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Third time came at dusk. A squad of slate-armored scouts set sentry fires on the ridge Zephyr needed to cross. Whispers of Command Aura Tier 1, still faint, but growing with every food Star consumed with beast feed cultivation skill. A herd of frost-goats into a stampede that scattered the camp long enough for the fugitives to slip past.
Each escape left Zephyr's pulse hammering, shoulder wound aching, but also sharpened the rhythm between him and Fenna. Hand signals, shared breaths, silent laughs when luck held. Star, too, learned—wings tighter to his body, embers banked low, violet glow dimmed under Fenna's quick dustings of veilsand.
Snow thickened after sunset, whirling curtains that deadened sound. By the time they reached the valley of hot springs Luke's map promised, Zephyr's lantern oil was gone and both their cloaks were crusted white.
At last steam pillars rose from black rock, a hidden grotto whose mineral heat painted the night in copper haze. Dragon Sense found no sentries, no beasts, only deep thermal vents murmuring like ancient drums.
Zephyr squeezed Fenna's fingers. "Sanctuary, only for a night."
They ducked inside. Warm mist kissed frozen cheeks; muscles unclenched. Star bounded forward, skidding on wet stone, before settling near the largest pool with a contented trill.
Fenna set her pack down, exhaustion melting into quiet purpose. "I'll start a brew which your shoulder needs. It will make your shoulder better."
Zephyr gathered half-dry driftwood. As sparks leapt, he looked at the little dragon already dozing in radiant heat and at Fenna's determined silhouette.
"Tomorrow," he thought, "flight drills, bloodline focus, and then the mountain… something beyond it. I must go to that place. That place can help. My heart is guiding me. It's telling me to go there. I don't know how and why, but I am feeling a connection to that place."
The fire crackled low in the cavern, casting flickering shadows on the walls as Zephyr sat cross-legged on the cool stone. Star had curled up beside him, still panting softly from his exertions earlier. The little dragon's wings fluttered every now and then as he adjusted to his growing power, each movement rippling with the faint glow of the newly absorbed crystal energy.
Fenna, kneeling beside a small fire, stirred a pot of herbs, her hands steady and sure. The scent of medicinal herbs mingled with the faint sulfurous odor of the geothermal pool at the far end of the cave. Their temporary hideout was both a sanctuary and a reminder of their growing desperation. With each passing day, the Guild's grip on the surrounding lands tightened, their patrols growing more frequent, their searches more aggressive. It was only a matter of time before they found the cave. Before they discovered the hidden power Zephyr and Star had begun to cultivate in secret.
Zephyr's mind raced as he thought back to the Guild's scouts. He had never seen them move so quickly before. The red flares, signaling their presence, had been a warning. He was no fool; the Guild's interest in him and his dragon was not out of curiosity. It was out of fear, or perhaps greed. Whatever it was, it didn't matter. Zephyr had made his decision.
He wasn't going to hide anymore.
"Fenna," Zephyr spoke softly, not wanting to disturb Star's calm slumber. "We need to go beyond the limits of Stonejaw. If we want to break free from the Guild's surveillance, we need to find the ancient ruins near the peaks. The ones they say hold dragon relics. I think the ruins might hold something… something that could help us unlock Star's true potential."
Fenna looked up from her task, her hazel eyes sharp as she regarded him. "You're serious, aren't you? You want to go after the ruins? But it's a rumour or a legend that it holds dragon relics. Many people went there in the last Five hundred years but found nothing."
Zephyr's gaze hardened with determination. "I am not like them. I got a dragon. Dragon is also a legend. Nobody saw a dragon in over five hundred years. The Guild is too close now. Every day they circle around our hideout. If we don't move, they'll find us, and everything we've worked for, everything Star is or will be theirs. We need to act. I know there is definitely something that might help us."
Star stirred at Zephyr's side, as if hearing his words. The little dragon let out a soft chirp, his eyes glowing faintly in the dim light of the cave. He wasn't yet fully grown, but the fire within him burned with the intensity of something ancient, something destined.
Fenna stood and crossed the room, her fingers brushing the map she had drawn of the valley. "I've been tracking the Guild's movements. They haven't sent more than two squads up the mountain passes so far, but that will change once they catch wind of us. The ruins are dangerous, Zephyr. They're not just ruins; they're cursed."
"I know," Zephyr said, his voice steady. "But if we want to stand a chance, we need to risk it. The Guild can't follow us there. They won't have the manpower to search every crevice. And Star…" He paused, looking at the dragonling, his heart swelling with a strange combination of pride and fear. "I think Star needs to be tested. He needs to grow beyond what we've done so far. The ruins hold something… something important."
Fenna's gaze softened, and she nodded. "You're right. I've seen Star's power grow every day, and with the bond you share, his potential is limitless. But be careful, Zephyr. The ruins are old. And those that've gone after them before…"