I stared at the pool in silence.

I had spent another day of fighting off creatures I'd only heard of and ghosts with a violence I could barely comprehend. I'd even come across a baby werm that chased me through the tangled roots for two hours until I finally figured out how to kill the tiny thing. 

I had left a trail of blood through Eastwood and so now, standing here, I knew it had to be harder then it looked.

The pool was black and menacing, stretching at least an arm to my left and right. Straight ahead of me, about fifty twigs across the pool and not much more, there was a staircase set into an otherwise completely flat stone wall that was the entrance to the North Mountains. Between me and that staircase was a single line of stone about the width of my foot. I had balanced on things thinner then this in training and could walk it easily. Many, I'm sure, could walk it easily. Some children could no doubt skip across it. 

So that couldn't be all that was between me and my second destination.

Something was in the water. I was sure of it.

But the water was completely still, giving no hints as to what could be in there. I stood at the edge of darkness, and I waited, but there was nothing. I saw no other way across, no way around, and no other options.

I would have to risk it.

But... it couldn't be this easy. It couldn't.

I stepped on the stone ahead of me, then jumped back onto solid land quickly, hand on the hilt of my sword.

I waited.

Nothing

I frowned at the water suspiciously.

Behind me, I sensed something creeping up on me. In my two days in the northern part of Eastwood, my instincts were sharpened to a capital T and I had a feeling I used my second brain more then my first for almost everything since leaving the boulder. I have learned to trust them and so I turned but saw nothing. 

It didn't matter, my suspicions were more then likely correct and if there was something in the water —there was, I just knew it — then I would rather cross it in as much silence as possible and not have the sound of fighting wake it up.

I put the light crystal in my mouth, stepped onto the stone walkway with a grimace, and with my sword gripped firmly, I started across.

I walked. Two steps... three. My feet did not touch the water, only the stone which sat just a quarter twig above it. My steps on the stone did not make ripples in the alarmingly still water. There was nothing.

Four steps... five... six...

Before I knew it, I was half the way across. I did not feel safe, in fact, I was debating on running across the last half to get off this walkway as quickly as possible when it happened.

A tentacle, much like the sirens' but with no claw at the end and much, much larger, burst out of the water with a splash and wrapped around my ankle. I did not jump in fright or shock after (not after Eastwood), and instead I cut down at it instantly. However, it had knocked me off balance and I struggled to regain it. I thought I heard a shout from somewhere - more then likely mine - and then another tentacle came out, then another, and both went for me. 

I swiped at them, cutting off both in one strike, but a third tentacle came up behind me as I did and encased both legs in a hard, snake-like grip. Before I could cut it off, I was being yanked into the water.

My first thought was: I knew there was something in here!

Then, I was fighting.

My sword went down, cutting off the tentacle around my waist and leaving a splash of black ink behind which burned my eyes, but not enough for me to close them. Of course, I then tried to swim up, but several more came at me. With the light crystal, I was able to see my surroundings somewhat, but though I was fast, I was not fast enough.

One wrapped around my waist, gripping me tight enough to hurt my ribs and threaten breaking. I would have cut it off, but another went for my neck and that became my priority. I then cut the one around my waist as my ears popped from the pressure and I realized I would need to breath very soon. Free, I started swimming up again, hoping for just a single gasp of air...

I was not surprised when it grabbed me again, the black tentacle reaching out around my ankle, then another from behind. I fought and tried to cut them off again but the owner of the tentacles had learned and one grabbed my wrist to prevent me from moving. Before I could move my left arm to take the sword from my entrapped right, another shot out from behind me and snatched the other wrist as well. 

I felt panic creep in, hinting at overwhelming me.

No more weapons. I had no more weapons. Only my unreachable sword. 

Then I saw the mouth that waited for me, coming towards me in the murky water.

I screamed around the light crystal; black spots covering my vision as I stupidly let out half my air on such a useless gesture.

Werm, I thought, seeing the double set of teeth, opening and closing at different speeds, both open just for me. But then I understood: not a werm, but instead its' water-cousin.

Kraken.

No. 

The kraken were dead. We'd killed them all years ago. Before my time. Before my fathers' time!

Obviously, they'd missed one.

Terror. That is what I felt. I thought I'd felt it before. Many times I thought I had felt it, but I realize now it was simply a heightened sense of fear or panic. This... this was true terror. If one were to describe to a child what terror felt like, an apt description would simply be this: what you would feel looking into the mouth of a kraken.

I tried yanking. Yanking uselessly against the hold. I felt both my wrists snap as the grip tightened on them past the pressure point of what any bone could withstand, and even that pain did not slow my struggle. I screamed again, letting loose the last of the air that was once so precious to me but no longer - I would rather drown then such a death. I hoped for such a death of drowning rather then the one gaping below me, ever moving me closer in the slow motion of - not joining minds - but of a dream.

This was not real. It could not be real. 

That is what true terror did to you; it forces you to believe that what was before you was not real so that it did not break your mind, but I felt that mine was beginning to crack open anyway.

When the figure came before me in the water, swimming between me and the kraken of which was only twigs away from me now, close enough to see the throat filled with ragged sores of white as if there were a hundred rows of teeth hidden in its throat, just waiting to come out and crush me... when the figure came, I did not believe the figure was real either. I thought it was one last desperate attempt for my mind to give me peace before the most painful death imaginable. 

Even as my eyes saw tentacle wrap around the figures waist and pull it into its mouth before me; even as I saw the flash of steel glint and slice up between the two rows of teeth before those teeth could crush the figure; even as the kraken jerked violently and the tentacles loosened their grip on me... I still did not believe it to be real. 

The scream though, the scream of the kraken dying was so alarming in the silence of the water that it woke me and started, sucking in a breath of water to which I gagged on and heaved as I felt those arms were replacing the tentacles. I gripped onto the shoulders that were somehow so familiar and I thought, this is impossible, but my mind was telling me now that it was real. That the impossible had happened.

When my face broke surface, I sucked in air, only to gag and almost drown on the water still in my lungs. I was lifted up and dragged onto stone and I went in my knees and elbows as I gagged and threw up inky water, shaking and shivering violently. Not from cold - as the water had been oddly warm - but shivering instead from the leftovers of such a terror.

As I gagging stopped and I could finally breathe, pain from my wrists creeped into my mind and I remembered they were both broken, crushed, and mangled things hanging uselessly at the ends of my arms. "The gem." I managed to gasp hoarsely before I  hacked up water again, somehow my words having found more in my body that needed to be expelled. "Right... pocket."

A hand dug into my cloak and found the gem then pressed it to my face as I rolled onto my side, trying to breathe properly. The Ruberous Faun had had the time to recharge a bit and so my wrists screamed as they mended themselves back into place. Until, finally, I was able to reach up and take the gem and hold it to my face myself, replacing those rough fingers.

When my breathing was steady and my injuries were healed and when the Ruberous Faun gave me much-needed energy, I was able to stand and put away the gem. Though it had succeeded in healing my body, my mind was still not healed and I continued to shake as I faced the three people I thought I'd seen the last of for a long while.

"How?" It was all I could ask at that point. One word questions.

Aitch snorted. "That 'twas easy, missus, we just had to follow the blood, weapons, and dead bodies. We needed to memorise no map when you made a trail right through Eastwood for us."

I blinked at that a moment, then, "Why?"

Jazera pursed her lips, looking only irritated. "Because Arion is an idiot and we couldn't let him get himself killed following you."

I looked to Arion who stood, soaking wet, at the edge of the platform. His arms were crossed and was glaring at me, his eyes hostile. "Your uncles plan worked." He said with obvious irritation. "We weren't fifty twigs away when I had to turn back because I bloody knew well you weren't going to make it if I didn't."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I made it this far without you!"

He snorted but said nothing, however, his eyes began to loose their anger and surprise seeped in. "I can't figure out how." He said honestly.

The honesty was insulting but I was getting used to that. I sighed and dropped the subject, pulling up my hood and turning towards the stairs. "Well, if you're coming, stay behind me." But before I could even climb the stair, I felt guilty for being so angry with him. It suddenly dawned on me that they had actually followed me through northern Eastwood; that they were right here; that I was no longer alone, all because of Arion.

I turned and - surprising us both - I hugged Arion hard enough that he nearly stumbled back into the water. He didn't hug me back, but that was alright because I hadn't expected him to.

I pulled away and turned without looking at his face. "Let's go." I said and started up the deadly climb to the entrance of the North Mountains.

