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His brow arches. "Where are you running?"
I shrug. "I don't know. Wherever I end up, I suppose."
He takes a moment to contemplate the idea, raking his fingers through his locks, before flicking his eyes to meet my gaze. "There's a place I think you'd like to see."
After debating on whether we should leave Nyx a note letting him know where I'd gone or just let him wake up and panic, we jot a quick note and leave it on the dining room table before slipping out the front door. We jog through the slumbering city, and I enjoy the cool morning breeze whipping through the loose strands of hair that escape my ponytail.
Atlas leads me uphill toward Starnborough, but instead of visiting his royal family members, we run past the castle and head downhill to the western part of the kingdom lining the forest. I haven't been to this side of Tronovia and it looks like an entirely different city. Instead of canals and tall rowhouses, this side has a cozy, cottage feel to it. With the forest as the backdrop instead of the harbor, we continue our descent past the humble, one-to-two story, white stucco homes with dark brown half-timber embellishments. I feel like I stepped into a fairytale and Atlas is leading me straight into an enchanted forest.
He must have noticed the look of wonder on my face because he quickly explains, "This is the Old Kingdom. It's what Tronovia started off as before it grew into what it is today. Families who inhabit these homes have passed them down generation to generation since the founding days."
"It's beautiful." I admire the well-maintained gardens and gabled roofs of each home. Smoke wafts up from some of the stone chimneys and I'm suddenly starving. My stomach growls and I hope Atlas doesn't hear the noise. But alas, I have no such luck when he digs one of Finn's homemade breakfast bars out of his pocket and extends it to me.
"Here, eat this."
"Oh, no, I couldn't take your snack."
"Don't be stubborn. You're hungry. Eat."
"What about you?" I glance at him as we weave through the old kingdom cobblestone streets toward the tree line. "Won't you need something to eat?"
He stops running, forcing me to jog in place, so I don't have to fight my legs to restart. Reaching into his other pocket, he pulls out a second bar wrapped in a napkin. "I'm prepared."
Gratefully, I grab the breakfast bar and return his smile. "Thank you."
Munching into the chewy treat, he says, "You're welcome," between bites.
"Is this what you wanted me to see?" I motion around us. "The Old Kingdom?"
He shakes his head. "As quaint as this part of the city is, no. Where we're going is in the forest."
I bob my head, sinking my teeth into the bar, enjoying the tangy flavor. "You aren't luring me to the forest to let some creature I don't know exists eat me, right?"
"How did you know that was exactly what I intended to do with you?" he returns my teasing tone with one of his own, making me laugh. "You ready?" He rubs his hands together, brushing whatever crumbs remain off his skin.
I swallow my last morsel and nod. "Ready."
We jog to the end of the Old Kingdom and follow the path into the woods. It's much cooler in here because the trees are packed in tightly and block out direct sunlight, but stars, does it look magical in here. Light streaks through branches and highlights the dew in the grass. The flowers stir, and the birds chirp as they take flight, alerting the rest of the forest of morning's light. We stumble upon a family of deer and seem to go unnoticed until I step on a twig and snap it, spooking them. I take a deep breath and feel as if the forest is restoring my weary soul.
Atlas slows down, so I do the same, turning my sights in the direction he's looking. Through a small clearing, and at the top of a humble hill, sits an ancient circular structure composed of stone and wood. Whatever it is, it's completely deserted and looks like it's been out of use for decades. The closer we get, I see moss growing up the sides and greenery overtaking the building. Cracks split through some of the stonework but it's not to the point of structural concern.
We stop at one of the arched entrances that tunnels to the other side. "Almost there."
I follow Atlas through the dark hall and when we come out the other end, I am pleasantly surprised to see we're standing in the bleachers of some kind of stadium. He takes a seat on one of the carved stone benches and I settle down next to him. Seating spans around the coliseum and down at the bottom, in the center of the arena, is some kind of training ground.
"What is this place?"
"This is Draaksten, which roughly translates to Dragon Stone. This is where the Fire Breathers were housed and trained by their riders."
"Dragons?" My eyes widen in excitement. "Dragons were here?"
The corner of his mouth ticks up and he nods. "It used to be flooded with dragons. Every fire wielder would come once a year to see if a dragon would choose them as their trainer and riding companion. It's a lifelong bond, if a Fire Breather chooses you. The bond is only broken in death."
"And no one knows what happened to them?"
He rolls his shoulders back and shakes his head. His eyes are glued to the arena, as if it was a childhood dream of his to ride one of the fiery beasts, and that chance was robbed of him when they disappeared. "Most Fire Breathers and their riders died in the Great War, but we're not sure what happened to the survivors or where they would have gone."
"Would you have tried to be a dragon rider, if they were still around?" I ask cautiously, not wanting to stir up unwanted memories.
