Adventures of Paku the Dragon: The Shroud of Shadows

Chapter 30

As they fly through the night sky, they start to see lights coming from below them.

"Look, the lights of the stronghold." Paku says excitedly.

"I'm not so sure about that. We should be careful checking it out." Ziva cautions, as the three land nearby the lights, staying a safe enough distance.

"It looks like a large camp of sorts." Paku comments.

The three sneak through the darkness, trying to get a better look. As they walk across the frozen lake they notice a dark shape in the darkness.

"Quick, we got to get off this ice lake!" Paku says as he, Ziva, and Patch begin to run across it, trying to find a place to hide from the flying shape passing overhead.

After a short while of running, they come upon an area where many men have gathered around some sort of strange metal object. All three of them decide to wait and watch quietly, as they try to figure out what is happening.

"This is what we came this far from camp for? Some stinking monolith?" one of the men say, as he resembles a siberian with a thick fur jacket to combat the cold tundra.

"It is a marker you fool!" says another. "We are close to the sacred city, a safe haven!" The man exclaims, as he points to something in the distance.

"Well then, let's get on with it. If we don't hurry, the enemy will catch up to us." One of the men says, as the group begins to move again.

"Wonder what they're looking for?" Patch whispers.

"Probably the same thing we are." Ziva responds, before the three can feel something approaching them from behind. It's a sled, carrying two men who look like they just woke up from a nap. They stare at the dragon trio curiously.

"Who are those strange creatures?" The first man says, as he holds a lantern in his hand. "By the lamb, it is dragons!"

Paku backs up cautiously. He doesn't get far when a group of wolves surround the dragons. "Dragons huh? The creatures of old legend?" a wolf snarls.

"Woah, you can talk?" Patch asks.

"Of course I can, we all can!" the wolf pack says, as it turns out they were in cahoots with the siberian men.

"Yes, that is true. We are the Sibo men of the north tundra. We have co existed with the intelligent wolves for a millennia now. The question I have is, what are dragons doing up here?" the sled man says.

"I don't know if we should tell you," Paku answers nervously. "You might try and use us or hurt us."

"We're not orc or goblins, or those evil men. We have no reason to fight you unless you give us one." the talking wolf tells Paku. "We are just trying to find a safe haven from all the destruction caused by the two-headed devil and his army of darkness."

"How can you possibly know that?" Ziva questions suspiciously.

"We and the Sibo men have been fighting the attackers for as long as we could. Although we could repel them at first, they are too numerous, and we aren't so." the wolf explains. "Once the two-headed devil arrived, the tides changed, and now we've been forced on the run."

"Why didn't you take shelter in the city of the Peatsville?" Ziva asks, worried.

"We can't abandon our home of the north. Even though the Rangers of Peatsville share a common enemy, they're too far from us to effectively help." the sled sibo man says.

"Should we tell them where we are going?" Paku asks Ziva and Patch.

"No, let's keep it under wraps until we can assess their intentions." Ziva says, remembering how the orc Jugo had tricked her and nearly killed Paku as a result.

"If you insist." The sled sibo man says. "Anyways, we have to find the sacred city. It will be hidden well in this frozen tundra, and will give us safety we long needed."

The sibo man slaps the reins, causing the reindeer to pull the sled forward, as they head further north.

"We will be searching. If you dragons change your mind and wish to help us, we won't have gone far." the wolf says, before he runs after the sibo man, the wolf pack following them north.

"Did you see that? That wolf spoke! And he was right about the Cithior, and everything else. Maybe these people are trustworthy." Patch says happily, as he walks closer to Ziva and Paku. "You know, I thought that I was the only talking animal, well me and you two, and our parents. Well, my parents."

"Shush Patch."" Ziva tells the rambling puma. "I'm not so sure. After I let my guard down, Paku got hurt. I can't let that happen again."

Patch sighs and continues walking with Ziva. "I understand."

"Yes, you do. You always say you understand me, but you never really listen." Ziva scolds. "For once, pay attention to what I am saying; We just met them. They could be just like the Cithior and the Molt men, who want to steal our powers. Or they could be like the poachers and sell us to a market for our hides. We have to be careful."

"You may be right Ziva, but what if that isn't the case? What if the wolves and Sibo men are just like the rangers? We need allies, and who knows if this stronghold actually exists." Paku reasons.

Ziva sighs as she takes a deep breath. "Well, we'll see. At least they seem willing to help us, even though we don't know them yet."

The trio continue to travel across the frozen tundra, doing so at night as to not be seen by any enemies of them. They search for the stronghold, which Ziva knew was a castle buried in snow and well hidden that only a dragon's eye could spot it. For days they search, but for some odd reason, the group does not find anything.

"Maybe there is no such place or maybe it doesn't exist anymore," Ziva says to Paku and Patch, as the pair look disappointed.

"We can't give up yet. This might be our only chance to find a full fledged dragon to help us defeat Cithior." Paku tells Ziva, as he looks around the snowy tundra for any sign.

"Yeah, we still have time." Patch adds.

Ziva smiles and nods. "Until then, we stay together, watch each other's back and try to figure out what happened to the northern stronghold."

After she says this, her eye catches something reflecting off the sun. "Wait, I think I might be on to something." Ziva says, flying closer towards the object. It turns out to be a piece of glass, and it has writing on it.

"What do you think it says?" Patch asks.

Ziva flies closer and reads the inscription aloud. "'Only the dragon can see the truth'."

"What, what are you guys looking at?" Patch questions, as Ziva and Paku turn to him.

"The stronghold must be enchanted if we can only see it." Paku concludes, looking around and seeing a large pile of snow towering into the sky. "I think we are close."