Page 28 of Ava's Legacy of the Dragons
Chapter 11
The old grotto was located next to the river they had crossed a while ago, which described an arc through the terrain before flowing into the cave in the rock face. It continued its course through the landscape in the form of a tributary.
The interior of the old dragon cave was illuminated by the stars, yet the rock formations harbored many hidden corners and hollows where a small unit of soldiers could easily hide.
Holding their breath, they entered the grotto and waited at the entrance so they could flee if there was an unpleasant surprise waiting for them. They looked around wordlessly, but they didn't discover any traces that revealed someone's presence, nor did a guard jump out from a dark corner to seize them.
Lilly stood on her tiptoes and surveyed the landscape and sky, probably in expectation of her famous hero. Would he arrive flying on his dragon? Certainly not, if he wanted to avoid attracting attention. Who would miss a giant dragon in the sky, even in the darkness?
Lilly nervously dusted off her baggy tunic, smoothed out her pants that were two sizes too big for her thin legs, and fixed her hair. Ava watched this with amusement.
"How come you trust Kilian? You don't really know him, do you?"
"Well, he tossed me a silver coin once."
As Ava grinned, Lilly shrugged her narrow shoulders. "He probably doesn't remember me, I know, but with that coin I could buy food for four days."
Ava nodded. She understood why he was her hero.
"Why don't you think he'll take the dragon egg straight to the king? After all, he was at the ball and talked with the royal family. He didn't exactly act submissive, but he's still below the monarch in the power structure, isn't he?" She gently stroked the pouch that hung securely at her side. Instinctively, she knew it was fine. The constant running had probably lulled it to sleep.
"The dragons trust him, otherwise the strongest living fire dragon wouldn't have bonded with him."
Hopefully, she was right. The idea that the dragons wanted to protect the egg from the king also fit with the experience she'd had with the air dragon. Why else would it have helped her when she'd entered this world and had her first encounter with the soldiers?
"Speaking of the strongest dragon, is there also a kind of hierarchy among the dragons or are they subject to the monarch?"
"King Eldric would like that. Did you see the ceiling painting in the ballroom?"
Ava nodded. "Although it was well-painted, it looked terrible."
"That picture is totally stupid! Just look at howpowerful the dragons are. They're not made to grovel before a human. But that's exactly what King Eldric demands of them."
"And the dragons go along with it?"
"They have no choice if they want our world to continue existing. They have to bond with the king to maintain the magic. Otherwise, they'll all die. They're scared, most have retreated and only a few go to war with the dragon fighters against... the mages."
Her tone clearly indicated that she didn't want to talk about it any further. Grumbling, she kicked a stone aside. It shimmered in shades of blue. Without hesitation, Ava bent down and picked it up. It was smooth and cool. She put it in her pocket and looked up at the night sky with Lilly. The stars twinkled clearly, and there wasn't a shadow in sight to indicate an approaching dragon.
Time passed and after a while, Ava wondered if there might be another old grotto. It must have been almost midnight by then— her body, at least, was starting to demand sleep. It was no wonder, given that she hadn't been this active in a long time.
She would have loved to sit down on the ground, but then she wouldn't have been able to react quickly if someone sneaked up. So she remained standing. With tired eyes, she looked at the rocky surroundings. "Maybe he's not coming at all."
Stubbornly, Lilly shook her head. She didn't look tired at all. "You don't really believe that. Kilian would never stand us up!"
Yawning, Ava leaned against the rock face. "Because we're respected persons of this kingdom?"
"No, because that's not proper behavior."
"The girl is absolutely right," a deep voice sounded behind them.
Startled, Ava turned around, suddenly wide awake. With silent steps, Kilian emerged from the depths of the cave. His dark leather clothing blended with the night, but his sharp-edged facial features and piercing eyes were visible in the light of the stars.
His presence instantly made Ava uneasy. Lilly, meanwhile, turned beet red and couldn't utter a sound.
"Hey little one, you alright?"
She just nodded, her eyes fixed on him. Ava suppressed a grin, but the girl's reaction helped her calm down. Coolly, she turned to the dragon fighter.
