Pounding Heart

9 : The Seed of Rodna

     "Why are we going through a dead dragon's belongings?" Nota bit her lip and followed me into the den. A cobweb hung from the curling of the cave, and Nota yelped.

     "He told me to get something." I explained. "I don't know why, or even how I heard him. He just... spoke to me one last time."

     "You're sure you didn't imagine it?" She shivered and ran up behind me.

     "I don't know. I guess we'll find out soon, won't we?" I grinned and pushed a stack of scrolls to the side. The slab of wood must've been a makeshift desk, at least when Grilop was young and the appropriate size to use a desk.

     Nota helped by stacking the delicate parchment, and carrying it over to the side. The desk was empty, it didn't appear like there was any seed.

"Oop-!" Nota dropped one of the scrolls to the floor, and it rolled under the desk. I bent down to pick it up, when something shiny glistened back at me.

"Huh?" I plucked the tiny thing up with two talons, showing it to my friend.

"That doesn't look like a seed to me." She raised an eyebrow and set the scrolls down. "I don't believe regular seeds glow."

I squinted my eyes. Under the wood pattern of the shell, a pulsing white color gently swayed.

"What is this thing?" I breathed.

Nota unfolded some of the scrolls. "Maybe there's something in here about whatever it is... yes! Right here!"

I ran over to her anxiously, and peered over her shoulder while she read.

"There exists such seeds that glow white in the world, lost with time. No one really knows where they went, nor if they still exist."

"These Seeds of Rodna supposedly had strange uses." I continued. "If you crushed the seed and mixed it with molten metal, you could forge some of the strongest armor known to dragonkind. Some claim their juice can also be used for healing, if applied directly to a wound."

"Zepth, is that what we're supposed to do with this thing?" Nota looked at me.

"Grilop just told me to bring it to his grandfather, Moridax." I shrugged. "Grilop said that he lives where life does not, whatever that means."

     "What the fairy poop?!" She laughed.

     "That's what I said!"

     "Wait a second..." Her eyes became wide, and she rummaged through the scrolls. She unrolled a map of our world, and pointed to the Blatua Kingdom. "Calif is one massive deadland. There's nothing living there. It's full of dried up trees and tar pits. Death and Dark elementals live there."

"That does sounds pretty lifeless." I agreed. "Maybe that's what Grilop meant. There's only one way to be certain..."

Nota shook her head. "Oh please tell me aren't-"

"We're going to the Blatua Kingdom!"