SWNOVELS Chapter 15: Rescue
“There are guards everywhere!” King Simon whispered fiercely. “There’s no way we can get in without being discovered!” Creeping up to his palace when at last it became dark, Hoddi and the king crouched behind the outer wall. A multitude of men stood ready, swords and knives close at hand.
“It looks like Jar-Ed has an advantage over us. He has been hard at work, taking over your home,” answered Hoddi, his face angry and concerned on behalf of the master he had chosen to serve.
“We will have to forget this plan,” said King Simon, angry at the time they had wasted. “We must go on foot to the Hills of Halle if we are going to help Molly save her friends. We should take the path through the trees so we will not be seen.”
Setting off, the pair moved quickly through the darkness. Hoddi led the way to protect his master at any cost and King Simon followed closely behind him. “We must hurry,” said King Simon. “That cowardly Jar-Ed could be hiding anywhere in these parts.”
Hurrying over the rough path, Hoddi suddenly tripped, his body hurtling to the ground. Unable to stop himself, the king followed suit, landing with a thud on top of his faithful servant. The pair lay still, finally recovering from the unexpected fall.
At that moment, they heard a groaning sound from somewhere nearby. Jumping to their feet they hid behind a large bush, crouching low, eyes searching for the source. King Simon and Hoddi heard it again as they peered into the darkness.
“Over there,” said Hoddi, pointing to a shadowy area about two feet away. The sounds were getting louder and they heard what sounded like a cry for help.
“We need to check this out,” King Simon said. “Someone may be hurt.”
“It may be a trick,” Hoddi warned.
Carefully they crawled on hands and knees to the area from where the sounds were coming. Looking cautiously for anyone who could be watching, they soon reached the space only to find a huge hole in the ground. The pair gazed downward into it, astonished at its size.
King Simon’s face was grim. “That’s new,” he told his servant. “I wouldn’t doubt for a minute that Jar-Ed and his men created it to trap their enemies. From the sound of things, someone has fallen into it.” The pair carefully peered over the side of the gaping crater.
“Bejingles! Bejingles!” breathed Hoddi, absolutely stunned. “It looks like Ran-Da!”
“It is Ran-Da!” exclaimed King Simon. The huge red dragon was lying on his back, feet in the air, thoroughly wedged into the deep pit. He called out to the red dragon and immediately Ran-Da responded.
“I am so glad to see you! A ferocious whirlwind came up just as we found the cave, blowing Molly right off my back and me down this hole! I don’t know what’s become of her! I must have blacked out as I am just waking up! I have no idea how long I’ve been here.”
As the clouds above parted, allowing the moon’s rays through, the two could see the red dragon clearly and the plight he was in. “How are we ever going to be able to help you out of that hole? We do not have the strength to lift you my friend!” exclaimed Hoddi.
The king was concerned knowing that Hoddi was right. They could not help. Many more men would be needed to lift the huge dragon. He felt helpless as he stared into the pit.
Ran-Da managed to gradually move his limbs, groaning as he did so. Stretching, the pain seemed to ease a bit and he cried, “Nothing broken, it seems!”
Without warning, the two men heard a strange, low humming sound coming from some distance away. A crashing sound of thunder split the air as a great black cloud appeared out of nowhere, arranging itself a few feet above the hole where Ran-Da lay. It completely blocked the emerging rays of the yellow moon.
“Stand far away from the edge,” called out the dragon. “I will soon be out of here!”
King Simon and Hoddi, bewildered at what was happening above them, did as he asked. Brilliant bolts of lightning suddenly burst from the cloud and touched the ground around the edges of the pit. Rain poured in large sheets directly onto Ran-Da.
“I have heard tales that dragons can control water, storms and rain,” said Hoddi, his face awestruck. “I never truly believed it until now!”
Rapidly the rain filled the hole, loosening the dragon from his prison and he floated quickly to the surface. He finally stood with his friends, and despite a few sore muscles, Ran-Da appeared to be as right as rain. The two men watched in astonishment as the water from the rain returned swiftly to the cloud leaving the pit empty and dry. Lightning ceased and the black cloud faded away.
The faint humming sound grew louder as the pit began to fill with black earth. In no time it was level with the ground around it, leaving the onlookers astonished.
“No one can fall into that hole now!” exclaimed Ran-Da with great satisfaction. The humming sound finally disappeared. “Now we must find Molly!”
“We must hurry!” King Simon declared. “We have wasted precious time!”
The men mounted on his back, Ran-Da headed swiftly for the Hills of Halle.