“I’m playing Humbuggle’s Game,” Seth said, glancing at Merek. “This blade is part of it.”
“Are you still trying to win the Wizenstone?” Kendra asked.
“Merek is more interested in the stone than I am,” Seth said. “Both of us want to keep it away from Celebrant. He’s after it too.”
“Is he here at Titan Valley?” Kendra asked.
“Yes,” Seth said. “He tried to kidnap me in Humburgh.”
Kendra sighed. If Celebrant was here, the main attack was coming. “What about the Sphinx?”
“I haven’t heard of him since the Under Realm,” Seth said. “Maybe he’s helping Ronodin.”
“Nothing of mine here,” Merek announced. “But I found a better sword and shield.” He held them up. “Warren, consider that sword over in the corner. No, don’t be fooled by the jeweled hilt. I mean the one to the left. That blade is made of adamant.”
“Does adamant get that red?” Warren said.
“It’s an alloy,” Merek said. “And Tanu, you might like that crossbow. The bolts come out ten times larger than they go in, and white-hot. I see only eight bolts, but a direct hit with any of them could drop a dragon.”
Tanu promptly claimed the crossbow.
“Where should we go?” Kendra asked.
“Beacon Hill?” Raxtus suggested.
“It has a good view of Terastios without being too close,” Merek agreed. “We could get a sense for the scale of the dragon invasion. Good choice, Raxtus. Do you know Titan Valley well?”
“I was a loner for many years,” Raxtus said. “I visited all of the dragon sanctuaries. I quietly explored. I can carry Kendra.”
“We won’t be able to carry everyone,” Merek said.
“I’m coming for sure,” Kendra said. “My cousins and the satyrs are out there.”
“You guys go ahead,” Warren said. “Tanu and I will catch up. We’ll also need to help Vanessa.”
“I can give her a shrinking potion so we can carry her,” Tanu said.
“Great idea,” Warren said.
“Be ready for an ambush outside the Dragon Temple,” Tanu warned Raxtus. “Or even inside.”
“I’ll stay alert,” Raxtus committed. “Shall we?”
“We’ll follow you,” Merek said. “Kendra, would you carry the Harp?”
“All right,” she said, a little daunted by the crucial responsibility. She supposed Merek and Seth wanted their hands free for their weapons.
“The Harp could help quell an invasion,” Merek said. “Doing so will take time and solid strategy. Hopefully we can catch the dragons off guard. The range is decent but not incredible.”
Raxtus seized Kendra by the shoulders and pulled her into the air. The corridors and caverns were mostly wide enough for the dragon to fly, though occasionally Raxtus had to land, and Kendra would jog beside him. They went back through the web-tangled chamber where Velrog lay dead, up the steep slope, and eventually into the cavern where they had fought Pioleen. In the lair of Jinzen, they paused to check on Vanessa.
“We have the Harp,” Kendra announced.
“Great!” Vanessa said with a smile, her milky white eyes shifting toward Kendra but not quite in line with her. “Is Warren all right?”
“Yes, but we lost Cyllia,” Kendra said. “The others are fine.”
“Tragic,” Vanessa said. “Cyllia seemed stalwart. Her death is a loss. Seth found you?”
“I’m here,” Seth said.
“He and Merek saved us,” Kendra reported. “Now we’re off to see what this Harp can do. Warren and Tanu are coming behind us.”
“Don’t wait,” Vanessa urged. “Go. I haven’t heard any dragons yet, but I expect they’re coming. Or lying in wait. Take care.”
“I’ll sense them,” Raxtus said.
They raced through the mirror maze on foot. Raxtus became frustrated as he led them into a couple of dead ends, but before long, the group was flying toward the temple’s entrance. Raxtus landed just before the hall ended.
“Lots of dragons outside,” Raxtus whispered.
“The entrance is closed now,” Seth whispered. “It was open when we came through.”
“It probably closed when the storm ended,” Raxtus said. “But I can smell and hear dragons on the far side.”
After searching the end of the hall, Merek demonstrated how the removal of a stone block exposed a lever. Placing a hand on the lever, Merek whispered, “Raxtus, become your avatar. It should let you avoid the effects of the Harp.”
The sparkly dragon gave a nod and took the shape of a young male fairy, about the height of Kendra’s knee.
Merek looked surprised. “Your avatar is a fairy?” he whispered.
Raxtus shrugged.
Merek looked at Kendra. She held up the Harp, and Merek pantomimed playing it. Kendra took a deep breath. She hoped the instrument really was foolproof. What if she struck a sour chord and a bunch of dragons stormed in and devoured them?
Kendra strummed her hand over the strings, producing a lovely glissando. Merek pulled the lever, and, with a deep grinding, a stone slab slid inward. Merek motioned for Kendra to strum again, and she complied.
The Dragon Slayer held up both hands, gesturing for them to wait, then flew out of the opening. Kendra held her breath for a long, tense moment until his voice called, “Come on out!”
After exiting, Kendra paused to absorb the scene. In a loose semicircle around the entryway, a dozen huge dragons lay fast asleep. Kendra stepped forward gingerly.
“Can we prevent them from following us?” Seth whispered.
“Leave them,” Merek said. “These will slumber for more than a week. And since they are already subdued, it would be dishonorable to harm them. Let’s go see how Titan Valley has fared. Kendra, remember, if dragons get near, Raxtus will land and become his avatar, and you strum that Harp. There is no limit to how often you can use it.”
“It’s so powerful,” Seth said, still surveying the unconscious dragons.
“It’s the single greatest limited-range weapon against dragons ever devised,” Merek said. “Few items in existence are more potent.”
Jumping and flapping his wings, Merek shot into the air. Seth followed, and Raxtus transformed into his dragon shape and lifted Kendra. The box canyon and the slumbering dragons fell away beneath her, and a vista of the mountainous region unfolded. Had Bernosh really traversed these rocky slopes, perilous cliffs, and deep canyons on foot?
“Dragons at two
