A Dragonlings' Magical Christmas (11 page)

He breathed a little sigh of relief when their symbiots transformed into a cover to protect them from the shower of rocks that kept
falling
from overhead. Hoping that Amber and Jade were successful, Zohar lowered his head and closed his eyes.

*.*.*

Amber reached down and wrapped her tail around Jade’s front right arm when she started to slip. Glancing down, she saw Jade nod to her before she let go. Twisting back around, she pulled herself up on the next set of rocks. They were almost to the top. Right now, they were in a world of white fluffy clouds that made it hard to see where to climb next.

“How much further?” Jade asked, unable to hide the exhaustion in her dragon’s voice.

“Not’s far,” Amber replied. “I’s think I can see the entrance to his cave.”

“Goods, my dragon’s and I’s getting really tireds,” Jade whispered.

That one word pushed Amber up to the next level. A sigh of relief escaped her when she saw that they had indeed made it to the old dragon’s cave. Rolling over onto her stomach, Amber reached down and wrapped her hands around Jade’s wrists and pulled. Only when her twin was safely on the ledge next to her did she shift and roll over onto her back in exhaustion.

“I’s tired,” Amber murmured. “I’s not going to complain when mommy says it is nap-thirty no more.”

“Me’s neither,” Jade whispered. “I’s hope he’s in a good mood.”

“Who?” Amber asked, rolling to her feet.

“The old dragon,” Jade replied, pulling the bag she had brought from home around to the front. “’Cause I might have to be like daddy and threatens to beat him up if he isn’t.”

Amber nodded, almost falling when the mountain violently shook. She looked at Jade with wide eyes before they both glanced at the opening. A reddish-yellow glow was coming from deep inside it.

Jade started to take a step forward when another rumble sent her backwards instead of forwards. A loud cry escaped Amber when she saw her sister’s arms
fly
up in a desperate attempt to not fall over the edge as it began to crumble. She reached out to grab her sister, but another hand swept Jade up while at the same time lifting her up into the air. A loud scream escaped both of them as they stared up into the face of the old dragon of the mountain.

“Zohar, I’s scare,” Spring whispered, looking at him. “I’s want to go home to my mommy and daddy.”

“I’s want to go home, too, Spring,” Zohar admitted in a soft voice, looking down at where Roam’s head rested in Spring’s lap. His friend was so tired, he hadn’t shifted back into his two-legged form before he fell into a restless sleep. “Amber and Jade will get the old dragon to quit shaking the mountain.”

They both looked up when Phoenix flew back up to the ledge and crawled toward them. She shook her head. She had been keeping an eye on the other three. She turned and sat with her back against the hard rock and curled her legs up against her chest.

“Alice is still night-night,” she whispered in concern. “I don’t likes it. She not sleeping likes we do. She not waking when we shakes her.”

Zohar swallowed and nodded. He was feeling the weight of his decision to seek out the old dragon of the mountain. If anything happened to his friends, it would be his fault because he was the leader, the oldest, and so the others looked to him for guidance.

Maybe we’s should have just let the old dragon steal Christmas,
he thought looking at Roam when he whimpered in his sleep.

Phoenix and Spring’s low cry of alarm startled him and he looked up as a dark shadow appeared in front of them. Their symbiots immediately shifted into small Werecats, hissing and growling in warning.

“Where are the others?” A husky, rough voice asked. “The twins said there were seven of you.”

“Who…? Are you’s the old dragon of the mountain?” Zohar asked in a frightened voice, standing up and holding onto the rock wall behind him as the mountain trembled.

*.*.*

Christoff stared down at the frightened, but determined youngling staring back at him. He nodded. It had been so long since he had listened to or spoken to anyone that it felt strange to be expected to respond. Instead, he just nodded and waited.

“Can’s you make the mountain quit shaking, please?” Another soft voice asked. “It’s scary.”

Christoff’s eyes moved to the little girl that had spoken. She had light blonde hair the color of the suns and dark golden eyes. His eyes shifted to her lap. Her fingers were tenderly stroking the small furry head of a Sarafin cub. He had seen images of them when he was a boy.

“He’s hurt?” Christoff asked, noting the cub’s bloody paws.

