Capítulo 5: Through
1217-08-05
Hungry
I'm so hungry.
The warmth of a familiar room wraps around me. It's a space I had grown used to, though its comfort now feels distant. Beneath the golden beads of the hanging lamp, a cluster of eggs rests—small blue-and-white ovals like ice. Among them, a single golden egg catches my eye. Its smooth surface shows cracks spidering across it.
The egg begins to tremble, the soft hum of movement drawing my attention.
The egg wobbles again, the cracks deepening. Pieces flake off, and the trembling grows more intense. The sound fills the room as the cracks widen until, with a final shudder, the egg bursts into hundreds of tiny shards. In its place, a small dragon emerges, its head pushing through the remains of the shell. It blinks at the world for the first time, letting out a soft, childlike coo. Snow drifts in from the cracked window nearby, settling around the dragon's tiny form.
Gold sits up, rubbing his eyes, drawn by the commotion. "What's going on?" he asks groggily, before his gaze lands on the dragon. "Oh."
The creature looks around curiously, but its attention soon fixes on me. Its gaze is sharp, intelligent—and hungry.
It makes a soft whining sound, clawing at the snow beneath it. Remembering the jerky I'd stashed from the main hall, I pull a piece out and offer it. The dragon lunges, biting into it like it's the finest feast. It swallows quickly, then looks at me expectantly.
"What should we do with it?" Gold asks, crouching beside me.
I glance at the dragon, now nestling into a clump of snow. "If it lives long enough, we might escape with it."
Gold chuckles, shaking his head. "That could take years."
Gold stared at the dragon for a moment, admiring its small, delicate form. "I'm going to name it Snow," she said quietly.
"Snow?" I laughed, surprised.
"Yeah, Snow."
"I'm sure you can come up with a better name."
"Why don't you try ?" She challenged me.
"I'm awful at naming things."
"Then Snow it is," she said with a shrug, a smile tugging at her lips.
Knock.
I got up and opened the door, bracing myself for whatever was coming. Less stood outside, her breath visible in the crisp morning air. Beside her was Leader, his imposing frame silhouetted by the pale light of dawn, and Books, clutching her ever-present stack of leather-bound tomes.
"Come with us," Leader commanded, his voice as sharp as the cold.
"Both of us?" Gold muttered, stepping forward.
"Yes," Books replied, her gray eyes glinting in the weak sunlight.
Gold hesitated but then moved to pick up Samantha, carefully wrapping her in a familiar bundle of rags. The young dragon squirmed slightly, her bright eyes wide and watchful.
We followed them. The snow covered path eventually led to a hidden entrance, a trapdoor buried beneath the frost. Less pushed it open, revealing a steep staircase descending into darkness.
The air grew damp and oppressive as we made our way down. The faint scent of earth and rust clung to the walls. At the bottom of the stairwell, a dimly lit hallway stretched ahead, its flickering torches casting uneven shadows.
We continued forward until we reached the end. Bars loomed before me, separating us from a vast arena beyond. The faint sound of cheering and shouting echoed in the distance, though no spectators were visible.
"Less, stay here," Leader instructed. He nodded, his expression unreadable, and remained by the entrance.
I looked upward, scanning the space above. There was no one watching us—at least not here. The emptiness pressed down on me, unsettling in its silence.
Gold shifted uneasily, glancing at the bars and then at me. "What now?" he whispered.
But before I could respond, the faint hum of machinery sounded behind us. A switch was pulled. The bars groaned and began to slide open.
The arena awaited.
Leader removed his robe, revealing a muscular frame crisscrossed with scars.
"How old are you?" he asked.
The question caught me off guard, breaking my focus. "I'm... nineteen."
He chuckled to himself, a small, wry smile crossing his face. "Nineteen," he repeated softly, then laughed outright. "I'm fifty-five."
"Fifty-five?" I blurted, surprised. "That old?"
His expression shifted, a mock frown creasing his brow. "No need to be rude," he said, though his tone was playful. Then his face grew serious. "I want you to take my place."
"Me?" I asked, incredulous.
"Yes, you. What's your name, young one?"
"My name is Jude."
"Jude," he repeated, as if trying to imprint it into his memory.
Gold crossed her arms, her tone sharp. "And why was I taken as well?"
Books stepped forward, her gray eyes glinting. "Because you'll take my position."
Gold's brow furrowed. "When you're gone?"