***

The climb was long and labourers and exhausting, and I was beginning to understand why the Ruberous Faun had been lawed only to be used in times of great need as there were several times I had to force myself to not touch it. I'd become used to having that energy fill me and even the soreness that I could usually ignore and forget about seemed to make me want to touch the gem. I told myself right then that I would only use the stone in life or death situations from then on.

But that was hard to remember when I basically rolled onto the top ledge. My hand went into my pocket and I almost pulled it out to touch it to my face, but had to force my fingers to let it go. In the end, I did pull it out, but only to hand it to Arion. "Hold onto this for me."

He frowned with confusion but pocketed it and nodded once.

Before us sat the gaping hole of a cave. I knew the map on my mind and knew very well that this cave only widened the further it went it, but the lack of light made it seem narrow and endlessly blackened. My light crystal had been dropped from my mouth into the waters below, as was my sword. I felt naked without my weapons but knew that my weapons would be useless inside this cave anyway. Unlike in Eastwood, what was inside the cave were creatures that could not be defeated. Not without several powerful mages and an army at least.

Unlike the entrance of the Black Mountains, this entrance looked menacing. You could not stand before this cave of jagged rock jutting out like hungry teeth and wonder if the blackness beyond was safe or not. You knew it was deadly.

I had to remind myself that, unlike most everyone else in Nahdiera, I had nothing to fear.

The lack of light though, made me nervous. The entire reason why I had taken the elf blood from the king and the crystal from the Black Mountains was for this very reason right now. It was a maze in there... but it was gone and I could do nothing about it.

I turned to the Shadows. "I'll have to guide you blindly. I can see nothing with my eyes. But I must still lead." Or the dragons would not hesitate to kill the lot of us. With me at the front, they would hesitate long enough for me to speak. 

I did not say this; it would bring up too many questions I could not answer.

Arion huffed out an irritated breath and gripped my arm. "Straight ahead." He said sarcastically. I gave him a glare but we entered the darkness.

The inner tunnels were literally a maze, with hundreds of dead ends, drop offs in the floor, and places where you needed to climb to reach another level. Without light, it was impossible for anyone to find their way, even if they knew where they were going, but fire only drew the attention of the dragons and was considered a threat. Without a light crystal, I had no way of seeing. It made me nervous that I would need to go into this blind.

No one had been inside the North Mountain in centuries, not since it was often visited by the Elves in the a Black Mountains when the Black Mountains was a kingdom itself, so it was impossible to know just how many dragons resided inside the mountains now, but I was surprised when we walked the maze for hours with me silently leading the way under Arion's description of our surrounding and we did not come across a single one. The mountain was huge, I knew, covering over ninety arms of space at least, but I had expected to be confronted near the very beginning.

But we were very nearly at the Kings Nest before we were approached, and by this time, I had begun to suspect that they had all died off.

"There's someone ahead." Arion whispered, pulling me to a stop. No sooner had he said the words did a voice come from the darkness.

"Leave. You are not welcome here."

I pulled my arm from Arion's and stepped blindly forward. "Bhoik gra ghaire, Doro Kaung." I said clearly. I had no idea what the first part meant, but I had memorized those words long ago and repeated them for practice so many times that they came out as naturally as if I knew the ancient tongue of Dragon Keepers.

There was a long pause, one filled with such silence that I thought we were alone once more. Then: "That password of welcome brings you welcome no longer."

I stared stupidly a moment. 

I hadn't expected that and it caught me off guard. Then I grimaced, knowing there was no way I could turn back. "I come to beg the ears of the dragon king." I said formally. "I vow bring no harm to he nor greed with me." I paused and when there was no response, I continued. "The great Doro Kaung will not be disappointed by my presence. Of this, I assure you, Dragon Keeper."

Once more there was a long silence, and this time, it lasted so long that I feared I was completely alone. That even the Shadows - silence as always - had left me standing there alone in the darkness.

Then there was light. So white and so bright that I winced and grimaced, flinching away from it. It was a light crystal, but it was filled with energy and blinding after so many hours of darkness.

When I was finally able to blink away the tears and pain of strain to see, that was when the Dragon Keeper turned and said simply, "Follow." 

And so we did.

Dragon keepers looked like a cross between a mage and a reptile. They were naturally tall, like mages, and thin as well, wearing robes of white over their forms.

