The green light was not coming from the creature’s wounds.
It was coming from beneath its armor.
The young prince realized that just before the first glowing line reached the beast’s six red eyes.
All six changed at once.
Red became green.
His dragon recoiled in midair.
“Back!”
The prince pulled hard on the reins.
The dragon banked away as the colossal creature lifted one armored limb. Vines snapped from its body. Ancient stones tumbled from the temple roof below.
But the creature did not strike.
Instead, it turned toward the temple.
Then it lowered itself.
The entire jungle shook.
The prince stared.
“What are you doing?”
His dragon growled.
The beast placed two enormous forelimbs on either side of the ruins.
Green energy spread from its body into the ground.
Lines appeared beneath the moss.
Straight lines.
Circles.
Symbols.
They raced across the temple courtyard and disappeared under the vines.
The prince suddenly understood.
Those were not cracks.
They were markings.
The whole temple was part of something larger.
“Down.”
The dragon hesitated.
“Take us down.”
They descended toward a broken stone terrace.
The moment the dragon’s claws touched the ground, the prince jumped from the saddle.
Behind him, the colossal guardian remained motionless.
Its six green eyes followed him.
The prince drew his sword.
The dragon stepped between him and the creature.
“No.”
He placed one hand against the dragon’s neck.
“It could have killed us.”
The dragon rumbled.
“I know.”
Another rumble.
“I know we attacked first.”
The prince looked toward the guardian.
“That may be the problem.”
The dragon snorted smoke.
The prince almost smiled.
“You’re right. Mostly my problem.”
He approached the temple.
The entrance had been hidden behind hanging roots.
Now the roots were pulling themselves aside.
Not naturally.
Green light ran through them like veins.
A doorway appeared.
Carved into the stone above it was the shape of a dragon breathing fire toward a kneeling six-eyed creature.
The prince stopped.
“That looks familiar.”
His dragon came beside him.
On the carving, the fire did not destroy the creature.
It entered its chest.
Exactly as it had moments earlier.
Then the prince noticed the second half of the image.
The six-eyed creature was directing that energy downward.
Into the earth.
He lowered his sword.
“We didn’t wake the guardian.”
The dragon looked at him.
“We powered it.”
A deep sound rolled through the jungle.
The guardian’s chest brightened.
The temple doors opened.
Cold air flowed out.
The prince looked into the darkness.
Then at his dragon.
“Stay close.”
They entered together.
The corridor descended beneath the ruins.
Green symbols illuminated one after another as they passed.
The walls were covered in carvings.
Dragons.
Hundreds of them.
Some flew above mountains.
Others stood beside human figures.
And in nearly every image, six-eyed guardians appeared beside them.
Not fighting.
Protecting.
The prince slowed.
Everything he had been taught said the great jungle beasts had once hunted dragons.
Old royal chronicles described them as monsters.
Enemies of the first dragon riders.
Creatures that had been driven into the southern wilderness generations ago.
Yet these walls showed something completely different.
Dragons and guardians standing together.
He reached a larger chamber.
At its center stood a stone pedestal.
On it rested a circular tablet.
The prince brushed moss from its surface.
The moment his fingers touched it, the dragon behind him growled.
A green image appeared in the air.
Not a ghost.
Not exactly.
More like light shaped into memory.
A man stood before them.
He wore a crown.
The prince recognized it.
The first crown of his dynasty.
“King Aldren,” he whispered.
The figure raised one hand.
The chamber changed.
Images spread across the walls.
A city appeared.
Ancient.
Vast.
Built beneath enormous trees.
Dragons circled its towers.
Six-eyed guardians stood at its gates.
Then the image shifted.
Something black appeared beneath the city.
Not an army.
A substance.
It moved like smoke but flowed like liquid.
Where it touched stone, the stone cracked.
Where it reached trees, their leaves turned gray.
Dragons attacked it with fire.
The darkness absorbed the flames.
The prince stepped closer.
The memory showed the guardians entering the battle.
Their armor opened.
Green lines appeared beneath it.
Dragon fire struck them.
Instead of burning, the guardians transformed the flames into green energy.
Then they drove that energy underground.
The darkness retreated.
The prince looked at his dragon.
“That’s what you did.”
The dragon watched the images.
King Aldren’s memory continued.
The ancient city was evacuated.
The guardians surrounded the temple.
A massive stone structure descended into the earth.
The black substance was sealed beneath it.
