“Okay, but seriously… no one let me near any ancient buttons.”
"Get on my back," said Aurora, "I can walk around them for you. All you have to do is not fall off of me."
Cole blinked, staring at Aurora with a mix of surprise and hesitation. “Uh... are you sure? I’m not exactly the best at not falling off things.”
Aurora rolled her eyes with a grin. “You’ll be fine. Just hold on tight, and try not to do anything... Coal-like.”
The rest of the group snickered at her comment, while Cole sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. “Alright, alright. But don’t say I didn’t warn you if this ends in disaster.”
Aurora knelt down to let Cole climb onto her back. He clambered on, gripping her shoulders a little too tightly. "Whoa, easy!" she yelped, shaking him a little. "You're not trying to strangle me, right?"
"Sorry, sorry!" Cole apologized, loosening his grip slightly but still holding on for dear life. "I just—I'm not used to riding dragons, okay?"
Aurora rolled her eyes but chuckled, standing back up. “Well, first time for everything. Just try not to fall off.”
As Aurora started down the stone steps into the temple, the rest of the group followed closely behind. The air grew cooler as they descended, the glow from the temple’s ancient lights casting eerie shadows on the walls.
Splash, ever the joker, walked alongside them, peering over at Cole. “You look like you’re about to pass out up there, Coal. Enjoying the ride?”
“Terrified. Absolutely terrified,” Cole muttered, his knuckles white as he held on. “I’ll just keep my eyes closed. Maybe that’ll help.”
Reef snorted. “Maybe you should open them, so you don’t miss out on triggering any more secret entrances.”
Coral, leading the way, studied the carvings on the walls as they descended further into the temple. “This place is old. Real old. The markings look like they predate even the earliest Draconian records.”
Sable nodded, his sharp eyes scanning every detail. “It’s no wonder this place was hidden. The magic here is ancient—likely from the time when dragons first roamed the lands.”
Aurora glanced back at him. “That old, huh? Guess we better be careful.”
As they continued down, the stairs leveled out into a wide hallway, flanked by enormous statues of dragons in various poses. The group marveled at the intricate details, but Cole remained stiff as a board, clearly too nervous to appreciate the artwork.
“This place is amazing,” Elanor whispered, her eyes wide. “I can’t believe something like this has been hidden for so long.”
“Yeah, amazing,” Cole mumbled, still glued to Aurora’s back. “Just… super amazing.”
"Look at this," Tiny Wings whispered in awe, her claws tracing the carvings on the walls. "The stories of Kings and Queens of old. I remember some of these dragons from my history lessons!"
"Who are they?" Sable asked curiously.
Tiny Wings' eyes gleamed with excitement as she continued to study the carvings. “These are some of the earliest dragon rulers. Legends say they could control the elements, summon storms, and speak to the stars. This one,” she pointed to a majestic dragon etched into the wall, “is Queen Zephyra, ruler of the Skyborne Peaks. She could summon winds strong enough to lift entire armies. And over here,” she motioned to another, “is King Drakor, who was said to have a voice that could cause mountains to crumble.”
Sable gazed at the carvings with admiration. “These are names I’ve only heard in stories. To think this temple holds their legacy…”
Elanor ran her fingers over the cool stone, her voice filled with awe. “These dragons must’ve been more powerful than we ever imagined. And their magic still lingers here.”
Cole, still clinging tightly to Aurora’s back, peeked through one eye. “Right. Super powerful ancient dragons. Definitely what I wanted to hear while trapped underground in a creepy temple.”
Aurora snorted, her voice teasing. “You’re lucky I’m not one of those ancient dragons. Otherwise, you’d be flying a lot faster right now.”
Cole grimaced. “Yeah, lucky me.”
As they ventured deeper into the hallway, the air became thick with the sense of magic long forgotten. Strange symbols glowed faintly along the walls, their light pulsating as if in sync with the heartbeat of the temple itself.
Coral squinted at the glowing symbols. “I think these might be some sort of protective spell. They’re designed to keep unwanted visitors out.”
“Then how come we’re still here?” Reef asked, looking a bit uneasy.
Sable paused, examining the symbols closer. “The temple might be testing us. We haven’t triggered any traps yet, but that doesn’t mean we’re safe.”
As if on cue, a soft clicking sound echoed from the floor beneath them.
Splash froze. “Uh… what was that?”
Everyone’s eyes darted downward, noticing that Cole, still perched on Aurora’s back, had unknowingly brushed his foot against a small pressure plate embedded in the floor.
Aurora groaned. “Coal…”
“Okay, I swear I didn’t mean to this time!” Cole cried, looking horrified. “It was an accident!”
Before anyone could react, the floor beneath them began to shift. The walls trembled, and stone slabs slid away to reveal sharp spikes slowly emerging from the ground.
“Oh, come on!” Reef shouted. “Why does it always have to be spikes?”
Aurora jumped back, narrowly avoiding the spikes as they shot up. Cole clung to her even tighter, his voice high-pitched in panic. “I take it back! I hate ancient temples! I hate them so much!”
Sable growled, spreading his wings as he hovered above the ground, avoiding the spikes with ease. “We need to move. Quickly!”
Coral, Splash, and the others scrambled to find solid ground, hopping between platforms that hadn’t yet triggered the deadly traps. “Stay close and watch your step!” Coral barked.
Reef, barely keeping his balance, grimaced as another spike narrowly missed his fin. “I really miss plain, normal floors. Is that too much to ask?”
Aurora darted between the rising spikes, her wings fluttering for balance as she maneuvered through the maze of traps. “Hang on, Coal! We’re almost clear!”
Cole squeezed his eyes shut. “I don’t know how much more hanging on I can do!”
With a final leap, Aurora landed on a small ledge, safe from the spikes. The rest of the group soon joined her, panting and wide-eyed.
“Well, that was fun,” Splash said, sarcastic as ever. “What’s next? Lava?”
“I wouldn’t joke about that,” Coral said, catching his breath. “This temple has surprises we haven’t even begun to see.”
Cole slowly slid off Aurora’s back, his legs wobbly. “No more pressure plates. Ever. I’m officially done with those.”
Aurora shook her head, giving him a playful nudge. “At least you didn’t get us impaled. That’s progress.”
Sable, hovering above the group, landed gracefully beside them. “The temple’s defenses are only going to get tougher from here. We’ll need to stay sharp.”
As the group regrouped and continued down the hall, the mysterious glow of the temple seemed to grow stronger. They could sense the heart of the temple drawing nearer. But the question lingered—what would they find when they reached the end?
ns 15.158.61.48da2