But their skin grew out scaled, starting from their feet and hands and faces, then working its way inward. The Dragon Keepers were immortal in the way that once they reached a certain age, they never aged physically any longer and were very difficult to kill... but they were generally weak creatures. Their only reason for survival was to serve the dragons of which they hand bonded with and nothing more. These Keepers could translate the minds of a dragon as well as their sounds, and they cleaned and groomed their scales. 

This was all I know of them, and I doubted they were much more then that at all, seeing as they were known simply as a natural slave.

The creature walked swiftly with its long legs, but seemingly unhurried. I did detect a nervous energy about him though (at least, I thought it was a him - hairless and flat chested, it was hard to tell and the neutral voice hadn't helped either) and I wondered if he were nervous about us, or his kings reaction to us.

I felt nervous, of course, for we were about to see an irritable creature that could kill all four of us as easily as I could kill a huddled group of ants on a stone with my finger. Dragons could be killed, but it was so difficult that many gave them the name of immortals anyway. They had earned that name thousands of years ago, and still it was believed.

But I was confidant that this would go as planned. Though the others had no idea how I was possibly going to talk myself out of is one, they did not know who I was, so I did not blame them. Yes, we were in danger of course... but not even nearly as much as they thought. This was actually the safest place we'd gone to yet. My only honest worry was that I would walk out of here empty-handed.

So long as the elven king had been right, and Doro Kaung was still king. If Doro was not king then we were dead, and that was that.

Now able to see, I watched the great cave come before us. It was a cave inside another cave, one in which we needed to climb up a step hill of smooth stone to reach. The floors were smooth and polished and well kept, and not a single dust mote was in sight. It was beautiful, and grand, and glorious, and just as stunning as it had surly been a thousand years ago with its simplicity.

Inside the great cavern was the nest of the king.

A single light crystal - dim but still with much life in it - hung from the great ceiling with a thousand dead ones. The floor was round and polished except for a single walkway cutting through to the centre which is where we stopped, and this walkway was of gritted stone that held onto our leathers so that we did not slip. To the left and right were great pillars freckled with gold.

But straight ahead, there was a mountain of gold.

Coins, necklaces, even crowns there were, glinting yellow in the white of the crystal. There was so much there that it would take a hundred thousand people to carry it out in one trip, and only if they each were strong men used to heavy lifting. Even after seeing the elves treasury, this pile of gold was by far the most riches anyone had ever seen.

And the dragon king was sleeping in it.

"M-master?" The dragon keeper shuddered out and swallowed heavily before continuing. "You have guests."

For a moment, there was no movement at all.

Then the coiled body rose and stretched, muscled legs coiling and recoiling as it brushed off sleep and it grumbled.

The keeper winced. "I—I bring greatest apologies, Master. This one spoke the password of the kings of old and... y-yes, Master. Of course, Master. Never again."

I stepped forward a single step and I heard Jaz curse behind me quietly.

"I have brought you gifts to beg you to simply hear me, dragon king. If you hear my words and still deny us being here, then we will leave, or you may kill us as is your pleasure."

"Speak for yourself." Aitch grumbled in a whisper.

I ignored him, as did the dragon who turned to face me. I could see only a glimpse of yellow eyes and black horns in the dim light, but it was enough for sweat to break out beneath my leather gloves. I didn't hesitate though in reaching into my pockets and pulling out the gold from the Black Mountains.

First I emptied three purses of coins, letting them fall upon the floor in clanks and tinkles. Then from my inner pockets, I pulled more gold — rings and rarer coins and solid, raw pieces. Then from around my waist I pulled loose a golden dress chain, and from around my neck I snapped the several fine chains that held a hundred pieces of gold on its strings, which fell upon the other riches around me with heavy clinks and clanks.

Then I simply waited.

The dragon king grumbled.

"A-and... my Master asks you this: And the others?"

I looked to the Shadows who were all grimacing now. "I'll repay you double what you give." I said simply.

Arion grumbled but began pulling out his coins - which was all he had taken. Jaz almost cried when she broke the several necklaces that she's managed to keep around her neck. Aitch, I'm quite sure, did cry a bit as he began pulling piece after piece from his self, dropping them onto the floor. For the first time, I was quite sure Aitch hated me, at least for that moment.

I turned to the dragon. "That is all on our persons, great king, unless you have a taste for the crystals in which you create so well with your mighty breath."

