Chapter 28 Chapter Twenty Seven

"The dragon," said Mosiah, "a night dragon." "But that's impossible!" gasped Saryon. "Those dragons are magical creatures. They must all be dead when the life force fades from Simharon." "The life force is not gone, Father. The holy well is shattered, but the magic has not really dissipated like we thought." "We believe the well may be closed, Father," Sheila said. "I don't believe there are dragons there. It's impossible." Alisa argued. "We were there just now." "I don't know if you remember, but I said once that the smell in that cave was fresh," said Mosiah.

"But... I still don't understand..." Saryon looked even more confused. "How do you know it's a night dragon that lives in that cave? It could be anything. Maybe a bear." "A bear? Yes, of course. Lovely teddy bear! Yes, that would explain everything. Or, nothing at all. As for the cave. We've been there. Actually, we've died There." Mosiah stared at Sheila. "Is that so, Your Excellency the Knight?" Sheila shrugged. "If you want to say that." She rolled her eyes, leaned towards me, and whispered, "He's really interesting."

"The Dark Sword is there too," Alisa reminds us. "We must go back to that cave and retrieve the Dark Sword." "We cannot challenge the night dragons," Saryon objected with all his strength, "they are terrible creatures, very scary!" "The dragon is in front of us, but the technologist is behind us," Mosiah pointed out to us. "We simply cannot turn back." Finally, like I said, I'm starting to get a little bit of the facts.I touched Saryon's arm. "You can charm the dragon, Father," I told him in sign language.

"No," he hastily denied. "Absolutely not." "Yes," I assured him, "you've done this before, in another life." "What another life?" Saryon looked at me confusedly. "Did I charm a dragon? I believe I will remember such a thing." He said with some doubts: "I can assure you, I have never done this before." "If he's going to do it, he's got to be quick," Mosiah warned us. "Although the sun is still shining, as soon as night falls, the dragon will wake up and go out to find food. It is dusk now."

Alisa has been watching over her father.Her attention was divided by Joram and us.She didn't quite understand what we were saying, but she understood the urgency of the situation, so she just listened quietly and never asked us to explain.She trusts us.I can only comfort her with a smile. "I told you, I don't know anything about Charming Dragons!" Saryon was still shaking his head. "You know," said Mosiah, "you're the only one of us who did it. I couldn't." "You're Dukes!" said Saryon. "But I was trained on Earth, and all the dragons I've seen were created with special effects. I don't have time to explain to you, but in another time, Father, a time when Joram died twenty years ago , you once approached a night dragon—I believe it was this dragon—and charmed it. Think about it, Father! Think about the lessons you took at the Holy Mountain, where all Catalyst Saints were taught the arts of the Battle Mage .”

"I...that was a long time ago..." Saryon pressed his hand on his forehead, as if feeling a headache. "If I fail, we'll all die. That's the most terrible death." "We know," said Mosiah. I noticed that Sheila had remained silent.She did not persuade Father Saryon, nor did she oppose Mosiah.Maybe there's a reason for this, I don't know yet, but I've gradually figured it out. "Father Saryon." It was Joram who spoke. I had been so absorbed in our argument that I hadn't noticed that Joram had come to himself.His head rests on his daughter's lap.Alisa was wiping the sweat off his brow and smoothing out his damp hair, looking at him worriedly but kindly.

Joram raised his hand with a smile.Saryon knelt down and pressed Joram's palm to his chest.He and we both understood that Joram's life was very short. "Father Saryon," he said with difficulty, "you can charm me, but what is a dragon?" "I will," Saryon's voice broke, "I will...do my best. You wait here." He stood up.If we hadn't stopped him, he would have rushed into the tunnel. "You can't charm it and take the Darksword at the same time," said Mosiah. "The Darksword will break the charm." "That's right." Saryon had to admit.

"I'll get back the Dark Sword..." Mosiah said. "I'm going to get back the Dark Sword," Alisa said firmly, "This is my mission." A spasm of pain distorted Joram's face.He shook his head, but he was too weak to stop his daughter, not even to persuade her to stay.A single tear ran through the bloodstains on his face.This is not because of his physical pain, but because of his remorse and self-blame. Alisa saw the tear, and she hugged her father tightly. "No, Father!" she cried too. "I am proud of my mission! I am proud to be your daughter. The world you broke may be saved by me!"

