Phoenix Rising (Dragon Legacy) Read Online Free

over a lavender horizon, and a storm was moving in from across the valley where their craft had crashed. Mtumba pointed to the white haze that already obscured their abandoned shuttle. “We better get there soon, unless you want to spend tonight making a snow fort,” he commented. Stella grimaced. Boys and their forts. She trudged on with renewed vigor.
    They were almost there, and the cave was starting to come into focus. The light was steady though, clearly not from a fire. “Okay,” she thought aloud. “This could be good! Might mean generators. That'd be nice!” Stella rubbed her hands together in anticipation of the potential warmth offered by a heat generator and they kept moving forward. They arrived at the mouth of the cave just in time to see the cloud as it approached the mountain, and Stella saw snowflakes beginning to collect on her jumpsuit.
    “Wait,” Mtumba said as he grabbed her arm, then sheepishly let go when she glared at him.
    “We can't afford to wait out here,” Stella pointed out.
    “No, but trust me, there's something strange about this cave.”
    “What are you talking about? How can you be sure?”
    “I can...feel it,” Mtumba said, and squinted into the cave.
    The light seemed to come from an indistinct source, which upon closer inspection Stella could see were crystal specks in the walls. No people, then. She felt her heart sink. What were they going to do now? Mtumba saw her expression and quickly said, “Maybe there's something here we can use to send a signal to someone.”
    A signal! Why hadn't she thought of that in the life-shuttle? It was almost guaranteed to have had a beacon of some sort! Stella felt like she was about to cry but pulled herself together.
    “Let's see what's inside,” she said and walked into the cave.
     
     
     

The Cave
     
    The old man drew his thick robe over broad shoulders, and tested his tall staff with a smile. He whistled a tune no one else would recognize, and wondered what lay ahead. It had been too long since he'd been unsure of what to expect. His hand rested briefly on the cottage door, and then he was gone.
     
    After wandering into the cave for a few minutes, the teens could tell there was definitely something unique about it. For starters, the crystals were luminescent. That would have been strange enough, but in addition, the crystals were humming. It was a high-pitched, pervasive sound and they had to strain to hear it. It made Mtumba nervous for some reason, but he didn't offer any explanations so Stella let it be.
    She had to break the silence.
    “So...where do you think we are?” she asked, and Mtumba laughed, shrugging.
    “The planet or the cave?” he asked.
    “Let's see...the cave,” Stella rolled her eyes.
    “I don't know, but wherever it is, it's eerie.”
    “What's eerie about it?” she prodded, hoping he'd give her a better idea of what he was thinking, but Mtumba just shook his head.
    “I can't place it exactly, but it reminds me of something,” he replied as he looked around. Stella searched his eyes. “I'm sorry, but I can't talk about it.”
    He actually sounded sorry, as if he would have liked to tell her but couldn't. Not surprisingly, that didn't satisfy her burning curiosity. Stella just felt stymied, and was getting frustrated with Mtumba.
    Not only were they clearly alone in here, but every step took them deeper and deeper into this foreign place, and she had no idea where the path was leading them. It was scary, and Stella craved conversation. Something to keep her mind occupied, to help her stay calm and relaxed.
    “Can you at least give me a hint about what you're thinking?” she pleaded. Mtumba looked at her, perplexed. “Wow, what's going on in there?” she jibed, searching his face. He looked serious, though.
    “How about this?” he said as he stopped to look at her. “Once you go through your wadi ajali, I'll answer any questions you have.” Then he started to walk again, and she followed