He grumbled again, then was silent and slowly - so slowly - he began to move down the mountain of gold with slow and easy, monstrous steps.

The sound of gold falling down a hill of it was a sound I doubt any had heard before me, but that was what I heard on each step and it would not be easily forgotten. Arion gripped my arm as if to pull me back, then let go as if remembering that he could do nothing to protect me wherever it was that I stood. Even Arion could not protect me from this.

But I could protect him. He just didn't know it.

The dragon was long and leeth, like a snake who grew too much muscle until it was forced to sprout legs. The face though, was nothing like a snake, with a long snout and a thin line of a mouth beneath two slits of nostrils. Something like whiskers were set there as well, flowing down past his jaw and quivering with each breath. I had a moment where I thought that those hairs must get in the way as he ate, then dropped the thought and focused.

"M—my master says he will hear your words, Daughter of Man."

I nodded once to the Keeper and looked at the dragon king, tilting my head to the side. "I have heard that I can trust you with secrets." I began and then took a risk. "Does this mean that your mind is safe from the grey stone?" I knew it already, but I needed it confirmed, for only Doro Kaung had this ability, and so I wished to have his identity confirmed.

"Yes." Said the Keeper for the dragon king.

I felt myself grow confidant again and I stepped forward, my leathers rustling the gold at my feet. I stepped off the rough walkway and onto the polished stone until I was very near this beast. Until I was passed the view of the Keeper whose mind was not protected. Until there was no of the Shadows seeing what I would show this king. 

The dragon bent its head to nearly my level. He was much larger then the white dragons - at least twenty twigs in height without stretching upwards. His mouth was as wide as I could stretch my arms, and I could fit my hand inside his nostril if I so chose to.

I reached up to my hood instead - which had mostly dried during the walk - and let it fall down my back, revealing my curly hair and my grey-green eyes and, most importantly, revealing the marks on my neck. The red catching the dragons eye before any other creature would notice.

The giant of a beast sucked in a sharp breath and let out a rumble that was near a growl, and then it abruptly began to pace the large chamber.

"You know who I am." I pulled my hood up over my head again as I turned so my eyes could follow the beast who roamed like a caged animal. The dark wings ruffled behind him, dragging upon the polished stone.

"You know what I am capable of." I continued, my eyes watching this king, with wary determination and expectation.

"You know what I can give you." I pulled my hair over my shoulders again as I turned further to follow him with my eyes as he began to circle the room instead of pace. Its tail - spiked and deadly - whipped and coiled in emotion. He passed the way we had come in, passed the Shadows on the walkway who stood in fighting stances but did not dare touch their weapons, passed the Keeper who cowered slightly inward in fear. 

I lifted my chin as it nearly passed me again and spoke clearly. "You know what I need."

At that, he stopped and turned swiftly, snarling, revealing sharp, pointed, teeth made for ripping but not chewing. No, because why chew something when you had a mouth big enough to swallow it as it still screamed and begged for mercy?

He grumbled something, then growled out another noise but seeing as the keeper did not translate, I assumed it was talking to himself. He resumed its circling, one more passing the three Shadows who were rooted to the spot and not daring to move.

"Give me what I want." I demanded as it approached me again, and it snapped its teeth a twig from my face.

But I continued. Bravely or foolishly, I wasn't sure. "Give me what I want, or waste your final chance at revenge and kill me and be done with it all."

He was breathing heavily, its breath hot on my face. It made no sound nor any movement, but I knew it was processing my words and debating.

But I knew what had been done to the dragons so long ago, and I knew how long they held their thirst for revenge, and I also knew that a dragons pride was almost as strong as its greed. It would agree, it was only a matter of time.

It was its nature, and so it must.

At least... that was what the elven king said.

A/N: Wow, long chapter this time. It's literally twice the length as my average chapter... but I don't even care! So much happened in this chapter, with Arion saving her ass again, the Shadows returning (I couldn't keep them out of this book if I tried... which I didn't try XD), and with Doro and the Keepers being introducted... I'm so excited. LOL! 

Hope you're all enjoying reading this book as much as I did writing it. If you're not, please tell me why! If anything is confusing, lacking detail (or too much), even grammar be sure to let me know.

I'll try and post another chapter tonight but that is not a promise so don't hate-pm me if I don't, lol. Happy reading everyone!