“Yes,” Spring said, rubbing Roam’s left ear. “He try to helps Jabir.”

Christoff glanced over his shoulder at the edge. Turning on his heel, he walked over to the side and looked down. Three more younglings were on a ledge about six feet down. A silent curse escaped him when another tremor shook the mountain. They had been occurring more and more over the last few months. Most of the quakes were so small, that no one would have noticed them unless they were on the mountain. He had decided weeks ago that it must be a sign that his time on this world was over.

“Stay here,” he ordered, glancing over his shoulder at the three younglings.

Focusing, he called his symbiot to him. A huge golden eagle appeared out of the clouds. With a silent message to it, the great bird landed on a rock slightly above the children and spread its wings outward, protective
ly
covering them. The three small symbiots, recognizing one of their own, returned to lay beside the children.

Christoff glanced over the edge again. Within minutes, he had climbed down to the lower ledge. A smile pulled at his lips when the two young males growled at him when he knelt down next to the female. She looked so small that he was almost afraid to touch her.

“What happened?” He asked gruffly, looking at the two males.

“She saved me,” Jabir replied in a trembling voice. “It was too muches for her. She fell asleep and won’t wakes up.”

Christoff grunted in acknowledgement. Bending, he started to scoop the small figure in his arms. He paused when a small hand pressed against his chest. Staring into the dark, serious golden eyes gazing at him with a hint of doubt and a lot of warning, he felt his lips tug in an unfamiliar smile.

“You’s better not hurts her,” Bálint warned. “I’s Alice’s protector.”

“Rest easy, young warrior,” Christoff said. “I won’t hurt your charge.”

It took several precious seconds before the boy nodded and pulled his hand away. Christoff looked up at the ledge above them. His symbiot could heal them, but he needed to get them to safety first. Deciding that his cave was the closest, and at the moment the safest place, he turned to look at the boys.

“Climb onto my back and hold on,” he ordered before he shifted.

Bálint and Jabir quickly climbed onto the back of the old ruby and silver dragon. They clung to his short wings. Christoff grabbed the uneven rock surface and began climbing, using one arm, his back legs, and tail to steady him. He had spent centuries on this mountain and knew how to climb every section of it.

Reaching the upper level that was wider, he glanced at his symbiot. The huge bird shifted again, this time into a small transport. Christoff quickly placed Alice in the seat that formed while Jabir and Bálint climbed down his back and over the side next to her.

He turned and walked over to where Phoenix and Zohar were standing next to Spring and Roam. Bending, he carefully picked up the young cub. He ran a soothing hand over Roam’s head when the cub whimpered and turned to look up at him with frightened eyes. He turned and walked back to the transport, nodding to Zohar, Phoenix, and the small symbiots to climb in as well.

“Take them to the cave,” he ordered, stepping back.

“What’s about you?” Zohar asked. “You’s got to come too.”

Christoff’s eyes darkened with emotion, but his face remained calm. He glanced at his symbiot that hovered near the edge. Looking up, he shrugged.

“My symbiot isn’t as large as most warriors,” he explained. “I will climb. It is not far. Go now.”

Christoff rotated on his heel and stepped close to the rock face. In moments, he was moving with confidence up the steep, uneven side. The climb gave him time to reflect on what he should do with his unexpected, and uninvited, guests. Before the mountain woke, he would simply have returned them to the village. Now, not even the villager
s
could keep them safe.

Pulling himself up onto the ledge, he stood and hurried toward his cave. He had silently ordered his symbiot to heal the injured younglings. He didn’t know if it could. Like him, it wasn’t as powerful as the other symbiots that lived among the villagers.

Stepping into the cave, he stopped and blinked in shock. Dozens of colorful lights were hung awkwardly around his cave, brightening the dark corners. A small, pitiful looking tree with round, colorful balls sat at an angle on the lone table he had in the center of the room. Beside it was a brightly wrapped box and a pile of… he sniffed… sweets of some kind. He hadn’t had sweets since his parents lived.

“What is this?” He asked, pausing at the entrance in confusion.

Jade and Amber grinned up at him. “We’s brought you Christmas so you’s don’t have to steals it,” Jade said with a smile.

