The queen watched, disappointed at the state of her troops and their inability to withstand the heat, and began to hurl even more balls of fire. Between the advancing soldiers and the mad queen’s magic, Sairus and Isran were stopped, trapped in the melee.
A bloodied wolf rushed towards one of the firestone pillars. It dodged and weaved through the crowd, snapping at ankles and pulling at cloaks, but otherwise kept as much out of the fighting as it could. It had gotten in a fight with Seraphis’s pack of hounds, but the dogs had gotten distracted by larger, heavier armored targets. Once Ma’trii found Kae at the base of the pillar, he let out a short huff. The huntress, who had been bracing herself during the battle and confusion, saw the gash that ran across the wolf’s face.
“Ma’trii, you’re hurt… I’m so sorry, I got you into this.” Kae said, gingerly touching Ma’trii’s face. “I’m afraid I can’t get you out.”
The wolf shook his head and nudged Kae in the side. The look in the feral Beastman’s eyes were determined, and he nudged Kae again to make sure she knew he would not leave her. They shared a look, and Ma’trii turned to point at Haedria.
The queen was stepping down from the dais. She was so focused on the soldiers, the fighting in her throne room, that she had stepped away from Loren and left the princess of Aldoran by the throne. So far in the back of the room, she was unbothered by the fighting.
Ma’trii looked back to Kae and nodded once. As one, both huntress and wolf broke into a mad dash towards the throne.
Kae slid on her knees once she got to the dais. She scooped up the princess in her arms, only pausing to check if the girl was alive at all, before hauling her upright. At the sudden movement, Loren’s eyes fluttered open. Her irises were gold, even without the dragon pendant. Once her weary eyes locked onto Kae, the color retreated back to her normal dark eyes. The princess smiled.
“You’re always saving me, aren’t you?” she said with a weak chuckle.
“I did say I wouldn’t leave you.” Kae said with a small smile. “I’m getting very stubborn about it.”
“What happened to the pendant?”
“Shattered. Why are your eyes still gold sometimes?”
“I have no idea. If anything, I can hear him more clearly now.”
“Him?”
“The dragon. He knew about Haedria and what she planned to do. He didn’t come when she made me call him because he knew. But he was near. He was following the Aldoran army.”
“Can he get us out of here, maybe? Give us a ride back west?”
At the base of the dais, Ma’trii howled. The wolf found himself surrounded by Seraphis’s dark furred hounds. They snapped and barked, circling him. When one of the hound would step closer and break their line, Ma’trii harried him and bit whatever he could reach. The bloodied wolf’s hackles were raised, lips drawn back over razor sharp teeth. He was far out numbered.
Loren’s grip on Kae’s arm grew tighter. The two shared a look, fear and hope in their eyes. Messages passed between them without words, with the tentative promise that they would hear the words they so badly needed to hear soon. Loren entwined her fingers with Kae’s, and held her tight. She wasn’t going to let go this time.
“How are we getting out of here, princess?” Kae asked. Her heart beat with fear, but somehow, there was excitement under it all. The huntress managed to smirk.
The princess, so used to being so high strung, to having the weight of the world on her shoulders, felt at ease at the sight of the huntress’s cocky look. Loren barked a short laugh despite herself, and resolved she needed to see Kae’s stupid smile again. “I have no idea, but we’ll figure something out.”
The princess took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. As she exhaled, the dragon roared again, the force of its voice shaking the Firestone Keep to its foundations.
Chapter Twenty Six
The high double doors of the throne room were blown off their hinges. Streams of bright flame spilled into the Firestone Keep, scorching the hallways of dark stone. The flickering tongues of flame bore a glittering, golden sheen in their light as it torched anyone and anything it touched. Soldiers from Aldoran and Sagna alike fell to the fire, men and women in armor screaming in agony inside white-hot steel. It only lasted for a few seconds, before the flames receded and a loud rumbling was heard throughout the throne room.
“Loren?” Kae whispered, unsure. The golden-tinged flames were coming again, inching closer towards them. The soldiers embroiled in the fighting quickly took notice and scrambled away. Both Sagnian and Aldoran soldiers found themselves trapped, with gold-orange flames spreading horizontally towards them on one side, and Haedria’s column of flame on the other.
The queen of Sagna’s eyes went wide. “Dragonfire. Dragonfire, here, in my castle.” She muttered in disbelief. The queen scanned the crowd and found a flash of bright red hair entangled in a fight with the lion Beastman. She shouted to Seraphis, “Sister! The dragon is here! We must capture it!”
Seraphis caught Kaiten’s blow on her crossed swords, and pushed the Beastman off of her, staggering the young king. Her hair fanned behind her as she whipped her hair, bright-red illuminating itself against the backdrop of flames. Sweat tricked down from her brow to mix
