Spring Break
Chapter 19
By Rachel76m
Edited by Don Kaufman

King Thranton, Queen Rosina and their guards walk to the Grand Cave back entrance. They walk down the hallways to the right side entrance to the back stage to avoid the gathering crowd in the Grand Cave. They stop to take a look at the arrangements.

"Balklan, has everything been set up behind the curtains?"

"It has my Lord. All of the chairs have been arranged as you requested. I even set up the tables and put pitchers of water there. There are mugs and glasses there to use."

"That's very thoughtful, Balklan."

"Thank you, my Queen."

"Well, let's take a look and see how the Grand Cave is filling up."

King Thranton walks over to the curtains and opens them slightly and takes a quick look and closes it. "Yes, it appears that all of the Under Kingdom is here."

"Yes, my Lord. The Grand Cave is filling up. May I ask who is going to be up here with you, my King and Queen?"

"I'm afraid we can't tell you. It is going to be a surprise for everyone. I'll let you know when to open the curtains."

"Yes, sir. I have the twelve chairs set up behind curtain number one, there are approximately ninety chairs set up behind the second curtain. Those are set up on raised platforms so the people in the back can see."

"That's very good, Balklan. Please, don't worry about what will happen today; it is for the good of all. Don't go rushing out of here to tell someone what you have seen. I have guards posted at the side entrance doors and here on the stage for added protection."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Well, my Queen, it is the Fourth Mark after the morning repast. It is time to get into our positions."

"Yes, my husband. Let’s hope the Maker grants us success and wisdom today."

They both give each other a quick hug. Two of the guards escort her to the left side of the stage. The king walks over to his position on the right hand side of the stage. Balklan stays on the right hand side where the ropes are for opening the curtains.

King Thranton whispers to the guards, “It is time to begin Draknor's charade."

One of them whispers back, "Thank you for telling us what is going to happen today. We'll keep a sharp eye for any sudden movements."

"I know you will."

The crowd gets quiet as King Thranton walks out on to the stage with his two guards behind him. The Queen walks with her two guards behind her as soon as he steps out. They both stand in front of their thrones. They smile to each other.

"Are you ready, my love?"

"I am ready as always, my dear husband."

Then the King, the Queen and the guards feel some vibrations on the stage behind them. They see the curtains ruffle up a bit then settles back down. They all smile to each other knowing just what happened. They turn to face the crowd. The four guards position themselves around the two throne chairs.

~~~000~~~

Balklan gets a big surprise when he sees whom appears on the stage.
Oh, my Maker, it’s the three Upper Kingdoms from our region. Draknor isn't going to like this one bit. But, I promised King Thranton that I would not leave the stage. I hope everything goes all right today. Draknor told me he's a better leader. I'll have to hear what my King has to say about this. Well, let's get ready to pull the curtains as commanded.

~~~000~~~

"Welcome one and all to the Grand Cave. Today is a very special occasion. You will see and hear many things today that affect us all."

"The first order of business is that there are rumors that my kingship has gone into disrepair. I have been out of touch with all dwarves here."

There is rumbling of voices and nodding of heads in agreement. King Thranton raises his hand to quiet them down.

"Well, I would like to invite them up here so that they can state their case against me. I will allow this, provided that I can call on some people who will refute that. They will provide arguments and proof that it is otherwise. Does everyone agree to that?"

Everyone in the Grand Cave answers, "Yes."

Is there anyone who opposes that?"

No word is heard in the Grand Cave.

"So be it, then let us proceed. Draknor, you may come up and state your case." The King and Queen sit down in their chairs.

Draknor walks up to the stage and stands to the left of King Thranton.

"There are many here who feel that you are spending too much time and money with the Upper Kingdoms. Some of us feel that we should cease all trade with them and only trade with our own in the other Regions."

There is a multitude of voices that suddenly become vocal in the crowd.

"What? We can't break ties with them!"

"No! Let the Upper Kingdoms dig for their own gold and silver!"

"We need to work together to keep Twainor safe!"

"You're wrong. We don't need the Upper Kingdoms!"

"Dwarves are for Dwarves!"

The arguments go back and forth between the dwarves. They get louder and louder. King Thranton stands up and raises his hands to quiet the crowd.

~~~000~~~

That's it, my followers and friends cause a riot that cannot be stopped!" Draknor looks down in the crowd and sees his three friends in the second row behind the Fortress Lords. They are smiling as they see and hear the riot escalate.

~~~000~~~

"Quiet! Quiet, please, my fellow dwarves. Let us continue with this dialogue."

The dwarves get quiet to listen to King Thranton. King Thranton sits down again.

"That is a bold statement, Draknor. Are there any more demands for change?"

"There are, King Thranton. I know we grow our own food down here and fish from our own underground rivers and lakes. We purchase what we need from the Upper Kingdoms such as more fish, the farm birds and other field crops. Well, we want to end that last part."

The crowd gets more restless and starts to grumble.

"Why do you want to do that?"

"Well for one thing we know there was a war over one hundred years ago. That is when the ten Upper Kingdoms attacked the other two kingdoms to gain the new fishing grounds they just discovered then."

"I see, I suppose you'll get the rest of the food to feed our people from the other dwarf kingdoms. How do you propose to get it here? You know we don't like to sail on the seas."

"We don't have to. We have enough within our own region and in our rivers."

"Hmm... All right. Let's put that subject aside. What is next on the list?"

"We will not have our army work with the Upper Kingdom's armies."

"What if something happens when the problem is bigger than expected?"

"We will call upon the dragons to help us."

"What if the problem is bigger than the dragons?"

"There is nothing bigger than our dragons. They can handle it."

~~~000~~~

Everybody behind the curtains try to remain calm and not say a thing. They just shake their heads in disappointment that they are hearing such things. But, they know that King Thranton has the upper hand in this contest.

