Chapter 193 Chapter 193

Chapter 193 Chapter 193

(Xander's POV)

I snapped back into reality and found the man with Mooncrest Tattoo still placing his hand on my forehead and I looked around me for a while, wondering where we were.

Then, slowly my memory came back. We had just left the temple of Mooncrest Seals and the man had told me he wanted to show something.

He beamed. “Congratulations on passing your final quest, now you can head to Black Hollow.”

I felt my pocket and I could feel the glowing memory crystal in them, and slowly, I remembered what the former guardian of Black Hollow had said about Fiona. 

Making up my mind to return with the long lost Horn of Vielor, I faced the tattooed man. “I'm ready.”

With a smile, the man waved his fingers in the air and a portal opened. “Walk in.”

I climbed into the portal that led to a massive black door.

“Black Hollow called and you answered,” the man said as we walked toward the massive black door.

Taking out three keys from his robe, he held them together and I watched stunned as the pieces merged and they turned to one key.

I watched as the Guardian cut his palm and placed it on the key and proceeded to open the door.

It flung open instantly and I stepped in. 

“Seek the Horn and you shall find it,” the man said and disappeared just as the door slammed shut.

I exhaled roughly. “This is it. Black Hollow.”

The new Black Hollow was terrifying. It was a gigantic cavern beneath a dead, hollow mountain.

There were enormous black roots growing through the ceiling with glowing blue veins running through the walls. Ancient bones were scattered everywhere with pieces of armor belonging to previous adventurers.

Black mist crawled along the floor, with enormous claw marks carved into the stone.

“That must be the dragon's,” I muttered to myself as I moved along the path. There was silence so complete that I could hear my own heartbeat.

Then, I saw the entrance. It wasn't shaped like a normal cave, it was shaped like a dragon's open mouth.

I walked into it and was met with ancient runes, sleeping creatures and invisible pathways.

I pulled out the memory crystal that was tucked in my pocket, hoping that it would do its magic and lead me to the Horn safely.

As I got closer I could feel the cavern tremble with each loud exhale that sounded like breathing. 

The hairs on my arm stood on end as I realized the dragon was alive, just sleeping deeply.

Moving as quietly as I could, I stepped further into the cavern which was getting more narrow.

I could see the memory crystal activate instantly, and I could feel the guardian's voice appear in my mind. “Three steps forward.”

I obeyed.

“Stop!” I halted in my tracks. “Do not touch the left wall.”

What?! There were magical traps on the way.

“Yes,” the guardian's voice spoke through the memory crystal. “There are pressure points on the floor, so move carefully or else, you awaken the dragon.”

I moved carefully this time. 

I noticed the ground turn silver.

“Stop breathing,” he said. 

I did so.

“Anytime the ground turns silver, stop breathing,” he commanded.

__________

The crystal led me to a huge chamber and finally, I saw it.

At first, I thought it was a huge mountain but as it exhaled loudly, I gasped at how massive the dragon was. It wasn't just large. It was ginormous.

Its full body was wrapped around an entire section of the cavern.

“Whoa,” I was stunned.

It had wings folded against its body which was covered in black scales with crimson cracks the color of lava.

Its large horn disappeared into the darkness above.

As I moved closer, I tiptoed to ensure that the dragon didn't stir, and that was when I saw the Horn of Vielor that I recognized from the trance.

It was lying directly beside the dragon's head and its tail circled it.

I looked at the scene before me and instantly sighed. “How am I supposed to retrieve the Horn?”

There was no way I could get to the Horn without waking the dragon. My initial plan was to grab the horn and make a run for it, but the dragon was guarding it.

The guardian’s voice came. “The key opens the chest that holds the horn… The stone absorbs the Horn’s residual magic while the memory crystal maintains the sleeping enchantment.”

I was still standing inches away from the sleeping dragon.

“If the horn is removed incorrectly, the dragon wakes,” he said.

“Figured,” I muttered under my breath. “The problem is how do I move?”

“The dragon doesn't wake from movement.” The guardian spoke. 

Wait… so all this while I'd been worried for nothing.

“It wakes from sound.”

Of course.

That explains the silence.

I moved closer in gingerly strides. So no talking, or weapons or dropping anything. No running… Was I even allowed to breathe?

Slowly, I approached the horn with no plan in mind other than ‘try to stay alive'.

Then the exact opposite happened when my boots crouched against a tiny piece of bone that was surprisingly loud.

The dragon’s eyes twitched.

I froze as it inhaled deeply, making the cavern shake violently.

I held my breath.