Tao
Chapter 8: Second Egg - The Ice Caves
The northern cold is unforgiving. In the ice caves, a frozen labyrinth awaits the three friends. But they are not the only ones searching for the egg...
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After the jade forest, Tao and his friends return to the temple. They show the green egg to Master Shen. He is very proud of them.
"But there's no time to lose," he said. "You must head north. Towards the ice caves."
The journey north takes five days. It's getting colder and colder. They put on warm clothes and furs.
Finally, they arrive at the caves. It's an incredible place! Mountains of ice sparkle in the sun. The cave entrance is enormous.
"It's magnificent," said Linh, shivering. "But so cold!"
They enter the cave. Everything is made of ice: the walls, the floor, the ceiling. It's like a crystal palace.
But very quickly, they get lost. There are passages everywhere. Which way should they go?
"Wait," said Tao. He closed his eyes. He could feel the egg calling to him. "This way!"
They follow Tao. But suddenly, they hear voices. Other people are in the cave!
They are hiding behind a wall of ice. Tao sees three men in black robes. They look menacing.
"The dragon egg must be somewhere here," said one of the men. "The master wants us to find it before these children."
Tao is scared. Someone else is looking for the eggs! And they know Tao exists!
"We need to hurry," Kai whispered.
They advance cautiously. The cold is terrible. Their fingers are turning completely white.
Suddenly, Tao slips on the ice! He falls into a hole. Linh and Kai catch him just in time.
At the bottom of the hole, there's something shining. It's the blue egg!
But the men in black heard them. They came running.
"Quick!" Kai shouts. "Grab the egg!"
Tao descends with a rope. He takes the egg. It is frozen but magnificent.
The men arrive. But Kai uses his power. He creates a great wind that sends snow flying everywhere. The men can no longer see anything.
"Run!" Kai shouts.
The three friends run towards the exit. Behind them, the men are shouting. But they are faster.
They emerge from the cave just in time. Outside, a snowstorm begins. It obscures their path.
They did it! Two out of three eggs. But now they know: someone wants to stop them.
"But there's no time to lose," he said. "You must head north. Towards the ice caves."
The journey north takes five days. It's getting colder and colder. They put on warm clothes and furs.
Finally, they arrive at the caves. It's an incredible place! Mountains of ice sparkle in the sun. The cave entrance is enormous.
"It's magnificent," said Linh, shivering. "But so cold!"
They enter the cave. Everything is made of ice: the walls, the floor, the ceiling. It's like a crystal palace.
But very quickly, they get lost. There are passages everywhere. Which way should they go?
"Wait," said Tao. He closed his eyes. He could feel the egg calling to him. "This way!"
They follow Tao. But suddenly, they hear voices. Other people are in the cave!
They are hiding behind a wall of ice. Tao sees three men in black robes. They look menacing.
"The dragon egg must be somewhere here," said one of the men. "The master wants us to find it before these children."
Tao is scared. Someone else is looking for the eggs! And they know Tao exists!
"We need to hurry," Kai whispered.
They advance cautiously. The cold is terrible. Their fingers are turning completely white.
Suddenly, Tao slips on the ice! He falls into a hole. Linh and Kai catch him just in time.
At the bottom of the hole, there's something shining. It's the blue egg!
But the men in black heard them. They came running.
"Quick!" Kai shouts. "Grab the egg!"
Tao descends with a rope. He takes the egg. It is frozen but magnificent.
The men arrive. But Kai uses his power. He creates a great wind that sends snow flying everywhere. The men can no longer see anything.
"Run!" Kai shouts.
The three friends run towards the exit. Behind them, the men are shouting. But they are faster.
They emerge from the cave just in time. Outside, a snowstorm begins. It obscures their path.
They did it! Two out of three eggs. But now they know: someone wants to stop them.
After their success in the Jade Forest, Tao, Linh, and Kai return to the Cloud Temple. They arrive exhausted but happy, the green egg carefully protected in Tao's bag.
Master Shen greets them with pride. He examines the egg reverently, and for the first time, Tao sees him smile broadly.
"You have passed the first test. I am proud of you. But we have no time to lose. Bo has had another disturbing dream. Other people are looking for the eggs. People who don't want the dragons to return."
"Who?" Tao asks, worried.
"I don't know exactly. But you need to head north quickly. Towards the ice caves. And this time, be even more careful."
Two days of rest later, the three friends set off again. This time, the journey was longer and more difficult. They walked north for five days, and each day it got colder.
They cross snowy plains, frozen forests, and rivers encased in ice. They have to wear thick furs and gloves. Even with that, the cold is terrible.