~~~000~~~

Balklan looks at their reaction. What? Are the three upper kingdoms agreeing with these outsiders there are enemies bigger than the dragons? That can't be!

~~~000~~~

"So you say; there is nothing bigger than the dragons."

"That's right, King Thranton."

"If I remember right, you submitted a petition to me to have me removed. It is signed by the ten Fortress Lords."

"I do, King Thranton."

"Can I hear it from them in front of everyone here?"

"Why not, it makes no difference in the end. Fortress Lords, rise and give your vote. Do you want King Thranton down from his throne?"

The ten Fortress Lords stand and give their vote.

"Yes," they all respond one at a time. Then they sit down.

"I have a question to ask you, Fortress Lords. Where are your wives? I don't see them here."

One stands up, "Th... they chose not to be here." He sits back down.

"Hmm... I find that hard to believe. Now I'm going to bring in some witnesses. Balklan, open the first curtain please."

Balklan opens the first curtain and all six Ambassadors appear on stage with their wives sitting in chairs. All twelve are sitting proudly representing their Under Kingdom.

Immediately grumbling is heard in the crowd.

Draknor gets very vocal to quiet the crowd down, "What is the meaning of this King Thranton? Why are they here? They have done nothing for our Under Kingdom. They just travel around in the Upper Kingdoms at our expense. They have done nothing for us!"

"Oh, I beg to differ with you Draknor. Dolkas and Galena, Ambassadors to Ringol Kingdom; please come up and state some of your duties in representing our Under Kingdom."

"Yes, my King."

Dolkas and Galena stand up and walk forward a few steps and stand to the right of Queen Rosina.

"We represent our Under Kingdom for Ringol Kingdom. We make sure the treaties we signed are fulfilled. We make sure our dwarf companies and shops in the ports, towns and villages receive fair prices for our goods that we make and sell. In return we make sure our wagons are filled with what we need. This includes field crops, fish and farm birds. Our wharf companies make sure the fish are prepared, crated and preserved so it will make the trip to our Under Kingdom. The farm birds come to us live or prepared ready to cook. For the live birds and fish, we receive fish food and grains to feed them. Galena, my dear, what is your part?"

"My part, Dolkas, is making sure our shops in the ports, towns and villages are supplied with our tapestries, clothing, gems, weapons, etc. We both make sure the money received is used to keep your profit margins good. You have to spend money to make money, as the phrase goes. If you want to set up a shop on the surface we will help you set up your stock and supplies."

"We check in with the Port and Land Governors periodically, making sure everything is running smoothly. If there is a problem, it is dealt with quickly. It takes the four of us to see to your needs in Ringol Kingdom."

Then Dolkas and Galena turn around and sit back down in their chairs.

Soon there is heard a sound of agreement and nodding of heads in favor of this.

"Telgon and Dolina, Ambassadors to Thryson Kingdom; I gave the Ambassadors an assignment for proof of what we do in trade with the Upper Kingdoms. Did you get the numbers?"

Telgon and Dolina stand up together and step to the left of King Thranton.

"We did, King Thranton. If we ended all trade with the Upper Kingdoms, we would have a hard time feeding our people."

"We just came here from the Maranelle Islands. We made a discovery that the silver king fish travel up the rivers to breed and spawn their eggs for the next generation. We need to investigate our rivers if any species does that. If we do find such a species that does that; we could severely reduce the population of that species if we were to fish from those rivers. Then everyone on Twainor will feel the pain."

Then the crowd begins to become very upset when they hear that news. The arguing goes back and forth again.

"We can't do that!"

"No, the fish comes to us. They're ours for the taking!"

"No, that is unthinkable! We could eliminate a species that will put Twainor out of balance!"

King Thranton stands and raises his hands to quiet the crowd again. The crowd quiets down and listens to them. King Thranton returns to his seat.

“Thank you, Telgon and Dolina, you may be seated.”

Telgon and Dolina return to their seats.

"So, Draknor, do you still want to dethrone me and separate our Under Kingdom from the Upper Kingdoms?"

"Yes, I do,King Thranton!"

"Well, why don't you tell the three Kingdoms yourself?"

"I have no desire to tell them anything. I hear they're meeting in Angathorn Kingdom welcoming some people who are from other worlds to help us. Well, they can have them. Dwarves are for dwarves!" Draknor smiles as he sees the crowd becomes uneasy.

Then the crowd begins to get restless again. Some begin to yell out in support for Draknor. Some disagree with him and support King Thranton.

"Yes! Let us live our own lives!"

"No! We need the trade with the Upper Kingdoms!"

"We have enough food in the Under Kingdom!"

"No, you don't! You're wrong!"

"You'll starve us to death!"

"No, you're wrong! We have plenty!"

"Then go eat your gold and silver!"

King Thranton and Queen Rosina heard enough from the gathering. They stand up to quiet the crowd.

"Dwarves, please remain calm!"

"We must have civility please! We need peace not turmoil!"

The crowd quiets down to hear them. They sit down again when the crowd is back in order.

"I still say you have not led us right, King Thranton. Can't you see? The Under Kingdom is divided! Your Ambassadors are still useless to us."

"Useless, Draknor? I don't think so. I have some questions for you and your followers. Where did we come from? Why are we called the First Ones?"

"I was told we were here first before the Upper Kingdoms showed up."

"Who is in that group?"

"That would be the unicorns, fairies, dragons, centaurs and dwarves. We came from a world that was destroyed by the Maker himself!"

~~~000~~~

I shake my head in disbelief.

Sir Halgren puts a hand onto my shoulder.

We look at each other and smile.

~~~000~~~

What? That Outside Helper shook his head in disbelief. Wait a moment, that man looks like us but taller. If he is from our home world that means the home world was not destroyed! That means the Maker still has mercy and compassion for the people and all animal life. Balklan puts both of his hands to the side of his head. Oh... my head... it's spinning too much.

~~~000~~~

"Here is another question. How did the First War started?"

"I was told that two of the Upper Kingdoms discovered some new fishing grounds. The other ten Upper Kingdoms got greedy and sank those ships to claim the prize."

"Well, Draknor. I'm sorry to tell you this. You're wrong on all counts."

"What? No way. Where is the proof?"

Draknor looks around smugly with a grin. Hah, he has nothing.

"The proof is right behind me. Balklan open the second curtain please."

Gulp, Maker have mercy on us. Balklan opens the second curtain.

Then everyone sees the three Upper Kingdoms in their region represented on the stage behind the Ambassadors. They're all sitting or standing there proudly. A knight holds a pennant hanging from a staff representing the kingdom he is from. They also see unicorns, fairies, centaurs and dwarf dragons up there as well.

Then Draknor and his three friends look a bit wide-eyed when they see King Thranton's surprise.

Then all of the dwarves stand and yell their opinions. One half of them clap their hands and gives a loud cheer in support of King Thranton and the Upper Kingdoms. The other half yells that it is an invasion or they have come to kill them.

King Thranton and Queen Rosina stand again to quiet the crowd.

