Page 74 of Prince of Blaze and Embers
CHAPTER 36
The storm of flames raged around us, the heat intense and the air thick with the acrid smell of brimstone. The Blaze Queen’s laughter echoed through the inferno, a chilling sound that seemed to shatter the very air around us, and I felt the world may be breaking apart. If I didn't find a way to stop her, then there would be no tomorrow for any of us. Everything I loved was in her devilish gaze, and I'd do anything to protect them. Errax roared defiantly, her wings beating against the wall of fire as we fought to break through to Cade and Krakos.
A dark form swept through the flames, the enormous body of Brigodon materializing like a nightmare. The Blaze Queen sat atop her monstrous dragon, her obsidian eyes gleaming with malevolence and her laughter reverberating through the chaos.
"You cannot hide forever, Gold-Marked," she hissed, her voice cutting through the roar of the flames. "I will have your power!"
Brigodon flew at terrifying speed above me, the huge body of the dragon hiding the crackling red streaks of lightning above, darkening the sky like a mountain floating above us.
With a swift and agile movement, the queen leaped fromBrigodon’s back onto Errax. Bella shrieked somewhere in the storm, and all of my senses surged alive. It was something I didn't expect, and the queen was suddenly upon me, sending me into a sheer panic. Her grip on my arm crushing and intense as I could smell the hate on her breath as she squeezed with vice-like strength. A smoldering black magic seeped from the pores in her skin, snaking onto my skin. I gasped in pain, feeling her dark energy begin to siphon my magic. I fought, squirming and clawing to break free of her grasp, but I was powerless against such a monster, and terror roared in me like hot needles piercing all of my soft skin. The golden light of Eden flickered, struggling to resist the queen’s malicious pull.
"No!" I screamed, grappling to free myself from her iron grasp. But the queen was impossibly strong, her fingers digging into my flesh like talons. I could feel the strength draining from me, the golden magic ebbing away as the queen feasted on my power.
Cade roared in fury, Krakos diving toward us with ferocious speed. But the queen was prepared, her scepter flaring with dark energy as she lashed out with streaks of red lightning. The bolts struck Krakos, sending the dragon reeling and Cade struggling to maintain control.
Bella’s screams pierced the air, her voice filled with desperation. "Ash! Hold on!"
The queen’s gaze fell on the wound in my side, and a cruel smile curled her lips. "Ah, you’ve already been touched by battle," she sneered, pulling a dagger from her belt, and driving its sharp blade into the injury with a savage twist. The pain was excruciating, searing through my body and blurring my vision. I cried out, feeling my strength wane as the queen mercilessly sucked the life from me. The world fogged from the pain, and the storm's deafening thunder and sizzling lightning faded.
"You cannot defeat me, Gold-Marked," the queen taunted, her voice filled with sadistic glee. "You are weak, pathetic. You're likeall the others. I honestly hoped you'd be more, if not only to savor your death and my final victory more. Your Gilded Radiance will be mine, and with it, I will ascend to divinity!"
I gritted my teeth, fighting against the agony that threatened to overwhelm me. I could feel the voice of the dragon in my head again, its words cutting through the haze of pain and despair. "You must survive, Ashlyn Moonriver. If you fall, a new age of torment and death will dawn. The queen will enslave all who oppose her. You must fight, for the sake of all those who cannot. Fight... fight for what you have, for what you've lost, and for what you wish your world to be! For if you lose, there will be no tomorrow for all that you hold dear, for all that you love..."
The words sparked a deep well of determination within me, a reserve of strength I hadn’t known I possessed. I drew upon the power of Eden, feeling the golden light surge through my veins. The magic pulsed with renewed vigor, countering the queen’s dark energy and pushing back against her siphoning grip.
The air around me crackled with energy, and I felt the moisture in the air coalesce, drawn to me by the magical force. The water swirled around me, forming a shimmering barrier that repelled the queen’s dark magic. The golden light intensified, and I could feel the wound in my side beginning to heal, the pain ebbing away as the magic mended my flesh.
