Page 99 of Elemental Becoming

“But you don’t believe they are revealing all they know,”I press.

“I do not.”

“And you don’t like it.”I lean forward slightly.“Don’t deny it, Calryx. I can feel it.”

A pause.

“I would never lie to you,”she says.“Nor withhold what I have the choice to give.”

The words settle.

“Yes,”she adds quietly.“I wish they would speak more freely.”

I chew on my lip, my mind racing. If the eggs are bound to the magics of the realm, then their stillness means something has shifted in the balance itself.

But what? And why now?

I look toward the horizon, my heart pounding a little faster.

“Then what needs to be restored?”I ask.“To wake them?”

“You are asking the right questions, Amara,”Calryx replies.“But I believe we must find the answers ourselves.”

I nod once, more to myself than to her.

Calryx shifts beneath me, her wings adjusting against the current.

“Maybe if we go to the ones who do know.”

I go still.

I already know.

“Mythren Valley,”I say.“The Guardians.”

The name alone makes my heart pound.

Unbonded dragons. Ancient. Untethered. Protectors. Keepers of knowledge no rider has ever claimed.

Calryx’s voice hardens, not harsh but absolute.“They will not give you answers lightly.”

I lift my chin, the decision already made.

“Then I will earn them.”

A low hum of approval rolls through her.

“That is a good answer.”

We fly in silence for a while.

The wind bites at my cheeks, sharp and cold at this height, despite the sun burning bright above. The sky stretches endless and unbroken, a vast canvas of blue.

Calryx’s scales catch the light, reflecting hints of blue, green, and pink flickering across her sleek form. She is breathtaking up here. A creature of legend. Of raw power.

And yet, even she does not have all the answers.

Breathing in deep, I feel the crisp air move down my nasal passages. Thoughts turn and twist in my mind.