Dragon Diary

Entry 37: The Canyon

Hello Diary,
I was running as fast as I could but my legs were getting sore and the darkness of night was becoming dawn.

Just ahead of me loomed the Ash Mountains. I was heading straight for the formation I had seen in Victor's head. It would lead me to the canyon and my freedom, as long as I could get there before anyone came looking for me.

I did not look behind me, not once, in fear that I would see an entire unicorn army rushing after me in the morning light. I just kept running forward and onward toward the huge mountains.

When I finally reached the base of the mountains, and could see the dark shadows of the deep canyon just ahead of me, I finally stopped and stood to catch my breath.

There were some dry bushes and boulders all around me, but all seemed quiet. It was strange. In the vision there had been guards standing in this very spot. Now there was no one.

I used my mind to reach out a short distance ahead, just to be sure the guards were not just in another area. Still there was nothing.

I let a loud gasp escape my mouth as I cut off my magic and ended the invisibility spell. My body shivered in relief that it was no longer being drained of energy.

I smiled, still refusing to look back. I felt another shiver rush through my body as I began to walk forward. I was very tired but without the spell draining me I felt my legs getting stronger.

I started to trot forward in the manner I had seen Tinnu and the others do, but then froze for a moment as a loud thunderous roar echoed through the valley behind me.

My father's roar could only mean one thing, he had noticed his magic book was missing.

I took that as my cue to bolt forward into the canyon where I would be more likely to hide in the shadows as I went. If I was lucky then I would easily reach the other side and the safety of the Talvern Forest before my father figured me out.

Unfortunately, I was not so lucky.

The canyon was dark and ominous, but I ran into it without thought after hearing my father's raged roar. I did not think to keep my mind open ahead of me as a sensor.

I ran through the shadowy darkness for a short while before running right into the powerful legs of a unicorn.

It snorted and whinnied in shock and alarm to it's friends, then attempted to stomp on me. I recovered quick enough to evade the powerful hooves coming down on me.

"Did you find something good?" I heard a male voice call from somewhere up ahead.

The male voice was familiar but I could not pinpoint who until the unicorn showed himself. Victor snorted and approached us, his head held high in pride.

"Yes! I knew the little punk would come this way. I told you guys. Now we can bring him back to Lord Gaelon and get a reward." As he spoke another of his friends appeared beside him. Three of them and one me.

I could not help but let a deep snarl of anger escape me. "Victor! I spared your life before, but this time I will not... Let me pass!"

The unicorn right above me started to laugh. My anger suddenly started to burn out of control. Maybe dragons have a little issue with pride and ego.

I looked up at the unicorn I had ran into. It's eyes were a deep gold color and almost reminded me of Cand... Almost.

"If we let you out of here with that book, Gaelon will torture us for a decade. Besides, I have Tinnu to impress." Victor said plainly. I could see fear in his eyes, and not of me, of Gaelon's power. He was not going to let me go alive.

"Tinnu does not love you, she loves only magic." I snarled harshly.

I knew I had hit a nerve but did not have time to watch his reaction since I had to dodge an ebony horn that came down at me from above. The golden eyed unicorn was glaring at me with hatred as it then tried to stomp me into the ground with it's huge hooves.

I dodged the first blow, but the second landed on my tail. I yelped in shock and pain then I spat a jet of fire right up into it's face. It was the biggest fire breathe I had ever made, and yet the creature snorted and shook it's head until I subsided, as if it was fire resistant.

"Shit," I mumbled to myself. I had forgotten that the black unicorns and pegasus have a natural ability to resist getting burned. Only a blue dragon's ice breathe would be highly effective against them.

I would have to use magic to get out of here alive. I was just afraid to use more, since the invisibility spell had used so much of my energy already.

The unicorn began to laugh again, so I used my true dragon weapons, my talons, and ripped open it's neck. It fell to the ground at my feet, gasping and bleeding into the sand. Then it was dead.

A haunting silence fell over us, only disturbed by the angry roar of Gaelon still back at his new Castle in the distance. In the canyon it sounded like an echo.

Victor and his only remaining companion stared me down as I stood over my fallen prey. I gave them an evil smile.

"Gaelon is not the only one you should fear betraying..." Then my mind pressed forward toward them, both at the same time.

Simultaneously I felt myself inside the head of both Victor and his friend, a female. They both tried to fight me, but couldn't. I snarled into their heads, sounding like a big adult dragon inside my own.

"Ballunialueth," I whispered to them.

Physically they were silent, but my head was filled with screams of agony before both of them collapsed onto the canyon floor, motionless.

I gasped and had to stop myself from falling over. I took a breath and then rushed past them and deeper into the canyon, leaving the gruesome scene behind me.

Using that damn spell though, had taken the last of my strength. As I emerged into bright morning rays and spotted a thick forest before me, I suddenly staggered and fell forward.

My legs had given up on me. I tumbled forward down the slope and then blacked out.

As I lost my vision I could feel my body rolling and colliding with boulders, brush, and then what I assume was a tree. I was totally passed out before I could figure it out...