A Dragonlings' Magical Christmas (7 page)

Amber, Jade, and Jabir were in the forms of their dragons while Roam had shifted to his tiger cub form and was pausing every few feet to sniff the air. Bálint and Alice were
behind
Roam.

Zohar paused when he didn’t see Spring and Phoenix. His eyes swept over their two symbiots that were circling around him. One had its nose pressed to the ground while the other kept pace with him.

He turned when the one in front of him sniffing the ground suddenly stopped several feet in front of him and sat down. Almost immediately, Spring’s delicate white, pink, and gold head popped up from a hole that formed in front of them. She turned her bright, dancing gold eyes on him and smiled.

“I likes digging holes,” she said. “It safer way to travel underground. No one see me.”

“Where’s Phoenix?” Zohar asked.

“Here,” Phoenix replied in a soft voice, appearing out of the shadows of the tall grass next to him. “I’s was beside you the whole time.”

Zohar jumped and turned with slight squeak that caused the others to giggle. He frowned at Phoenix when she stepped back and disappeared again. Shaking his head, he glared at where she had been standing just seconds before.

“How’s can I tells if you are here if I can’t sees you?” He asked, folding his small arms across his chest. “I’s suppose to take cares of you. I’s the leader.”

“We can take care of ourselfs,” Spring said with a sniff. “We close to the river. There’s more rocks in the ground and it is wetter.”

Zohar opened his mouth to argue, but closed it again when Amber and Jade pushed ahead of him and raced to the edge of the water. He wanted to tell them that animals could be there, but he figured if there were, the twins would scare them off. Instead, he followed them.

After a few trial and errors, one very wet hissing tiger cub and several new red blankets to keep the chill off, the symbiots finally figured out how to form together to make a raft. The golden raft was barely big enough to hold all of them, but it made it easier to keep warm as the air grew cooler.

“I’s think it is going to rain,” Roam grumbled as he tried to snuggle under the blanket Alice had made. “I’s can smell it.”

“I’ll be right back,” Bálint said, shifting and pushing upward with a quick flap of his wings.

“Where’s he going?” Alice asked with a worried bite to her lower lip. “It’s dark out. He might get lost!”

For several long minutes, only the sound of the water lapping against the sides of the golden raft and the low rumble of thunder could be heard. All of the kids glanced frantically upward, searching for Bálint’s return. His symbiot couldn’t go after him because it would destroy the raft they were in. A shiver of unease ran through Zohar as he scanned the dark sky.

“There he is,” Spring said with a laugh. “I sees him.”

Bálint’s small wings flapped frantically as he held a huge dark object slightly above the raft just as the first fat drops of rain began to fall. In his claws was a huge umbrella leaf a tad larger than the raft. He was breathing heavy from the weight of it and trembling with fatigue. Phoenix, Jade, and Amber quickly reached up and grabbed it out of his claws, holding it to the side so he could land.

“Bálint,” Alice whispered in a tired voice of her own.

“This will keeps us dry,” Bálint said as he shifted and sank tiredly down next to Alice.

“How’d you knows about this?” Jade asked, thoroughly impressed as they laid it over the top of the raft.

The rain began to fall in heavy sheets, but they remained dry, and warm, underneath it. Bálint’s eyes drooped and he snuggled under the blanket that Alice and Phoenix tucked around him. With a wide yawn, he closed his eyes.

“From my mommy,” Bálint replied in a sleepy voice. “She shows me how to love the woods.”

Zohar watched as one by one, each of the dragonlings, Roam, and Alice curled up to sleep. Roam had shifted again and was back into his tiger cub form. Spring was snuggled up close to him on one side. Amber and Jade were lying in a twisted pile. Jabir shifted and pushed until he was under the twins. Once he was, he released a huge yawn and smacked his lips in contentment. Bálint and Alice were snuggled under one blanket, Bálint’s soft snores causing Alice to giggle in her sleep. His eyes moved to where Phoenix lay with her chin propped on the edge of the raft looking out at the rain.

“Aren’t you sleepy?” Zohar asked, scooting over to where Phoenix was sitting. “What do you sees?”

Phoenix turned black eyes to Zohar. Inside them, he swore he could see swirling lights that looked like the galaxies his mom had shown him on her tablet. He watched as she turned back to look out at the rain.

“I sees… everything,” she whispered in a soft voice. “I don’t understands it yet, but I’s will one day.”

