“Nothing?!” Cole’s voice echoed through the cavernous hall, his disbelief palpable. He threw his arms up in the air, frustration clear on his face. “We came all this way, dodged all those traps, almost got impaled by spikes, and—nothing?!”
The group stood before the ancient altar, their eyes scanning the empty pedestal. The relic they had hoped to find was gone, as though it had never been there.
“A treasure hunter stole it!” Tiny Wings suggested immediately, her eyes wide with suspicion. “I bet someone else got here before us and took it. Maybe a sneaky thief with a keen eye for ancient treasures.”
“I don’t think so,” Elanor said, her voice low as she stared at the empty space. “It wouldn’t just disappear like this. There should be traces... signs of a struggle, at least.”
Sable scratched the back of his head. "I could have sworn..." His voice trailed off.
"You could have sworn what?" Reef snapped.
"It was supposed to be here..." Sable murmured.
Aurora sighed, her tail flicking in frustration as she turned to Sable. “You could have sworn? That’s reassuring. We’ve risked life and limb for your hunch!”
Cole, leaning against the altar with a dramatic groan, threw a hand over his face. “Great. Just great. No relic. No big discovery. Nothing. At least I can say I almost died for absolutely no reason.”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Coral said, his sharp gaze fixed on the pedestal. “This doesn’t make sense. If the relic isn’t here, then where is it?”
Tiny Wings flapped her wings, her voice a little too eager. “Maybe it’s hidden deeper in the temple! Like a second chamber or something! We should start pulling levers—”
“Absolutely not,” Splash interrupted sharply. “The last thing we need is another death trap, thanks.”
Sable frowned, his expression darkening. “This... this isn’t right. Even if someone else had taken the relic, they would’ve triggered some sort of reaction in the temple. It’s designed to protect what’s inside.”
“You’re telling me this place is sentient?” Shadow asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Not sentient,” Sable replied, his voice firm, “but alive with magic. The relic was supposed to resonate with this place. If it’s gone, we’d know.”
Frostbite turned to him, his patience thinning. “So what do you propose, oh fearless guide? Because standing around here whining isn’t helping.”
Sable closed his eyes, his claws curling into fists. “There’s only one other explanation. If the relic isn’t here, it might have been taken a long time ago—not by thieves, but by someone who knew its importance.”
The group exchanged uneasy glances. “You mean... the wise Blue Fire dragons?” Coral asked cautiously.
Sable nodded slowly. “They’re the keepers of ancient knowledge. If anyone has answers about what happened to the relic—or where it might be—it’s them.”
Reef let out an exasperated sigh. “Oh sure, let’s just waltz up to the Blue Fire dragons and ask them. ‘Hey, have you seen an ancient magical artifact lying around?’ They’ll probably roast us before we even finish the sentence.”
“They’re not all bad,” Tiny Wings said, puffing out her chest. “I’ve read stories about their wisdom. They don’t burn people unless they deserve it.”
Cole raised an eyebrow. “Comforting.”
“Do we really have a choice?” Elanor asked, her voice steady but tinged with weariness. “If the relic isn’t here, and the Blue Fire dragons are the only ones who might know where it is... then we have to try.”
Aurora groaned, shaking her head. “Fantastic. More trekking, more chances to die. I’m thrilled.”
“Hey, at least it’s not spikes this time,” Splash said with a smirk, earning a glare from Aurora.
Sable stepped forward, his determination rekindled. “Then it’s settled. We head to the Blue Fire dragons. If anyone knows the truth, it’s them.”
Cole groaned, throwing up his hands. “Oh, why not? Let’s go risk our lives some more! What’s the worst that could happen?”
“You falling off another cliff,” Aurora deadpanned, making the group chuckle despite their exhaustion.
And so, with the temple behind them and a new destination ahead, the group set out once more, the looming presence of the wise blue fire dragons weighing heavily on their minds. The adventure wasn’t over—it had only just begun.
Hours of climbing a mountain later...23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcik1nn14C
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQXhTvRxTn
"How much longer til we get to the top?" Reef complained.
Sable looked up. "We still have a long ways to go. If you listened to your studies, you should know the home of the Blue Fire dragons is high above the clouds."
"Can't we take a break?" Reef complained. "It's dark, and my fins hurt!"
Sable glanced back at Reef. "No. We have to keep going."
As the group climbed higher, the air grew thinner, colder, and more challenging to breathe. Frostbite, entirely unfazed by the chill, his icy breath creating faint puffs of mist with every exhale. “The higher we go, the more this feels like home,” he remarked calmly.
Reef huffed, his fins drooping as he trudged along. “Easy for you to say. Some of us aren’t built for the cold or heights. I belong in the water, not halfway up a mountain.”
Splash offered a supportive smile. “You’re doing fine, Reef. Just think of it as...endurance training. Besides, the Blue Fire dragons are said to be worth the effort.”
Reef snorted but pushed onward. Tiny Wings, perched on Moss’s back, was practically vibrating with excitement. “Do you think the Blue Fire dragons will teach me their secrets? I mean, I’m already really strong for my age, but imagine what I could learn from them!”
Moss chuckled. “Patience, Tiny Wings. Let’s find them first. Then we can see if they’re willing to share anything.”
Shadow darted between rocks and shadows, his curiosity driving him to explore every nook and cranny. “What if they have ancient scrolls? Or hidden treasures? Or—oh! What if they know about the relic?” His green eyes glinted with excitement.
“They’ll have something,” Sable growled, his voice low and resolute. “They have to. This whole journey can’t be for nothing.”
Coral quickly raised a wing, silencing the whole group. "Do you hear that?"
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