Chapter 4

There was a sound like an explosion and Pae turned and shoved Little towards the back of the cave as half of the front of the cave came down. Several large rocks hit Pae in the back driving her to the ground, pinning her there as she blacked out. It took some time before Pae woke up enough to call out to Little, "Little, are you all right?"

"Yes, I think so. The cave is completely blocked. It's too dark in here. I can't see anything."

"I know. Are you hurt or trapped or anything like that though?"

"No, I can move all right. I did hit my leg on the wall when you pushed me out of the way. Pae what of you, can you move? Are you hurt?"

Pae took a short breath and chose not to tell him. "We need your mother. Tell her that she has to move the fight to another peek. The cave won't survive another hard landing by one of them."

Little called to his mother and told her everything that Pae had said but there was nothing much she could do. Seleena did ask her son how the two were doing. Little told that Pae had shoved him out of the way of the big rocks came down but he couldn't see to fine out if Pae was all right. Little was distracted for a moment as Pae gave a soft cry. "Pae are you hurt? Mother wants to know."

"I think I am, Little. I can't move and I can't feel anything below my chest. I can just barely feel the rock that is sitting on my back. Is your mother coming to help us?"

"She's still fighting uncle. I wish I could do magic like mother can. She can make her tail light up in the dark. Wait a minuet. Some of the magic stuff glows in the dark. If I can just find something then I can see to get to you." Pae thought it took forever to find something that glowed enough to give enough light to see. Finally, Little found something and when he turned to find Pae found her almost completely buried under the rock that came down. Pae knew it was bad by the look on his face. "Little, you have to dig your way out. You have to try, this cave won't last another hit."

"Pae, I can't dig through all of that. It would cause more to come down on you. Besides I can't leave you, if you hadn't of pushed me out of the way it would have been me under all of that."

"Little, it doesn't mater now. Once the battle is over Sarrone can get me and take me home. You have to get out before more comes down. I think I'm going to just lay here and take a rest." Pae started to close her eyes as she became very tired. Then she felt a sharp pain and suddenly she was wide a wake. Her hand was in Little's mouth. "Little you bit me."

"You can't go to sleep or you'll die!!" Little said after he took Pae's hand from his mouth. "Sarrone wouldn't like that. You need to stay awake. Mother has some things in here that should be able to help you if I can just find them. You have to stay awake, if you start to go to sleep again I'll bit you again."

Little began looking through boxes, on selves and in the few trucks that had not been crushed. All the time that he did this the two of them could hear the battle raging outside. Then the little dragon swore. "Little watch you language." She teased.

"Sorry, Pae. I just can't remember what some of this stuff is for. Can you see the inventory book?"

"Yes, it's right in front of me but I can't reach it. Why?"

Little turned and got it for her and turned it to a set of rings. "Which one of these rings is the one for healing? I know it's one of these but I can't remember which one." he brought out the box he had and started looking in it. Pae still had the necklace on that allowed her to read the book. "Little I don't think any of those are meant to heal a crushed body."

"Just tell me which one. Spells put into rings and things are meant to be very strong, once we get you healed we can get you out of there."

"Little you have to get me out first or the rock will just crush me again."

"Not if I put a ring on you that will let you go in to the rock so that I can just pull you out. Trust me I think I know what I'm doing. Just tell me which ring is which."

Pae decided to trust him and pointed out which rings he needed. Once he had the ones he wanted he put them on Pae at the same time and pulled Pae very fast out from under the rock then took off the second ring. Pae let out a scream that brought dust down on to them but when she stopped screaming she could feel her legs and everything that she couldn't feel just moments before. Pae looked at Little, "I told you they were good rings. Now how do we get out of here?"

"Let me see that book. May-be I should look at it again. There might be a way of combining something that will work. Little where is 'The Dragon's Heart'?"

"Oh mother keeps that in a very special and protected place of honor in our cave. Why do you ask?"

"Just an idea." Pae went back to looking at the book. Finally, she had Little help her find a broach and a ring that should help to move the rock out of the entrance. It took some time to get things to work right but finally Pae took a few steps running started and slammed into the mass of rock in the way and shoved the whole mess out. Little had to catch her as she almost went over the side with it. "Little, tell you mother were free."

