The Dragonriders

Chapter 8

A New Life To Be Shared

Shirley

Later in the week, late at night, the leader picks me up. Together we walk through the city and towards a sector I haven't been yet. He stops for a building that had to be a beautiful temple once but has sunken beneath the surface mostly. The leader speaks softly. 'The challenge is simple. Your dragon is waiting in the centre of the temple, where the soul binding will take place. I will fly there as well. You got til morning to reach the center on your own, so you prove worthy as a Rider. Good luck.'

He then takes off and flies away to the top of the building. I walk to the entrance and slide down the mud bank, into the darkness of the temple. With some trouble I cast a small fire spell to light my way and start walking in deeper, past statues that lost their faces and all other details millennia ago. At the end of the statue hallway there is a small opening, which I suspect leads towards the center of the temple. As I walk through it I see a massive maze, but not the center of the temple.

If I had been any good with magic I would have cast a spell I learned from Celeste and flown over the maze. However, as it is I can only walk through it. As I walk through the maze it doesn't take me long to get frustrated and not long after that to get somewhat lost. By pure luck I find some gateway through to what seems to be the second level, where I also hear a loud roar. That can not me good. As quickly as I can I run through the maze, only now wishing I had taken the time to become a Lamia and be a lot more silent. As I turn another corner I see the source of the roar. A massive minotaur stands some distance away, facing me. Without any thought I grab my Elven bow, knock an arrow on and shoot it at the bulky beast. It screams out another roar and charges me. Though I'm fast enough to prevent a full on collision he does knock me to the side. I turn as quickly as I can and release another arrow at the minotaur. This isn't working.

The minotaur roars again. He waits a moment and then charges again. Some hair brain scheme forms in my head and I start running at the minotaur head on releasing a war cry. This is stupid and will get me killed. Right before we are about to hit each other I release an arrow, which hits the minotaur with a deafening boom. I'm blown back from the explosion and the impact with the floor knocks the breath out of me. When I can get myself to get up I see the minotaur faired worse. Well, what is left of the minotaur anyway, as all I can see is a pair of smoking hooves. Well, so far my arrows. I start walking on again.

The third layer is very silent. Either that or I'm still deafened by the explosion. As I walk on I hold my bow raised and an arrow knocked on. My bow is my best weapon and the only one I can rely on. I think I hear the rattle of a snake tail somewhere. The idea pops up in my head to turn myself into a Lamia and slither past them. They won't hurt one of their own kind, will they? I see the scar lighting up green and the details showing clear as day. The rattle I thought I heard is now silent. What is going on? As I keep walking on the scar keeps on glowing, occasionally getting brighter or dimmer. Soon I discover it helps me through the maze.

When I finally exit the maze I just hear a single sound. The hitting of a droplet of water in a pool. Using the small fireball I light up the room and see a pool of incredible depth in front of me, without a boat to cross it. Again I curse myself for not being able to fly as I see the entrance across the room. I can't do this. I cannot cross this pool. Not with what I got at least. I then notice the single sapling and remember Sha'nok's lessons. The magic of the Lamia's is equal exchange. Maybe I can do with this sapling what the great Elves do with their trees. I could... grow it into a boat, using the Lamia magic, can't I?

With my staff in my hand I kneel next to the sapling and focus on it and its surroundings. I feel it is close to touching the water and some nutrient rich dirt. That is it. I have to clear a path for its roots. This is the way the Elves pass this challenge, isn't it? I put all my focus on the small blockages of stone and cast a small ice spell. The effect isn't massive but a small ping can be heard in the cave as one of the blockages shatters. Now the one to the dirt. After melting the ice I cast a second spell, this one a rust spell, to rust the metal in the stone. I can almost see the stone expand rapidly but cracking under the pressure of the stone around it. However my energy is starting to get depleted. As the stone finally shatters I use my last energy to feed the little sapling just enough to reach both the water and the dirt. What happens next I could not predict.