Power Rangers: Dragon Night (Legend of Spyro/Power Rangers)

Chapter 1: Raid on the Dragon Temple

The Zords would not wake up.
Two dragons were running down the hall as the echoes of the rising battle began to rise from below. The blue dragon glared at his red companion as they made haste to a more open area.
“A fine pickle this is, Ignitus! I thought the dragonflies were supposed to warn us of such things! How did the apes even get in?!” Their question was answered as the torches became obscured and shrouded the tunnel in darkness. The flame shaped frills around Ignitus’ neck and shoulders began to glow with flames-giving them some faint visibility. The muffled screeches of the apes were now being overshadowed by a new clamor. A low skrict skrict skrict began to rustle on the floor before rising louder and louder until it was all the two dragons could hear. As it began to grow closer the sound was coming from all around. At last, the paltry flames from the Guardian of fire showed them just what it was.

A swarm on insects had managed to surround them completely. The creatures appeared to be dragonflies at first only something wasn’t right. Their shells had been stained from the once common golden yellow to a dull ebony and their limbs were twisted into long thorny claws. Countless red empty eyes had encircled the pair with their large wings made all of these noise as they hungry clicked their mandibles.
“I believe that is your answer, Cyrus”, Ignitus responded. The dragonflies held no hesitation. Despite their sheer lack of size against the two dragons, the swarm lunged upon them. Their teeth and spines dug deep into the dragons-doing their best the penetrate the scales of their enemies. Cyril let out a shriek as he thrashed trying to shake these beasts off. He snarled and yelled for Ignitus to shield himself.
The sharp white spines on Cyril’s back started to glow and glaze over with frost before suddenly erupting into a flurry of wind and snow. The dragonflies were encrusted in ice before collapsing into hundreds of shattering flakes. Ignitus shook the frost from his wings and looked around him. The hallway has now enveloped in snow and obscured in a light chilly fog. Cyril gasped for air as he shook off the last bit of bugs from his scales.
“That actually hurt. Since when could such weak little bugs hurt great dragons such as us?”

“It appears the Dark Master has been for more busier than we anticipated. But we need to get out of this hall. We are still too constricted in here.” Cyril huffed but nodded. The guardian of ice jaunted across the now glacial hallway with ease while Ignitus slipped and struggled to maneuver in the small space. The hall opened out into the main room where the heat of battle was now conspiring.
The apes were many in number. The humanoid simian creatures brandished their weapons and began to lash out everything that moved-or didn’t move. Trying their best to drive them back were the Dragon Knight recruits. Manwesmalls, Leopards, and Atlawas alike had taken up what arms they could in the short notice. These recruits had some glimmer of skill and had already taken down a decent number of apes and were using their large twisted bodies as a barricade to hide behind as some were throwing grenades from the base of the main entryway. A manwersmall had just tied several small explosives to arrows and was handing them to three leopard archers. They aimed at two concentrations of apes causing them to scatter in various directions. This allowed the cameloid Atlawas to use basic bolos at individuals. Their weapons wrapped around the simian’s necks before their weights cracked the backs of their skulls. A large one draped in heavy cloth garments and their faces bundled in heavy bandages tossed a black shard in the center of the room and chanted an unearthly slew of slurred words. The shard vibrated before casting out tendrils of dark aether that latched upon any ape that had scattered nearby. As the dark magic struck them, they paused in their scurrying before their bodies began to shudder and morph slightly. Their muscles swelled in power before they turned upon the recruits and lashed out in frenetic frenzy. A few had managed to dodge the initial strike by using the broken rubble as barriers. A leopard and atlawa were not as lucky as the ape’s claws raked into their ankles and dragged them to the center of the horde. Cyril’s tail hummed with power as he ran forth and swiped his ice sheathed tail across a horde of apes with the shard in the center; sending many of them backwards. He then turned his head upwards and exhaled a burst of frost to the ape in the rafters. The ape was quick and with a wave of its hand-it teleported to another section of the room. The shard had been broken and the spell that had given the apes their advantage had been lost. The two cadets who had been captured were not as fortunate. Cyril shifted his stance putting himself between his cadets and the shaman and its apes.
“Yes yes thank you, you can show your gratitude later. But first we have unwanted guests to expel!” His neck expanded slightly before exhaling a gust of chilly air to create another barricade for them.

“Ignitus! I have it covered here! Find the Volteer and Terrador!” The fire guardian was hesitant but he knew Cyril well enough they could handle a few simian intruders.
He was unsure why but something was drawing him to the upper tower. Almost as if an ancient voice was beckoning him to come to the chamber above. Ignitus shook his head and headed down below where he had to see something for himself. As he descended below, he could feel their air changing. Static graced his scales and arched along the ground. In a deep chamber below he found Volteer shooting electricity at five large crystal dragon statues.
“They still won’t awaken?” The yellow dragon huffed as he coughed up a last bit of electric power in frustration.
“I’ve tried everything I could think of which of course means there is a .000005% chance there is something I have not thought up and therefore is the correct answer. But in our current situation it would take—”
“Volteer! Forgive me but you are needed above. We will have to what we can without the Zords.”
“Well that is a shame as getting these things to run would increase our chances of dealing with this raid by at minimum 40% but I suppose we shall have to do what we can.” As they exited the chamber Volteer pressed his hand against the claw mark on the door. The door hummed before the two could head rumbling above them.

“I suggest we run”, Volteer said cheerfully. Ignitus managed to turn his head to the sound above where the ceiling was starting to crumble and dust dropped against his eyes. He just barely managed to jump back before the stone cracked and shattered sealing the doorway.
“A bit of foresight is always a good thing”, Volteer chuckled before galloping down the hall. Just as they reached the landing the fire and lightning dragons ran into the other guardian. Terrador’s massive mossy body blocked their path as he swung his tail against another swatch of small green creatures. Their enemies shattered into crystalline fragments that flickered with a slight bit of dying light before fading away into dullness. Ignitus shuddered as the pair came closer to the earth guardian.
“Don’t tell me those were…” Terrador flicked one of the shards with a large claw.
“I am afraid so. It appears the Dark Master really has been busy. But what would he have to gain here? All we have are a small handful of untrained recruits and…” All three dragons’ maws dropped slightly as the same thought flickered between them.

“Impossible. The Knight Lumens haven’t been active in over a thousand years! They were just dull pieces of decoration now”, Volteer huffed.
“Unless…there is some credibility to the ancient prophecy”, Ignitus retorted. Terrador was about to speak when they heard an explosion above them. Terrador hunched over and his tail began to hum with green earthly energy.
“Legend or not I doubt now would be the time to completely dismiss it. Where is Cyril?”
“Down below in the main forum helping the cadets push back the initial forces”, the fire dragon informed him.
“Then I shall join him down below. You and Volteer head to the Ritual Chamber above! I will assist our cantankerous snowbird below!” Neither the fire or lighting dragon had a chance to speak as Terrador was already halfway down the stairs and they could feel the ground rumble at their feat.

Volteer and Ignitus were almost at the top of the main tower. Cobwebs and wines had covered the old door. The dragons used their elemental breaths to break free the ancient seal and then shoved to roll the ancient barricade to the side. Both were paused with awe as they walked into the musty space with only a few slivers of moonlight gracing the space. The room was a circular shaped area with a deep pool in the center. Along the walls were murals depicting great battles of Rangers from the past against many monsters that had once threatened the dragon realms. Along the back wall was the main focus of the forum. A statue of a non-descript dragon stood with wings outstretched and tail coiled in front of it. In its hands was a long stone shelf with many circular depressions. Resting in each depression was a stone dragon egg. Upon each egg was carved a symbol representing an element of magic. Volteer ran his claws on the one marked with the symbol of electricity. Ignitus was looking at the number of eggs that have long gone silent for centuries. “These dragon eggs…if we needed a miracle now…” Ignitus’ musings were interrupted as the skylight above shattered and a large shape dropped down below. It was followed by more shadows dripping from above and quickly obscuring what little moonlight they had. The small beasts blinked soulless yellow eyes as they awaited their master’s orders. It was hard to tell just what the larger shadow was save for a glowing green eye and waving a large purple crystal at the end of its staff. The leader gurgled something to the shadows that sounded like a command to attack. Volteer’s jagged spines crackled with electric power as he scrunched his body tight. With a twist of his body, the energy formed around the dragon into a small tornado as he spun in a wide arc against the shades. Thunder and electricity arched across the floor making the shadows shudder and explode in a mass of bloaty ink. Just as Volteer had stopped moving, he felt something cold strike his back. The guardian staggered just as he felt a sudden wave of lethargy overtake him. The larger shade chuckled.

“Did you think you can outshine the shadows with just a meager spark?” The green-eyed beast then turned his attention to Ignitus.
“The Dragon Knights are finished. Accept your end and I will give you the mercy of a quick death” Sparks of flames dripped from Ignitus’ teeth as he prepared to defend himself. Suddenly Volteer thrust his body against the leader catching it off guard and making it stagger back. Volteer shot electric power at a rusty chandelier-forcing it to crash upon the intruder. “I’ve got this! Save the orbs!” The fire guardian hesitated but yelled he would be back. He scooped up what he could-five in total between his arms and shoved himself out of the window.
The night was still and warm. On any other night he would have enjoyed flying among the stars in this comforting gale. Now his hard was beating in his chest as he flew down into the swamp below. He should have kept going. He should have gone anywhere else and yet he could not abandon the other guardians and the cadets. They needed him. But the apes could not be allowed to destroy the dragon orbs either. A thought came to him. It was a risk he had to take. He glanced around until he found just what he needed. He tore off a large mushroom and hollowed out the stem and part of the center. He then nestled the eggs inside and covered it with weeds. The river was rolling downwards from the temple and deep into the mists of Dragonfly Swamp. As he set the mushroom adrift and watched it, he muttered, “May the ancestors guide you to your awakening. May they help us all.” Once the eggs were out of his sight, Ignitus unfurled his great wings and took back to the temple-only to be greeted with the very sight he had feared.

Chapter 2: Arriving in Angel Grove

There was nothing but shadows. The boy stood alone in the middle of the foggy space frantically looking around for anything familiar. “Eliah…..Eliah….” a low voice grumbled around him. As the boy rubbed the fog from his eye’s shapes began to form around him. At his feet he was standing on grey stone sleeked with silver and blue cracks. Around him similar slabs of stone were floating in what now appeared to be an endless starry space. “H-hello?” the boy called out. His voice didn’t even echo. The fog melted back further as a large dragon statue rose from the void. Its face was formed by four long heavy spines and the back of its skull had two large golden horns curled back. At the base of the statue were five stone eggs. As the boy staggered closer, he could see similar platforms much like his own also floating around the dragon statue. He wasn’t sure-but it seemed there were others on the podiums. He tried to see who they were, but the mist surrounding his own stage obscured their features. The only clear thing before him was the statue and the egg. The statue seemed to be looking directly at him. Eliah placed his hand on the face of the egg. The egg started to glow and he had to shield his eyes as the object exploded with bright purple light. Suddenly he heard a chorus of whispers inside his head. They were also shrieking at the same time so it was impossible for him to decipher what they were saying. He clamped one hand over his right ear as he tried to wipe away the spots from his sight. He staggered towards the edge of the platform and he fell into the darkness.
*Beep Beep beep* the old alarm clock chimed. A slender hand reached out from under the covers and felt around until at last his fingers traced the gold and red robot head and he pressed down. He had been awake for the past two hours since the dream and just spent the early hours of the morning face down on his pillow trying to get back to sleep. Outside the rain pounded against the window. The mostly empty room and tin roof made the noise even louder and if it hadn’t been for the dream, he would have been awake anyway. He sat up and ran his fingers through the many tussles of pinkish red hair as he shook his head to clear the mind. His olive-green eyes scanned around the room as he shoved himself off the bed. The boy found the open box labeled ‘Clothes’ and began tossing out the items until he completed a reasonable ensemble of an outfit. After getting dressed and combing out his shaggy hair he glanced at the framed photo sitting on a box beside the table.
“Always greet the day with a smile, right dad?”
His younger brother was running about the kitchen with a toy llama and singing a mangled version of the Dino Thunder theme and smacked the television on as he ran past. “And in recent news; another teenager from…” His mother shut the TV off.

“David, please sit down. Eliah, can you catch your brother and put him in his seat?” Eliah muttered a groggy ‘yeah mom’. He squatted down to his brother’s level and clapped his hands.
“Hey David, what are we today?” The five-year-old waved his hands while keeping a grip on his llama.
“A Power Ranger!”
“And what do good Rangers do in the morning?”
“…. oh yeah! They have good breakfast so they can kick butt!” Eliah smiled and tiled his head.
“That’s right! Sooooo?” The toddler paused.
“Your smile is funny.”
“Huh? No, it’s not!”

“Your eyes look funny too.”
“They are just fine!” Eliah’s voice cracked a little higher than he meant to and David squealed before running to their mom.
Their mother came in and frowned.
“Eliah it’s too early to be yelling. Are you okay? Are you sick? Do you not feel well?” Eliah shook his head.
“I’m fine mom. Really. Everything is great.” His mother tiled her head as she set out two plates of eggs and toast.
“A shame the weather isn’t too great for your first day at school. Will you be okay?” Her son had already stuffed a whole egg into his mouth.
“Yeah…. everything is just fine. Start the day with a smile, right?”
“I…. suppose. Well at least you’ll see your old friend, Kirby today. So, I guess it won’t be all bad.” Eliah forced a heavy smile even with a mouthful of bread.
“Yep” he said quickly.

The rain had not let up as his mother had driven to the front of Angel Grove High School. In fact, it has seemed to be even worse. Many students had already been running from busses and cars trying to get inside as soon as possible. Eliah held his purple umbrella close as he stepped out into the quad. His mother waved goodbye before leaving herself. The teen pulled his coat closer to him as he began to run towards to the main building. He was no athlete and he was short of breath before he had even crossed the main gate. Then he heard something behind him when he had stopped. He heard someone yell ‘oof’ followed by a splash. Eliah turned to see someone had tripped on one of the puddles. Ignoring the rain soaking his own clothes, Eliah ran back to the student and positioned the umbrella the best he could to shield both of them.
“You, okay?” The student glanced back through soaked strands of hair and didn’t respond. She took Eliah’s out-stretched hand and stood up. She grumbled a thanks as the two walked into the building.

The two started to wring themselves out by a near-by mop bucket. The student was slightly taller than he was. She started to wring out her auburn hair and then took off her black sweater to dry that out. “Um…thanks. I…forgot my umbrella today”, the girl stammered.
“No, it’s fine. I’m glad to help.” The girl nodded and then made haste as the first bell began to sound off.
Eliah had just barely made it into his first class just as the second bell rang. He could have asked for direction but didn’t want to be too much of a bother. He had just seated himself towards the back of the hall when a shadow passed over him.

“You’re in my seat”, a racky voice growled. The student was tall and from his build he was definitely someone who focused more on athletics than academics. Large bushy eyebrows lowered further down his blue eyes as he thumbed his crooked nose. His square face was framed by heavy reddish-brown sideburns and traces of a prickly beard. Eliah smiled weakly.
“Oh uh…h-hello. I uh…. didn’t see your name on it so….” The boy placed a hand on Eliah’s shoulder. He smiled a crooked grin and bent down close to his face.
“Hey buddy, look you’re new here but there’s certain way things go. Now move.” Eliah felt his heart start to bounce against his chest and he nodded meekly before moving to the front of the class. As he moved down, he thought he heard the sound of a smack against the face and a feminine voice scolding him-but he was too much in an inner panic to really think about it. Eliah could hear other murmurs and felt several pairs of eyes following him as he grabbed another chair. They’re just curious about a new student, that’s all. Start the day with a smile, Eliah. He smiled back and waved at no one in particular.
“Huh, I thought that was you, El.”
Eliah turned to his left to see a boy waving back at him. The student was a stockily built, barrel chested lad with some muscle in his arms. His dark caramel hair laid about his shoulders in wavy curls with no clear direction. Eliah had to blink several times slowly as he tried to register who this guy was. His memory was a bit hazy but there really was only one who called him El-at least without smirking. Though it had been almost five years since they had really met face to face.

“K-Kirby?” Eliah said unsure if he was completely correct.
“Hey you did remember. You haven’t changed a bit.” Eliah tiled his head and huffed. “And you look like you finally got rid of all that baby weight.” Kirby just laughed back. Then the first period bell rang.
The lunch period took forever to come around Eliah thought. The continuing rain had forced everyone inside. He held his lunch tray close to his chest as he desperately tried to find a seat. Kirby came up from behind him. Eliah felt quite small standing next to his old friend. He had to crane his neck up a little just to meet his eyes.
“Hey El, why don’t you come over to my table?” Eliah smiled with the first hint of excitement he had all day.
“Y-yeah! Sure! There’s a lot I want to…”
“Yo JK! Hurry your butt over or I’m giving away your seat to a pretty girl.” Eliah and Kirby turned their attention to the guy yelling. It was the sideburns guy and Eliah twitched in annoyed reflex. The table was crowded with other students save for the singular spot across from Sideburns. Kirby glanced between Eliah and Sideburns.

“It’s fine”, Eliah sighed. “I think I see a spot over by the wall…”
As the last bell ending for the school day rang, Eliah saw that his mother had sent a text message that she could be late and she would pick him up at the Youth Center two blocks over. At least the rain had finally stopped. The building hadn’t changed much since he had been here last. The main forum split off into four different areas with a reception desk in the center. On the south side of the forum was the Juice Bar, the Pool on the west, courts on the east, and to the northwest a corridor that led to the general athletics bar. Perhaps some juice would help, he thought.
The Juice Bar had kept it’s 90’s aesthetic for nearly 30 years but without the decay and outdating that often comes with such a concept-like a small nostalgic time capsule that both residents and tourists flocked to. Power Rangers memorabilia thought the decades adorned the upper shelves-this was something of a recent addition when the first Ranger team revealed themselves. As Eliah came up to the counter, he scanned the menu board trying to find his favorite drink. The proprietor came up. Ernie hadn’t changed much either.
“Can I help you, sir?”
“Oh…. I was looking for Purple Dragon Punch. I…didn’t see it on the board.” Ernie blinked and shook his head.

“Yeah sorry, I took that one off the menu a few years ago-it wasn’t too popular.” He seemed to read Eliah’s disappointment.
“I’ll see what I can do, okay? Why don’t you take a table while you wait?” Eliah thanked him and then slid over to a table near the door. Behind him was a bulletin board that held job notices, club meetups, and whatever else. On one side was a large poster for Ranger cadet tryouts though the date had been expired by a week. On the right he saw something odd among the usual notices. There were missing posters for several teenagers. They went as far back as two months ago with the latest one being a week ago. Eliah counted seven. Curious he turned on the news app on his phone. Several blogs remarked that the Rangers were investigating these disappearances but that was all. Ernie placed a large glass in front of Eliah filled with a purple frothy beverage and topped with spiny pineapple.
“I still had some mix left that was still good. Enjoy!” Eliah smiled and took a long sip of the punch. It was still just as good as he remembered. Memories of him and his father coming here after school flooded his mind and he felt a slightly tightness in his chest. He took another long sip to force it down. Always greet the day with a smile.
As he finished his drink Eliah wandered to the courts to sit in the bleachers until his ride came. He saw Kirby now dressed in a dark green tank top and white shorts inflating several basketballs by the pump on the far wall. Eliah yelled a hello.

“Huh, I never pictured you being a guy for basketball”, Eliah quipped. “I recall you reeling in agony every time you got passed the football.” Kirby blushed and patted the pudge on his stomach.
“Y-yeah I wasn’t exactly a healthy guy but Butch has really been helping me out.”
“Butch, huh?”
“Yup, he’s the captain of our school’s basketball team. He’s a great guy and pretty decent captain.”
“If he impressed you, then I guess I’d like to meet him.”
The gym door slammed open and a loud racky voice echoed in the nearly empty court.
“The fuuuuun had ariiiiived! Thank you!” Eliah’s excitement plummeted as it was no other than Sideburns. Behind him was a young girl who was tapping on her laptop. She brushed her cherry red frizzles out of her large brown eyes and huffed through her sharp hatchet face. Her hands held the teal blue tablet close to her face so the screen’s backlight lit up her glasses.

