Chapter 37

Isabella's POV.
Elijah came up to me and shoved a key-shaped stone into my hand.
"Wait a minute, you're going to put it in the keyhole with me." He said in the link.
"Believe in yourself, and believe in me. We're going to make it."
I was almost infected by Mia's emotions, so I reinforced my opinion. No matter what, I should continue my own examination. Even if there really is a dragon in there, I should survive from his men.
"You guys are finally here, I thought you wouldn't dare." Liam stood in front of the elders, looking more like a referee or a neutral party.
But we all know what's going on in his head.
I could barely suppress my anger anymore. How dare he try to do this to my child!
"The boy, you found him, didn't you?" I asked him in a voice that only the two of us could hear.
"You put that kid on the test, do you know he could have died from it?"
"Yeah, of course I know. But the White Birch Pack guys have never been afraid of that. If they can get glory for it, every member of the White Birch Pack is happy to do so. It should have been your son. But who told you guys to have a son." His expression looked very sorry. Immediately afterwards, he surveyed me with that almost hunter-like expression.
"What a good breeder it would be otherwise, right? It's your child, after all."
I squeezed the corner of my shirt and almost crushed it outright. But I knew I couldn't get angry, and if I did, there could be worse consequences.
So I just smiled at him and went back to the elder who was in charge of approaching us.
"He must hate you so much." Mia giggled playfully inside my head.
"Hear that, those elders really didn't take him seriously."
This I also understand. As time goes on, the probability of Elijah and I becoming elders is increasing. Now the elders who supported Liam, even if they were constrained by him because of the "gift" incident, will not act too aggressively.
That's why I could clearly hear the people accusing Liam of nothing more than the fact that he was using a real baby.
And because of this, he also lost the immunity from these elders.
"I'm glad you're all here on time, but it doesn't matter if you want to quit. We all know that this test is just too difficult." There was a little sympathy in that elder's expression.
"If there is an accident, your Pack will be in a very awkward position."
"We understand." I said in unison with Elijah.
The older folks in the Green Creek Pack had told us before we left. If we lost both alpha and luna, most of the wolves would fall into chaos straight away, even if we had seriously explained it to beta.
But at the time we all knew that unless we became elders, there was no single solution to our current problems.
If we are not elders, then we also face the same situation of being re-annexed by White Birch Pack. It would be better to fight. As long as I can become an elder, then none of this will be a hindrance.
"Well, then please wait here. You can go in soon." The elder stepped aside from in front of us and walked toward several other elders.
This time, it was Liam standing diagonally in front of us again. He didn't even bother to come over and taunt us.
I don't know if it was just me, but he looked particularly confident.
"Have you completely given up on yourself?" I taunted.
"Oh, it's not like that. Why should I be angry? After all, you don't have long to live." He looked at me with that look of pity.
He must have known something.
I suddenly thought of Mia's speculation. Could it really be a dragon?
"So, let's get started." Elijah and I each stepped forward and inserted the key in our hands into the door. Immediately after, we pushed it forward with force.
"Please remember, you have no chance to regret. If you are unable to survive inside this chamber, then it also proves that you are not qualified to become elders. For the next one, please work hard." The elders shouted.
I followed Elijah as he walked forward. Just as we stepped through the doorway, the door swiftly closed.
Elijah and I quickly transformed into our wolf forms. I stood at his side, listening carefully for the sounds behind me.
"I'm afraid we have to go a little further in. I don't see anything in here." I communicated with him through the companion link.
Our senses are already very sharp in the state of the wolf, and if this is not found, either it is a remarkable magical creature, or there is no other creature here.
I leaned down and sniffed carefully on the ground.
"Snap." A small stone fell at my feet.
I looked up. The cliffs on both sides were shaking and bigger rocks were rolling down the hillside.
No, it's not a rock!
I looked at it and was almost afraid to move my eyes away.
Rolling down from the mountain is a giant fire dragon. It is spewing fiery lava from its mouth, and the place it flows over collapses.
It is simply as tall as a rhinoceros, and the size of its eyes is almost like a watermelon.
And as it rolled down, it opened its wings and glided towards us. Even though we had the excellent vision of a werewolf, we could still only see it by the light of the fire as it exhaled.
