A Change In The Weather

Chapter 32: Going underground

Toadflax stood beside the great dome of the barrow and looked up at the deep sapphire of the cloudless sky. He felt more at home working by the light of the moon instead of the unnatural daylight that he’d spent much of his time in recently, and signaled to his cousins to start digging.

Twenty or so goblins appeared from the perimeter of the barrow, carrying tools and equipment to begin their excavation into the side of the mound. Sparing no thought for the barrow or its contents, they began to hack at the earth with pick-axes, shovels, axes and spears. With the amount of goblins working he estimated that it would take maybe fifteen minutes before the wall of the barrow would be breached.

In reality if took less than ten. As the earth broke inwards and part of the earthwork collapsed, Toadflax - eager to get inside - pushed his head through the loose earth, and then his body. Soon, he was completely inside the chamber.

Shaking the loose clods of earth from his head, he spat the gritty dirt from his mouth and blinked. At first his vision was impaired from the dust and dirt everywhere, but it didn’t take him long to realise that he was in very grave danger indeed.

Massive yellow reptilian eyes stared directly at him!

In an instant, he went cold. They’d told him that the dragon would not be there!

With a huge talon, it reached out and grabbed him, pulling him close to its huge dagger-like teeth. Toadflax saw the slick tongue lick its lips and felt the hot, moist breath of the dragon on his face.

‘What are little goblins doing breaking in to my home?’

The words boomed deeply around the chamber, and Toadflax could do nothing but squirm and stare with terror at the enormous reptile in awed silence.

‘No words little goblin?’ said the dragon.

Toadflax’s throat was dry. He tried to swallow, but couldn’t.

The dragon raised a leathery eyebrow ridge.

‘Very well.’

The dragon took a deep breath, which sounded like a turbine from an aircraft engine spooling up; a low deep roar that became progressively louder as more and more air was inhaled.

Toadflax put his arms out in front of his face and began to scream, knowing full well that within seconds he would cease to exist - nothing more than blackened ash.

He felt the iron grip of the dragon loosen, but still he screamed, unable to move - whether or not from fright or something else he wasn’t sure.

When he’d finished screaming, and he realised that he was still alive, he tentatively lowered his arms, and opened his screwed-up eyes one by one.

Bizarrely there was total silence, but - more importantly - there was no sign of the dragon anymore.

He definitely hadn’t expected that to happen! Still, no matter. The dragon had gone and that was all that mattered. He clambered to the top of the spoil heap, and jumped up and down with glee and relief. And then he spotted the egg – lying there all alone on top of the pile - and grabbed it. It glistened as if it were wet, encrusted with precious stones and jewels. He held it up and studied it.

‘So this is what they’ve spent their entire existence searching for?’ he muttered, to himself.

He looked around him, the spoil heap was filled with a thousand years of treasure, trinkets, gems and magical artefacts. He calculated that it would take many days to completely clear the barrow of its contents. Where would he put it all? Maybe he could come back at his leisure and turn it into his new warren? Yes, that sounded like a good idea. The best yet!

But first, he had to get the egg back to Godfrey as quick as possible. He slipped it into his backpack and scambled out of the barrow.

He’d have to run all the way to Winterton.

* * * *

‘No!’

Godfrey roared in despair as the owl flew back in the direction of Winterton Hall carrying in its talons the ivory flute.

He reached into his jacket and pulled out an automatic pistol and took aim, but even as he pulled the trigger, he knew that it was pointless. In frustration he wasted an entire clip, which rang out in the cold night air and he threw the smoking gun to the ground in temper.

And then he felt something - like a vibration - but gradually increasing in frequency and amplitude. He turned back in the direction to face the centre of the stone circle.

The wind suddenly whipped up, gusting from the direction of Bracken Wood.

‘It’s worked!’ he shouted, above the sound of the wind. ‘The dragon is approaching! Get ready!’

And then something blinked into existence. In the middle of the stone circle, sat a very large, very surprised and very angry Fire Drake.

The enraged dragon reared up onto its hind legs and extended its wings to let out a deafening, flaming roar towards heaven.

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