Page 42 of Ava's Legacy of the Dragons
"Who are you?" Although his voice was low, the threat was unmistakable.
He didn't know him? Heavens, had Ava and Lilly followed the wrong person?
The stranger raised his hands defensively, causing the sleeves of his linen tunic to slide down, revealing two simple leather bracelets. "The Dragon Guardian and her friends have nothing to fear from us." His words sounded sincere, and he had friendly and sympathetic look about him. He had dark curls that fell playfully across his forehead and large green eyes. Around hisneck, he wore a simple leather necklace, and his feet were in sandals.
Skeptically, Kilian widened his stance. "Us?"
"The Old Folk."
Ava looked at him curiously. "Who are these Old Folk?"
Lilly jumped excitedly in front of Kilian, her eyes wide. "You're just a legend."
"I love it when someone calls me legendary." The stranger grinned mischievously, revealing two dimples in his cheeks. "I'm Marcus."
The girl confidently extended her hand to him. "I'm Lilly, and this is Kilian and Ava."
Marcus shook the girl's hand and nodded to Kilian. "I know the infamous dragon fighter, of course, but my reverence is solely for the prophesied Dragon Guardian. It's an honor." His gaze wandered admiringly over Ava's face before he bowed to her.
She raised her eyebrows, intrigued. "You've heard of the prophecy too?"
"Of course, we've been waiting for you for a long time. But let's continue talking when we're safe. Elora's henchmen are still nearby, and you're not protected in this part of the forest. Follow me."
Kilian wasn't impressed by his charming words. He suspiciously analyzed every one of Marcus's movements and his appearance. He carried no weapons, and his airy clothing didn't give the impression that he was a warrior. "Where are you taking us?"
Marcus raised his hands defensively. He couldn't have looked more innocent. "Your skepticism is unfounded, dragon fighter. We're the ones taking the risk, for I'm bringing you to our city. There, the guardian and the dragon egg will be safe from Elora."
Kilian looked at Ava as if silently asking for her opinion. When she nodded, he exhaled and agreed. With a gesture, he signaled for her to go ahead. She pushed Lilly in front of her again, and soon they were creeping behind Marcus through the forest. Kilian kept looking over his shoulder and held onto his sword, but there was no sign of the sorceress's fighters.
Chapter 16
Ava didn't know how long they had been walking. It felt like an hour or two. Fortunately, Lilly was in good shape. She didn't know any child who would complete a fifteen-kilometer trek in the middle of the night without complaining.
They reached a large rock formation where Marcus stopped and looked up. In the tree canopy beside it there glowed a pair of eyes.
Marcus pushed aside the hanging branches of a weeping willow, revealing a narrow passage in the rock. Dimly lit by starlight, it looked like a portal to another world. Which hopefully wasn't the case. This world was enough for Ava.
"After you, Guardian." He bowed to her.
Lilly, not bothering with courtesies, ran ahead curiously. Ava followed her, holding her breath. The air was humid, the passage almost too narrow for an adult. If her shoulders were already brushing against the walls, how was Kilian managing?
The passage ended after a few meters, and they found themselves under the open starry sky. It was toodark to make out details, but the contours of rocks could be seen on all sides. They were in a hidden valley.
"Wow!" Lilly's eyes widened. "The old city."
"Where's the city here?" It might have been the darkness, but Ava couldn't see any buildings, streets, or other city features, not even a light or a sound that indicated life. But then again, it was the middle of the night.
Marcus stepped through the entrance, a smirk on his lips. "It's well-hidden, of course, so the dragon fighters can't spot it from the sky." He regarded Kilian with a tilted head, his brown curls falling across his forehead. "You'd better keep a low profile, you're not particularly popular with us."
Kilian said nothing, keeping his eyebrows furrowed and looking around suspiciously. He stayed close to Ava, surely because of the dragon egg resting in her handbag. The little one hadn't spoken in a while.
There was a soft clanking sound from the brass lantern Marcus had in his hand. The light was too weak to illuminate very far, but at least they could see roots and stones on the forest floor.
"I'll take you to the Rotunda."
He walked ahead, making his way past lushly growing plants. Bushes and trees grew close together, as if they were still in an ordinary forest. But apparently that wasn't the case, because with each breath Ava discovered more pairs of eyes, their whites appearing in the darkness. A glance over her shoulder was enough to tell her that it wasn't just Kilian who was following her, but even more people were on their heels. They followed them at a respectable distance, their faces hiding in the shadows, making it impossible to tell if they were as friendly as Marcus.
"We're being followed," she whispered to Kilian, whonodded. Of course, he had already noticed the people. Like a predator, his attention darted back and forth, missing no movement.