"I already have. Look, they're still at it. How much more can they take?"

"I don't know but we better get away from this little cave before they see us."

It took some creative climbing to get to the big entrance. The path they had followed before was gone. Then the two hid at the side of the tunnel entrance to watch the fight. Maghnus seemed to have the upper hand against both of the others. Sarrone was hurt and so was Seleena. Maghnus turned and did something that drove Sarrone out of the air to land hard onto the side of one of the mountains. Pae couldn't watch any more and looked back at Little then down into the tunnel. "Little, run me back to your cave, please. There's only one way to help them. I need to get 'The Dragon's Heart'."

"But that's mother's special magic thing."

"Little if I use it to help Sarrone it will end the battle and your mother will be safe again. Please."

He looked at her then out the entrance just as Maghnus clawed Seleena driving her out of the air. Little nodded and turned to the side, so that she could get on and he took off. It wasn't long until they came back into his cave. Little pointed to where the item was that Pae wanted and it was indeed going to take some work to get it down. Pae had to have Little's help as well as a big stick but the two finally got it down. Then they raced back to the battle.

They got there just in time to see Sarrone hit the mountain again but this time he didn't get up. Pae's heart sank and without another thought she opened the box that held 'The Dragon's Heart'. Inside was a large blood red ruby surrounded in gold. Pae took it into her hand and put the chain around her neck. Pae took a deep breath and looked straight at Sarrone, "My love for you is eternal. I love you so much that I would give my life to save yours. Let my love for you give you what you need to defeat our enemy and take me home." Pae let the stone drop to her chest, where for just a moment nothing happened then the stone blazed and a red beam of light shout out of it and flew to Sarrone. For a moment he was surrounded in red and soon he roared and rose up into the air but the light didn't fade as he turned on Maghnus and some how was able to close with him. He had Maghnus by the throat then with his full rage he slashed open the tender flesh of Maghnus's throat. Finally, the battle was over and Maghnus was falling to the ground. Sarrone turned, as did Seleena who started at him then turned to the cave entrance to see Little holding Pae. Both dragons came to land and Sarrone took Pae from Little, who threw himself into his mother's arms. "Mother I couldn't stop her. She said it was they only way to end the battle."

"Little, what did she do?" Seleena asked.

"She made me help her get 'The Dragon's Heart'. I'm sorry." He began crying as Seleena just stared.

Sarrone looked down at Pae who looked like a ghost she was that white. "Pae tell me what's wrong and I can make it better. Pae wake for me please. Don't leave me again."

"That is something I have no control over my love. That monster was going to kill you and Seleena. It was the only way. I love you. I will always love you." then Pae closed her eyes and was gone. Sarrone roared and held Pae to him calling all the energy and spells he had to him and sent it into her to try to start her heart again but knew it was no good. "Pae you can't leave me like this. I love you so much. I need you. Please don't leave me!"

Sarrone was crying and a single tear dropped from his face to land in the middle of the ruby. There was a bright flash of red light and as Sarrone looked down, the stone began to change and seemed to move but before he could do more than stare, it sank into Pae's chest. Pae's eyes flew open and she took in a large lungful of air as if she had not been breathing. As Pae lay looking up at Sarrone, she heard a strange voice in her head. "For the love that is true, I give you the gift of a dragon's heart. Let my heart beat in you so that you can love true."

"Pae, what happened? Your alive." Sarrone gasped.

"Sarrone, it's the Dragon's heart. It's not a stone but a real dragon's heart. Saved by her beloved as a way to keep from losing her." said Seleena.

"What? You had the Dragon's heart. But how could she have used it? She's not a dragon." Sarrone looked up at Seleena.

"Neither was the one that created it. A human wizard fell in love with a dragon. They were together for many years. Then there was a great battle and the dragon sacrificed herself to save her beloved. When he came to her, she was dying and there was nothing that could be done. So, the wizard took his beloved's still beating heart so that he could keep a part of her for all time. No one knows for sure when he died but the stone as it came to be known came into my family. Your wife is alive thanks to that heart." Seleena paused, "Take her home and love her. She is a good woman."

Sarrone didn't need another invitation and gathered Pae up into his arms and left, taking them both home.