"Isn't this creature, well, extinct?" I couldn't help but growl low.
"Werewolves are as old as dragons, and it's not impossible to keep it bred ......" Mia explained inside my head.
"That's not the point, Mia. i'm probably going to die here." With great effort, I jumped up from the ground. The fire dragon's skin baked the ground, and I felt as if the asphalt beneath my feet had become sticky and soft.
I jumped hard onto another rock. There was a gap in this rock that was almost completely overhanging, and I barely did too much thinking and shoved myself right in.
But by the time I jumped in I realized that it actually left a gap. If it spews fire or reaches over, then it is still possible to catch me.
Then I'm dead!
"Isabella!" I heard Elijah's voice. But it was too late. I raised my arms to shield my head, just hoping I could finally leave with some decency.
"Roar!" I heard the roar of that dragon.
But the distance is long.
I opened my eyes. The dragon was still sitting on the opposite rock, but its attention was completely drawn to Elijah. But even then, it showed no sign of flying particularly high.
"Good news, it's not very flighty. Look, its wings are broken." Mia reminded me in my head.
Only then did I look up at it closely. It was standing on the opposite side of the cliff from me, spinning around, and after noticing me staring at it, it poked its head out and roared at me.
This was just in time for me to see the huge tears in its wing membrane.
In any case, this causes it to glide only for short distances.
"The dragon's wings are damaged, so if it falls to the ground it won't be able to fly again. I wonder if Elijah has found this." Mia's tone was very serious.
I looked to Elijah, but before I could warn him, he was swept right past the fire dragon's large tail.
"Elijah!"
I screamed in horror.
If swept down, the fall will only be worse than mine.
"Boom!" I heard the sound of collapsing rocks. I hurriedly rolled out of the stone. This time I just felt the world was spinning, but the next thing I knew I landed in a white mist.
"Isabella?"
Something about this voice sounded familiar? I opened my eyes.
I then realized that I didn't exist in any of the places I used to be familiar with. It looked like there was only this white fog and nothing else that could be used as a landmark.
Two complete strangers were coming together in front of me. They were looking at me with worry in their eyes. I felt as if I knew who they were.
"Mom, Dad?" I subconsciously called out to both of them.
It's really exactly the same as my parents inside that vision, but obviously they were younger. After all, they were only in their twenties when they died.
"Isabella? Oh my God, it's really you. You've turned into such a big girl." The woman squatted down and took a good look at my face. She picked me up and let me rest my head in her arms.
"Mom, I miss you guys." I felt my nose tingle.
I have never known the joy of having a mother. And now, that need is being met to the fullest extent for me.
"We miss you too, son. But you shouldn't have come here yet." She spoke softly to me. Then she sat up and pushed me violently out. I tried to struggle, but my father smacked my hand away decisively.
"Your career isn't over, go do what you have to do." I heard them say.
"You'll be back when you're supposed to be here."
"No!" My body was getting heavier and heavier, but I didn't want to give up on them. But it was like I was falling off a cliff, further and further away from them.
"Well ......" I opened my eyes.
Elijah's voice echoed through the mate link, and his voice was noticeably more cheerful when he heard me respond.
"I'm okay." I answered him in a hurry. I rolled over and tried to lower myself into the more solid crevice of rock next to me.
"Stay safe. I'm holding its attention right now ......" Elijah's voice sounded obviously a little tired.
I don't know how long I passed out, but it must have been a long time. I braced my hand on the stone and prepared to get up, but its temperature suddenly caught my attention.
The rocks here are not hot, even a little cooler than on the peaks outside. This situation is not unusual. Because if this dragon is used as the heat source, it is obvious that it should be hotter the closer something is to it.
I took the opportunity to lie down and knocked hard on the ground with my wolf paw. Immediately after, I put my ear to the ground.
It was empty down here and there was the sound of water.
"That's a good sign." There was clearly a bit of excitement in Mia's voice.
"The fire dragon is afraid of water. Although this won't kill it because of that, it's enough to make it give up tracking us completely. Looks like we have a way to survive!"
"Elijah? Elijah?" I called out to Elijah through the companion link.
"I think we may have a solution."