Then the dragons left.
The guardians remained.
The image vanished.
The chamber became silent.
The prince looked toward the ceiling.
Far above them stood the creature they had attacked.
“It wasn’t guarding the temple.”
His voice echoed.
“It was guarding whatever is underneath it.”
A sound came from behind the pedestal.
Stone scraping against stone.
The prince raised his sword.
His dragon lowered its head.
A section of wall opened.
Behind it stood a staircase.
It descended.
Green light illuminated only the first few steps.
The prince approached.
His dragon blocked him with one wing.
“I only want to look.”
The dragon did not move.
“All right.”
The prince leaned around the wing.
Far below, something pulsed.
Black.
Then green.
Then black again.
He stepped back.
“We are definitely not going down there.”
For once, the dragon seemed satisfied.
They returned toward the entrance.
Halfway up the corridor, the ground shook violently.
Dust fell.
The prince grabbed the wall.
Another impact followed.
This one came from outside.
The dragon roared and raced toward the entrance.
The prince followed.
They emerged into chaos.
The six-eyed guardian had risen.
Its green energy burned brightly across its armor.
And beyond the trees, riders were approaching.
Human riders.
At least twenty.
Royal banners appeared through the fog.
The prince’s relief lasted less than a second.
Then he recognized the man leading them.
Captain Varos.
Commander of the king’s southern guard.
Varos saw the prince and raised one fist.
His riders stopped.
“Your Highness!”
The prince stepped into the courtyard.
“How did you find me?”
Varos dismounted.
“We followed the fire.”
His eyes moved toward the colossal guardian.
The soldiers behind him raised crossbows.
“No!”
The prince moved between them and the creature.
Varos stared at him.
“Move.”
“Lower the weapons.”
“That thing nearly destroyed half the ruins.”
“We attacked it.”
Varos looked at the dragon.
“Then finish it.”
“No.”
The captain’s expression changed.
The prince had known Varos most of his life.
He had seen him angry.
He had seen him exhausted.
He had seen him wounded.
But he had never seen the look that crossed his face now.
Fear.
Not of the guardian.
Of the temple.
Varos looked toward the open doorway.
“You went inside.”
The prince noticed the wording.
Not a question.
“You know this place.”
Varos’s expression hardened.
“We know enough.”
“We?”
Varos did not answer.
The prince stepped closer.
“My father knows about this temple?”
“Your father knows there are places in this kingdom that should remain untouched.”
The prince looked at the guardian.
“Then why was I taught that these creatures were enemies of dragons?”
Varos glanced toward the soldiers.
“Not here.”
“Here is exactly where I want the answer.”
“Your Highness—”
“The carvings show dragons fighting beside them.”
Varos became still.
The prince continued.
“I saw King Aldren.”
Several soldiers exchanged looks.
Varos’s face lost color.
“What did you say?”
“His memory is inside the temple.”
“That is impossible.”
“You knew there was something inside.”
“I knew the temple was sealed.”
The prince looked at the open entrance.
“It isn’t anymore.”
Varos followed his gaze.
Then he saw the green lines spreading through the courtyard.
His reaction was immediate.
“Everyone back!”
The soldiers hesitated.
“Now!”
They retreated toward the trees.
The prince did not move.
“What are you afraid of?”
Varos grabbed his arm.
“That guardian was never supposed to wake.”
The prince pulled free.
“Why?”
“Because if it has awakened, the seal has already begun failing.”
The jungle went silent.
Even the insects seemed to stop.
The prince looked toward the six-eyed creature.
Its chest was still glowing.
“Seal?”
Varos pointed toward the temple.
“Your ancestors did not build that place to worship anything.”
“I know.”
Varos stared at him.
“What did you see?”
“A city.”
The captain said nothing.
“Dragons.”
Still nothing.
“Guardians.”
Varos lowered his voice.
“And beneath them?”
The prince remembered the moving darkness.
“Something they sealed away.”
Varos closed his eyes.
The prince understood.
“You know what it is.”
“I know what the records call it.”
“What?”
Varos hesitated.
“The Hollow.”
The name meant nothing to the prince.
But his dragon reacted.
Its head snapped toward Varos.
A low growl emerged from its throat.
Varos stepped back.
The prince noticed.
“My dragon knows that name.”
“Not the name.”
Varos looked toward the temple.
“The memory.”
“What memory?”
“Dragons remember differently from us.”