“IF you had followed my plans exactly as instructed instead of your wild card antics, Butch, we would not have lost to Reefside High last week. Now making it to the championship finals has dropped to 6% with a 3% chance of making up lost score.” Butch rolled his eyes and took a long loud slurp him his water bottle.
“Maybe. But if we did everything you pestered me on, Helena, we would not have had any fun. Who cares about some engraved date on a trophy in a dusty old case?”
“I care”, Helena snapped. “Why do you always insist on doing your own thing opposite of the obvious facts…”
“I better go separate them again”, Kirby huffed. “This might take a while.” He walked off before Eliah could say anything. Now that the space was being filled with commotion from three teenagers and everyone in the space now crowding around-perhaps he should go to another spot to wait around.

The General Athletics room of the Youth Center was the largest area within the entire building. This multipurpose zone was often used for activities for gymnastics, wrestling; among other activities. The schedule posted outside hinted that currently the space had been sectioned for the Fencing Club. Well, at least there would not be any more unnecessary shouting, Eliah thought. He pulled himself onto a bench and looked at the mat in the center where everyone was waiting in excited fervor. The two combatants had just crossed the tips of their rapiers indicating the match to behind. From what he could tell they were two girls-one was clearly taller and lankier-hardly matching the stature of their shorter sporty opponent. The referee raised his hand and then shorted begin.
The huskier opponent was faster than their build suggested as they ducked just barely missing a horizontal arc swipe from the lanky fighter. Husky aimed for the leg just as Lanky turned to the side and hopped backwards. Husky made an audible snarl from under her mask and her weapon japed forward in four quick successions. Eliah watched with the straw of his drink just hanging from the side of his mouth as Lanky weaved and bobbed with cold mechanical calculation each move Husky attempted to make. Not once Lanky made a move to strike back-only dodging and deflecting with reserved energy. The timer ticked down the minutes as the crowd started to cheer and shout at the two. From the clutter of noises Eliah could just make out the names; Cassidy and Cree-though he couldn’t tell who was who. Two minutes had ticked by. Both opponents had made two strikes each on each other. Lanky had just leaped back to the edge of the mat. Thirty seconds. Husky made the first step forward to close the distance, moving fast as she placed all her weight forward in one strong leap. She swung her weapon in a cross southwest arc as she shouted, “Got you now!” Thwack! The sound of her tip hit the wooden floor of the gymnasium. Everything had gone quiet for just a moment. Time had stopped as the sound had reached Husky’s ear. No, that can’t be right! The soft sound of feet landing on the mat appeared behind her-then she felt a swift thwack on her back.

“I believe this contest is at its end.” Eliah blinked because he could not believe it himself that he had seen. Just as Husky had landed where her opponent had been, Lanky appeared right behind her like a shadow. There were cheers and yells as the rest of the club had surrounded Lanky. Lanky did not seem to pleased at the sudden crowding. She excused herself as she shoved people aside and made haste to the locker rooms. Eliah saw her remove her helmet. It was the girl from the rain this morning. Eliah tiled his head as he observed her expression. She did not seem happy to have won-almost apathetic to what had just happened.
Husky tossed off her helmet as she let of a loud grumble. She yanked off the hair tie and let her dark curls bounce around her head. At the table near the bleachers, she yanked a towel from her bag and wiped the sweat from her dark round face.
“Hey uh…. good match. It looked…. really close”, Eliah stuttered as his face blushed. The girl raised an eyebrow.
“Do I know you?” she said a little sharply. Eliah’s mouth snapped a little as he froze at the icy response. Just as he got his thoughts together, the boisterous crack of Butch drowned him out.
“Yo Cassidy! Ya kick some butt?” Cassidy’s ridged expression melted slightly into calmness. Or at least as calm as slightly puckered pouted lips and furrowed eyebrows can be attributed to serenity. With Butch now standing to Eliah, Cassidy’s eyes lit up as her thoughts clicked.

“Now I know where I know you! Butch didn’t I tell you to be nice to the new guy?” Butch shrunk slightly even with the obvious height he had over her.
“Aww but Caaaaaaaaasssss”, he whined.
“Come on, you promised to be nice”, Kirby intervened. “Don’t get too hung up on it, El. Butch isn’t as big a jerk as he acts.”
“It-it’s fine”, Eliah squeaked in between Butch’s protests. He grabbed his bag and hurried out into the lobby. In the lobby someone was waiting by the drop off location at the front. It was the girl from the rain. Eliah just stood there and started playing with his phone.
“You were there at the match”, she remarked with a deadpan while not looking up from her own phone.
“Y-yeah. I uh…was just killing time. You were…pretty good.”
“It was nothing. Frankly it was easy.” Eliah almost dropped his phone.
“Huh but Cassidy and you were down the timer and…”

“Cassidy is adequate.” There was a long pause.
“What is your name”, the girl asked-still not looking up from her phone.
“Oh uh…Eliah. Eliah Woodrow.”
“Cree Synder. Thank you for the umbrella. You seem interesting. Not intelligent or strong by any exemplary means, but interesting.” A black car pulled into the roundabout. The window rolled down and the driver snapped their fingers. Cree nodded and entered the car without another word. The parent seemed to glare back at Eliah before driving off.
“Interesting huh? That was…odd.”

Chapter 3: The Calling

The crowd cheered as Butch snatched the basketball from his opponent with one hand and ran forward towards the opposite end of the court. He yelled to his teammate to get ahead of him and be ready for the pass. But the more Butch ran the further and further away the basket and his partner seemed to be. He knew the length of the court like the back of his hand. He should have been there by now. As he kept trying to move, the bleachers became shrouded in dark fog-dimming the cheering of the crowd until they ceased. Then two more players from the opposite team skidded in front of him. Suddenly their limbs cracked and lengthen as long tuffs of mud colored fur burst from their arms and sides of face. Their mouths twisted forward as their incisors lengthen to long sharp fangs. Five more apes appeared around the court and they pounded the court floor with crazed chanting hoops and hollers.
“You jerks again? Gargh, I hate monkeys!” Two leapt forward and grabbed Butch by his left arm and leg each. The boy slammed onto the court and the court squeaked as he started to be dragged. He yelled for help but none of his team was around him. The bleachers were now filled with blobby humanoid shapes with glowing red eyes. They twitched and sneered and began to laugh. “Oh, ya think this is funny ya jerks! I have heard better taunts from Stone Canyon High. And guess what? They suck!” Butch twisted to the right and hurled the ball at the one holding his arm. The ball smacked the ape clear in the jaw and it twisted its neck in a loud sickening pop. The sound made the other turn their eye to their falling comrade and Butch snagged the ball as it bounced back and he hurled it again at their snout. Once his leg was free, he knew he had to move. Tucking the ball close to his chest he skidded to the right-hand side of the court as another ape swiped at his chest.
“You gotta do better than that ya dumb chimp!” The ape snarled and pulled its spear from its side belt. Butch let out a yelp and tried to run. His legs felt like lead. It wasn’t like he skipped leg day or anything-why was it so hard to move. Duck! A small voice yelled in his head. Butch never ignored the little voice before and he did just to barely be skewered by a spear to the back. The pointed edge dug hard into the wood right in front of his face. Ahead the floor was starting to break apart and the hoop was pulling further away. Well, no time to think about any good plan, Butch thought. With one hard tug he wrenched the spear free as he ran past. First, he rolled the basketball at the feet of one of the apes coming close to him making the simian trip. Then he ran. He pushed himself more than he could think of. He was almost to the end of the crumbling platform as the two living apes scampered ever closer. With one hard thrust he jabbed the end of the spear into the ground and used the momentum to vault himself over the chasm. As he flew over the void his hand just barely grabbed onto a statue on the other side.
Heaving himself onto the platform he saw the court had changed. It was cold stone with broken pillars and statues. The hoop stood in the middle. He picked up a stone by his feet and chucked it into the hoop. He cheered himself at the score though there was only his voice to be heard. The other half of the court had vanished into the dark void. The dragon statue rose behind him-holding a stone egg in its claws. This again, he grumbled.
“Hey great stone dragon1 Ya gonna do anything or we having another staring contest?”
“Butch Logan. Your greatest strengths are like fire-capable of bring warmth and light to others. But also, can he dangerous when not focused and controlled.” Butch could hear the voices from all around him.
“Yeah, I am awesome”, he said proudly.
“Your time to find your flame is soon. The time of calling is at hand!” The stature’s mouth snapped open and shot flames directly at Butch.
****

Helana’s heart pounded with excitement. Surrounding her were stone shelves reaching about thirty feet in height and stuffed full of books. Surrounding the space were six large alcoves. In five of them were large quadruped statues-their exact species indetermined. Perhaps they were some kind of dinosaur, she mused to herself. In the center was the statue of a large proud looking dragon smiling with smug confidence as smaller statues of different creatures surrounded it with their hands outstretched in piety.
“Humph, reminds me of a certain oaf”, she remarked dryly. She moved closer to the books and ran her spine along the dusty volumes until she found one that seemed to shine out to her. It had an icy blue color and its spines held together by metallic bands. As she pulled on it to look at it closer it felt icy to the touch. The chill made her drop the book and it bounced on its spine before fluttering open. The words were a mismatch of symbols and letters that didn’t even line up on the page. Helena huffed disappointed.
“So, this is a dream of minor consequence. And here I thought it would be the- “
The glass dome above burst with a loud sharp crack as a pile of stones bursts though. Helena crept to the rocks that had rested at the feet of the proud dragon. She was about a foot away from the stones when the rocks began to shudder. Runes carved into the stone flashed with a purplish black aura as shadowy tendrils launched forth slashing at the smaller statues-ripping an arm there and a leg there. The stones rose to Helena’s eye level as the black mist transformed into turbulent winds streaked with ice and frost. The cheetah head it had stolen turned to Helena slowly and it roared a terrible howl of grinding stone and slicked ice.
The icy golem slashed a stony claw at Helena, catching her in the shoulder. The rocky talons dug into her flesh and attempted to drag her towards its frosted core. She struggled and tugged but her bare feet could not grip the on the rug. “I could really use that oaf being here right now!” As her heart beat faster, her mind began to race. She saw the book of nonsense still open on the floor. Of course, her thoughts reminded her. This was a dream-and since she was aware of this being a dream perhaps, she had a chance. She had to think fast as ice began to form about her hand as she was closer to the core. Helena was not sure what made her think of it. In her hands appeared a hefty hammer. Its size suggested incredible weight and yet her spindly limbs could hold it just fine. She wished she could spend time to analyze this; only for the frostbite to remind her. She had seen Kirby to this all the time at the school garden. She lowered her grip on the hammer. “Let’s see if I hold it here-then the leverage should be enough to…” The hammer swung in a low arc and struck one of the mismatched stone legs of the golem. The swift off balance forced the golem to let go as it attempted to right itself.

The next course of action was obvious to put distance between herself and snow drenched golem. It pushed itself up and the black tendrils leached out to grab the broken stone and regain its leg. Helena rolled her eyes with annoyance. She was no fighter and already she felt exhausted with the hammer. No, she had to think faster. She had no time for a plan. She needed a minute to think clearly. For a moment all sounds ceased and time stopped briefly. Color seemed to snap away from her vision. Then there was a brief flash of icy light. Her hammer illuminated then as if some outside force was guiding her, the chandelier also glowed. At last, her eyes rested on a spear and the central rock of the golem itself. She had it! She had a plan. If everything went exactly as she planned-she could win this nightmare. The hammer in her hand shrunk without her even thinking of it. “Well, that is lucky.” She chucked the hammer at the light fixture’s holding chain above. The hammer clanked against the base and the metallic structure fell on the stone creature. Its arms were pinned against its sides and it topped to the side with its core fully facing Helena. She smirked and grabbed the stone spear from the ground and stabbed the center of the beast. The light flickered and faced from the monster and collapsed into a pile of useless stones.
“You are clever. Your knowledge and cool composure in adversity will be valued in recovering the ancient secrets the Dragon Nights once lost. But be careful your search of knowledge does not blind you to the truth before you.” The stone dragon’s mouth snapped open and the room became enveloped in ice.
****

There was an ancient oak tree resting in the middle of a glade. Surrounding the tree was a crystal blue river with the water rushing into a waterfall to the east. Kirby lay under the shade of the tree and sighed as a small canine like creature licked his face playfully. He was perfectly happy to just be lying there. Perhaps he’d go for a walk later or maybe observe some wildlife. There was no pressure to be felt here in this serene glade. These placid thoughts were broken by a low thundering rumble. He sat up and looked to the west. The sky began to flicker and then melt into a hideous swirl of black and brown. The twisted clouds began to drip and envelop the area in suffocating dark sludge. The flora creaked a raspy croaky scream as they writhed and thrashed. Their bark turned dark and thorny and the leaves rotted away to dark red blossoms. Animals began to run in no clear decoration as the poison corroded their bodies as well. Some grew additional fangs, others leather wings, while some grew larger and larger until they were twice the height as Kirby himself. All of them turned their blackened hollow eyes and screeched. The water became brackish and slashed at Kirby’s feet. He jumped back and slammed against the tree. Animals not caught up in the toxic rage were huddled against the tree and were frantically trying to get up to the higher branches.

The river was too wide and the land mass he was on too narrow for Kirby to leap across. Perhaps he could swim? A transformed hound attempted to bound across the water. As it jumped the river bank broke away and it was swept up in the current. It was insane to do, he knew that, but he couldn’t just let it be chucked down the coming waterfall. In his hands formed a jade-colored rope. Quickly tying it into a lasso he hurled the line at the beast. He had done things many times in the summer working at his uncle’s farm. Of course, he never had to catch a canine from a waterfall. The rope caught the animal’s hind leg just in the nick of time. Kirby nearly lost his own footing from the sudden weight of the water and wolf. The edge of the land he was on threatened to crumble as he heaved the thrashing monster on to the shore. No sooner had he pulled up the animal when another creature had arrived on the island. This was humanoid in shape with pea green skin and dressed in mottled furs and large bones. It swung its club at the boy’s head. Kirby had thrown his arms up on instinct to defend himself without thinking. The rope changed to a shield and the club clattered with a heavy thunk. Snarling at its failure, it grasped both ends of the club and shoved hard attempting to shove Kirby into the river. The humanoid’s hot peppery breath filled Kirby’s nostrils. His muscles shook as the heels of his boots dug into the softening earth.
He heard a snarl behind him. From the corner of his eye, he saw the cursed wolf moving between him and tree. The canine snaped its fangs onto the humanoid’s leg and thrashed. The humanoid dropped its club and grasped at the thrashing beast. The creature dance about its clumsy swipes and dug further and further into its prey’s flesh. Kirby thought the shield into a rope and swung it on the lowest branch that could hold his weight. He was halfway up the trunk when he heard a hoggish squeal from below. The two mad creatures had fallen into the river. He had to keep moving. At the top of the tree, he saw a stone platform floating a foot above him. Kirby had seen this stone before. Why did he keep seeing this? As he dragged himself up the land that held the tree collapsed into the river. The twisting and snapping of branches and stone rang in his ears until they died out into the now forming void below.

On the platform was the stone dragon he had seen several times before-again holding an egg out before him as if beckoning the boy to take it. There was a peculiar steady calmness surrounding this Kirby still stood at the edge keeping his arms tight to his chest.
“You are slow to change and yet transform in an instant like the earth itself. You will need to learn when to hold steady and be the rock people need and then to shake the status quo. The calling is at hand and there will be many who will need you.” The stone underneath his feet quavered underneath him and then shattered apart plummeting Kirby into the void.
****
Thwack! Pam! Crack! Cassidy snapped her rapier against three small goblinoid monsters that had emerged from the surrounding fog. Above, the thunderstorm crackled and rumbled in defining cacophony. The creatures went only up to her knees, but their numbers were rapidly increasing as more pulled themselves onto the roof where Cassidy found herself. So far this had been one of the most peculiar dreams she had. It had all begun with her at the Angel Grove Fencing tournament and it was her turn for the final match. Her opponent was smaller than even she was. It grunted and snorted underneath the protective mask before gripping a weapon three times its own size. It swung wide aiming for her chest. Cassidy tried to move, but her body felt sluggish as if her own uniform was weighing her down. She heaved all her strength to fall back just barely too late. The smaller creature’s weapon connected against her uniform and she heard it rip. She fell hard onto her back and groaned. The opponent ripped off its mask and it cackled. Underneath was a pudge green face. Most of its face was behind a large wide pinkish snout and framed by long porcine ears. Yellowish tusks curled from bloated lips and it smacked its long blackish tongue. It stared back with a pair of lightless marble eyes and it snorted with glee as the weapon in its hands changed to a large axe and it swung it down. Cassidy rolled to the left as the blade caught the cuff on her uniform. If only she could put some distance between her and this pig thing. Cassidy’s arm began to tingle like it had just woken up from sleep. She felt some kind of weight in her hand. As she looked, it appeared to be some kind of firearm; like those over exaggerated space toy guns she had seen on those Power Ranger ads. Well, she was not going to complain. She aimed right at its chest and fired. A sphere of concentrated electric energy burst from the muzzle blasting the creature twenty feet backwards. Cassidy forced herself to sit up and pull at the zipper of her uniform. The clothing fell to her ankles and she felt free. She used the axe to cut away the cloth from her feet and she smirked. More grunts rose from around her as more of those pig things emerged from the windows, doors, and even the woodwork itself.

And now here she was; fending wave after wave of these disgusting creeps. The walls of the gymnasium began to fall around her revealing a cold star-choked sky. The wooden floor at her feet was being overcome with stone. The thunder kept roaring above her growing loud enough to a point she could not even hear the grunts of the pig things anymore. Lighting began to strike the stony ground-sending several of the grunts toppling off the edge of the platform. Cassidy moved towards the center away from the pillar she had been standing nearby. Thankfully she did because another bolt of lightning smacked the earth. Two more bolts rained down. Cassidy wasn’t sure what was happening. While the lightning seemed to follow her-she almost felt as if she could feel when they were going burst. The pig things were eventually scattered into the void and the thunder ceased into silence. Cassidy’s ears rang with the sudden lack of sound. From the platform to her north there was that stone dragon again.
“Your impulsive nature and quick strikes make you skilled in battle like the essence of lighting itself. While your impulses can serve you well in battle-they may also turn the tide in the enemies’ favor. Be wary of this.” A large bolt of lighting struck the statue and it arced directly at Cassidy.
****

Elijah rubbed his eyes as he nearly fallen asleep at his own desk in homeroom. A week had passed since he had started school. The torrent of rain had given way to high winds and loud thunderstorms. The news app was flooded with this unexpected hurricane and how all emergency facilities were devoting their time in preparing for the worst. If the storms were not enough to keep him awake, the nightmares had continued to plaque his sleep. He couldn’t exactly tell his mom about it-she had enough problems with her new job and his little brother. Face the day with a smile he kept telling himself.
It appeared he was not the only one dealing with insomnia. As everyone filed into the cafeteria for lunch, he had noted that Kirby and his friends were also appearing droopy eyed and haggard as he was.
“Perhaps if you spent less time playing video games after school”, Helena started commenting.
“Aw lay off!” Butch whined. “I’ve barely gotten any sleep this week. That stupid stone dragon- “Cassidy slammed her open palm on the table as she had approached with her lunch tray in one hand.
“Hold on! Did you say stone dragon?!” Several eyes turned to the group and Kirby slapped his forehead. After some murmuring, they resumed eating.
“Come to think of it, I’ve been dreaming about a stone dragon too”, added Kirby.
“Uh yeah…same here”, Elijah responded awkwardly.
“Hold it! Not another word”, Helena declared. She shoved her half-eaten lunch to the side; clattering with Kirby’s tray, and took out her laptop.
“Now one at a time-tell me exactly what you all have been dreaming.” Butch groused that this was stupid with the girls glaring at him.

