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The first thing Dusk noticed was the warmth and the dryness of the air around him. The second, once he opened his eyes, was the oppressive darkness that surrounded him. He had to physically reach up and touch his eyelids to make sure they were open, unconvinced that he was actually awake. His heart thumped in his chest, the thought that he was now blind streaking through his mind. As he sat up the blankets laying across him fell away and a dim glow caught his eye. He looked down to see that his shirt and cloak were gone along with the dragon scale. The crystal attached to his chest was glowing with a faint blue hue.
Breathing a sigh of relief that he hadn’t been blinded by the poison that knocked him out, he swung his legs over the edge of whatever he was lying on. Glancing about his eyes began to adjust to the darkness of the room. It looked as if he was in some sort of cave, but one that had been carved out purposefully. There was a table attached to the opposite wall and a bench in front of it also hewn from stone. On it sat his pack, bow, and quiver like they had been left out for him. He noticed he was sitting on the edge of a similar stone shelf that had been draped in soft blankets and furs to form a bed. On the far wall there was a heavy wooden door set into the stone. Just under the edge he could see a faint orange glow. He sat still for a moment in the darkness. Lex, Tara, and Nedarya were nowhere to be seen and he had no idea if he was imprisoned or worse. He jumped out of the bed and over to the stone table, using the glow of the crystal as his guide. The white dragon scale was lying next to his pack, but he left it there, needing the light to guide him. Rummaging through the bag his hand came across his spare cloak and the small bags of dragon dust they’d taken. Something hard and sharp poked his fingers and he pulled it out, the sapphire gems catching the light of the crystal. He’d forgotten about the crown from Calendia he’d kept out of spite, but that was a problem for another day. He pushed it back into the bag, promising to deal with it later. Finally he found what he was looking for and pulled out one of the daggers he kept before tucking it into his waistline.
Almost as if on cue, he heard a faint shuffling sound at the door and saw a shadow blocking the light from beneath it. Quickly as he could he crossed the room and slid back between the covers, keeping the dagger firmly in his right hand. He pulled the blanket up enough to cover the crystal just as the door latch lifted and it swung inwards, filling the room with a dull yellow light. Dusk screwed his eyes shut, listening to the soft footsteps that entered the room. The door was left partially open by the look of the light beyond his eyelids and the steps approached. He could almost feel them standing over him as they came to a halt, the rich smell of earth and herbs washing over him. Not wanting to see who would attack first, Dusk tore the covers back and lifted the dagger, ready to strike.
“I thought you’d be awake,” the unflinching dark figure said in a soft feminine voice. “The poison took a bit longer to wear off on you than your friends.”
“What do you want?” Dusk hissed, still holding the knife aloft. He didn’t trust the kind voice in front of him. He knew better. “Where are my friends?”
“I don’t want anything from you,” she said, cocking her head to the side in amusement. “I’m pretty sure you came here looking for us.” She paused for a moment. “Maybe some light will help.”
With a fluid gesture the figure swept her hand through the air and a palm-sized ball of light appeared, hovering above her hand. She pulled a small silver lantern from her side and gently pushed it inside before setting it on the stone bed next to them. Dusk looked up to see a tall, thin woman wrapped in a linen cloak. She had deep umber skin and honey-colored eyes that seemed to look straight through him. Her black hair was shaved close to her head and she wore an expression that seemed more friendly than Dusk was willing to accept. He’d learned long ago not to trust anyone and especially those who poisoned him as a greeting or those who seemed to be able to do magic.
“Don’t worry. Neither I nor anybody else here will hurt you,” she said, as if reading his thoughts. “We’re here to help.”
“What’s going on? Where am I?” Dusk kept the knife ready, knowing he needed to get out of there as fast as possible and find his friends. He kept his other hand on the crystal, ready to call on it if need be.
“You’re inside Anthurium Mountain. And I’m assuming you came here to see Lyra.” She glanced down at his hand on the crystal. “Don’t worry crystal-bearer, you are in safe company.”
“Who the hell is Lyra?”
“She’s the one you seek, the last of her kind.” She smiled gently as if the knife a few inches from her face didn’t worry her in the slightest. “My name is Selussa and you, I believe, are Dusk. You are Tephyss’s chosen champion.”
Dusk felt the weight on his shoulders double with those words. The knife slowly came downward until it rested on the bed, his hand still gripped around the hilt.
