Pammon was struggling to hold on when the mountains of Ebonmount finally came into view. The sun had been up for two hours, and an entire day and night had passed, yet they had made it home.

A sense of dread and hope came as they had achieved what both believed was impossible.

[ Flight Burst Expired ]

Kaen couldn’t lift himself from his position, lying across Pammon’s neck. Straining his head, he could see the mountains still hours away.

There is smoke… in the clouds… it has to be him.

Anger flooded their bond as Pammon beat his wings. He was tired, but he had grown strong enough to handle the stress of what they had done.

Kaen was spent. His lifestone was cold, as every ounce of his mana and energy had been shared with Pammon. Had he wanted to try using his dragon’s eyes to see, Kaen doubted that he could even manage that.

They will be fine… they have to be. I… I need a moment… you are amazing…

Exhaustion took over, and Kaen closed his eyes for a moment.

As soon as they did, he was tormented by nightmares of Stioks and the things he could be doing to their home. Even worse were the fears of what Stioks would do to his children.

Pammon said nothing. Using years of practice, he made certain that every time he flapped his wings, they maximized his speed. His body was tired, and Pammon had pushed past his limits. Grateful for the wind's help staying airborne, Pammon tried to recover for what was going to come next.

He could feel the fear and pain coming from Kaen as he lay there, passed out on his neck. He tried to convince Kaen to stop multiple times during the night, but his rider was committed. There was no way Pammon could fault him for that.

The clouds over Ebonmount continued to get darker as smoke from the bowl rose into the sky. Unlike most smoke, its magical nature didn’t disperse as quickly.

They were five minutes from crossing the mountains, and Pammon felt what he had been searching for for so long.

One beat came to him. Fast as always, but it was there.

He lives…

Even though Pammon hadn’t sensed Anastasia's heartbeat yet, if her brother was okay, she would also be.

What is that you feel? My children?

I can feel your son. Wherever he is, it does not appear he is in distress. If he is okay, then your daughter is safe as well.

Kaen sighed, letting some of the weight he had shouldered for so long go.

Thank you, Pammon.

Pushing with his hands, Kaen sat on Pammon’s back and groaned, stretching to remove some of the stiffness from his position.

I am not certain what we will see, but we must be prepared. Control your thoughts and guard your emotions. You are still weak. I can feel it.

How can I separate what I feel from what drives me? You know that is who I am.

Pammon said nothing, but Kaen immediately knew what his dragon was thinking.

Cursing under his breath, he shook his head and slapped his face a few times to try to clear his head, as Pammon believed he needed to.

The amount of smoke below shows the destruction. The welp may have exhausted his flame, which will be in our favor. Be ready; we will end this in a moment.

Kaen nodded and undid his bow. His finger traced along the two metal arrows in the quiver by his leg.

Just find them for me so I can shoot.

The mountains below slid past their view, and no matter how much they had prepared themselves for what they would find, both of them were genuinely unprepared for the destruction they saw.

The trees to the south that had just started growing again were burning with the green glow they knew to be magically started. Sections of the town where the people lived and worked were in flames. Some areas appeared safe, as they had the bricks they created years ago covering their roofs.

Farms the kingdom had planted were nothing but ash, and Pammon couldn’t see a single animal left alive.

To the west were the caves they had called home, and smoke drifted out of the openings.

Panic set in for a moment as Kaen considered what could have been had their children been inside there.

The keep was relatively undamaged, and Pammon saw that troops were still on the walls, each manning its weapons. Some had been destroyed by magical means but there was still enough that had kept Stioks and his dragon away.

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The adventurer guild… use my eyes.

It took a moment, but Kaen was able to finally ignite his lifestone again. It had never been like this before.

That was harder than I expected… What are we–

Kaen’s throat went dry, and circling above the adventurer's guild was Stioks’s dragon. It had grown massive in the last seven or eight months, yet worse than that was the armor he saw on it.

Is that the same metal as my arrows? How can it fly with all of that armor? Why even wear armor?

Pammon growled as he began to descend.

To stop you. Stioks is no fool, and he has been preparing for your arrows. Our attack against Juthom gave him the knowledge he needed to know about us. Your strength lies in the bow.

As Pammon’s eyes scouted the area, Kaen could see that Stioks was not on his dragon’s back.

Where is he? Surely you don’t think…

Pammon’s thoughts answered the question before he finished it.

Your children are inside, somewhere in the vaults. I can sense it. Stioks, it appears, is inside the guild hall. You need to deal with him. I will deal with his whelp.

Cursing, Kaen let the wind carry away his words as he clenched his hand around his bow.