"I've never been so cold in my life," Kai said, his teeth chattering.
Linh tries to communicate with the animals of the north - white foxes, polar birds - who show them the best way.
Finally, on the fifth day, they arrived at the ice caves. It was a place both magnificent and terrifying. Mountains of ice rose towards the sky, shining brightly under the pale northern sun. The entrance to the main cave was immense, like the mouth of a frozen giant.
"The egg is in there," Tao said. He could feel it strongly now. "At the bottom of the cave."
They light up crystals of light that Master Shen gave them and enter the cave.
It's like stepping into another world. Everything is made of ice: the walls, the floor, the ceiling. Ice stalactites and stalagmites create incredible formations. Light reflects everywhere, creating frozen rainbows.
But they quickly realize there's a problem: the cave is a labyrinth. There are dozens of passages, tunnels, and chambers. Which one should they take?
"Tao, can you feel where the egg is?" Linh asks.
Tao closes his eyes. He concentrates. He feels the pendant around his neck become cold—not warm as usual, but cold. As if the blue egg had the opposite effect to the green egg.
"That way," he said, pointing to a tunnel on the left.
They advance cautiously. The ground is slippery. Several times, they almost fall.
That's when they hear voices. Not friendly ones. Adult voices speaking harshly.
The three friends freeze and quickly hide behind a large ice formation. Tao takes a cautious look.
Three men dressed in long black robes advance into another tunnel. They carry torches and look determined and dangerous.
"The master said the dragon egg is in these caves," said the first man.
"We need to find him before these children he talked about."
"How does he know about the children?" asks the second one.
"He has his sources. He knows that a boy with dragon blood is searching for the three eggs. We must stop him. The master doesn't want the dragons to return."
Tao's heart is pounding. Someone is after them! Someone knows what they're doing!
The men move away into another tunnel. When they can no longer hear them, Kai whispers, "We have to hurry. If they find the egg before we do..."
"They don't"They won't find it," Tao said resolutely. "The egg is calling me. Only I can truly feel it."
They advance even more cautiously, in silence. The cold becomes increasingly intense. Their fingers begin to turn white. Tao uses some of his dragon fire to warm his hands and those of his friends.
Suddenly, Tao slips on a particularly smooth patch of ice. He loses his balance and falls. Linh and Kai grab his arms just in time before he falls into a large hole in the ground.
"Thank you!" Tao breathed, his heart pounding.
But looking into the hole, he sees something. Down below, about ten meters away, there is a blue light. A light that pulses gently.
"It's the egg!" he exclaimed in a low voice. "There it is!"
"How do we get down?" Linh asks.
Kai takes a rope out of his bag. "I brought this just in case. We're going to tie you up and take you down."
But just as they begin to prepare for the descent, they hear footsteps rapidly approaching. The men in black! They've heard them!
"Quickly, quickly!" Kai whispered urgently.
Tao has the rope tied around his waist. Kai and Linh lower him into the hole as quickly as possible.
The cold below is even more intense. Tao can barely breathe. But he can see the egg clearly now. It's magnificent—icy blue, almost transparent, with veins of silvery light running through it.
Tao takes it carefully. It's so cold it almost burns his hands. But like the green egg, it shrinks to become portable.
"I've got it!" he shouts upwards.
Linh and Kai start to pull it up. But at the same time, the men in black arrive in the room.
"There! The children!" shouts one of the men.
Tao is halfway out of the hole. The men are running towards Linh and Kai.
But Kai is ready. He raises his hands and uses his power on the wind. A violent whirlwind is created in the cave, lifting snow and ice, almost creating a storm inside.
The men are being pushed back, blinded by the snow.
Linh and Kai pull Tao out of the hole. All three run towards the exit, slipping and stumbling on the ice.
Behind them, they hear the men shouting and chasing them. But the storm Kai created continues to slow them down.
They finally find the exit and burst out of the cave. Outside, as if by a miracle, a real snowstorm begins. The wind howls, the snow falls so hard that they can barely see anything.
"Nature is helping us!" Linh shouts over the wind.
They run through the storm, moving away from the caves. The men also go out, but in the storm, they lose track of the children.
After an hour of difficult walking, they find refuge in a small natural cave. There, sheltered, exhausted and freezing, they sit down.
Tao takes the two eggs out of his bag. The green egg is warm. The blue egg is cold. Together, they create a balance.
"We did it," Kai murmured. "Two out of three."
"But someone is after us," Linh said anxiously. "Someone who doesn't want the dragons to return."
