The Dragon's Shield

Lynaria was almost past the castle gates when she was caught by Kaelron. With a sharp, cautious expression, Kaelron immediately stopped her.

"You're hiding something from me, Lynaria. What are you up to?"

Lynaria, trying to remain calm, quickly thought of an excuse.

"My lord, the royal chef asked me to fetch mushrooms from the mountains. The stock in the kitchen has run out, and he's worried the royal dishes will be affected," she explained, hoping her reasoning would be convincing.

"But isn't that the task of the palace servants?" Kaelron approached, his eyes sharp with suspicion. "Why are you going instead?"

"Everyone in the kitchen is busy. I'm the only one without work, so the head chef asked me to go. Besides, today is the peak mushroom harvest. If we wait until tomorrow, they'll spoil, and the chef will lose his secret recipe," Lynaria answered calmly, though she was anxious inside.

Kaelron paused, thinking for a moment. "Fine," he said, finally. "I'll go with you."

"My lord, you must be busy with royal visitors. I can go alone," Lynaria tried to stop him. But after a moment's hesitation, Kaelron nodded and gave in, allowing her to go alone.

Lynaria mounted Glosbe, her winged lion, while Oero, the old dragon, stayed inside the sword. Flying at high speed, Lynaria asked the dragon.

"Which direction should we take, Oero?"

The old dragon snorted in annoyance. "I have a name, Lynaria. Can you show some respect?"

Lynaria laughed lightly, realizing her mistake. "Sorry, Oero. Which way should we go?"

The dragon, pleased by her politeness, happily pointed the way. After a long flight, they finally arrived at their destination. Lynaria was stunned by what she saw.

"So this is where the sword comes from? Why didn't you tell me from the start?" she exclaimed. "I wouldn't have asked so many questions and would have come straight here."

"Seems like you already know everything, huh?" Oero muttered, though understanding that Lynaria was simply teasing him.

Arriving in front of the stone where the sword originated, the dragon emerged and struck the ground with its tail a few times. Suddenly, a secret door appeared from the earth. The dragon instructed Lynaria to use her inner energy to open the door.

Lynaria quickly followed the command and the door opened. As she entered the place, the stark contrast between this dimension and the dragon world became clear. While it was nearly midnight in the mountains, time inside this place still showed daylight. The expansive grass and flowers made the scenery breathtaking.

"This place feels like a dream garden in heaven," Lynaria marveled.

"This is a dimension created by the dragon knights as a hiding place in case the dragon world is in danger," Oero explained.

"So, other dragons know about this place too?" Lynaria asked, curious.

"Only the descendants of the chosen dragon kings know. No one can enter without the king's token."

Lynaria was stunned. "Then how am I here? I don't have a token."

Oero smiled knowingly. "The dragon king's gem is more valuable than a token. This place recognizes you because the gem is within you. It knows you like it knows the king."

"Wait, so this place is alive?" Lynaria asked, intrigued.

"Yes. Every hundred years, it shifts to another dimension. And only the king knows where it is."

Lynaria's heart raced. If Kaelron had followed her, he would have known she was lying. But before she could think more about it, Glosbe interrupted her thoughts.

"Stop standing there in confusion. Get ready, we don't have much time," Oero urged. "This place will soon shift to another dimension."

Lynaria quickly prepared herself, sitting cross-legged in the center of a circle surrounded by the dragon's sword, the diamond eyes, holy water, and her two companions. Focusing deeply, she began channeling her inner energy, as Kaelron had taught her.

Golden-blue energy surged from her body, binding the three magical objects. The objects began to spin in the air, glowing with brilliant colors. After a moment, a blinding explosion of light occurred, and when the glow faded, a beautiful yet deadly sword appeared—its blade covered in red diamonds, with a golden hilt.

A man who had witnessed the event was stunned. "The legend was true. The Sacred Dragon Sword... This means Lynaria is the chosen knight destined to protect the dragon world?"

Lynaria grasped the sword carefully, testing its power. As she swung the blade, a burst of energy exploded, and she was both awestruck and shocked by its immense strength. Oero reminded her with a serious tone.

"Be careful, my lord. That weapon can kill anyone with a single swing."

Lynaria hesitated. "This power is incredible. But is there a price to pay for it?"

Oero answered firmly. "You must sacrifice one of us to contain its immense power."

Lynaria was shocked and immediately rejected the idea. "No! I won't sacrifice anyone for this power."

"If you don't, the sword will choose its own victim," Oero warned. "Its aura will attract enemies. Do you know what happens if evil touches it?"

Curious, Lynaria asked, "What will happen to them and the sword?"