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We are above Dygore, an old abandoned vamplin layer, Ramdon reminded his Queen. We can make a landing and shelter whilst we wait out the passing of this cloud.

Yes, Ramdon, that sounds reasonable. I see the retreat below, she agreed.

Leading the group of dragons down, so they could shelter, Ramdon smelt the air for a clue of what the ever-growing cloud generated. It was now moving rapidly towards them. He hoped they would make it in time and get under cover before the dark moving cloud was upon them.

Head for the level that holds the landing bays, he Mindtalked to the other dragons. This was a section that had accommodated the landing of the huge flying basca.

Once he was sure his Queen was under the protected roof, he also landed and entered the strange warren of the vamplin lair. Giant black granite crags form strange phenomena upon the lands of the Dygore. In times gone by the vamplins had claimed them as homes and tunneled throughout to create chambers and corridors. Probably up to ten families could live within one lair. He had never been able to venture far within this run down den, because of his size, but he was aware that it had been left empty because it was too close to the mid-mountains. After the Serpent Wars the vamplins did not feel safe so near these mountains that neighboured with the Light Land dragons, whom they consider bitter enemies.

Ramdon kept his body in the shade but peered out at the encroaching cloud. It was beginning to take shape and now separated as a mass of little dots. The dots were moving individually. They had wings.

That’s most certainly not a cloud, he thought.

‘They draw nearer,’ he mumbled to himself.

‘They. Did you say they? Ramdon,’ the Queen asked, hearing his mumblings.

‘Yes, Queen Thimat. I can make out the shapes now and we have an army of vamplins riding upon their bascas. It is as well that we sought cover when we did. It would not do to confront them,’ Ramdon replied to his Queen.

‘Indeed Ramdon,’ she agreed. ‘We would be accused of spying and death can be the only punishment for such a crime in these wicked lands. They would never understand that all we seek is peace in the world.’