Chapter 257 – The Dragon Wins the War

Soldier Norwin Dale:

I ran through the castle, fear consuming me with every step. Every door I slammed shut, every soldier fleeing in terror, only made my heart race faster. The dread of encountering that boy again froze my every movement. He had ordered me to run and spread the message, to tell the others to kneel.

As I ran, all I could do was hope he’d be killed by the mages of the Ten Fingers. There wasn’t a trace of hesitation or emotion on his face as he killed. To him, we were insignificant insects. I had seen the terror in the eyes of those who died, but the boy continued, unfazed, as if he weren’t human but a monster in disguise.

“Damn it… what the hell!” I screamed as I stumbled into a decorative suit of armor, sending it crashing to the ground with a loud clang.

Moments ago, the castle had been full of soldiers running in desperation, but now, strangely, silence filled the halls. It was as if they’d all vanished into thin air.

“I don’t want to die…” I muttered, tears streaming down my sweat-soaked face. "I just need to hide… survive until this nightmare ends."

I ran aimlessly, desperate to find some safe corner in the maze of stone. Finally, I threw open a door amidst the darkness.

"Perfect!" I whispered, locking the door behind me. The silence inside was comforting, a fragile refuge from the storm of terror raging through the castle. I approached a button on the wall, activating the glowing orb of light on the ceiling. I needed to find a hiding spot, perhaps use my earth magic to blend into the floor or walls

As the light flickered on, my knees gave out, and I collapsed to the ground.

“Holy shit!” I screamed, horror paralyzing me.

Above me, an intricate web of threads held the bodies of dead soldiers, their blood dripping steadily. Among them, maids with vacant stares looked down at me as if I were their next victim. They stood balanced on the threads, poised like spiders ready to strike.

Suddenly, one of the threads lashed out with terrifying speed, wrapping around me tightly.

“No! Please!” I begged desperately.

I’ve survived that boy twice already! Damn it! I thought I’d make it out alive this time! Someone help!

Tears of despair streamed down my face as I sobbed helplessly. The maids descended from the threads with the elegance of spiders closing in on their prey.

“Well, well…” one of them said, casually twirling an axe, her cold eyes glinting.

“What do you think, Natty?” she asked the youngest maid beside her.

“He reeks of piss…” the one called Natty replied, her expressionless face filled with disdain. She leaned in closer, her lips curling into a sadistic grin. “And look at that, he’s pissing himself again! Hahaha!” Her laughter echoed through the room, dripping with cruelty.

These women are just as insane as the boy! The same empty, apathetic gaze!

The older maid pressed a knife to my lips, forcing my mouth open while looking back at the others.

“What do you think, ladies? Should we let this coward experience some proper torture as training for the new maids?” she asked with a sadistic smile.

“Yes, Lady Martha,” they answered in unison.

Martha’s malicious grin widened as her cold, calculating eyes bore into me.

“I have a better idea. How about we feed him alive to that giant plant? I want to hear the screams of someone being devoured firsthand,” she said, her voice dripping with malice. Her predatory gaze never wavered as the other maids crept closer, wolves circling their prey.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Before I could beg or react, a violent blow struck my head. Pain surged through me, and darkness swallowed everything. My body went limp as consciousness slipped away into the void.

Hugo Riverclimb:

The castle was eerily silent now, save for the sound of our boots striking the cold stone floors as we combed through every corner. The war outside had been won the moment the black dome dissipated. What remained on the battlefield were confused men, uncertain of their orders, fighting on instinct. Most seemed desperate to surrender. From what I’d heard, some groups even tried, but we wouldn’t have known because they were swiftly cut down. That lunatic Carnellian wasn’t helping matters, he roamed the battlefield, eliminating every enemy he encountered without hesitation.

There's still that monstrous thing of Katherine's and her plant soldiers, who kept killing relentlessly.

I couldn’t shake the memory of that colossal plant monster just outside the fortress. Katherine had warned us all to keep our distance, saying only she could approach it without being killed. And honestly, after witnessing that thing in action, I knew I’d never go near it, even if she gave me permission.