"Please, please, my fellow dwarves. All will be explained."

"Yes, please remain calm. You need to hear them out."

The crowd quiets down again to listen to them.

"Draknor, can you tell me what happened in Angathorn Kingdom two days ago?"

Draknor stares at the three kingdoms for a brief moment with a worried face.

"Huh... I'm sorry. Th... There was a ceremony to welcome the Outside Helpers to Twainor."

"Is that all that happened?"

"There was a bunch of summaries given by the twelve Upper Kingdoms. That is all what happened."

"Are you sure? I would think there might be more happening there than just that. Draknor, who is responsible for the transmission of the events there to our crystal spheres here?"

"Ahh… that would be me, my Lord."

"And who else to help you?" King Thranton stares at Draknor and smiles. The three kingdoms also stare at him as well.

He turns around and sees them as well. Draknor gulps some air, "Gulp." He gets very nervous and looks towards King Thranton. "It... It would be the other three in my group who ... who are opposing you."

"I ask again. What else happened two days ago?"

Sweat starts roll down his forehead.

"Tell him, Draknor!" Someone shouts from the crowd.

"Th... There was an Inquiry by King Dryden."

"What did the Inquiry reveal?"

"I can't tell them that, King Thranton!" Darn it! He knows!

"You will, Draknor. Because I think you also coerced the Fortress Lords to sign the petition to have me removed for your own gain!"

"I... I...," Draknor looks to his friends in the second row and to his followers for help. His friends are shaking their heads 'no'. But they are worried as well. Draknor sees no help from them.

"I ca… can't, King Thranton."

"Very well, you give me no choice to do this. Upper Kings, do you have a copy of the events from that day?"

King Tierion stands, "We do, King Thranton. We're ready to show it to everyone here."

"Then show it and prove to everyone here that I am not mad. Guards go to the second row and retrieve the other three members. Bring them up here to stand next to Draknor."

"Yes my Lord." Four guards near the stage, walk down the aisles and stop on the second row. They aim their spears at the three. The three stand up and walk out to the nearest aisle. The four guards escort them up to the main stage and they stand next to Draknor.

King Tierion stands up. "Renard, please show the Inquiry." King Tierion sits back down.

"Yes, my King." Renard stands up and walks forward and waits for a moment.

A young dwarf walks out with small table and crystal pedestal. He places it on the stage, center front, in front of King Thranton.

Renard places the crystal sphere on the pedestal. He recites the spell to replay the meeting. He then recites another spell to expand the image to fill the space in front of the stage. Renard then sits down back in his chair.

Everybody gets quiet to listen and watch the Inquiry. A lot of dwarves cannot believe what they are seeing and hearing. King Dryden is asking questions to the Port Governors and the Sea Captains. Why is he doing that? He's not getting any answers from them about their fish catches.

Then they become real quiet when Richard is called up to give his stories. All of the dwarves in the Grand Cave look at the image with their mouths hanging open a bit when Avel the unicorn comes up and confirms his stories. They look at each other with more questions when they discover where they come from.

Some of the dwarves start to become angry with The Four and their followers. Everyone else on stage is smiling now, except for the four dwarves.

When Richard finally announces his answer and conclusion that there are sea dragons in the oceans, the dwarves have mixed reactions. Some clap their hands. While some yell that it is impossible.

They get quiet again when they see the reaction of all twelve kingdoms. The First Ones walking up to the stage in support with the twelve Kings and Queens.

Then they get real quiet when Ruald appears to argue his side. Then the dwarves have a look of bewilderment that he was at fault for the First War after the sinking of the fishing fleet by the sea dragons.

Then the dwarves really have a surprise when they see Richard stand up to Ruald and beat him at his own game! They see a Master Wizard being outwitted by an Outside Helper with his own breast and back plate! Soon some more dwarves start to see them with respect. However, there are still some who distrust them.

Then when they see and hear Corrbas explain his part and how the spread of the sickness could have affected everyone on Twainor. That is when the atmosphere really changes. The dwarves start to curse The Four dwarves for their short sightedness and greed.

When the Inquiry finally ends, the image disappears above the crystal sphere. Renard stands up and walks forward and picks up the sphere and hands it to King Thranton.

"Thank you, Renard."

"You're welcome, King Thranton. There is still the showing of the sea dragons for the first time."

"Right, get ready to show it."

"Yes, King Thranton."

King Thranton stands up to address the people there. They get quiet again. "Friends, friends, please remain calm. They also have the showing of the meeting with the sea dragons as well. Renard, if you please."

"Yes King Thranton. Can I have another table and crystal pedestal up here please?"

"Yes you may, Renard."

The same young dwarf boy comes out with another table and crystal pedestal and sets it next to the other table.

"King Thranton, I need to display the meeting we had before we flew out to the islands out West. It will answer some mysteries in the chronicles."

"Please do, Renard."

Renard places a crystal sphere on one of the pedestals and displays the event for the arrival of the Earth Wizard. Everyone sees him and how he is greeted by the unicorns and Richard.

They are surprised to see how the punishment is dealt to Ruald. Then they hear the reason why the Earth Wizard came. Then the image disappears.

"We then traveled to the Maranelle Islands and picked up the First Ones, Castle Lords and Ladies, plus the Lieutenant Commanders. Here is the recording of the meeting with the sea dragons."

Renard picks up the crystal sphere and hands that to King Thranton with a smile. The King smiles back as he takes it.

Renard then places the two crystal spheres on the pedestals. He recites the spell to make sure they are played at the same time. He adjusts the pedestal distance to make sure the images match. Then he recites another spell to expand the combined image so that they all can see in the Grand Cave.

You can hear the 'gasps' in the crowd when they see the images as if they are really there. They have the same range of emotions as when it was played last night in the pavilions. When they see the sea dragons for the first time, some of them screamed. Some of the other dwarves ask them to be quiet.

Then they cheer with approval that the truth is finally known and there is peace with the sea dragons. Some of them vowed to be at the Sea Gala Arena to see them for the first time. Then the image finally disappears after the Earth Wizard leaves.

The dwarves get quiet again; however there is no arguing going on now. Renard stands back up and walks forward. He picks up both crystal spheres and hands them to King Thranton.

King Thranton and Queen Rosina stand up, "Thank you Renard, well done." King Thranton takes the crystal spheres from Renard and hands them to Queen Rosina.

"You're welcome, King Thranton. These crystals we are giving you are your copies." Renard bows his head to both with a smile.

