Tanu scowled. "Is this a Dragon Temple? What have you gotten yourselves into?"
"Long story," Kendra said.
"I'm sure you have your reasons," Tanu muttered. "Look, I'll collect the rest of your team. You'd better put in a good word for me with your grandparents when you get home."
"Is it far to the others?" Kendra asked.
"A good distance. The mist is widely dispersed."
"There's a knapsack. It has a room inside. If you're strong enough to carry people down into the room, it might be faster. Maybe not."
"Thanks for the tip. I'll be back."
Kendra waited alone, trying to muster her courage. They had survived a dragon. Maybe they would actually make it out of the Dragon Temple. Uncapping the small bottle, she tried a little sniff and felt a spicy tingle penetrate her sinuses, triggering tears. The invasive smell left a metallic aftertaste on the roof of her mouth. She was just beginning to wonder what was taking so long when she heard Tanu returning. He drug Trask over to her and laid him on his back. The knapsack hung from his shoulder.
"Anybody in the sack?" Kendra asked.
"Mara, Gavin, Seth, and Warren," Tanu said.
"Was Warren asleep as well?"
"And badly wounded. I found him crumpled at the bottom of the ladder."
"He was already injured," Kendra said. "He was inside the knapsack when the dragon put us to sleep. He must have tried to climb out and help us."
"When he tried to emerge, the sleep gas knocked him out and he fell," Tanu finished. "Serves him right. Warren was always so cocky. I'm not going to try to lug any of them back up the ladder"
"Right," Kendra said. "I'll climb down to wake them up."
"I'll go back for Dougan. He was too heavy to move into the knapsack. When we're done, I'll relinquish my hold on Tanu and you can wake him as well."
Tanu walked away.
Kendra squatted beside Trask, uncapping the bottle and waving it beneath his nostrils. She recalled how her name had been the first word to register. "Trask," she said. "Trask, wake up. We're in the temple, Trask. You have to get up. Trask. Come on, Trask."
He did not stir. Kendra took another quick whiff from the bottle. Her eyes immediately teared up and her sinuses burned. How could he sleep through that sensation? Wiping away tears, she returned the mouth of the bottle to his nostrils. He showed no reaction. "Trask! Trask, come on, get up. Trask, dragons! Hurry, Trask, wake up!" She prodded his cheek. She pried open an eye only to see it languidly roll back. She shook him. She shouted. Nothing elicited a response.
Kendra continued to speak and shout persistently. When Tanu returned with Dougan, Trask still had not stirred.
"Is there a trick to this?" Kendra asked.
"It took a good twenty minutes to awaken you," Tanu said. "Time away from the fumes must be part of the equation. Once you get Trask awake, I'm sure the others will rouse faster."
"How did you know which potion to use?" Kendra asked. "Can you see Tanu's thoughts?"
Tanu shook his head. "Trial and error. I knew he must have some compound akin to smelling salts."
Kendra put the bottle beneath Trask's nostrils. "Wake up, Trask. Come on, get up, we have dragons to fight. Trask? Trask?" She jostled his shoulder.
"I'll wait to release Tanu until Trask wakes up," Tanu said. "I don't want to leave you here alone."
"Thanks, Vanessa. I really appreciate it."
"Don't forget to put in a good word with your grandparents."
"I will," Kendra promised. "If we ever make it out of here." She returned to trying to rouse Trask.
Kendra had no way to confirm how long it took for Trask to start awakening. It felt like more than twenty minutes. At last he began to hum and moan as she shook him. Not long after that his eyes opened. With her hand on his shoulder, she felt him tense up. "What happened?" he asked.
Kendra explained. By the time she was done, Trask was on his feet.
"Vanessa Santoro," he said grudgingly, shaking hands with Tanu. "We're indebted."
"Believe it or not, I'm actually on your side these days," Tanu replied. "Now that you're awake, Lieutenant, I'd best return your potion master to you. I'll be watching. If you should fall asleep unnaturally again, I'll be back." Tanu reclined on the ground. "You should have good luck awakening those in the knapsack by now. Save me and Dougan for last. 'Bye, Kendra."
'"Bye."
Tanu closed his eyes and his body slackened into a deep sleep.
Trask stood guard while Kendra descended into the storage room. It took only a few minutes to awaken Seth. Gavin and Mara woke even faster, and Warren sat up on his own. It turned out the fall had broken both bones in his forearm. The others carefully helped him back to his resting place.
After everyone in the storage room understood what had happened, Kendra led the way up the ladder. Using the pungent scent from the little bottle, she awoke Dougan and finally Tanu. The Samoan had a big grin on his face by the time they finished recapping what had transpired.
"Glommus was an old dragon, and blind," Gavin said.
"I had heard of him. His reputation was renowned. He was truly one of a kind. Once I understood who we were facing, I knew we were in trouble. That b-b-breath of his will put anything to sleep--even other dragons!"
"I managed to break a smoke grenade before I went down," Tanu put in.
"Which explains why Glommus had to get so close to smell us," Gavin said. "We really lucked out. Without that narcoblix, we would be dragon food."
"I know Vanessa gets the credit," Tanu said, repressing a grin, "but it's pretty cool to think I took down a dragon. My body, at least."
"Good thing you had one of the adamant-edged swords," Seth observed.
"We're not out of the woods yet," Trask reminded them. "We have another guardian ahead of us, and the hydra behind. We've overcome a major obstacle, but now we have to refocus."
They set about getting their gear in order. Tanu descended into the knapsack to check how Warren was faring and discover what additional attention he might need.
Seth wandered over to Kendra. "So why do you think Vanessa picked Tanu instead of me?"
"Would you have wanted her to pick you?" Kendra asked.
"Well, I would have sort of been a dragon slayer."
"You know, I don't think Vanessa meant it as an insult. She's controlled Tanu before. Plus Tanu is bigger." Seth looked mopey. "She bit me too."