Chapter 108
"You can talk?" I blurted.
I hadn't meant to say it aloud, but apparently my thoughts had been louder than I realised.
"I'm an ancient dragon, girl. I can do more than just talk," it scoffed.
Then, in its deep voice, it asked, "...How long...?" The words were rough and unused, as though every syllable had to force its way through centuries of silence. "...have I slept?"
Rhaevan answered quietly. "Long enough for a kingdom to fall and another to rise."
The dragon closed its eyes, and a slow breath escaped its great chest. When it opened them again, they seemed somehow older.
"...Then..." Its voice was barely above a whisper despite filling the chamber. "...Ardentia..."
It didn't finish the question. It didn't have to. Rhaevan understood.
"It fell."
Silence settled over the chamber once more.
The dragon lowered its head, not toward us, but toward the stone floor, like someone mourning at a grave.
"Well..." It cleared its throat. "It seems I really did oversleep."
Then its gaze shifted toward me, studying me closely.
"Hmm... I see. An heir. So... the blood of Ardentia yet endures."
I swallowed. "I... don't know if 'heir' is the right word. I've only recently learned who my ancestors truly were. I still have more questions than answers."
The dragon regarded me for a long moment.
"...So, a really clueless heir."
I blinked. "I..."
"The heart of Ardentia..." Its gaze drifted briefly toward the broken chains scattered across the chamber. "...did not lie in its magic. It lay in the compassion to look beyond fear."
Its golden eyes returned to me.
"You did inherit a few of Ardentia's values."
I shrugged. "I couldn't exactly leave you like that. Leaving someone chained to a wall didn't seem particularly heroic."
The dragon's great head remained lowered before me, its golden eyes half-closed as though it still couldn't quite believe the weight around its neck was truly gone. A slow breath escaped its nostrils, nothing like the furious roar that had shaken the chamber moments earlier.
It cautiously lifted one foreleg.
The movement was hesitant, almost uncertain, as though it expected the chains to tighten again.
Nothing happened.
It placed its foot back on the stone and lifted the other.
Again, nothing.
The enormous creature slowly turned its head from side to side. Its movements were stiff at first, but with every passing second, they became smoother. It glanced down at the shattered chains, then back at Rhaevan and me.
"...Hm."
Its voice was deep enough to make the mountain vibrate.
"I suppose missing several centuries of history does explain why my neck feels dreadful."
I stared at it.
The dragon experimentally rolled one shoulder. Several loud cracks echoed through the chamber.
It paused.
"...Oh."
Another crack followed.
"...That is unfortunate."
I bit the inside of my cheek.
Beside me, Rhaevan's mouth twitched. I looked at him, and he immediately returned to his usual stoic expression.
Coward.
The dragon stretched one wing. The enormous membrane unfurled with a deep rush of air, sending dust swirling through the chamber.
It winced.
"...And apparently the rest of me has complaints as well."
I couldn't help it. A light chuckle escaped me.
The dragon shot me a look that was enough to make me stop giggling.
It studied me for another moment before speaking.
"Tell me."
It shifted its enormous body, finally settling more comfortably against the stone, and its golden gaze moved between Rhaevan and me.
"What do you seek within the walls of this Ardentian ruin?"
Rhaevan glanced at me.
I reached into my satchel and retrieved the compass.
The dragon's eyes immediately fixed upon it.
"Ah. You seek the fragment."
"Yes."
"It is here somewhere..." It looked around the chamber. "I was supposed to be guarding it..."
It suddenly paused.
"Ah. I just remembered."
Its claw lifted and pointed directly at me.
"Before I lead you to it, I need to test you."
Rhaevan immediately stepped forward, magic gathering around his hands.
"What kind of test? And why does she need to undergo one when she was the one who freed you?"
The dragon looked at him, a faint rumble coming from its chest.
"Hmm. Immense magical power. Protective instincts. And a rather impressive talent for glaring."
Its eyes narrowed.
"But... I don't care."
The dragon gave a dismissive shrug.
"Listen, you, whoever you are, dark-haired wizard. If I intended to harm her, you would already know. Your concern is unnecessary."
It turned its attention back to me.
"Follow me."
The dragon began to move, but Rhaevan stepped in front of me once more.
"Where are you taking her?"
The dragon stared at him for a long moment before looking back at me.
"Interesting. It seems you have acquired a guardian of your own."
I glanced at Rhaevan.
He looked away, though the concern in his expression remained.
The dragon sighed.
"Come with me."
"No, I refuse!" Rhaevan said firmly.
The dragon turned toward him.
"Seriously, quit whining, you stone-faced, brooding mage! I need to test her to see whether she is worthy of the fragment. Now, shoo away. I have plenty of work to do."
It pushed itself upright, stretching its neck from side to side. Several deep cracks echoed through the chamber.
"...Oh. My spine. So stiff."
It rolled one shoulder, followed by another series of cracks.
"Aaah... much better."
Then it shifted its weight and slowly rose to its full height.
For the first time, I understood just how enormous it truly was.
Its head nearly reached the upper arches of the chamber, and its restored scales caught the light from Rhaevan's magic, revealing deep gold beneath the remnants of the darkness that had once covered them.
It took one cautious step.
Then another.
No chains followed.
The dragon stopped, looked down at its feet, and took another step.
A strange expression crossed its face, almost disbelief.
"Finally, I can walk properly."