King Thranton and Queen Rosina bow their heads with a smile.

Renard walks back to his seat and sits down.

"Lad, you may come up and remove the tables and crystal pedestals."

He walks from the left side of the stage and removes them from the stage.

"Now that is cleared up. Do any of you think I am mad and leading you astray?"

Everyone yells at once, "No, King Thranton!"

"Good. Now we need to move into the next phase. We will have a Regional Meeting now and see how these Outside Helpers can help us together."

Then every dwarf, man and woman stands and cheers with a great roar. The Four stand there in silence while this is going on. They look downward in defeat.

Then the ten Fortress Lords look at each other and nod in agreement. They all stand up together so that they are noticed by all.

King Thranton sees this and raises his hand. The crowd quiets down. "Is there something you wish tell us, Fortress Lords?"

One of them steps forward. "We do, King Thranton. First we are glad the truth is finally known. Second we are distressed because what The Four dwarves did to get our vote."

The Four dwarves then look with worried faces at the ten Fortress Lords. They know what is going to happen next. They start shaking their heads 'no' in a panic.

Another Fortress Lord steps forward. "They kidnapped our wives and are holding them somewhere in the Under Kingdom. We don't know where they are ."

Immediately the crowd gets angry. Some want to do harm to The Four dwarves to make them talk.

"Dwarves, please. Please let me take care of this. We don't need a riot now."

The Grand Cave calms down. The dwarves take it down to 'whisper' level and talk among themselves. Other dwarves tell them to be quiet again.

"King Thranton, we have some of our men here if you need any help."

"Thank you, King Loran. If it comes to it, I will. But we need to find their wives before we proceed any further."

"We all agree with you on that."

King Thranton and Queen Rosina face the audience again. "Please, fellow dwarves. Please remain calm. We need to find them and bring them home safely."

"Yes, then we'll deal with these Four for this conspiracy."

The dwarves all quiet down some more to listen.

"All right, Draknor. Where have you hidden the wives?"

The three others look at Draknor. "Tell him, Draknor, or we will. It is over!"

"Tell him, Draknor!"

Draknor looks down in defeat. He mutters two words, "The Abyss."

Queen Rosina puts a hand to her mouth in astonishment, "Noooo...!"

~~~000~~~

Some of us look at each other. The dwarf ambassadors look at each other with grim faces.

~~~000~~~

King Thranton screams, "Where?! You did what? If any harm has come to them. You will certainly be the first one thrown into it head first!"

Draknor looks up wide-eyed at the King. "No, they should be all right! They're sitting on a ledge down there with food and water."

"You’d better be right. Because I remember there was something else down there that is long forgotten."

"I... I...."

"Shut up, Draknor! Guards take these Four to the Fortress Basement. Lock them up in separate cells. Put them to sleep for a long time until we decide what to do with them."

~~~000~~~

What have you done, Draknor? Curse you for deceiving me! Screams Balklan, in his mind.

