"Trask got an eye," Dougan said. "How's that for marksmanship under pressure?"
"We injured the main head," Gavin agreed. "Might have injured it badly. The second quarrel went in the mouth and out the top of her skull."
Trask crouched, winding and reloading his crossbow. "We'll deal with her when the time comes. Those shrieks alerted everything with ears to our presence. We should keep moving. Stay on your toes."
Trask took the lead again. As Tanu had observed, the passage widened until they were advancing along a broad ravine once again. Seth paid attention to his footing on the uneven floor. The sporadic glowing stones left much of the ground in shadow.
"Who have we here?" uttered a slow, deep voice from a cave in the wall of the ravine about thirty yards ahead. The cave mouth had looked like a patch of shadow until Seth saw a huge gray head emerge.
His mind went blank. He couldn't even clearly see the shadowy eyes, but he found himself stupefied, unable to move. Gavin grabbed his hand and placed it into Kendra's, and the sensation passed.
"Weary travelers," Gavin answered.
"I will give you rest," the morose voice answered.
Opening his mouth wide, Gavin shrieked and squealed. The dragon hooted a brief response.
"Glommus!" Gavin cried. "Run! Hold your breath!"
Trask fired both arrows at the head as it came farther from the hole and swung toward them. Stumbling alongside Kendra, Seth heard a mighty whoosh, then felt a fine spray against his skin. A thick mist muted the light from the glowing stones. Gavin appeared at his side, wrestling the knapsack from Kendra and tugging open the flap.
As commanded, Seth had not inhaled. His eyes were itching, and the strength seemed to be draining out of him. He lost hold of Kendra as Gavin tried to stuff her into the knapsack. Seth had never felt so drowsy. Was there something he was supposed to be doing? Was he on the ground? How did he get there? The rocky floor of the ravine felt like a pillow-top mattress. Wasn't he in the middle of something important?
His lungs clenched insistently. He heard another loud whoosh. His eyes felt heavy, his mind drowsy. Was he holding his breath for a reason? Seemed like it was important. He exhaled what remained in his lungs. Some instinct deep inside warned him not to inhale. But if he didn't inhale, wouldn't he suffocate? He risked a small breath, and oblivion swallowed conscious thought.
Chapter 25 Slayings
Kendra thought she heard a fuzzy voice in the distance. The words made no sense, but the speaker sounded insistent. She wished he would go away. She felt so tired.
One word began to register. The speaker kept repeating her name. She began to notice a sharp, piquant smell. Her eyes started watering and the voice became less muddy. Somebody was slapping her gently.
Her eyes opened and she sat up with a jerk. Tanu held her steady. Her sinuses felt raw. Wetness dribbled from her nostrils. She wiped her nose on her sleeve.
Tanu moved a small bottle away from her nose and capped it.
"What's that?" she asked.
"It's like smelling salts," he explained.
Kendra looked around. They were alone, in a dim ravine. She was forgetting something. "The dragon!" she exclaimed.
Tanu shushed her. "It's all right. I killed it."
The last thing Kendra remembered, Gavin had been trying to force her into the knapsack. She had gone limp, lost contact with him, and dreamless sleep had overwhelmed her.
"Where are the others?" Kendra asked.
"Still out cold," Tanu said. "I dragged you well away from the fumes, but even so it took almost twenty minutes to wake you up."
"The dragon drugged us?"
"Some kind of sleeping gas. Potent stuff. I became alerted when Tanu and Seth fell into a deep sleep at the same time in the middle of the day."
"Tanu fell asleep? But you're--"
Tanu was shaking his head. "Vanessa."
Startled, Kendra reflexively scooted away.
Tanu held up his hands innocently. "Be glad I showed up. That dragon would have killed all of you. Where are we?"
Kendra hesitated. "I probably better not say. Just in case. How did you kill the dragon?"
Tanu grinned. "When they sleep, I can sense everyone I've ever bitten. As I mentioned, I was curious about the unusual way Tanu and Seth had suddenly lost consciousness, so I took control of Tanu, studying the situation through half-closed eyes. At first I was merely investigating a hunch, but once I glimpsed how Dougan lay sprawled next to me, I knew that something was truly wrong. Fine mist permeated the air, and I observed a dragon sniffing around. I would never label myself a dragon tamer, but I have stood in the presence of dragons and kept my wits. The fear assailed me, intense and irrational, but the dragon had not noticed me, and I managed to resist. I noticed a sword beside me on the ground. I've always been useful with a blade in my hand. When the great head swung over to sniff at me and Dougan, I sat up and slashed his throat. Imagine my surprise when the blade cut deep, patting his scales as if they were made of cardboard. I've never wielded such a sword!
"My attack caught the dragon completely off guard. When I rose to my feet and cut him with a return stroke, I left the beast nearly decapitated. The dragon reeled away, belching sweet fog and bleeding profusely. He retreated into a gloomy cave and died. I went in after him to verify his demise, and finished parting his head from his body."
"You killed a dragon," Kendra said in awe.
Tanu laughed. It may have been the Samoan's voice, but the laugh belonged to Vanessa. "I suppose I did." It was strange to hear Tanu speaking with Vanessa's inflexions. "I may be the sole living dragon slayer. Not that I deserve to brag. That was handed to me. You don't often find the exposed neck of a dragon moving sluggishly overhead. And there I was, with a sharp sword in my hand. It hadn't occurred to the beast that any of us could possibly be conscious. He was carelessly taking his time."
"Should I help you get the others?" Kendra asked.
"No. The sleeping gas still hangs heavy in the air. I'll have to bring them. You can wait here and help wake them." Tanu handed Kendra the tiny bottle that had helped her snap awake. He craned his head back to study the lofty ceiling. "This is no simple dragon lair. Where are we? You place us in greater danger by not telling me."
"On what side of the ravine was the dragon's cave?" Kendra asked.
"That side," Tanu pointed. "Back that way."
The answer helped Kendra orient herself. "There's a hydra back beyond the dragon cave. And somewhere up ahead an unknown guardian awaits."