As they recounted their nocturne visions, Helena tapped at lightning speed and was muttering to herself. At a few times she graced her finger along the touch screen of her laptop before going back to typing. Butch complained the entire time-though this only seemed to encourage Helena as she continued to ask repeated questions for everyone at the table. Her eyes lit up with heightened excitement when the warning bell for lunch’s end began to rang. She promptly closed the laptop and stood up.
“School library ten minutes after the last class bell”, she ordered.
“Aw, but I don’t want to be in school longer than I have to”, Butch moaned.
“Would you rather brave the storm to your beloved Youth Center. I thought not. And that included you as well.” The last statement was directed at Elijah.
****

This was the first time Elijah had been in the school’s library. The space had undergone several expansions since the 90’s as academic interest in the recent Ranger programs had been adopted in Angel Grove. The library had been moved to a brand-new building on the east side of the lot with a covered glass tunnel connecting to the main building. Helena waved them over to the of the study rooms on the second floor.
“Now then are we all seated? Behold, the fruits of my labor!” On the table was a projector connected to her laptop. A PowerPoint shone of the back wall as she tapped a manicured nail on a Ven diagram with one hand while popping a large mint with her left hand. She pushed her glasses up on her pointed nose and snapped her fingers.
“While I consider dreams a mere jumbled collection of subconscious nonsense-the percentage of five people sharing largely similar dreams within a peculiarly singular time frame is .00007 to one if I am being generous. As you can see here in this center there are three consistent between all of us. One is the stone dragon. Second is the egg the dragon carries. And finally, a starry void.” She tapped her screen and another graph slid into place. There was a row for every name, followed by columns labeled: dates, voice, encounter, and element.
“All of us began having dreams roughly a month ago. For our freckle faced newcomer it appears to have been slightly longer. To what could this mean you ask?”
“Yeah, you could hurry up and get to the point”, Butch snapped.
“Don’t be rude, Butch. So, what does this mean”, Kirby interjected. Helena clicked her tongue and huffed before she popped another mint into her mouth.

“Thank you, Kirby. At least someone appreciates my genius. There is one other thing.” The next slide came into view showing seven reports of missing teens from around Angel Grove. Elijah nearly fell from his seat at the most recent one.
“Hey I know that girl!” Cassidy snarled at his exclamation.
“Cree Cynder”, Cassidy grumbled bluntly.
“Indeed. She’s a top student and almost as smart as me. And can kick Cassidy’s butt”, she chuckled. Kirby gripped Cassidy’s shoulder and held her down.
Helena began to pace.
“I don’t like all these coincidences. Perhaps I should report my findings to the police, or better yet the Ranger Hall downtown. I haven’t had put much stock into dream interpretation, but I am almost willing to give that a go. Almost.”

They heard a loud clash of thunder above their heads. The lights flickered and then suddenly went out. The lack of windows made the place completely dark save for the dim light of Helena’s laptop.
Everyone clicked the flashlights on their phones and peeked out of the study room. Everything really had gone dark. Though Elijah noticed something odd. Thinking it was just the sudden lack of lighting he closed one eye and slowly followed the rest of the group onto the balcony ledge.
“Hey! Is everyone okay?” Kirby shouted out. The only voice to sound back was the sound of his own words.
Helena had finally gotten out of the room with her laptop back in her satchel and hugging it close.
“Strange. I know we are not the only ones in this building. There was another group…” The lights flickered and hummed before going dark again. As Elijah opened his eye still wasn’t sure he was seeing correctly. The interior had a strange blue haze surrounding them as if some kind of mist has crept in.
“What is with this creepy smoke all over the place”, Cassidy observed. Kirby sniffed the air. “That’s strange. The smoke has no scent.”

“Who cares! This place gives me the creeps. There’s the green light from the Exit. I say we get out of here!” Butch huffed. They gripped the rails of the balcony and followed them towards the stairs. The haze grew thick into a dense fog that obscured the light from their phones. Elijah missed a step on the stair and tumbled down below. He felt his body hit the landing with a hard thud against his side. He heard weighty footsteps and a loud thud beside him.
“Woah, you okay there little guy?” Butch asked. Elijah didn’t get a chance to answer as Butch’s big hands clamped on his arms and heaved him upright like a limp cat. He stood there frozen before he was able to process his current situation.
“I’m fine…can you let go?” The rest of the group had joined the two down the stairs. Cassidy pointed to the faint green glow to the east of them.
“Hey, uh I thought the exit was to the left of the stairs?” Butch shrugged as he plopped Elijah down.
“Seriously? Green light means exit. So, we go to the exit. And bye!” He ran off towards the light. The group paused as they only heard Butch’s footfalls on the carpet but then let out a yell. On cure the gang ran after his voice. The green light turned into a green flame twisting and morphing into four dragon shaped beings. Their long grasping claws snagged each of them before being dragged into the depths of the mists.

Chapter 4: The Bugs in the Mushrooms

Elijah coughed up loose dirt as he pushed himself up from the soft earth. His vision was still spinning as he moved to a sitting position. The sounds echoed in faint distortion in his ears. As he sat there, he tried to process what had just occurred. First there was that strange fog in the library. And then when they went to where they thought the exit was, some kind of dragon grabbed them. A dragon grabbed them. He attempted to stand but his limbs refused to work and he fell back on his behind again.
“Hey! Everyone still alive?” a muffled voice called out. He couldn’t tell who it was. “Y-yeah I think so?” he squeaked.
Finally, things were finally getting into focus. He was surrounded by tall ridges encased in thick tangled masses of roots. Giant orange and purple mushrooms crowned the ridges blocking out most the sky. Butch was just pulling himself out from a cluster of dull colored mushrooms. Cassidy was looking at a mud-colored stream while Helena was observing the light purple sky. Kirby extended a hand towards Elijah.
“You okay El?”

“Aside that my head is spinning and my rear still hurts, I think so? What happened? Where are we?” Butch craned his neck up the sky.
“Either I had another bad bag of Goldie’s Jalapeno chips or we’re not in Angel Grove anymore.”
“I doubt we’d all be sharing one of your spicy food hallucinations”, Helena huffed. Cassidy knocked the back of her fist against a large mushroom the size of a tree next to her.
“Well, wherever we are, I got a feeling we need to find some kind of shelter. I don’t like those clouds up there.” Above them, gray colored clouds were beginning to form among the softer beige ones. Helena gripped her laptop bag tightly and made a small panic squeak. Butch clapped his hands and moved over to a ledge.
“Yo Kirby! Give me a boost!” As Kirby heaved Butch to the top of the ledge, the boy pulled a spyglass from his pocket and began to look around. Cassidy rolled her eyes before they nestled on a puzzled Elijah. “He thinks he’s going into the Ranger academy after high school. I keep telling him he doesn’t have the brains to- “
“Hey! I see a village!” Butch leapt down, but his foot landed in a mud puddle and he slipped on his own rear. The girls laughed as Kirby hoisted him back up. Butch just puffed out his chest.

“Come on! If we follow that star right there, we’ll run right in to it”, he boasted as he began to confidently walk down the rough path.
“Is he…always like that?” Elijah asked. Cassidy just shrugged. “He’s got brains in the dumbest ways possible. If there is fighting to be had, I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry little guy.”
The mucky ground stuck to the heels of their tennis shoes as they traversed through the narrow low ridge of the mushroom choked swamp. Above them they could hear the loud crackly croaks of what seemed like frogs and buzzing of insects as they traversed by. In a strange way amongst the chromatic mushrooms there was a strange serenity to it all with only the steady rumble of thunder to remind them they needed shelter. Mud splashed up on their clothes as their travel took them though a soft patch of earth. They had nearly sunk into a muddy pit as Butch led them though a tight passage. Thankfully many of the roots from the massive mushrooms above them were just low enough for them to grab and drag themselves though the murk. Ten minutes of grueling heaving and hefting they finally got to a solid piece of shore. They all splayed about on the ground gasping for breath. Above them the storm clouds had grown in intensity and small drips of rain began to sting their faces. Not enough to make them wet; just enough to be annoying.

“Where is this darn village? And my laptop bag is covered in mud,” Helena yelled. Suddenly a loud screechy buzz broke though the silence. A large shadow moved from one of the covering mushrooms-the sound of their wings beating closer to their position. Kirby hissed for them to brace against a section of the ridge where roots had curved over like a makeshift canopy. Under the shade of the rooms, they pressed their hands over their mouths as the buzzing noise lowered down to the ground.
From their limited vision between the roots by their feet they saw a long black segmented spiny tail-like appendage just touch the ground. The gray chitin prongs on the tip of their tail dragged along where they had just stood and slowly moved in a circle. The thing was making clicking and scratching sounds before moving towards the mud pool they had been at. Another set of buzzy wing beats joined the first one.

“They are here. Heading to village.” Of them told the other in a cracking raspy cough. “Alert Sargent Sting.” Hissed the other. Then the two took to the air.
The group waited for what seemed like an eternity-perhaps more like 5 minutes before they dared to peak out. There were no signs of whatever had been apparently looking for them. And the rain had gone from a pestering mist to a light drizzle. Butch used their root cover to get up to a higher point. From the south where they had been he could just make out three more shapes of whatever those hunters were. Towards the star he had been following he could still just make out the tops of thatched huts. Their path was blocked by a large fallen tree. Looking through his spyglass, Butch scanned around. “Hey um…there is a clearing right there I think we can camp”, Elijh said behind him.
“Hey! How did you get up here?! …. you managed to get up here?” Elijah frowned and pointed Butch’s spyglass towards a bit to the east. It wasn’t exactly in line with the star Butch had been tracking.
“What? We’re doing just fine!”
“We also fell into a bog, are getting rained on, and now we know someone is after us. I’d hardly call it fine”, Elijah said dryly as he flicked some mud off his wrist.
“Oh yeah, and who made you the leader?” An arrow thunked the stem of the mushroom between them just narrowly missing their noses.
“Hey! If you two are done making out up there, how about finding us a place to sleep huh?” Cassidy yelled upward. The two jumped down and glared at each other.

“Where did you get that bow?” Elijah questioned. In Cassidy’s hands was a yellow tinted longbow with dirtied ribbon and broken charms tied to the ends. Over her shoulder was a large quiver half filled with arrows.
“Oh, in that patch over there. Take a look!” She pointed to a thick clump of weeds that had been half trampled. Twisted among the blades of grass was a peculiar clump of stones. There was a large gathering of stones in the center with smaller rocks arranged out like stumpy limbs. Another clump of rocks was also above the larger section.
Helena knelt down and pushed over one of the rocks.
“Strange, there are claw marks on this stone. And if I put these small ones together here…” The rearranged pieces formed into a stubby hand. Kirby had come back with a small hand axe.

“There are similar stone formations over there too, but I didn’t find any more weapons.”
Elijah asked, “Okay so what exactly are they though?” Cassidy had retrieved the arrow she had shot at him earlier.
“Whatever they were, they don’t need these as much I feel we need them. Now where the heck are we going.”
“I saw a place where we can make camp and hide from- “Elijah began before Butch interrupted.
“And I saw we keep following my way! What ya say, guys? The village?”
“Butch, we don’t even know if the village is friendly”, Kirby mused.
“I say our best course of action is following Freckles”, Helena added.
“Yeah, strawberry top has the right idea.”
“Are you seriously kidding me right now?!”
“… I have an actual name.”
****

The eastern path led them to a hollowed-out tree. From the inside it appeared some kind of fire had been a blaze and now made a decent shelter from the storm. Elijah had gathered what dry wood he could find and had stuffed it underneath his coat as they had walked. Now he was searching among the dirt for stones while the rest of the group cleared away brush. By the time they had finished, Elijah had made a small fire.
“It won’t last all night I’m afraid. There wasn’t a lot I could find to burn.”
Kirby, “Oh yeah, you and your dad do all those camping trips all the time right? How’s he doing?” Elijah turned his head down as he stroked the fire with a branch.
“Oh, sorry El.”
“It’s fine. Really. I hope mom is okay. She has to be freaking out now.”
Helena, “With my parents having an investment in my education, I am certain this disappearance will upset them.”
Cassidy, “…. hey Butch you think your moms’ are worried that-Butch? Hey, where did he go?” He was not anywhere inside the tree shelter.
“Where did that idiot wander off too now? Butch!”

“Yo Cass! Help me drag this inside!” They heard loud scrapings of dirt and rhythmic clanging of metal. Butch had a large shield the same height as him with his arms looped through the two leather straps. His hands just barely wrapped around the wide hilt of a lance twice the length of the shield. The mud and weeds had entangled themselves around the weapon tightly and he was struggling to get it loose. Cassidy rolled her eyes and grabbed the weapon. With several hefty pulls they dragged the lance inside the tree. Butch placed the shield against the back wall of their tree cave.
“What were you thinking? You could have been spotted” Cassidy chided him. Butch shrugged as he placed a hand on the shield.
“I dunno. Just…my gut told me to look around. But isn’t it so cool? I mean look at it!” The shield was a tear drop shaped piece of slick silvered iron. Embossed on the front of the shield was a flame symbol inside a sun with a dragon below with its arms and wings outstretched. There appeared to be indents to where gems had possibly been and the few shards in the middle showed they had been wrenched out. The lance had an unusual handle. It widened and curved into three armored segments with straps underneath them. Aside from the dirt and clinging strands of weeds, the weapon and shield showed no signs of rust from being outside.

“Who do you suppose wielded them?” Elijah questioned.
“Well they must’ve got cared if they threw it aside”, Butch grinned. “And it’s mine now.”
The group had huddled up close to the fire as the night had come. The rain had mostly let up but the chill wind didn’t help things. And they had used up the last of the wood they had to keep it going. Their stomachs growled from lack of food.

“Hey! Let go of me you stupid bugs!” cried someone outside. From their tree cave they saw a small glowing object dart to and fro as it was being chased by two purple-colored lights. The lights spin and twirled until they came close to the group’s hiding place. The one yelling for help appeared to be a dragonfly but roughly the size of a housecat. The bug only had who long arms with a large of large blue panic-stricken eyes. Flanking the golden insect were two larger black dragonflies. They only had one pair of arms like the golden one but were thicker with long curved spines and claws instead of fingers. They had the same segmented tail they had seen earlier that day. The black ones clicked their mandibles as their hollow eyes reflected the pale moon above.
“Where are the humans? Where are they traitorous scout?” Suddenly the one of the rights plummeted down as a large piece of metal struck from above.
“Ya like that, bug brain?!” Butch gasped as he held their shield in his hands. The leftmost one splayed its foreclaws open and slashed at the boy. Its arm twisted back just missing Butch. An arrow had pieced its shoulder. Cassidy ran out and readied another arrow.
“Ugh you never think sometimes, I swear.” The right one hissed and clamped its mandibles on Butch’s leg. He yelled out as the shadowfly slowly tightened its grip. Then it let go as Kirby’s axe swung hard on its segmented neck. The golden dragonfly tried to fly away during the chaos. The other shadowfly had recovered and had quickly closed the distance.

“How are you freaks so fast?!” The shadowfly’s claw gleamed in the moonlight and raked down to slice its enemy in two. The dragonfly had shut his eyes waiting for the end. Strange-shouldn’t he have felt some kind of pain? Cautiously opening one eye he was in the folds of purple cloth. Elijah had cupped the dragonfly against his chest and had taken the blow.
“You…okay, little…guy?” he asked between pained breaths. Elijah forced himself to run as Cassidy peppered the shadowfly with two more arrows-one in the throat and the other in the eye. It screeched the word ‘phantom’ before collapsing dead.
“Yikes! Hairless apes!” The dragonfly had pushed himself away from Elijah’s arms and put his hands up into fists.
Cassidy had just plucked her arrows from the shadowfly’s corpse and began to clean them off with the edge of her pants.
“Hey only one of us qualifies as an ape and we just saved for shiny hide.” Butch put his shield back on his back.

“Who is the ape?” The dragonfly narrowed his eyes and began to sway from side to side in the air.
“Hmmmm I suppose that is true. And I guess I should be grateful for you dealing with those shadowfly jerks. So do you guys have names or do I just call you Red Ape, Yellow Ape…”
Helena appeared from the tree.
“Fascinating. We seem to have come across sentient life form-even if it is an annoying chatter bug.” The glow around the dragonfly sparked.
“The name is Sparx. And who you calling a chatterbug?! I didn’t see you exactly coming to my rescue either.”
“I realized the best course of action was to let Butch and Cassidy have their way of the situation. Besides, while you were all being heroes, I got more firewood and some food. So, I was not entirely useless.” Elijah stood between the two.

“Look we all did our parts. Can we please leave it at that?” he hissed between his teeth as the night wind lanced the wounds on his back.
Sparx hovered around to the wounds.
“Oooh you better get those treated quick. Come on, we better get you apes to the village. And I better get back before my parents’ freak. Nothing worse for a dragonfly than to be grounded. And don’t be slow about it either.”

Chapter 5: Dragons Rising

The village was actually a lot closer than they had thought it was. Granted their trek took them off the main path they had been on and into the dense thickets of the swamp. Sparx led them through a tunnel that had been concealed by a tangled mass of vines, mud, and twigs. While a decent size for a cat sixed dragonfly, the group was forced to crawl on their bellies-their backpacks scraping the top of the dirty tunnel and showering them with powdery earth and broken twigs. Kirby had the hardest time off all in the tunnel. He had to move with one arm outstretched just to get his axe through. Finally, they got through the tunnel and then had to traverse across a mud-colored river, but from the banks they could see the thatched huts of the village.
The village was a series of woven circular huts hung from the copse of trees in the center. Glass lanterns were strung along the branches with small colored flames flickering inside them. Surrounding the village was a high wooden barricade made with thorny trees and lashed together with red and purple vines. Built against the wall were five watchtowers that were covered in moss and flowers to conceal them. In front of the cluster of trees was a triangular shaped structure held together with mud. A dragonfly and a dragon made of woven branches were fastened to the top of the edifice. A bell sounded from a watchtower and two dragonflies caring spears descended down. Sparx threw his hands up.

“Woah hey hey! It’s me! Unless you mean the guys behind me, they’re fine. Yes, they look like apes and smell like them, but they aren’t the bad guys.” Three more had descended from behind and Cassidy felt a small prick against her neck.
“Sparx! Oh, thank the ancients you are still alive!” A pair of dragonflies grabbed Sparx from the group. “What were you thinking, being out of the village after dark? You know the rules.” Sparx nodded and then glanced back at the humans. The dragonfly guards had closed in on them with weapons fully drawn. More of the village peeked out of their homes and flew down to get a closer look. They began to mutter and ask questions-unsure what to think of the strangers. Someone shouted from the crowd, “They look close enough to the ape army!”
“We don’t want their war here!”
“It’s bad enough with Sargent Stinger and the shadowflies!”
“Get them out!”
“Throw Sparx out too!” Cassidy yelped as a spear jabbed in the back of her shoulder just as Kirby was stung in the hand. Butch held the shield in front of them as they started to be pushed back towards the spiny barricade.

