The Dragonstones Trilogy
Chapter 10

Sara didn’t know what to expect, but she certainly hadn’t expected to be transported to a completely different location. She seemed to be in some sort of cave. Red lava flowed from an unknown source. Although it should have been unbearably hot, Sara found it no warmer than was comfortable. She heard footsteps, heavier than human ones. Sara turned.

She faced a dragon. He was much larger than Sara was as a dragon, and she felt herself changing. This time the change was voluntary. Sara had been practicing changing at will, and had gotten pretty good at it. She focused on the dragon in front of her. It had coppery brown scales, its yellow eyes filled with wisdom.

You have dragon magic? he asked her. Sara could tell the dragon’s gender because of his voice in her head.

Yes. Where am I? Sara asked him as she looked around.

You are in the Dragons’ Cave, in the Land of the Dead.

Sara found that relatively easy to accept, as long as she believed she wasn’t crazy. The necklace had magic from a dragon, and Sara’s other form was a dragon. In a weird way, it made sense that the necklace would take her to a Dragons’ Cave.

Sara looked around. The dragon she had been talking to was the closest, but there were thousands in the cave. It was larger than she had previously thought. Much larger.

How did I get here? Sara asked the brown dragon.

Through the Dragon Stones.

A voice younger than the brown dragon’s spoke. That was my friend’s. The voice sounded slightly masculine. It didn’t sound like a child’s, but it was still young. Sara turned around to see a dragon with red scales. It was about the size of a large lizard. The light emanating from the magma made the scales seem even more red.

Whose? Sara asked him.

My friend’s. Nathaniel Meyer. He is dead now. Sadness filled the dragon’s ruby eyes.

Sara was reminded of the man with the dragon she had seen in her vision. She suddenly knew who this dragon was. He was the one in her vision. Sara said nothing.

You are from him? he asked. Sara guessed she knew what he meant.

I think so. I’m Sara Day.

Hello Sara.

A purple dragon, obviously getting bored with the conversation dragging on, stood up and walked over. Will you guard our Stones in the Land of the Living? she asked.

Sara thought of the necklace. The stones on it were unique. Were they the stones the dragon was talking about? What Stones? She asked.

The Stones on the necklace. They hold great power, for whoever possesses them, possesses the power of all the dragons , the red dragon said.

I will guard them, Sara said, hoping she would be able to.

Use the necklace to help you. You have our power, and we can help you through the Dragon Stones, the purple dragon said. Her blue eyes shone with eagerness to tell her what she knew. This was a baby dragon, Sara realized. The red dragon was not much older. The injustice of it all struck her, how not even the young dragons had been spared.

How? Sara asked her.

Talk to the Stones, like you did when you traveled here, the purple dragon answered.

If she were a human, Sara would have blushed. How do you know that?

We dragons observe the Living on occasion.

Have other people before me found out what these Stones do?

You are the first human. Nathaniel never really understood them, the red dragon said.

Pain sliced through Sara’s head, and she started seeing dark spots again. She felt dizzy.

You had better go back, the red dragon said. Goodbye, Sara. As Sara’s vision left her, she thought she heard the brown dragon say, That was not a natural sickness.

Sara opened her eyes and found herself lying on her bedroom floor. She wanted to stay there forever, but sat up suddenly. She had to tell the others. Her head still stung, but she didn’t care. She had to let them know what the necklace, no, the Dragon Stones did.

She snatched up her cell phone, and called their home phone. When they didn’t answer, Sara left a brief message. “Hey guys, it’s me, Sara. Just wanted to let you know that I found out what the necklace does. Call me back if you can.” Sara’s vision started going black. Her head throbbed, making it hard to function. She was tired. Slowly, Sara lost consciousness.

Sara felt herself being lifted onto her bed. Before she could wholly register the thought, Sara fell back asleep. The next few days passed by quickly, because most of the time, Sara was asleep. She woke up briefly when someone walked into her room. “Sara, sorry to bother you, but what does the necklace do?” Sara recognized James’s voice.

Sara tried to answer. “It. . .” The blackness returned.

The blackness was still there. Sara heard panicked voices. “She’s a dragon! Her scales are turning black!” Sara recognized her mom’s voice. “Are you sure this is magic that’s causing this?” Her voice was getting shrill.

Sara didn’t hear the answer.

She awoke to hear Mrs. Robinson say, “I wouldn’t do that.”

“Why?” Sara’s mom asked. “I was only going to take it off. That thing is glowing. It’s unnatural.”

“It may think of you as a threat.” Mrs. Robinson left the statement open to interpretation. Sara lost the rest of what she said.

Sara still slept a large portion of the time now, but she began having dreams, mostly nightmares. She dreamed of being in a room full of thick, dark mist. She dreamed of seeing her scales and wings turning black, along with the rest of her. Mostly, though, Sara saw Drusk, and the last part in her vision she had seen at the cave. She was lying helpless on a bed, and he stood over her, holding the necklace, laughing that same unnerving sound.

In dreams and brief wakeful moments, Sara knew that he was going to kill her. She knew it was irrational, that she would change, or the necklace would protect her. The fear kept growing.

It was dark. Sara could tell that much without even opening her eyes. When she did, dim moonlight was streaming through her window. Sara fought down a wave of nausea. It hurt now even to think. Dark spots clouded her vision for a second, before it cleared. Why had she woken up? Sara knew. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She realized that she had changed back to her human form.

Sara willed herself to change. Pain spread throughout her entire body, but she didn’t shift. Her attention was drawn to a corner in her line of vision. It seemed darker than the others. The shadows in Sara’s room all seemed drawn to it. Sara realized what was happening. It had happened before at the cave, and was happening again. Drusk was materializing in her room.

Sara tried changing again, but got the same results. Sara had a brief flashback to her vision. She remembered seeing herself lying helpless on a bed, and Drusk held the necklace. The image had haunted her for several weeks now, as far as Sara could determine.

When Drusk had finished forming, he looked at her, an unreadable expression on his face. Sara braced herself, and futilely looked for a weapon she could use to defend herself. She didn’t see any that she could reach.

“You’re dying.” He said it as a matter of fact.