Omega, Petey, John-John, and five of the seven kids are walking down a path in the barren lands of Israel. The landscape is mountainous, hot, the color of sawdust and copper, Along the cliffs that tower above them are dark holes that signal a cave. No where are seven caves clustered together. They are trudging, hot, discouraged, and impatient.
"Well, Alpha said this was the road. And, oh, there's the oasis. I could use a cool drink of water," Omega nodded off to the left. Everybody brushed the dust from their clothing and found the pool of water where they had long, cooling drinks from the spring that fed the pool. They shaded their eyes against the sun and leaned into the shade of the palm trees and the rocks.
"Look!" yelled Larry. At a slant, higher up on the rocks, there were seven dark, foreboding holes along the cliffs, like beads on a chain.
"Let's go," commanded Omega. "Oh, all right," muttered Rick, not particularly relishing the idea of the hike up. Off they went, up and up and up into the cliffs, following a trail that sometimes disappeared and sometimes took off in odd directions. They moved around the last corner of the trail and were at the mouth of the first cave.
"Ready?" Omega asked? They nodded one by one, moved silently into the coolness of the cave, and the darkness. Soon enough, they were down on their hands and knees moving along the trail in the dark, feeling their way—away from stone drop-offs, sloping cliffs, a rushing, underground river, and mysterious holes in the dark.
"Ow!" shouted Larry, Something big moved in the dark. "Wonder what I stepped on?"
Our of the dark shot an arc of flame, coming straight at Omega. It crashed against the rock wall, and fluttered out. Omega stood. Fist in the air. And threw something as hard as he could, straight at the dragon. It was a lightning strike, a snapping and popping, brighter than the eyes could handle lightning strike. It exploded in mid-air, fell to earth harmlessly.
"Run for the river," shouted Omega. "Get in the water, You'll be safe there,"
Another shot of flame lit up the room. Then another and another and another. The flames were coming at the kids and Omega faster than they could deflect or run from there, crashing against the rocks, leaving the dark stains of ash and flame. They'd duck down into the water, come back up, gasping, needing air.
Every lightning bolt Omega threw malfunction and exploded in mid-air. The dragon was untouched.
It reared up, prepared for one last massive blast.
It came. Then all was quiet. And even darker.
"Get him!" Larry yelled.
Omega stood up and prepared for one last, killing strike. His arms were high; he sizzled and buzzed with the power within him. The dragon was spent, exhausted, lying helplessly in Omega's sight.
Omega looked into the dragon's blue-green eyes, which were weeping with the sadness of a too-soon departed life. Omega lowered his hands, opened them in the fashion of love, open palms, out-stretched, peaceful.
"Alpha spared your life today, Dragon! Neither do I take anything from you. I leave you a gift.
The rocks will now be phosphorescent, glowing with life, lighting your way in this dark place.
You will be able to see your way clear, the rest of your life."
The dragon purred.
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