Tao nods. "I know. But we can't stop now. There's one more egg. At the volcano."
Master Shen greets them with pride. He examines the egg reverently, and for the first time, Tao sees him smile broadly.
"You have passed the first test. I am proud of you. But we have no time to lose. Bo has had another disturbing dream. Other people are looking for the eggs. People who don't want the dragons to return."
"Who?" Tao asks, worried.
"I don't know exactly. But you need to head north quickly. Towards the ice caves. And this time, be even more careful."
Two days of rest later, the three friends set off again. This time, the journey was longer and more difficult. They walked north for five days, and each day it got colder.
They cross snowy plains, frozen forests, and rivers encased in ice. They have to wear thick furs and gloves. Even with that, the cold is terrible.
"I've never been so cold in my life," Kai said, his teeth chattering.
Linh tries to communicate with the animals of the north - white foxes, polar birds - who show them the best way.
Finally, on the fifth day, they arrived at the ice caves. It was a place both magnificent and terrifying. Mountains of ice rose towards the sky, shining brightly under the pale northern sun. The entrance to the main cave was immense, like the mouth of a frozen giant.
"The egg is in there," Tao said. He could feel it strongly now. "At the bottom of the cave."
They light up crystals of light that Master Shen gave them and enter the cave.
It's like stepping into another world. Everything is made of ice: the walls, the floor, the ceiling. Ice stalactites and stalagmites create incredible formations. Light reflects everywhere, creating frozen rainbows.
But they quickly realize there's a problem: the cave is a labyrinth. There are dozens of passages, tunnels, and chambers. Which one should they take?
"Tao, can you feel where the egg is?" Linh asks.
Tao closes his eyes. He concentrates. He feels the pendant around his neck become cold—not warm as usual, but cold. As if the blue egg had the opposite effect to the green egg.
"That way," he said, pointing to a tunnel on the left.
They advance cautiously. The ground is slippery. Several times, they almost fall.
That's when they hear voices. Not friendly ones. Adult voices speaking harshly.
The three friends freeze and quickly hide behind a large ice formation. Tao takes a cautious look.
Three men dressed in long black robes advance into another tunnel. They carry torches and look determined and dangerous.
"The master said the dragon egg is in these caves," said the first man.
"We need to find him before these children he talked about."
"How does he know about the children?" asks the second one.
"He has his sources. He knows that a boy with dragon blood is searching for the three eggs. We must stop him. The master doesn't want the dragons to return."
Tao's heart is pounding. Someone is after them! Someone knows what they're doing!
The men move away into another tunnel. When they can no longer hear them, Kai whispers, "We have to hurry. If they find the egg before we do..."
"They don't"They won't find it," Tao said resolutely. "The egg is calling me. Only I can truly feel it."
They advance even more cautiously, in silence. The cold becomes increasingly intense. Their fingers begin to turn white. Tao uses some of his dragon fire to warm his hands and those of his friends.
Suddenly, Tao slips on a particularly smooth patch of ice. He loses his balance and falls. Linh and Kai grab his arms just in time before he falls into a large hole in the ground.
"Thank you!" Tao breathed, his heart pounding.
But looking into the hole, he sees something. Down below, about ten meters away, there is a blue light. A light that pulses gently.
"It's the egg!" he exclaimed in a low voice. "There it is!"
"How do we get down?" Linh asks.
Kai takes a rope out of his bag. "I brought this just in case. We're going to tie you up and take you down."
But just as they begin to prepare for the descent, they hear footsteps rapidly approaching. The men in black! They've heard them!
"Quickly, quickly!" Kai whispered urgently.
Tao has the rope tied around his waist. Kai and Linh lower him into the hole as quickly as possible.
The cold below is even more intense. Tao can barely breathe. But he can see the egg clearly now. It's magnificent—icy blue, almost transparent, with veins of silvery light running through it.
Tao takes it carefully. It's so cold it almost burns his hands. But like the green egg, it shrinks to become portable.
"I've got it!" he shouts upwards.
Linh and Kai start to pull it up. But at the same time, the men in black arrive in the room.
"There! The children!" shouts one of the men.
Tao is halfway out of the hole. The men are running towards Linh and Kai.
But Kai is ready. He raises his hands and uses his power on the wind. A violent whirlwind is created in the cave, lifting snow and ice, almost creating a storm inside.
The men are being pushed back, blinded by the snow.
Linh and Kai pull Tao out of the hole. All three run towards the exit, slipping and stumbling on the ice.
Behind them, they hear the men shouting and chasing them. But the storm Kai created continues to slow them down.