The daughter kissed her father and stood up resolutely. "I'm ready." I'm afraid Mosiah will try to stop her.But Mosiah just looked at Alisha intently, and after a moment, he bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty," he said, "I will go with you, and of course Reuven will. I may need my Catalyst Saint," he added. My heart was filled with pride, and it left me with little fear—almost.I can't forget the horrible scene when I faced the night dragon last time, the kind of horror and pain that can only be felt when dying, and what's even more terrifying-seeing Alisa's death with my own eyes.I resolutely stepped on those memories, otherwise I would never have the courage to take the first step.

"Someone has to stay and take care of my father," Alisa looked at me. "I had hoped that Reuven..." "I'll stay with Joram," Sheila said, smiling at us.The ringlets on her eyebrows quivered. "You can act now." "I don't understand," Saryon said gloomily. "You have to keep your faith," I said to him in sign language. "You're being rude to your mentor by saying that." He smiled weakly at me, then sighed dejectedly. "Come on, then. Let's charm the dragon." Night dragons have such an aversion to the sun that even though they hide in the darkest depths of Simharon, they still sleep during the day.Judging by the breathing rhythm, the dragon is still sleeping.But its sleep was apparently light and restless.We could hear its massive body moving, its scales scraping against the rocky ground.I remember in another life, the dragon said that when the Dark Sword was in its lair, it would constantly disturb its sleep.Maybe it was because of that, or because the dragon was about to wake up.