Fuck... I had gotten over my fear of plants, but after this, I think I’ll avoid eating any veggies for a good while.

Katherine’s monster was consuming humans as it grew. Worse, it devoured the bodies of soldiers infected by parasitic plants, absorbing everything, even the flora that had been feeding on those corpses. It was as if the creature sought to take in every bit of energy around it. That monstrosity was transforming into an even more terrifying beast, growing larger with every passing second.

Thankfully, it was rooted in place, its growth confined to the corpses anchoring it. If that thing had been able to move... I can’t imagine what would’ve happened to us without Katherine nearby. She mentioned having spoken to the plant and learning it was in its final stages. Even so, the creature continued to devour humans, desperately clinging to life, prolonging its existence through a gruesome cycle of death and growth.

That horrific sight will haunt me for a long time.

No more salad at dinner for me.

I remembered Martha receiving a little potted plant for her birthday, a gift from Katherine. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of sleeping near one of those creatures, perched innocently on a bedside table.

As we prepared to head toward the wall where the enemy soldiers had regrouped, an enormous red monster descended from the skies. A massive dragon, its blood-red scales covered in jagged spikes, roared ferociously. Even knowing the creature was on our side, there was no sense of safety. Fear gripped me as the beast’s gaze swept over us. When I looked at the enemy soldiers, many were visibly wetting themselves in terror, and even our own men were frozen, awestruck by its sheer presence.

Everyone fell to their knees, myself included. Not just because I was among the enemies, but because the fear was real. That monstrous creature regarded us all as nothing more than insects.

The only ones who didn’t kneel were my wife, Margaery, and Katherine, standing beside the dragon. Sifu also knelt, but out of respect. That old man is a bit of a lunatic and does things his own way, so I didn’t think much of it. He mumbled something about his old monk friends, but I was too scared to make sense of his words.

Lady Margaery walked across the battlefield, flanked by my wife and Katherine, with the enormous dragon looming behind them. As the dragon approached, everyone bowed their heads, sweating profusely, praying to disappear or turn invisible. No one dared make a sound, each fearing they’d attract the attention of that colossal creature.

If I, who’d been around that phoenix since it was small and had watched it grow into this massive being, was this scared, I could only imagine the terror of those who had never known such a creature existed.

The giant brown dog, a demi-human in its bestial form, had its head melted away by Cylla's fiery attack. It was dead.

The three women, Margaery, Katherine, and my wife, walked toward the fortress. Not a single sound was heard. The place had succumbed to an overwhelming silence, with all the soldiers too stunned to react.

High above, the enormous red dragon, Cylla, soared through the sky, just as Sifu had described long ago when the phoenix had first arrived with Nathan. The beast descended toward Nikolaus Wolves' castle, landing beside it as though claiming the site for its new nest. And truly, no one in this world had the power to order such a creature to leave.

I swear that dragon looks even larger than the last time I saw it.

After Cylla’s overwhelming display, Margaery instructed my wife to summon the rest of us, along with the maids, to search the fortress for any remaining soldiers or nobles hiding within its walls.

As we moved through the corridors, we found terrified soldiers in hiding, some imprisoned, others cowering in their makeshift shelters. None of them seemed to comprehend the imminent danger they faced with that dragon waiting outside. When I asked one of the maids about the situation beyond the fortress walls, she told me that both the enemy forces and our own soldiers remained kneeling. No one dared to rise. The fear of Cylla’s wrath loomed heavy over everyone.

I have no idea how I’m going to explain this to my men. The existence of that creature was supposed to be a closely guarded secret. But now? Margaery doesn’t seem to care much about playing dumb anymore.

“We’ve found the nobles,” one of the maids informed me. “They’re all hiding in a room.”

“Perfect. Let’s take them to the queen. Margaery wants to have a little chat with them outside,” I replied. “I think she wants them to meet the guardian of the boy they tried to kill.”