CHAPTER 30: RELIC ALTAR!

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"They’ve never returned," Zephyr finished for her, a hard edge creeping into his tone. "I know. But that’s why we have to go. We’ll be the first to survive them."

With resolve, Zephyr stood, walking toward the cave’s entrance, where the wind howled outside, sending a chill through the stone walls. The snowstorm outside had intensified, but that wouldn’t stop them. He had made up his mind. The ruins awaited, and the Guild was getting closer. The time for hiding was over.

Fenna came to stand beside him, her hand resting on the hilt of her short blade. "I’ll stand by you, Zephyr. Always."

Zephyr turned to face her, his heart heavy with a newfound purpose. "Thank you."

One Hours Later...

The storm had turned fierce, whipping snow through the air in blinding sheets. Zephyr and Fenna had packed what little gear they could carry, including supplies for Star. The dragonling, having grown used to the cold, now perched on Zephyr’s shoulder, his tiny claws gripping tightly as they trudged through the snow. The trek up the valley would be difficult, but they had no choice.

The guild’s presence was a shadow over their every step. Their hideout was no longer safe. Zephyr could feel the pulse of his own bloodline within him, stirring with an urgency he hadn’t felt before. He wasn’t just running from the Guild, he was running toward something greater.

The cold nipped at their faces as they climbed higher, past the cliff edges and into the mountains. The air grew thinner as they ascended, but Zephyr didn’t falter. He couldn’t afford to. Star’s steady warmth was a constant reminder of what he was fighting for, and the echoes of his first awakening, the shame of being an F-rank, the mockery, the ridicule were slowly being replaced with something new. A promise. A promise to himself that he would not remain the weak, forgotten boy forever.

The path was treacherous, but they pressed on. The further they traveled, the more Zephyr could feel the pull of the ruins. The mountains seemed to hum with an ancient energy, as if the very stones themselves remembered what had been lost. As they approached the entrance to the ruins, the air grew thick with a strange sense of foreboding.

Fenna, walking behind him, gave him a concerned look. "Zephyr... do you feel that?"

Zephyr nodded. "I do. It’s like the mountains are alive, watching us."

Star chirped softly, his wings twitching as he perched on Zephyr’s shoulder. Zephyr turned to him. "Stay close, little one. We’re about to step into the unknown."

They continued forward until they reached the entrance to the ruins. The stone archway loomed before them, covered in moss and vines, the symbols carved into the stone barely visible in the dim light. Zephyr hesitated for only a moment before stepping inside.

As they entered, a wave of ancient energy washed over them, and Zephyr could feel the weight of centuries pressing down on him. The temperature inside was warmer than outside, but the air was thick with dust and age. The ruins stretched out before them, a labyrinth of stone and forgotten history.

Zephyr’s heart raced as he moved deeper into the ruins, following the pull of his bloodline. He could feel it now, the connection between him and the dragon mark he carried, the bond he had yet to fully comprehend. The dragon mark on his hand was the key, and the ruins were the gateway.

They walked for what felt like hours, winding through the maze of stone. Finally, they arrived at a large chamber, its ceiling high and cracked, letting in faint beams of light. In the center of the room stood an altar, and on the altar was a pedestal. Zephyr could feel the power radiating from it, and instinctively, he stepped forward.

The moment he did, the dragon mark he carried on his hand began to pulse with a soft light.

The chamber was silent except for Zephyr’s heartbeat. Dust motes drifted through pale shafts of light from the cracked ceiling. The pedestal in the center seemed to breathe, faint lines of gold threading across its stone as though veins beneath ancient skin.

Across the back of Zephyr’s left hand, the Dragon Taming Mark, that swirling sigil of proof burst into light. It pulsed like a living heart, answering an older call deep inside these forgotten walls.

Star fluttered from Zephyr’s shoulder and settled on the altar. Violet edged wings unfurled, scattering dust. A resonant hum swelled until Zephyr felt it vibrating in his ribs.

"Zeph?" Fenna’s voice quivered. She raised her lantern. Wall carvings of crowned tamers and serpentine dragons flared gold.

[Ding! System notifications: Relic Altar Detected.

Dragon-Mark resonance 92 %.

Touch the altar to begin the Draconic Trial.

Warning: Trial guardians active.]

Zephyr glanced at Fenna. "There must be Guardians... ready?"

"Always." She drew her bone dagger.

He pressed his glowing hand to the pedestal. Runes locked around his palm then sunlight exploded.Two colossal statues cracked open. Obsidian armor gleamed beneath shedding stone. Twin eyes ignited crimson.

[Cindervault Guardians. Rank B. Sentinels of Dragonkind heirs. Weakness: Dragon Beast.]

Star hissed. Zephyr felt Command Aura Tier 1 hum to life. "Take one at a time!" he ordered.

The first guardian’s axe split the floor. Zephyr rolled. Star Spark Dashed, claws screeching across the visor. Fenna’s flash powder burst on the second guardian’s helm, blinding it long enough for her to slash its knee joint.

Zephyr inhaled, focused, and pushed his aura: "Kneel!" The blinded sentinel buckled. Fenna plunged her blade behind its collar. After that Star bites in the same spot and snaps the head. Stones scatter all over the place.

The second guardian thundered toward Zephyr. Star breathed fire; rune etchings glowed cherry red, then cracked. Zephyr leapt and slammed his chisel through the exposed core. The construct froze, fissured, and shattered in a storm of shards.

Silence fell. For a few seconds none of them talk. They just enjoy the calmness.

Light poured from the walls into a single golden coil. A fiery emblem dragon wrapped around a heart stone hovered before Zephyr.