I remember the stench the last time we entered the dragon's lair, and it seems to be stronger now.We all covered our mouths and noses, trying to keep ourselves from throwing up.We did not bring lights, for we feared that even the faintest light would wake the night dragon and rouse it to rage.Moving slowly and noiselessly, groping our way with two hands, we crept along the last few yards of the tunnel, rounded a corner, and entered the dragon's lair. The diamond set in the dragon's brow shone cold and sharp, but it did not illuminate anything.We can't see the dragon, we can't see anything, not even our close companions. The dragon's breathing echoed through the tunnel.It turned its body again, its tail hit the wall, and the ground trembled.That diamond is down a bit.The dragon apparently settled down again.We stand in the dark, drenched in fear and awe. I can't get into this cave.I don't know where Saryon got the courage to do it, but he had the courage to turn himself into living rock once, too. "Wait here," Saryon said to us.His voice was not much louder than his breathing. "I had to do it alone." He left us and went into the cave.I couldn't see him, but I could hear the rustle of his robes, and the slight sound of his footsteps.His figure slid past my eyes, momentarily covering the diamond. Alisa held my hand, and I held hers tightly.Mosiah stood beside me, tensing all the muscles in his body.Sometimes, I could hear him whispering something, and I guessed it was him reliving his magic.It has been proven that those magics are of little use to us now. Those dukes!Are they here now too?like last time?Will they want to claim the Dark Sword? I took Mosiah's hand and wrote my question in his palm. "I've thought about that too," he whispered in my ear. "I've searched for my brethren, and they're not here." At least this removes one of my concerns. I haven't forgotten about Saryon, my heart follows his every step.The dragon snorted and turned over again, a white light shone through the gap between its eyelids.My heart stopped beating.Alisa held my hand so tightly that she even pinched a bruise on it.I don't find it painful at all, though. Saryon stopped, motionless.The dragon let out a deep breath and closed his eyes.The line of white light disappeared.We in front of the Dragon's Nest also breathed a sigh of relief. Saryon moved forward again.I think he must be very close to the dragon head by now.I saw the diamond again, and I could tell that the dragon had moved again.The huge head fell completely to the ground.Then I saw a hand, Saryon's, fragile and slender against the cold light of the diamonds. The hand hesitated for a moment.Saryon must be looking to Emin for power.And I was praying to Emin, asking Him to protect Saryon, protect us all. Saryon's hand touched the diamond. That diamond sparkles.The dragon twisted his body, his muscles twitched, and his whole body trembled.In another time, Night Dragon was injured while being charmed and captured by Sunlight.And this dragon was probably perfectly healthy, in its dark lair.The dragon let out a dull roar from its chest, claws scratching the ground. "Quick!" Mosiah whispered urgently.Though Saryon certainly couldn't hear him. "What are you waiting for? Perform the operation now!" I can't imagine what it would be like to put my own hand on a dragon's head and feel that giant beast move between my fingers, so I can't blame my master for his hesitation.His hand was drawn back, clenched into a fist. Mosiah took a step forward.Alisa pressed her cheek against my arm. Saryon took a deep breath.I could clearly hear his breathing.Then, he pressed his palm on the diamond. I couldn't understand what he was saying, only that the words were powerful and authoritative.The dragon stopped moving, as if merging with the rock around us. Saryon's chanting stopped.He stepped back, removing his palm from the diamond. It's time for us to know whether we are dead or alive. The dragon raised his head, and the diamond rose to the top of the cave.Those eyes opened, and the white light clusters enveloped us like the rising moon. "Don't look into its eyes!" Mosiah warned loudly.Saryon could hear him too. The dragon spread its wings.I could hear the grinding of sinews, and a thousand tiny, deadly points of light in the dark caverns. The dragon spoke, its voice trembling with rage.My breathing became a little easier. "You are the master," it said. "I am." Saryon replied in a firm voice. "You must obey my orders." "I have to," replied the Dragon, "be careful not to lose my grip. What do you want?" "There is a very important item in your lair. We want to retrieve it safely and take it away. After this, we will not bother you again." "I know the item," said the dragon. "It is a sword of light. It hurts my eyes and breaks my rest. Take it out of here." "A sword of light?" Alisa whispered strangely. "Alyssa," Saryon said, still watching the dragon. "Take up the sword of darkness." "Follow her, Reuven," said Mosiah. Of course I won't stay behind.We walked forward, Alisa and I entered the dragon's nest, and the white light of the dragon's eyes gathered on us and shone around us. Although the dragon can't harm us because of its magical control, it always wants to make us look up into its eyes and make us crazy.And I almost think it's worth going nuts just to get a glimpse of this magnificent, brutal, beautiful creature. Resisting this temptation, I kept gazing at Alisa.She kept staring at the cairn that covered the Darksword. "Come on, kid," Saryon urged in a low voice. Did he finally recall another time?The years when he raised us?I hope so.Although the ending of that time was tragic, I hope he knows.My love for him has flowed over from that time, as has my own.He is my father. Alisa