“I knew it. I told you so, you lunkhead!” Helena shouted.
“Hold it!”
Everyone turned and parted to the sides of the shrine as another dragonfly floated between them. He was dressed in a robe dotted with shells and his face painted with white powder. He pointed his only hand towards Butch.
“The shield-where did you find that shield?” Butch only peeked one eye behind the metal.
“Th-this shield? I found it. I mean-I had a feeling where it was and- “Butch kept rambling as the elder dragonfly rubbed his chin. “I wonder if….Flash, Luna! Take them to the Dragon’s Hearth. They need food and rest.” There was a chorus of voices yelling in protest.
The group thought they were hearing things at first. The din of the angry insects was slowly fading away to a strange humming sound. As it grew louder even the mob was starting to notice. One shouted something about the shrine. The empty space of the bramble statures began to glow a motley of colors. The shrine began to shake and rumble and then fell quiet. The elder patted the backs of Flash and Luna. “I will be there shortly.”
The Dragon’s Hearth was a large building made of the same material as the smaller huts of the dragonflies. It was so large that the ceiling was a good ten feet above their own heads. In the middle there was a circle of stones arranged into a large hearth. Around the center were large pillows though mostly covered in fallen twig and dirt. Elijah kicked up a pile of dust and coughed.

“Doesn’t look like this place has been cleaned in a while.” Butch threw himself on a pillow.
“Ahhhh feels better than hard ground at least. I’m good.” Helana dusted off one of the other pillows. “For once I can agree with Butch.” Their assigned dragonflies had dragged wood over to the hearth and set it ablaze. Their food was berries and mushrooms along with honey combs. Small as their potions were, against their starving stomachs, nothing tasted better.
It was morning then a loud gong was rung inside the Hearth. “Rise and shine, hairless apes! Elder Thistle has graced your presence”, Sparx shouted. The humans grumbled and rubbed the sleep from their eyes. They were still in the thatched hut surrounded by humanoid dragonflies. So, it hadn’t been a dream after all. The elder was accompanied by two of the dragonfly guards who were carrying a wooden box. They rested it before the hearth where the Elder seated himself by coiling his abdomen underneath him like a serpent.
“Forgive such a rude awakening but I fear the thing we tried to avoid for years is coming to a head. But I must ask, how you came to these realms? Who are you? And what do you know of the Dragon Knights?”
The gang answered the questions the best they could-save for the part about the Dragon Knights. Thistle tapped the side of the box as he listened intently.
“So, you’re expecting us to believe you have crazy dreams about apes and elementals and stone dragons? Besides, no one’s seen much of dragons or the knights for years”, Sparx commented. Thistle nodded slowly.

“Indeed, I believe some of the answers reside in what is left of the Dragon Temple on Scalewing Pass. Sparx-come tomorrow you will escort them to the temple.”
“Wait what?!”
“I know you’ve been sneaking there for some time. If anyone can lead them up there, it is you. Perhaps it is time we embraced for former oaths again.”
“And those are?” A loud crash was heard outside. A guard staggered in-a large gash in his wing.
“Elder Thistle…they’re…here…” He collapsed from exhaustion. Elder Thistle ran out into the main area. Shadowflies were pouring in from the large hole made in the barricade.
“Round them up! I need a few to squash to make my point.” Leading them was an 8ft fall behemoth of a humanoid wasp. Their four limbs were large and heavy with thick segmented places. It scanned the village with large white bulbous eyes and he licked his pointed teeth in delight. He tapped the two ft long golden stingers on his wrist excitedly.
“There you are ya old bug. Now I’m a reasonable bug. Where are the humans?” The elder snarled back-keeping his gaze fixed on the wasp.
“Oh, playing the tough bug, eh? Ya know why I’m called Sargent Stinger? See these babies here? They ain’t for eating kabobs.” Without even turning his gaze he swung his right arm to his side-slicing a guard clean in two.
“Now then? If you want your little hovel to make it past tomorrow-you’ll talk.”
****

The box had been knocked over when Elder Thistle had left them to meet with Sargent Swarm had arrived. Cassidy and Butch pressed themselves against the sides of the entrance and held their weapons. The Hearth was at the far back of the village and obscured by the dense piles of foliage from disuse. So far none of the shadowflies had come close to their hiding place. Helena was trying to patch up the wounded guard while Elijah and Kirby were examining the spilled over box.
“What the heck are these weird things?” Sparx picked up a stone egg roughly half his size. Kirby tossed one between his palms and traced the strange runes on the edge.
“Dragon…Knight…of…Earth…arise…strange words.” Sparx hovered to his shoulder.
“You can read those funny scribbles?”
“What are you talking about? It’s in plain English.”
“What’s English?”

Butch, Cassidy, and Helana had joined the group.
“We better do something quick before they-what are those eggs?” Without thinking Elijah passed them out. No sooner had he when the group heard Elder Thistle yell out.
Sargent Swarm had commanded two of his soldiers to hold the elder by the wings and stretch them to keep him from moving. Running his tongue along his teeth he chuckled and pressed the tip of his stinger against Thistle’s thorax.
“Don’t worry, I am good at making this nice and slow. You won’t die too quickly.” An arrow struck his eyelid and he hissed in annoyance.
“Hey! Whose dumb enough to shoot me!?” Cassidy readied another arrow with Butch and Kirby flanking on each side. Elijah and Helena took up the rear. Swarm threw his head back and laughed.
“So, you’re the humans the big boss wants? What a joke! I was hoping to at least get a real workout this time, but you’re barely past the stage of a pupa. Whatever. I bring you grubs in and I finally get that promotion. Shadowflies, finish rounding up the rest of the golden eyesores. I’ll handle these grubs myself.”
Cassidy let loose another arrow. No sooner had she let the string go, Swarm was right up in her face. His hulking frame shadowed over her as he cackled gleefully. “Too slow worm.” Swarm thrust his palms out to the side and slammed them against the faces of Kirby and Butch-sending them right to the floor. Then in the same move he smacked the side of Cassidy’s head with the broadside of the gauntlet like shell of his right arm. Putting his foot on Cassidy’s chest he clapped his arms in front of his face and pointed the attached stingers to Elijah and Helena.
“Dance for me, larvae!” The stingers cracked with energy and shards of magic burst towards them. He aimed wildly at their feet and chortled at their frantic move behind a tree and a rock.

“This the best you got?! This is what the General was afraid of? You weak little-OW!”
Kirby had rolled onto his stomach and had jabbed the long edge of his axe between the plates on Swarm’s ankle. Swarm turned still smiling that turned down as a rock hit him on the back of the head. Swarm grabbed him by the face and tossed him over to Butch. Swarm’s wings snapped open and he lifted himself off the ground. He grabbed the two boy and chucked them over at Helena and Cassidy. Elijah swiftly felt Swarm’s talons around his throat as he was slammed against the side of the Hearth. Swarm held his stinger closer and closer to the boy’s face.
“The big boss didn’t saw to bring you to the mountain in one piece. How much can I pull you apart while still alive? But it’s clear you are the weakest of the lot. Why do you try to fight someone as great at me?”
“Because…someone…. has…to…!” Elijah gasped. He could feel his windpipe being closed as Swarm gripped. Then everything went white.
Elijah thought he was dead. Then everything went into focus. Butch, Cassidy, Helena, and Kirby were also here. So, he was not dead. It was the same void space as before. But something was different this time. He saw strange whales grace by trough the stars and jellyfish bounce around them. A wispy dragon-shaped creature appeared in the center of the platform.

“The calling must be heeded. It is time for the Dragon Knights to reawaken. You have been given the key. Repeat these words…Dragon Knight Arise!” Butch was the first to shout the command. As he did the egg in his pocket cracked open and he was bathed in flames. The fire consumed him and he had vanished from the void space.
“Butch! What did you do to him you jerk?!” Cassidy commanded. The wisp hardly looked at her.
“The knight of flame has come. Now the other elements await…” Kirby tossed his egg to himself and shrugged. He followed Butch’s action. Earth shot from around him and dragged him into the ground where he too had disappeared. Cassidy and Helena followed suit; both of them vanishing in ice and lighting respectively. Elijah hesitated as he held his egg. The wisp moved in front of him.
“Be warned young Elijah. The role you have been given is a rare one and can be dangerous if you are not careful. But you need not be afraid no matter what you learn.” Elijah gulped and muttered the commands. A violet flash blinded him and the space was gone.
He sounds of Swarm’s yelling rung in his ears. He was back in the village with Swarm having a shocked look on his face. Then three arrows struck him in consecutive order along the arm he had been using to hold the boy. Lightning sparked from the tips and Swarm jumped back to cradle his wrist.

“Who is slow now?” Elijah’s eyes widened as he and Swarm had looked at Cassidy. She was now clad in a deep yellow uniform complete with purple high boots and long purple gloves. She was also wearing a concealing helmet that was adorned with amber frills and topped with jagged purple horns. Her bow had also changed-transformed from wood to some kind metallic material and adorned with purple runes. Cassidy pulled back the drawstring and an arrow materialized as she pulled it all the way back. Swarm swept off the arrows and charged at her-smacking away the arrow and shooting his own darts at her.
A shield of flames surrounded Cassidy before it sped toward the rampaging swarm and smacked him in the face. “How ya like that blow to your kisser?!” Butch was in a red uniform much like Cassidy’s though his frills were shaped more like flames and the horns on the helmet were thicker and curled. The shield that he used to move around with some struggle as now as light as a children’s toy. He grabbed the hefty lance and struck Swarm hard in the chest. Butch laughed with excited energy like a child finally beating a hard boss in a video game. Swarm yelled for his soldiers to come to his aid and take out the crew. Three shadowflies plummeted to the earth as ice encased them completely. A group circled back towards Helena with the frosted gun in her hand. Kirby slid on front of her and hurled a green ball and chain that entangled the insectoids. The shadowflies panicked and started heading towards the hole they had made. Swarm bellowed them to come back as his eyes began to shine bright. The army stopped in their tracks. They hovered for a moment then turned back to their master. Sparks crackled from Swarm’s stingers.

“BURN THIS WRETCHED VILLAGE TO THE GROUND. LEAVE NO ONE ALIVE!”
The shadowflies scattered in groups of five and began to spread out among the villagers. Their claws and teeth tore at the huts with vicious precision. The dragonflies started to flee and were pushed back by ariel attacks from above. The Knights broke up trying to push back the army. The shadowflies were too many and some worked to pin them down. Swarm hooted with glee watching the carnage. All that was left was Elijah standing close to the sergeant. The sounds of screams and cold mirth filled his ears. Then it began to morph into something else-anger. Anger at being stuck in a strange place, anger at the callousness of Swarm, anger at being unable to do anything. He felt that anger begin to pool in his fists and compel him to march toward the sergeant. Swarm was unimpressed.
“Oh, and what are you gonna do in your cute widdle purple outfit? Smother me with lavender?” Elijah could barely hear his laughter. He wanted this bug to hurt. And then he swung.
The chaos of the village was silence by Swarm’s scream. He staggered back screeching and howling at the pain. His armies turned towards their commander. Swarm was grasping the stump of his right arm. The fallen appendage lay at his feet in a smoking crumbling mess. Black mucus dripped from his wound.

“You and your little friends are going to regret this…SHADOWFLIES! RETREAT!” Swarm and the arms fled into the night.
Elijah just stood there; his outstretched arm shaking. The anger had subsided and his mind was clear. His fist was covered in Swarm’s mucus. He hadn’t meant to do it. Something had compelled him to strike but now he felt sick. Kirby rushed over to him and grasped the boy’s shoulders. Kirby was in a green uniform with dark brown gloves and boots and his helmet was decorated with brownstone and thick horns. Helena was in a light blue and purple uniform dressed with icy adornments. Then everyone collapsed in exhaustion. A bright light flashed around them and they were back to normal selves.
“Woah…what just…happened? It was…awesome!” Butch gasped.
“This turn of events truly is…puzzling. Though I suppose awesome can be used”, Helena commented. Elijah was still in a bit of shock. Kirby put his arm around him and hugged a little.
“It’s alright bud. You’re going to be fine.” There were murmurs among the crowd. The words ‘dragon knight’ were used repeatedly. Elder Thistle approached them.

“So, I was right. Interesting. But you must leave post haste.” Butch sat up at the remark.
“What?! We just saved you guys and now you’re telling us to leave?” Then he fell back down as the sudden rush of blood to his head made him dizzy.
“Sorry. I worded that poorly. No one is safe here. The shadowflies will be back and they will no doubt bring apes. We must relocate and you need to make your way to the Dragon Temple on the Scalewing Pass. I feel the answer to why and how you came here lies there. Sparx-you will lead them.”
Sparx frowned. “What? I’m no scout leader. Can’t you get someone else?”
“No one else sneaks over there looking for treasure so they?” Thistle responded with a wink. He handed the group a bundle and Sparx a map.
“It is not much, but here is some food to help along the journey. And Sparx a map to back to us-should you decide to not help them past the temple. Now everyone! We must hurry! Take only what you need! Come now! And good luck, Dragon Knights. May the ancients guide you safely.”

Chapter 6: Ignite

A day had passed since the group had left the village. Traversing the swampy terrain was not as difficult as their initial visit. None of them could quite explain it exactly. Ever since that initial transformation in the village, they felt a peculiar boost of strength and vitality. Kirby noted it first when Butch had chosen to climb up a stony wall, they had come across to get a better look. They had climbed ropes all the time in Physical Ed, but he had never seen Butch to be able to rise up this fast before. Above the wall Butch surveyed from where they were going. Ahead of them was a modestly sized mountain surrounded by a sea of jagged stone and dense clusters of thorny vines and mushrooms. He could just make out the outline of some kind of structure at the top of the mountain. Without thinking Butch had lowered his hand from his face to put away his spyglass-only that his spyglass was still in his pocket.
“What the? How is my telescope still in there?” He pulled it out and examined it. Yeah, it was his-initials and scratches and all. He jumped down and was holding his spyglass in one hand and cupping his opposite hand.
“What’s wrong with you, you oaf?” Helena chided.
“I could see something like a building way over there, but when I put back my spyglass-there’s a copy in my pocket. Or is it the original? Can I make double objects?” Sparx went up to where Butch had been and then returned.
“You could see the temple from there? All I saw was just the mountain.” Helena jotted something down in a notebook and hummed.
“Perhaps we should stop here. It is getting dark and I want to test something.”
Sparx nodded.

“Yeah, because once we get on to Scalewing Pass it’s going to be tricky what with the giant spiders, poisonous mushrooms, and plants with teeth. If any of you could fly this wouldn’t be as bad-but none of you can’t so…”
Kirby was able to find a clear area hidden by shrubbery and a tree’s heavy canopy curved over the top. Once a fire had been set up and rations passed out-most of them took out the eggs they had been carrying. They had shrunk to the size of their fists and most of their stony exterior had given away to a strange metallic sheen. They had also taken on different colors with a large rune on the face and smaller veins of corresponding magic branching out from the center. During the climb, Butch had attempted to use the same command words they had been given last time but he was unable to make it work. Helena was trying to crack hers open. Elijah just thumbed his between his hands. He had been quiet since Swarm’s attack and keeping himself to the rear of the travelers. His mind was still clouded on that fight with Swarm. The group had tried to best to cheer him up in their own ways. Butch told him how awesome he was, even if his technique needs work. Kirby and Cassidy tried to assure him he hadn’t done anything wrong and Swarm would have done the same. Helena wanted to study his egg. It helped a little, but he still didn’t feel right.

The night had fallen and the sky was remarkably clear. They hadn’t really paid much attention to it on their first evening. The sky was streaked with clusters of pink and purple and countless stars shining through. None of the constellations were familiar to the group and Sparx was not much help either.
“What? Why would I care about some lights that don’t go anywhere? Besides, most of us lock the doors at night as you learned why.”
“What were those things?” Cassidy inquired.
“Those creeps? We call them Shadowflies. They’ve been around since I’ve been alive. Elder Thistle says they used to be us until they swore allegiance to some Dark Master.”
“The Dark Master?” Kirby questioned.

“Eh some kind of scary monster story they tell little pupas at bedtime. I never believed there was such a guy called the Dark Master. Like how corny is that?” A chill shuddered around the group. Something about that name made them worry. They glanced each other and then chose to go to sleep. Elijah was the last to fall asleep.
Scalewing Pass went from a soft dirt path to a narrow rocky passage. Dark twisted trees with purple and blue leaves crowded them on the sides and vines grasped at their ankles.
“Okay, stay close. I know a shortcut…I think.” Sparx’ shortcut let them to a long ravine that had taken them two hours to get to. As they looked down the crease, there was a thick tangle of thorns. On the other side, a spider was resting in a large white bed. From its vantage point r spider was eyeing the group. Its mouth snapped open and spat out globs of webbing towards the gang. One struck Cassidy in the leg and ice formed along her pant leg.
“Ow! And I like spiders.” She reached behind her for her bow and knocked one arrow.
“Get down!” Elijah rammed his body into her as a larger clump shot from behind where they had come from. Two more spiders lowered themselves from the tops of the trees. Each arachnid was the size of a cow. They jumped from where they had been hiding and blocked the escape. Butch tried to activate his egg and nothing happened. The spider across the crevasse hissed and shot another gob of webbing and encased his hand. The team was being pushed closer to the rift and swiped their legs to drive them back.

“What good are these special eggs if we can’t use them to fend off these stupid bugs?!” Butch groaned.
“Technically they are arachnids, but I agree on the first half”, Helena corrected him.
The spider across the gap squealed and then collapsed dead. Standing on top of the creature was a cloaked figure carrying a long dagger.
“Drop to the floor!” the figure growled. They barely did as the stranger commanded as they threw four darts soaked in flame. Upon contact the darts cracked with smoke before exploding into loud concussive bursts. The force of the blast knocked Elijah off the edge and he plummeted to the thorns down below. Then he felt his back hit something soft and the rush of wind against his face. The stranger had leapt from the spider and a pair of small orange wings unfurled from unearth their cloak. He bounded to the thorns below and expertly landed on a smooth space among the vines and catching the boy in their covered arms. Then in the same motion they flapped up and landed on the ground before the group.

“Consider yourselves fortunate I found you in time”, the stranger huffed in a deep cracking tone. The stranger stood about seven feet in height. Their form was concealed by a large orange poncho and hood that their wings seemed to melt in to. The small bit of face was obscured by a dull matte mask. Their arms were covered by heavy gloves and thick fur-lines boots.
“It is not safe out here so close to the spiders’ nests. Follow me and keep close Dragon Knights.” The stranger paused to glance at Butch’s shield before continuing on.
“Um…thanks for the rescue”, Elijah said sheepishly. The stranger did not look back at him.
“I am simply making sure you are alive long enough to have your eggs charged. I do not put completely faith in a prophecy going exactly as planned.”
“Prophecy? Egg charge?” Kirby questioned.

“You did not know your eggs need to be charged to use the Morphing ability? No. I’m afraid you wouldn’t know that. You just arrived. I must admit this is…strange. I always learned that humans were a myth.” The path the stranger let them on was a lot rockier than the one Sparx had showed them. The road’s incline increased and their feet slipped against loose shale and mud. Helena slipped and scrapped her knee on one of the ledges. The tumble made her slip to her side and she landed on top of her bag. She heard a loud crunch as her laptop snapped on impact. She was about to let out a yell when the stranger swiftly placed his gloved hand over her mouth. “Keep your voice down. We are in open air and Gaul’s eyes are everywhere.” Helena wanted to protest and then shrunk at his gaze. “I don’t think it was going to work out here anyway”, Cassidy remarked.
The sun had almost set by the time the stranger had let them rest. A large structure overrun with vines stood before them. What was left of a large thirty-foot oaken door hung on rusted hinges. Four stone dragons stood with two on each side of the door-each of them carrying a different symbol in their foreclaw. Kirby looked at his egg. His symbol matched one of the dragons’ symbols, a comment he made aloud to the party. To satisfy their own curiosity they followed Kirby’s lead. Elijah looked carefully at each of the dragon’s emblems. None of them matched his own. He was a bit disappointed-only just a little. He wanted to ask their guide, but they had disappeared.

