Page 43 of Ava's Legacy of the Dragons
"Stay close to me with Lilly. If they're up to something, I'll get you out of here."
Vigilantly, Ava looked again at the residents sneaking behind them. "You don't trust them."
"You shouldn't either."
Ava couldn't help but wish she had a sword like Kilian's, even though she hadn't learned to fight with one. But it would at least be better than her bare fists.
Marcus led them to a beech tree and hung the lantern on the trunk. The dim light fell on a ring of columns that were crafted from wood and intricately decorated with reliefs of grapes, apples, pears, ears of grain, and other field crops. In the center grew an old beech, with the crown of the tree protecting the strange structure from unwanted glances. On one side, rows of seats were arranged one above the other, similar to an ancient Greek theater. Only this construction was made entirely of wood and earth.
"We're here. Sit down. The others will be here soon."
"The others are already here." Ava pointed behind them, where a veritable crowd had formed.
"I don't mean them. Come, sit down, make yourselves at home."
Lilly cheerfully jumped into the second row. Ava remained standing near her, her gaze directed watchfully at all those who gradually stepped into the sparse cone of light.
About thirty people, men and women of all ages, had followed them. Even small children pushed past the adults, despite the fact that it was the middle of the night. They didn't appear to be dangerous, though notnecessarily as cheerful and charming as Marcus. They looked at Ava like apparitions, whispering and keeping their distance. They didn't display any weapons, and their attire also consisted of linen fabrics and simple sandals.
Ava smiled at them kindly, while Kilian, of course, positioned himself beside her. Although he shifted his weight to one leg and appeared relaxed, the pose couldn't fool her. He still held the sword in his hand, its blade reflecting the pale light like a mirror, and his roving gaze had lost none of its vigilance.
Without taking her eyes off the residents, Ava turned to Marcus. "Who are we waiting for?"
"For the elders. They will welcome you and examine the dragon egg." He sat down next to Lilly, bumping her shoulder in a friendly manner before turning back to Ava and looking at her admiringly. "We've been waiting for you for a long time."
She furrowed her brow in confusion until she understood. "You're talking about the prophecy."
He nodded. "One of our elders predicted it. Didn't you know that?"
She shook her head. "I only found out about it a few hours ago."
Marcus waved it off. "That's right, you're from another world. The egg led you here. And that means the wheel of fate will now turn in a different direction." His open gaze was attentive, not to say flirtatious. But that was probably just his way. "The prophesied guardian... and then you're also so damn pretty."
Kilian let out a sound reminiscent of a growl, and Ava raised her hands defensively. This was starting to be too much for her. She didn't want thousands of obligations,and she didn't like it when the whole world set expectations for her.
"Now hold your horses. How could I influence the fate of this realm?"
"You already have." Two elderly women and two old men stepped out of the shadows into the circle of light, their eyes resting attentively on her. The women had braided their snow-white hair into garlands and wore them like crowns on their heads. This, together with their flowing, ancient Greek-style robes, made them look like venerable goddesses.
The men wore similar garments, along with long, snow-white beards that reached down to their chests. In their hands, they held slender wooden staffs, the tips crowned with an intricate weave, in the center of which glowed a glass sphere.
The eldest—the one who had spoken—looked at Ava intently before putting on a smile and giving a slight bow. "My name is Aurora. One of my forefathers was the one who crafted the prophecy, Dragon Guardian. May we see the egg?"
"You can just call me Ava." After a quick glance at Kilian, who signaled his approval with a brief nod, she took the softly shimmering dragon egg out of her bag. Since they had left the cave, the glow had become weaker, yet it still radiated a warm purple.
The other three elders came closer and now stood so near that Kilian positioned himself right next to her to ensure they weren't separated. But the elders paid him no attention, as if his steely muscles and sharp sword posed no danger at all. They gazed reverently at the scale-covered egg without touching it. After a few breaths, a gentle smile appeared on their faces.
Once again, it was Aurora who spoke, looking at Avaadmonishingly. "Being a dragon guardian is an honor, a title that will bring you great esteem."
"Thanks, but I don't care about that. Ava is enough, especially since I'll be leaving as soon as the little one hatches."
"What?" Lilly jumped up and stood in front of her, disregarding the fact that she almost stepped on one of the elders' feet. "You can't leave again. This is your destiny. You were born for this!"
Ava raised her free hand defensively. She wanted to make this clear once and for all. "I have other obligations. My aunt needs me and... You can't just decide that it's my destiny and that I have to stay!"
Aurora looked at her attentively. There was no harsh judgment in her expression, only serenity and foresight. Somehow it looked as if she was reading more in Ava's face than she was willing to reveal. "Have faith, Lilly, everything will fall into place as it should."
While Ava wanted to tell the elder that she shouldn't give the little one false hope, Lilly nodded wisely. "You're right. She'll feel it and then she'll stay. Now, I'm excited for a tour. And if we make a detour to the kitchen, I wouldn't object."