~~~000~~~

"Yes, my Lord." The guards take them to the King's Fortress. In the courtyard is a locked door with a guard beside it. The guard opens the door for the group. The guards march The Four dwarves down many flights of stairs and levels. They arrive on the bottom level and put them in separate cells. They put long sleep spells on them and lay them on the mattresses in the cells. They lock the doors and put a sealing spell on the cage doors and key locks.

~~~000~~~

King Thranton turns to the three Kingdoms. "This is where I am going to need your help. We must get to The Abyss. It may take some wizards to retrieve the ladies. Plus, we need to confirm what is long forgotten in The Abyss. It was never written down in our chronicles. It is just rumors."

"What are the rumors, King Thranton?"

"There’s a white dragon."

Soon the phrase is repeated throughout the Grand Cave.

King Thranton raises his hands to quiet everyone down. The crowd calms down.

"Please, remain calm. We must go and rescue the Fortress Lord's wives first. Then we will deal with this white dragon if he is still down there and alive. This rumor is at least two hundred years old."

Everyone calms down and agrees to do so.

King Thranton turns to the three Kingdoms again. "Some of you know where The Abyss is. Please go and rescue the ladies. If they are found and are alive, bring them to the Golden Emerald Inn."

The three Kings and Queens stand and smile. King Tierion speaks for them, "Yes, we'll be glad to help.”

"Wizards, take some of us there, knights, three Ambassadors, dwarf dragons, Avel, the fairies, the Outside Helpers and their escorts. Also take the Legion Commanders as well. You will need ideas on how to do this."

"Yes, King Tierion. Let's do this good deed to help them. We will see if this white dragon is still down there."

"We'll take half our men and leave the rest here to stand watch with those who want to stay here."

"I am sure it will be too crowded if the centaurs and others go as well."

"Thank you, Kings. Don't worry, we'll keep everyone comfortable. We can serve them food or drink. Or even take a tour of our beloved city here."

Queen Shiranna stands and steps forward, "Thank you, Queen Rosina. That is greatly appreciated. It has been some time since we were down here last time."

"Good, that settles that. We'll even do some shopping as well."

Then the Queens and ladies all start to giggle and laugh. Then they just realize they will get some much needed shopping done for back home.

Everyone else in the Grand Cave cheers as well for their chance for some prosperity that will come their way in the shops.

"Once we rescue the ladies, we'll come back here and continue with the Regional Meeting."

Everyone in the Grand Cave claps and cheers.

"All right, let's get organized for the trip. Wizards get into your positions so that we can pair up with you."

Then the ten Fortress Lords walk up to the stage. "King Thranton, we wish to be there when our wives are brought out."

"That is fine. Go in peace. We pray for a safe return of all."

"Thank you, King Thranton."

The six wizards get into position on the stage. Everyone starts lining up and putting hand to shoulder. Five of them put their hand on each shoulder. The last one puts his hand on a wizard’s shoulder.
"We know where The Abyss is at. There is a flat area near it. We can land there and set up the base camp."

"Are we going to need rope, Durlond?"

"Yes, that is how you get down to the ledge. It is a very long distance, it is very deep, but it is safe. The Abyss is wide enough for the dwarf dragons to glide down and fly back up."

"From there it is unknown to the bottom. We have heard noises down there that echoes up. We will need light crystals for the journey."

"Perhaps the rope is still there if they just put the wives down there."

"It is possible, Dolina."

"We'll need food and water for them once they are out."

"We can come back for that if it takes longer."

"Well, it is time. Is everyone ready?"

"Yes, King Thranton!"

"May the Maker grant you success and return with good news."

"Thank you, King Thranton."

Then the six wizards place their hands outward and recite the transport spell one at a time. They disappear in a blink of an eye one by one. They start flying through tunnels, one group behind the other.

"Take the next turn to the right, Wizard Braden."

"Thanks, Telgon. The next turn should be to the left and down."

"That is correct."

The lead group follows the path as directed. Soon they see a large flat area by the path and wall. But, on the other side is a huge hole in the cave. They all land on the flat area in a blink of an eye one by one. They disconnect themselves and start organizing themselves for the rescue.

Light crystals are brought out and set in several locations to light up the area after they recite light spell.

Some look for the rope that is used to reach the ledge. They eventually find it hidden behind several boulders near the path. They also find a crank wheel and beam support to make a small crane set up. They also find a crude cage to lower the ladies down into The Abyss.

"Fairies take these light crystals and fly down and see if you can find them. If you do find them on the ledge leave one of the crystals with them."

"Let them know all is well up here. Find out how they are doing. Let them know we have come to rescue them."

"We will tell them, Legion Commanders."

"What about the white dragon? What if it sees us coming?"

"Then fly up here and tell us immediately. We'll have to come up with a new plan. We'll probably have to send the dwarf dragons down there the next time."

"All right, very well."

The three fairies give a hug on Avel's neck and mane to remember his scent as they go down. Each fairy grabs a crystal light and flies together in a relatively tight formation. They fly down and see the darkness retreat from them. The pause and look upward and see the opening has plenty of light. They are glad Avel decided to come along so that they feel safer doing this task.

After a few moments, they start to see ten pairs of eyes being reflected back up to them.

One of the ladies whispers, “Down here, fairies. Quickly before he is awake."

The fairies arrive at the ledge and meet ten dwarf ladies.

"Oh thank the Maker. Quickly hide here beneath my shawl. You can rest here and help hide the crystal lights."

After awhile, the fairies catch their breath and are ready to speak.

"What happened up there?"

"King Thranton was able to thwart Draknor's evil plan. It has been put down.”

"Thank the Maker for that."

"The details will be explained later. The three Upper Kingdoms are here to support King Thranton. Draknor told us where to find you."

"We heard there is a white dragon in the depths below."

"That is true, fairies. Did you bring some dragons with you?"

"We did, we have Croin, Agaroan and Blacklaw with us."

"Good, have them come down next time. We are safe for now."

"We were told to leave you with one light crystal."

"Thank you very much. We still have some food and water. However, there is only enough for two more days if we continue to stretch it."

"Do you know how the white dragon got down here?"

"Yes, he told us a sad story. He was a young dragon who got lost in the tunnels and caves. He took a wrong turn and could not see where he was going. He fell down into The Abyss. He was able to glide down and not hurt himself too much. But he was too young and inexperienced to fly straight up."

"He found a stream down there and lived by eating the Illuminae fish. In time his scale skin turned white as he grew up. He even glows like them as well."

"Did he tell you which clan he belonged to?"

"No, but he did remember his older brother's name. It is Marcon."

"It is? Marcon will be pleased to hear that. We are ready now to go back."

The ladies hand the fairies small pieces of cloth torn from their shawls.

"Fairies use these pieces of cloth to help hide the crystals. It will also tell our husbands that we are safe."

"Thank you, kind ladies,” The fairies wrap the two light crystals with the pieces of cloth to dim the intensity of the light. They fold them just right so that the top third of the crystal is shining upward.

"Be safe fairies, thank you for coming."

"We will ladies, be safe. Thank the Maker we found you in time."

The three fairies gather around and look upward. They barely see the light at the top. They keep together as much as possible as they fly upward.

The fairies stay close to the wall as much as possible. They fly upward at a steady pace. They see the light get brighter and brighter as they reach the top.

Soon they are in the open space and see everybody there. They fly to Avel for comfort and rest on his back. The three fairies are breathing hard from the long flight upward.

Everyone tries to gather around to hear the news.

"Let them get their breath back. It's a long flight up here for them. Have a cup of fruit juice ready for them to drink. Then they will tell us what is happening."

Everyone breathes a sigh of relief and makes space for them. After a few moments they stand up still holding the wrapped light crystals.

"We're ready for that fruit drink now."

A knight comes forward with three small cups filled with fruit juice. Each fairy takes a turn drinking a cup while the other holds the wrapped light crystal. They empty the cups and hand them back to the knight.

