Chapter 5 THE UNBURNED SACRIFICE

[HAZEL'S POV]

I woke up to the splash of water on my face as an evil looking maid stepped into the dungeon. "You fool. You think you were brought in here to sleep around like a lazy cat? Get your *ss up so you can get ready for the ceremony." I stared at her in shock, anger flashing through me as I rose to my feet. I wiped some of the water from my face before fully opening my eyes to see a pale skinned woman who looked to be in her late thirties. "Follow me," she said. I struggled to move my feet, which ached badly from the stress of the past few days. I followed behind her while the footsteps of two guards echoed behind me. My heart pounded vigorously in my chest. If today was the ceremony, then today was my death date. My thoughts drifted to Mahir and Adriel. Today was the end of the road for the three of us. Soon, we reached the end of the corridor and stopped in front of a small wooden door. Two other maids were already standing there, waiting for us, and I could not help but wonder what they were doing there. I could not understand why so many people were assigned to prepare me for the ceremony. It was not like I was getting married, and besides, I would be dead soon. Both maids were slim but beautiful. One had dark hair just like mine, and the other had beautiful blonde hair with amber colored eyes. The blonde one was holding a basket whose contents I did not know, while the other held a towel. The head maid, who had poured water on me earlier, ordered the guards to leave before pushing the small wooden door open. We stepped into a tiny bathroom. As soon as I stepped inside, an offensive smell hit my nostrils. My stomach turned, making me want to puke, but I forced myself to stay calm. I had never smelled anything this awful in my life. The young maid with the basket dropped it and brought out some bathing instruments. "Take your clothes off," the head maid ordered, her face stern. I froze. I had never been naked in front of anyone since I came of age, not even my mother. "No, I can't. I can take my bath by myself," I said, frustration clear in my voice. "It is an order," she spat angrily. "You either obey or get whipped." I wanted to protest, but I did not want to cause trouble. Besides, today was my last day on earth. I started taking off my clothes. Soon, only my pants were left. I looked at the head maid hesitantly, and she motioned for me to remove them. I pulled them down my thighs and off my legs. One of the maids collected my clothes while the head maid and the other maid helped me bathe. When they were done, they wrapped a towel around me and led me through a long hallway. I do not know how long we walked, but eventually we stopped in front of another small wooden door. The head maid brought out an old key from her pocket, unlocked it, and pushed the door open. A candle lit room came into view. She entered first, and the other maids led me in. The walls were covered with ancient markings inscribed in red. Words were written in a language I could not understand or interpret. I was led to the center of the room and asked to sit on a chair carved from cedar and decorated with red. The head maid moved to the corner of the room. My eyes followed her as she opened a massive wardrobe filled with different black ceremonial gowns. After searching for a while, she pulled out an off shoulder black gown and returned to me. "I hope you like this," she said, looking at me intently. "Does it matter?" I replied coldly. "You have such a sharp tongue," she said, staring into my eyes. I stepped into the gown carefully, and they pulled it over me and zipped up the back. Soon, one of the maids stepped forward with a glass containing a dark liquid. "You should drink this. It will help reduce the pain." Without saying anything, I took the drink and gulped it down. It tasted awful, but I was not in the mood to argue. This was my last day on earth, and I wanted to stay calm. DRAVON'S POV I stood at the window, looking over the vast lands of Eldorado beneath the night sky. Today was the ceremony, and it would begin soon. My thoughts drifted back to the girl who had never left my mind since the moment I laid eyes on her. I knew I was drawn to her in every possible way, but it was forbidden. This was for both realms, and I had to accept it. I needed to get over whatever feelings had made their way into my heart. A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. "Come in," I said. "Your Highness, the king is ready and requests that you get ready soon to avoid being late for the occasion," the guard said hesitantly. "Tell him I will be done soon," I replied. After he left, I picked up the black cloak on my bed, put it on quickly, and rushed out of the room. Downstairs, I found my father standing beside the carriage, looking as young as ever. Dragons had long lifespans, and his appearance proved it. "Son, what