Scepter
When the darkness lifted, Kendra found herself standing beside Seth, his hand in hers. He returned her stare, looking as surprised and relieved as she felt.
"Seth!" Kendra exclaimed, fighting back hysterical tears. "Are you all right?"
"Sort of," he replied, looking shaken. "How about you? Any sign of the scepter?"
"Just a lot of dead bodies," Kendra said.
"I saw dead people too," Seth said. "They attacked me."
"Were they people you knew?"
"No, dried-up zombies. Really slow ones."
"I saw you, Mom and Dad, our grandparents—pretty much everyone we know. Dead. In coffins."
"That's no fun," Seth said.
"I'm glad you're all right," Kendra said. "Hopefully that means the others are okay too."
"I could feel your hand the whole time."
"Me too."
Seth looked around. "Where are we now?"
They stood in a cave that widened up ahead into a massive cavern lit by flaming cauldrons. Glittering deposits of crystals adorned the walls, most white, others clear.
"I'm not sure," Kendra said. "Look at all the crystals."
From up ahead came a loud crunch.
"What was that?" Seth whispered.
"I'm afraid to find out," Kendra said. "It's been a nightmare so far."
"I spoke to a demon back where the zombies were," Seth said. "He called this a dreamspace. He told me we can still get hurt and die."
"What demon?" Kendra asked.
"He was called Talizar," Seth said. "I've never seen him before. Head like a wolf."
Kendra remembered the name. It was one of the three Jubaya had mentioned. "What did he want?" she asked casually.
"He wanted to help," Seth said. "He promised to help me learn new abilities and to help us find the scepter. Don't worry—I turned him down. I may mess up sometimes, but I eventually learn."
They heard another crunch.
Kendra pulled Seth forward. "We better go see."
Though the rugged walls of the cavern bristled with crystals, the ground was surprisingly flat and smooth, almost polished. Off to one side of the cavern, in a circular depression, they found four eggs, each the size of a watermelon. Two were covered in scales, almost like a pineapple, but purplish in colour. A third was glossy smooth with swirling hues, like marble. Fine grooves crisscrossed the last one. It appeared to be made of pure gold.
With another crunch, it became apparent that the swirly one was hatching. The egg rolled over, revealing a pair of scaly legs poking out and a network of cracks.
"Dragon eggs," Seth said, looking around. "That means there might be a mother nearby."
"So cute," Kendra said. "Look at those little claws trying to get free."
"Cute until they take over the world," Seth said.
"You can't blame this little guy for that," Kendra said. "He's just starting out. Maybe he'll be like Raxtus."
With another crunch, the gap between some of the cracks widened.
"Should we help him?" Kendra asked.
"Oh, no!" Seth said.
"What?" Kendra asked, worried he had seen the mother. Instead, following his gaze, she beheld a huge scorpion approaching, firelight shining off its black carapace. It was gigantic, the tail curling up higher than their heads, the claws large enough to snip off a leg.
Seth tugged Kendra away, backtracking toward the narrower part of the cavern where they had entered. The scorpion followed at first, claws scissoring. Then it paused and turned toward the depression where the eggs rested.
"It's going after the eggs!" Kendra cried.
"Better the eggs than us," Seth said.
"But the dragons," Kendra said. "They're little and helpless. Raxtus almost got killed when he was a baby. We're caretakers here. We have to help them."
"It's just a dream," Seth said.
"A dream where real things are happening," Kendra said staunchly. She picked up a loose rock and flung it at the scorpion. The stone skipped off the ground nearby, but the scorpion turned toward them, tail raised to strike, the tip quivering.
After a tense moment, the scorpion swiveled back toward the eggs. Seth flung a rock that hit the base of the tail.
This time the scorpion rushed at them. It was fast! Kendra and Seth retreated, but the creature gained quickly.
A bone-quaking roar interrupted the chase. Kendra and Seth ducked reflexively. The scorpion changed course, scuttling off to one side. A second roar shook the cavern. The scorpion darted toward a large crack in the rock wall. Just before it reached the opening, a huge claw fell on it, smashing the scorpion flat with a meaty crunch.
Holding Seth's hand tightly, Kendra looked up the furry leg to the dragon gazing down at her. Kendra had never seen a dragon like this one. Instead of scales, it had thick, coarse hair, chocolate brown. The head looked like something between an African buffalo and a crocodile, with two sets of horns that flared out wide before curving back in.
"I see I have visitors," spoke an impossibly rich female voice. "Has no one ever instructed you not to come between a mother dragon and her young?"
"We were trying to protect your eggs from a scorpion," Kendra said.
"So I witnessed, or you would not be alive," the dragon said. "Can both of you speak in my presence? What are your names?"
"Kendra."
"Seth."
"What folly brings you here, young ones? The lair of a dragon is no place for mortals."
"We didn't mean to come here," Kendra said. "We're looking for something."
The huge dragon brought her head closer. "Explain yourself. Looking for what, exactly?"
Kendra glanced at Seth. He shrugged.
"Your lives depend upon a truthful answer," the dragon said. "I possess little patience."
"The hidden scepter," Seth said. "We are the caretakers of Wyrmroost. We're looking for the scepter that helps protect Blackwell Keep."
"So I presumed," the dragon said. "I am Burelli, guardian of the labyrinth that leads to the scepter. And I have a problem."
"What?" Kendra asked.
"I should kill you," Burelli said. "But you just protected my offspring. At least one of them would have perished without your intervention."
"So you won't kill us?" Seth asked.
The dragon considered them for a long moment. "I will give you a sporting chance. Five minutes. Enter my labyrinth and I will wait five minutes before giving chase. Find the scepter and you are free to go. Otherwise, I will do my duty and devour you."
