As they passed through the arch, Khollo caught sight of something glittering ahead. They continued walking and suddenly all around them were gleams of light on smooth surfaces.
A little more light, Kanin?
Kanin obliged and Khollo frowned, puzzled.
They were standing in a perfectly circular chamber, four dragon lengths across. Around the walls were eight statues of dragons, wings spread, mouths open. Each statue was carved from the same gleaming, dark stone, and each had two small, perfect rubies for eyes. The charred heads of torches protruded slightly from the open mouths of the frozen guardians.
Light those, Kanin.
Kanin paced the perimeter of the room and lit the torches with gentle flames from his mouth, then retreated to Khollo’s side. Finally, with all of the torches lit, Khollo realized what he was seeing, what this chamber had been used for.
The entire chamber was made of marble, even the vaulted ceiling above. In the center of the circular space was a round stone table, the symbol of the Keepers carved into its center. Between the statues of dragons ranged around the room were dozens of alcoves, rising in columns ten high. Each alcove was roughly semi-circular, but the bottom edge, which should have been flat, was ever so slightly curved. Most of the alcoves were empty, but the bottom three rows were full all the way around the perimeter.
Khollo moved quickly across the chamber to the nearest alcove and gasped. Sitting in front of him was a gleaming, oblong shape resting on its long axis, a deep crimson in color, gilded by the light of the torches. Had he been anywhere else, Khollo would have guessed they were stones or priceless jewels, but he knew these were far more precious than any jewel. He rapped on the shell gently, wary of damaging it. Hollow.
“Kanin,” he whispered.
Kanin’s eyes were whirling in disbelief. He nosed at the egg gently, setting it rocking. I sense the hatchling, he told Khollo in awe.
“You aren’t the last dragon after all,” Khollo murmured. “Nor will I be the last Keeper.” He turned slowly and looked around the chamber. There were dozens of full alcoves, and each one contained a glittering egg, all different colors and sizes, each containing a hope for the future.
Kanin roared in triumph, setting Khollo’s ears ringing. The ancient times return! The hatchlings stir, ready to crack their shells when the Keepers call! A new age dawns.
Khollo grinned and caressed the crimson egg in front of him. “A new age indeed,” he murmured, stunned by the responsibility which was now his. “The return of the Keepers.”
End of Book 2
About the Author
Paul Lauritsen has long been an avid reader and writer of fantasy literature. He began writing his first stories in junior high, developing and building his own worlds of adventure and heroism. The Keeper is the second volume of his four-book “Heirs of Legacy” series. Paul currently lives in Wisconsin, where he continues to write and develop new stories.
