E04 朗读版 | Guardians of the Dragon Gem

He lifted his golden mask, Raya looked up intoher father’s face. His eyes were full of pride as hesmiled down at her.

“Like I said, not one foot in the inner circle.

You lost, Raya,” he said.
Raya raised one eyebrow. “Did I?”
Her father glanced down. Raya’s foot was stretched out in front her. The tip of her toe restedon the Dragon Gem’s inner circle.

“Raya . . .” Her father shook his head andchuckled.“ I probably should have said two feet.”

Raya stood up, grinning. “Hey. Don’t beatyourself up too much, Chief Benja. You gave ityour best.”

“I won’ t. And it’s either Father or Ba to you. Youdid good, dewdrop,” he said, using the old Kumandranterm of endearment. “You passed the test.”

He held out a hand to Raya, inviting her to joinhim in the inner circle.

Raya paused, savoring the moment. Her dream,at last, had come true. She stepped into the innercircle.

The Dragon Gem hovered just inches away,washing her face in blue light. Up close, Rayacould see the glimmer within the stone. She couldfeel the power of its magic. “Wow,” she whispered.“The spirit of Sisu.”

Benja knelt and bowed, raising his hands in acircle before his forehead. Raya did the same. Shewatched, entranced1, as tiny droplets of water roseinto the air, swirling and spiraling around the Gem.

“For generations, our family has sworn toprotect the Gem,” Benja told his daughter. “Today,you will join that legacy.”

Benja scooped up a handful of the sacredwater and poured it over Raya’s bowed head. Asthe water trickled over Raya’s face, the dropletsbegan to glow. They floated away from her to jointhe drops encircling the Gem.

“Raya, Princess of Heart, my daughter,” Benjaintoned. “You are now a Guardian of the DragonGem.”

Benja wrapped his arm proudly around hisdaughter. She leaned her head against his shoulder,at once exhausted and elated. For as long asRaya could remember, she had worked for thisrite3 of passage to guardianship. All the monthsand years of training had been worth it. This waseverything she’d ever wanted.