"Thank you. That is very good to restore the strength."

"You're welcome, fairies.” The knight takes the empty cups and walks away.

"All right we're ready to speak to everyone."

The wizards, the legion commanders, dwarf dragons, ambassadors, the Outside Helpers, the escorts and the Fortress Lords gather around them.

"First of all the, ladies are fine. However, there is only two more days of food and water down there."

"Fortress Lords, we have a token from them." The fairies holding the light crystals unfold the pieces of cloth from the crystals.

"These pieces are torn from their shawls."

Each Fortress Lord steps up and retrieves a piece of cloth they recognize from their wives. They smile widely.

"Thank the Maker, they're still alive."

"The ladies also confirmed to us about the white dragon. He is still alive."

"How did he get down there fairies?"

"The dragon told the ladies a sad story. When he was little a long time ago, he got lost in the tunnels and caves. He took a wrong turn and fell down into The Abyss. He was able to glide down, but he could not fly out."

"He did find a stream down there with the glowing fish."

"His skin turned white as he grew up. We were told his skin even glows as well."

"Did the ladies ask which clan he belonged to?"

"They did. The ladies told us that he couldn't remember his clan's name. But he did remember his older brother's name. It is Marcon."

"Marcon's brother? I know who he is. Marcon talks about him from time to time. He'll be glad to see him again. His name is Ryujin."

"That's going to be the problem now. He is too big to fly out of The Abyss now. Let alone walk through these tunnels. We'll have to use the wizards to get him out."

"I agree with you, Sir Kanoa. What else did the ladies say?"

"They said it is time for the three dwarf dragons to fly down and greet him."

"We'll need to mount the light crystals on your heads so you can fly down safely to greet him."

"Yes, we can do that easily. Then we can fly back up one at a time."

"We left them a light crystal as you requested. That's where the ladies are. Then glide down that distance again at least to reach the bottom."

"We can use the wizards to get the ladies out. That should be easier."

"Yes, it would be. Does everyone agree to that?"

They all respond at once, "Yes."

"All right let's get these light crystals mounted on your heads. Croin, Agaroan and Blacklaw, lower your heads down and let's see what we can do."

"Yes, Braden." Croin brings his head down as the other two lower theirs as well.

We look at their heads and we discover each one is different. Croin's head and neck are at angle. Agaroan's head is in a straight line with is neck.
Blacklaw's head is angular and flat on top.

"The easiest would be a leather strap. We can secure the crystal to the leather straps and put a sealing spell on it so won't come apart."

"Then you can tie it around the head and jaw."

"That works for Croin. The other two are just as different."

"Can you place the crystal there and use the sealing spell to secure it?"

"I wish we had something really sticky. You can place a blob there and put the crystal in it to stick."

"Say no more, Richard. That is a perfect solution."

"What is it, Croin?"

"How about if we use our dragon spit? We can spit a wad onto the top of our heads. Then immediately place the crystal there. It will not come off until we reach the ocean to wash it off. You may lose the crystal, but that is a small price compared to the prize in The Abyss below for everyone here."

Everyone looks at each other and nod their heads in agreement. The Outside Helpers agree also.

"That sounds good, Croin, we agree to it. We'll need to give you some room to do this."

"Yes, we'll need to do it one at a time."

Everybody steps away from the dwarf dragons. The three dragons form a triangle. Blacklaw bends his head down to Croin. Croin takes aim at the top of his head. He breathes in some dragon snot and spits a wad onto his friend's head.... 'Snort! .... phwat! .... splat!'

Perfect aim! A nice small round blob lands on his friend's head. A wizard walks up quickly and places a light crystal there. He checks it, the crystal does not move. He recites the light spell and the crystal brightens up.

Blacklaw raises his head. He casts shadows on the walls from everyone as he looks around. Everyone claps and cheers for the success.

Blacklaw smiles.

Then Agaroan bends his neck down to Blacklaw. Blacklaw takes aim and does the same thing. .... 'Snort! .... phwat! .... splat! Wizard Dekrane walks up and places a crystal on his head. The wizard recites the light spell and the crystal lights up like a beacon.

Croin lowers his head down to Agaroan. Agaroan takes aim and spits a wad onto his head. .... 'Snort! .... phwat! .... splat! Wizard Braden walks up and places a crystal there. He recites the light spell.

Now all three dwarf dragons are lit up. They smile at each other and start laughing. We laugh with them as well.

"That's very good. I think you better do some flying practice as you go down. You don't need to be bumping into each other, Croin."

"Yes, that is a good idea, Renard."

"The wizards will be right behind you in the Ethereal Space. They will get the ladies out. Then you can use the ledge on the way up if you need to take a rest."

"Yes, that is a good idea, Sir Paladin."

"Once they are out we'll send some wizards down there to get Ryujin out. We'll bring him to Marcon's clan cave at Rainbow Falls."

"Since he has been down there most of his life so far, his eyesight will be sensitive to the sunlight. It will take time for him to re-adjust."

"Yes, the eyes will be sensitive. Thank you very much for everything."

"You're welcome, Croin. Are you all ready?"

"We are my friends." Croin turns to his dragon friends. "Come it is time to save a friend and to restore a lost brother!"

"Yes, Croin! Let's fly!"

"Yes, let's fly!"

One by one the dwarf dragons fly towards the large opening. Croin begins his descent as he glides down in a circle downward. He adjusts to the turns easily. Blacklaw is the next one entering The Abyss. He makes sure he stays clear of Croin while they both descend at the same time in a circle. Agaroan makes his approach and does the same thing.

The start laughing as they go down. "This is great, Croin; we can get out flying up."

"Yes, we'll need that ledge for a rest."

"Look there is the ledge. I can see the ladies. I see one of them holding the crystal light."

"Yes, I can see them."

The ladies look up and see three lights moving in a circular motion. They hear the wing movements get louder and louder. Soon Croin glides past them

"The wizards will be here soon. As soon as Agaroan glides past here, be ready."

"Thank you, Croin. We'll be ready."

The ladies stand up carefully and make room for a wizard,

As soon as Agaroan glides past the ledge, a wizard appears standing on the ledge.

"All right ladies, hand to shoulder. I'll take five of you. As soon as I leave, another will appear here."

"Thank you wizard," Two ladies connect to his left shoulder while three connect to his right shoulder.

He raises his hands outward and recites the transport spell. They disappear in a blink of an eye.

Then the next wizard appears on the ledge.

"All right, ladies. You're the last group. Hand to shoulder please." The remaining ladies connect to the wizard. He raises his hands outward and recites the transport spell. They disappear in a blink of an eye.

The people at the top make room for them. As soon as they clear the space, the two wizards appear with the ladies. Their husbands rush forward for a tearful reunion. Everybody claps and cheers.

The ladies drop to the floor overcome with exhaustion and emotion. They cry on each other shoulders. We all give them time to recover and a moment of being together.

"Are you all right, my love?"

"Just barely, the food and water we were given was not enough for us all. We stretched it as long as possible."

"You're safe now. We'll see to your needs. King Thranton has set aside rooms for us at the Golden Emerald Inn near the Grand Cave. The day is not over yet."

"That's fine. We all need a long overdue bath and tend to our personal needs."

"I understand. I'm so glad to see you again."

"Me too, my love. What about the white dragon?"

"Don't worry; the wizards will get him out. The three dwarf dragons will need to calm him down and explain what has happened since he went missing. You can see him again if you want to."

"Thank you."

The ladies and the husbands look towards each other and see they are ready to return.

"Good, let's go now."

The Fortress Lords hug and kiss their wives again. They stand up and walk towards to the wizards.

"We're ready to go."

"That's good. King Thranton has the rooms set aside for you at the Golden Emerald. King Thranton and Queen Rosina will check up on you later."

"Your husbands are needed at the Grand Cave. We're having a Regional Meeting when everybody is back."

"That's fine, Sir Trenton. We're ready to go."

Then the ten Fortress Lords and Ladies connect with the two wizards. They recite the transport spell and they disappear in a flash of light. They fly back to the Grand Cave and the Golden Emerald Inn.

