Emeralds are Forever. 12

“Get up you lump!!” Dreik's father pushed him out of bed. “ You’ll never find nothing here in that bed. I swear I got the laziest gump there is.”
Dreik sat up on the floor of the house and scratched his head. He hated how his father woke him every night for work.
“ Why you do this every sun down?” He frowned. " Don’t I work hard every night?”
“ You could fool me Gump?” Grek his old man said. “ How I know you working? You ain't never brought home no gold or stones from the damn hole you call a mine. Most dwarves got a nose for those things, but not you. Come git your vittles and git out of here.”
Dreik got off the floor and went to the out place and did his business. Then brushed his hair and got dressed. Dreik was a dwarf. He stood four feet Three inches And was stocky and strong. He had a rather large nose and reddish brown hair. He was a handsome dwarf and many ladies wanted him, but he was bad at finding the things that made being a dwarf successful. Gold and other metals, diamonds and gems, thing that dwarves thought were important. Dreik apprenticed with his father, who was I rich dwarf . But to His father he was a disappointment. He just didn’t have the nose for mining. Dreik ate his food and took his tools and got ready to leave.
“ I feel lucky tonight Pa.” he said to his father. “ Tonight I'm gonna find somthin . I just no it.” “ "Yeah, yeah, yeah.” the old man said. “ Git out of here.”
Dreik walked out of the house got his mule. He packed his things and set off for his mine. It was a long ride to his mine, about two hours. Dreik worked alone cause he couldn’t afford help. That was the way of Dwarves. He would inherit what his father owned when he died, but until then, other then shelter, his father would not help him. Dwarf young fend for themselves; They mined for their self until they made it or moved away in shame. This was Dreik's biggest fear. Even if he inherited his fathers riches, he would have to move to a different dwarf community. So he worked his mine every night, never finding much, but always working on.

Rage, Jandar and the group walked through the forest after leaving the children in there village. Their parents were grateful for the return of the children. They offered the party many thing as a reward, but all they took was a little food. They didn’t need much. They were the best hunters there were. No prey could elude them. The dragons could call prey to them if they wanted, but liked hunting better. So thank you was more then enough for them.
“ Hows the egg doing?” Rage asked.
Carrying it in a sling across his chest, Jayce smiled.
“ Its fine.”
“ Good .” Rage said walking next to Jandar.
“ Do you feel anything ?” Jandar asked.
“ Yes.” Rage said. “ There’s an egg that way.” He pointed west.’ We’ll be there before sun up.”
“ Good.” Jandar frowned, “ There’s something strange here.”
“ What do mean?” Rage looked around and sniffed the air. “ I don’t sense anything.“
" I feel it.” Jandar said. “ There’s something here. I don’t know what. But I feel something.”
High in the trees Mags watched Rage and his group travel through the forest. He had found them. Now he had to go back and tell Polan. Master? Not in his eyes. He rose up into the sky heading for Napia. This Dragon King seemed familiar. Mags wished his memory would come back. Things would be so much clearer If he could. He might be betraying a friend. But now he had no choice but to do as he was commanded. Moving quickly, Mags came to a decision. He would tell Polan what he wanted. But only that.What he had to tell him. Also, Polan didn't know that Mags was a sorcerer himself. Hopefully as his memory returned he could do something about the hold Polan had on him, he thought as he came closer to Napia. As Mags entered Polan's study, Polan turned to face him. He didn't look pleased.
"Well?" he said. " Have you found him?"
[YES I HAVE] Mags said. Polan reached out to touch him.
[MASTER!!] He called in fear of Polan's touch..
" That's better." The necromancer smiled that evil smile that scared all the dead in his city.
" Show me where with your mind." Polan ordered. Mags projected the route he took to find Rage. Making it look like it had taking time to find him. He didn't want Polan to know how easy it had been for him to find the Dragon King. He didn't want to be to useful to the evil man. He knew Polan would never let him go if he was.
" I know that place." He said. " Its near a dwarf village. Now I'll get the power I want."
Polan walked outside and took on his dragon form.The moon was high and darkness covered his city. He left Mags alone in his house knowing he would be there when he returned. Where else could he go? Until Polan released him,he was bound to him and could not return to his grave or go anywhere.Spreading his wings Polan flew into the shadows and was gone.

Deep in his mine, Dreik Ironbeard worked feverishly on a stone he had found. A large diamond. At last he would bring home something to make his father proud. It was a huge stone, bigger then his fist. Sweat poured off his body as he worked to free the stone from the wall. One more swing and it would be free.There it is. He picked it up and held it to the lantern. Yes it looked like a diamond. But there was only one way to be sure. His gemster. A gemster was a magical device that was made by elves, it would identify any metals and gems. Reaching in his bag he took it out and turned it on. Red and green lights flashed as the gemster got ready to do its job. After a final beep it was ready to go. Dreik held the stone up to the gemster and said Examine.The gemster was about Seven inches long and three wide. Inside there was a sample of every type of metal and gem known to the dwarves. And dwarves were experts in mineralogy. They knew of things man had no idea existed. Magical metals, mystical stones, not to mention gases. The gemster had eight small lights on the front and three on the back for magical objects. Left side lights were for metal, the right side for stones. The lights on the right side blinked out one at a time until it was ready. then it beeped and made its identification.QUARTZ.