The prince frowned.
“Explain.”
“Not everything they know is learned during one lifetime.”
The prince looked at his dragon.
Its eyes remained fixed on the entrance.
Varos continued.
“Some instincts are older.”
The prince thought about the moment above the temple.
His dragon had attacked immediately.
No hesitation.
Almost as if the sight of the six-eyed creature had triggered something buried deep inside it.
“You said the guardians and dragons fought together.”
Varos nodded reluctantly.
“According to the oldest records.”
“Then why did my dragon attack it?”
“Because later records changed the story.”
“That doesn’t explain instinct.”
“No.”
Varos looked toward the guardian.
“But fear can survive longer than truth.”
The prince stared at him.
Before he could answer, the ground shook again.
This time the guardian roared.
All six eyes turned toward the temple.
Green light surged across its body.
The prince looked down.
The symbols beneath his boots were changing.
Some remained green.
Others turned black.
Varos whispered:
“We’re too late.”
A crack appeared in the temple courtyard.
Not wide.
Only a thin line.
But darkness moved inside it.
The prince stepped back.
His dragon roared.
Fire gathered in its throat.
“No!”
The prince grabbed its harness.
“Not yet!”
The dragon fought him.
“Listen to me!”
The prince pointed at the guardian.
“It needs the fire!”
The dragon stopped.
The prince could not know whether his guess was correct.
But the ancient memory had shown him exactly that.
Dragon fire.
Guardian armor.
Green energy.
A system.
Not enemies.
Partners.
The crack widened.
Black vapor emerged.
Where it touched a vine, the leaves curled instantly.
The guardian placed one enormous limb over the crack.
Green energy poured downward.
But its light began fading.
The prince understood.
The fire from their first attack had activated it.
But that energy was almost gone.
He looked at his dragon.
The dragon looked back.
“No command.”
The prince loosened his grip on the reins.
“This time you choose.”
The dragon stared at the guardian.
Then at the darkness.
For several seconds it did nothing.
Varos shouted:
“Prince!”
The crack widened again.
The guardian faltered.
Then the dragon spread its wings.
It launched into the air.
The prince watched from below.
One circle.
Then another.
The dragon climbed above the temple.
The six-eyed guardian looked up.
Its armor opened along the chest.
The prince held his breath.
The dragon dove.
Its jaws opened.
Fire erupted.
A massive stream struck the guardian directly.
Several soldiers shouted.
But the prince did not move.
The guardian absorbed it.
Green lines exploded across its body.
Brighter than before.
Its six eyes ignited.
It drove both forelimbs into the ground.
Green energy raced through the temple.
The black crack stopped widening.
Then slowly began closing.
The darkness beneath it pulled back.
The dragon landed beside the prince.
Its chest heaved.
The guardian remained over the seal.
The last black line disappeared.
Silence returned.
Then the enormous creature lowered its head.
Not toward the dragon.
Toward the prince.
The prince stood still.
One of its six eyes moved closer.
The pupil narrowed.
Green light swept over him.
His sword.
His armor.
His face.
Then it stopped at the crest on his chest.
The royal crest.
The guardian made a sound.
Low.
Almost mournful.
The prince looked at Varos.
“What?”
Varos had gone completely pale.
“What is it doing?”
The captain stared at the prince.
“Recognizing you.”
The prince looked back at the guardian.
“You said it recognized my family?”
Varos shook his head.
“No.”
The prince frowned.
“Then what?”
Varos looked toward the old carvings around the entrance.
One had begun glowing.
It showed King Aldren standing beside a six-eyed guardian.
The king held no sword.
His hand rested against the creature’s armor.
Varos spoke quietly.
“The royal crest came later.”
The prince looked at him.
“What does that mean?”
Varos walked toward the carving.
He brushed vines away from the king’s chest.
There was no royal crest there.
Instead, King Aldren wore another symbol.
Three interlocking lines surrounding an eye.
The same symbol now glowing beneath the prince’s armor.
The prince looked down.
Green light was shining through his clothing.
He pulled aside the edge of his collar.
A mark had appeared on his skin.
Three lines.
One eye.
Varos stepped back.
“No.”
The prince looked at him.
“You recognize it.”
Varos did not answer.
“Captain.”
Varos swallowed.
“That symbol belonged to the first keepers.”
“The guardians?”
“No.”
Varos looked at him.
“The people who commanded the seal.”
