Darkness enveloped Ralina, its suffocating presence squeezing the life out of her weakened body. Despite the pain slowly ebbing away, she clung to the fragile threads of her life. Lyra's anguished screams echoed in her ears, growing fainter with each passing heartbeat.
The last fragments of her life played out in a series of fleeting memories.
Visions of slave warriors advancing. The sight of civilians under attack. Ralina had joined the Feldreken in battle. The golden warrior’s coordinated movements like a mesmerizing dance shimmering in the sunlight. With a lethal grace, they weaved through the throng of armed men, effortlessly dispatching their foes. It was a dance without music, a symphony of death and elegance. Their enemies fell to the ground with each precise strike, disappearing in a golden blur as quickly as they appeared.
It was during this relentless assault that Lyra turned to Ralina. The time had come for them to advance.
"Slow them down! We just need to buy the Kraven some time!" Lyra's voice cut through the chaos.
As Ralina fought in her feline form, biting and snapping at the slave army.
“There’re just so many of them!” she called out, her voice roaring. Her Felren strength was waning, and they found themselves surrounded by more and more of the enemy forces.
Lyra gave her a determined nod, her gaze shifting to the approaching towards a new threat.
Amidst the chaos, when a brief lull in the fighting allowed for a moment to breathe, Ralina's acute hearing caught a distressing command from within the enemy ranks. A horn sounded, and a regiment of fifty soldiers emerged, brandishing large shields. They dropped them on command, producing long spears. Within a blink of an eye, they hurled the spears with perfect aim straight towards the Feldreken.
"Shields!" Lyra commanded, her voice echoing even over the clang of battle. The Feldreken warriors swiftly detached the angular shield plates integrated into their armour. Slender shields snapped off their form-fitting armour, the tips of which smacking the ground as they formed a protective barrier. The shields' sleek and angular design was specifically crafted to ward off projectiles, a testament to the Feldreken's meticulous preparation and training.
Lyra's eyes widened in shock as she realised her mistake.
Ralina, being a Felren without specialised armour, fought in her pure lioness form, devoid of the enhanced protection. The enemy spears sailed through the air, finding their mark as one glanced her shoulder while another impaled Ralina's neck.
"Ralina!" Lyra's anguished scream pierced the turmoil. “No!”
Acting on instinct, the remaining Feldreken warriors bounded to Ralina's side, who’d swiftly transformed back into her human form. They dragged her away from the encroaching slave soldiers, holding her wound tightly in a desperate attempt to staunch the bleeding.
The world spun around Ralina, pain radiating through her as she fought to keep breathing. Despite the chaotic battle raging around them and the tremors shaking the ground, Ralina could only focus on the searing pain. It blocked out everything else.
Her vision faded, her consciousness with it.
In that hazy state between life and death, Ralina's gaze chanced upon an old man who appeared beside her, holding a blue and green book in his hands.
At least that’s what she thought he carried. The details were hard to grasp through the haze. He placed his hands over her wounded neck, murmuring words which meaning slipped away from her. And then, just as suddenly as he had arrived, the man vanished.
The world plunged into darkness, its embrace beckoning Ralina toward a place of peace and tranquillity. Lacking the energy to question it, she lay there, feeling numb and detached from her surroundings. But amidst the stillness, a familiar voice echoed in her mind, breaking through the darkness.
Someone she knew, someone familiar, was calling out her name. It wasn't Lyra's voice; this one belonged to a man.
Who?
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Ralina struggled to grasp the identity of the voice, her mind adrift in the ethereal space between life and death.
Then, a dull light pierced through the darkness, burning rather than glowing. With her eyes still closed, she sensed something new, a sensation beyond the realms of ordinary perception. It was a message, a communication not spoken through words but through a different sense entirely.
The entity reaching out was no mere human, nor even a Felren. It was primal. It was ancient and timeless. Its presence loomed in the darkness, and as it focused on Ralina, its eyes blinked like orbs of fire, eyes that belonged to a lion the size of a mountain. The primal beast drew near, and with a gentle touch of its nose, it ignited a warmth within her, spreading through her body.
At that very moment, the skin around her neck itched.
Gasping for breath, her eyes snapped open, and Ralina's gaze fell upon the group huddled around her. The echoes of battle had concluded, replaced with the whimpering of mourners.
