Page 49 of Stolen By Dragons

Eirian and Elowen rose from their seats, breakfast having been quiet and slow. We’d picked at our food, too on edge to really eat.

"It is time," Eirian announced, his voice carrying across the room with ease as everyone turned to look at him. "Follow me to the Great Hall of the Stone Sentinels."

As we followed Eirian through the winding corridors of the Keep, my heart raced, my palms growing clammy with nervous sweat. Chris squeezed my hand gently, offering silent support. I glanced up at him, managing a small, grateful smile, but it was short-lived.

What if we couldn’t do this? What ifIcouldn’t do this?

This was our big grand purpose, the real reason we were here.

And we had no idea what really waited in the Great Hall for us. They’d never even allowed us to visit it.

“It’ll be okay,” Chris said as Lydia’s arm brushed mine.

Her fingers found my free hand, and I squeezed them as Zephyr followed after us.

As we descended deeper into the Keep and deeper unground, the coolness set in my bones. The walls were alight with large stones, glowing magically to light our way. A few other Dracarians had joined us along the way, and they followed silently after us.

Finally, we arrived at a set of massive doors, their surfaces carved with intricate designs of dragons in flight. Eirian placed his hands on the doors, murmuring words in a language I didn't understand. With a low, rumbling groan, the doors swung open, revealing the Great Hall beyond.

I gasped, my eyes widening in awe at the sight before us. The Great Hall was colossal, its ceiling so high it seemed to disappear into shadows.

Massive pillars lined the walls, each carved to resemble a dragon with its wings furled, which, upon our presence, were lighting up much like the stones on the walls in the halls.

The floor was polished stone, inlaid with swirling patterns that seemed to move in the pulsing light of countless carved dragon pillars.

But it was the statues that truly took my breath away. They stood in a wide circle around the perimeter of the hall, each one a dragon frozen in deep gray, nearly black stone. They were enormous, easily five times the size of Eirian in his shifted form. Some had their wings spread wide, others were coiled as if ready to spring, and others had their heads raised proudly to the sky.

"By the gods," I heard Zephyr mutter behind me. "They're... they're..."

“Huge,” Lydia finished for him, her voice barely above a whisper.

I had to agree. The sheer size of the statues was overwhelming, almost oppressive. These were the beings we were supposed to awaken? The thought seemed ludicrous now, standing in their shadow.

Eirian led us to the center of the hall, where we formed a loose circle. His eyes swept over our group, his expression unreadable. "The time has come," he said solemnly. "The Trial of the Stone Sentinels begins now. Does anyone feel anything, standing here in the presence of the ancient ones?"

For a long moment, silence reigned. I closed my eyes, trying to sense... something, anything. At first, there was nothing but the pounding of my own heart.

The soft breathing of everyone around my, the shuffling of uneasy feet.

But then, slowly, I became aware of a faint pull, like a whisper just on the edge of hearing.

My eyes snapped open, and I found myself drawn to one of the statues. It was slightly smaller than the others, its head bowed as if in sleep or sorrow. Without conscious thought, I took a step forward.

"Aria?" Chris's voice was tinged with concern. "What is it?"

I shook my head, unable to explain the compulsion I felt. "I... I need to go to that one," I said, pointing to the statue that had caught my attention.

Eirian's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of something - hope? excitement? - crossing his face. "Then go," he said. "Trust your instincts."

I squeezed Chris's hand one last time before letting go, reassuring him despite the hammering of my heart. I sucked in a deep breath as I began to walk towards the statue.

As I approached, the air around me seemed to change, becoming charged with an energy I couldn't name. It rippled across my skin, making the hairs on my arm stand on edge as my heartbeat quickened, echoing in my ears like a pounding drum.

The stone surface of the dragon appeared to shimmer, like heat waves rising from sun-baked asphalt. When I was just a few feet away, a low rumbling started up, and I felt vibrations through the soles of my feet.

I paused, feeling the warmth flooding my chest, my magic surging to the surface as I gazed at the statue that called to me.

It rumbled louder, and then a deafening crack echoed around the hall as a crack appeared in the statue's surface, right across its bowed head. I gasped, taking an involuntary step back. But the pull was stronger now, urging me forward. More cracks appeared, spreading across the statue's body like spiderweb.

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