I can’t take this inside. Against Stioks and indoors, I will need my shield and sword. I can, however, shoot an arrow at his… never mind.

A roar came, and Pammon growled. The dragon had noticed them and began to fly off south toward the city, leaving his dragon rider inside.

I will deal with him. You must go deal with Stioks.

What If I help you first?

Pammon snorted, knowing Kaen’s true desire.

Save your children. Kill that man. I will feast on his dragon tonight.

Pammon swooped down quickly, ignoring the fact that Stioks dragon was gaining altitude and putting him in a defensive position.

This feels like a trap. Be careful.

Nodding, Kaen knew Pammon didn’t need to see his acknowledgment of that warning.

By the right side, swing low, and I can get off on that roof and make it from there.

Pammon dove near the building Kaen had mentioned, and as he passed, Kaen ran and leaped off the back of Pammon, landing on the roof and rolling a few times.

Getting up, he checked to make sure everything was still in place.

Adjusting his dragon shield and sword, Kaen jumped from the roof to a wall and down to the street below.

He frowned at the corpses of townspeople that were scattered along the street.

Dried out, almost like someone had baked them in the sun for hours, they stood as testaments of Stioks’s magic.

He has drained the lives of those who were obviously fleeing here. Be careful with his dragon. There is no telling what he may have done to it. Remember what Juthom had said.

He will die regardless.

Kaen shook his head in frustration. He was angry, and Pammon was angry, but there was no reason for Pammon to act like this.

Do not be an eggling! Kill him, but be smart. You also have children and a family waiting for you!

A trickle of a grumble came through the bond, and Kaen glanced to see his dragon flying higher into the sky and south of the capital.

Kaen stopped the sneaking he was doing along the wall and let his mind think.

Is he fleeing?

I’m not sure, but he is climbing higher into the sky. I am slowly catching up with him, but it would appear he does not want to fight in town… ahh, now I understand.

Groaning, Kaen knew what was happening.

We both have to win on our own. Stioks is separating us.

Kaen peered through a window and saw no one in the central area. There were corpses littered across the room. A few tinier corpses caused his lifestone to burn. It was painful and not as strong as it would typically be, but seeing the death Stioks was leaving angered Kaen enough that through sheer willpower, he made it burn.

Behind the counters, he could see the doors ripped off. The stairs to the vaults below were located back there. Herb had mentioned multiple times how protected they were, but part of Kaen felt that might not be true against a man as powerful as Stioks.

Considering going to the open doorway, Kaen felt uncomfortable about this setup. He was walking into a box he didn’t control, and Stioks could be anywhere.

Even with his new armor, he was tired and drained. Everything he had to give would be his own.

Glancing at the area near him, Kaen saw a shrub with tiny green leaves.

Shiftly slowly toward it, Kaen touched the tiny branches and closed his eyes.

His vision changed, and the magic of the world came around him. It was harder than he had anticipated as he was tired, but still, he had hope.

“Forgive me, little one, but I need some help. Can I borrow your power? I’ll return it one day.”

The words felt right, even though he wasn’t sure they would do anything. Soon, the lights of magic and life that filled the tiny plant flowed to his fingers and into him. It wasn’t much, but as he held onto the branch, Kaen could feel more coming from the other shrubs and trees in the area. Power slowly came from around him as if the land knew of his need and what he had done.

A minute had passed, and Kaen opened his eyes, seeing that the shrub had become dry and dead. No life was in it, but he felt slightly stronger than he had before. It no longer took the effort it had to keep his lifestone alive with power.

“Thank you, little one, I promise to return soon,” he whispered.

Moving back to the windows, Kaen took a deep breath and let it out. The door was risky, but if he was going to announce his presence, it would be on his terms.

Running forward, he leaped forward with his shield out, crashing through the windows and rolling along the floor once.

Coming to his feet, he held the shield out before him and had his sword in his hand.

No noise came from around the room. It was like a tomb. Only the dead were in here.

A smell and hint of evil lingered, filling his nostrils and scrunching his nose.

A thin layer of death and horror covered the surface of everything in the room. Whatever spell had been cast had killed them where they stood.

He is fleeing… we are already above the trees, and at this rate, I cannot return if you need help.

Kaen knew he was right. Stioks was committed to ending this fight just as much as he was.

Slowly, he crept around the room, staying near the wall, his shield out before him.

Every step he took seemed loud, yet Kaen knew he made no sound. It was his heart pounding that he heard.

The ground and the building suddenly shook and rumbled from underneath, and Kaen cursed.

Something is happening underground! I’m going in!

Tossing caution to the wind, Kaen ran toward the door that led to the vaults.

It was time to save those that he could.