" NO!!" Dreik screamed. " Not again!!" He kicked his pick and then threw the stone at the wall. At hit the wall exposing something green and shining. Dreik looked at the spot and wondered what it was.He walked over and started digging whatever it was out. It looked like a large emerald!! Again hope flared in him as he dug. Had he found a emerald vein? He jumped up and down and danced in joy. Wait a minute. He had been fooled before by trash, he had to check with the gemster. Using the device again he prayed to all the dwarven gods for luck. EMERALD.
"YES!!" He screamed out as he danced around. " I knew tonight was my lucky night!!"

"Were close now." Rage told his companions. " Its just over there. In that cave." Rage stopped, something was wrong. He felt a presence, a dragon was near. It was one of his eggs hatched and merged. But something was wrong with it. He felt hate and evil. The egg had been corrupted. "Everybody get down!!!" Rage yelled as a large shadow flew down and knocked him over. Quickly he got back to his feet.
"Whats happening?" Jandar said summoning his staff to his hand.
" Jayce get in the cave with the egg. Protect it."
Jayce spread his wings and launched himself into the cave, cradling the egg to his chest with one hand and drawing his sword with the other.Rage and the others looked to the skies for whatever was attacking. Rage could smell Shadoe up there ready to attack. A bolt of energy hit a tree next to Ono and he jumped and shifted as he ran for cover. Jandar's staff blazed with power, He wasn't yet sure what was attacking them, but he would be ready when it came.
" Its a dragon. " Rage called out to them as he was hit again from behind." A black dragon."
" What does that mean?" Another bolt of energy struck close to Jandar. He swing his staff around himself to protect himself. Hoping his shied would work against a black dragon.
" Its a shadow dragon." Rage called.
[ OH I'M MUCH MORE THEN THAT.] A black flame hit a tree, It withered and died, then crumbled to dust and blew away
GREETINGS YOU HIGHNESS] Polan said. He sent a bolt at Rage. Rage saw it coming and sent out his own flame to counter it. They cancelled each other out as they came together. Another bolt came from the sky and hit Rage knocking him back.
[ HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!]
Blaze sent out his flame to where he thought Polan was and missed. Polan was fast in shadow form. It was hard to tell where hew was.
" All of you get in the cave now!!" Rage yelled. "Jandar, Give me light!!"
As he ran Jandar sent up from his staff a blinding light. It caused Polan to become solid for a moment. He sent back his own bolt that missed Blaze entering the cave.Behind him Rage noticed the morning coming. Sunlight would weaken the shadow dragon giving him a better chance to battle him. All he had to do was keep him occupied until the sun rose.
[SO YOUR THE ONE THAT STOLE OUR EGGS.] Rage said taking on his dragon form. He took to the air sending his flame out in circles, hoping to hit what he couldn't see.
[NOT ME PERSONALLY.] Polan said. [ BUT IT WAS MY DOING.]
[WHY?] Rage ask.
[POWER!!!!] Polan sent. [DRAGON MAGIC. THE MOST POWERFUL THERE IS. I WANT IT ALL TO BE MINE. AND IF I HAVE TO KILL EVERY ONE OF YOU, THEN SO BE IT!!!] Polan sent another bolt at Rage. Twilight was coming now and he dodged easily and sent flame that hit Polan. He roared in pain as he burned his shoulder.
[THAT HURT DIDN'T IT?] Rage laughed. [ YOU KNOW WHY? LOOK BEHIND YOU. THE SUNS COMING UP. SOON YOU WILL BE POWERLESS]
Polan could feel the sun coming up behind him. He didn't have to look . He knew he was getting weaker by the minute.He had to get back to his city. It wasn't time yet for him to take on Rage. He'd come back tonight.
[ NOT QUITE POWERLESS.] Polan launched several bolts at the cave entrance. He would trap them in there until he came back.
[BETTER SAVE YOUR FRIENDS.] He said as the cave began to fall in. Rage saw what was happening and flew down and into the cave and forced everyone further back as the entrance collapsed and trapped them inside .
[HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!] Please with himself Polan flew down into the shadows and returned home. That would keep them until he got back at sun down shielding Jandar from the cave in Rage kept his dragon form until he knew they were safe, Then he shifted to human and checked to see if everyone was alright.
" We're all fine ." Jandar told him. " How are you?"
" Very angry." Rage said. " Of all the eggs, He had to get the black one."
" What do you mean ?" Jandar asked checking for himself that Rage was not injured. He looked at Rage and felt a lump grow in his throat. He had been worried while Rage was out the fighting that shadow creature. This blond haired man or dragon he found his way past Jandar's defenses.Jandar looked into Rages eyes. He didn't want anything to happen to him.
" The onyx egg is the only egg that can be turned to evil." Rage sat down next to Jandar. " That's why we never let the black egg merge with anyone. It to strong and even good men can be made evil by it. So we make sure it never merges. As a dragon, it can be tamed and part of our community. But merged, it can blacken the heart of the person and become dangerous."
