The Dragon's Test (Book 3) (30 page)

Marlin led Erik through the hall and gestured for him to stop next to a simple iron crossed door at the end of the hall. Marlin produced a long, slender claw from a pocket and slid it into the opening under the knob. Golden rays snaked out from the brass key plate, reaching and stretching across the iron bands over the door. The metal glowed and vibrated against the wood.

Marlin stood
back and looked to Erik. “Go on,” he said. “Open it.”

Erik hesitated momentarily and
then turned the knob. The latch clicked and the door gently fell open.

Marlin reach
ed forward and removed the claw. “Hang on to this,” he said as he offered it to Erik.

Erik took the claw and then
stepped through the doorway. Marlin followed and pushed the door closed behind him. The steps steeply descended down a tight spiral. Small, goat horn sconces adorned the wall every seven feet to illuminate the tunnel and caused the gold inlay between the red bricks to shimmer and dance.

At the bottom of the stairs the brick opened up into a green marble tunnel. Torches hung silently halfway dow
n the smooth, hard walls. Erik put his hand on the wall and gently stroked the surface. As he walked deeper into the tunnel a golden radiance appeared, growing brighter and brighter until he stood in a large antechamber made entirely of gold with glowing crystals hanging from the ceiling.

A small golden dragon head protruded from the l
eft wall. The eyes were open, made of jade, and staring at him.

“Wait for one moment,” Marlin told Erik as he walked up to the dragon’s head. “As we told you before, the other initiates of the temple go through the Test of Arophim. It is not the same as the test you are about to experience. The Test of Arophim is administered by the prelate, and it usually is held in the training room, or in the council chamber at the top of the temple. However, you are going to go through the
Exalted
Test of Arophim. This has never been done before.” Marlin paused and smiled at Erik. “I want you to know that it has been an honor to work with you,” he said.

Erik nodded, he fumbled for the appropriate thing to say but all that came out of his mouth was, “Thank you.”

Marlin smiled and slid his index finger over the dragon’s head. A small hole opened in the top and Marlin pointed to Erik’s hand. “Now you will insert the claw into this hole.”

Erik moved forward and went to put the claw in.
The jade eyes began to glow. Green light exuded from the dragon’s eyes until it enveloped Erik and Marlin entirely. After a few moments, the light died down and then the golden mouth opened, revealing a key on the dragon’s tongue.

A door materialized in the wall at the end of the hall. The bricks cracked and crumbled as golden light ripped through the green marble, revealing the golden door. A large golden eye opened on the door
.

“What’s inside?” Erik asked.

“That is the test for you to find out,” Marlin said with a smile. He placed his hands on Erik’s shoulders. “I wish you all the luck in the world,” he said. “Now take the key and slide it into the keyhole in the eye.” Marlin then backed away.

“You aren’t coming in with me?” Erik asked.

“No,” Marlin said. “No one is permitted into this test except those who claim to be the Champion of Truth.”

Erik nodded and watched Marlin disappear back through the tunnel. Then he turned and looked at the key on the dragon’s tongue for a long time, occasionally glancing up to the keyhole in the door nervously.

“Come on,” Erik said to himself. “This is what you wanted.” He reached forward with a trembling hand and took the key from the statue. He moved to the door and slid the key into the pupil and turned it. The tumblers inside clicked and snapped. The door slid back three inches and then sank into the floor below.

Erik
took a deep breath and held it for a moment. The stark darkness beyond the open doorway gave him more than a little reason to pause. There seemed to be nothing beyond the doorway. Finally a faint red glow appeared and Erik heard a voice.

“Enter, Champion
,” the deep, thunderous voice said. There was a strength and vibrancy in the voice that unsettled Erik.

Erik
stepped into the darkness and pushed forward, aiming to go to the red glowing light. A few yards into the next chamber the door behind him rose up from the floor and sealed the way back. Chills ran through Erik’s spine and his feet halted in mid step for a moment. After a couple of seconds he continued going forward. He made no more than four steps before the red light winked out and he was left in total darkness.

“Is the Champion afraid of the dark?” the voice bellowed. “Can’t you banish the darkness?”

Erik felt uneasy, sick to his stomach. He thought to turn around and go back, but he pressed forward a couple more steps. Then he stopped and concentrated hard on his power. “Shall I use the spark?” Erik asked.

“If you can,” the voice echoed.

Erik nodded to himself and slowly raised his hands before him. He felt the cold, icy fingers of fear swiping at his back from the shadows, but he put the feeling out of his mind and concentrated on summoning the light from within himself. Unlike before, he found it almost easy to conjure the spark within himself. It started as a fuzzy tingling behind his sternum, and then it grew until his whole upper torso felt hot. He barely opened his mouth to shout when the darkness evaporated and he found himself standing in a great hall of blue stone.

Great, thick columns held up the high, vaulted ceiling. Statues of human warriors were carved into the walls behind the pillars and the floor was polished to such a high shine that Erik could almost see himself in the stone beneath his feet.

It took him several minutes to reach the large stone pedestal in the center of the chamber. Next to it a fist-sized garnet sat upon a golden candlestick with smaller jasper stones placed into the base of the stick. Erik resisted the urge to reach out and touch the jewels. He brought his attention to the pedestal and searched it. Its surface was covered in ancient runes, most of which he had never seen before. Each of them glowed just enough to be seen, but not as bright as a candle burns.

“That was impressive,” the voice echoed through the hall.

Erik wheeled around, but saw no one there. He reached into his power again, seeking to find the source of the voice. When he turned back and looked beyond the pedestal, his mouth fell open and he nearly staggered backward in shock. His power had found the source of the voice, but it was not anything he had expected to see.