“There we go, that’s a good start,” she said, patting him on the knee gently. “I apologize for the way you were brought here, but myself and the other caretakers have to protect the island. Lyra is very special and there are those out there that would harm her. I’m sure you know whom I speak of.”
“The Circle?”
“Yes. Those and others like Queen Lobelia. Even with so much power, she is hungry for more and one that doesn’t eat away at her. She’s been a major concern of ours for a while. Although it seems the Circle also craves a similar power.”
“Is that what happens?” Dusk asked, remembering the graying skin of all those Circle members who used the powdered dragon bones. “With the dust I mean?”
“Yes,” she sighed. “The dragons have raw power woven into the very fabric of their being, but it was never meant to be used by anyone else. Anyone who tries is slowly eroded away by the magic. And those who use it find it addictive after a time. Usually, they can’t help themselves and will use it until they die, even when they know what’s happening.
“But that’s enough about that,” she said, shaking her head. “Why don’t you get dressed and I’ll take you to Lyra. You’re going to be with us for a while, but she wanted to see you as soon as you awoke.”
“Because Tephyss told me to come here to train?”
“Yes, that was the intent. As soon as Lyra sensed the presence of the eye she began to prepare for your arrival. We’ve been waiting for some time.”
Dusk pushed himself up from the bed and walked over to the table, grabbing his shirt. He was still alert, but beginning to relax around Selussa. She’d had plenty of chances to kill him and yet he was being treated kindly. There was something disarming about her that he couldn’t quite put his finger on, but it put him at ease. And his questions were being answered for the first time since he’d found the eye. There were so many he wanted to ask, he wasn’t sure where to start.
“We were pursued from the moment we stumbled upon Alamond,” Dusk replied, pulling his shirt over his head. “The goblins there came after us, then a group of bandits. But it wasn’t until the night I used the eye for the first time that the Circle knew I existed.”
“That was the night you burnt the bridge at the gorge,” Selussa responded, watching him from her seat on the edge of the bed. “Lyra saw through your eyes in that moment. What you’ve been able to accomplish with no training is incredible. She’s looking forward to figuring out what you are.”
“What I am?”
“Being able to access magic so quickly and fluidly is a rare gift. Even with Tephyss’s help, the feats you’ve pulled off would have been impossible for most.” She pushed herself up from her seat, clasping her hands behind her back. “Would you like to see the volcano?”
“Volcano?” Dusk choked, suddenly realizing why it was so warm.
“Don’t worry, it’s been subdued by Lyra. As long as she’s here the volcano will remain dormant. Come, follow me.”
Dusk breathed a sigh of relief and shouldered his pack and bow.
“You can leave those here,” Selussa nodded. “This is your room. But if you feel more comfortable with your weapons, feel free to bring them. You don’t know us yet after all.”
Dusk left his pack on the table but pulled the bow across his back along with the quiver. Following Selussa they exited the room and found themselves at the end of a long hallway with six doors set into the walls.
“Your friend’s rooms are here as well, but they woke up some time ago. This way.”
Selussa led Dusk up the long hallway. She held her lantern filled with the flameless sphere of light in front of her. Outside the rooms had been a handful of sconces filled with a similar light, but beyond them was only darkness. They walked for a few minutes, the smooth carved hallway bending slightly to the left. As they came around a sharp corner the space suddenly opened wide into a cavern so large that Dusk was sure the entire city of Emerald Deep would fit inside. He gazed across, astounded by the sheer size of the place. Stepping forward, he placed his hands on the railing and looked up to see an opening far above, the tiny speck of blue sky dotted with clouds. He glanced around noticing the spiral walkway that wound around the walls of the interior. Not far off to his left he noticed a tall chute that seemed to have been carved out of the stone. Down below he couldn’t make out much except for a winding trail of glowing orange that he assumed was lava from the stench of sulfur that made its way up to them.
“This is Anthurium Mountain, the home of Lyra.” Selussa gestured out across the wide open space. “Lyra lives at the bottom of the volcano where it is too hot for the rest of us. The rest of her caretakers have rooms much like yours.” She pointed across to the other side of the mountain. “There is outside access to where we keep animals and fields for food in the cradle of the hills. If there is anything you need repaired or remade, let us know and we’ll be sure to get it done. Almost all of the caretakers here have been blessed by Lyra to do small magicks, so they can repair most anything.” She smiled brightly, looking out over the space. She was easily one of the most happy people Dusk had ever met on their journey. Something about her oozed contentedness. “But you’ll be most interested in the peak, which is where Lyra will train you. Follow me. Your friends are waiting.”