Books gave her a small, bitter smile. "It's inevitable. And now that your hair has turned, you're one of us."
Startled, I leaned forward, searching for my reflection in the icy walls. The faint shimmer of silver hair caught my eye. My black hair had turned a gleaming, metallic silver, though my eyes remained unchanged.
I let out a sharp laugh, a mix of surprise and disbelief. "Silver hair? I look like a Waran."
Books gave a faint shrug. "It suits you."
Leader's voice cut through the moment, low but commanding. "I've fought in countless wars and seen more horrors than I can recall," he said. "The people of Eleanor need a strong leader—someone who can endure what's to come."
Gold tilted her head, a sly smile playing on her lips. "And you want it to be us?"
"Correct," Leader said, his tone unwavering. "My time is coming to an end. Our plan is almost in motion, but if it fails, we'll need someone ready to take the helm."
"I promise," I said, the words heavy but sincere, "to be a leader Eleanor can count on."
He shifted his stance, his intent clear. "For your final test, we will fight. I need to see your skills for myself."
The air grew heavier as we all stood there, waiting for the inevitable clash.
Leader steps forward, his body encased in a shimmering armor of white light—Lion's Armor. He moves with a fluidity that belies the weight of the protection, and I barely manage to dodge his first strike. The air crackles as his fist swings through empty space, but the force of it pushes me back, sending a shockwave through my body.
I charge at him, aiming a kick at his side, but the armor absorbs the blow, rippling like water and sending the full force of the impact back at me. The pain is immediate, and I stumble, but he doesn't flinch. Instead, he closes the distance with a swift counterattack. I twist away just in time, but the sheer force of his strike reverberates through my arms.
I scramble to adjust, lunging again, but this time I feint left and strike to his right. My fist lands, but the armor barely budges. The moment the blow hits, the armor reflects the energy, sending the full force of the punch back at me. My arm feels like it's been struck by a boulder, and I stagger.
Before I can recover, he sweeps his leg, knocking me off balance. I roll to my feet, but my muscles ache with the intensity of the impact.
I rush at him again, targeting his legs this time. The strike lands harder than I anticipated, but the armor absorbs the force, reflecting it back at me with crushing power. Leader stumbles but quickly recovers, and I use the moment to throw a punch at his chest.
The impact is absorbed by the armor, but the shock is almost enough to knock me off my feet.
Leader steps back, taking a breath, his eyes narrowing with approval.
Gold carefully checked my wounds, her face furrowed with concern.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice soft but sharp with worry.
"I'm fine," I smiled, though the hunger gnawing at my insides was harder to ignore. "Just hungry."
"Let's eat," Leader smiled, brushing past us.
As we followed him, Gold glanced back at me. "We'll need extra for—"
"A dragon egg that hatched in our room," I finished her thought.
Gold nodded, her gaze distant. "That's a problem. Dragons usually don't last long after they hatch, especially here."
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you do with them?"
"They're all in the warehouse," Leader said, his tone heavy. "We keep them there until they decompose."
I frowned. "Dead dragons? Why would you want them decomposing?"
"Dragon corpses make a gem," Leader explained, his voice unwavering.
"A gem?" Gold asked, confused. "You mean Ance?"
"It's a white, silver gem," Leader said, his gaze steady.
"That's Ance?" Gold laughed, her disbelief clear. "The most valuable gem in the world?"
"Wait, it can't be," I retorted. "Ance is mined."
I looked at Gold, who was just as baffled as I was.
We continued walking, the air thick with anticipation, until we reached a large warehouse. The door creaked open, revealing rows upon rows of dragon corpses, stacked like piles of discarded bones, their remains partially covered in dusting snow. Some of the bodies had completely decomposed, leaving behind piles of white gems as pure as snow.
I stared at them, still struggling to understand. These were the remnants of dragons—the very same creatures some feared. And here they were.
"This..." I hesitated, eyes scanning the scene. "This is Ance."
Books nodded, her face pale. "The bodies decompose, and it forms."
We moved through the warehouse, staring at the hundreds of dragon corpses. I could see some of them were already in various stages of decomposition, and age.
"How do you even get this much?" I asked, my voice shaking.
"We've been collecting it for years," Leader said. "The dragons die, we take their remains, and the Ance slowly forms as it decomposes."
"We could use this," I said, "We can trade it."
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder