“So we will find their remains on the third level when we go there tomorrow,” Alex said, wondering how much of the dragon’s story was true.
“Yes,” answered the dragon. “Perhaps that will convince you I speak the truth, though there is an easier way, if you dare.”
“You would have me look into your eyes,” Alex said, feeling a strange desire to look, despite knowing the danger.
“We are in a dream so our powers are not what they might be,” the dragon said. “And I will give you something to protect you, if you will trust me.”
“What can you give me for protection?” Alex asked. He wanted to trust the dragon, yet he knew that trusting any dragon could be fatal.
“I will give you my true name,” the dragon answered.
Alex considered the offer. He knew that dragons often had many names, but they each had only one true name, a name that gave them their power and made them what they were. He also knew that having that true name would give him power over the dragon, power to control and command the dragon to do whatever he wanted it to do.
“How will I know the name you give me will be your true name?” Alex asked.
“You will know,” said the dragon with what might have been a smile on its face. “I am Salinor, oldest remaining of my race. I am the lord of dragons, the most ancient, the guardian of the past.”
“Salinor,” Alex repeated, feeling the incredible power of the name even in his dream. “Yes, I will trust you. I will look into your eyes.”
Even before he looked, Alex knew that Salinor had told him the truth. As their eyes met, Alex could feel Salinor’s power, and he could see some of the details of the dragon’s long life. Salinor was far more powerful than Slathbog had been, and Alex knew that he could not defeat this dragon, not in the same way he had defeated Slathbog and not in any other way he could think of. Then, to his surprise, Alex realized that Salinor could not defeat him either. They were equals, an even match.
“There is more to you than I thought,” Salinor said, sounding pleased and perhaps a little proud. “It is good that we have met this way. If we had been forced to battle, I think we both would have lost in the end.”
“I am glad we have not met as enemies, then,” said Alex, letting his mind move closer to Salinor’s.
The mixing of thoughts was amazing, and for a moment Alex considered breaking away and forcing himself to wake up. At times Alex had felt that his own mind was cluttered and full, but that feeling was nothing compared to what he felt now. And he sensed something else as well—the same wild, reckless feeling he had felt twice before on his journey.
“Open the third level for your friends, then come and talk with me,” said Salinor, blinking and breaking the link between the two of them. “There are things we need to speak of, things you will need to know.”
“I will come,” said Alex.
“Until then,” said Salinor, turning to leave the beach of Alex’s dreams. “I will see you soon, young dragon lord.”
“Dragon lord,” said Alex, waking up with a start.
“What’s that?” Thrang asked, turning away from the cooking fire to look at Alex.
“Oh, nothing,” said Alex, looking around to see if anyone else had overheard him.
“Well, come and get your breakfast,” said Thrang. “We have a long day ahead of us.”
Alex got up, still thinking about his dream. He knew that it had been real, though he had never actually spoken to anyone in a dream meeting before.
“We’ll go down to the third level this morning,” Thrang said as they finished breakfast. “It should be worth our time to look around and perhaps find a bit of treasure.”
“I have something to do after I open the door to the third level,” said Alex.
“Oh? What is that?” Thrang questioned, a puzzled look on his face.
“I have to go and talk to someone,” answered Alex.
“Who are you going to talk to?” Thrain asked, looking even more puzzled than Thrang did.
“A friend,” Alex answered with half a smile.
“That’s no kind of answer,” said Thrang, standing up and running his hand down his beard.
“A dragon, then,” said Alex, and almost laughed at the shocked looks on his friends’ faces. “That’s where the uneasy feelings are coming from and what Kat could feel but not get close to. There is a dragon on the island, and I’m going to talk with him.”
“How do you know about the dragon?” Nellus asked, looking worried and pale.
“Because I spoke with him last night in my dreams,” said Alex. “I don’t have time to explain everything, but I can tell you there is no reason to worry. I’ll open the door to the third level where you should find the remains of some dwarfs and the dwarf wizard, Languinn. Once that is done, I will be leaving for a few days.”
“You’re going to talk with a dragon?” Thrang repeated, looking confused.
“The risk is great,” said Kat, looking from Alex to Thrang and back again.
“No, it’s not,” said Alex. “Enough talk. Let’s go and open the door to the third level. Or perhaps I should show Thrain how to open the hidden doors in the houses first.”
“You seem determined to go,” Arconn said.
“I am. And I’m sure there is no danger,” said Alex.
Thrang and the others looked as if they wanted to argue, but Alex wouldn’t hear any of it. He turned and walked into the stone building behind their camp, and the rest of them had no choice but to follow.
The door to the third level was better protected than either of the previous two. It appeared that Languinn had spent most of his time casting spells on the third door to protect himself and his comrades from the dragon. Just as Alex thought he had removed all of Languinn’s spells, however, he started sneezing uncontrollably.
“I didn’t expect that,” Alex said, shaking off the effects of Languinn’s spell. “A strange spell to put on a door.”
“Not so strange.” Thrang laughed. “Dwarfs often use such spells if they’re afraid of someone sneaking up on them. The sneezing would alert them to an enemy’s presence.”
“Yes, I see,” said Alex, wiping his nose.
Returning to the door, he removed the sneezing spell and quickly checked for anything else he might have missed. Confident that he’d removed all of the magic from the door, he told his friends to move to the sides of the short hallway. He carefully pushed the door open with his staff and a volley of arrows came flying out of the darkness, clattering against the stairs behind them.
“You should be careful as you search the third level,” Alex said, checking his staff for arrows.
“How did you know about the trap?” Arconn questioned, looking at the open door in concern.
“I thought Languinn might do something like this,” said Alex. “He was afraid, and he couldn’t be sure that his magic would be enough to protect him from a dragon.”
“The same dragon that had trapped him,” said Thrang, looking Alex in the eye. “The same dragon you want to talk to. The same dragon that killed my people on this island.”
“I told you I would explain later,” said Alex, his voice stern and slightly cold as it echoed into the darkness of the third level. “Languinn acted foolishly. He was only trapped here because he would not listen to reason.”
“But . . . a dragon?” said Barnabus softly.
“Enough,” said Alex, trying to stay calm. “I know what I’m doing.”
“We are concerned for your safety as much as our own,” said Arconn soothingly. “We aren’t questioning your ability or belief.”
“Forgive me,” said Alex, taking a deep breath. “I know you don’t understand and would like an explanation, but there isn’t time. Believe me when I say that I will be safe and that the dragon will not bother you. Languinn’s traps might be another story, though, so be careful.”
“Very well,” said Thrang, though he still looked unhappy. “We’ll all go up while you teach Thrain to open the hidden doors. We’ll need to make torches anyway, before we can search the third level since we won’t have your weir lights.”