Hope screamed as the ground shook.

The stone Dragon tore open the earth, leaving giant cracks in its wake. Barely able to keep his footing, Karn grabbed Hope’s arm and pulled, steering her away just in time before a ten-ton stone wing swooped past.

Roaring furiously, the stone Dragon tore at the ground in anger.

“Shoot it!” Howled a one of the slavers.

Streams of arrows flew at the beast only to bounce off harmlessly, ricocheting around them in a wide arc.

“Shit.” Karn shouted and lunged to dodge a quiver of stray arrows. “Get behind cover!”

“What cover?” Ralina spat back.

It was useless. She was right. Alec bounded towards the northern boulder and rushed at the men who were still frozen in fear. Ignoring the slavers, Alec was about to pass between the cracks in the blockade when the sound of a horse shrieking filled the air. A blur of fur above caught their eyes.

Crash!

Their second horse collided with the stone guard tower that rose over the northern entrance. They froze for a split second as the structure leaned awkwardly out into open space.

“Watch it!” Alec bellowed. Stone rumbled as rocks and dust fell free. “It’s coming down. Get back!”

They leaped back as the tremendous weight fell. The northern slavers looked on dumbly as they disappeared under a hundred tonnes of rubble.

Crunch!

Wood shattered under the immense weight.

“Damn it.” Karn spat.

He turned to watch as the southern slavers ran off, but not all of them were so lucky. White stone talons tore up any slaver within reach.

“Run, you damn fools!” A slaver shouted. “It’s the white dra..” His voice cut off, following a sickening crunch noise.

“We have to climb.” Shouted Ralina, already pulling herself up swiftly.

Karn shared a look with Hope. Panicked eyes stared back at him, filled with determined tears as she threw aside her makeshift staff and climbed ahead of him. Tired and bleeding, Karns shoulder stung and blood was soaking his right arm. The shallow cut he originally thought was a scratch was far deeper.

The resounding roar of the white dragon filled the air as it continued its relentless onslaught, displaying its dominance over the battlefield. The retreating slavers, witnessing the devastation before them, sprinted desperately towards the safety of the southern gate. Only a handful of them managed to escape in time, narrowly avoiding the wrath of the descending dragon.

In a display of raw power, the dragon swung its colossal stone tail with tremendous force, obliterating the walls above the fleeing slavers. The once-solid structure crumbled into a chaotic shower of debris, burying them beneath tonnes of rubble and sealing their fate.

With a triumphant roar that reverberated through the clearing, the dragon surveyed its territory, its eyes falling upon the only surviving intruders: Karn's party. “Damn…” Karn said as the stone monstrosity focused and charged. “Go! Go! Go!” He yelled.

They scrambled up the crumbled heap as shockwaves pounded the ground. The charging dragon thundered closer. Karn struggled under his own weight, his pained wrist and the loss of blood weighing him down.

Hope was already far above him and now was over the ridge when Karn felt the pressure on his back. Twisting his neck, he looked up into the maw of stone teeth. Blank white dragon sized eyes stared at him as its sharp facial features cracked. He could feel the familiar power emanating from the creature. It was the same as the books. Understanding hit him hard. The toll of the power, the pain. The inner fire.

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The dragon snarled as it lowered its snout towards Karn but then paused, sensing something recognizable. The two stared into each other in a silent conversation, no words, only power. Karn reached out his wounded hand and placed it on the stone. Blood, his blood smeared the pristine stone snout. The dragon went rigid and large cracks rippled throughout its body. This creature wasn’t meant to exist in this form. It was too painful. Karn knew exactly the pain of the power and in that instant the dragon and he were the same.

Thud.

The statue fell and shattered on the ground, still and lifeless. Powerful emotions filled Karns chest, but that feeling strained. Like an out-of-body experience, Karn somehow felt a surge of emotion that was not his own.

Relief? Sadness?

A hand fell from above and Karn looked up we see Ralina’s indignant face.

“Hurry up magic man!”

With surprising strength, she hoisted him on top. She held him steady and inspected his arm. Blood soaked most of his right side.

