Dragon Realm
Episode 36's
After traveling through countless hills and over and over, as Cabe was more than half convinced that Quel was deliberately leading them in a circle, they came to a rather simple hole in the mound. The creature in the lead pointed to the hole and then towards them. Message clear. The shadow comes in first. Cabe followed quickly.
It is surprising to learn that the tunnels and caves in Quel are far from the burrows assumed by the young witch. Instead, it would only take a little crawl before the first tunnel opened into a much wider tunnel that was not only paved but also had a finer wall than any craftsman could. A little further back, Cabe could see what he considered to be the edge of a large building in the cave that was open in front of them. He wondered just how big the underground dwellings of these armored creatures were.
Shade became impatient. He began to add speed, even chasing and passing the lead Quel. The great beastman stopped him with one armoured clawed hand. The shadowy witch slowed down until she returned to her original place in the group. When they reached the cave town, the four stopped.
Gwen's house is made partly of natural stone, construction, and plants. It was a work of legend, yet paled before the sight that greeted Cabe. It is a metropolis completely cut from the earth and the stone itself. The tower which starts from the farthest depth rises to meet the high and flat ceiling of the cave. There was no castle or fortress that was as tall as the nearest tower, but even this one looked small compared to the one further inside. Gems glitter from every building, the king's ransom in every building. Surprisingly, there were no signs of life in the glittering city.
The wider Quel of the two let out a low cry. His partner answered quickly. There's some disagreement. The taller one wanted to head straight for the city; the other pointed to a path that ran along the cave, often opening into the passageways in the rock itself. Shade angrily said something in the strange language of the creature. The wider of the two eventually won. Cabe looked at the city dejectedly, telling himself that he would definitely see it later.
They walk for what seems forever. Cabe was amazed at the energy of the others; he had all fallen and fainted and had not eaten for a long time. Only pride, not to mention a little fear, kept him afloat. At some point, Shade, acting on energy reserves, took the lead. This time, Quel did not protest.
This tunnel was worn out and dusty, as if it had not been used for some time. It raised again the question of how many of these monsters were still alive. No one showed up in the city for a moment when Cabe saw it, but that was not proof that the city was empty.
This particular tunnel opens into another space, only a small part of the volume containing the city, but still large. Clumps of stones inlaid with crystals the size of humans decorate the walls of the cave as much as thousands. It smells of animals, a lot of animals. In shock, he noticed that the same smell was attached to both Quel.
"Where are we?"
He didn't expect an answer, but Shade gave him an answer. “Restination of Quel.”
"This is where they keep their bodies?"
"No, this is where they defend their race."
Cabe looked at him, but, as usual, there was no point in trying to read something from his friend. The faceless witch pointed at the wall as an explanation.
What he thought were mountains and clumps, in fact, thousands of Quel, rolled up and stuck to the wall. Their crystal-spotted shells are tightly packed. The head is almost invisible, and the limbs are not visible at all. Cabe could barely see the fact that they were sleeping. Only a slight movement by each of them betrayed that fact.
“They sleep, Cabe Bedlam. Waiting for time to rise once more to face their ancient enemy, the Seekers. Only a handful of guards remained awake for a period. The rest will sleep until the spell that binds them breaks.”
“How do you know all this?”
“How do we wake them? If it can be used to fight the Dragon King—”
“Strength that made them fall asleep far beyond the capabilities of our kind—until now. You, my friend, are the only one who has the potential to do so.”
Both Quel had been standing nearby, quietly patiently while the humans were talking. However, finally, someone let out a questioning cry.
"What does that mean?" Cabe was thinking twice; quel did not seem to be too gentle in nature. There were predatory expressions on their faces that had long bellows, and wider eyes narrowed, as if suspicious of the two witches.
“He's just impatient. This was the closest to them to breaking the spell. None of them expected their witch to die in that casting. However, with my help, we can fix their error.”
Cabe was not satisfied, but he did not know why. "Tell me what to do."
"That's great. Wait." Wait." Imitating the voice of their guide, Shade spoke to Quel. After some discussion, the higher one sets out for a task.
While they were waiting for— for what, Cabe had no idea—Shade was observing the room with great admiration.
“This is a place of power. This is the only place that can be done.” The words were almost like a whisper; the hooded witch spoke to herself, carried away by the moment.
Something about his partner's behavior left Cabe confused. A disturbing thought raged in his head. It was gone when Shade turned his attention back to her.
"Come! We only have a little time!”
The remaining Quel led them to a stone slab in the middle of the bedroom. It was very reminiscent of the sacrificial altar that Cabe had heard of by some savage races. Shade stroked the slab with what might have been a passion. Unknowingly, Cabe backed—
—and to the body of other Quel mountains. With incredible speed, the creature wrapped one arm around the poor human body. With a free hand, it placed a talisman on his neck. The blood-red gem in the center of the piece began to pulsate.
Cabe shouted to the other witches. “Teduh—Simon! Help me!"
The shadow witch who was previously named Simon turned—and chuckled. He bent down, expanding his robe. "Call me Madrac—this time!"