kept you so long?" he asked, eyeing me curiously. "I woke up a little late," I lied, knowing fully well that I had not slept properly for days because her thoughts haunted me. Soon, the guards opened the door of my carriage, and I stepped inside. My father entered his own carriage. My younger brother, Aiden, was already seated in his, but he did not bother to greet me or ask how I was doing. I did not let his behavior bother me. We had never been on good terms. As the carriage jerked into motion, every step closer to the sacrificial tower reminded me that the safety of both realms rested on my shoulders. I had to do what was needed and lock away whatever crazy feelings were forming in my head. HAZEL'S POV After what felt like forever, we stepped out of the room and were led through the prison hallway. My thoughts drifted back to Mahir and Adriel. I had not seen them since we were brought here. I could not understand why they separated us, but I knew it was to prevent any form of contact between us. We walked past several cells filled with different prisoners. Most were dragon shifters, as I could sense the same aura I had felt from the dragons that transformed into fully grown men. Some prisoners had a different aura that I could not place. Growing up, I never imagined there were creatures other than humans, but as my mother always said, new discoveries always come with surprises. My thoughts drifted to the dragon whose looks stirred something in me. He had not shifted into his human form, yet he still affected me, making me wonder how he would look as a man. "Hey, beautiful," a voice called from one of the cells. I turned to see a crazy looking man wearing an awkward smile. We kept walking past cells filled with inmates who stared at us with frightening eyes. At one point, a prisoner with heavy chains lunged toward us angrily, making my heart jump into my throat. Most of the inmates were men, with only a few women among them. Soon, we reached the entrance, and I sighed in relief. The cold night breeze brushed against my skin as I closed my eyes, savoring the fresh air. How I missed my freedom. When I opened my eyes, I saw two other girls dressed in black like me. They had not seen me yet. "Adriel. Mahir," I called. They turned instantly. "Hazel," they echoed together as we ran into each other's arms. "I missed you guys," I said as tears filled my eyes. "We missed you more," Adriel said, pulling me into a tighter hug. "Girls, I think we should go now. We don't want to be late," one of the guards said, breaking our emotional moment. We were led into three different carriages and taken to the sacrificial tower. Upon arrival, we climbed countless stairs until we reached the top. Villagers had already gathered. We were positioned beside three ancient stone slabs as a woman who appeared to be the priestess stepped forward. "People of Eldorado, today is an important day in the dragon realm. A day of sacrifice meant to tame the inferno and keep both the dragon and human realms safe," she announced. The crowd cheered in excitement, as if killing someone was a joke. "Lie on the slabs before you," the priestess ordered. We obeyed. Guards chained my hands and legs to the slab using the built in chains. They did the same to Mahir and Adriel. The priestess circled us seven times, chanting words I did not understand. My eyes drifted to three men seated high above. The one in the center was clearly the king. My gaze locked with the man seated to the right, dressed in a long black cloak. The night breeze lifted his raven black hair. I had never seen a man this beautiful. He was more handsome than the men I read about in fairy tales, the ones I used to dream of marrying. He kept looking at me, and there was something in his gaze I could not explain. "Beat the drums," the priestess commanded. As the drums sounded, the man transformed into a massive dragon and flew toward us. He hovered over Mahir and breathed fire. Her scream filled the air before fading. In seconds, only her ashes remained. My heart skipped a beat as fear overwhelmed me. I saw Adriel shut her eyes tightly, her lips moving as she whispered her final prayer. The dragon flew to her next and engulfed her in fire. She did not scream. In a blink, she was gone, leaving only ashes behind. Tears streamed down my face as my body trembled violently. The dragon turned toward me and flew closer. I struggled against the chains, but it was useless. "Close your eyes," a guard said gently. "It will be quick." I closed my eyes tightly, waiting for the fire. Nothing happened. Murmurs spread through the crowd. I slowly opened my eyes and found myself staring directly into the eyes of the massive dragon with thick black scales. "Why am I still alive?" I whispered. He stared at me briefly, his eyes holding something I could not understand, then turned and flew away. His shadow disappeared into the darkness.