~~~~000~~~~

The two wizards appear in the lobby area of the Golden Emerald. The dwarf staff comes forward and help the wives to their rooms.

“We'll take good care of them, Fortress Lords.”

“Thank you. We'll check in later today.”

The ten Fortress Lords leave the inn and walk towards to the Grand Cave to meet King Thranton. The two wizards recite the transport spell to fly back to The Abyss.

~~~~000~~~~

The rest of the people at the base camp gather around for the next phase of the rescue.

"All right, the first part is done. Now we need to rescue Marcon's brother."

"Are you ready, wizards?"

"We're ready, Sir Trenton."

"Good, take him to Marcon's clan cave. You might need to bring Croin with you so that he can explain what is going on. It will be a surprise to the clan."

"I'm sure it will be, Sir Trenton."

Renard turns to the other wizards, "All right, wizards, let’s do another good deed this day."

The four wizards place their palms outward and recite the transport spell. All four of them disappear in a blink of an eye. The other two wizards appear on the flat area when the four wizards left.

~~~000~~~

Croin and his friends continue gliding down in circles in The Abyss. Soon they see a white dragon glowing in the darkness. They can see his eyes reflect in the light as he looks up.

"Who is coming down here?"

"My name is Croin. The other two dwarf dragons are Agaroan and Blacklaw. We have come to take you home."

"Home? Is this a joke Croin?"

The three glide down the shaft some more. Then the lower level opens up more. They glide into the space and land on the floor of The Abyss.

Croin and his friends look around. They cast shadows onto the walls and floors as they look around. They see seven bodies lying on the floor. All are still clothed. Some are skeletons; some still have skin and hair on them. But they appear dried up.

"It is no joke. Marcon is my best friend. He has talked of you all the time. You have not been forgotten."

"Marcon is still alive?"

"He is, Ryujin."

"Ryujin, it has been a long time since someone said my name. I did not even tell the dwarf ladies on the ledge up above my name."

"We see skeletons and bodies on the floor here. What happened? Some of these skeletons appear to be old and new."

"Yes they are, Blacklaw. I could not and did not kill them. They were all thrown down here alive. Some screamed all the way down."

"Hmm.... that is a new mystery to solve. There are going to be four wizards that will appear here soon. They are going to transport you back to your home cave at Rainbow Falls."

"A lot has happened since you have gone missing."

"I know some of the news already my friends. I slept here on the bottom of the shaft. They told me what has happened above before they died."

Then in a blink of an eye, four wizards appear in the cave and are standing there before the four dragons.

"Welcome wizards. This is Ryujin, brother of Marcon."

"It's an honor to meet you, Ryujin." All four wizards give a formal bow and rise up.

"Thank you wizards for your respect; you just confirmed what was told to me many years ago."

"How is that, Ryujin?"

"Look around, you will see skeletons of dwarves and men here. They were thrown down here to do away with or get out of the way. I was able to save them before they died of their injuries. Some of them are carrying information they died for before they could deliver it. I arranged them in a neat row."

"Can we record you on our crystal spheres? It will save us time from coming back and asking again."

"Of course, you can."

"Thank you."

The wizards take out a crystal sphere from their pockets. They recite the spell to record the conversation.

Renard begins to speak, "We are on the bottom of The Abyss. We have rescued the ten Fortress Ladies. Now we are down here to rescue Ryujin, the brother of Marcon. He has been down here for two hundred years. While he was down here living off of the glowing fish. He hears a scream in the shaft that comes closer."

"Can you remember what the first one said?"

"He yelled and cursed Ruald's name."

"What happened next, Ryujin?"

"I was able to save him and break his fall. I carried him and laid him on the floor."

"What happened next?"

"He told me to blow some flames up inside the shaft. Which I did."

"Did he tell you why?"

"He did, but I don't remember it right now."

"We talked for a while. He told me to save anybody else who is thrown down here and shoot some flames up the shaft. The first one eventually died after the last dwarf was thrown down. Then another man was thrown down after several sleep cycles. Then it was like a few days later another man was thrown down. I saved them and laid them next to each other. I shot a flame up each time."

"Then the dwarves came next?"

"That's right. Each of those dwarves was done on separate days. The first one screamed and cursed Draknor's name. After I saved each one I shoot a ball of flame up the shaft. I fed them fish until they died."

"Then what happened next?"

"After a long time, then I heard the ladies screaming and crying above me. They were put on the ledge, one by one. After they have calmed down, I finally have someone who I can talk with. Then you all showed up here to rescue the ladies and myself."

"Thank you Ryujin." The wizards recite the spell to end the conversation.

"You're welcome."

The four wizards look at the three dwarf dragons with expressions of surprise then it turns to sadness.

"This is bad my friends."

"That is most certain, Croin."

"We need to record these bodies. Hopefully they can be identified. We will come down again if we have to."

"Renard, let's move these bodies away from the shaft. We don't want them buried if someone decides to close this shaft."

"That's a good idea. Let's move them over there."

The four Wizards recite the elevation spells and move the skeletons and bodies to a safer location for the time being.

"We'll come back as soon as we can after we inform the kings of this news."

The four wizards take out their light crystals. They recite the light spell and the cave is revealed in the light.

Ryujin turns his head to the side. "I'm sorry, that is too bright right now."

"We're sorry, Ryujin. We'll reduce the light power in half." The wizards recite another light spell and the light power is cut in half.

"That's better, wizards. Thank you."

The four wizards look over the bodies to see if they can be recognized.

"Do you recognize these medallions?"

"I do, Gryffon. That one is wearing a Master Wizard Medallion. The color scheme on the medallion is from Maranelle Islands. It could be their missing Master Wizard."

"I agree, Renard. These four are definitely dwarves. I don't know who the other two men are."

The four wizards take out another set of crystals to record the images of the bodies. They walk around and bend down to get close up views of everything. Once they get done they stand together.

"We'll need to show this to the kings and queens."

"Yes, we must, Braden."

The wizards now turn and face the dragons.

"Are you ready to go home, Ryujin?"

"I have been ready for two hundred years."

"Croin, it has been suggested by Sir Trenton that you come with us. You can be a witness and verify Ryujin back to his clan."

"Yes, I will need to do that. They will be shocked to know that he is still alive."

"Don't worry about us, Croin. We can fly up the shaft safely. We can take a rest at the ledge to catch our breath for the next part."

"All right my friends. Take it easy at a steady pace and in rhythm."

"Right."

"Why don't you two take off now? Yell down when you reach the ledge."

"That's a good idea, Renard."

Agaroan and Blacklaw start a low flight in the cave. They enter the shaft and start ascending up the shaft. You can hear their steady wing beats as they ascend. After a half mark, they reach the ledge safely.

