Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
JAX
We walk in silence.
The only sound is the soft drag of his robes over stone.
A man of few words. Got it.
My jaw throbs with every step, so I don’t bother breaking the silence.
Finally Elder Arcon’s steps halt when we reach a tall double door that has a mural of the mountain peaks and the sun setting behind them carved into the dark wood. Wordlessly, he opens it and enters.
I follow him.
The room is spacious, with very little furniture or windows. None, to be exact.
The left wall is covered with the biggest map I’ve ever seen. It’s a detailed mural mapping out part of Ekios.
Lots of mountains, and forests.
Wait a second.
It’s the map of the mountain range where we are now.
But it’s not the map that captures my attention. And it’s not even the large table in the middle that has miniature mountains, the monastery, and the surrounding forest carved into the tabletop. It’s what lives on the right wall.
The sheer amount of steel is stunning.
Blades of every length.
Coiled whips.
Bows strung and ready.
Crossbows resting like sleeping predators.
Traps I recognize from prison cells and battlefield graves.
It may not have surprised me to find something like this in the home of one of the Ezkai. But for monks to have such a collection of weapons displayed is worrisome.
The two monks standing by that wall look just as harmless as the ones we’ve encountered so far.
I find it hard to imagine them fighting in those robes.
I’d trip and fall and break my neck.
I glance at Elder Arcon. “You fight?”
Elder Arcon smiles. “We ensure the one who walks the path does not walk alone.”
I frown. “Why am I here?”
Elder Arcon gestures at the two monks. “To meet our dragon trackers and learn from them so you can assist the General on her journey.”
I look between the three men. “I thought it’s her path to walk alone. Shouldn’t you be briefing her about it?”
Elder Arcon nods. “We will. In time.” Slowly, he approaches the table with the terrain carving. “You’re right, it’s the General’s path to walk alone. But you’re the Blood Sentineal. While you live, no path the General takes, no journey she embarks on, will she be alone.”
He says it neutral enough that I don’t think he considers this to be a disadvantage or disrespectful of their traditions.
Elder Arcon jerks his chin at the tabletop. “Tracking the dragon is only part of it. The easiest part. The real challenge is the process.”
I come closer to the table and inspect the detailed carving. So many valleys, mountain rivers, and dark caves.
“Phoenix is strong,” I say, looking up. “She can handle everything this journey throws at her. And I’ll damn ensure it.”
Elder Arcon’s gaze is unwavering. It’s as if he looks at me and sees straight to my soul.
“When she faces a dragon, what will you do?”
I blink, taken aback by the unexpected question.
The answer comes to me easily. “Stand by her side, of course. Protect her. Fight for her, if I must.”
It’s the answer that feels right in my heart. In the very center of my soul.
But I know it’s the wrong answer the moment it leaves my lips.
“If you even try to approach the dragon, it’ll end you. From what I’ve observed so far, it won’t bode well with the General. So I’d advise against it.”
I don’t know what to say to that.
The warning is clear.
The weight of reality, of why we’re here and what we must do, settles over me.
I look between the wall of steel and Elder Arcon. “So what am I supposed to do?”
He counters my question with his. “If the dragon rejects her and she breaks…what will you do?”
I stare at him for a heartbeat.
Can that happen? Is it possible that Nix’s dragon will reject her?
I can’t even begin to fathom the consequences of that.
I tilt my chin. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t break.”
“Your bond is not a traditional Blood Sentineal bond,” he says. “That may prove to be either your strength, or your downfall.”
My heart thunders inside my rib cage.
There’s no world or scenario in which it doesn’t end in a tragedy. Kazh’s words echo in my mind.
Elder Arcon’s demeanor is not judgmental. He’s…I have no clue what he’s trying to accomplish here, but I’m willing to play along.
“How…how do I make it into a strength?”
Elder Arcon’s next question almost sends me to my knees. “Do you love her?”
I stop breathing.
It feels as if even my heart freezes for a beat.
I swallow the lump in my throat.
Before I can answer, Elder Arcon says, “If you love her, you must be prepared to let her walk into something you cannot control.” I force a nod. He adds, “Use the uniqueness of your bond to be the safe haven, the grounded space for when the storm rages.”
“Understood.” I manage to force the word out.
“Good.” Elder Arcon nods. Then he gestures at the wall of steel. “Let’s walk you through the basics of tracking a dragon and the nuances of our mountains so you can assist the General when needed.”