Chapter 3 JOURNEY AND ARRIVAL AT ELDORADO

The sailor struggled at the front of the boat as he steered through the sea, which was slowly hardening into sheets of ice. The water that once danced in waves now cracked under us, turning white and sharp like broken glass. A cold wind brushed past, weaving through the wooden boards of the boat and cutting against my skin. The silence around us was loud too loud. It sat heavily between me, Adriel, and the other girl.That girl... what was her name again?

I hadn't asked. I should have asked earlier, but everything had happened too fast too suddenly for thoughts like that to stay in order.

She sat quietly at the side of the boat, her eyes fixed on the horizon as if she had already accepted her death. It was that unsettling kind of quiet, the kind that made it seem like she would welcome her end if it came now, with open arm, then I forced myself to speak.

"Um... sorry, what's your name?" I asked, trying to sound gentle and concerned. At least for a little while, if this was all we had left, I wanted us to communicate properly. Maybe even stay friends, even if just for the time we remained alive."Mahir," she said, trying to smile. But the smile never fully formed. It trembled at the edges and then fell apart Silence swallowed us again.

Each one of us drifted into our own thoughts. For me, it was my family. My mother's gentle hands, my father's protective stare, everyone who ever cared about me. What did we do to deserve this? Why us? Why any girl at all? My mind kept going back to the same thing:The dragon realm. Eldorado. just like Adriel I had also heard about this dragon curse thing but where did I hear it from I tried to think, yes from mothers bed time stories, the name I once thought belonged to stories and myths. A name I wished still belonged to stories and myths. But Adriel knew more. She had always known more than we did.

"Adriel," I whispered as I shifted closer to her. She jumped slightly, snapped out of her thoughts. "Hazel? What's wrong?" she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. Fear had softened her tone."Can you... tell me more about this dragon curse thing? And why they need girls as sacrifices?" I asked. Her eyes met mine, and for a moment it felt like I could see into her soul into the fear she tried to hide.

Mahir sat up too, suddenly alert. She wanted answers just as desperately.

Adriel exhaled shakily and began.

"Like I told you when we were in the carriage I read about the dragon from a book in my fathers library" she said

A gust of freezing wind blew across the boat, but she continued.

" After reading the book, I decided to ask my mother about the whole thing, then she told me that it was true and warned me never to speak of such matters to her again"

Mahir's fingers tightened around the wooden edge of the boat.

"After one of the great destructions caused by the inferno, a witch had a vision," Adriel said softly, her eyes fixed on her hands. "She saw a prophecy. The only cure was to feed the dragon heir with the roasted hearts of three human female virgins."My breath caught.

"And that," she finished quietly, "was how the ritual started. At first, I thought it was just some old myth until my mother confirmed it was true.Her last word hung in the air like smoke. A heavy Silence made it way between us and I could now hear my heart beat wide against my chest, I could also sense fear among us as each one of us

Just then a cold, heavy breeze swept across us, stronger than anything before. It forced our eyes to the front of the boat.

And that was when we realized...

We had arrived.

ELDORADO.

The realm of dragons.

The air here felt different. Thicker. Heavier. Almost alive. I could feel something crawling under my skin-not a creature, but a feeling. Fear... panic... anxiety. It was everywhere, surrounding us like invisible chains.

We sailed closer to the shore, but as we did, the atmosphere changed again. My heartbeat quickened. Something was coming. Something dangerous.

Then I saw them.

Two enormous black dragons sliced through the sky toward us, their wings beating like thunder. Moonlight glimmered across their scales, making them look like living shadows.

A gasp tore out of me.

"Mahir, Adriel look! They're coming!"

The others turned, and I could hear their heartbeats now racing wildly, just like mine. The dragons flew closer, larger than anything I had ever imagined. Their wings spread wide, blocking parts of the moon. The wind from their flight whipped our hair back.

Then fire erupted.

A massive, blazing burst exploded from one of their throats, lighting the world in shades of red and gold. We scrambled backwards on the boat, nearly slipping.

The sailor didn't even have time to scream.

The fire consumed him in a heartbeat as screams of agony escaped his lips and soon it died down.One blink he was there.

The next he was nothing but falling ashes.

His remains drifted into the frozen air, scattering before us like dark snow.

Mahir fainted immediately, her body dropping to the wooden floor with a soft thud. Adriel, trembling uncontrollably, rushed to her side, trying to wake her or at least hold her still.But I couldn't move.

I stood frozen, staring into empty space. My legs refused to respond. My mind felt numb. Was this really our fate? Was this what we had been dragged here for?

The dragons descended.

First two.

Then three.

Three massive creatures landed before us with ground-shaking force. Snow scattered. Ice cracked. The air buzzed with heat even though the night was freezing.

The one in front larger, darker, with scales that shimmered like polished stone precious stones stepped forward. Its golden eyes stared into mine, and for a moment, I felt like I was standing in front of death itself.