Beating Wings (EDITING)

13 : The Sand Trolls

The darkness within the tunnel enveloped us. The path was narrow and the roof of the tunnel was not high. In confusion, we shoved each other, stepped on our own tails, and smacked our heads on the lower ceiling. I hated this feeling.

     But a warm glowing lantern rose up from further down the claustrophobic tunnel. We stopped struggling to watch a fat troll with grey skin waddle towards us. He looked up at the mess we were in, shook his head to himself, and waved a chubby hand for us to follow behind. Then, he spun around and began walking back the way he came.

     Deltul crawled out from under the mess first, loosening it up enough for Nota to squeeze forward before me.

    We continued on until the tunnel widened and lanterns littered the walls to better illuminate our steps. We could walk semi-comfortably now, with the occasional rock that tripped us up.

     Eventually, the tunnel ended. We found ourselves standing on a rickety wooden platform suspended along the walls to a gigantic circular chamber that went down farther than my eyes could see. Trolls of every color walked song the platforms, going down wooden elevators, or coming up holding precious gemstones. It was an impressive sight.

     The smell of moist rock and the sound of metal picks tinking against the stone filled the chamber, and my senses were almost overwhelmed to the sudden exposure. Wood creaking, pulleys straining, and troll chatter polluted the massive space.

     Our guide whispered something to a larger troll walking along the same platform. He glanced up at us and squinted. "King Trufor has strained his treaty with the sand trolls too far this time."

     The first troll whispered urgently back, and he snorted.

     "You speak Dragonic?" Deltul piped in, curious.

     "Well lookee here, we got a smart dragon!" The troll rose his voice sarcastically. "It's one thing to use the tunnels yourself, but what was he thinking sending three strangers into our sanctuary?!"

     "Please..." I stepped forward, desperately. "Fluwit is being invaded, he obviously trusted you. You just need to show us how to get out, and we will be on our way."

     He thought for a moment, before shaking his head angrily. "This way. Don't be steppin' on anyone!"

    The wooden bridges creaked with the strain of our weight, but they held as we walked along and into another tunnel branching off of the large chamber. We followed one another in a line as the path sloped towards the surface.

    "All right, off you go! We don't need dragons like yourselves down here steppin' on anything with your huge feet." The troll glared at us, lifting a hatch and letting the warm sunlight spill into the tunnel.

    "Sir?" Deltul leaned down to the grumpy troll, before passing through.

    "That's Crulig to you!"

    "Crulig, sir?" He asked harmlessly. "Are the stories true about a rock you found that had powers? I've only heard legends-"

    "What's it to ya?"

    "I was just curious..." He frowned, taken aback.

    "Well it ain't none of your business, is it?" He snapped. "Now get outta here before I boot ya out!"

    We climbed through the tunnel while Crulig stood in the shadow of the hatch. As Nota and I climbed through, Deltul looked back at him one last time. Crulig pulled an object out of his pocket. It was a smooth pearl colored stone that faintly glowed a blue-ish color. He caught Deltul staring at the object and winked with his cracked eyes. Deltul gasped and quickly climbed out of the troll mines.

    The hatch slammed behind us, and we smoothed the hot sand back over it to disguise it among the dunes.

    "Okay..." Nota sighed, unhappy about the heat and squinted at the sun. "Where are we going now?"

    "This whole thing was a bust." I sighed and focused in the distance. "Let's go back home and find my mother, because I swear to the Dragon Gods, if Queen Hyla hurt her-"

I didn't finish, flapping my leathery wings and taking to the cloudless sky. Nota and Deltul followed me back to Tagonia.