They finally find the exit and burst out of the cave. Outside, as if by a miracle, a real snowstorm begins. The wind howls, the snow falls so hard that they can barely see anything.
"Nature is helping us!" Linh shouts over the wind.
They run through the storm, moving away from the caves. The men also go out, but in the storm, they lose track of the children.
After an hour of difficult walking, they find refuge in a small natural cave. There, sheltered, exhausted and freezing, they sit down.
Tao takes the two eggs out of his bag. The green egg is warm. The blue egg is cold. Together, they create a balance.
"We did it," Kai murmured. "Two out of three."
"But someone is after us," Linh said anxiously. "Someone who doesn't want the dragons to return."
Tao nods. "I know. But we can't stop now. There's one more egg. At the volcano."
The return to the Cloud Temple after the success of the Jade Forest is triumphant. Tao, Linh, and Kai arrive exhausted but radiant, the green egg carefully wrapped and protected in Tao's bag.
All the children in the temple rush to welcome them. Even Master Shen, usually so calm and measured, has a bright smile when he sees the egg.
"You have accomplished something extraordinary," he said, examining the egg. "This egg had not been seen for three centuries. You have given it hope again."
But the celebrations were short-lived. That same evening, Master Shen summoned them to his private office, a room they had never seen before.
"I need to talk to you about something serious," he said, his face turning serious again. "Bo had another dream. A dark and disturbing dream."
Bo, who is also present, nods. "I saw shadows chasing you. Men in black robes. They're looking for the eggs too. They know what you're doing."
"Who are they?" Tao asked, feeling a shiver of concern.
"I'm not certain," replied Master Shen. "But I have my suspicions. There is an ancient organization called the Order of the Chain. They believe that dragons are too dangerous, too powerful. It was they who, centuries ago, imprisoned Long and made most of the dragons disappear. If the Order has discovered that someone is trying to bring the dragons back, they will do everything to stop it."
"So we need to go faster," Kai said with determination.
"Yes. You must leave for the ice caves as soon as possible. Rest for two days, prepare yourself, and leave. And this time, be extremely careful. Don't attract attention. And if you encounter those men... run away. Don't confront them."
Two days later, after a good rest and meticulous preparation for their trip, the three friends set off again. This time, their destination was the north – the far north where the cold reigns supreme.
The journey lasts five full days. Each day, the temperature drops. They leave the temperate regions and enter lands of snow and ice. Trees become increasingly sparse, replaced by white plains stretching as far as the eye can see.
Fortunately, Master Shen had equipped them well. They had thick furs, lined gloves, and waterproof boots. Linh used his gift to communicate with the animals of the north—foxes with immaculate white fur, snowy owls with golden eyes, even a large, solitary wolf that guided them for two days before silently disappearing.
The cold is a constant struggle. Even with their furs, they shiver. At night, they have to huddle together around a fire to avoid freezing. Tao uses his dragon fire to warm his friends, discovering that he can raise his body temperature at will—a very useful gift in these conditions.
"I never imagined it could get this cold," Kai said, his teeth chattering on the third night. "My bones are frozen!"
"We're almost there," Tao assures, looking at the star chart. "Two more days."
Finally, at noon on the fifth day, they sighted their destination: the ice caves.
It's a breathtaking sight. A mountain range made entirely of ice rises before them, gleaming with a blue-white brilliance under the pale northern sun. The peaks are sharp as blades, the mountain sides smooth as glass. And there, at the foot of the highest mountain, opens a massive cave entrance—a gaping mouth of ice that seems to lead into the bowels of the earth.frozen ground.
"It's... intimidating," Linh murmurs.
Tao felt the egg's call now. It was different from the green egg's call. This one was cold, like an icy whisper in his mind. The pendant around his neck, usually warm, had become cold to the touch.
"The egg is in there," he said confidently. "Deep inside."
They light their light crystals - magical stones that shine with a soft, constant light - and enter the cave.
The interior is a world of pure ice. The walls, the floor, the ceiling—everything is ice. But not ordinary ice. This is ancient ice, formed over millennia, so pure it's almost transparent. The light from its crystals reflects and refracts endlessly, creating frozen rainbows wherever they look. Ice stalactites hang from the ceiling like teeth, some so large they almost touch the floor. Columns of ice, sculpted by time into strange and beautiful shapes, resemble statues from a forgotten world.
It's magnificent, but also dangerous. The ground is incredibly slippery. One wrong step could mean a painful fall.
But the biggest problem quickly becomes apparent: the cave is a labyrinth. From the main entrance chamber, at least ten different tunnels branch off, each leading in a different direction. And from these tunnels, even more tunnels branch off, creating a network so complex that it would be easy to get lost forever.