Amber nodded. “We’s gonna be your friends so you’s don’t be sad and lonely no more,” she added. “Ours mommy baked the cookies. They’s not as pretty anymore, but they’s still tastes good.”

“We’s each took one of our presents from unders the tree and we’s giving it to you,” Jade explained, nodding toward the table. “We’s gots lots more and Santa’s going to bring us more if we’s been good.”

Christoff’s throat tightened with emotion as he stared at the colorful display and the hopeful look on the two little dragonlings’ faces. His eyes shifted to the others as they took a step closer. His symbiot had healed the young Sarafin’s paws and tail, but the little girl woke before it tried to help her. Now, a bright-eyed little boy and a solemn little girl with bright blue eyes stared back at him in silence.

“I don’t know what Christmas is,” Christoff whispered.

“Mommy says it’s abouts peace,” Zohar said, stepping closer.

“And’s abouts love,” Bálint and Alice said, holding hands and smiling up at him.

“It’s abouts accepting others, even if they’s different,” Phoenix explained in a quiet voice before she shifted to her dragon form to show him that he wasn’t the only one that was different.

“And loving thems for it, nos matters whats,” Spring said, coming to stand beside her sister and wrapping her arm around her.

“My mommy says it’s abouts not beings alone no mores,” Jabir said, glancing at the other younglings.

“And’s friendship,” Roam finally explained. “We’s all come to be your friend.”

“I…,” Christoff started to say before his voice faded, unsure of how to respond.

“Alice!” A voice called from the entrance.

“Roam!” Another voice said in a harsh voice.

“Kids!” A more feminine voice desperately called from the entrance.

“Momma!” Spring cried out. “We’s in here! We’s in here!”

Trisha pushed past the two men standing in front of her. “Oh, thank goodness!” She said hoarsely, rushing into the cave.

Christoff stepped into the shadows as his cave filled with several males and one female. He watched as they each bent to hug the younglings that fell into their open arms. His heart twisted with sadness at realizing that his time with these magical dragonlings was about to end.

“Thank you,” the female said, rising up with a young boy in her arms.

Christoff started when he realized that she was speaking to him. Unable to answer, he shifted uneasily on his feet and nodded to her. He hesitantly watched as each of the males turned to him.

“We owe you more than we can ever repay,” a male he recognized as a Curizan said.

“I… They have already repaid any debt,” Christoff said stiffly, waving his hand toward the table and presents. “They offered a gift no one else has ever given me.”

Creon held Phoenix in his arms. She was still in the shape of her dragon. His trembling hand ran down over her silky black feathers.

“The mountain is unstable,” he said. “We need to evacuate.”

Christoff looked out of the entrance of the cave at the clear sky. He could smell the acidic smoke rising from the mountain. The male was right, it was time that they left.

“The villagers?” He asked in a thick voice. “They have been warned?”

“Yes,” the Sarafin said, holding the young boy that had been injured. “Now it is time for us to leave.”

“I…,” Christoff started to say before his voice died again as the mountain shook more violently than ever before. “Go!” He ordered, turning as rocks began to collapse over the entrance. “Hurry!”

“Daddy!” Alice whimpered, burying her face into Ha’ven’s neck. “I’s scared.”

Christoff rushed for the entrance of the cave when he saw the large boulder start to fall across the entrance. He called for his symbiot to help him as he shifted. The boulder rested on his massive shoulders as he and his symbiot strained to hold an opening for the others to get out.

*.*.*

“Go!” Ha’ven ordered, moving to help Christoff. “Creon, get Alice out of here.”

“Ha’ven,” Creon said as he pulled Alice into his arms with Phoenix.

“Daddy,” Alice whimpered, trying to hold onto Ha’ven.

“Go, sweetheart,” Ha’ven ordered in a soft voice as he pulled in the power around him.

He swayed as it poured through him. The energy the mountain was displacing was enormous. There were some things a Curizan learned when he or she discovered which power they could harness, it was to be careful to keep it in balance with the world around them. Nature’s power was far more volatile than most species realized as it was in its purest form.

“Hold on, my friend, you are not alone,” Ha’ven said, drawing in a deep breath and focusing on building a shield around the opening of the cave. “Go, even I can’t control what is about to happen,” he gritted out.