Chapter Twenty One - The Mausoleum

Reaching the dark wooden arc, Noah was able to see through it and into the area passed the hedged fencing.

The path under the dark wooden arc turned from a wide gravelled path to white stone slabs, two metres wide and long per slab. Noah could only imagine the strength someone would need to move such large stone slabs, the more he looked at the slabs the more they reminded him of the Dragon Keeps walls.

The path led to around a large building, going close to 30 metres into the sky.

There were small ponds surrounded by reeds and other flowers; in the pond, there were leaves that joined together to make a diamond shape. The centre of the leaves an emerald green and their edges a rusty red.

Noah was in awe at the building, the architecture was something that Noah would have never thought even existed. The building had multiple white pillars; strongly holding the winged roof that raised into the sky, on top of it. He walked along the path before moving closer to the building.

The walls behind the columns were a few metres in, they had writing on the walls, Noah recognised some them as runes; that was very similar to the spire of his village from the distance. They might be closer to a near-exact match to them.

Instead of investigating further into it, Noah was dying of thirst and ran over to the pond cupping his hands and gulping down water to quench the dry throat he had developed. The water was soaking into his amour as he cupped water and threw it into his mouth, the splashes dribbling down his chin and onto it.

The front of his armour was drenched in the front, a V down the leather padding. Instead of standing up straight away Noah chose to lay down and rest for a few minutes before continuing his exploration.

He glared at the sun as he was lying down on the grass, confused at how it hadn't moved in all the time he had been exploring in this place. The garden outside of this building and area was exceedingly beautiful and colourful, leading to this alluring building and columns which Noah could not figure out where it would be in the whole Empire; even in the whole continent.

Standing back up to walk against the wall behind the columns; Noah followed the edge, feeling the wall under his hand. The white material was smooth to the touch other than the indents. The runes engraved into the wall curved and twisted making different shapes, the wall felt like it was humming against his hand as he walked around the building following the direction the close by the path was taking.

Turning the corner and looking for an entrance. He discovered around the wall's corner and opposite the building was a gigantic; pearl white, dragon. It's head alone was around 3 metres tall. Its wings were covering the main body from Noah's sight, it's tail curling around the front of itself where Noah couldn't see.

Not knowing how to react, his breath was sucked in and held down. He did not want to spook such a fearsome creature from its slumber. He let go of the wall and backed slowly to the path knowing if the dragon wanted to a simple whip from that tail would break his body, he wasn't a Dragon Trooper like Oliver who could mess around with such a thing.

Slowly letting his breath out he took side steps back onto the path and around more and more, not sure the way he could approach it without being hurt. Noah felt time slow down, the floating leaves in the ponds staying still.

Each step Noah felt his heart pound, the sound of blood rushing around his body. No training of any sorts could prepare Noah for this. The pearl-like shine to the dragon reflected the sun as he sidestepped around, once he was a fair distance away Noah started to see the tail curl around the front of it; the dragons head rested on the ground, its tails tip just under its chin. Wrapped around what Noah could only presume was its egg.

It had its eyelids closed, the wing covered most of where the tail was curling other than right under its chin where it wrapped around its egg; the egg was more of a darker grey, it stood up right where it had been curled around at least 3/4 of a meter.

As Noah stared at the egg after tearing his eyes away from the dragons resting face. A small sound echoed in his ears...

Badoomp - Badoomp - Badoomp ...

A beat echoed in his ears, so close to his own heartbeat he almost missed it. It followed just after a millisecond of his own.

Thump - Badoomp - Thump - Badoomp - Thump - Badoomp

His heart was speeding up as his eyes opened up wider, he could swear that the other beat was coming from the egg, but it was like he had his ear up to it. Getting lost in the eggs gleam as it bounced the sun off it, the sound kept getting louder and louder.

Noah was suddenly pulled by his shoulder nearly flying around, his eyes wide at the feeling of someone having their hand on their shoulder. He didn't see anyone earlier and was looking for help but to be suddenly grabbed and turned, Noah felt his heart drop like a rock.

The world span so fast, Noah couldn't figure out was going on and thought that the tail had actually smacked his shoulder without him realising it had moved. When he stopped he was staring at a man with a bushy white beard down to his chest, the hair equally as long and white. Giving him a sense of wisdom and age.

His eyes were piercing blue stared into Noahs, "What are you doing here. You don't belong here. Return from where you came." Feeling the particles along his body react to those words, the vibrations in the particles and air acted like they had been called upon by God.

Noah could only stare back into the eyes confused at what was happening. After all, he had gone through and what he had done this is how he was going to die. As the particles wrapped and squeezed his body, feeling like a snake coiling around its prey.

Breathing became impossible, the light started fading from Noah's eyes when something unexpected happened. The chain around his neck with the ring started to suck the particles of aura from around his body into it, converting it and changing the colour it was to flashing white and black spreading out from his chest and under the current particles that were wrapping themselves around him.

The man's eyes changed from piercing to shock, "Stop, what are you doing. Where did you get that?!"

Not giving an answer or having time Noah loss the ability to see and the cold pierced his body. Recalling this sensation form how he got there originally he gave in, rather not dying from this old man.

When Noah felt the cold disappear from his bones, he once again opened his eyes slowly concerned he was now once again in a strange garden. The light was so bright against his eyes, it took a few seconds to readjust to it.

By the time he could see, he could hear footsteps coming towards him. His heart started pounding worried that it was going to be that white-haired old man. Closing his fists, he rolled away and pushed himself up; his eyes finally adjusting and letting him see his master strolling towards him.

"Did you hit your head while doing your laps? Hurry up. Get back to the house and get your sword already."

Quin watched Noah jog to the house, his eyes spotting that Noah looked in shock but not saying anything out of the ordinary. Checking over that he found Noah, he could still feel fluctuations in the air...

"Strange..."