It took several more steps, slowly at first and then with increasing confidence. It turned in a wide circle, stretching its neck and shoulders as though testing movements its body had forgotten.
Finally, it spread both wings.
Air rushed through the chamber, sending dust spiralling upward. The dragon gave an enormous, satisfied stretch before releasing a long sigh.
After what could only be described as an intense workout session, it announced, "Come along."
"Alright."
I started after it.
Rhaevan followed closely behind, and I gave him a reassuring look. He nodded, though he remained watchful.
The dragon led me toward the far end of the chamber, where a narrow path opened toward what appeared to be a raised platform. Concentric depressions had been carved into the stone around it.
At the centre was a wide circular carving. Three concentric circles were etched into the black stone, intricate Ardentian symbols surrounding the perimeter, with worn markings almost invisible beneath centuries of dust.
The dragon lowered one claw toward the centre.
A faint golden light travelled through the carvings, and the entire circle awakened.
"Stand there."
I stared at the glowing markings.
"Inside?"
"Yes."
I looked at Rhaevan. He was already studying the circle.
"Do you know what this enchantment is?"
"Not yet."
That was not the answer I wanted.
I looked back at the dragon.
"And you're sure this isn't going to kill me?"
"I am certain."
"That's reassuring."
"It should be."
"It really isn't."
The dragon's mouth twitched.
"You have an admirable talent for complaining while standing on the threshold of danger."
"I've had practice."
The amusement disappeared from its face.
"If you wish to claim what I was sworn to protect, you must first prove you are worthy of it."
I swallowed.
"And if I fail?"
The dragon smiled.
It wasn't cruel, but it was definitely the smile of something that had lived far too long to be impressed easily.
"Then you will learn that ancient dragons are considerably less forgiving."
I sighed.
"Wonderful."
The dragon's smile widened.
"I like you."
"I was afraid you might."
I stepped into the circle.
The moment my foot crossed the first ring, the air changed.
The warmth of the chamber vanished, and for one strange heartbeat, I felt completely weightless. The markings beneath me flared brighter.
"Cassiane."
Rhaevan took a step forward.
The dragon's head turned toward him.
"Do not interfere, you overbearing mage!"
"I'm not interfering."
"You are preparing to."
Rhaevan's expression hardened.
"If something happens to her-"
"Then you may attempt to kill me afterward."
The dragon's eyes gleamed.
"But if you distract me now, I may toast her instead of testing her."
Rhaevan went completely still.
I looked between them.
"Well. This is a lovely demonstration of teamwork."
The dragon ignored me and lowered its head as the chamber grew warmer.
I felt the change before I saw it.
Heat gathered around its jaws, and golden light flickered between its teeth.
Rhaevan's hand immediately rose.
"Don't."
The dragon didn't even look at him.
"Hush, you stone face!"
Then it opened its mouth.
Fire erupted.
I flinched as the flames struck the outer edge of the circle and swept around me, forming a wall of fire on every side. I stumbled backward. The heat was immediate and intense, my skin prickling as my magic surged through my hands.
Then I stopped.
Endure, a voice within me said.
The flames surrounded me within the concentric circles. I could feel Rhaevan's presence through the fire. He hadn't moved, but every muscle in his body was tense, his hand still raised and ready to intervene.
I swallowed.
The flames rose higher. Sweat formed along my temples, and my magic stirred restlessly beneath my skin.
I could fight this.
Somehow, I knew I could.
But I had a choice.
Fight or trust.
Slowly, I lowered my hands.
The magic inside me settled.
The flames continued to burn, yet they never touched me. They circled me, waited, tested.
One by one, the symbols beneath my feet began to glow. Ancient Ardentian markings appeared through the fire. They weren't words I could read, but somehow, I understood what they demanded.
Endurance.
Trust.
The fire intensified.
I stayed where I was.
I breathed slowly. Once. Twice.
The flames shifted, and for a moment, I thought they were going to close in. I resisted the urge to shield myself. The heat became almost unbearable, my knees trembled, but I remained where I stood.
I didn't know how long it lasted. Seconds, perhaps minutes. Time had become meaningless inside the ring of fire.
Then something changed.
A glow of magic emerged from me.
It wasn't defensive. It wasn't a barrier. It was as though my magic recognised the flames and accepted them, responding to the test rather than fighting it.
The fire slowly vanished.
The chamber fell silent.
I stood there, breathing heavily, watching faint smoke curl away from my clothes. Not a single burn marked my skin. Not even a sleeve had been singed.
I looked up.
The dragon was watching me, and something had changed in its expression.
"You passed the test. You have proved your worth."
I stepped out of the circle.
"That was the test?"
The dragon looked almost offended.
"You expected a written examination?"
"I was hoping for something with significantly less fire."
"Then you chose the wrong century."
I stared at it.
"That's not how centuries work."
The dragon ignored me and turned toward the far wall.
"There is something you must see."
It raised one enormous claw, and golden light gathered around it.
The ancient stone wall began to tremble. Lines appeared across its surface, spreading outward through the rock. Then, with a deep grinding sound, the entire section of stone slowly parted.
A hidden passage opened beyond it, and cold air flowed from the darkness.
The dragon stepped aside.
"The First Fragment awaits."
My heart skipped.
Rhaevan looked at me, then at the passage.
I tightened my fingers around the glowing compass.
After everything we had been through, we had finally found it.