"We made it, Croin. It is a hard climb, but we made it."

"Fly safe, my friends!"

"We will, Croin!"

~~~000~~~

"All right Ryujin, since you are the same size as your brother Marcon now. It is going take all four of us to pass through this mountain safely."

"It will be best if we sit on your back near your neck. That way we will not be disconnected while passing through."

"That sounds fine wizards. I will allow it for the journey. You do remember where my family's clan cave is, Braden?"

"I do, Ryujin. The path that leads to the mouth of The Abyss is near the Rainbow Falls. You took the wrong turn when you tried to go back and ended up here."

"Yes, the Rainbow Falls! It's in a large cavern where we have our nests."

"We'll set you down on the cavern floor where the water pools."

"Yes, that is plenty of room for Ryujin to get himself ready to go back outside once more."

Ryujin lowers his body down. The four wizards climb up onto his back and sit near his neck, one behind the other.

Croin glides up and rests on the Ryujin's back as well. He places his right claw on the wizard's right shoulder in front of him carefully.

The wizard nods his head, "Good idea, Croin. We don't need to lose you as well."

"Keep your wings folded in. It will be easier."

Ryujin and Croin fold their wings in.

"Is everyone ready?"

"Yes, we're ready!"

"Wizards recite the transport spell as one!"

The four wizards raise their hand palms outward.

Braden counts it down, "Si! Sai! Oli! (three, two, one)

The four wizards recite the transport spell as one, "Salys iar sai Valym Thar Tajaes!" (Transport us to Rainbow Falls . . .)

They all disappear in a flash of light.

They start flying through the layers of rock. They enter and leave many small caves. They pass through layers of precious metals and gems that the dwarves have yet to discover and name.

Renard leads them towards the Rainbow Falls. Soon they appear in the large cave where the falls are.

The other dragons there sense a large presence. They begin to roar and shake the loose debris on the cave floor.

The group lands on the shore and appear in a flash of light. Croin immediately takes flight to calm his clan down. The four wizards quickly slide off Ryujin's back to get out of the way.

"Hold my brethren. We have come in peace. We have found Marcon's long lost brother!"

They all get quiet. Then the dragons look at each other, they look at the white dragon. One of them steps forward.

"He looks like Marcon. Why is he white?"

Ryujin steps forward. "My name is Ryujin. I was a young dragon who got lost in the caves two hundred years ago. Eventually I fell down a long shaft the dwarves call The Abyss. I survived by eating the glowing white fish in the stream. My skin changed color as I ate more and grew up. My body can even glow in the dark like the fish."

The dragons look at each and smile. They look down and roar to welcome their long lost brother and friend.

Croin and Ryujin roar back.

After a few moments of roaring, Croin speaks up when the dragons stop to take a breath.

"My brethren, I must return with these four wizards back to the Grand Cave in the Dwarf Under Kingdom. Marcon is still in Angathorn Kingdom. All is going well. We found our sea dragon brethren. We'll be meeting them tomorrow morning at the Grand Gala Arena."

All of the dragons roar with approval.

"There is more, my brethren. Ruald the Master Wizard of Maranelle Islands is the one who started the First War with his lies. His punishment has been delivered. He is in exile on the island where it started. You will hear the rest of the stories soon."

"Thank you, Croin. You have brought great honor to our clan. So has Marcon. Thank you."

"You're welcome my brethren. Ryujin's eyes are sensitive to the outside light now. Take it slow to bring him outside. You'll probably have to bring in food for him until he is strong enough to fly again."

"Don't worry, Croin and friends. We'll take good care of him."

"Go and bring more honors to our clan."

Croin and the four wizards bow before the other dragons.

Wizard Gryffon shouts, "We will, Dragons of the Rainbow Falls in the Thryson Mountains."

The dragons roar again, some fly down to greet Ryujin to welcome him back. They start talking to each other to get Ryujin caught up on the news he missed.

Croin turns to the four wizards. He lowers himself to the ground. "Two of you can get on my backs this time. Let us go back to the mouth of The Abyss. We can take the cave tunnels from here."

Two of the wizards step up and sit on his back. The other two wizards will be flying back solo.

The wizards place their palms outward, "Are you ready Croin?"

"I'm ready, Renard."

Then all of the dragons roar at once when they see Croin about to leave.

The wizards recite the transport spell at once. They disappear in a blink of an eye. They fly through the tunnels and caves without getting injured. After a few turns left and right and going down some levels, they soon arrive at the flat area and see the groups of people there with Blacklaw and Agaroan.

The two dragons sense a large presence. "They're back. Make room for them."

Everybody clears a space; they land in the space and appear in a blink of an eye. Everyone looks towards the center and sees them. The two wizards get off Croin's back. The rest of the group welcomes them back.

Braden walks up to Croin. "I think these light crystals are not needed anymore. Let us turn them off."

"Thank you, Braden. That is greatly appreciated.”

Two other wizards come up and turn off the light crystals on top of Agaroan and Blacklaw as well.

They all begin to exchange information on what has happened since they left. The other two wizards came back already after their delivery. They delivered the Fortress Lords and their wives to the Golden Emerald Inn for recovery and getting their strength back.

"The Fortress Lords will meet us in the Grand Cave when we get back."

"We were able to safely deliver Ryujin back to his clan's cave at the Rainbow Falls. However, while we're down there, we found a most disturbing scene."

"What else is down there?"

"We found skeleton remains and bodies of dwarves and men down there. Ryujin said they were thrown down there as if to be discarded."

"We have their images recorded on our crystals. We need to show them to the Kings here. They may know who they are.

"Their disappearance could have been recorded in the chronicles."

"It is possible, Durlond."

"Come, it is time to go back to the Grand Cave. We are finished here and packed up. King Thranton has set up tables of food for us to refresh ourselves at the Golden Emerald Inn. For the dragons he has brought in three large tubs filled with sea-Cantrell for you."

"Thank you, Telgon. Yes, we need to renew our strength after the long flight in The Abyss."

"Well done everyone. Let us get re-connected and fly back to the Grand Cave."

Everybody joins up again with hand to shoulder to a wizard. Avel connects to wizard when a knight puts his left hand on Renard's right shoulder and he puts his right hand on Avel's shoulder. The three fairies sit on Avel's back to hold his mane.

"Is everyone ready?"

"Yes, we are!"

The wizards place their palms outward. They recite the transport spell one at a time. We disappear in a blink of an eye one by one as a group.