The Dragon's Chosen

Eira tightened her grip on the silver medallion as the group emerged from the Black Archives. The cold weight against her palm felt heavier than it should like it carried a piece of the phantom's lingering presence.

Kael glanced at her, concern etched on his face. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," Eira said, though the phantom's words echoed in her mind. You will never control us. What did it mean?

Ryven stretched his arms behind his head. "Well, that was fun. What's next? We keep wandering through cursed ruins until Malgrin burns the kingdom down?"

Eira shook her head. "This medallion… It's a key. The guardian called it the first. There must be more."

Seren crouched, tracing a dragon-shaped marking on the medallion's edge. "These symbols aren't just dragon magic. This is older maybe even from the first age of magic."

Kael frowned. "If there are more keys, where do we find them?"

A pulse of magic surged through Eira's palm, pulling her gaze toward the distant mountains. "I can feel it… the next key is calling."

Without another word, she led them toward the towering peaks, where snow-capped cliffs pierced the sky.

As the hours stretched into days, the journey grew harsher. The air thinned, and the icy winds cut through their cloaks. Yet the pull of magic only grew stronger.

On the third day, they reached the entrance of a hidden valley its walls carved with jagged runes.

"This is it," Eira murmured.

Kael stepped beside her, his breath visible in the freezing air. "If the first key had a guardian… this place won't be easy."

Ryven smirked. "Good. I was getting bored."

Seren knelt to examine the entrance. "The magic here is layered both a barrier and a trap. If we force our way in, the entire valley will collapse."

Eira closed her eyes and focused on the medallion. Heat flared against her palm as the dragon runes glowed faintly. She raised the medallion, and a section of the wall shimmered before melting away into mist.

As they stepped inside, the temperature plummeted. Frost clung to the ground, and a haunting silence filled the air.

A bridge of ice stretched over a chasm its surface cracked and fragile.

Eira stepped forward cautiously. But as soon as her foot touched the ice, a thunderous voice filled the valley.

"Only the worthy may claim the second key. Prove your strength… or perish."

From the swirling mist, two figures emerged twins clad in black and silver armor. Their eyes gleamed an unnatural blue.

"The Guardians of Frost," Seren whispered.

One of the twins raised a curved blade. "To pass, you must defeat us together. But know this" His lips curled into a cold smile. "If one falls, the other grows stronger."

Kael drew his sword. "Eira, we'll hold them off. You find the key."

Before Eira could respond, the twins lunged. Kael met the first strike, blades clashing with a metallic ring. Seren and Ryven split to face the other, weaving through blasts of icy magic.

Eira scanned the cavern, feeling the medallion's pull toward the far side of the chasm. At the center stood an altar carved from frozen stone another medallion gleaming at its heart.

She took a deep breath and stepped onto the ice. It groaned beneath her weight.

Behind her, Kael staggered as one of the twins struck with blinding speed. Each time one twin was hit, the other grew faster and stronger.

"They're feeding off each other's power!" Seren shouted, narrowly dodging an ice spear.

Eira's mind raced. If the guardians were connected, separating them was the only way to weaken them.

Clutching her medallion, she sent a wave of golden flame across the bridge. Heat cracked the ice, forcing the twins apart.

Kael seized the opening, driving his sword through one twin's shoulder. The other let out a piercing cry, their body flaring with blue fire.

"They're losing balance!" Ryven called.

Eira reached the altar, her hands trembling as she lifted the second medallion. It burned cold, sending a new surge of magic through her veins.

The remaining twin staggered, their strength fading as the magic drained away. With one last strike, Seren's blades flashed, and the guardian dissolved into mist.

Silence fell.

Eira exhaled slowly, cradling the second medallion. The cold began to lift, and the bridge solidified beneath her feet.

Kael approached her, his armor dusted with frost. "Two keys down… how many more to go?"

Eira stared at the glowing symbols now etched on both medallions. "Eight. We need ten in total."

Ryven let out a low whistle. "This is going to be fun."

But Eira's heart remained heavy. Malgrin's shadow still loomed over them. And if these trials grew harder with each key, they had only scratched the surface of what lay ahead.

As they left the valley, the wind whispered through the mountains a chilling reminder that their greatest battles were still to come.