The queen’s eyes widened in surprise, her grip on me faltering as the golden light pushed her back. I seized the opportunity, my hands moving instinctively to summon a weapon from the magical energy. A golden sword materialized in my grasp, its blade gleaming with an ethereal light. At the same time, golden armor formed around my body, the metal plates fitting perfectly and imbuing me with a renewed sense of strength and invincibility.
"You will never defeat me, Mortriana," I growled, my voice filled with conviction. "Not as long as I draw breath." I needed to believe my own words. Because if we didn’t survive this, then itwas the end of everything. More than Bella, more than Cade and me. I had to believe in Eden. I was given that power for a reason. It was for a purpose. And right then, my purpose was to kill that rotten bitch!
The queen snarled, her scepter flaring with dark energy as she lashed out at me. I parried her attack with my golden sword, the blades clashing with a burst of sparks. Errax roared, her head turning to spout scorching, unbearable dragonfire at the queen. The flames engulfed Mortriana, but she emerged unscathed, her dark magic shielding her from the inferno.
Cade, having regained control of Krakos, joined the fight, his staff blazing with fire as he sent a fresh plume of magical flames at the queen. The combined assault forced Mortriana to focus on defense, her scepter whirling and deflecting the attacks with precision.
I lunged at her, my golden sword clashing against her scepter as we traded blows. The queen was a formidable opponent, her movements swift and fluid, but I was fueled by a renewed sense of myself. I am strong. I am strong enough. I can change the world. I can save those who can't defend themselves. I am enough. I have to be! I fought with a ferocity I had never known, my sword striking with speed and accuracy that surprised even myself.
The battle raged on, the sky filled with the crackle of fire and the shimmering glow of golden magic. The queen’s attacks were relentless, her scepter lashing out with streaks of dark energy that sought to incapacitate me. But my golden armor absorbed the impacts, the magic within it negating the queen’s assaults.
With every clash of our blades, I could see the frustration mounting in the queen’s eyes. Her confidence wavered as she realized that I was not the weak, pathetic slave she had anticipated. I was a force to be reckoned with, a warrior imbued with the power of my Eden, and I would not be defeated so easily.
In a moment of fierce resolve, I summoned all my strengthand lunged at the queen, my golden sword slicing through the air with a blinding speed. The blade met the resistance of her scepter, but the impact was enough to send her off balance. Seizing the opportunity, I spun around, my sword arcing in a deadly dance as it sought the queen’s flesh.
The blade bit deep into the queen’s side, cutting through her armor and drawing a gush of fresh, crimson blood. The queen roared in pain, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
"So... you do bleed," I said, my voice steady and cold. "You’re no god. You’re no savior. You’re mortal... and all things mortal must die."
The queen’s face contorted with rage, her dark eyes blazing with a fury that seemed to ignite the very air around her. "You dare to cut me?" she hissed, her voice a venomous whisper. "I am the embodiment of fire, the rightful ruler of Allovan. You cannot hope to defeat me!"
But her words lacked the conviction they once held. I could see the doubt flickering in her eyes, the fear that her reign of terror might finally be coming to an end. I pressed my advantage, my golden sword poised to strike the final blow.
Just as I was about to plunge the blade into her heart, the queen leaped off Errax, her form tumbling through the sky. I heaved breaths from the battle, desperately hoping for the queen to fall to her death, but I knew better. Brigodon, sensing his master's distress, swooped down with remarkable speed and caught the queen on his back. The monstrous dragon roared, his eyes filled with a primal rage that matched his mistress's fury.
The queen, clutching her wounded side, glared at me with a mix of hatred and disbelief. She hefted her scepter in her hand, sheathed her bloody dagger, oozing with my blood, and grabbed her whip again. Brigodon tilted his massive wings, flapping them to return back to the battle.
I steadied myself, trying to calm my erratic breathing. Adrenaline was doing what it could to kill the pain in my side, but itonly did so much. I winced, dropping to a knee on Errax's back as she let out a moan. Bella screamed my name in my dizzying pain.
Focus, Ash.
