Ariadne and the Tales of Heroes

Chapter 17: The Temple of Guicang

It had been hours as Xuanwu told them that they were now in the province. She held up her hand and closed her eyes. She used her senses to try to guide her movements. Sárkány was still holding Daiyu in her arms and lap that was still asleep.

The cloud carpet was slowing down as the tortoise felt around. She used her arm to try to sense where the magical disturbance was coming from.

"I do feel something.....it is very faint," Xuanwu said quietly. "It is coming northeast of here."

Her hand went to the direction, and she pointed. The cloud carpet began to speed up as it went to the direction she was pointing. She repositioned her tail so that it was wrapped to the other side of her body and shell.

"I would say another few minutes we will be there. I feel it getting stronger the closer we get."

"Understood lady Xuanwu," Sárkány replied.

Daiyu was shifted awake from his words. She had been asleep for a couple of hours. They had reached the area and were now getting closer to whatever was creating the magical disturbance that everyone was looking for.

"I don't think this is a shard we are looking for by the way I feel it," Xuanwu said. "It would be too easy if one just popped up here....trust me I know. No, this is something else. It is good that you are here Big-D we might be heading into trouble."

"My sword stands ready!" Sárkány yelled. Daiyu was definitely awake now.

"Are we.....there yet?" she said, stirring in his lap.

"We are near the location, my lady." She looked up to see a dragon's head peering down at her. She stayed where she was trying to keep warm.

"You can be really loud at times Sárkány, did anyone tell you that?" Daiyu told him

"Trust me. I have told him that a lot in the past. Always the valiant knight running into danger oh so willingly," Xuanwu said as her hand continued to guide them.

The carpet was slowing down now as it traveled at a running man's pace. The wind was no longer a burden anymore.

"It looks like the recent earthquake unearthed something," Xuanwu said lightly. "That is why we are picking it up now. Whatever it is, it's big but not monstrous either. I am picking something up that is....evil, but I am also picking up something pleasant at the same time. It is coming a few miles away. We should be able to see something from the forest canopy. It might be the spot depending on how thick the forest is."

Daiyu shifted herself so that she could get out of his lap. He released her hold on her as she lay down on the carpet, trying to bring herself to the edge of the carpet. This would allow her to see the forest below. Sárkány, feeling entitled to protect her, got beside her lying right next to her. His body rested comfortably beside her. His tail smacked her leg but did not hurt her as his left-wing lay on top of her.

Daiyu was nervous, looking at the forest below her. With a dragon close to her, though, she had nothing to fear of falling. She instead focused on trying to find what was creating a "disturbance" that she could look for.

"We are very close to it now," Xuanwu said. "It is to the right of us now."

Daiyu and Sárkány were looking. Daiyu swore she saw something hidden beneath the forest canopy below. It was hard to tell what it was from their location.