"How do we know which path to take?" Kai asks, looking at the options anxiously.
Tao closes his eyes and concentrates. He tries to feel the egg, to follow its call. After a moment, it points towards a tunnel on the left. "That way. I can feel it."
They advance cautiously. The silence in the cave is profound, almost oppressive. Only their careful footsteps and breathing break the silence. Every sound is amplified, creating strange echoes.
The cold here is even more intense than outside. It's a bone-chilling cold that slows down thoughts. Tao raises his body temperature and stands close to his friends to warm them.
They walk for what seems like hours, following Tao's instinct, turning left then right, descending slippery slopes, crossing ice chambers of different sizes and shapes.
It is in one of these rooms that they hear them: voices.
These are not friendly voices. These are the voices of adults, speaking with harshness and determination.
The three children froze instantly. Without a word, they quickly hid behind a large column of ice. Tao switched off his light crystal, and the others did the same. In the near total darkness, they held their breath.
The voices drew closer. Then Tao saw them: three men dressed in long, thick black robes, carrying torches. Their faces were hard, their movements efficient. They were not ordinary travelers—they were trained, dangerous people.
The men pass through an adjacent tunnel without seeing the hidden children. But Tao hears their words clearly, amplified by the acoustics of the cave.
"The master is certain the dragon egg is in these caves," said the first man. "He used ancient detection spells. We must find it before these children."
"How does the teacher know about the children?" asks the second, younger man.
"He has his sources. Spies even at the Cloud Temple, it seems. He knows that a boy with dragon blood, accompanied by two other children,"Look for the three eggs. They've already found the green egg."
The third man, the oldest and clearly the leader, speaks in a cold voice: "Our mission is clear. Find and destroy the eggs before the children gather them all. The dragons must never return. The master has ordered it, and we will obey."
"What if we meet the children?" the young man asks.
"We will stop them. By any means necessary."
The voices fade into the distance, disappearing into the echo of the ice maze.
Tao, Linh, and Kai remained hidden for several more minutes after the men had left, not daring to move. Finally, Linh whispered very softly:
"The Order of the Chain. Master Shen was right."
"They want to destroy the eggs," Kai whispered, horrified. "We have to find them first."
Tao nods his head, his heart beating fast. He is no longer afraid for himself - he is afraid for the eggs, for the dragons that may never have the chance to be born.
"We'll continue," he said resolutely. "But in silence. And very cautiously."
They relight their crystals, keeping them low to avoid projecting too much light, and resume their progress. This time, they are even more vigilant, stopping regularly to listen, making sure they are not being followed.
The cold becomes increasingly intense as they descend deeper. Tao's fingers begin to turn white despite his gloves. He constantly has to use his inner fire to warm himself and his friends, but this exhausts him.
Suddenly, as they were crossing a particularly slippery room, Tao stepped onto a patch of ice that was smoother than the others. His foot slipped. He lost his balance and fell forward.
"Tao!" Linh and Kai shout together.
They lunge forward and grab his arms just in time. Tao is hanging over a large hole in the icy ground that he hadn't seen in the dim light.
"I've got you!" growls Kai, firmly gripping Tao's arm.
Linh also helps, and together they pull Tao back to safety. All three fall to the icy ground, panting.
"Thank you," Tao breathed, his heart pounding. "I... wait."
While he was hanging above the hole, he saw something below. A light. A blue light pulsing gently in the depths.
Cautiously returning to the edge of the hole, he looks down. About ten meters deep, at the bottom of an ice chamber, there is something shining.
"It's the egg," he murmured in wonder. "There it is."
Kai and Linh are also watching. The blue light is distinctive, impossible to mistake. It's definitely the dragon egg.
"How do we get down there?" Linh asks.
Kai rummages in his bag and pulls out a long, strong rope. "I brought this thinking we might need it. We're going to tie you up and lower you down."
They work quickly but carefully. The rope is tied securely around Tao's waist. Kai and Linh hold it firmly, bracing themselves.
But just as Tao starts to descend into the hole, they hear a chilling sound: footsteps rapidly approaching. And voices. The men in black are back!
"Faster!" Kai whispered urgently.
Tao descends as fast as he dares, his feet sliding down the icy walls of the hole. The cold below is even more intense—a cold so profound it seems to suck away all warmth, all life. Each breath burns his lungs.
