Zombie and the Beast

- 13 -

Minho carried Lara on his back until they reached the centre of the castle. They entered a room whose walls were covered in tiny pale blue ceramic tiles, decorated with various patterns and symbols painted in white. Minho put Lara down on a chair and got onto his knees to press three different tiles at the bottom of one of the walls. Lara flinched as a hidden door slid sideways to reveal a spiraling staircase. Minho kneeled again in front of her and started to pull her onto his back.

"I'm feeling a bit better," she said. "I think I can walk now."

"No. You need to save your strength," said Minho, making sure her arms were in the right position around his neck. Then, he adjusted his arms under her knees and stood up carefully.

They went up the pale gray stairs slowly. Once every few steps, a small window let some of the fading evening light in. It was just enough for them to see where they were going. Lara noticed that there were also lights shaped like stars at regular intervals on the wall. They were probably powered with energy-storing symbols on the roof, but Minho hadn't turned them on. She wondered if they still worked. Minho stopped as they reached a carved wooden door with a golden Dragon-shaped handle.

"Here. This is the second treasure room," said Minho, leaning forward so Lara wouldn't fall down as he searched his shorts pocket with one hand.

Lara held on a little tighter, making sure not to strangle him and not to hurt herself with his horns as the movement brought her higher on his back. She waited patiently while Minho retrieved a keyring. He selected a long, golden key and opened the door. Once inside put Lara down on a low window bench near the door and turned on the lights.

"Wow." Lara couldn't believe her eyes.

The room was magnificent, all pointed arches and high, narrow windows that would let the sun in during the day. It smelled a bit of incense, just like the temples on Islada. She looked in awe at the dark blue ceiling that was adorned with gold and red patterns. If she wasn't mistaken, they formed a giant protection symbol. Right at the center of the room, a crystal statue shaped like a sleeping Dragon lay on a glimmering bed of precious stones.

The dragon was surrounded by four dark marble pedestals. Eternal Ember was glowing on a black stone platter on top of the nearest one. It had been placed opposite of a wide-neck round crystal bottle filled with Aquamarine Water from the centre of the Sacred Mountain. Red Earth from the Volcanic Lake was showcased in a small gold chest on the right and pink Swirling Air moved perpetually in a large, see-through jar on the left. Lara was stunned to see such treasures in Centrix, considering they were things that only the Dragons were ever able to access. They were found in the most remote corners of Heimdrach and filled with the purest magical energy. She'd never seen them personally before, only heard about them in school and in stories. According to the legends, they were the Dragons' original source of power.

"Wow," said Lara again, too surprised to find another word. "This is unbelievable. How is this possible?"

"My ancestors had a very good relationship with the Dragons. They exchanged gifts when visiting each other," said Minho with a smile. "Will that help?"

"Absolutely!"

Lara stood up slowly on wobbly legs. Minho caught her arm and helped her reach the centre of the room. They both sat down next to the statue.

"It's beautiful," said Lara. "Thank you so much for bringing me here."

Minho scratched his ear. "If I had known what it can do I would have brought you here right away. Sorry about that. I still can't believe we never knew..."

Lara smiled and touched the surface of the Dragon statue with her right hand. It was smooth and cold. Feeling incredibly lucky, she let the energy of the room flow through her, closing her eyes to embrace its incredible power. The strength of the five elements combined was healing her much faster than anything else she'd tried before, giving her hope that her search for a way to become fully alive had finally come to an end. In all the stories and textbooks she could think of, no one had ever tried bringing someone back using all of these, since they were nearly impossible to find. Hope made her smile brighter. It had to be the reason no one had ever succeeded. She felt like dancing around the room and hugging Minho to thank him for bringing her to his kingdom. Taking a few deep breaths, she forced herself to calm down so her emotions wouldn't make her lose control. The energy continued flowing, seemingly infinite.

Suddenly, Lara started feeling heavy. She opened her eyes and saw that her skin had returned to its normal colour. She slowed the flow of energy, although she didn't feel quite alive yet. She couldn't tell what it was, but something was wrong. Bringing her left hand to her eyes, she noticed that the tip of her fingers was turning gray. It wasn't the colour of decomposition anymore, but a new shade. One that she'd seen too many times in Alstein to ever forget. Her stomach cold with fear, she stopped healing herself right away. She wiped her clammy hands on her pants and stared at her fingers, unsure whether the progression of the petrification had stopped or not.

"You look better but worried," said Minho, who was watching her face closely "Are you alright? How are you feeling? Were you able to replenish your energy?"

"You were right," she told him shakily. "I will petrify if I become alive here or near you."