The safe house was quiet, the only sound the occasional creak of the floorboards beneath their feet. The walls, lined with old books and maps, felt strangely comforting to Kaida, though the weight of Elara's words still hung in the air.
Sevryn stood by the door, his posture rigid, as if waiting for any sign of trouble. He hadn't said much since the fight in the corridor, but Kaida could sense his unease. His mistrust of Elara was palpable, but he'd followed her lead when it mattered. For now, that was enough.
Kaida shifted uncomfortably on the worn couch, her mind racing. The tattoo on her back throbbed with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. It wasn't just a mark, it was a tether to something much older, much darker. She had felt the Dragon God's whispers before, but now, they were impossible to ignore.
"You should rest," Elara said quietly, breaking the silence. She had been pacing the room, her brow furrowed in thought. "We don't know how long we'll have before they find us."
Kaida met her gaze, her voice low. "I don't know if I can trust you, Elara. After everything—"
"I know," Elara interrupted gently. "I don't expect you to. But trust me when I say you need to prepare for what's coming."
Kaida's fingers brushed the back of her neck, where the tattoo pulsed with a life of its own. The whispers had grown louder, more insistent. Rise, Kaida. Rise and embrace what you were always meant to be.
She shuddered at the thought, torn between the pull of the Dragon God's power and the fear that it would consume her.
"We need answers," Kaida said, her voice firm. "Not just about the tattoo, but about everything. Who's after us? Why? And what exactly is your role in this, Elara?"
Elara paused, her expression unreadable. "I've been working against them, from the inside. You've heard of the Order of the Dragon's Eye, right?"
Kaida nodded slowly, recalling fragments of conversations from her past. The Order was a shadowy organization, one with a long history of seeking power through forbidden means. They were rumored to have ties to the ancient dragons, though no one truly knew the extent of their influence.
"They want what's inside you," Elara continued, her voice steady. "The power of the Dragon God. They've been tracking you for months. And now that they know what you are, they won't stop until they have it."
Sevryn's voice cut through the tension. "And you think we should trust you, just like that?"
Kaida held up a hand, silencing him. "Let her speak."
Elara met her gaze, her eyes darkened with something Kaida couldn't quite place. "I didn't have a choice. They've been hunting me too. I betrayed them to protect you. But now, I'm a target, just like you."
The room fell silent as Kaida processed her words. If Elara was telling the truth, they were all in far greater danger than Kaida had imagined.
"You're saying you're with us, now?" Kaida asked, her voice quiet but edged with suspicion.
Elara nodded slowly. "I have to be. There's no going back for me."
The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Sevryn was the first to break it, his voice low and controlled. "Fine. But if you're lying—"
"You won't have to worry about it," Elara said sharply. "You'll be too dead to care."
Kaida rose from the couch, her muscles stiff from the fight earlier. She crossed the room to stand beside Elara, the two women facing each other.
"I still don't trust you," Kaida said, her voice soft but resolute. "But I need to know what's going on. And I need to learn how to control this power before it destroys me."
Elara nodded, her expression softening slightly. "I can help with that. But first, we need to get you somewhere safe. Somewhere the Order can't reach us."
Sevryn stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "And where would that be?"
Elara hesitated, as if considering her words carefully. "I know of a place. A hidden temple, deep in the mountains. It's been untouched for centuries. There, we can train, learn more about the tattoo, and prepare for what's coming."
Kaida exchanged a glance with Sevryn. They were both wary, but at least the idea of going somewhere isolated, away from the constant threat of the Order, had some appeal.
"You can trust me on that," Elara added, her tone steady.
Kaida took a deep breath. She had no choice but to put her faith in Elara for now. If there was a chance to learn more about the tattoo—and herself—this was it.
"Alright," Kaida said, her voice low. "Lead the way."
As they prepared to leave the safe house, Kaida's mind raced with questions. What exactly was the Order after? What would they find in the hidden temple? And most importantly—what was her connection to the Dragon God?
The answers seemed just out of reach, but with Elara's help, Kaida hoped they might finally be within her grasp.