Selussa turned to the right, leading Dusk down the walkway towards the long shaft that lined the one side of the volcano. He craned his neck back seeing that it led all the way up to the peak, disappearing through the small hole at the top. When they reached the spot Dusk noticed a small stone platform with a circle of railing in the center. Selussa stepped casually onto it with bare feet and Dusk followed behind.
“Hold on to the railing,” she said.
Before he could react Selussa reached down and touched one of the many arcane circles carved into the railing. The platform suddenly shifted and came away from the walkway. Dusk was sure they were going to plummet to their deaths, but to his surprise, the stone began to rise. Faster and faster it climbed, heading for the peak of the mountain at an incredible speed. After the fear of falling faded, he reveled in the new feeling of flying up through the air, the wind rushing past his ears and ruffling his hair. But as the opening began to grow larger and the sky spread out in front of him, he began to worry that they’d continue flying upwards and out of the mountain before crashing back down eventually. Selussa stood beside him, looking upward with a gentle smile on her face.
As they came within twenty feet of the hole the platform began to slow. Finally, it came to a stop exactly at the lip of the surface and with a resounding crack the stone fused to the wall, solidifying it in place. Selussa stepped off nonchalantly and Dusk followed behind her, his legs feeling weak and wobbly from the intense flight. He glanced over the edge as he stepped away and felt an overwhelming sense of vertigo as he stared down into the thousand feet of darkness below him. He felt himself teeter on the spot and Selussa’s hand shot out to grab his forearm.
“Probably best not to look over the edge until you’re used to it,” she said calmly. “It’s a long way down and I wouldn’t want you to fall. Although I doubt Lyra or Tephyss would let any harm come to you.”
Dusk nodded, stepping away from the edge of the hole. He glanced up, his breath suddenly taken away by the massive sheets of obsidian glass that stood in front of him. Ringing the outside of the hole were large walls of glass shimmering in the sun. As he and Selussa stepped forward he noticed thousands of iterations of himself reflecting back at him in the glass. It was dark enough that it produced a clear image, but the sun still shone through it on one side, giving the entire area a dark red wine glow. He noticed some of the glass had been carved away in places to create doorways and arches to allow people to pass through. It was such an incredible sight that he didn’t even notice his friends standing on the other side of the archway as he stepped through.
“Dusk!” Lex called, jogging up to him and grabbing him by the arm. Dusk could see his wounded arm was in a cloth sling and freshly bandaged. “Glad to see you’re finally awake!”
Dusk lowered his voice, pulling Lex into an unexpected hug, careful of his injury. “Can we trust these people?” he whispered in his ear.
“I think so,” Lex returned, he pulled away. “They’ve done nothing but care for us and treat us with kindness. They even patched up my arm.”
“I don’t think we have anything to worry about,” Tara said, taking a spot beside him. “I think we finally made it.” Her face broke into a rare grin. “After all this time, we’re here at last.”
Nedarya was quiet by her side, but gave him a small smile as well. She had her arms crossed over her chest and looked like she was still getting used to the new location. As Dusk’s vision focused beyond her he realized why she might have been looking uncomfortable. Not far away, curled up on the dark earth with her head held aloft, was a dragon, the largest Dusk had ever seen. She was easily half again larger than Tephyss and her scales were blood red with charcoal colored tips. She had two massive black horns that curled gracefully backward before shooting straight up. Her wings were folded at her sides and her front arms were crossed. She stared at them, her gaze falling on Dusk.
“Lyra would like to meet you at last,” Selussa said, giving the dragon a nod.
With fear and trepidation, Dusk followed Selussa across the blackened ground, leaving the walls of obsidian and his friends behind. At first, he kept his gaze trained on Lyra, but the closer they got the more he couldn’t stand to look her in the eye. Something about her oozed grace and wisdom that was impossible to comprehend. The dragons had been presumed extinct for over a thousand years and yet there she was, still alive. Dusk realized how long her life must have been and suddenly he felt insignificant standing in front of her. She’d seen at least ten of his lifetimes pass by from her mountaintop and probably twice that altogether at least. He stood with his head bowed in front of her as Selussa stopped. He knew anything he could say to her would be childish.
“So this is the human that comes to me bearing the Crystal Eye, the great gift of Tephyss.”