“I likes you being different,” Zohar suddenly said. “It’s a good thing.”

Phoenix didn’t turn her head, just continued to look out from under the huge leaf at the dark shores lit by each flash of lightning. He did see the slight curve of her lips, though. Reaching out, he pulled the red blanket he had around her shoulders.

“Thank you,” Phoenix’s soft words barely registered in Zohar’s mind as exhaustion and the sound of the rain lured him to sleep.

Phoenix continued to gaze out into the darkness until she finally pulled back and snuggled down next to Zohar. Her mom and dad worried about her, but she knew that she would be alright. There was something she was supposed to do. She didn’t know what it was yet, but it was important.

Zoran ran his hands through his hair and looked up at the dark skies through the windows of the conference room on the lower level of the palace. The fear and worry were hidden behind an iron mask of calm, just as he knew it was for his brothers.

He turned when the doors behind him opened. “Anything?” He asked in a harsh voice.

“No, the underground playground is empty,” Trelon said with a shake of his head.

“The grounds are empty as well,” Mandra snarled, stepping into the room and wiping at the water dripping down his face from the rain.

“We searched the entire area thoroughly,” Creon said, turning as Carmen and Ariel came into the room behind them.

“We’ve searched the entire palace,” Carmen said, answering Creon’s silent question. “They aren’t here.”

“Here,” Abby whispered in a low voice, holding out towels for Creon and Mandra. “What about Trelon and Kelan.”

“They are checking some of the outer buildings,” Cara replied, coming into the room. “I’ve checked the cameras I installed.”

“And?” Zoran asked in a sharp voice.

“They all left at the same time,” Cara replied in a puzzled voice. “I swear it was like they planned it.”

“Have you found them?” Riley asked anxiously, stepping into the room with Vox, Ha’ven, and Emma close behind her.

“No,” Zoran said with a frown. “Cara set up cameras everywhere after her and Trelon’s two kept escaping.”

Abby gave Cara a hopeful look. “Didn’t you put tracking bracelets on the girls?”

Trelon snorted and looked at Cara. “Yes, but they learned how to take them off and they put them on Ariel’s pets,” Cara replied. “We were chasing the darn things for days. That’s why I added more cameras.”

“What did you discover?” Ha’ven demanded, wrapping his arm tightly around Emma when he felt a surge of power, caused by his fear, rush through him.

“Just that they all left at the same time,” Cara admitted in frustration.

“How did Alice and Roam get out?” Vox demanded. “I can see the Dragonlings, they can shift and fly, but my son and Alice can’t.”

Cara blanched and looked at Ariel and Mandra. “Jabir’s symbiot shifted into a bird and carried Roam.”

“But, it is so small, how is that possible?” Ariel asked in disbelief.

“They are growing, just as our children are,” Zoran said, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.

“And Alice,” Emma asked quietly.

“Bálint’s symbiot,” Cara replied.

“I knew it,” Ha’ven growled. “I should have packed you and Alice up last night and returned home.”

Emma turned in Ha’ven’s arms and laid her head against his chest. Her arms curved around him, pulling the negative energy into her and replacing it with a positive to neutralize it. Ha’ven pulled in several deep breaths before he relaxed and held her tightly against him.

“Where could they have gone? And why?” Abby asked softly, twisting her hands together.

*.*.*

“They’ve gone to the mountains,” Trisha replied, stepping into the room with Kelan, Trelon, Paul, and Morian.

Everyone turned to look at Trisha as she stared back at them with a grim determination. In her hands, she held a small sheet of paper. On it was a picture that spoke a thousand words.

“How do you know that?” Vox demanded. “What mountain?”

Trisha held up the paper in her hands. “Bálint knows that he must always leave a clue as to where he is,” she said. “He left this under his pillow.”

Trisha walked over and laid the colorful picture down on the table. The childish drawing of a mountain with the stick figure of a dragon with small wings standing on the top was clearly visible, as were the small stick figures, one for each child, next to it.

She waited until everyone had gathered around before she continued. Drawing in a deep breath, she focused on the picture and not the fear and worry burning a hole through her stomach.

“You used to do the same thing,” Paul whispered softly to Trisha. “When you were little, you’d leave me clues as to where you were going.”

Trisha looked up at her dad and blinked back the tears. “I owe you a huge apology,” she replied. “I never knew how much you must have worried until now.”