“Hey, where did Mister Poncho go?” Butch exclaimed. A loud thunder overhead and the sprinkling of rain hit their faces.
“Let’s get inside before we get wet again”, Cassidy ordered.
They ran up the large stairs and into the massive forum. Pillars and shreds of tapestries lay about them. In the center of the room was a massive dragon standing proud with their chest puffed out and their forehands outstretched to a large dais. In the middle of the dais were nine symbols. Four of them matched the emblems outside. The other four were foreign. In the center cracked in the middle was another symbol. This one matched Elijah’s egg.
“Oh sure, the small guy gets the coolest statue”, Butch complained. Helena narrowed her eyes at the statue. Something about this statue tickled her brain.
“Hey! Anyone here?!” Butch yelled out. Cassidy smacked the back of his head.
“Idiot! Do you want to get us attacked again?”
“Well noooooo but….” Suddenly Butch stopped. His eyes snapped wide and he turned heel towards the stairs to the upper landing.

“Hey! Where are you going you…” Cassidy felt a tingle down her spine and she followed Butch. Helena, Kirby, and Elijah also felt similar chills and something tugging them; as if beckoning them to go upstairs. Before them was a large hall with writing that none of them could understand. Helena held back and rubbed her eyes to make sure she was not hallucinating. The writing seemed to be fuzzy at first but then slightly morphed into English to read ‘Egg Chamber’ and then phased back into the foreign squiggles. Cassidy yelled for her to hurry up. The tunnels were massive in width and length making them feel quite small. Kirby remarked the artwork, or what was left of it, on the tunnels. He could see dragons and smaller creatures in similar uniforms to what they had transformed to. It was a shame so much of it had been chipped away, overrun with plants, or just clawed out.
“What do you suppose happened here?” Cassidy mused. Elijah was about to express his own thoughts when Butch put his shield up.
“Um…I have a feeling someone knows we’re here.”

“Ya think?!” Sparx snapped.
Something was appearing at the end of the dark hall as they saw two large red eyes from the shadows. A large orange and red figure slowly began to approach them. Standing before them was a massive auburn dragon. His eyes opened wide as he saw the humans for the first time.
“You! …what are you?” The dragon’s question was not answered as Butch told them to run. The group attempted to turn back to the tunnel they came from. A loud rumble above them began to form and the ceiling cracked and collapsed to block their exit as if the temple itself did not want them to leave. Kirby pointed to a side passage that had somehow opened up.
The stairs led them into a large chamber about the same size as the forum below. In the center of the room was a wide clear pool. Overlooking the pool were the broken remains of a stone dragon holding on to a stone nest before it. In the nest there was a series of divots though they were all empty. There were many broken egg-shaped stones littering the floor. They paused to catch their breath.

“That was a dragon…that was…an actual…. dragon”, Hannah gasped.
“I know. It was awesome!” Butch cried out, excitedly.
“Awesome? Dragons can have you for a snack. And there is no way out of this room! Well for you guys anyway.” Elijah made his way towards the next. He couldn’t explain it, but somehow, he felt a great sorrow in this room. Actually, he felt it since they had come inside this temple. Elijah had not given it as much thought until now because Butch had been dragging them around. He pulled his egg from his pocket and began to really look at it.
The egg slipped from his hands as Helena yelled out and pointed at the door. The dragon had come in. Elijah’s egg rolled at his feet making the beast stop. He picked up the egg and looked at it.
“The egg…it has been awakened? You’ve awakened the Dragon Egg? But it is too late…far too late.” The dragon sat down and hung his head as he let the egg go and it rolled back to Elijah. Everyone else pulled out their own eggs.

“Awakened? What do you mean awakened?”
“And what do you mean it’s too late?”
“Who are you?”
“Why are we here?”
“How do we get those cool powers again?” The dragon’s eyes widened at their flood of questions.

“You mean you don’t know?” Sparx flow above their heads.
“Does it sound like they know?” he replied snarkily. The dragon paused and then nodded.
“I am Ignitus. I am…was the Fire Guardian of the Dragon Knights. It was my job to help guide, train, and protect the Knights but…” He closed his eyes and sighed heavily.
“Hold on, you say Dragon Knights. Don’t you mean Power Rangers?” Butch interjected. “Hey I’m not crazy. Look at these murals. Those are Power Rangers and even look! Zords!” Ignitus tiled his head.
“I am…not familiar with the title of Power Rangers, but I do know of the Zords or at least what the stories tell. Please tell me. How did you come across these eggs?”
****

Ignitus was silent as he listened to their tale.
“So, the Dragon Eggs I had sent away all those years ago did survive. But why you were called now I do not understand.”
“What are these eggs exactly?” Helena asked.
“The eggs? They once held the essence of dragons themselves. Once, these were gifted to the exemplars of the Dragon Knights, imbuing them with great power and leading armies against the darkness. Sadly, the knowledge how these eggs were created were long lost and only a handful remained before the dark armies came.”
Ignitus walked to the pool and began to twirl his claw above the water. Steam from the pool began to form and change into ape like monsters. The projections began to run about the room and slashed at the air around the group.
“Long ago there was a creature known only as the Dark Master who had been determined to wipe all dragons from this world. The Dragon Knights rose to the challenge and were victorious.” The mists became large mechanical beasts that cut a swath through the apes before finally battling a strange ambiguous figure. And then they vanished.

“However, this came with a price. The Knights who fought lost their lives and the Zords…the Zords fell silent. They now slumber in prisons of crystal. Still, it was said that the Zords would awaken again should they be needed. We all hoped that the Knights would arise again so many were trained. Though none could awaken the eggs they were no less formidable against the dark armies. Until…that one night.”
The visions changed to a temple being overrun by armies.
“They overran the temple. Myself and the other Guardians saved who we could and fled. And then they struck the other islands forcing us into a war that had not been seen in centuries.”
Dragons, camel like humanoids, moles, leopards, and weasel like creatures battled against trolls, apes, goblins, and other manner of twisted beasts.

“For years our small armies fought against the armies of the Dark Master even without the fabled aid of the Zords. We were just about to turn the tide when…the Black Dragonzord came.”
“I’m sorry. The what now?” Butch and Sparx said in unison. The armies swirled and reformed into a terrible dragon with a long neck, long curving horns, and large wings. The mechanical beast batted away the dragons as if they were flies before soaring away with their bodies.
“A zord the likes no one had ever seen. They say the Zords are equal to any dragon master but this one…none of us had ever encountered such power. A machine of unstoppable nature that plucked the Guardians from battle like grapes from a vine and slaughtered all potential Knight. I…was barely able to escape.” Elijah placed a hand on Ignitus’ arm.
“I’m sorry. But you just said it is too late. And yet we are here. You said we woken up these eggs. Maybe we can wake up the zords too!”
“That is what I was just about to say!” Butch whined. “I mean, do you know what the changes are of be chosen as Rangers in our world? 1 to a 1000 and here we are with dragons! It’s so awesome!”
“Not to rain on Butch’s misplaced enthusiasm but does anyone else hear that?” Helana interrupted as she pointed to the hallway.

There was loud scratching and hollers down below.
“It appears they have found us”, Ignitus mused. “We must not let them get to this particular chamber. Follow me.” Ignitus exhaled a small puff of flame towards the door causing it to seal up. Then he lit up a hidden door and motioned them to follow. The hall led them back to the lower forum where a group of apes like creatures had gathered. The largest one was holding an axe with a crystal blade. Upon seeing them he thumbed the bone in his nose and hooted.

“So, there you are, Ignitus. And the humans! Remember boys, the Phantom Ranger wants the dragon alive. The others…they can be lunch meat.” Ignitus snarled and jumped into the center of the room. He swung his tail and clipped at least three of them in the head. Another squadron swung their ropes around the dragon’s neck and tugged. The flame guardian hissed and expelled more flame, burning them to a cinder. The largest ape blew through a horn and ten more crawled out of windows and up the main stairway.

“Young knights! Throw your eggs towards me and then take cover!”
“Did he just—” Kirby didn’t let Cassidy finish and grabbed her egg and tossed it along with his. There was a low decorative wall just behind them. Butch was mesmerized as Ignitus began to glow a deep red as flames danced around his arms and wings. The air began to feel warm and almost turbulent that Butch was starting to have trouble beathing. The flames around the dragon grew larger and larger until they had completely encased the beast. Kirby had to drag him behind the wall by his hair just as Ignitus released a contained blast of flaming energy that incinerated the apes.
The dragon collapsed to the ground and gasped for breath. Butch ran towards the fire master.
“Ignitus! You okay big guy?”

“Yes, I am just getting on in years and it takes longer to recover. But now I need you to help drive out the rest of these cretins. Take your Dragon Egg and quickly! I can hear them coming!”
Ignitus was correct in his words. Twelve more of the apes shoved themselves though the door.
Butch snatched up his egg and tossed it to himself.
“I never liked monkeys. Dragon Knight Arise!”

The Red Ranger jabbed his lance forward, catching an ape from above in the shoulder and flinging it back into the crowd. The Yellow Ranger followed suit with a barrage of arrows from the landing above. A large ape squeezed its way into the forum and hurled a vial towards Cassidy. The contents splashed onto the stone at her feet and dissolved into putty. The sludge caught Cassidy around her ankles and dragged her down. As she fell downwards, her rear landed on a slide of ice that carried her to the floor. Helena dusted the front of her firearm and winked behind her visor. The large ape shook up another potion and raised their arm to throw up another one. A large green sphere collided with the statue they had been perched on sending it and the stone crashing onto a group of ape soldiers and crushing them. They all paused towards the doors and held their breath waiting for more enemies but none came. Ignitus had watched with his mouth slightly agape.
“So, it appears your tale was true. What happened to the smallest among you?” Elijah was still behind the barrier and the egg was still on the floor.
“Hey El! You gotta be careful with your egg. Those apes could have crushed it.” Kirby said as he approached. He held the purple egg to his buddy though Elijah was hesitant to take it. Ignitus leaned down to look at it closer.
“A purple Dragon Egg? I’ve heard of the stories but I never thought I’d see one in person. Fascinating”, the dragon mused.

“What? Is it some special prophetic color or something?” Butch sighed, now demorphed.
“Well no. It is just a color not often seen. I don’t know the full story, but it is often said the Ranger of Emotion only appears when times are most dire.”
“So, I’m a prophecy of doom. Great….”
“You need not be afraid, young Elijah. All the elements carry some danger. Come, there is something I am curious about.”
****

Ignitus lead them deeper underground the temple. Before them was a pile of rubble held fast by overgrown vines.
“Dragon Knight of Earth, if you will.” Kirby hefted his and slammed it against the stone. It did not take much for it to fall. Before them was a large door that took some effort for the dragon to shove open.
The chamber inside as gargantuan. Along the edges of the room were six alcoves with five massive crystal statues inside them.
“What are these things?” Cassidy exclaimed. Ignitus limped to the center of the chamber.
“These were once the halls that housed the legendary Zords. As you can see-they have been in a petrified state for centuries.” Elijah came close to one of them and placed his hand on it. The crystal shuddered before glistening to a blinding violet sheen. The crystal cracked and twisted until it formed into a new shape. A mechanical purple moth stood where the crystal lump as been.
Butch ran without hesitation to touch his own Zord. Colors of red, blue, green, and yellow flashed and melded as the mechanical beasts had awakened from their prison. Standing before Butch was a large hefty Blazing Charzord not too different from Ignitus’ own form. Cassidy was gifted with a sleek yellow Striking Salamaderzord. Helena tilted her head at her own slender Glacial Wyvernzord. Kirby chuckled at the bulky Gaia Turtlezord.

“You broke them from their slumber”, Ignitus gasped. Butch had not been listening much as he dragged himself up the sides of the Charizord, nearly losing his breath on the climb. He pried the door open and seated himself inside the cockpit. Finally, he found what looked like the ignition. He slammed his hand on it without hesitation. But nothing happened. He repeatedly hit the panel and yet his efforts yielded nothing.
“Oh, come on! I finally get a Zord and it won’t even move?”
“I’m afraid they no longer have power, young Butch. They have been dormant after all. Is he always this impatient?”
Helena shrugged, “Sadly, yes.”

“I wonder if the elements of fire and electricity were mixed up. But do not loose heart. I know a way to get them moving again. Come-back to the Chamber of Waking.”
As the group gathered around the pool above, Ignitus began to stare intently at the waters.
“So what are you doing now?” Sparx asked him.
“Pools such as this can often give visions, thoughts, memories, to those who are gifted or trained to seek it.”
“So, it can read minds?” Sparx and Butch asked in union. The dragon frowned.
“Ah yes, I have found him!”

“Found who?” inquired Helena.
“I know where they dark armies have taken Volteer, the guardian dragon of electricity. The troubling part-is how to get you there.”
“You can leave that to me”, a voice came from the entrance. Standing in the door was the masked stranger that had saved them from before.

Chapter 7: A Spark in the Chill

Ignitus took a defensive stance before Elijah stood in front of them with frantic arms waving.
“Wait! He helped us get here! Uh sorry, we’re kind of on edge.” The stranger bowed as he approached them. Elijah noted that their strange friend never seemed to look away from Ignitus as he came closer.
“I am thankful for your assist. Who are you?” The stranger hesitated as he tugged at his cloak.
“Ayrp will do. As I said, I have a way to get them to where they need to be. They can use my Stratostrider.”
“You have a Stratostrider? How did you manage to acquire one?” Kirby glanced between Ignitus and Ayrp.
“I salvaged it from what was left of a lightning dragon outpost.”
“…. very well. I suggest you rest, young knights. You will set out for Dante’s Freezer in the morning.”
****

The dormitories, or rather what was left of them, was a series of rooms with several beds each with its own personal box at the foot of the bed. A lot of them had been smashed or shredded to pieces. It took them an hour to find a room with a decent number of whole beds. After a joint effort of dusting, fluffing, and straightening out their sleeping quarters finally appeared decent. The beds were a little filthy but it was a lot more comfortable than the ground. Butch appeared to be the most excited about the coming day. Kirby sat on the edge of his bed and rubbed his arms.
“I hope our parents are doing okay. Dad and I were going to…I don’t like any of this.”
“Yeah…none of us were even asked about what we thought. The dragonflies…Ignitus…at least back home being a Ranger was a choice”, Elijah remarked. Helena was being quiet this whole time as she had nestled herself inside frame of the open window and was scribbling the sky on notepad. Cassidy was looking through what lockers were still intact. Some of them had books, toys, or even lucky figurines. She sniffed a little. Imagine this place once being full of promising young recruits only to be slaughtered by disgusting apes. She took some of the books back to her bed and tried reading them.
“Hey we were chosen for a reason. No reason to overthink it. I’m sure not”, Butch huffed as he fluffed up his pillow and laid back down. Elijah stormed over.
“This doesn’t bother you…like at all?!” he shouted. Butch raised an eyebrow and shrugged. Elijah grabbed him by his coat collar and tugged.
“Hey! I asked you a question!”

“Woah El, calm down. I get it but it won’t do any good to”, Kirby tried to assuage them. Butch slammed his palm against Elijah’s chest and he fell against Kirby’s bed.
“You wanna duke it out little guy? Come on! Cass, you supervise.” Kirby and Cassidy pulled the two boys away to opposite ends of the room and yelled for them to sit down.
“Come on Butch. I found a practice dojo down the hall. Let’s go blow off some steam huh?” Butch frowned and rolled his eyes before grumbling a ‘fine’ and let himself being dragged out of the room.
Elijah took to the bed and buried himself underneath all the blankets and pillows. Helena still sat there in the window keeping herself. Kirby mentioned he was going for a walk before bed.
****

Ignitus and Ayrp had hunted the group a small batch of swamp game that was now cooking in the community hearth. Cassidy and Butch were the last to join them.
“I must apologize. I was overcome with finally feeling hope that I failed to consider your own feelings on the matter. I have looked through that remained of our library but I did not find anything that could send you hope. However, Volteer might be able to help. He was always the more studious one of us Guardians. If anyone would know or know where to look-he should be able to help.” Elijah and Butch looked down at their laps and not at each other.
“Well, if that is what we need to do, I guess we’ll try to help. I’m sorry”, Elijah muttered.
“Yeah I’m…sorry for shoving ya little guy. I uh…was kind of a jerk”. Butch stammered.
“Butch Logan apologizing and admitting fault? Cassidy, what did you do?” Helena explained.
“Nope it wasn’t me.” Cassidy shook his head.
“The young knight and I…had a talk”, Ignitus answered them. “Now please, eat your fill. The morning is still dark and we can use that to your advantage.”
Ignitus lead them later to a large landing. The swamp and the surrounding forest stretched out far beyond into the pastel morning fog. From where they stood the swamp was a dull brackish color and many patches of the forest were scorched and twisted.

“What happened down here?” Helena mused.
“This…is the damage the Black Dragonzord and its army have caused. Using the dark power granted to them by the Dark Master, they poisoned the land. You have seen the shadowflies no doubt? They were once dragonflies who turned against their oath to us and allowed themselves to be twisted to their new master’s will.”
“Those apes mentioned something about a Phantom Ranger. If this Dark Master have their own knight, this could be trouble.”
“Indeed, which is why you need to be cautious. Do not engage this ranger or their zord if you can help it. Now here is where you will be going.” Ignitus placed a claw on the map on the platform they were standing on. The island in question was a cluster of curving landmass and icy peaks.
“This is Dante’s Freezer. Fortress long abandoned and now crawling with the frozen dead. In its ancient days, the Ice Dragons and their neighbors the yetis would train those who had the potential to be Blue Knights within their walls. But the many years of war wore it away and had now become haunted by the fallen. Be careful. Ice dragons are a proud people so it would be best to appeal to their pride if you encounter them. Here, I found these. They should help with the cold a little.” Ignitus passed them out white heavy coats with boots and gloves. They did fit a little awkwardly as they were meant for different humanoid races, not humans.
“Your morphed forms should help shield you from the worst of the cold, but save it until we land. Ignitus charged them but their power will only last so long”, Ayrp mentioned. “Now here is the Skyhopper.”
The Skyhopper was in the shape of a long stony wyvern. Runes carved into the machine kept the vehicle afloat in parallel with the landing. From the wide back there were several seats. It appeared it could have seated ten. Ayrp leapt to the front of the vehicle and turned his palm onto the circular rune on the front making the Skyhopper hum with power. “Come! And I will show you the beauty of the sky!”

Everyone took to their seats. The only thing keeping them on were the groves where their legs went and handlebars in front of them. The Skyhopper bounced from the air and glided though the sky like a ribbon. Clouds graced their faces as the wind seemed to pass by without even touching them. The kids looked down below as the swamp and forest passed below them before the darkness of the ocean came into view.
“This is awesome!” Butch exclaimed as he threw his hands up to catch the air; and nearly fell from his chair if Kirby hadn’t shoved him back into his seat.
“Actually this is kind cool”, Elijah muttered. Then he happened to glance to the east. Far out in the distance was a large shape of some kind of mountain. He squinted as he realized said mountain was vaguely shaped like some gargantuan roaring beast. There were other mountains they passed by but this one drew his attention the most.
“Hey Aryp! What is that mountain over there? The one with the teeth?” Ayrp turned his head slightly.
“You can see it that far? I’ve heard tales of the Dragon Knights being gifted with small traits of the dragons but I thought they were just tall stories. But to answer your question young one that is the Mountain of Malefor-it is an ancient place that draws evil to its many halls. They say the earth formed itself in tribute to the Dark Master. Fortunately, our path will not come close to it. It would tear you younglings to pieces.”

