Chapter 306: The Nest

"Alright, let’s go," he said with resolve. "Keep your eyes open, and don’t split up."

The three of them stepped into the cave shortly after, leaving the sunlight behind to venture into the darkness of the mountain.

And just as they’d suspected, the place was massive.

The ceiling disappeared far above their heads, and the echo of their own footsteps carried into the distance, betraying just how vast the space was.

But they’d barely taken a few steps inside before the sunlight spilling through the entrance fell away behind them, and ahead of them there was nothing but absolute, impenetrable blackness.

"Okay, this is annoying," Aria said, stopping. "I can’t even see my own hand."

"Can you do something about that?" Mark asked, little more than a darker silhouette within the darkness.

"Yeah," Aria replied, raising a hand. "Just give me a moment, Master."

And then a soft glow began rising from her palm, condensing into a small, bright point.

"Guiding Light!"

The point grew until it became a glowing sphere that broke away from her hand and hovered in front of the group.

"That should be more than enough," she said with satisfaction.

"Thanks," Alice said, her eyes adjusting again to the light. "This is much better."

"Nice work, Aria" Mark added, looking around.

And with the cave finally lit, it didn’t take long to spot a long trail of blood stretching across the ground, vanishing into the darkness.

Alice crouched down to inspect it up close, tracing the stains with her eyes, studying them like a hunter tracking her prey.

"...It’s fresh," she said after a moment, standing back up. "Hasn’t even started drying at the edges yet."

She looked toward the darkness stretching ahead.

"The dragon can’t be far."

And without further delay, the three of them resumed their march, following the trail of blood as it wound between the rocks, pushing deeper and deeper into the heart of the mountain.

With every step, the air grew colder and heavier.

They’d already covered a considerable distance when a sudden tremor shook the ground beneath their feet.

"Did you two feel that?" Aria asked, stopping dead.

But before anyone could answer, the tremor came again, stronger this time.

And then, from the very walls of the cavern, the stone itself began to move.

Massive chunks of rock broke free and reassembled themselves, taking shape, until a pair of figures rose up before them.

They were two Golems of solid stone, standing some twenty feet tall, with fists the size of carts and eyes glowing with a faint inner light.

"Guess this is the welcoming committee," Aria murmured, taking up a defensive stance.

"Relax," Alice said, materializing her gauntlets. "I’ve got this."

She didn’t even hesitate. She launched herself forward with a burst of speed, closing the distance in a single leap, appearing in front of the first golem before it could even react.

The stone creature raised a fist and brought it down on her with enough force to crush a house.

Alice caught it with a single arm, stopping it cold.

Then, with her other hand, she drove a punch straight into the golem’s torso.

Its solid rock body shattered instantly, exploding into a shower of rubble and dust that scattered across the entire cavern.

The second golem barely had time to react before Alice lunged at it, pulverizing it with a couple of sharp, devastating blows.

Within seconds, both stone guardians had been reduced to nothing but piles of rock.

Alice brushed the dust off her hands, utterly unbothered.

Mark, who had watched the whole scene from behind, raised an eyebrow.

"Well, they looked a lot tougher than they turned out to be," Mark muttered, eyebrow still raised. "She turned them to dust like it was nothing."

"I’m afraid I have to correct you there, Master," Aria said, leaning on her staff with an amused smile. "Golems that size aren’t enemies you can take lightly. They’re immune to elemental magic and to every status effect."

Then she gestured toward Alice with her chin.

"Although obviously none of that matters when your teammate happens to be a gorilla with monstrous physical strength and a pretty face."

Alice turned to Aria, clearly offended.

"Excuse me, I just saved you from getting flattened," she said, frowning. "A little gratitude wouldn’t kill you."

"Yeah, yeah, sure, muscles," Aria replied mockingly. "Also don’t forget, if it weren’t for me you wouldn’t even be able to move after the beating that dragon gave you."

"Are you looking for a fight?"

"Alright, that’s enough, both of you," Mark said, raising a hand. "Quit bickering and focus... I think I just heard something."

Both of them fell silent instantly so they could listen for whatever their Master had heard.

And after a few seconds, they heard it too.

It was a low, rhythmic sound reverberating between the walls, growing easier to recognize with every second.

Slow, heavy breathing.

"It’s the dragon," Alice murmured, looking toward where the sound was coming from. "And it looks like it’s sleeping... or at least trying to."

"That’s a good sign," Mark said quietly. "The deeper asleep it is, the better for us."

After that, the three of them picked up the pace again, though now in silence, following both the trail of blood and that breathing, which grew louder the closer they got.

The path kept widening until it finally opened out into a gigantic chamber.

It was, by far, the largest space they’d come across so far, a natural vault deep in the mountain’s belly.

At the center of that enormous chamber lay the dragon, resting on its side beneath the faint light filtering down through a crack in the ceiling.

Its wings were folded, and it breathed with obvious difficulty, its huge body rising and falling slowly with every labored breath.

And to Mark’s surprise, it wasn’t alone.

Five enormous eggs lay beside it, tucked protectively against its side.

"Looks like today’s my lucky day," he said, a faint smile spreading across his face.