Page 54 of Scaled Hearts

“Angurus!” Kelly’s relief is palpable. “Take Kara and get out of here!”

I shake my head at her in disagreement. Is she insane? I’m not going to leave her here. She has no weapons on her and no means to defend herself. And even if she did, I still wouldn’t let her.

I scoop both sisters up in my clawed hands and launch us all into the air. Kara screeches in surprise, much like her sister did when I did this same thing to her only a short while ago. I carry us up to the main tunnel, ignoring the Orcs who appear at the mouth of the tunnel.

Once I get these two to safety, I’m coming back to scorch the rest of them into oblivion.

However, just as I reach the landing to the main entrance, a spear pierces my wing. I collide with the ground immediately on my side, cut off from properly landing on my feet rather than my chest.

Both girls scream.

My body comes to a grinding halt a few feet into the tunnel leading out while sharp pain shoots through my damaged wing. I lift my head and survey the hole that has punctured straight through my wing.

Those absolute barbarians.

I let go of both of the girls, dropping them unceremoniously to the ground.

“Go,” I growl.

“No!” Kelly tries to grab at my arm. “I’m not leaving you!”

I stand slowly and shake her off. “Go. Now. Let me take care of this.”

“Come on, Kelly.” Kara grabs her sister and drags her down the tunnel.

I’m glad at least one of them has the sense to know that they are heavily out-matched. Arching my back, I grab a hold of the end of the spear with my teeth and yank it straight out of my wing with a hard snap.

It stings coming back out, but at least now my wing will be able to heal properly.

I see the ropes of the elevator moving as the orcs twist it to get back to my level. Even if I need to set this entire mine on fire, I’m not going to let them come out of this mineshaft alive and intact.

Coming over to the ledge again, I spot a group of them inside of the elevator box. All of them, besides the one cranking the wheel, have their weapons raised.

A spear shoots at me again.

I catch it between my teeth easily and crunch it in half like a twig.

Easy.

I expand my lungs with a deep breath, hard enough to make my chest hurt from the pressure. I explode flames from my mouth, dousing them all in a fiery inferno. All of them cry in agony as I hit them, melting them beyond recognition.

Their elevator catches on the rope holding it up, a safety measure that I’m sure had been put in place in case anyone accidentally took their hands off the crank wheel. But I burn the ropes too, sending their box crashing down into the dark depths below.

The remaining orcs that had been watching on the ledge from their vantage point, scatter to run back into the mine that Kara had been held captive in. I smirk to myself and flex my wings in order to test out how much I’ve healed.

It twinges only a little bit. Good enough.

I take off for them, blowing fire the entire way down. I incinerate every last one of them as I chase them through every single mine on that floor. It’s a fun game of prey versus predator that fuels my ancient brain.

Those that I’m not able to douse in fire, I catch with my teeth and rip them apart.

I don’t care that I’m making a mess in the process. None of these orcs deserve a painless death, let alone a dignified one.

When I finally finish with the last one, I take off into the air again and fly to the entrance’s landing. All around me are small fires where corpses have been scattered around haphazardly. They remind me of the lanterns that were said to light the way to N’Kezza Dorana.

I head out through the tunnel, the sunny skies of Kaynvu greeting me along with a crowd of humans. I stop short, surprised at how many of them clog up the entrance leading outside.

I let out a growl, making them all scatter away from me.

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