Out of the Fae Court, with eyes watching, the Guardians moved. The Queen's words still echoed in Aiden's head: alliances with the Fae were ever treacherous. Yet the promise of their magic, of their warrior-spirits, and of unmatched cunning made the risk necessary. Leading, the Guardians moved on, leading toward jagged peaks of Drak'thar—the ancestral lands of the dragons.
Once they flew free and unchained across Eldoria, no peer to their power, no equal to their sagacity. For centuries of deceit and fear, they had hidden away; their mountain home was stark and bare of their grandeur. Legend whispered that some slept hidden beneath the peaks, protecting treasure not in gold but in knowledge and in magic.
The climb up to Drak'-thar was rigorous, strewn with jagged rocks and treacherous cliff faces. The air thinned, growing cool as they climbed higher. Short-cut, the world seemed different approaching the heart of the mount: the winds full of an ancient, raw, and untamed power, the stones themselves seeming to hum with energy.
This place feels. she started, breathing back against the blade as her eyes swept the horizon, where the storm hung heavy and dark across.
Caelum the scholar nodded as Lyra spoke. "It is alive, in a manner of speaking," he said. "The magic of the dragons runs into the earth itself, so that every rock, every wind-blown eddy, every shadow becomes a part of their world. Tread with care. The mountain remembers.".
Aiden glanced over to him. "Do you think they will listen to us?"
Caelum hesitated. "If they are still here, they won't react well to visitors. The dragons are proud and not quick to trust. We'll have to prove ourselves if we want their help.".
The path narrowed and progressed to a large stone arch, carved out of the side of the mountain. Runes were carved upon it, glowing in small embers under the dim light. Aiden ran his fingers over the carvings in the stone, feeling warmth radiate outward.
"It's some sort of gate," he whispered softly. "But how do we open it?"
Caelum studies the runes, mumbling to himself. "These symbols. they are ancient draconic. They are not just a language-they're magic. We'll need to activate them."
Lyra furrows her brow. "And how do we do that? We don't exactly have dragon magic at our disposal."
Caelum grins. "We might not, but the mountain does.".
He raised his staff, focusing his energy into the runes. The symbols flared brighter, and a deep rumbling spread through the mountains as the archway began to shift. The stone groaned and cracked open, revealing a cavern beyond of towering proportions. The air within was heavy with heat and carried the faint scent of sulfur.
The Guardians crept into the cavern, their footsteps clanging in the great hall. Veins of molten rock ran within the cavern walls, dripping down to cast an eerie orange glow. The ceiling was studded with stalactites, like the teeth of a great beast. Slanting downward into the belly of the mountain, the floor fell.
"It is as if we walk into the belly of a dragon," Lyra whispered, hand never moving far from the sword at her hip.
Maybe we are, Caelum said, his voice full of reverence. If the tales were true, this was the last resting place of the great dragons.
As they went deeper, the heat could be felt; the air was heavy with the drumming of some movement in the depth. Low and rhythmic like beating enormous heart. A shiver ran down his spine, though it was warm inside the cavern.
Finally, they entered a huge chamber. The ceiling rose to such height that it disappeared into shadow, and the floor was a mosaic of polished stone, depicting scenes of dragons in flight, their flames lighting the sky. Before it lay a colossal form, its scales shining like molten gold. He was huge with his body curled around a mound of treasure, his head upon his claws. It had its eyes shut, yet it filled the room with an equal wonder and a frightening authority.
"Is it. alive?" whispered Lyra, her voice little louder than a breath.
The dragon's eyes snapped open; it was as if twin fires of blazing amber had been lit up with ages-old wisdom and unyielding power. He slowly lifted his head as he scanned out the intruders before him, his voice a rumble that shook the earth beneath their feet:.
"Who troubles my sleep?"
The Guardians stood still, unable to support the pressure of the dragon's stare as if it was a hammer pressed against their bodies. Aiden moved a step forward, speaking smoothly, but his heart was being ripped in half with every struggle.
"We are the Guardians of Eldoria," he spoke. "We are asking for your protection, great one. The Void has been awakened, and darkness begins to take over our world. We cannot resist it in silence."
Narrowed eyes and a low growl rumbled in the dragon's throat. "The Void. that accursed force. It was dragons who first fought it, long before your kind walked these lands. And it was dragons who paid the price."
Aiden hesitated. "We know the cost was great. But the Void has returned, and without your power, we cannot hope to stop it.".
The dragon turned to look upon Caelum, then on Lyra before finally turning back to Aiden, "You speak of alliances. You speak of unity. Yet your kind has betrayed us before. What makes you believe this will be any different?
Lyra stepped forward, her voice adamant. "Because this time, we're not fighting for ourselves. We are fighting for everything-for the light, for the balance, for the future. If we lose, the Void will consume us all, including you."
The dragon regarded her silently for a long moment before it rose to its full height, spreading wide wings which cast over the chamber like a shadow.
"Very well," it said. "If you want our help, you need to prove your worth. The dragons do not join forces with the weak."
Aiden swallowed hard. "What do we do?"
The dragon's lips curled up into a grin that could only be described as a smile. "A trial. Survive the Trial of Flames, and you will earn the right to stand beside the dragons. Fail, and you will perish."
But it didn't answer, for the floor was moving and the mosaic was coming alive from flame that flared out of cracks in the stone. The chamber was no longer a chamber; it became a labyrinth of fire and stone.
"Prepare yourselves, Guardians," said the voice of the dragon, echoing off the stones. "Now begins your trial.".
The Guardians exchanged a brief glance, steadying themselves for what was to come. They had stood up against countless dangers before, but nothing had been thrown at them that would call not only for bravery but for oneness, fortitude, and determination.
And within the mountain, far down in its depths, beneath the all-seeing eyes of the ancient dragon, salvation would be their way.