The eastern gate thundered under the relentless assault of the demon horde.
The gate was a massive bastion of reinforced steel and ancient enchantnts.
It held a critical choke point in the kingdom’s defenses.
If the gate fell, the demons would flood into the city like a tidal wave of darkness, cutting off supply lines and surrounding the palace within minutes.
Flaming projectiles soared through the air, smashing into the gatehouse towers.
The defenders atop the ramparts loosed arrows and hurled boiling oil, but it did no good.
For every demon that fell, two more took its place. They just kept multiplying.
From the clearing where I stood, I could see the battle unfolding.
Demons—hundreds of them—sward the gate like ravenous beasts.
So scaled the walls with clawed limbs, while others hurled themselves against the reinforced doors.
A massive, horned demon wielding a jagged axe of blackened bone roared, slamming its weapon against the gate.
The impact sent cracks spiderwebbing across the enchanted tal.
The soldiers on the walls redoubled their efforts, but the gate wouldn’t hold for long.
"The Demon King’s army?" I muttered under my breath, my mind racing. "What are they doing here?"
Gwyneria shifted beside , her dragon form shrinking into her human form.
She stepped forward, her eyes scanning the battlefield with a warrior’s sharp gaze.
"They must have attacked out of nowhere," she said, her voice tight. "I don’t see any signs of a siege anywhere."
I glanced up at the darkening skies, thick with smoke. The air reeked of sulfur and blood.
"I have to find my mother," I said, turning to Gwyneria. "She should be hidden in the castle."
Gwyneria’s eyes flicked back toward the battlefield.
"What about the Demon King’s army?" she asked, voice calm but sharp. "I could fly over and obliterate them with my breath. Wipe out hundreds in seconds."
I stepped closer to the edge of the hill, studying the battlefield again.
"Can the orcs take half of them by themselves?" I asked.
Gwyneria smirked. "They are strong enough to fight."
"Good," I said. "Then summon them. All of them. Tell Dwayne I’ll reward them when this is over."
"As you command," she said with a slight bow. Then she looked back up at . "Shall I summon Skadra as well? Her magic can turn the tides in our favour."
"Yes," I said. "Her magic might be the most essential piece. Have her strike the backline. Make it hurt."
Gwyneria nodded again, her voice rising with excitent at the thought of going to war. "Very well. I’ll summon them all to fight."
I took one last look at the chaos unfolding at the eastern gate.
The demon king’s army was relentless, their roars shaking the earth. The kingdom’s defenders were holding—for now.
But they wouldn’t last.
"The Demon King wouldn’t attack without reason," I muttered. "They’re here to capture Camilia. I know it."
I turned to Gwyneria, eting her gaze. "I’m going into the palace. If things get difficult out here, call ."
She stepped toward , her hand resting on my chest. "Be careful, my liege. Rember you share the power of a great dragon. You’re stronger than all the demon king’s army put together."
I hide a smirk. "I know. Promise you wouldn’t overdo it. I don’t want the demon king to know a dragon is still in existence."
Gwyneria laughed. "Trust my liege. I’ll handle it just fine."
A portal tore open before . Without hesitating for a second, stepped through—vanishing into it.
* * * *
I erged from the other side of the portal into the palace halls.
The palace halls were in chaos—knights in gleaming armor sprinted past, their faces grim as they barked orders to reinforce the eastern gate.
Shouts echoed through the corridors, blending with the distant roar of battle.
I pulled the hood of my cloak lower over my face, my footsteps silent as I moved through the shadows.
No one paid any attention—not when the kingdom was on the brink of collapse.
However, I wasn’t taking any chance at being seen and questioned.
I casted an invisibility spell and ran through the twisting hallways without being seen.
The guards stationed near the royal vault didn’t even glance in my direction as I slipped past them.
I headed straight to the underground bunker. The bunker was built to safeguard the king and the royal bloodline in tis of war.
I stepped through quietly.
