*Rhys*
“Your Majesty!”
Pyroth’s n had been few and disappeared as quickly as they appeared. They didn’t seem to have killed anyone, only incapacitated. What had been the point?
“Your Majesty!” the voice called again, urgent.
“What news do you bring?”
“It’s the queen, Your Majesty. They’ve taken her. Pyroth has taken her.”
The words hit like a sledgehamr to the chest. My legs turned to rubber. I stumbled, barely catching myself on the nearest chair. The room swirled around as I struggled to catch my breath.
My n’s voices faded into a distant buzz as my head spun. All I could hear was the deafening sound of my heartbeat in my ears.
There was a ringing, loud and insistent. n were surrounding , hands on , but I felt nothing. I could see their lips moving and knew I needed to respond, but I was lost in despair.
Saoirse, my Saoirse, had been taken from .
I pushed away from the chair, stumbled, and fell to my knees. "Pyroth has taken her" echoed through my mind like a never-ending nightmare. Every fiber of my being scread in agony. The air was thick with the weight of my fear and helplessness.
Daxton’s voice, filled with concern, called out from sowhere behind . More hands were on , trying to lift back to my feet. But I didn’t have the strength to stand. She was gone. My mate, my wife, my queen... Our child still growing inside of her... They were gone.
"Rhys!" Axureon’s voice cut through the fog of my despair. The golden eyes of my dragon ally bore into mine, steady and unyielding. "You must focus. She needs you now more than ever. You cannot lose yourself to the pain, Rhys Crimson. Saoirse needs you. You must fight through it."
I tried to speak, but all that escaped was a ragged growl. Images of Saoirse—her fiery hair, defiant spirit, smile, kiss—flashed in my mind, fueling the tempest of rage and sorrow churning within. It felt as if sothing primal, sothing feral, threatened to rip through my skin. I was king, a powerful Crimson wolf shifter, but at that mont, I felt utterly powerless.
"Rhys," Saphira’s voice was softer yet carried an undercurrent of steel. Her human form, so delicate and serene, belied the fierce dragon spirit that dwelled within. "We’re with you. We’ll do whatever it takes."
"Whatever it takes," I echoed, the words slowly stitching back the pieces of my shattered resolve. Clenching my hands, I felt the calluses and scars—tokens of battles past. This would be our fiercest fight yet.
"Co," Axureon urged, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Gather your strength. We have much to do."
I nodded, taking a deep, steadying breath. With every exhale, I fought to lock away the chaos inside . For Saoirse, I had to be the leader, the protector. I couldn’t afford to lose myself to the darkness.
"Let’s gather the rest," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "We’ll need everyone we can trust."
The weight of responsibility pressed heavily upon my shoulders, but I refused to let it crush . Axureon, Saphira, and Daxton stood beside , their unwavering gazes reflecting my determination.
I would bring Saoirse ho or die trying.
The war room was quiet as we arrived. The air was tense, heavy with the weight of unspoken fears and the deep-rooted anger at what had occurred tonight.
“Pyroth managed to infiltrate our defenses. He set foot inside my castle and stole my wife.” I paused, breathing deeply to try and regain my composure. “We will get her back, no matter the cost.”
“Of course, my king. What is the plan? Do we know where she was taken?”
“To the Dragon Realm,” Axureon said. “Pyroth opened a portal to our ho realm and pulled her through with him. That is where we will find them.”
“Can we even follow them there?”
“Yes,” Saphira chid in. “We have those with the ability to open the portal, but we do not know what to expect once we step through.”
“We can assu we will be t with Pyroth’s forces. There will be a fight ahead of us,” I told them.
“Then what is the plan?”
I spread out the ancient maps and scrolls, everything we had on the Dragon Realm. Axureon’s eyes traced invisible paths across the parchnt while Saphira’s fingertips danced lightly over the contours of mountain ranges and valleys depicted on the worn surface.
"Here," Axureon said at last, his voice a deep rumble, human in form but resonant with the timbre of a dragon’s might. "The Veil of Mists is the least guarded entry into the Dragon Realm."
"Through the mists," I murmured, understanding. We would move unseen, shielded by the natural cloak provided by the land.
"Once through, we must be swift," Saphira added, her gaze eting mine with unwavering determination. "The realm... It has undoubtedly changed under Pyroth’s reign. We cannot predict what awaits us, but we can expect enemy forces to be waiting at every turn."
I clenched my jaw, nodding. "We cross at dawn. Gather only what you need. Speed is our ally."