Elijah kept starting at it as the distance grew and it started to fade into the skies. Suddenly it felt like his whole body had been dunked in ice. Images stung his brain in rapid fever and he clamped his hands against his head. His legs slipped and he plummeted from the Skyhopper.
“Youngling! Everyone hold on!” Ayrp turned the vehicle to a hard right and then dove down towards the falling boy. The icy wind of Dante’s Freezer was swirling around them as they got closer to the ground. “Fire Knight I will need you to morph. We need your fire and that shield of yours. Hurry! The ice is slowing us down!” Earth Knight we’re going to need your earth flail. On my signal strike the ground. Yellow and Blue Knight catch the kid!” Flames from Butch’s shield began to envelope the Skyhopper as they sped downward. “Hang on and BRACE YOURSELVES!”
****

The chamber was dark. Pools of green dropped from the mouths of twisted draconic gargoyles. His body felt heavy and restrained. Chains dragged along him as two rough hands gripped his arms. He could faintly taste blood in his mouth and the cold wind stung cuts on his face. The figures dragged him to a low circular altar with a crooked spiral carved in the center. Sitting on a throne was a massive ape creature wearing heavy armor and carrying a crystal tipped spear twice the size of his whole body. Green magic dripped from an empty eye socket as he stared at Eljah. His captors clamped something cold around his neck. The chains were pulled tight and fastened to the floor. The large ape slid soundlessly from his throne and Elijah could smell his rancid hazy breath against his face. The ape placed a cold, clammy hand under the boy’s jaw and turned his face left to right while examining with his hollow eye.
“You have some potential. Let us see if you survive. Even if you don’t, it will be over quickly.” The ape began to churn the crystal end of his spear in the air and began to chant a throaty song. Black smoky tendrils rose from the floor around him. The dark haze forced themselves into Elijah’s lungs overtaking all the air. He squirmed and thrashed as the darkness’ slithered through his skin, organs, and blood. All the warmth in his body froze to ice as he gasped for air. Elijah could feel his thoughts being plucked bit by bit like petals off a daisy until he felt nothing and everything went dark.
****

The gray sky slowly phased away the shadows from Elijah’s eyes. The snow fell to his cheeks and he stirred. The group, still in Ranger form, were looking over his body.
“Oh thank god you’re awake”, Kirby sighed. He helped Elijah sit up and dust the snow off his back.
“What the heck happened? You gave me a heart attack”, Butch shouted.
“I…I’m not sure. I had a vision. It felt so real and then…where are we?” The group was surrounded by a thick crop of dark grey tree trunks that had no leaves.
“We have arrived at the edges of the fortress. Although the landing was a bit rougher than I anticipated”, Ayrp explained. Behind the group the Skyhopper had its front smashed in the snow.
“The winds were rougher than anticipated. I will work to get the repairs done. You should make your way through the ruins quickly in case we were spotted. Volteer is mostly likely inside the inner keep of the fortress.” He pointed to a high black mountain with icicle spines curving upwards like mismatched horns of a demon.
“Follow this pathway north and keep the mountain in your sights. Be wary young knights.”

The trees thinned out as they headed closer to the fortress. The gates of Dante’s Freezer were wide open as they approached. The remains of the doors swung on thick iron hinges dripping with ice and snow. Part of the gate had crumbled away and pilled sharp rubble underneath the arch. They were forced into a single file as they squeezed themselves between shards of stone and metal. Elijah pulled his coat close to him trying to keep warm. A broken piece of rock snagged the back of his coat and ripped the bottom corner. He yiped a little as the wind blew against his exposed leg.
“You should morph, El. These suits are really good at keeping out the cold”, Kirby suggested. Elijah shook his head saying he was fine. Past the wreckage revealed a series of blue grey buildings arranged in four rows of five. Some had collapsed in on themselves from an overspilling of snow. Cassidy tried the door on one of them. The door snapped in to the building with barely her touch. She kept her bow close to her hip as she tiptoed inside. Helena stood at her back with gun in hand. The was a large stone oven with broken tables and shattered cutlery. Frozen figures were prostrated over the oven and chair. She went closer to get a better look.

Butch, Kirby, and Elijah moved to the center of the area and looked around. Aside from the buildings there were turrets mounted to the surrounding towers pointing out towards the sky. Broken remains of catapults and battering rams littered the ground. Lying over the ruins were humanoid statues of ice frozen in the posture of battle. There did not seem to be any visible means of getting inside the mountainous section of the fortress. The mountain was a sheer vertical climb and coated in slick ice.
“Well, we’re not climbing up this thing that’s for sure. There has to be some way inside though, right Butch? Hey where are the girls?” Kirby asked him. Elijah was looking closer at one of the figures. He brushed away some of the powdery snow to reveal the eye socket of a skeleton! Suddenly the socket of the skull lit up and a skeletal creature clad in the fractured remains of armor spring to life and grasped Elijah’s wrist. The Skelton raised its club above Elijah’s head to crush him. Kirby threw himself between the club and the boy just as the wooden mass splintered against his thick armor. The skeleton hissed and tried to sink its fangs into Kirby’s arm. The boys heard its jaw crack against the magical cloth of the Kight armor. With the skull weakened, Kirby shoved it hard and then swung his axe to decapitate the creature.

They heard the girls yell out followed by a flash of lightning. The windows of the building they had been exploring lit up a pallid yellow before shattering and expelling stray bolts of lightning. The two girls ran out, their armor a bit singed by the ambush. The pair dashed outside hoping to put some distance between them and the undead. Six more skeletons had broken from their frozen shells and were now lumbering towards the party. Elijah shuddered the closer they got. He could sense their malice and hunger for war. They did not feel anything else. Kirby put him behind him and held his axe firm.
Then something slammed into a cluster of skeletons. A humanoid shape with horns coated in flames rammed itself into the cluster melting their armored remains and cracking in the snow. Butch staggered as he shook off the fire and rubbed his head.
“Whew that felt good! How cool was that?”

“You are enjoying this far too much”, Helena remarked deadpan. “But we are no closer to getting into the fortress. I don’t see a door or a means to climb up there.”
“I think I see a way!” Elijah pointed to a trail circling around the mountain toward the east where a series of archways overlooked broken stairs. Debris and snow had the entrance blocked.
“Think you can break this through big guy?” Butch asked.
“At least you didn’t decide to ram your head against this pile. Hmm….no this is a lot bigger than the ones that blocked the zord room. I don’t think I’ve got enough to break through but maybe…that can!” Kirby pointed to a catapult several feet away. It appeared to be mostly intact despite the snow.
“Okay here’s the plan! Kirby, you help me move that to position. Cassidy, Helena, little guy, find some ammo.” No sooner as he spoken did, they hear ice cracking from the courtyard below. More of the undead soldiers had some to life and were crawling out of the buildings.

“Sorry Butch, I’ll have to modify your idea. Cassidy cover the guys so they can move the catapult. Elijah, you’re with me while we get ammo. I think we can lose these creeps in the woods”, Helana commanded. Butch shrugged and grabbed Kirby by his arm towards the catapult.
The wind had picked up and stung Elijah’s face as Helena dragged him through the snow.
“Hurry up and morph already! I need your head in the game. Quit feeling sorry for yourself!” Elijah gripped the egg in his pocket. “I…I can’t. What if…LOOK OUT!” A skeleton lunged for them from the trees with a small sickle in its hand. Elijah’s warning was enough for Helena to pull them to the right and the creature plunged face first in the snow. She fired her gun and sent out icy shards against the creature’s legs and half buried arm. The skeleton clattered as it attempted to break free while they ran.

“Whatever. Just find something we can use to break the barrier down!” Elijah squeaked and nodded. There was a lot of broken debris lying around. Cassidy had perched herself on one of the houses and was firing careful barrages of lightning at the clusters of the undead that were crawling their way towards the two boys.
Though the snow and storm he squinted his eyes and looked around. One of the storehouses was marked ‘Explosives’. “Helena! There! That storehouse might have what we need!”
“Good eyes. At least you’re not entirely useless. Move quickly!” The snowfall began to thicken as they ran. Elijah’s footing began to slip along the powder as he struggled to keep up. The snow didn’t seem to even stop Helena and she made it to the housing without much effort. There was a heavy lock on the door encrusted in ice and the door was holding firm.
“Blast, and where is that flame brained ape when you need him?”

“I have an idea!” Elijah scooped up some snow and rock and packed it tightly into a perfect sphere. He waited until one had gotten close to them, he chucked the ball. It struck the bony marauder in the teeth. As the monster turned, Elijah waved his hands as he moved a bit to the right. Angry the frozen solder charged with its spear right at them.
“Helena, now!” He flipped to the side as a sheet of ice materialized where he once stood. The skeleton slid and scattered as its own speed made it faster and it crashed into the doorway. The beast that was collapsed inside the building struggled to get up as one of their legs had snapped clean from its hip.
“You look like you’re hurt. Let us put some ice on that.” Helena quipped before freezing the skeleton. “I have been hanging around Butch for way too long.”
Much of the crates had been broken open and soaked from the snow that was dripping through holes in the ceiling.
“Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy. Any luck there, kid?” Elijah held a small bundle of dynamite in his arms.

“It’s not a lot. We’re going to need a weight. To…that barrel!”
“Not bad. Come on! Hopefully those meatheads have done their part of the job.”
Butch and Kirby had managed to move the catapult into position and were now trying to fend off the increasing undead. Cassidy spotted Elijah and Helena from her position and fired a volley to clear the path. Helena rolled the barrel with Elijah clutching the dynamite close to his chest. Elijah tied the dynamite to the barrel and had Butch light them. Cassidy joined them and shoved down the lever. The machine creaked and groaned before finally firing the barrel towards the stairs. The debris cracked and then crumbled in massive pieces that began to roll towards them! The undead had pressed them close to the catapult pinning them in their position. Time seemed to slow down in that moment as the boulders drew closer to their position before crashing down upon them.
The sound of snow whispered past their ears. As they opened their eyes their vision was hazed by a purple energy shield. Elijah had morphed and produced a shield that had protected them. The catapult and the undead had been smashed to pieces.

“Way to go, little guy”, Butch congratulated. Elijah canceled the shield and rubbed his arms.
“I…I don’t even know how I did that. I just felt I had to protect you guys. We should go.”
“Agreed, come on team!”

Chapter 8: The Battle Best Served Cold

The stairs were steep and had been made for larger creatures. They had to lift up their knees to make it up there. On their left the steps circled around the black icy wall of the main fortress. On their right the forest had grown over the ruins and twisted themselves around the stone and iron. The whoops and hollers of apes echoed from above. Helana pointed to a cave hidden among the trees. “I suggest we hide until they pass.” Everyone except Butch agreed and they dragged him through the forest.
Kirby and Cassidy kept their arms around Butch’s arms and mouth as they dragged him through the snow. Helena fired short bursts to cover their tracks while Elijah kept an eye on the approaching apes. Through the thin slats of the trees, they could see vague humanoid shapes make their way down the stairs. He could guess ten or fifteen at best were coming. Frankly he was glad they did not have to deal with them. Unlike the others-he had no visible weapon.
The cave’s entrance was half buried in snow forcing them to slide though the small opening inside. The inside of the cave was huge and they had a hard time seeing the back. They finally let Butch go. He pulled off his helmet and pouted.

“I could have taken them on.”
“What part of being sneaky did you not understand?” Helena snapped as she pulled off her own helmet. “Either way we should wait until they pass and I could use a breather.” Everyone else took off their helmets as well.
“That and we don’t know how long we can stay as Knights. We should conserve our strength”, Kirby noted.
“I hope Ayrp is okay”, Elijah mumbled. Cassidy did not join in the musing. She was looming around the cave using a charged-up arrow to keep her path lit. The cave went another further ten feet back before it started to narrow into what appeared to be a tunnel. To keep herself from getting lost she ran her hand along the wall until she suddenly felt her fingers touching something soft and plush. She rose her arrow to see better and saw that her hand was half buried in a wall of white curly fur. She jumped back and knocked her bow.
“Guys! We’re not alone in here!”
A massive humanoid covered in long snow colored fur pushed itself from the narrow section of the cave. Its long arms rose up above its squat blue tinted face.

“Do not hurt me, Dragon Knights! I am not one of them.” Butch put his helmet back on and made the horns glow with faint ember to light up the room a bit more.
“Since when could you do that?!” Helena exclaimed.
“Uh…Ignitus showed me last night. And a couple other things. Here, to do that you need to…” Cassidy’s horns hummed as electric energy passed through them and everyone else followed suit. With the cave sufficiently lit up they could better see their current occupant. The creature was a yeti with pair of ram horns with one sheared off. They could just barely see two round eyes underneath all the shaggy hair.
“Hey Bently? What is going on up there?! Did you see what caused all the noise up there? Seriously must I do anything…by the Arkadian Ancients! Dragon Knights?! They’re actually real?” A much smaller figure came up the passage. He only went up to their hips in height. The figure was a penguin wearing a cobbled together metallic helmet and a mismatched bronze colored jet pack.
“What is the heck is going on here? A giant snow ape and a talking penguin?” Helena exclaimed.
“You have been talking with dragonflies AND dragons. This is where you draw the line?” Cassidy chuckles. The yeti cleared his throat.

“I am a yeti thank you very much. Please don’t confuse me with those barbarian simians outside.” Elijah gingerly approached the two.
“H-hello. We’re uh…the Dragon Knights. I’m Elijah. That’s Cassidy, Helena, and Kirby. Who are you?”
“Hey! What about me?!”
The yeti seated himself down next to the penguin.
“I am Bently and my buddy here is Sargent James Byrd. I’ve only heard stories of Dragon Knights. I was truly beginning to think they were a myth.”
“Can’t say I’m impressed. You’re obviously barely some years out of the nest. What is your battle experience?” huffed Byrd.
“Byrd be nice!” The penguin folded his flippers and scoffed. Everyone paused as they could hear the apes shouting from outside. Cassidy went to the edge of the cave and peeked around the snow bank and strained her ears to listen.
“Intruders…here…extra…guard…. prisoner!” The apes charged back up the stairs and screamed with feverish excitement.
“Bad news guys. It might be a little harder to get into the main keep. They know we’re here.”

“You are trying to get into the central keep in Dante’s Fortress?! What in the dragon realms for?” Byrd gripped. Helena explained briefly about Volteer and maybe making the Zord be active with his help.
“You mean those mechanical marvels are real too?! Bently this may be the hail Mary we’ve been looking for! A way to really stick it to those creeps.” The penguin seemed excited at this. The yeti scratched his beard in thought. He seemed unsure about this.
“Maybe…what do you have in mind?”
Byrd pulled a piece of chalk and then started a floor plan on the side of the cave. As he did Elijah sat next to Bently.
“You two seem to know a lot about this place”, he commented.
“This place used to be our home. Back then this was called the Frosted Tundra. The land was once flourishing with ice dragons, yeti, and penguin tribes. The mountain we are sitting on now’s original name was Wizard’s Peak. But then the dark armies grew stronger and forced us to turn our once glacial paradise into a fortress. Then the massacre on the Year of the Dragon happened and it shook thought the realms.” Byrd stopped drawing and turned to the party.
“We kept pushing back but then they got themselves a new weapon: The Black Dragonzord and its pilot the Phantom Ranger.” Both of them shuddered and rubbed their arms uncomfortably. Byrd finished the tale.

“The zord alone was scary itself, but that is nothing from what I witnessed of the Phantom. A Knight cloaked in the blackness of night-but unlike the Black Knight of the old tales, the Phantom has the power of shadows at their command. Able to vanish and reappear the Phantom could cut through infantry faster than a hatchling gobbling a worm. And their zord-a master of the skies. Rumors tell that if you saw their shadow, it was all but over for you…” Byrd finished the sketch.
“There are two ways into the main keep-the main gate and the supply door. That won’t be as heavily guarded. If you can help us, get through this old wagon mule passage here, Bently and I will launch a surprise attack by the front door. Then you can sneak in. Try this ring of keys. I uh…acquired them from an ape patrol a few weeks ago. Now, are we ready?”
Bently squeezed through the narrow passage at the back of the cave and led them in to another chamber. Kirby’s glowing horns caught the ridge of stairs leading further downward.
“What are those stairs over there, Bently?” The yeti looked down and then started feeling the rock wall.
“When the Phantom Ranger attacked, those who survived went to the caves below and resolved to rebuild life down there. But I choose not to give up so easily. Ah here we are…” Bently’s blue fingers curled around small pits in the stone and shoved a hidden door aside.
Behind them was a thick copse of frozen trees and boulders. A wide path with two crooked grooves of equal spacing etched into the dirt heading into the forest.

“There will be a few ape patrol guards on this old wagon trail. Your job will be to take them out quickly. It’s the dreadwings we need to be wary about the most. Yellow Knight, I hope you shoot better than you navigate caves.” Cassidy took an arrow from her quiver and pointed it at Byrd’s beak.
“Don’t test me.”
The ground was soft against their boots and the frosty ice made a loud crunch from their boots. For ten long agonizing minutes they crept along the path weapons drawn and ready. Then they heard a low screeching mechanical roar above. The party looked up to see a long pair of black slender wings flapping in the cold wing. The beast had a long neck and nail that let it swim effortlessly though the sky. Then it vanished into the mists.
“I hope THAT was the Black Dragonzord”, Elijah muttered.
“Why would you want that to be true”, Helana hissed. The purple knight shrugged.
“Because if that WASN’T the Black Dragonzord then there is another evil dragonzord we need to worry about.”

“Huh….good point.”
They were almost at the end of the trail when they heard the soft footfalls of an ape soldier making their rounds along with their canine companions-or at least they look like dogs. Their heads took up most of their body with rows of teeth reaching far back to their eyes. Their paws were huge and long claws dug into the snow. Their bulbous nose sniffed the air and then gurgled a notice to their master. The ape saw colored shapes though the frost and reached for the horn at their hip. A blast of ice snatched their instrument from the clips on their side bag and crashed on to the snow. It looked down on the ground at their encased horn just as its dogs tugged at it; failing to see the red lance jab into its chest. The dog beasts, with no leash holding on to them they turned to the party.
One jumped and latched itself on to Bently, sinking its teeth hard into the fur. The other just missed Byrd.
“I’ve got this diseased cur! You get the other one!” The pods on Byrd’s back opened up and his flippers grasped the controls. He pushed forward one lever and a laser clipped the dog by the tail. Cassidy fired arrows to lead the other beast closer to them and until the path of Kirby. The Earth Knight swung his flail and pinned the dog down in the snow just as it was about to bark. Bently rubbed his brow as they shoved the carcasses off the pathway. “That as close. Now we can move on.”
“Y-yeah. That was uh…pretty good.” Butch stammered. Kirby patted his shoulder as they kept walking.

“I know. I don’t feel too great about this either.”
“N-nonsense! We’re baddass!”
The quad was littered with broken barricades. There were six simian infantry and two larger ape leaders riding two bat like creatures. These two creatures were roughly the size of warhorses and skittered among the snow with little effort. Then one more stood out from the crowd. They were twice the size as the riders and its massive body was concealed in several layers of mismatching dark cloth. Their broad face was covered by a cloth mask. In their hands was a large staff with several large crystals tied to the twisted wood with rough hempen rope. Hanging from the twisted outstretched limb was a long thin lantern emanating a pale-yellow light. Though their muffled tones, the ape leader grunted, “We know someone is here. They must not reach the prisoner down below. General Gual’s little pet will be here at any moment and we don’t want to get them mad. Understood?” The soldiers gulped but a glare from the staffed one forced them to whoop and holler.
“Blast it. Who do they mean by pet?” Byrd muttered.
“Whoever it is, even the apes are scared”, Cassidy added.