But he sees the eggClearly now. It rests on a natural pedestal of ice in the center of the subterranean chamber, gleaming with its inner blue light. It is magnificent—a deep, icy blue, almost transparent, with veins of silvery light running through it like frozen rivers. It looks like a piece of the winter sky captured and crystallized.
Tao's feet touched the floor of the room. He quickly untied the rope and approached the egg.
When he places his hands on it, it's like touching living ice. It's so cold it almost burns, but he holds firm. And like the green egg before it, the blue egg responds to his touch. The silvery light pulses more intensely where his hands rest. He recognizes it.
The egg begins to shrink, becoming small enough to fit in his bag. Tao carefully wraps it in insulating fabric.
"I've got it!" he shouts upwards, his voice echoing in the hole.
But upstairs, he hears shouts. The men have arrived!
"Children! There!" shouts a man's voice.
"Stop them!"
Kai and Linh start pulling on the rope to pull Tao up as quickly as possible. Tao helps by using his feet against the walls to climb.
Upstairs, the situation is chaotic. The three men in black have burst into the room and are running towards Linh and Kai. But Kai, without letting go of the rope, raises a free hand and invokes his power.
A whirlwind of icy wind rises in the room, so powerful that it throws snow and shards of ice from the floor. Ice crystals become projectiles, flying in all directions. The men are thrown back, forced to protect their faces.
Linh helps pull Tao out of the hole. As soon as he is on solid ground, all three start running.
"Which way?!" Kai shouts over the roar of the wind he created.
"This way!" Tao trusts his instinct, running towards a tunnel which he hopes leads to the exit.
Behind them, they could hear the men shouting and chasing them. The windstorm Kai had created had slowed them down, but not stopped them.
The ice maze blurs as they run, slide, stumble, and catch themselves. Several times they wander through tunnels at random, hoping simply to get away from their pursuers.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they saw natural light in front of them. The exit!
They burst out of the cave into the outside world, panting and exhausted.
And then, as if by a gift from the gods, a snowstorm begins. The wind howls, the snow falls so thick that you can barely see three meters ahead.
"It's a miracle!" Linh shouts over the wind.
The men in black also emerge from the cave, but in the blinding storm, they cannot see which direction the children have gone.
Tao, Linh, and Kai ventured into the storm, using nature itself as a shield. They walked for an hour through the blizzard, making sure they were no longer being followed.
Finally, they find refuge in a small natural cave, sheltered from the wind. There, shivering with cold and adrenaline, they collapse onto the rocky ground.
Tao carefully takes the two eggs out of his bag. The green egg, warm and pulsating with life. The blue egg, cold and serene. Side by side, they create a perfect balance - fire and ice, heat and cold, life and stillness.
"Two out of three," Kai murmured, smiling despite his exhaustion. "Just one more."
But Linh seems worried. "These men... the Order of the Chain... they know what we are doing.
All the children in the temple rush to welcome them. Even Master Shen, usually so calm and measured, has a bright smile when he sees the egg.
"You have accomplished something extraordinary," he said, examining the egg. "This egg had not been seen for three centuries. You have given it hope again."
But the celebrations were short-lived. That same evening, Master Shen summoned them to his private office, a room they had never seen before.
"I need to talk to you about something serious," he said, his face turning serious again. "Bo had another dream. A dark and disturbing dream."
Bo, who is also present, nods. "I saw shadows chasing you. Men in black robes. They're looking for the eggs too. They know what you're doing."
"Who are they?" Tao asked, feeling a shiver of concern.
"I'm not certain," replied Master Shen. "But I have my suspicions. There is an ancient organization called the Order of the Chain. They believe that dragons are too dangerous, too powerful. It was they who, centuries ago, imprisoned Long and made most of the dragons disappear. If the Order has discovered that someone is trying to bring the dragons back, they will do everything to stop it."
"So we need to go faster," Kai said with determination.
"Yes. You must leave for the ice caves as soon as possible. Rest for two days, prepare yourself, and leave. And this time, be extremely careful. Don't attract attention. And if you encounter those men... run away. Don't confront them."
Two days later, after a good rest and meticulous preparation for their trip, the three friends set off again. This time, their destination was the north – the far north where the cold reigns supreme.
The journey lasts five full days. Each day, the temperature drops. They leave the temperate regions and enter lands of snow and ice. Trees become increasingly sparse, replaced by white plains stretching as far as the eye can see.
Fortunately, Master Shen had equipped them well. They had thick furs, lined gloves, and waterproof boots. Linh used his gift to communicate with the animals of the north—foxes with immaculate white fur, snowy owls with golden eyes, even a large, solitary wolf that guided them for two days before silently disappearing.