Below, the air was cool. Sconces lit the chamber with a dull amber light, casting flickering shadows across the room.
Finally, I reached the war room where I saw King Godfrey.
He stood at the center of the room, armoured in gold. There was a weariness in his eyes that made him look twenty years older.
His face lined with exhaustion as generals surrounded a large map of the kingdom, their voices rising and falling in a heated argunt.
"Our forces are stretched thin," one of them growled, jabbing a finger at the eastern gate’s position. "The demons are throwing everything they have at us. If we lose that gate, they’ll flood the city within minutes."
Another general, an older man with a scar running down his cheek, shook his head. "We don’t have the numbers to push them back. Our only hope is to hold the line."
"But even that won’t last long," another argued. "We’re outnumbered and unprepared for an attack of this scale. There are at least five thousand demons. We’ve only managed to assemble half that number, and many of our mages are still tending to the wounded from the northern gates."
Godfrey clenched his fists, pacing like a caged beast. "There has to be sothing we can do. Reinforcents? Allies."
"None will arrive in ti, Your Majesty," the general said grimly. "We are on our own."
The king’s shoulders sagged, the weight of his crown suddenly seeming too heavy.
His gaze flickered to the ceiling as if he could hear the distant screams of his people.
I didn’t stay to hear more.
Let Godfrey worry about gates and kingdoms. Their war plans ant nothing to .
I turned away, slipping deeper into the bunker, my senses sharp as I searched for the one person who mattered.
And then—I saw her.
A guarded chamber, its doors flanked by two royal knights.
Inside, my mother sat beside a small table, her hands folded neatly in her lap.
Her expression was calm, but the tightness in her posture betrayed her worry.
And beside her was Princess Camilia.
The girl looked paler than I rembered, her beautiful hair were tied back in a simple braid.
She stared blankly at the wall, her hands were folded in her lap and trembling slightly.
My chest tightened.
She was alive. The demon king’s army haven’t gotten to her yet.
But sothing was wrong.
I could feel it. Maybe it’s because of that pact ritual at the cave where I rescued her.
Even if Gwyneria and the orcs crushed the demon army outside, it wouldn’t end here.
They would return.
They always return.
Because this wasn’t about war. This wasn’t about conquest.
It was about her.
Camilia.
The Demon King wanted Camilia and he wouldn’t stop until he had her.
But why?
That was the question gnawing at . There had to be more to this than what ets the eye.
Sothing deeper. Sothing dangerous.
For now, though, my top priority was getting her out of here.
She was a beacon to the enemy. They would send wave after wave until they had her in their hands—or until nothing remained standing around her.
The problem was how do I get her to safety. If I just appeared out of thin air, my mother would panic, and Camilia—already on edge—might resist.
I needed a way to extract them without causing chaos.
Then, the door burst open.
Sir Krell strode in, his breathing heavy from battle.
His silver armor was bathed in dark, sticky blood that hissed faintly where it touched the runes inscribed on his plates.
A jagged cut bled across one cheek, but his eyes burned with fire.
The mont he entered, Camilia’s face lit up with relief. She rushed to him, her small hands clutching at his gauntlet.
"Sir Krell! Thank goodness you’re safe. I was so worried."
Krell chuckled as he ruffled her hair. "It’s alright, your highness. A few asly demons have nothing on ."
My mother stepped forward, her eyes scanning him for injuries. "How bad is it out there?"
Krell’s smile faded. His voice lowered. "It’s bad. Our knights are holding the line, but we’re outnumbered. The gate won’t last much longer."
A heavy silence filled the room. Camilia’s grip on his arm tightened.
Krell exhaled, squaring his shoulders. "I have to go back. My comrades need . I only ca to check on her—make sure she was alright."
My mother nodded, her face grim. "Be careful."
As Krell turned to leave, an idea sparked in my mind.
I smiled.
Bingo.
Krell was just the right guy I was looking for.
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