“Remember we thought we saw a black dragon. Hey, the guy with the lantern is heading inside.” Elijah pointed out.
Byrd jumped on to Bently’s back.
“We’ll do our best to keep their attention on us. You take this little trail here around the back. Good luck, Knights!”
Byrd’s jetpack opened a chamber and a small grenade leapt from a concealed catapult. As the bomb bounced onto the snow it exploded in the center of the guard, sending snow and splintered mist among the soldiers. The quad became enshrouded in thick white smoke that Bentley emerged from and his large hands grasped around the head of an ape rider. With a hard twist, he wrenched the rider from their perch and swung it like mace. A bat-monster raked its claws along Bently’s back and latched their claws into his flesh. Byrd fell to the snow among a group of three ape soldiers. They lashed and grasped as the penguin used their advantage in the terrain to slip and slide between their legs towards the creature attacking his friend. From the belt around his middle, he unsheathed a battered hunting knife in his flippers. He struck the tendon of the skitter drawing its attention to the penguin.
Cassidy struggled with the keys around the back door. They were slippery from a layer of fishy mucus and the door was frozen over. Elijah wrenched around the keys from her hand and then got it open easy. Kirby and Butch rammed the door open and they fumbled inside. The interior of the keep was not any less settling than its exterior. It was quiet save for the occasional dripping from the ice encrusted ceiling from above. Remains of blue tapestries carrying the same sigil similar to the emblem on Helena’s chest clung to the tall steel walls and flapped weakly in the wind. The door led to blueish black stairs that went upwards and downwards. The upstairs had been broken off and the ends were covered in long icy stalactites. There were no signs of life where they were. From the hallway in the room, they were in, they could see a faint yellow glow that was pacing back and forth. Cassidy suddenly went quiet.

“We need to head below.”
“How do you?”
“I…I just know. Come on.”
The lower they went down the darker it became. The light from their horns casted multicolored lights along the icy wall, but they could not see more than ten feet before them. The steel walls slowly morphed into stone. Carved into the face of the stone were reliefs depicting a humanoid figure riding what looked like a triceratops like creature into battle. Fighting alongside the figure were yeti and penguins. Other scenes showed the figure rebuilding villages. And another showed the figure working with a mechanical humanoid.
“It looks like you Helena. Or someone wearing your helmet. They’re much more cooler looking.” Butch jibbed.
“I can make your body temperature much color too you know. But…it does look like the Knights did more than fight.”
The stairs ended at a blue platform hanging over a bottomless gorge.

“I wish there was some more light down here. I can barely see where we’re going.” Cassidy groused. The chamber answered her call when the sigil on the ground lit up and nearly blinded them as bright blue light flooded the room. Braziers around the edges sparked with blue flame. On a higher ledge ahead of them was a large yellow dragon bound and gagged. The dragon was unconscious on the ledge as chains held it firm.
“I have a feeling that’s Volteer. Kirby, think you can break the chains?” Cassidy asked. Kirby brought out his axe and slowly approached the ledge. The glow of his horns caught the edges of a throne just behind the dragon. Sitting on the throne was a large figure much like their Yeti friend though only a skeleton remained. The helmet and armor it wore was similar to Helena’s.
“Hey Helena, I think I found your predecessor. Either that or a fanboy.”
“Har har, very funny. As if I would—Kirby, behind you!”
An ice encased saber sliced down from the darkness and caught Kirby in the shoulder. The boy yelled as ice stung his flesh. The skeleton shuddered and wrenched itself free from the chair and leapt onto the platform. Black ooze dripped from its eyes as it emitted an ugly hoarse gasp.

“Hey! Foul move ya poser!” Butch swirled himself in flames and ran at the frozen knight. The knight rose its hand and a shield appeared before it. Icy tendrils sprung from its fingertips and lashed themselves around the Fire Knight. There was a burst of steam and Butch was extinguished. The Frozen Knight exhaled a cloud of frosty breath and froze Butch in his place. It turned towards Kirby grasping a bruised shoulder. His armor had taken most of the first blow, but he still felt a sharp sting of ice against his skin. The Frozen Knight’s sword glowed brighter as more ice were drawn to it. As it jabbed forward the ice hit an aether shield and froze it. Underneath the shield, Elijah tried to tend to Kirby’s wound.
“Kirby! Are you alright? Where did it get you? What is that thing?” Kirby pulled his hand away where some frost had formed. “I’ll be fine. We have to defrost Butch quickly!”
Elijah disbanded the shield and the thin ice that had covered it crushed under its own weight. Shaking the frost from their visors they looked at their surroundings. The Frozen Knight had been stuck in place as Helena froze its feet to the ground. Cassidy tried to shoot her arrows and yet the Knight seemed to be able to see what she was thinking as it effortlessly flung away with the icy shield or saber. The boys took their chance as they slipped towards Butch who was still frozen inside the jagged pillar of ice.
“How are we going to get the hothead out?” Kirby mused as he tapped the edge of the pillar with the blade of his axe. Elijah traced his finger along the crags until he stopped just above Butch’s face.
“This should be the weak point here.”
“How would you…?”

“Dad used to teach me about cutting ice during camping but we should hurry! Because here the knight comes!”
The ice knight had broken free from its restraints and pointed its saber at Elijah. It coughed a horrid screech before it clumsily lumbered towards the boy. The purple knight attempted to run and tripped over the ice as he did. The saber caught him in the ankle and ice stabbed the bone. The Frozen Knight slammed its foot on Elijah’s ankle and held him in place. Elijah could feel an overwhelming sense of hatred pouring from the knight. Why him? He didn’t sense the knight feel as much malice towards the others on the team. What was different about him?
A flaming lance burst from the broken segment on the Frozen Knight’s breastplate. An earthy mace smashed against its skull shattering its mask in half. Cassidy and Butch snatched the still impaled land and swung in tandem to wrench the knight from its position and fling it across the room. Helena slid in the path between it and the group and aimed her gun.
“Don’t even think about it. We’re leaving with the dragon.” The Frozen Knight’s eyes met with hers had it struggled to get up. The impact of the toss had shattered one of its legs and its ribs began to crackle and crumble away where the lance had struck it. It pointed a finger at Helena and its eye sockets flashed.
Helena stood in the middle of a battlefield. She was sitting inside a console and was towering over a platoon of broken bodies and scorched earth. Standing next to her were other Dragon Knights also with their hands on the console. They looked like them but seemed a bit older and not exactly human. The colors beside her were red, yellow, black, green, and pink. They seemed a little worse for wear. She looked at her own hands. Her arms were covered in burns and cuts. Even the room they stood in seemed to be cracking apart. Standing before them was a dragon. The creature was thrice the size of Ignitus standing in perfect height with them. She tried to see more detail of the dragon; but it was obscured by the smoke and shadow. Helena squinted trying to see better. She couldn’t see much else but the overall shape of the dragon’s face. The silhouette seemed familiar. It looked like---
The vision faded. The Frozen Knight had collapsed in a pile of melted ice and bone. The rest of the group were freeing the yellow dragon and tending to Elijah’s ankle. The dragon shook the ice from its buttery scales and shook his jagged purple wings.

“Excellent. Spectacular. Stupendous! To witness such clearly inexperienced knights best an ancient foe with minimal damage was a most astonishing thing to observe. And to actually see actual Dragon Knights no less. Of course, we were all thinking that you were just myths but to finally see with my own eyes. This is truly a momentous occasion.”
“I think I know why they gagged this guy”, Cassidy muttered to Elijah.
“Um…mister Volteer, but we really should leave before we’re caught.” They heard a clatter from above them. Riding on a battered flying device, Byrd charged in and slammed hard onto the ice before them. The penguin was covered in bruises and burns. Some blood was dripping from his beak and one eye was swollen shut.
“Knights…. we have…to…run!” They could hear a gargling roar from the stairs above that was coming closer.
“Where’s Bently?” Butch asked. The source of the roar was coming closer.
“I know an expeditious passage of safe retreat! Follow me!” Volteer bounded towards the throne and pressed his claw against a stone on the back wall. A passage phased into view.
“Hurry young knights! And bird.” Sargent Byrd pressed a few buttons on his pack and tossed it into the center of the room before joining them. As soon as everyone had squeezed into the tunnel the entrance’s opening materialized shut. They could faintly hear a humming explosion and the roar being mucked with snarls and a feminine voice cursing.

Sargent Byrd collapsed from his wounds. Tears were streaming down his face as Kirby cradled him close. The group was silent save for Volteer. He was still chattering about his excitement of being free, meeting the Knights, and his confinement by the Phantom Ranger. No one had really been listening. The tunnel opened to the shore where Ayrp had just finished repairing the Skyhopper.
“Dragon Knights! I did not expect you here. And you were successful in rescuing Volteer! Perhaps I had dismissed you too quickly.”
“Oh yes, their battle was quite an interesting study of nature versus nature. And with a little bit of wisdom to impart to the yellow Knight here…”
“Heh you haven’t changed a bit, Volteer. But you look a bit weary, young knight. Dante’s Fog is creeping in. We will use that to our advantage to escape. And do keep quiet Volteer.”

Chapter 9: Swarming the Swamp

Bently tossed aside a grimwing that he had been using as a club just as Byrd hopped onto the shoulder of his buddy and fired another laser against a weakened ape. Several of the apes lay at their feet. Some of them had already started to run away.
“Heh, if these are the best they’ve got, those Knights will have nothing to worry about”, Byrd said proudly. Bentley let out a yell and grabbed his leg. As he fell forward, Byrd was tossed aside and fell face first into the snow. The Phantom Ranger materialized on top of Bently. Their silver claws dripped with Bentley’s blood. They turned their faceless visitor between the penguin and yeti.
“You two are up to something. What did you hope to accomplish?” Their voice was cool and almost monotone. Byrd felt his body freeze. He had only heard stories of the Phantom Ranger and now seeing them filled him with fear.
“We…we’re on…o-our…own.” He managed to stammer.
“Just crushing apes”, Bently snarled through gritted teeth.

“It would have gone better for you if you did not resort to deception.” They looked down at Bentley. “You seem useful. You’ll do.” Shadows surrounded the Phantom’s claws and they jabbed them into Bently’s back. The shadows buried themselves into the wound and Bently howled in pain. As he thrashed in agony, his fur became stained black as his blue flesh look on a purple hue. His horns began to flow a flaming orange and lengthen as the same-colored orange spikes burst from his spine. Bently’s claws and teeth lengthened and curved and he let out a gargled roar.
“Why are you here”, the Phantom Ranger asked calmly. The transformed Bently pointed to the side road and grumbled, “Dragon Knights.”
“There. That was not difficult. Please lead the way.” Byrd shoved himself between Bently and the Phantom and waved his flippers.
“Come on buddy, don’t do this! Don’t listen to the Phantom!”
“Exterminate the bird”, the Phantom commanded. Bently’s arm swung in a wide arc, raking his claws across Sargent Byrd’s chest. The blow sent the bird hurling towards the side door twenty feet down. Before he could even blink the Phantom was right behind him. Byrd pressed a button on his pack and a compartment opened causing a brilliant flash in the Phantom’s eyes. He didn’t wait until he pressed another button and activated the jets sending him down to the stairs below and colliding with the Dragon Knights.
****

“Yes, yes, I am glad you are safe, Volteer. But please, what exactly did the Phantom Knight do to you?” Ignitus had been relieved the party was safe. He seemed to sense their current morale and suggested they get rest. They muttered they were fine.
“Young knights, I can understand the burden of loss in war and you are too young to experience such trials. You need some rest.”
“We’re okay. We need to save the other Guardians…right?” Butch said halfheartedly.
“I don’t want you to push yourselves so soon. But if you desire, take an hour with food and rest and I will come for you.” He learned in close to the Knights. “Also getting any information from Volteer in a reasonable time will take a while”, he whispered.
“Oh, might I borrow a bit of time with the yellow knight? More specifically on skills regarding her electricity based expelation device.

Aryp gave the Knights some tea and boar he hunted. The boar was a little dry and could have used some more spices but at least it was edible. He helped Cassidy tend to Byrd’s wounds and to hear his tale about the Phantom Knight.
“I had heard such rumors but to know the Phantom was capable of such a feat is…terrifying”, Ayrp mused.
“I wanna kick that Phantom Knight right in the teeth”, Cassidy growled.
“From Byrd’s account you’d be dead before you even threw a punch, Cass.” Kirby remarked. Cassidy huffed and took a long angry sip from her cup. Helena had been quiet the entire time; occasionally glancing at Elijah who seemed unaware of her staring.
It had gotten dark when Ignitus walked into the room.
“Young knights, there is something we want to show you.” He led them into the Zord room down below. As he walked, he explained what the guardian of lightning conveyed to him. Apparently, the Phantom had locked Volteer in a special cage and hooked up a lantern to it. By some kind of arcane process, the knight drained Volteer of his innate electric power into the lantern. The chief ape had just retrieved the lantern when the Knights had arrived. Ignitus was not entirely sure of the exact purpose such a ritual was for, but they needed to get to the other guardians before the Phantom could power any more of these lanterns.

Volteer was chattering excitedly as he was examining the freed Zords.
“Ah right in the nick of time. There was something I wanted to demonstrate in person to the knights as I believe they would find this enlightening.”
Volteer opened a panel in the floor and brought up a golden automaton. The robot had a round body with a long stem underneath attached to a wheel. Its arms were limp and the conical head drooped. Volteer pressed his lips and sent out a small spark. The robot shuddered and then a voice croaked from the chest “Electric element detected. Zord standby mode detected. Begin activation protocol.” The robot twitched and shuddered before its eyes flashed and lit up a dull yellow glow.
“Volteer! If you have awakened me to listen to one of your hypotheses again I will…wait! The Zords have actually assigned themselves to Knights! Well about time the fossils finally got over their beauty sleep.” “Knights, this is Bouncer. An Arcadian who knows a lot about the Zords. He will be assisting me in getting your giant combat mechs up and running for battle. Bouncer-these are humans who have been chosen as newly awakened Dragon Knights.” Bouncer tilted his head side to side and blinked slowly-like a camera taking in every single detail. “
Greetings non-Arkadian lifeforms. I am Bouncer; Zord maintenance unit. Please speak your identification clearly.”
Bouncer’s eyes flashed as it recorded everyone’s name.
“Names and Colors recorded. Strange, I do not seem to have knowledge of a Purple Knight in my records. Perhaps I should run a diagnostic on my memory banks. But at this time-I need to ensure the Zords are in functioning order.

They have not been active in a thousand years according to my logs. This could take a while.” Butch’s excitement visibly melted as he slumped on a bench and groaned.
“Aww so no giant robots yet? Bummer….”
“DRAGON KNIGHTS! HEEEEELLLLPPPP!” Sparx spiraled into the chamber and slammed into Elijah. The dragonfly seemed a bit worse for wear and was panting heavily.
“Dragon…fly…Swarm…. big…” he panted. “Woah, Sparx, slow down. What has happened to the dragonflies?” Ignitus questioned. Sparx took a long deep breath and grasped his antennae.
“That Swarm jerk found out where we went to and now is attacking the village! You got to do something! That is what Dragon Knights are supposed to do right?” Ignitus glanced at the Knights. He seemed hesitant to send the children out so soon. Cassidy slammed her fists together.
“Hey! If someone is bullying our buggy pal here, I’m ready to have them meet my fists. Anyone else with me?” The rest of the team were hesitant to but agreed. Boomer raised up its hand.
“Then there is no time to waste. We will use the Arkedia Beam to get you there quickly. Follow me!” The Arkedian robot whirled over to a stone dais and pressed a few runes. The platform began to glow and a faint ring began to form over the dais.

“This is the Arkeda Beam. We used to use these to send Dragon Knights all over the world quickly. Right now, it’s low on juice, but it looks like we have enough power to port you guys’ short distances. I will require the coordinates glowing bug non-Arkedian lifeform.” Sparx just shoved the map in Boomer’s direction and shouted for him to hurry. As Boomer tapped a few extra runes at rapid speed, the ring in the center expanded until it had become a cylinder.
“Just step in, Knights and you’ll be there in no time. Oh, and one more thing.” Boomer dropped a metallic sphere into Helena’s hand. It was copper in color and there was a blue button in the center.
“This is an Arkedian Voice Transistor. I’ve only got one right now. If you think you need help, just press this button and talk.”
“And in the meantime, Boomer and I will carefully examine how to expediently activate your mechanical fighting machines”, Volteer added.
****

Flying through the portal felt like a rollercoaster with their stomachs being lurched sharply left, right, and then down. Then they collided into the hard dirt. The chaos of the shadowfly attack rang in their ears. They were rounding up the dragonflies and shoving them into crude wooden cages. Swarm was barking orders as he helped himself to a large stash of fruit. A shadowy crab-like claw where his smashed arm had previously been pointed at various tents and blasted them with shadow dripped darts. He also appeared to be standing at least two feet taller than they last saw him. Glowing shadows pulsed between the gaps between the chiton plates of his skin. “Load them up! We need to give a boost to our numbers and really conquer this place in the name of King Gaul!”
The Knights had been transferred behind a large rock and thankfully hadn’t been spotted yet. Butch grasped his lance and wanted to charge in.
“That bug is a lot bigger this time. And need we forget you just got your rear handed to you by that Frozen Knight?” Helena hissed.
“Well, we can’t just sit here. What are we supposed to do then?”
“Kirby has the best armor. Him and Cassidy will keep the big bad bug busy. You and I will disperse the shadowflies. Elijah…” Helena paused for a moment. She couldn’t get that vision out of her mind. She shook her head and cleared her throat.

“You’re the fastest lock picker we’ve got. Get the civilians to safety.” Sparx hovered over Elijah.
“I’ll help the little guy. He seems safer.”
Swarm was gulping down a jug of berry water as a lightning arrow struck him in an exposed area on his arm. The bug choked on his drink as the ground underneath his feet bounced up sending him up in the air. His wings flickered out and stopped him from crashing to the ground.
“Who’s got the nerve to strike the great Sargent Swarm?! You…. I should have known. Only Dragon Squires would be so stupid to fight me!” Kirby twirled his axe in his hand and braced himself for attack. Cassidy had moved behind a rock and climbed up for a better advantage. She slipped and banged her knee on her climb. She bit her lip to keep herself from wincing. Luckily Swarm was focused on Kirby. Swarm clacked his shadowy crab claw towards himself and grinned.

“Your little purple pest really did a number on me last time. I had to beg King Gaul for this little upgrade-and something else too. But first-I want to have a little fun.” Swarm stepped forward and seemed to disappear into the dust. He reappeared in front Kirby and grasped the Earth Knight in his crab-like grip. He squeezed slowly while his free hand latched onto Kirby’s helmet. Shadowy tendrils seeped from his arm and began to wrap themselves tightly around Swarm’s prey. He failed to see the smirk on Kirby’s face behind the mask.
Small wisps of electric energy had begun to form around Swarm’s legs. They spiraled faster and faster growing larger as they traveled up to his waist and then slammed shut. Current surged through Swarms’ body as sparks of lighting struck between his segmented body. He dropped Kirby and reeled back as he thrashed on the floor. Cassidy had approached the duo and knocked her bow against her head playfully.
“A little trick our chatty friend taught me. And that was just a minor demonstration.”
The shadowflies were large in number and used that to their advantage to keep Kirby and Helena pinned in one area of the encampment.

“Just like that one match last year at Boulder High, eh?” Helena jibbed.
“Maybe, but this time I get to actually shove these jerks out of my way!” Butch’s horns sparked with flame and he rammed his body into a cluster of shadowflies. He managed to catch a group of five in his flames. Embers flickered from his horns as he pushed himself back up to his feet; catching the wind and spraying a group that had grabbed him from behind.
A trio of shadowflies grasped his limbs in their mandibles and slammed him down in the dirt. They jabbed their arms into the earth to keep firm to the ground and then twisted their heads back and forth to try and tear him apart. Helena moved to the side trying to shoot the bugs without hitting Butch. She failed to miss a splot of webbing from above that squashed against her hands and covered him in disgusting goop. The goop wiggled and burst tendrils that wrapped themselves around her arms and neck.
Elijah and Sparx struggled with the locks. They were crude but effective in holding the Dragonflies shut in their cages. Luckily the shadowflies that had been guarding the cases had chosen to abandon them to deal with the Flame and Ice Knights. Elijah was using the talons in his gloves trying to work out the mechanism. “What is taking so long? You sure you’re a Knight?” The Purple Knight glared at the bug.
“I don’t exactly have tools on hand right now. And you’re not exactly helping me either.”

