The Heir Of The Last Dragon

5. Echoes in Eldertree Hallway

The darkness beneath the roots of the Eldertree felt different. The air here was stagnant, heavy with the smell of damp earth and a pungent scent of ancient magic that stung Ethan's nostrils.

The purple glow from the cave walls was only enough to show their footsteps, but to Ethan, everything appeared far too sharp. His gold-glowing pupils captured every detail —every crack in the stone, every root that coiled like a snake, and every movement of Isyra Nyxaris in front of him.

"You are walking too fast," Ethan growled. His voice echoed off the walls of the narrow corridor.

Isyra stopped for a moment but did not turn around. Her deep blue cloak swept across the dusty cave floor.

"We do not have time for a leisurely stroll, Ethan. The necklace around your father's neck is a loan of time, not eternity."

"I know that!" Ethan barked. He quickened his pace until he stood right beside Isyra. "But you keep leading us deeper and deeper without explanation. You said you knew the way, but you never mentioned this path would feel like a graveyard."

Isyra finally turned. Her calm eyes met Ethan's golden gaze, which flashed with pent-up rage.

"Because this is indeed a graveyard for those who lack preparation. If you used your head more than your emotions, you would realize that these roots are listening to us."

"Do not lecture me," Ethan hissed.

Beneath his cloak, Rion moved restlessly. Not out of fear of Isyra, but because he was absorbing the heat waves of anger radiating from Ethan's chest. The small dragon let out a low growl that made the cave walls vibrate faintly. The scales on Rion's back stood rigid, emitting an unstable blue glow.

"Calm down, Rion," Ethan whispered, trying to dampen the turmoil in his heart. However, the more he tried to suppress his anger, the more Rion felt choked by that emotion.

Suddenly, Rion leaped out from beneath Ethan's cloak. Instead of moving away from Isyra, the small dragon actually approached the princess. Rion sniffed the edge of Isyra's cloak, then let out a short chirping sound that sounded almost like a friendly greeting.

Ethan was stunned. "Rion! Get back here!"

Rion ignored him. He instead wrapped his tail around Isyra's ankle for a moment before looking back at Ethan with his large golden eyes, as if he were trying to calm his own master.

"It seems your dragon is far wiser than its rider," Isyra said flatly. She resumed walking, leaving Ethan frozen in a mounting peak of frustration.

"He is just confused," Ethan muttered to himself while scooping Rion back into his arms.

Bryan, walking behind with Nayana, let out a long sigh.

"Ethan, control yourself. She saved your father and us earlier. At least show a little gratitude."

"Gratitude is useless if she is leading us into a trap, Bryan," Ethan replied curtly. "Did you see Kaelen? He disappeared as soon as we entered here. And now we are just following a woman who will not even show her face completely."

"I hear you, Ethan Eldravar," Isyra's voice sounded from ahead, clear and devoid of emotion. "Kaelen has his own tasks. And if I wanted to trap you, I would not waste the magical energy of my necklace on an old man who cannot even hold a sword."

Ethan clenched his fist around the hilt of his rusted sword. "Are you insulting my father?"

"I am stating facts. You are too emotional for someone holding the key to the future. Remember, Rion is a mirror of your soul. When you feel threatened without reason, you turn him into an uncontrollable weapon."

The dispute was halted when the corridor ahead of them opened into a massive chamber resembling an underground hall. In the center of the room, there was a narrow stone bridge crossing a bottomless abyss. At the end of the bridge, a massive stone door with carvings of intertwined dragons blocked the way.

"That is the door," Nayana said, her voice trembling at the sight of the abyss's depth below them.

"The door is closed," Ethan observed with a cynical tone. "So, what is your great plan now, Princess?"

Isyra did not answer. She stepped toward the stone bridge, but suddenly the ground shook. From the darkness of the abyss, dozens of small stone gargoyle statues emerged, flying with a noisy flapping of wings. They were not living creatures, but rather mantra guardians designed to destroy intruders.

"Hold them off!" Isyra shouted as her hands began to chant a protective spell around Bryan and Mr. Eldravar.

Ethan did not need to be told twice. His suppressed anger finally found a perfect outlet. He drew his sword. Blue fire exploded from the metal blade, illuminating the entire underground hall.

"Rion, now!"

Ethan charged into the middle of the bridge. His movements were fast and brutal —a signature fighting style that relied on pure instinct. He slashed every stone gargoyle that approached. Each strike left a trail of ice that shattered the opponent's stone body into shards. However, because of his exploding emotions, his blue fire became unstable. At times, the flames erupted too largely, nearly striking Isyra.

"Control your fire's range, you fool!" Isyra shouted while parrying a gargoyle's attack with her elegant, slender sword. Isyra's technique was a sharp contrast to Ethan's; she moved with measured steps and lethal thrusts, only wasting energy when necessary.

"Mind your own business!" Ethan shot back. He leaped, slashing three gargoyles at once in mid-air.

Rion, who was now flying above Ethan's head, began to show a change. His body size grew slightly, and the blue glow on his wings became brighter. However, under the influence of Ethan's rage, Rion began to attack blindly. He spat bolts of frost-fire that slammed into the cave walls, causing stone ruins to begin falling.

"Stop, Ethan! You will collapse this place!" Isyra screamed, her voice now filled with anger.

Ethan seemed deaf to her. He continued to hunt the remaining gargoyles. Only after Rion let out a shriek of pain because his wing was grazed by a falling stone did Ethan startle. He saw Rion falling and immediately caught him. The fire on his sword extinguished instantly.

Silence returned to the hall, leaving only floating dust.

Isyra walked toward Ethan with rapid steps. Until a hard slap landed on Ethan's cheek.

"Look at what you have done!" Isyra pointed at Rion, who was trembling in Ethan's hands. "You almost killed him because you could not contain your ego. You are not a dragon rider; you are just a child who happens to be holding a massive weapon."

Ethan was paralyzed. His cheek stung, but his heart burned far more. He looked at Rion, who was staring at him with a sad gaze. Guilt began to creep in, crumbling his wall of anger.

"I ... I just wanted to protect everyone," Ethan whispered, his voice hoarse.

"Protecting does not mean destroying everything around you," Isyra said coldly. She turned toward the massive stone door. "Use your blood. This door only opens for an Eldravar descendant who is capable of controlling himself."

Ethan took a deep breath. He walked toward the door, touching the cold dragon carvings. He closed his eyes, casting away all his dislike for Isyra, and focused only on his father's safety. As he pressed his wounded palm against the door, the massive stone vibrated and slowly opened.

Behind the door, a chamber filled with thousands of glowing crystals awaited them. This was the heart of the Eldertree's energy. However, the friction between Ethan and Isyra was far from over. The wound on Ethan's cheek might heal, but Isyra's words were deeply embedded in his mind, forcing the dragon heir to begin questioning who he truly was.

"The road is still long," Isyra murmured as she stepped inside. "And you still have much to learn, Ethan."

Ethan remained silent, cradling Rion tightly, and followed the mysterious woman's steps into a new darkness.