" Can it be destroyed?"? Ono asked.
" Yes." Rage said. " But did you notice the energy bolts?"
" I almost got hit twice." Ono said." How did he do that?"
Blaze walked over and asked." Exactly." Rage said. "He shouldn't be able to do that."
" I think i know." Jandar said. " When you were fighting it I noticed something about it when i cast that light to blind him.
" What?" Asked Jayce.
" Hows that egg?" Rage said.
" Look and see." He held open the sling."Its fine. Now what did you see Jandar?"
" Something only another Mage might see." Jandar explained.
" He had a mystic glow." Rage said. " I saw it too. The person that merged with the egg had to be a person of very strong magic."
" That's bad. " Blaze said pacing bake and forth." So what do we do Sire?" Rage held out his hand for Jandar to take and helped him up.
" Your sure your OK?" Rage asked him. " He didn't touch you?"
" I'm fine ." Jandar smiled. " He never touched me. We're all fine."
" Then we find the egg." He said. "There's one in here. Then we find a way out."
Hearing the rumble from the front of the cave, Dreik knew exactly what it was. A cave in. A dwarfs nightmare. Dwarves were great diggers and there magic helped with that. Very seldom do dwaven caves cave in. They knew how top tunnel and there magic prevented it from happening.. This one sounded serious. Depending on how much of the tunnel had fallen would decide if he could get out. Dwarves don't need a lot of air, but they do need some. And if it ran out before he could dig his way out he was doomed.
[ DO NOT WORRY] he heard in his head. Dreik turned around quickly to see who had said that. There's no one here but him. To many hours in here he thought.
[ I AM HERE TOO]
That voice again.Dreik thought he was going crazy. Now that he had found something, he was going batty. Quickly he headed for the entrance to see if he could dig his way out.
[I CAN HELP YOU]
He heard.Dreik took off running as fast as his little legs would move. Coming around a bend he ran into Ono and fell back on his ass.
" A dwarf." Ono said. " Hey little one."
Dreik looked at the four strangers in his tunnel. Maybe they where here to steal his emerald, or maybe it was there's. It probably was, he should have known he would never find anything like this.
[ I AM YOURS]He heard.
" Who are ya? " He asked getting to his feet. "What are ya doin in here?"
[THEY ARE LOOKING FOR ME] He Heard.
" They're lookin for who?" Dreik asked. Rage waked up and bent down until he was eye to eye with Dreik, He smiled at him.
" We're not here to take anything from you" Rage said to him. "But I think you have a new friend that wants to meet you."
" Whatcha talkin about?" Dreik frowned, " I ain't met nobody new but you people."
" Open your bag," Rage said,
" Then dis is yours? Dreik opened the bag and took out the egg. " Here, Take it." At that moment the egg started to crack. Dreik looked at it in his hand . Pieces began to fall off and a small head poked its way out. It looked up at Dreik and purred.
[HELLO DREIK]
It sent to him. He looked at the dragonet and felt the warm loving feelings it sent to him. Dreik didn't understand what was happening or what this was, but he knew right then everything in his life would be different. He knew he'd found something that would make gold and gems unimportant from now on.
" Dreik," Rage said." How do ya know my name?" He asked Rage.
" Gaia told me." Rage pointed at the dragonet. " He wants you to be a part of him. Would you like that?"
Dreik looked down at Gaia. This was the most precious thing he ever saw. He knew then he couldn't give Gaia up, And Gaia knew to.
" Yes. I would," He said.
[THE WE ARE ONE]
Gaia pushed his way out of the egg and moved into Dreik's chest. And the change began. Feeling no pain Dreik and Gaia merged. He went down on all for and started to grow. His body lengthened and became green scaled. a tail grew from his bottom that forked with two spikes on each end. His neck grew long and reptilian as did his head, he had a short snout and deep piercing eyes that glowed red On his back grew a triple row of spikes from his forehead down to his tail. fingers became long sharp talons for digging. Teeth became fangs and now his tongue forked. On his face Gaia had six short tendrils that look like whiskers. Gaia reared up and roared showing his chest, A deeper shade of green. His change was complete, Gaia and Dreik were know one. A Dragon!!!!
" Welcome young earth dragon," Rage said to him. Gaia bowed to his King.
[THANK YOU SIRE]
Rage place his hand on Gaia's head as the dragon bowed.
[ PLEASE ALLOW ME TO OPEN THE ENTRANCE FOR YOU.]
Gaia walked to the entrance, he took a deep inhale of breath. Then roared at the wall of rock. Like a wave in the ocean, the wall parted to reveal the outside forest and sunlight.
" Thank you Gaia. You make two eggs found" Rage and the others walked out to breath in the fresh air. Jandar walked next to Rage through the forest.
" The more I'm with you, The more I learn about dragons. " Jandar said. Rage smiled and put his arm around Jandar's shoulder.
" Stay with me and I'll teach you everything there is to know about this dragon."Jandar smiled up at his tall companion.
" I'm not going anywhere without you." He smiled.