“You have lost a lot,” Ralina spoke calmly.

“I know,” he interrupted.

She nodded. Alec and Hope had already made their way to the other side.

Carefully, the two slowly made their way down to catch up. Karn noticed Ralina was sticking close to him. She may have not looked worried, but her actions betrayed her concern.

Ahead of them lay what looked like the ruins of a vast town. What could have been a bustling town had been stripped bare, leaving only old foundations and crumbling walls. Any wood that had been left lay rotten and abandoned.

Hope was staring off into the distance as if caught in memory of what it once was. She sniffled as she wandered aimlessly ahead of the others.

A flash of worry covered Alec's face as he spotted Karn.

“Hope.” The rock man called out. “That little help you said you could give him…” Alec pointed at the blood. “Now would be an appropriate time.”

Hope's mind fell from her memories as she looked at Karn. Eyes bulging, she ran over to him just as Karn stumbled forward. Karns' pack fell on the ground as he grimaced.

Ralina caught him.

“Thanks.” Karn said weakly. “I’m alright.”

She was examining the wound on his back when Hope's face came into the picture. The girls shared a meaningful look as they set him on the floor.

“No, you’re not.” Ralina replied. Glancing up at Hope, she asked. “What do we need?”

“First, we will need some water.” Hope said, while rummaging through the fold of her skirt. Producing a flat pouch, she pulled out a small seed and jammed it into Karn's mouth. “Swallow this.”

Ralina dashed out of sight as the taste of dirt filled Karn's mouth.

“I know it tastes foul,” she said. After Hope replaced the pouch, she ripped apart strips of cloth. “It will stop the cut from going black or green.”

It didn’t help that Karns mouth was dry, yet somehow, he managed to get the seed down his throat.

“Water here.” Ralina appeared overhead with a waterskin. It was cool and refreshing on his tongue. Alec appeared beside him, pulling his pack.

“We will have to cauterise the wound,” Alec said.

“It’s not that serious,” Karn complained.

“Shut up.” Ralina commanded. “It is.” Abruptly, she flipped him over and pulled his shirt over his head. “It will take some time to make a fire.”

Alec huffed. “We might not have enough time.”

The world around Karn seemed to darken as they examined him. A searing pain shot up his spine as a finger jabbed the edge of the wound.

“Don’t you go to sleep now.” Ralina ordered.

“The book.” Alec suggested. Hope pulled it free from Karns' pack. “Don’t open it.” He added. “It will kill you.”

“Then what?” Hope asked exasperated.

“Place it over the wound.” Alec spoke.

The two girls looked at him, stunned.

“What will that do?” Ralina asked, clearly confused.

Alec didn’t say anything. He gestured forwards and Hope dropped the book on Karns naked back. For a moment, nothing happened. Karns blood drenched the red cover an even darker shade of red. The grip on reality seemed to dim in Karn's vision.

Suddenly, a blinding pain ripped through Karns' shoulder. They all jumped away as a searing light surged between the book and Karn's skin.

A soundless scream tore from Karn's mouth as the pain burned his skin.

“Stay back.” Karn yelled as raw power seared into him. Just when Karn thought he could no longer take the pain, the power surge vanished, and the smell of seared skin filled the air.

Karn shifted, and the book slid aside to bounce on the ground.

“It worked.” Alec spoke softly.

“How were you so sure?” he asked.

“I wasn’t.” Alec said flatly. “I told you I don’t know fleshling magic. It was a gamble.”

Before Karn could yell at the little creature, Ralina whistled.

“Woah.” Hope gasped.

Karn looked over at the faces of his new friends and turned to his shoulder. He couldn’t see what they were gawking at. His fingers glided carefully over the wound, but it wasn’t there.

Instead, a smooth pattern extruded from his skin. Its shape was unusual.

“Um, what is it?” Karn asked, a hint of panic creeping into his voice. “What’s wrong?”

Hope's face moved close to Karn as a new emotion fell over her face. “It burned your skin, and it.” She spoke in awe. “It’s shape.”

“It’s a white wing.” Ralina blurted out.