the Bond - Book One

Chapter 6) The Plan to Stop the War

"So what should we do now ?" Ember says that we need to come up with a plan, but I don't know what plan will work the best. "I think maybe that the forest should choose what we should do from here." She might be right, since it was the forest that guided us here to meet each other. Maybe the forest does have a plan ready for us to put into play. "Well then let's ask it the only way we know how to. How do you ask it questions ?" If we are going to know what to do, we need to figure out how to contact the forest some how. "I've been to a place where there was a massive tree that spoke to me once, maybe that's where the forest's spirit lies." She isn't the only one that has spoken to that tree, I know because I have also spoken to the same tree she just explained to me. But the problem is that I forgot where the tree is in the forest, we could be looking for days until we find it. Ember interrupted my thinking again. "I know where the tree is, and I think it isn't that far from here. Maybe if we travel to the east we should run into it." Well isn't she just smart, at least we don't have to split up to find it. Maybe meeting her wasn't such a bad thing after all. "Well let's get moving then, we're running out of daylight." We both looked up at the sky, and then started heading east to where the tree is rooted.   

The forest was kind to us as we traveled to it's spirit in the great tree. It also created a makeshift path for us to travel, but as we walked on we still kept our guard up, so not to get caught off guard by something nasty. "So how much longer until we reach the tree ?" She looked back at me, sighed, and answered my question. "About two miles until we reach the tree's spirit." Well isn't that great, it'll probably take us four hours to reach the tree. My father wouldn't even notice I'm gone until he notices I haven't bugged him for a while, so hopefully that won't happen sooner than I think. "Are you sure you want to continue ?" What kind of question is that ? Of course I want to continue, but I won't snap at her like that. She was serious about that question, and didn't know if it would offend me. So I answered calmly. "Yes, I'm positive that I want to continue this quest to answer our questions, and I won't retreat until we get them answered." She was surprised at my answer, so I took her expression as a compliment. We continued into the makeshift path, but I started to sense that something terrible was approaching us from behind. So I started to watch my back intently, and I think Ember felt it too. She started looking back at the opposite direction of the path, and I think she is a little nervous. I wouldn't expect a royal to be nervous about anything. "What are you nervous about ?" She jumped when I spoke as if she forgot I was here, but she answered my question respectfully. "I just feel an evil presence near us. It's making me nervous a little. Do you feel it ?" Her answer was surprising, at least I know that I have her chrust. "Yes I do, but what do you think it is ?" She sniffed the air seeing if she could identify it, but it was no use. "I don't know, because I've never smelled something like this. It's ancient, and powerful, but I can't place it in my creature dictionary." Her answer worries me, because there could be no telling what's following us. "Well I think we should keep moving, maybe we can lose it before it catches up with us." She nodded in agreement, and started to trot with me. We started slow, and started going faster by the minute. From a trot to a gallop, we were running from an unknown creature. Then out of fear we both changed back into our true forms, Ember flew above me as I galloped below her.

From behind I could hear a roar yelling out to us, then I saw what it was. "Ember, it's a earth dragon !" "What , I thought they lived in the desert !" "Apparently not !" We had to yell because the earth dragon behind us was making a lot of noise, it sounded like a massive earthquake was happening right behind us. It was so heavy that the earth below it shaked and cracked, like the rocks were just pebbles. I could tell that the dragon was after Ember, so I stopped dead in my tracks to fight. "What are you doing Alex ?!" "I'm tired of running from something we can defeat." She stopped and landed right next to me."Then I will fight with you, I believe a fight is more successfully won if you work together." "I agree." We got into our battle positions, ready to face the earth dragon when it stopped right in front of us, then it spoke. "I do not wish to harm you, please do not fear me, I have come to help you on your quest to stop the war." The dragon spoke with great intelligence and wisdom in his voice. "I believe you, but why are you willing to put your life in the crossfire of this plan ?" "Because I am one of the elemental dragons that created this world you two call home." Ember looked on in suspicion, but calmly asked the great creature a question. "What is your name great one ?" "My name is Rock Giant, but you may call me Rock." "I thought I recognized you, I've seen portraits of you in my royal library, but I never thought I'd get to meet you. Do you know Sapphire, the Ice Dragon ?" "Yes, and I am the one who helped her create the earth under your feet. Me and Sapphire have a long history together, and I also assigned her to protect you Princess Ember." "Are you saying that you are older than Sapphire ?" "Yes, I am a thousand years older than her, I helped create her." The dragon spoke to Ember in a very respectful matter, but what I couldn't understand was that it seemed he had nothing to say to me. So I started to speak to him instead of waiting for him to notice me. "I do apologize, but we must keep moving if we wish to stop this war before our parents kill each other." "He's right we must carry out our plan Rock, so will you help us or not." "I shall be of service to you both, I am ready to go with any plan that will stop the war before all is lost. What do you have in mind ?"