Discovery

DISCOVERY.

It won’t be long before they return. The thought snapped Cedric out of his daze. He put the arrow back into the quiver and slung the bow around his shoulder. Taking the reins, he led Aralon deeper into the dark forest. The thickening, icy fog allowed them to only see a few feet ahead. Cedric shivered. It seemed to get colder the further they went. Everything in the forest was silent. The only sound that could be heard was his and Aralon’s soft steps on the pine needles, and the occasional clank of the stirrups. His eyes darted all around the forest for any signs of danger. The wispy tendrils of the mist continued snaking its way through the forest, leaving no surface untouched by its cool embrace. Large green ferns adorned the bases of some of the trunks and dark emerald moss crept up the rocks.

In his peripheral vision a soft white glow caught his eye. They stopped. To the left was the shape of a clearing, the glow coming from within. Cedric walked back to Aralon’s side, where he unsheathed a small sword strapped to the saddle. “Wait here,” he commanded before advancing, sword held defensively.

The clearing was surrounded by thick pines that towered into the sky. In the centre was a large, rectangular rock with a perfectly flat surface, about three feet high. The entire surface of the rock gleamed with sharp white streaks that resembled lightning. Lying in the middle was a small circular piece of silver. A ring. Cedric narrowed his eyes with intrigue and looked around the clearing suspiciously. Was this a trap? What kind of lure was this? He moved closer to inspect it. It was dark silver, with intricate engravings on its round surface.

He tried to reach for it. For support he placed his left palm on the large stone. As his hand made contact with one of the lightning streaks a loud clash of thunder roared from above. The engravings on the ring flashed bright green and a shockwave swept outwards from it, sending his sword flying across the clearing. His mind raced and a wave of horror washed over him. The dragon. The Talindors. The sword. Could this be…?