A great, golden leg rested before him. He stared at the shield-sized scales briefly before following the leg up to t
he shoulder, glancing nervously at the long spikes protruding from the dragon’s spine. He then looked to the great, angular jaws filled with teeth the size of spears protruding through the thin, leathery lips. The eyes opened slowly, revealing great green orbs flecked with gold and red specks. The long, angled pupil shrank quickly and then widened slightly as the eye shifted to focus on the boy.

“Impressive indeed,” the dragon said in its deep, throaty voice. “You have blossomed very quickly,” he said.

“How can you be here?” Erik asked. “I thought all the dragons left a long time ago.”

“The temple protects me from the power of
Nagar’s Secret,” the dragon replied. “So long as I do not stay awake for too long.”

“And you are here to find the Champion of Truth?” Erik asked.

“I am,” the dragon said. Its large, penetrating eyes locked with Erik’s and the boy felt a chill run through him. The dragon’s stare was more intense than any Marlin had ever given. “Are you ready to begin the test?”

Erik looked behind him and replied innocently, “I thought it already began.”

The dragon chuckled and plumes of smoke spurted out through its nostrils. “That was only a warm up.”

Erik nodded. “So what do I need to do?” he asked. His voice cracked in the middle of the question, but he stood still and tried to display confidence.

The dragon reached forward and placed a claw over the pedestal. A large, brown book appeared before him. “Open the book,” the dragon commanded. “We shall see if you can resist its power.”

Erik stepped close and stared at it. “Is this…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the question. He could feel the darkness inside, and he had his answer. “If I open it, won’t it affect you?”

“Why would you say that?” the dragon asked.

“A book I read
says that the mere presence of the book Nagar’s Secret would warp dragons,” Erik replied. “If the book is here, and I open it, it could destroy you.”

“You worry about me?” the dragon laughed. “If you want to pass the test, you will have to open the book.”

Erik slowly reached forward and placed a hand on the bottom corner of the large tome. The leather felt cold to the touch. He thought to open it, but then he pulled his hand back and stepped away from the pedestal. “I can’t open this,” he said. “I am to destroy the book.”

The dragon leaned down close and its hot breath washed over Erik as it spoke. “You would destroy it?” the dragon asked. “Why would you do that?”

“Because it would enslave everyone,” Erik replied. “It would take away our will and destroy us.”

“Hmm,” the dragon said. “You are wise, for such a young boy.”

Erik then looked at the book and had a strange thought. He reached into himself and used his power on the book. Then he grinned. “That isn’t the book,” he said.

The dragon smiled, drawing its leathery lips tight over its sharp teeth. “I never said it was
Nagar’s Secret,” he said. “You only assumed.”

Erik then looked to the large book. “But it is evil,” he said. “I can feel that much.”

The dragon nodded. “It is indeed,” he confirmed. Then he placed a claw under the cover and flipped it open. “It is called the Chronicles of the Spurned,” the dragon said. A ghastly screech erupted from the book and Erik was wrapped in a cold, silver mist. “You must witness its contents.”

Erik’s very soul froze in horror as he watched the pages before him. Instead of words, they held pictures. As the pages turned, the pictures began to move as if a scene was unveiling itself before him. Demons and warlocks appeared, ravaging the countryside and laying waste to entire villages and towns. Behind them came another, clothed in black robes and holding a large jewel with which he raised the dead corpses and bound them to his will. The army washed over the land like a plague of locusts until it reached Valtuu Temple.

“This is what is coming,” the dragon roared above the din of the magical book.

Erik’s eyes grew wide as Valtuu Temple was engulfed in flames and collapsed to the ground. The man
with the jewel then pulled a black book from the rubble and opened it. A great red flare erupted from the pages as though it contained a massive volcano and demons and monsters poured out from the pages of the book.

“Now look!” the dragon bellowed.

Erik watched as the pages turned again and a great dragon flew in from the south on wings of fire. His great breath spewed black fire and lightning over the kingdom and all melted away before him until he stood alone atop a glossy black granite mountain.

“He is Tu’luh the Red,” the dragon said. “And he comes to claim this land.”

The boy couldn’t move. His eyes were transfixed on the dragon in the book. At the base of the mountain laid an ocean of corpses. Then the dragon roared and a great crackle of lightning struck the ground. Those who were dead were given their lives back, though now they were all twisted and disfigured, like the demons that had come with the man to the temple.

“He will rule over all in the Middle Kingdom,” the dragon hissed. “Unless the Champion of Truth stops him.”

Erik felt a hot wave as the dragon in the book roared again and its eyes locked onto Erik. Somehow, Tu’luh the Red could see him. At that moment, Erik recognized the dragon’s eyes. It was the same pair of glowing eyes that he had seen in Bracken’s house, in the warlock’s secret chamber.

The boy’s fear melted away, replaced in an instant by a visceral anger that welled up inside of him until he yelled in anger. The power of his spark shook the room and the light blasted into the evil book and burned it to ashes. The silver mist dissipated and Erik was left kneeling on the floor, gasping for breath.

He looked up to see the golden dragon smiling and looking into his eyes. “You are strong indeed,” he said. “Perhaps you do have the power to change what is coming.”

Erik huffed and sucked in a couple of breaths before nodding. “That cannot be our future,” he said.

“There is another way,” the dragon said.

Erik pushed himself up and
looked to the dragon.

“Let me show you the alternative.” The dragon waved his massive claws before Erik’s face and Erik was swept back. The temple fell away around him and he found himself on a green mountain looking down at the temple. The ground shook beside him and he turned to see the golden dragon standing next to him. “The power of
Nagar’s Secret is not necessarily evil,” he said. “It can be used for good.”