The prince stared at the mark.
“I’ve never had this.”
“You had it.”
Varos’s voice was almost a whisper.
“It was dormant.”
“Why?”
“Because the guardian was dormant.”
The prince looked toward the creature.
“Then the fire awakened both of us?”
Varos shook his head.
“The dragon’s fire awakened the guardian.”
He looked at the prince’s glowing mark.
“The guardian awakened you.”
Another section of the temple began moving.
Stone blocks withdrew into the earth.
A circular platform rose from beneath the courtyard.
At its center stood a single black pedestal.
Something rested on it.
Not gold.
Not jewels.
A weapon.
A short blade made from dark stone.
The prince approached.
Varos grabbed his shoulder.
“Do not touch that.”
“Why?”
“Because we don’t know what happens.”
The prince looked at him.
“You seem to know a great deal for someone who keeps saying that.”
Varos released him.
The prince approached the pedestal.
The guardian watched.
His dragon watched.
Every soldier watched.
The prince reached toward the blade.
The instant his fingers touched the handle, the jungle disappeared.
He stood somewhere else.
The ancient city.
Alive.
Thousands of people filled its streets.
Dragons circled overhead.
Guardians stood along the walls.
King Aldren stood before him.
Not a memory carved into stone.
A clear image.
The king looked directly at the prince.
Then spoke.
“You were told we defeated the guardians.”
The prince could not answer.
Aldren continued.
“We did not.”
The vision changed.
The ancient king stood beside dragons and six-eyed creatures as the darkness beneath the city surged upward.
“We needed them.”
Another image.
Human soldiers attacked the guardians after the seal had been created.
The prince stared.
“Why?”
Aldren’s voice continued.
“Because men feared what they could not control.”
The vision showed royal banners.
The same dynasty.
The prince’s dynasty.
Soldiers drove the guardians deeper into the jungle.
Records burned.
Stone carvings were broken.
Stories changed.
The guardians became monsters.
The alliance disappeared from history.
Then Aldren appeared again.
“The seal requires three.”
Behind him stood a dragon.
A guardian.
And Aldren himself.
“Flame.”
The dragon breathed fire.
“Vessel.”
The guardian absorbed it.
“Keeper.”
Aldren raised the dark blade.
Green energy flowed into the ground.
The prince looked at the weapon in his own hand.
The vision vanished.
He returned to the courtyard.
He nearly fell.
Varos caught him.
“What happened?”
The prince looked at the dragon.
Then the guardian.
Then the blade.
“I know why the temple needed all three of us.”
Varos’s expression darkened.
The prince continued.
“The dragon creates the power.”
He pointed toward the guardian.
“It changes that power.”
Then he looked at the mark on his chest.
“And someone has to direct it into the seal.”
Varos stared at him.
“The keeper.”
The prince nodded.
A deep impact came from beneath the temple.
Everyone froze.
Then another.
The sealed crack did not reopen.
But the entire courtyard shifted.
The guardian turned toward the temple entrance.
Its six eyes changed.
Five remained green.
One became red.
Then a second.
Varos stepped backward.
“What does that mean?”
The prince remembered the images.
He looked at the blade.
Then toward the dark corridor beneath the ruins.
“It means closing the crack wasn’t enough.”
Another eye turned red.
The dragon moved beside him.
The prince tightened his hand around the ancient blade.
The first attack had not released a weapon.
It had restored one part of a system built long before his kingdom existed.
The beast had never been waiting beneath the vines to destroy whoever found the temple.
It had been waiting for dragon fire.
Waiting for a keeper.
Waiting for someone carrying the bloodline of the people who once knew what lay beneath the jungle.
A fourth eye turned red.
Varos raised his sword.
“We need to leave.”
The prince looked at the entrance.
“No.”
“Your Highness—”
“If we leave, what happens when all six turn red?”
Varos had no answer.
The prince placed one hand against his dragon’s neck.
Then he looked up at the towering guardian.
Its green lines were already fading.
Something struck the seal from below again.
Harder.
The temple shook.
The prince finally understood what his dragon’s fire had unleashed.
Not the monster.
The defense against it.
And whatever the six-eyed guardian had been protecting for centuries was still beneath their feet, trying to get out.
He raised the ancient blade.
Then he walked toward the descending stairs.
This time, the dragon followed willingly.
Behind them, the colossal guardian rose.
And deep below the jungle, something answered.