The cold is a constant struggle. Even with their furs, they shiver. At night, they have to huddle together around a fire to avoid freezing. Tao uses his dragon fire to warm his friends, discovering that he can raise his body temperature at will—a very useful gift in these conditions.
"I never imagined it could get this cold," Kai said, his teeth chattering on the third night. "My bones are frozen!"
"We're almost there," Tao assures, looking at the star chart. "Two more days."
Finally, at noon on the fifth day, they sighted their destination: the ice caves.
It's a breathtaking sight. A mountain range made entirely of ice rises before them, gleaming with a blue-white brilliance under the pale northern sun. The peaks are sharp as blades, the mountain sides smooth as glass. And there, at the foot of the highest mountain, opens a massive cave entrance—a gaping mouth of ice that seems to lead into the bowels of the earth.frozen ground.
"It's... intimidating," Linh murmurs.
Tao felt the egg's call now. It was different from the green egg's call. This one was cold, like an icy whisper in his mind. The pendant around his neck, usually warm, had become cold to the touch.
"The egg is in there," he said confidently. "Deep inside."
They light their light crystals - magical stones that shine with a soft, constant light - and enter the cave.
The interior is a world of pure ice. The walls, the floor, the ceiling—everything is ice. But not ordinary ice. This is ancient ice, formed over millennia, so pure it's almost transparent. The light from its crystals reflects and refracts endlessly, creating frozen rainbows wherever they look. Ice stalactites hang from the ceiling like teeth, some so large they almost touch the floor. Columns of ice, sculpted by time into strange and beautiful shapes, resemble statues from a forgotten world.
It's magnificent, but also dangerous. The ground is incredibly slippery. One wrong step could mean a painful fall.
But the biggest problem quickly becomes apparent: the cave is a labyrinth. From the main entrance chamber, at least ten different tunnels branch off, each leading in a different direction. And from these tunnels, even more tunnels branch off, creating a network so complex that it would be easy to get lost forever.
"How do we know which path to take?" Kai asks, looking at the options anxiously.
Tao closes his eyes and concentrates. He tries to feel the egg, to follow its call. After a moment, it points towards a tunnel on the left. "That way. I can feel it."
They advance cautiously. The silence in the cave is profound, almost oppressive. Only their careful footsteps and breathing break the silence. Every sound is amplified, creating strange echoes.
The cold here is even more intense than outside. It's a bone-chilling cold that slows down thoughts. Tao raises his body temperature and stands close to his friends to warm them.
They walk for what seems like hours, following Tao's instinct, turning left then right, descending slippery slopes, crossing ice chambers of different sizes and shapes.
It is in one of these rooms that they hear them: voices.
These are not friendly voices. These are the voices of adults, speaking with harshness and determination.
The three children froze instantly. Without a word, they quickly hid behind a large column of ice. Tao switched off his light crystal, and the others did the same. In the near total darkness, they held their breath.
The voices drew closer. Then Tao saw them: three men dressed in long, thick black robes, carrying torches. Their faces were hard, their movements efficient. They were not ordinary travelers—they were trained, dangerous people.
The men pass through an adjacent tunnel without seeing the hidden children. But Tao hears their words clearly, amplified by the acoustics of the cave.
"The master is certain the dragon egg is in these caves," said the first man. "He used ancient detection spells. We must find it before these children."
"How does the teacher know about the children?" asks the second, younger man.
"He has his sources. Spies even at the Cloud Temple, it seems. He knows that a boy with dragon blood, accompanied by two other children,"Look for the three eggs. They've already found the green egg."
The third man, the oldest and clearly the leader, speaks in a cold voice: "Our mission is clear. Find and destroy the eggs before the children gather them all. The dragons must never return. The master has ordered it, and we will obey."
"What if we meet the children?" the young man asks.
"We will stop them. By any means necessary."
The voices fade into the distance, disappearing into the echo of the ice maze.
Tao, Linh, and Kai remained hidden for several more minutes after the men had left, not daring to move. Finally, Linh whispered very softly:
"The Order of the Chain. Master Shen was right."
"They want to destroy the eggs," Kai whispered, horrified. "We have to find them first."
Tao nods his head, his heart beating fast. He is no longer afraid for himself - he is afraid for the eggs, for the dragons that may never have the chance to be born.
"We'll continue," he said resolutely. "But in silence. And very cautiously."
They relight their crystals, keeping them low to avoid projecting too much light, and resume their progress. This time, they are even more vigilant, stopping regularly to listen, making sure they are not being followed.
