CHAPTER 188: FIGHT TWO

Drakkar

The rain had slowed to a whisper, a soft drizzle that clung to my skin and scales like a second weight. Every breath burned in my chest. My claws were slightly cracked and bleeding. Rael’s blade had nicked the side of my face, and I’d returned the favor—his left pauldron hung broken, his breathing as ragged as mine.

We’d fought each other to exhaustion, locked in a storm of claws and steel that felt like it had lasted hours. Every clash echoed down the empty streets, every movement sharp and honed.

Neither of us backed down.

Neither of us could.

But then—through the haze of rain and blood—I saw something that made my world stop.

My eyes caught a flash of black scales through the clouds.

Mother.

She soared high above, a streak of power and elegance even through the battered sky. One of the massive monsters—the one shaped like a grotesque headless giraffe—was down, one of its legs twisted from her earlier assault.

And then—she struck the other giant

With one clean motion, she slashed open its long belly revealing the pulsing abyssal core inside. It throbbed with corrupted energy, black and red like a living heart of rot.

She hovered in the air, wings beating back the storm as she pulled in a breath—

—and released a torrent of fire.

It hit the core with pinpoint precision.

I saw it sizzle. Saw it burn. Heard the monster’s body rattle in agony.

It was dying.

I could feel the victory in my veins.

But then—

Like a bolt of lightning—

From below, in a blur too fast to comprehend, the giraffe’s lower jaw came out of nowhere, snapped open—a circular maw filled with rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth.

And in one horrific, final act—

It tore her legs off.

"No—"

I didn’t even realize I’d screamed.

Blood poured from her body midair as her wings faltered. She didn’t fall immediately. She just—floated there, stunned. I could see the pain rip through her. Her tail twisted wildly as she tried to stabilize herself, and I watched helplessly as her fire sputtered out.

For a second, I couldn’t breathe.

I couldn’t think.

I didn’t even see Rael until it was too late.

His blade came like a shadow—slipping through my lapse in focus, fast and precise, aimed straight for one of my hearts

I tried to move.

But I was too slow.

The cold tip of the blade nearly pierced my scale—

But it didn’t.

Because another sword—gleaming silver, perfectly timed—intercepted it.

Steel clanged and sparks flew.

Rael’s blade was stopped barely a centimeter from my chest.

I looked down, breath caught in my throat—

And saw him.

Ariston.

His face was burning with fury. His eyes locked with Rael’s.

"I don’t think so," he growled.

The steel shriek of their clash still rang in my ears.

Rael’s blade trembled against Ariston’s sword, the two locked for a second in raw strength. And then—Ariston pushed.

His stance deepened, boots grinding into the cracked stone road, and with a sharp, precise movement, he shoved Rael’s blade back. Sparks sprayed between them. Rael was forced to stumble a step away, boots skidding through a shallow puddle, his expression tight with momentary surprise.

Ariston’s sword stayed raised.

His chest rose and fell fast, breath heavy, muscles tensed like a coiled spring. But his voice was steady—low, sharp, commanding.

"Go." His eyes didn’t leave Rael. "Help Queen Darcelle."

I blinked, momentarily caught between the sting of his order and the truth behind it—he was holding this battle down so I could go help her.

My gaze snapped skyward.

Mother was still in the air, her massive dragon body weaving through clouds and fire, blood pouring in steady lines from the stumps of her legs. But she wasn’t retreating.

She was still fighting.

Despite everything. Despite her injuries. She was circling the wounded giraffe-monster again, snapping at it, buying the city more time.

My heart clenched. I looked back down.

Ariston stood firm between me and Rael—his blade reflecting the ruined sky, body shield-like. His focus on Rael was unshakable, the kind of murderous calm that said he’d either kill him—or die trying.

I hesitated only a second.

Then stepped back.

"Thanks," I said quietly—though I didn’t know if he even heard me. His jaw was clenched too tight, eyes burning.

I turned, taking off into a run.

One, two, three powerful strides—

Boom.

My wings snapped out with a crack of wind and water.

They unfurled into the sky like blades, droplets sheeting off in all directions. And with a fierce beat of my wings, I launched into the air—leaving behind Ariston, Rael, and the scorched earth.

The wind whipped past my ears, the scent of blood and fire filling my lungs.

As I rose higher into the sky, I felt the wind pressing against me, thick with rain and ash and something fouler still—the stench of the abyss. The city was a mess of screams and fire below, but I pushed higher, eyes locked on her.

Mom.

She circled the long necked beast, wings straining, blood trailing behind her like ink in water. She’d already killed one of the monsters—gutted it and burned its core herself. Now she hovered, panting in midair, the giraffe-shaped monster writhing below her like a mountain in pain.

And then—acid.

The monster let out this low, horrific wail and spewed a stream of steaming acid straight at her. She could’ve dodged it. I knew she could. But her flying was slower now—the bleeding from her legs, the exhaustion—it all caught up.

Her tail twisted to move, but—

No.

The acid splashed against it.

SIZZLING.

I saw her tail burn away in an instant, flesh blackening, scales curling into ash. She howled in agony, her body buckling, wings flapping unevenly as she spun away from the blast.

My heart snapped.

I felt something rise inside me—a rage that burned hotter than any fire I had ever summoned.

And I let it take me.

My body twisted mid-air, heat surging up my spine, bones wrenching into new shapes. Pain lanced through me, but I didn’t care. I welcomed it. The storm clouds above shook as I roared. Wings burst from my back, wide and sharp, and I felt my face stretch, bones cracking, horns spiraling outward. My skin hardened, becoming black scales. My chest widened. My claws lengthened.

I transformed

But just as I launched forward—ready to burn that creature to ash— something happened.

I didn’t even sense it, perhaps because I was too focused on my mother

A swarm of abyss bats came tearing out from my side out nowhere. Hundreds of them, eyes glowing like embers, teeth like needles. They were fast—too fast.

I slashed at one, blasted three with a fireball, but then twenty more were on me. Their claws tore at my wings, their bodies slammed into my ribs, trying to pull me back down.

I let out a scream of fury that shook the air—and then I lit myself on fire.

Power surged through me, hotter than the sun. Flames rolled off my body in waves. I didn’t care if it scorched the sky—I wanted them dead.

I opened my mouth and unleashed a firestorm.

The swarm exploded into black mist, their tiny cores cracking and disintegrating mid-air, burned away by the sheer heat.