I took the ti to kiss my children goodbye. I didn’t worry them with the truth of the matter. They didn’t need to know their mother was gone, only that we would both return. I was not coming ho without her. I would bring Saoirse ho no matter what it took.
Pyroth would pay for what he had done.
With the plan set and the supplies gathered, we departed from the safety of stone walls, stepping out into the cool embrace of twilight. We brought a mix of soldiers, dragons, and graduates of my mother’s school. This was not a covert mission, but it was executed too quickly to bring everyone and everything we had.
Daxton, Axureon, and I had made the decisions. We gathered the best, fastest, strongest, and most powerful. They all knew what was at stake. I led the way, my heart a drumbeat pounding against my chest.
The portal opened, and we stepped through into darkness, greeted by a mont of blinding light. And then we were through.
The Veil of Mists greeted us as the sun crested the edge of the world, its rays fighting to pierce the thick fog that hugged the earth. We entered, each step taking us deeper into the unknown. When we erged on the other side, the sight that t us stole the breath from my lungs.
It was utter desolation. The once vibrant lands of the Dragon Realm lay before us, barren and scarred. Charred remains of ancient trees stood like sentinels to a ti long past, their blackened limbs reaching for a sky choked with ash.
"By the stars," Saphira whispered, her voice breaking the silence. Her eyes, usually so full of fire, now mirrored the sorrow of the ravaged landscape. Her hands ca up to cover her mouth as she looked out at her ho.
Axureon’s face, etched with centuries of wisdom, displayed a rare crack in his stoic facade. "This... this is not the ho I rember."
"Pyroth will pay for this," I vowed, my voice a growl barely contained. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, aching to break free and run rampant in righteous fury.
"Let us press on," Axureon said, composed once more. "We have co for Saoirse, and she awaits us beyond these ruins."
"Lead the way," I said, the warrior within steadying my resolve.
And so we ventured forth into the heart of a realm that had once teed with life but was now reduced to a whisper of its forr glory.
I felt the ground tremble beneath my boots. A low growl echoed around us, a primal warning that we were not alone in this ashen wasteland. I clenched my fists, my heart pounding with the need to see Saoirse safe again.
"Rhys, above!" Axureon’s voice cut through the still air. My gaze shot upward. From the smoky clouds descended Pyroth’s n, their scales reflecting the little light that filtered through the haze like shards of midnight.
"Defend!" I shouted, drawing my sword with a swift, tallic ring.
"Stay close!" Saphira called out, her blade flashing in her grasp. She moved with an elegant fury, each strike precise and deadly.
The enemy crashed into us, talons bared and fangs dripping with malice. I parried a swipe from a dragon shifter, his human guise barely containing the beast within. His eyes burned with hate, but mine were fueled by sothing stronger—desperation for my wife, for my love.
"Back to back!" I ordered, feeling Axureon’s broad shoulders press against mine. I trusted him to watch my blind spots as I lunged forward, driving my blade through the chest of another foe.
"Nothing will stop from getting to her," I growled between breaths, yanking my sword free.
"Nor us," Saphira added, her voice laced with determination.
We fought as one, our movents synchronized by the bond we shared—a bond forged in battle and strengthened by shared loss. The enemies were relentless, but so were we. They may have outnumbered us, but we had the edge of purpose sharpening our resolve.
Saoirse was everything. She was my life, the very beat of my heart. I was not leaving without her, and may the gods have rcy on whoever dared to stand in my way.
"Keep moving!" Axureon urged, his deep voice unsteady for the first ti. "We must reach the stronghold!"
I nodded, sweat and blood mingling and trailing down my brow. We carved a path through the opposition, our advance slow but unwavering. Each step was a step closer to Saoirse. Each fallen enemy a silent promise that I would return to her.
"Rhys, look out!" Saphira’s warning ca just in ti. I ducked as flas roared over my head, singing the air where I had stood monts before. My senses heightened, anticipating the next wave of attacks.
"Thank you," I said, sparing her a glance before facing the onslaught again.
"Of course," she replied, her voice steady despite the chaos swirling around us.
On we battled through the blighted land that Pyroth had claid as his own. With every step, my resolve hardened. This dragon tyrant had taken the woman I loved and turned my allies’ holand into a graveyard.
But I would not—I could not—let despair take root, not while Saoirse’s heart still beat sowhere beyond the veil of smoke and ruin.
"Forward!" I cried out. We pressed on toward the heart of the Dragon Realm, where my beloved awaited and her captor would face the wrath of a husband undone.
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