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volcano had changed them both. If Mitro escaped
now, there would be nothing, no one strong enough to stop him.
Dax couldn’t let him escape.
The whispers grew stronger, demanding, incessant. For months now, even as he slept,
the voices had whispered in his ears, a never-ending chorus. Urging him to visit the
cavern near the heart of the volcano. The heat and pressure there was intense, so
close to the volcano’s main magma chamber that Dax had never been able to stay more
than a few seconds at a time. But something was there. Something powerful and fierce. Something that normally did not like to
be disturbed.
Something the earth believed Dax needed, because it had been driving him back to that
chamber again and again and again over the centuries.
The push was stronger now than it had ever been. Every part of him felt both driven
and pulled toward that chamber deep in the heart of the volcano. What lay there was
waiting for him, and he could delay no longer. The strength he needed was there, offered
up to him if only he had the will to claim it.
He dispatched the wards surrounding his resting place and shifted into a clear mist,
traveling swiftly through the lava tubes and fissures in the rock, descending deep
into the earth until he reached the superheated chamber. A small section of the floor
on the far side of the chamber had cracked, and molten rock from the adjacent magma
chamber was spilling into the room, thick and glowing orange. The pool was rising
rapidly. It wouldn’t be long before the entire chamber was completely filled.
In the center of the room, its hindquarters half submerged in the deepening magma,
lay the petrified remains of a dragon. Immense and breathtaking, the creature lay
curled tightly, wings tucked against his back, tail curled around his body, head resting
on diamond-clawed forepaws. The entire dragon had crystallized, its body turning to
ruby and diamond in the intense heat and pressure of the volcano. The dragon’s chest
was destroyed, crushed. Huge chunks of faceted crystal spilled around the petrified
carcass.
The heat rising from the magma made the air around the dragon ripple, distorting Dax’s
vision until the entire crystallized carcass seemed to tremble and move.
Take it. Take what remains. Take what is offered.
The whispers filled Dax’s head, making him dizzy. Before him, the heat waves rising
from the magma pool seemed to shimmer and take on a translucent fire-red hue, but
the shimmer was . . . dragon-shaped?
Dax shook his head, rubbed his eyes, and looked again. The image was still there . . .
hazy, translucent, a dragon formed of insubstantial red mist. He stretched out his
senses, but could detect no concentrated stench of evil.
The Old One offers you his strength. You were not ready before, but we have made you
so. Take what is offered. Without it, you cannot defeat your enemy. Take it. Quickly,
before it is lost to the volcano. The earth continued to whisper to him, pushing at him to take a chance that could
result in his death.
Dax moved closer. The heat from the magma was so intense, he half expected to burst
into flame at any moment, yet his burnished skin didn’t even blister. Another step
brought him close to the dragon’s head and a mere five feet from the widening magma
pool. Now, he could sense the power radiating from the crystallized dragon. Where
had it come from? He’d been here in this chamber before. He’d found the crystallized
dragon, half-crushed but still an awesome discovery, but he’d never sensed this pulsating
energy. It almost felt alive.
Stepping closer still, Dax reached for the shimmering veil of energy. The instant
he touched it, a raw, savage wildness roared in response. Power slammed into him like
an iron fist, plowing into him with enough force to knock him off his feet. He landed
hard and pain streaked across his back and jaw, which had taken the
now, there would be nothing, no one strong enough to stop him.
Dax couldn’t let him escape.
The whispers grew stronger, demanding, incessant. For months now, even as he slept,
the voices had whispered in his ears, a never-ending chorus. Urging him to visit the
cavern near the heart of the volcano. The heat and pressure there was intense, so
close to the volcano’s main magma chamber that Dax had never been able to stay more
than a few seconds at a time. But something was there. Something powerful and fierce. Something that normally did not like to
be disturbed.
Something the earth believed Dax needed, because it had been driving him back to that
chamber again and again and again over the centuries.
The push was stronger now than it had ever been. Every part of him felt both driven
and pulled toward that chamber deep in the heart of the volcano. What lay there was
waiting for him, and he could delay no longer. The strength he needed was there, offered
up to him if only he had the will to claim it.
He dispatched the wards surrounding his resting place and shifted into a clear mist,
traveling swiftly through the lava tubes and fissures in the rock, descending deep
into the earth until he reached the superheated chamber. A small section of the floor
on the far side of the chamber had cracked, and molten rock from the adjacent magma
chamber was spilling into the room, thick and glowing orange. The pool was rising
rapidly. It wouldn’t be long before the entire chamber was completely filled.
In the center of the room, its hindquarters half submerged in the deepening magma,
lay the petrified remains of a dragon. Immense and breathtaking, the creature lay
curled tightly, wings tucked against his back, tail curled around his body, head resting
on diamond-clawed forepaws. The entire dragon had crystallized, its body turning to
ruby and diamond in the intense heat and pressure of the volcano. The dragon’s chest
was destroyed, crushed. Huge chunks of faceted crystal spilled around the petrified
carcass.
The heat rising from the magma made the air around the dragon ripple, distorting Dax’s
vision until the entire crystallized carcass seemed to tremble and move.
Take it. Take what remains. Take what is offered.
The whispers filled Dax’s head, making him dizzy. Before him, the heat waves rising
from the magma pool seemed to shimmer and take on a translucent fire-red hue, but
the shimmer was . . . dragon-shaped?
Dax shook his head, rubbed his eyes, and looked again. The image was still there . . .
hazy, translucent, a dragon formed of insubstantial red mist. He stretched out his
senses, but could detect no concentrated stench of evil.
The Old One offers you his strength. You were not ready before, but we have made you
so. Take what is offered. Without it, you cannot defeat your enemy. Take it. Quickly,
before it is lost to the volcano. The earth continued to whisper to him, pushing at him to take a chance that could
result in his death.
Dax moved closer. The heat from the magma was so intense, he half expected to burst
into flame at any moment, yet his burnished skin didn’t even blister. Another step
brought him close to the dragon’s head and a mere five feet from the widening magma
pool. Now, he could sense the power radiating from the crystallized dragon. Where
had it come from? He’d been here in this chamber before. He’d found the crystallized
dragon, half-crushed but still an awesome discovery, but he’d never sensed this pulsating
energy. It almost felt alive.
Stepping closer still, Dax reached for the shimmering veil of energy. The instant
he touched it, a raw, savage wildness roared in response. Power slammed into him like
an iron fist, plowing into him with enough force to knock him off his feet. He landed
hard and pain streaked across his back and jaw, which had taken the
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