“You smashed Swarm’s arm off last time! How is this any…”
“There!” The first lock had finally snapped off. Elijah yelled for them to run as he dashed over to the next one. This was one was going a bit easier as the lock popped off. He felt the air suddenly turn rather warm. Sparx seemed to be aware of this as well.
“Uh Eli, I think we need to duck!”
Butch could just see Helena being piled on by the Shadowflies. Kirby and Cassidy had been pinned against a rock by Swarm. He didn’t like it. As the red ranger he had a duty to watch out for his team. And what was happening right now? Face down in the dirt while a bunch of oversized bugs were trying to have him for a midday snack. He hated not being able to do anything for his team. Then he remembered something-something that Ignitus had shown him before they had gone to Dante’s Freezer.
“You need to be wise when using this, young knight. A dragon’s rage is powerful but it can also leave a dragon vulnerable. All of you will soon need to learn when it is right to use it.”
Butch couldn’t think of anything else but fire. The shadowflies stopped momentarily paused as Butch’s body began to emit more sparks of flame. They swirled and spiraled until the Flame Knight was surrounded by an orb of fire. Kirby had just noted that Elijah hadn’t gotten the last cage open yet.

“Butch, stop! Not all the dragonflies are—” Time seemed to slow down. The flaming orb began to spin as more fire erupted from its center before exploding-releasing a wave of heat across the encampment.
When everyone had opened their eyes, the encampment had been scorched. The shadowflies had taken the brunt of the Dragon Rage and now lay in burning heaps on the floor. The caged dragonflies huddled in the back of the cage almost in fear. Elijah had managed to create the shield around the cage-sparing them from the blast. However, he hadn’t it up perfectly in time as he dismissed his shield and grasped his burned hand. Butch collapsed to his knees as he felt large rush of air leave his lungs and sapped him of the strength to stand.
“What the heck were you thinking using your Dragon Rage in close quarters?!” Cassidy chastised him.
“I…I didn’t think…” Helena would have joined in the interrogation but was interrupted by a howl of Swarm. His body had been half burned and black ooze dripped from his mouth.
“You…little…pests! I am going to squash you like the interior grubs you are!” In his hand was a purple shard. He shoved the shard into his mouth and swallowed it whole. His body began to twitch and shake as he collapsed to his knees. A faint purple glow emitted between the segmentations of his armor before spreading to the rest of his body. The knights watched as he started to grow larger with no end in sight. As his body expanded, he stood up and cackled. Despite his wounded hands, Elijah frantically opened the last case even as Swarm’s shadow completely encompassed the entire camp. Now standing at a near 300 ft tall the insectoid giant laughed his he looked over his new body.

“GOOD LUCK TRYING TO EXTERMINATE THIS BUG, DRAGON KNAVES!” He slashed his stinger along the dirt-creating a five-foot-deep crevasse on the ground. The knights just barely jumped out of the way as dirt and mud were sent flying.
Helena’s communicator beeped.
“Ice Knight! Ice knight what’s going on? We can see Swarm from the temple!”
“No kidding! How are supposed to fight something that big?!”
“Just hold on! The Zords are preparing to launch. Just stay active until then!” Swarm appeared to be rather pleased with his little handiwork on the ground.

“OH WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME FUN WITH THIS! ONCE I ELIMINATE YOU, I WILL CUT THIS WHOLE STINKING SWAMP TO THE GROUND AND BUILD A TEMPLE IN MY HONOR!” He raised up a foot and slammed it on the ground creating a shockwave to trip up the knights. Cassidy had just managed to drag Butch out of the open encampment. Helena yelled for them to take cover until the Zords could make it. Thankfully there were a lot of trees and mushrooms to hide under. Elijah was far from the rest of the group. When Swarm had stomped the ground, the purple knight had fallen into the small canyon Swarm had created earlier. Sparx followed him down.
“Woah, you okay El? Anything broken?”
“Just my pride I think…ugh this is usually the part where we fight to battle in a giant robot fight. But if the Zord’s aren’t functional…” The ground shook as Swarm had stomped closer and began to uproot trees and mushrooms looking for the group.

“COME OUT AND FIGHT LITTLE KNAVES! SHOW ME THE SO-CALLED LEGENDARY POWER OF THE DRAGON KNIGHTS.” In his search he saw a faint glint of gold in the crack by his heel. He smiled and shoved his crab hand into the hole. “AH THERE YOU ARE. I ESPECIALLY WANT A WORD WITH YOU!” Elijah and Sparx pressed themselves against the sides of the crevice as the giant insect struggled to reach for them.
The rest of the crew saw him preoccupied with their violet knight. Butch grasped his lance with a shaking hand. He still had not gotten his wind back. This was his fault. If he hadn’t been so reckless.
A roar could be heard over the treetops. A red reptilian head clamped their jaws on Swarm’s arm and with a heave tossed the bug aside. Swarm rubbed swamp water from his eyes as he glanced up from his prostrated position to see what was happening. The Charizord roared and its spines sparked flames in a show of domination. Its head turned to Butch’s direction and its eyes flashed. Butch felt a rush of heat and felt himself being lurched though a sea of red and black. When the smoke faded, he saw a console before him and a large window. Everything was taller as Swarm stood back to his feet and stood at eye level.
“SO YOU GOT A LITTLE TALLER! THAT DON’T MAKE YOU ANY SUPERIOR.” Swarm punched the Charizord making the robot stagger back.
Helena saw her Wyvernzord soar above the skies and glance at her. In a blink of eye, she was high in the sky circling the bug and rex on the ground. Her hands touched the console as she tried to test the controls. The wyvernzord swayed and staggered in the air and seemed to resist her commands. She was nearly thrown off her feet as the wyvernzord swooped up higher into the sky and looped around. The Turtlezord and Salazord had arrived to battle and summoned their respective pilots. Sparx had just peeked a little above the crevice and watched in fascination with the giant robots.

“Woah! Those things are huge! Hey, where is yours? Is that it? No that one’s blue. That one is green.”
Swarm clashed his stingers together sending small dark sparks on the ground around his feet. Black tendrils lashed from his crab claw as he attempted to grasp the Turtlezord and Charizord together. Butch and Kirby attempted to get them to move out of the way, and yet their zords would do the opposite. The Salazord lashed out its tongue and stuck to Swarm’s heel. An electric current raced along the appendage and zapped the giant bug. But then the Salazord let go and moved away. “Hey Salazord! We had him! We should have pressed on the attack. Hey stop! Where are you going?!” Her zord was trotting away from the battlefield and deeper into the mushrooms. Helena had finally gotten her zord to stop spinning.

“Ugh…where is the manual on this thing? What am I supposed to do?”
Sparx was watching from their hiding space. “Uh those guys aren’t doing too good. Seriously, do like not have one…wait. Is that it? Looks like the right color. Hey, you giant purple bug! Down here!” Sparx waved his arms trying to get the Mothzord’s attention. This seemed to have the opposite effect as this caught the eye of Swarm. “OH NO YOU DON’T!” Swarm swatted at the approaching Mothzord. His hand failed to connect as ice struck the back of his hand. By some miracle Helena had gotten the Wyvernzord fire an icy projectile from its maw though it missed her intended target. The Mothzord hovered over the crevasse-its large eyes staring down into the deep.
“Holy! It’s this big on the inside?” Elijah and Sparx rubbed their heads after finding themselves materialized inside the zord. The Mothzord fluttered away from Swarm and heading to where the Charizord and Turtlezord were struggling against the shadow dripped bonds. It seemed to hover there.
“Um…are we supposed to do something”, Sparx asked.
“I wish I knew, Sparx. But I have no idea how to ride this thing. I can barely drive a car.”
“What a car?” A button on the console glowed and the Zord jerked a bit to the left making the Knight stumble towards it.

“I think it wants you to press that button.” “What was your first clue?” Elijah slammed the button and the Mothzord pulsed a soft white light. The tendrils screeched as they crumbled against the light. Butch’s voice cackled over a hidden speaker in the room.
“Thanks, little guy. Now how do we get these things to do what we want?”
“Swarm can fly out of our reach though. We need to get him to slow down”, followed Kirby’s voice. Helena began to tap the side of her helmet. Then a strange thought began to flood her mind. It wasn’t her own-more like some hidden suggestion. That made her wonder. And then she could not believe she was doing this.
“I’ve got an idea; think you can help?” The thought changed into a yes. First, they needed to be just a tad higher. Without even thinking she and the Wyvernzord dove down to where the Salazord was crouching.
Cassidy could hear Helena over the Zord’s speaker.
“Cass, we’ve going to take you to a higher point. We need to keep Swarm pinned in one place. You follow me?”
“I think I got you. Hang on boys! We’re going to cause a bit of a storm.” The Wyvernzord grappled the Salazord with its feet and pulled them up to the sky. From its wings an icy mist began to form.
“So how am I supposed to do anything”, Cassidy grumbled.
“Call me crazy, but I think we kinda have to let them do their thing. We just guide them along.” Helena had to be crazy to make that suggestion, Cassidy thought. But what if it wasn’t crazy. The Salazord had did the tongue thing on its own.

“Okay big shocky guy. Just give me an idea what you want me to do. Our job is to ground Swarm.” The spines on the Salazord lit up as electricity crackled. Swarm hissed back. “DO YOU THINK TAKING TO THE AIR WILL STOP ME? I’LL JUST SHOOT YOU FROM THE SKY!” He felt a strange wave of nausea as a low whistle rung in his ears. “UGH, WHAT IS HAPPENING? WHY IS THE WORLD SPINNING?” The Mothzord had flittered behind him with its antenna fluttering with small sparks of aether before moving out of the way just as lighting began to surround the titanic bug. Jaws clamped on his shoulder and he hollered in pain as the Charizord ripped his arm clean off. He stumbled from the wound right into the maw of the Turtlezord. Its jaws clamped on his leg and it dragged Swarm to the ground onto his back. The Wyvernzord swooped in and let the Salazord dropped onto his face.
“Now whose exterminating who, grub?” Cassidy quipped as a bolt of lightning rained from the sky and struck dead point on the monster-disintegrating him completely.
“Beep beep. Dragon Knights! Dragon Knights can you hear me?” Boomer’s voice cackled over the radio.

“Y-yeah?” Helena wheezed. Ignitus’ voice took over.
“I see subtlety is not your biggest strength. We need you to report back to the temple immediately.” The dragonflies were gawking at the Zords where they stood. Much of the camp and surrounding area had been crushed during the battle.
“Looks like you guys have some new fans. I’d take it all in”, Sparx joked to Elijah.

Chapter 10: Kane of the Mountains

“Spectacular! Stupendous! I wish I had seen it in person but since I am currently in a state of low exhaustion thanks to a long period of torture and confinement…” Ignitus rolled his eyes as Volteer continued to jabber on.
“Yes, yes it was certainly a…trial by fire as it were. However, I am concerned that this may draw attention to this location. We know Swarm was working for the Dark Master. His defeat by the Zords may have consequences down the road. Which is why we need to retrieve the rest of the Guardians quickly.” Byrd hopped on onto a stool.
“I was thinking the same thing. If the told tin can is able to get me a new arsenal together, I will work on putting on some camouflage defenses around the temple. Maybe I can get some of them flying sticks to help-if they ain’t too chicken.”

“Come, young knights. Boomer will tend to any repairs needed to the Zords. I have uncovered your next target,” Ignitus nodded.
Inside the Chamber of Awakening, Ignitus lit up the pool before them. A vision of high grassy mountains and statues came into view.
“Cyril, the Ice Guardian, has been located in the mountainous region of the High Plains. This is the home of a tribe of people known as the Atwala.”
“Bless you”, Sparx interjected. The Flame Guardian glared back.
“The Atwala are a race that worship the seasons and the land. However, thanks to the Phantom Knight, they have been driven underground and their shrine has been taken over by the ape army. I believe the shrine is where Cyril is being help.”
“No problem, we can just use the Zords to fly over there and—” Cassidy started.
“That would be unwise. You risk being spotted by the Phantom Knight and you are currently not ready to face them or their Zord”, Ignitus cautioned.

“He has a point. But I didn’t see Ayrp anywhere. How are we supposed to get to the High Plains”, Eljah asked. The dragon pulled up a map.
“The Mothzord is the smallest Zord among you. There’s a plateau right here that leads into the deep jungle. After that, you’ll be on your own. Take a rest. You’ll need to leave in an hour to arrive there before dark. Butch told the party he would be in the dojo for a bit.
Butch was punching an ape-shaped dummy when Ignitus walked in. He was demorphed as straw and cotton spat fragments at him with each strike. The dragon waited for him to finish as Butch delivered blow after blow until he collapsed on his rear and wiped the sweat from his brow. “You fight was one with something on their mind”, Ignitus mused. Butch pulled his knees to his chest and folded his arms over them.
“I really messed up back there.”
“How so?”

“I used the Dragon Rage like you showed me but…people…innocent people got hurt and…. I know now what I did was dumb but I am the red ranger! I’m supposed to be the leader. People count on me to back them up! This is my chance to really take on that role and…ARRGH!” Butch threw a hooked jab at the dummy and the dojo echoed the sound of ripping cloth and the soft thudding of the dummy’s head.
“I do not know how the Dragon Knights work on your world, but here, red does not always mean leader. The element of flame can shine in the darkness but it is not higher than other elements. We have all made mistakes and regrets in our time. I understand the pain of failure and I let it hold me down. A good leader learns from their mistakes and rides above them. And his team will be there to pick them up-if they are a leader worth following.” Butch tossed the broken dummy head with one hand.
“I suppose so. Thanks, Ignitus.”
****

“This is a LOT of purple”, Butch commented as they all piled into the cockpit of the Mothzord. They heard a trilling sound from the Zord.
“Mothy says that you wear too much red you have the manners of a cardinal”, Elijah chuckled.
“Why you—wait, you can understand this bug?”
“That’s what I said”, Sparx commented.
“So, the chatter bug is coming with us? Great”, Helena grumbled. “What can I say? Without me, you’d be lost. Now then, let’s get this giant flutter thing on the road.”

The damp air of the Swamps faded into crisp taste of the sky as the Mothzord headed westward. It stayed low in the sky, just gracing the treetops that slowly morphed into fine trees. The salt air of the ocean filtered in before the mountains came into view. The High Plains were a series of beige colored rounded mountains clustered together. Large plateaus hovered in the air by unseen forces and were coated in dense jungle and stone. Lustrous foliage was packed in the unoccupied spaces and was slowly growing upwards to the mountains. Peeking out from the treetops the party could see small pyramid-like structures. Statues of some kind of squarish golem littered the landscape. There was peculiar sereneness to the whole thing. Elijah steered the Mothzord down below to a floating outcropping that hung underneath a shelf of tree and shrubbery.
A braid of dense vines connected the platform to the main mountain. The coil of flora was about four feet wide with large leaves sticking out on both ends. “Stay low gang. And don’t look down”, Butch ordered. Elijah happened to glance down as he reached the middle of the vine bridge. The ocean frothed and churned down below. He nearly lost his balance on from it. As they managed to just reach the other side Cassidy remarked how it was oddly quiet. Staring down the dark path was a coil of vibrant green jungle flora. There was a fainty hint of light they could see on the other side as the path treaded upwards.

“Man, I have not seen this much green since I looked in Kirby’s closet”, Helena jibbed. “Still a bit of a green thumb, eh JK?” Elijah teased. Kirby blushed and pouted. Then Cassidy told them to hush. The vegetation passage opened up to a wide grassy plateau dotted with statues. A group of apes decorated with brilliant colored face paint and gaudy plumage had someone non-primate surrounded.
The being had the head and neck of a llama with a stout white spotted bi-pedal body dressed in a loose leather tunic and holding a club. He spun the club in his hand and struck one of the apes across the face. Ropes thrown from the apes grabbed him around his left arm and right leg and they tugged hard. The two larger apes grabbed the ropes and began to pull gleefully attempting to tear the Atwala apart.
“Blast it, and we can’t get around the creeps either. Cassidy—” Butch started.
“I’m on it. One good arrow right in the eye should do the trick. Prepare to fight guys!”
It did not take them long to deal with the squadron. As Elijah helped up the Atwala, the Atwala smacked away his hand. “Unhand me you gaudily colored nitwit. I, Kane; king of Atwalas, does not need help.” “Boy does this guy ooze gratitude”, Sparx remarked to Helena. Kane had finished dusting himself off and pulled his club from the ground before heading off. Butch stood in his tracks.

“Hold on there drama llama, we’re here to help. We’ve the Dragon Knights!” Kane looked up the red ranger up and down and spat at Butch’s feet.
“You’re a little small for a Dragon Knight. Besides, fine time for you to show up while my people starve underground and our temple is being defiled by these apes. I will handle this on my own.” Kane shoved Butch aside and kept walking without once looking back at them. Elijah chanced to look up and saw the large silhouette of the slender form of the Black Dragonzord against the cloud laden sky.
“Looks like the Phantom is here too. Hopefully they’re leaving”, Elijah muttered. The Atwala’s trek led them to a large waterfall dropping from a high rocky cliff. The rapids forming where the water pooled flowed rapidly across the plateau and dropped off onto another outcropping far down below. Helena pushed up her glasses as she looked down below. Just what was keeping these islands in the sky?

“Get down!” A large heavy net dropped from above carried by two dreadwings. The net missed Helena and Cassidy but knocked the rest of the party into the river. “Hey Ice Queen, you might want to do something about them before they fall off”, Sparx yelled. “I’ve got the giant flying rats. You catch the party!” Cassidy barked. The Electric Knight drew her bow and fired several volleys of arrows up at their skyborne opponents. Helena ran to the edge of the cliff and shot the water with her ice gun. The gun quivered and began to frost up as she desperately tried to stop the water. Ice began to form up her arms as she kept her aim steady and finger on the trigger. Then the gun flittered out and coughed up a few flakes before frosting over. By some fortune the party bounced against the ice wall and that stopped them from falling. Butch’s lance flamed up and managed to cut a hole large enough for the group to escape. Cassidy was dealing with two dreadwings that had gotten close.
“A little help here!?”

“Yeah, we’re coming, this stupid net is heavy!” Butch yelled back as he was trying to get the weighted ropes off of him. Kirby yelled for them to look out as he tried to point to the cliffs above them. A volley of arrows burst from the treetops directed right at them. The Earth Knight pushed himself against the ice with everything he had and shielded the three still under the net. Most of the arrows bounced off the earthly plates on his outfit but some had managed to stick.
“Ouch…that kinda hurt.” A large ape emerged from the top of the waterfall. His face was done up in similar makeup as the lower peons though the headdress he wore bore numerous plumes of vibrant colors and held together with gold clasps. A long robe made of feathers draped about haphazardly on their cooked shoulders and in their hand was a large ribbon wrapped warclub.

“Oh ho ho ho what do we have here? I heard whispers of Knights on the winds. But I am…quite disappointed. Still, if I hand you over to the Lady Phantom Knight, I will surely get a promotion.”
“The Phantom Knight is a chick?” Sparx remarked. Cassidy knocked another arrow in her bow.
“What makes you think we will comply?” The shaman hooted and snapped his long snarls fingers. Archers poked their heads from the treetops and had their crossbows trained right on the Dragon Knights. Helena counted maybe twenty archers minimum and they had the high ground. Kirby was already injured and Elijah didn’t even know how his powers worked. Cassidy seemed to be reading her thoughts and put her arrow back before holding up her hands over her head.
“Smart choice, little knights. Soldiers! Cuff them! They will be most useful in obtaining the Dragon Air Gem!” Kane’s eyes went wide.
“No! You’re insane! You’ll get us all killed!”
“Oh ho ho ho, don’t worry. We will be just fine. You Atwala however, too bad so sad.” The shaman continued to laugh as the Knights were surrounded and cuffed with their hands behind their back and Sparx shoved into a cage.
“Now then, little knights, I am sure Crusher will have some fun with you.”