Chapter 18

18

ARIA

T he morning of the trial dawned cold and clear, the beautiful sky of Dracaria painted in hues of lavender and gold as I stared out the window. As our group gathered in the dining hall, I could feel the nervous energy crackling in the air like static electricity. Chris sat beside me, his hand warm and reassuring in mine. Zephyr and Lydia sat on either side of us, their faces set in uneasy expressions.

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 if I couldn'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.

The chamber was silent apart from the cracking of the statue, all eyes fixed on the incredible sight before us. Then, with a sound like thunder, the statue began to crumble. Pieces of stone fell away, disintegrating into a cloud of glittering dust that swirled around me like a miniature galaxy.

I closed my eyes and threw my arms up to shield myself as the crumbling intensified. It wasn't until silence greeted me that I opened them again, and slowly lowered my arms.

My breath caught at the sight before me.

There, at my feet, lay a tiny dragon. Its scales shimmered with an iridescent white, catching the light and reflecting it in a rainbow of colors. It was no larger than a house-cat, its wings folded up on its back.

The dragon lifted its head, blinking up at me with eyes that were an incredible purple hue. It let out a tiny chirp, a sound so full of innocence and wonder that my heart skipped a beat.

"Oh," I breathed, sinking to my knees beside the little creature. "Hello there, little one."

The baby dragon chirped again, then nuzzled against my hand. The moment we touched, I felt a jolt of... something. A connection, deep and profound, forming between us. It was as if a piece of my soul that I hadn't even known was missing had suddenly clicked into place.

"Impossible," I heard Eirian mutter behind me. "The texts spoke of awakening, not... not rebirth."

Murmurs rose amongst the group, but I was barely listening. I was lost in the swirling depths of the dragon's eyes, feeling its heartbeat as if it were my own. I scooped the little creature into my arms, cradling it against my chest, a warmth flooding through me along with a sense of belonging.

"Aria," Chris's voice broke through the unsettled murmurs around us. "Aria, you did it!"

I looked up, unable to keep the grin from my face. The others were staring at me in a mix of awe and shock. But there was something else too - a spark of hope and determination in their eyes.

One by one, they began to move towards the other statues. Chris approached a massive dragon with its wings spread wide. Zephyr was drawn to one that seemed poised in mid-flight. Lydia walked with purpose towards a statue that appeared to be emerging from water.

Everyone moved towards chosen statues as Eirian and Elowen watched on. Elowen was quiet, her hands clasped together, her brow slightly furrowed, while Eirian was not hiding his confusion.

And then, incredibly, it began to happen again. Cracks appeared, stone crumbled, and more tiny dragons emerged from the dust. Each one unique, each one a miracle.

As the air filled with the chirps and coos of newly hatched dragons, I looked down at the little one in my arms. It gazed back at me with complete trust, and I felt a surge of protectiveness so strong it almost took my breath away.

"Well, little one," I whispered, gently stroking its iridescent scales. "It looks like we're in this together now."

The dragon chirped in response, snuggling closer to me. And in that moment, despite the enormity of what had just happened, despite the challenges I knew lay ahead, I felt a sense of peace and rightness wash over me.

Whatever came next, we would face it together - me and this tiny, magical being that had quite literally been born from stone. The thought was terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure.

As I stood there, cradling my dragon and watching my friends bond with their own newly hatched companions, I couldn't help but feel that this was just the beginning of an adventure beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

Sure, we had the great Void to deal with, but this, this was something so profound and magical, it had my blood racing.

The Great Hall, once so imposing with its massive stone sentinels, now felt alive with possibility. The air hummed with the energy of new beginnings, of ancient magic reborn. And at the center of it all was our little group - werewolves, vampires, fae, and one human - each now bonded to a creature of legend.

I caught Chris's eye across the room. He was holding a dragon with scales the color of rich earth, its tiny claws already digging into the fabric of his shirt. The look of wonder on his face mirrored what I felt in my own heart.

Zephyr's dragon was a shimmering silver, almost translucent in places, as if it were made of living air. It fluttered its delicate wings, already trying to take flight. Lydia's was a deep blue, with fins along its back and webbed feet. It nuzzled against her cheek as she laughed with disbelief.

Even Ossian, usually so composed, looked stunned as he cradled a dragon as black as midnight, its scales seeming to absorb the light around it.

Eirian stood in the center of the hall, his expression a mix of awe and confusion. "This... this changes everything," he murmured, almost to himself. "The prophecy spoke of awakening the ancient dragons, not... this."

I approached him, my own dragon still held securely in my arms. "What does this mean, Eirian? For us, for the war with the Void?"

He shook his head, looking lost for the first time since I'd met him. "I don't know, Aria. This is unprecedented. We'll need to consult the Seer, the ancient texts… this, this isn't…" His frown deepened as he looked around, but Elowen stepped forward, a gentle smile on her face.

"One thing is clear - you and your companions have done something truly extraordinary today." She said as she gazed down at my dragon. "You've awakened our protectors and saviors."

As if in response to her words, my dragon lifted its head and let out a tiny roar. The sound was barely more than a squeak, but it echoed through the Great Hall, bouncing off the walls and reverberating in my very bones.

One by one, the other baby dragons joined in, their voices blending into a chorus that spoke of new beginnings, of hope reborn from stone. And as I stood there, surrounded by my friends and this new, magical life I held in my arms, I felt a surge of determination.

Whatever challenges lay ahead, whatever this unexpected turn of events might mean for our quest to save two worlds, I knew one thing for certain - we would face it together.

The Trial of the Stone Sentinels was over, but our true journey, it seemed, was just beginning.