walked up to the cairn and started moving it away with me.We went as fast as we could, throwing stones sideways.Finally, the Dark Sword appeared before us.Although the dragon said it was a sword of light, it didn't shine as I expected, nor did it reflect the white light from the dragon's eyes. Instead, it seemed to reflect the darkness of the dragon.Alisa grabbed the hilt of the Dark Sword and lifted it up. "Cover it!" shrieked the dragon.The light from its eyes disappeared, leaving us in total darkness. Alisa hurriedly wrapped the blanket that had been covering the Dark Sword. "Take it away!" The dragon kept struggling, as if this was the most terrible pain it had ever experienced. "This way!" Saryon yelled.His voice is our only guide, for we cannot see anything. Alisa and I held each other's hands, feeling comfort in our palms.Then we walked cautiously toward where Saryon was speaking.We want to move faster, but we fear tripping over rocks, bones, or other debris.The journey through the dragon's lair, with the dragon roaring and writhing right next to us, left us heartbroken.But Saryon's calm, steady voice guides us through this nightmare. "Here, here I am!" Saryon shouted.His hands found us in the dark, and immediately pulled us over into his arms. "My children!" He hugged us tightly.I know he's seen that other time. "My children!" My heart is full of love for him, and my love for Alisa.The love grew stronger and stronger, filling my whole body, leaving no room for fear.I am no longer afraid of the dark and dragons, technologists, or even Conifer.The future may be scary, I may never see the sunrise again, I may die when the morning comes.But in this moment, with this blissful warmth, it's enough. Saryon's hug tightened.I feel the tension in his body. "Be careful," he warned softly, "someone is here." "Father," Mosiah's voice came almost simultaneously. "Come out! Quick!" The dragon had stopped roaring in pain, and lay motionless on the ground with its eyes closed, only a gleam of bleak light came out from the slits in its eyes.I can still feel its hatred for us, but now it is mingled with fear. "Father!" Mosiah's cry became more urgent. "Wait a minute," Saryon whispered. A figure stood in front of us, right in the middle of the dragon's lair.She looked serene and peaceful, as if she were standing in the living room at Saryon, Oxford, and mine.She didn't notice the dragon.And the dragon pressed its body against the cave wall, as if trying to avoid her as much as possible. "Mom!" Alisa gasped. Mosiah came to us. "That could be another trap!" My first thought was that if technologists dared to play such a trick in front of the night dragon, they might be extremely brave, or on the verge of despair.And the last time we saw Coffin Smither, "despair" should be a pretty good description of him. Gwendelyn looked exactly the same as when I first met her, only the lines of work and worry had disappeared from her face.She looked at her daughter calmly, eyes full of love and pride that only Alisa's eyes could match, and definitely not something the interrogator could imitate. "It's my mother," said Alisa.There was longing in her voice. "It must be my mother." "Wait a minute," Mosiah advised Alisa, "don't get close to her yet." Recalling her last horrific encounter with the Enquirer, Alisa remained by Saryon's side.She hoped it was true this time.But how is this possible?Where did Gwendelyn come here from?Why is she here before us now, in the dragon's lair? "I want you to meet someone, daughter," Gwen said. She stretched her hand into the darkness, and another person appeared beside Gwendelyn, with a faint halo shining all over her body.I'm reminded of Simkin.This person, like him, has only a faint shadow, like a washed watercolor painting.Ge Wen took the person's hand and pulled her closer to us. At this time, I recognized the man.Shocked, I immediately turned my head and stared at Alisa.I even reached out and touched her to make sure she was real.Alisa stood beside me and in front of me.At the same moment, or one person at this time and one person at another time.I recognized Queen Alisa standing before me, still in her blue riding dress, the same gold crown shining in her black hair. Mosiah gasped.Saryon smiled longingly and sadly, his arms still around Alisa, supporting her. "What... what is this?" cried Alisa, my real Alisa, incoherently.She stared at her own reflection in the mirror of time. "Who is this?" "You, my daughter," said Gwendelyn, "is your possibility in another time. She cannot speak to you, for in her time she is dead. Only I can understand her .She wants to prove to you, to all of you..." Gwen's eyes swept over us, lingering on Mosiah the longest, "Everything you have experienced is real. I am real." "I don't understand!" Alisa mumbled. "Look at yourself, Alisa. Look at yourself, and open your consciousness to this possibility." Alisa stared at the shimmering figure for a long time, then suddenly she looked back at Saryon.Saryon smiled at her and answered the question in her mind with a nod.She looked at me again with wide eyes.I said to her in sign language, "I am just as you remember me, in this time and in another." Her lips moved, her eyes sparkled.Her eyes turned to Mosiah.Mosiah reluctantly lowered her hooded head. "I am your lawman, Your Majesty." There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Your Majesty. I didn't notice that Sheila called me that until now. Although a part of me already knew why." Alisa said softly, thinking. "And now, my daughter," said Gwendelyn, "you must heed my instructions and obey them absolutely. You must take the Dark Sword to Merlin's Tomb, and go at once. The Dark Sword must be in Laid in Merlin's Tomb at midnight." "Merlin!" Alisa