The Lost Dragon (Cycle of Dragons Book 3) by Dan Michaelson (good summer reads .txt) 📗

When she was gone, I turned my attention to the opening. It wasn’t the way I wanted to spend my day, but perhaps practicing, learning this pattern, and trying to uncover some other aspect of how I could use the magic was the right way to spend my day.

I focused on the opening and started to create a spiral, using her pattern. As it struck, the spiral dissipated once again. That wasn’t quite right.

I had to find the proper pattern and technique. I wasn’t at all sure what it was going to take, but I was determined to try. Besides, I had nothing else to do until Thomas returned but wait. I might as well prepare for my inevitable testing.

I just hoped I was tested soon.

It was time for me to have a bigger role in protecting the kingdom.

12

It was early evening, and my stomach still rumbled. Or maybe it had stopped for a while, but started again. I lost track of it, which was easy to do, given that I had been trying the same pattern over and over again throughout the day, never with much success.

I still hadn’t managed to hold the same pattern Eleanor had, though I was getting closer. As I attempted it, I could feel the energy sizzling out, as if there were something about the way I held on to the power that prevented it from solidifying.

I suspected it was as she said—that I failed to maintain the pattern as I pushed it away from me—but knowing that didn’t make it any easier for me to do. I tried the same thing over and over again, attempting to find that pattern, to force it out from me, and to push it in a way that would allow me to hold it, but I could not.

It would take more practice.

I had time, but I was tired enough that I didn’t want to take the time. Instead, there was something else gnawing at me, a curiosity that had filled me while I was throwing flames at the opening. Even though I had formed the patterns, and had continued to push them out at the opening, I kept wondering what was on the other side of that opening.

It was small, not large enough to fit a dragon, so it certainly wouldn’t have been the way the dragon was brought into the Academy before, but could I slide in there? Even if I could, what would I find?

She had said this was a place of the Djarn.

That would make it powerful.

I wondered what else might be inside.

Eleanor had made a point of saying I shouldn’t venture inside.

In my mind, that meant I needed to know.

I glanced behind me. Every so often, I had noticed the gardeners moving around the garden, though they had given me a wide berth, as if they were afraid of the uncontrolled nature of the power I threw at the opening. Of course they would be afraid of it. It made sense for them to fear something I didn’t yet have complete control over.

There was no sign of them now. I figured it was as good a time as any to attempt to see what was inside. I crawled toward the opening. The stone was warm where the flames had struck it, though I had not damaged it, either. That made me think Eleanor had done something to the stone, either further solidifying it or trying to secure it, so there would be no impact to it. Either that, or the Djarn had done something to it.

I crawled forward, and the darkness quickly swallowed me.

As I moved forward, I held my hands in front of me and cycled power from the dragons from one hand to the next to create a narrow band of light to illuminate my passing.

The tunnel was large enough for me to crawl through, but not any larger than that. The stone surrounded me, rough and irregular, a naturally occurring cave. I had wondered if maybe this was built here, but the farther I crawled, the less that seemed to be the case.

I reached a branch point.

One side was narrow, small enough that I’d have to crawl on my belly, and I had no interest in attempting that. Plus, there was the possibility I’d get stuck, and without anybody else with me, I had no idea that I’d be able to escape. The alternative was going down a narrow tunnel, though not nearly as narrow as the other side. I could still crawl.

That was the side I took.

I suspected that branch point guided me toward the city.

I continued crawling, keeping the band of light in front of me, and made my way through the tunnel. It didn’t get any easier for me to figure out where I was going, yet the tunnel didn’t narrow any more than it already had, so I kept crawling.

I wasn’t going to be able to turn around. The tunnel was far too cramped to attempt that. Maybe this had been a mistake.

Finally, it opened up.

It was enormous.

It looked as if it were some grand hall, with a curved ceiling that was carved with strange symbols. Djarn symbols, I suspected. I could practically feel the power in this place, and understood why Eleanor would keep it protected with a seal over the door. This was a place to study.

From the outside, it looked like nothing.

Distantly, I heard water running, though I couldn’t tell where it came from.

I crawled forward, wanting to get closer and deeper into this space, but hesitated.

I still had my task.

I crawled back and reached the branching tunnel. Curiosity won out.

Starting down it, I followed the other tunnel a bit longer. Now that I was no longer in danger of having to back out of the tunnel, I could take the time to explore. I reached a dead end.

I ran my hands along the wall, feeling the stone and the earth, the dampness of it, and couldn’t help but think that