, though Markus would undoubtedly need to bend down.
“Hurry,” called the voice. “This tunnel is unstable.”
Markus took the lead, his sword drawn and ready.
They walked as fast as they could manage for about five hundred yards. The ground was level throughout, and even the walls gradually transitioned from a natural formation to being smooth and neatly squared.
A light beckoned from just ahead. Markus gestured for Ethan to draw his sword as well. Though he was hesitant to show signs of aggression toward someone who had just saved their lives, he did as Markus instructed. This did not go unnoticed by Jonas. He regarded them both with deep disapproval.
The passage ended at a small chamber approximately thirty foot square. Embedded into the walls at regular intervals were stones