"But we're the caretakers," Kendra said. "It belongs to us. Why not just give us the scepter?"
"I guard the scepter," Burelli said. "My orders come from the founders of Wyrmroost. You have my offer. The time starts now."
"Which way?" Seth cried.
Burelli turned, looking back the way she had come, where the cavern continued to widen. "Hurry," she said. "I'm fast."
Hand in hand, Kendra and Seth started running. "How about a little more time?" Seth called out. "We're tired from fighting the scorpion."
"Your time is counting down," Burelli warned.
As Kendra and Seth raced across the smooth ground, the cavern continued to expand—the ceiling soaring higher, the walls growing farther apart. Up ahead, a twenty-foot wall made of stone blocks spanned the width of the cavern. The wall had a single gap.
"That's the labyrinth?" Seth complained. "The dragon can fly above it! How is that fair?"
Seth was right. The ceiling of the cavern only continued to rise beyond the apparent start of the maze.
"At least we're not dead yet," Kendra replied. "We better be quick."
Beyond the breach in the wall, the way branched to the right and to the left. Periodic cauldrons of fire provided light. "I wish we could get up top," Seth complained, looking up.
"The walls are too high," Kendra said. "And much too steep. Which way?"
"We should split up," Seth said.
"We'll get paralyzed when the dragon comes," Kendra said.
"How many extra steps do we get by not freezing?" Seth said. "Like ten? And she can't attack both of us at once. Splitting up turns four minutes into eight."
Kendra didn't want to do this alone. But the argument made sense. "Okay," she said, letting go of his hand. "Hurry!" She took off to the left. Seth ran to the right.
Strangely, Kendra still felt like she was holding his hand. After she let go of Seth, the invisible hand inexplicably returned.
"I still feel you!" Kendra called.
"Me too!" Seth replied.
Kendra ran as fast as she could. There was no time to methodically explore the maze. She had to rely on instincts and luck.
With each intersection she passed, Kendra lost hope. There were too many alternatives. She rounded corner after corner, choosing without pause at every junction.
Kendra clung to Seth's unseen hand. Maybe it meant the dragon would not be able to paralyze her. She tried to think positive. If she was fast and lucky, she might find her way to the scepter. It could be around the next corner. It might appear at any moment.
The first dead end disappointed her. By the third she was starting to feel disoriented. After hitting the fifth dead end, for all Kendra knew, she might be heading back to the start.
She began to regret not being more methodical. She should have turned right every time, or taken some measure to reduce the chances of backtracking. Too late now. She was sweating, but she kept her legs pumping. How much time remained? Five minutes might have already gone by.
She had an ache in her side. Her legs were getting rubbery. Out of necessity, she eased down from a full sprint.
And then the dragon roared.
Seth raced around a corner, found an intersection, turned left, then right at the next fork, and rounded a corner to face a blank wall. He ran back to the previous juncture and went the other way.
This was going to be bad. They didn't have enough time.
"Seth!" piped a little voice. "Down here! Seth!"
Seth skidded to a halt. Sure enough, looking down, he found Calvin running toward him, waving both arms above his head.
"Calvin!" Seth exclaimed with relief. "You're all right!" He scooped up the Tiny Hero. "There's a dragon coming." Seth started running again.
"I found the scepter!" Calvin cried. "It was just too high up! I couldn't reach it. Turn around!"
Seth stumbled to a stop. "You know where to go?"
"That way," Calvin said, pointing.
Seth ran as directed. "Can you really get us back there?"
"Left!" Calvin shouted. "I wouldn't be very useful if I forgot. Keep going straight."
"There are lots of turns," Seth said, hesitant to hope.
"Twelve more turns," Calvin said. "Go right. Eleven now."
"Kendra!" Seth called. "If you can hear me, follow my voice! I found Calvin! He knows the way."
"Straight," Calvin said. "Did you see the dragon with the big horns? Left!"
"You saw her too!" Seth exclaimed. "She gave us a five-minute head start."
"Go right. Really? At least she gave you a chance. Straight, then left."
"Not much of one until I found you. How long have you been here?"
"Keep going. Not too long. My legs feel like rubber. Lots of running. Up ahead turn left."
"This labyrinth is enormous for somebody your size," Seth said.
"You're telling me! Go right. I had some help getting to the scepter. Now left. Sprinting back to the entrance was exhausting."
"You made it to where I found you?"
"Left," Calvin said. "This will double back on itself. First this corner. Now that corner. It keeps winding for a bit. I'm so glad you found me! I was trying to get to the entrance so we wouldn't miss each other in the maze. Okay, now right."
"Who helped you get the scepter?"
"Now go left," Calvin said. "It's a long story. We're almost there. I'll tell you if we make it. Now right."
A gargantuan roar reverberated through the cavern. Seth's legs and lungs burned, but the mighty bellow helped inspire him back to a full sprint.
"This will be close," Calvin said. "I see her!"
"How?" Burelli exclaimed incredulously. "Impossible!"
"Left," Calvin urged. "Run hard! That's it!"
Up ahead Seth beheld a covered dead end—the only roofed portion of the labyrinth he had seen. Two cauldrons burned within. And between them, mounted horizontally on the wall, hung a golden scepter sparkling with jewels.
Not risking a glance back, Seth sprinted with everything he had. He could hear enormous wings flapping and the ominous whistle of air rushing over a tremendous body.
Fifteen more yards.
"Halt!" Burelli called.
Ten yards.
"Here she comes!" Calvin warned.
Seth dashed into the roofed portion of the corridor.
Five yards.
He heard a whoosh of dragon breath and felt a wave of blistering heat flooding his way. The light of the oncoming fire brightened the end of the maze, glaring brilliantly off the scepter.
Seth jumped.
His fingers closed around the scepter just as the heat became unbearable.