The cold becomes increasingly intense as they descend deeper. Tao's fingers begin to turn white despite his gloves. He constantly has to use his inner fire to warm himself and his friends, but this exhausts him.
Suddenly, as they were crossing a particularly slippery room, Tao stepped onto a patch of ice that was smoother than the others. His foot slipped. He lost his balance and fell forward.
"Tao!" Linh and Kai shout together.
They lunge forward and grab his arms just in time. Tao is hanging over a large hole in the icy ground that he hadn't seen in the dim light.
"I've got you!" growls Kai, firmly gripping Tao's arm.
Linh also helps, and together they pull Tao back to safety. All three fall to the icy ground, panting.
"Thank you," Tao breathed, his heart pounding. "I... wait."
While he was hanging above the hole, he saw something below. A light. A blue light pulsing gently in the depths.
Cautiously returning to the edge of the hole, he looks down. About ten meters deep, at the bottom of an ice chamber, there is something shining.
"It's the egg," he murmured in wonder. "There it is."
Kai and Linh are also watching. The blue light is distinctive, impossible to mistake. It's definitely the dragon egg.
"How do we get down there?" Linh asks.
Kai rummages in his bag and pulls out a long, strong rope. "I brought this thinking we might need it. We're going to tie you up and lower you down."
They work quickly but carefully. The rope is tied securely around Tao's waist. Kai and Linh hold it firmly, bracing themselves.
But just as Tao starts to descend into the hole, they hear a chilling sound: footsteps rapidly approaching. And voices. The men in black are back!
"Faster!" Kai whispered urgently.
Tao descends as fast as he dares, his feet sliding down the icy walls of the hole. The cold below is even more intense—a cold so profound it seems to suck away all warmth, all life. Each breath burns his lungs.
But he sees the eggClearly now. It rests on a natural pedestal of ice in the center of the subterranean chamber, gleaming with its inner blue light. It is magnificent—a deep, icy blue, almost transparent, with veins of silvery light running through it like frozen rivers. It looks like a piece of the winter sky captured and crystallized.
Tao's feet touched the floor of the room. He quickly untied the rope and approached the egg.
When he places his hands on it, it's like touching living ice. It's so cold it almost burns, but he holds firm. And like the green egg before it, the blue egg responds to his touch. The silvery light pulses more intensely where his hands rest. He recognizes it.
The egg begins to shrink, becoming small enough to fit in his bag. Tao carefully wraps it in insulating fabric.
"I've got it!" he shouts upwards, his voice echoing in the hole.
But upstairs, he hears shouts. The men have arrived!
"Children! There!" shouts a man's voice.
"Stop them!"
Kai and Linh start pulling on the rope to pull Tao up as quickly as possible. Tao helps by using his feet against the walls to climb.
Upstairs, the situation is chaotic. The three men in black have burst into the room and are running towards Linh and Kai. But Kai, without letting go of the rope, raises a free hand and invokes his power.
A whirlwind of icy wind rises in the room, so powerful that it throws snow and shards of ice from the floor. Ice crystals become projectiles, flying in all directions. The men are thrown back, forced to protect their faces.
Linh helps pull Tao out of the hole. As soon as he is on solid ground, all three start running.
"Which way?!" Kai shouts over the roar of the wind he created.
"This way!" Tao trusts his instinct, running towards a tunnel which he hopes leads to the exit.
Behind them, they could hear the men shouting and chasing them. The windstorm Kai had created had slowed them down, but not stopped them.
The ice maze blurs as they run, slide, stumble, and catch themselves. Several times they wander through tunnels at random, hoping simply to get away from their pursuers.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they saw natural light in front of them. The exit!
They burst out of the cave into the outside world, panting and exhausted.
And then, as if by a gift from the gods, a snowstorm begins. The wind howls, the snow falls so thick that you can barely see three meters ahead.
"It's a miracle!" Linh shouts over the wind.
The men in black also emerge from the cave, but in the blinding storm, they cannot see which direction the children have gone.
Tao, Linh, and Kai ventured into the storm, using nature itself as a shield. They walked for an hour through the blizzard, making sure they were no longer being followed.
Finally, they find refuge in a small natural cave, sheltered from the wind. There, shivering with cold and adrenaline, they collapse onto the rocky ground.
Tao carefully takes the two eggs out of his bag. The green egg, warm and pulsating with life. The blue egg, cold and serene. Side by side, they create a perfect balance - fire and ice, heat and cold, life and stillness.
"Two out of three," Kai murmured, smiling despite his exhaustion. "Just one more."
But Linh seems worried. "These men... the Order of the Chain... they know what we are doing.