"Brantley Frazier, King of Aztec. He is a dragon rider."
Her skin tingled with excitement. "There are dragons out there?" she was full of surprise as her eyebrows shot to the ceiling.
He laughed. "Only two that we know of."
"Oh! I would love to meet them!"
"I can take you to meet them, but mind it they are pretty moody."
But Anastasia was already thinking about how she would dragons. She had read about them in the books in the library. She became excited that she took a great decision to get out of Vilinski, but a thought flickered across her mind and all her excitement fizzled. She had to find Iona first. Her shoulders slumped. And why was she feeling the pull towards the energy in the stream? She took a deep breath to filter that feeling out of her heart, but the ether vibrated in her chest—aching to come out.
Ileus pulled her closer to him. "Are you okay?"
"I am…" her voice drawled. Once they would reach Óraid, she would leave him. That thought left bitterness in her heart. She swallowed saliva down her throat pushing the bile that was forcing to the surface.
"Anastasia," he said, drawing her attention to him. "The Lore is as beautiful a place as it is dangerous. You are on a run from Aed Ruad. Would you like to tell me your plans once you reach Óraid?"
How could the man read her thoughts? It was miraculous! Her lips pursed into a thin line and her hands went to the back of her neck where she rubbed her tense muscles. "There's nothing important to tell." She exhaled heavily. "But that brings me to a question."
"I am excited to hear it," his tone was flat.
"Why did you help me escape?"
Suddenly another rumble inside the tunnel diverted their attention. And it was coming from behind them.
"We must increase our pace!" Guarhal, who was leading the group, shouted.
They nudged their horses to move as fast as they could. As they passed through the tunnel Ileus asked her, "Do you feel or hear the humming sound of the luminescence?"
There was no humming sound, but she had been feeling the pull. It was as if the clusters inside the stream were craving to touch her. And the pull was stronger since the morning. Her blood was thrumming with energy, it tickled her skin. It was a new feeling and she thought that it was strange. Was she poisoned again? But that couldn't be. Because this feeling was fresh, like wild flowers that bloomed on the mountains all around Vilinski. It was like the aroma of the orchards in the gardens of the palace, which wafted in the air during summers—summers, which were so short-lived but tangy as hell.
"I can feel the pull, but there is no humming sound," she replied honestly.
He tightened his embrace around her saying, "I don't want you jumping out of the saddle."
She chuckled. "That is highly unlikely."
Ileus nudged his horse to go past Guarhal and she looked at Nyles who was sleeping and her head was resting on Zlu's back. She frowned.
He went past Guarhal but when he was about to overtake him, Guarhal said, "Take it easy on Lovac!"
"Who is Lovac?" Anastasia asked, hearing that name for the first time.
"Our horse!" Ileus replied and galloped past Guarhal.
"Ah!" That was the first time she came to know the beautiful stallion's name and she loved it. "What does Lovac mean?"
"Wind speed!"
The entire caravan behind them had to move rapidly to catch up with them. Soon they had travelled halfway down the tunnel, the ceiling soaring gradually until all that was visible of it was the dim white glow of the flower shaped stalactites that dotted the ceiling. The vast expanse of the ground seemed endless. Very few rocks and boulders littered the ground, but what intrigued Anastasia was that the stream widened suddenly in the middle of this cavern and became a lake. A bridge almost two stories high, rose before the stream. It widened as broad, shallow steps spiraled up the carved sides.
There was a towering statue on the other end, taller than the bridge itself resting on a platform. Anastasia's eyes became wide when she looked where the statue ended. It almost reached the roof, its head only faintly discernible in the darkness. The statue was of a man sitting on a throne, with his left palm resting on its armrest and the other holding the pommel of a sword. The bridge ended near his feet, the huge sword near his right foot. Built with what looked like cracked white marble, it was imposing in its height.
Awe filled her gaze as it moved slowly to his face watching when it became more visible, as they traversed the cavern. When she saw his eyes, she stared into them. It seemed to follow her as she moved. She shivered before quickly looking away.
As they reached the steps of the bridge where they could begin their ascent, she peered at the base of the platform on the other side of the lake, before quickly jerking back aghast. Skulls of various species lay there in what seemed to be massive piles of bones.
She gulped.
Ileus directed Lovac to the stairs.
"That statue—is that a Fae?" She couldn't help asking as she watched it.
Ileus held her tightly as Lovas started climbing the stairs. "Yes, according to the Yardraks, he was the first ruler that they served. They commemorated him by making a statue. And this was thousands of years back." At first Lovac hesitated a little and stopped. Ileus had to pat him by bending in front.
That position made Anastasia bend forward too. So she stroked Lovac's velvety skin too. "I like his name," she remarked as she fondly rubbed his neck. Lovac started moving forward.
"He likes you," Ileus said in a soft voice.
"Yes, I am a likable person."
"By horses?"
"By horses also."
"Who else likes you Anastasia?" he asked, his voice husky.