Page 48 of Ava's Legacy of the Dragons
Shaking her head, she shrugged. "I don't see how it makes me a different person."
"That's true. Then I'll just call you..."
"How about Ava?"
"If that's your wish, gladly. Come on, Ava, let's notmiss the sunrise." Exuberantly, he grabbed her hand again and pulled her up the steps. She was still barefoot, but the ground was soft and the stones smooth. As they reached the top of the earth house, the opposite mountain peak was already surrounded by a bright glow. The sky was bathed in shades of blue and yellow, mixed with a luminous orange.
Marcus stepped right next to her. Only now did she realize that he hadn't let go of her hand. She freed herself from him and held the cup with both hands. Taking a sip of coffee, she looked towards the horizon.
"Three, two, one..." he whispered.
As if on cue, the first flaming red spot appeared, slowly growing larger. They stood side by side in silence, drinking their morning coffee, and Ava enjoyed the stillness, the calm, the feeling of finally not having to run frantically. But she hadn't forgotten Kilian's words, which was why she directed her attention not only to the sun and the spectacle but also to Marcus and the surroundings.
The city seemed to still be asleep, as not a soul was in sight. In the light of the morning sun, she discovered numerous other hills that were home to other families. Between them grew tall trees that were integrated into the architecture. Under the tree canopies, there were benches, fountains, goat pens, and raised beds. Beneath a particularly large chestnut tree, there were several stands set up, probably the marketplace. Although "trading place" was probably more accurate, as surely no foreign merchants came to the city.
Everything was made of wood and earth, all the structures intertwined with nature as if they had grown rather than been built by human hands. Vines wound around columns, tree canopies arched over gatheringplaces, and shrubs and grasses covered the earth houses.
"Do you provide for yourselves completely?"
"Of course, always have. What we lack, we buy at the market in Talus."
"With what money?" If the people were considered forgotten, she couldn't imagine that some of them worked outside the valley on a regular basis.
"We don't have money, but we have valuable items to trade. From the nearby mine where we extract gemstones, for example."
If they were worth as much as in her world, then the Old Folk must not have had any money problems.
"Why do you live in hiding?"
Marcus examined her, unexpectedly tense. "What did the dragon fighter tell you about us?"
"That the dragon guardians came from your people back then."
"Interesting. I wouldn't have thought he'd point it out to you so directly."
She frowned questioningly. "What do you mean?"
"Well, that you belong to us. I would have expected him to warn you about us."
"Wait, just because former guardians came from your people doesn't mean I have to, as well. Remember? I come from another world. Otherwise, I wouldn't be the woman from the prophecy."
He laughed carelessly, which made her look at him in confusion. "What?"
"Just because you lived in the other world doesn't mean you were born there. Your parents or at least your grandparents must be descended from us. There's no doubt about that. What are their names?"
Red flag, red flag. But Ava didn't want to reveal hersore spot to him. So she took a breath and spoke with a deliberate calm that belied her racing pulse.
"I don't know them. I grew up with a perfectly normal, kind-hearted woman. No magic, no dragon guardian parents, no extraordinary destiny."
"Then someone must have brought you to her. Have you been with her since you were little?"
Kilian's warning shot through her mind, so she nodded. The fewer details she revealed, the less likely these people would make any claims of ownership.
"Still, you must be descended from us. If it wasn't your parents or grandparents, then it must have been your great-grandparents. All dragon guardians come from our people. We are the ones who communicate with the dragons, who give them security and dedicate our lives to them."
"Does that mean there are other dragon guardians in this city? Because I have a few questions."
"No, unfortunately not." He sighed heavily. "They were all killed in the magic wars."