“That’s why I taught you how to be smart, baby girl,” Paul said, nodding to the picture. “The kids are going to the mountains, alright.”

“But… why?” Ha’ven asked in a strained voice. “Why would they go to the mountains?

Trisha looked up at Abby and gave her a grim smile. Abby stared back in disbelief before a wave of dismay crossed her face as she realized just why the children were going. Turning her head, Trisha stared at Kelan with a silent plea.

“Christmas,” Morian finally said, breaking the silence. She looked up at her sons, Vox and Ha’ven. “They’ve gone to find the old dragon of the mountain.”

“They’ve gone to save Christmas,” Trisha replied with a nod.

“Oh my,” Abby whispered, raising a hand to her throat.

*.*.*

“I’s getting tired of this,” Roam growled, shaking his head and sending water everywhere.

The symbiot raft bumped against another rock in the swollen river before it bounced through a low set of rapids, sending squeals of delight from Amber and Jade.

“I’s like this,” Amber laughed.

“Me’s, too!” Jade replied with a giggle before she turned to Roam. “You’s should have more fun.”

“Cats don’t likes water,” Roam snarled.

“Yes, they’s do,” Jabir said, glancing over his shoulder. “Well, somes do. Tigers likes water. Mommy showed me pictures. They’s are good swimmers.”

Roam scowled and sat back down. “Well, this tiger don’t,” he grumbled, crossing his arms. “I’s thought you says we’d be home by morning. I’m hungry.”

“I’m hungie, too,” Spring said, gazing at Zohar.

“Me’s, too,” Phoenix replied, looking up at the trees.

“I’s can finds us food,” Bálint said, looking at the others. “Mommy showed me wheres to find it. Roam, you’s are good at catching fishes. I sees you with your daddy.”

Roam’s face lit up. “I’s needs to find a small pool of waters, just likes my dad did,” he said with a nod. “Buts, we’ve got to be closer to shore.”

Zohar nodded. “The symbiots can take us there,” he said. “Then’s, I can look at the map again that Jade and Amber have.”

“We’s can finds food, too,” Amber said with a grin. “Jade’s gots… ouch!” She rubbed her arm and looked at Jade with a puzzled look when her sister pinched her.

“We’s looks for food, too,” Jade interrupted, glaring at her sister. “We’s like water. We’s can catch fishes, too.”

“I don’t like fishes,” Alice said, wrinkling her nose.

“I’ll bring you other foods,” Bálint promised.

Alice nodded and drew her knees up to her chest. “I miss my mama and dada,” she whispered. “How much longers till we’s find the old dragon?”

“We’s got to go through the woods and up the mountain,” Zohar said. “We’s not far enough down the river yet.”

“How’s we gonna knows when we’s far enough?” Jabir asked, looking with wide eyes at Zohar.

“When we’s sees the top that looks like the one Jade and Amber’s mommy drew,” Zohar replied. “Right now, we’s needs food. I’s tells my symbiot that we’s need to go to the side.”

“I need to go potty,” Amber said, restlessly shifting.

“Me, too,” Jabir admitted with a grimace. “Bad.”

Zohar nodded in agreement and laid his hand on the golden raft, sending it images of finding a place to land. It took several tries before the small boat bumped into a quiet pool between several large boulders. Zohar, Jabir, Amber and Jade shifted and quickly flew to the line of trees.

Roam glanced at Bálint and shrugged before he shifted as well. He jumped out of the raft and ran for the woods. Bálint looked indecisively between the woods and Alice.

“We’ll take cares of Alice,” Phoenix said, crawling over the side of the raft and onto the rocky shore.

Spring climbed out behind her. “Yeah,” she said. “We’ll watches Alice.”

Bálint looked hesitantly back and forth between the twins and Alice before he nodded. Shifting, he pushed upward and flew toward the woods as well. The three girls watched as he disappeared into the dark shadows.

“Oh,” Spring snorted in surprise when Alice suddenly appeared next to her. “How’d you do that?”

Alice smiled and shook her head. “I don’t knows. I’s just thinks about where I’s wants to go. My daddy can do it, too.”

“I’s wants to learn how to do’s that,” Spring said, looking at Phoenix. “It’s almost likes what you cans do, Phoenix.”

Phoenix giggled. “I just looks likes the things around me, I don’t moves from one place to another excepts when I flies,” she pointed out. “I’s need to go to the bathroom.”