said in surprise, "Teddy has been talking about Merlin. He also said that he would give Merlin the Dark Sword..." "Oh, protect Emin!" Mosiah snorted in disgust. "But...Father. You don't know, Mother!" Alisa finally mentioned her biggest concern. "They poisoned him! I must give them the Dark Sword, or my father will die." "Take the Dark Sword to Merlin's grave." Ge Wen repeated. "Why?" Mosiah snapped. "Why did you bring it there?" "Trust me, daughter." Gwendelyn ignored Mosiah, but said to Alisa: "Believe in yourself. Follow your heart." A cry tore through the darkness.From the tunnel, Sheila yelled, "Mosiah! They're coming! Watch out! I can't stop—" Her voice was cut off. We heard the sound of fighting, and then the trampling of many pairs of boots.The dragon raised its head, anger surged in its chest, its white eyes widened, and the light that drove humans into madness shone again. Both Gwendelyn and Alisa's phantoms vanished. "Daddy!" Alisa yelled. "There's no time!" Mosiah said urgently, grabbing Alisa. "We must find our way out. Simkin says there is another exit here. Father Saryon! Ask the dragon! It must know another way, and you must order it to take us out." "What? Oh, my God, no!" said Saryon, panicked.He glanced at Long and shivered. "Don't do it again. The spell is failing, I can feel it." "Father Saryon," Alisa begged.She grabbed the Darksword wrapped in the blanket. "Mosiah is right, this is our only chance. How else are we going to get the sword to Merlin's Tomb in time?" Saryon leaned down and kissed Alisa on the forehead. "I won't refuse you. Reuven often complains that I dote on you too much, but all I have is you two." Saryon left us.He walked up to the dragon again and lowered his eyes. "Make sure the sword is well hidden," Mosiah said to Alisa. "You know what happened last time." It was Duke Xis who attacked us at that time, and Alisa used the dark sword, which broke the magic of Charm Dragon.This time, I could hear footsteps outside getting closer.I don't know what happened to Sheila, I can only hope she's okay.I believe they will not hurt Joran again.They needed Joram alive as long as his daughter held the Darksword. "Dragon," said Saryon, "I order you. We are in danger. Help us flee from those who hunt us." "You are indeed in danger, old man." The dragon opened his mouth, revealing sharp, blood-stained yellow tusks. "Your danger is ahead of you, not behind you." The light of the diamond dimmed rapidly.As Saryon had warned, the charm dragon's spells were disappearing.The dragon started crawling towards us.It lifts its night-black wings, and I can see the stars that represent death. Saryon stood up straight.I see in him what I saw in our living room.Then he faced a king, a general, and the fearsome leader of the dark sect.And now, his inner strength, his love for us and his faith in the Creator shines brighter than the white dragon eye. "Obey me, dragon," said Saryon. The diamonds on the dragon's head sparkled, emitting dazzling brilliance.The dragon glared fiercely at Father Saryon, but the unseen power of charm forced it to bow its head.Night Dragon bowed his head to Saryon.The white eyes radiated hatred, but the dragon could not widen them. "Climb on my back if you dare, old man." "Quick, boys!" Saryon urged us. "Mosiah?" "I'll stay and cover you," said Mosiah. "But they will kill you!" Saryon shouted. "Come with them, Duke Xisi," Long said.It must have gritted its teeth. "I'll deal with those who come after you. I feel like I need to kill something!" Mosiah didn't wait for us to invite again.Now I trust him.True to his word, he will defend us to the death.But he still hopes to get the Dark Sword, unwilling to let it out of his sight. I've climbed onto the dragon.In front of me was Saryon, who looked as skilled as he had been riding dragons his whole life.But I believe he never did such a thing.We climbed onto the huge, bony blackwing.The dragon warns us not to step on the patagium, or our weight will tear it apart.The dragon's body trembled under our feet like a volcano about to erupt.Saryon and I helped Alisa onto the dragon's back.She had been clutching the Dark Sword tightly.We sat firmly on the hard dragon's back, which made me feel very uncomfortable.When Mosiah had just climbed from the dragon's wings to its back, the tech warrior in silver robes rushed into the cave. "Cover your eyes!" Mosiah yelled at us, already pulling his hood down. I did as he ordered, covering my eyes with my hands, but I could still see the white light.A strong beam of white light shot out from the dragon's eyes, and the giant beast roared, raised its head, and spread its wings.But even when it was attacking, it was careful not to let us fall off of it. I heard a terrible, painful howl.The sudden burst of light left a white spot behind my closed eyelids.The screaming immediately ended. The body beneath me began to move, gradually accelerating.The wings fluttered, the blinding white light disappeared, and a gust of fresh air rushed in.After passing through the stench of the dragon's nest, the breath rushing into the nostrils was cool and sweet.I opened my eyes, and in front of me was a spacious passage, like a giant chimney, big enough for a dragon to fly up. After flying out of that channel, we continued upwards.The dragon's wings flapped slowly, bearing our weight effortlessly, as if we were four worms lying on the dragon's back. I looked up at the night sky and couldn't help but gasp. The sky is full of stars, more than I ever saw when I first got here.At this time, a frightening fact shocked me.And Mosiah has already stated this fact. "Those aren't stars, they're ships. Refugee ships. The last survivors of Earth, they've come here for their last hope. Conifer is right behind them."