Lyra's tear-streaked face filled with relief as she tightly clutched her arms around Ralina. Behind her stood Karn, his eyes locked with Ralina's as he held the Book of the Known in his hands. His expression mirrored her own, a mixture of concern and relief.
"You okay?" Karn's voice, filled with genuine worry.
“I’m,” she coughed. To her surprise, her throat no longer hurt. “I’m okay.”
In her hazy state, Ralina's mind strained to grasp onto what just happened. When darkness overtook her, a profound fleeting memory seemed to slip through her fingers.
“What happened?” she asked.
Lyra smiled and blinked away tears. “Karn’s book just saved you.”
Ralina’s fingers went to her throat. There was still blood all over her skin, but the wound had closed. She tried to stand up, but her legs failed her.
“Hang on, calm down,” Karn said as he caught her in his arms. “You still just lost a hell of a lot of blood.”
“The King?” she asked.
A confident expression came over Karn as he spoke. “It’s over.”
Ralina managed a faint smile, but the blood-soaked streets surrounding them offered no solace. It was hard for her to feel like they had won when the cost had been so high. They’d survived, yes, but victory seemed a distant concept in the wake of such devastation.
"We need to leave," Karn said, his finger pointing towards the sprouting vegetation that littered the streets. Ralina's gaze followed his gesture, and she noticed several Kraven helping traumatised soldiers to their feet, guiding them towards the town exits or the nearby docks.
Supported by Karn on one side and Lyra on the other, Ralina couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu. Her father had been in a similar state after the battle on the beach.
Each step they took through the streets brought more evidence of the relentless reclamation of nature, as if some unseen force controlled the rapid growth.
People swarmed in all directions, their voices murmuring in the air as they made their way towards the docks. Finally reaching their destination, Ralina's eyes fell upon a heart-wrenching scene. A man in full armour held a woman and two children, tears streaming down their faces. Beside them lay another figure, shrouded in a long brown sheet, with a hint of green velvet peeking out from beneath its edge, revealing the clothing of the person beneath.
Looking up, Ralina noticed the old man with the two books moving ahead of them, his hand resting on the grieving man's shoulder. They exchanged quiet words, while Maze stood beside the brown shroud, his face downcast and filled with sorrow.
Two ships were docked, untouched by the battle. One appeared sleek and nimble, while the other was massive, capable of carrying a large number of refugees.
Ahead, Ralina's gaze fell upon a small gathering near the smaller ship. Among the group, she recognised Hope, and a black-haired woman, engaged in a lively conversation with a towering Wolvegren, a seasoned grey-haired warrior and Roven. Their voices overlapped as they discussed the logistics of the smaller vessel, exchanging rapid-fire remarks and gestures, their faces filled with determination.
"We should probably leave the city and head west," Lyra suggested, her nose wrinkling at the sight of the ships.
Ralina cast a cautious glance at Karn, waiting to see his response. Just then, the sound of wings filled the air as Valon landed among the bustling crowd. His gaze fell upon Karn with an inscrutable expression.
"We will keep watch over this newfound transformation in the forest," he stated, his eyes darting around the town as if it had already succumbed to the wilderness. “Only a few of the locals are still within the town limits. As soon as the tonic wore off, most of the homeless ran.”
Karn sighed. “Is there anything you could do for them?”
Valon nodded, “I will put some of us on it.”
“Thanks.” Karn expressed his gratitude before gesturing towards the ships. "I believe we should..."
Maze cleared his throat, causing Karn to pause and look up expectantly.
"Yes?" Karn inquired.
Maze offered a slight bow and gestured towards the woman who was currently clutching children beside the armoured man. "Allow me to introduce you all. This is Lady Amber and her husband, the General of the King's army."
The crowd flinched and took a step back, hands instinctively reaching for weapons as they warily eyed the potential threat. Standing behind the General and his wife were approximately one hundred and fifty fully armed men. Exhaustion and weariness were etched on their faces as they surveyed the crowd with cautious eyes. Their spirits had been clearly dampened.
Lady Amber, however, stepped forward, her voice resolute. "Today, we have all shed blood. All because of one madman. Not one of us here, breathing or bleeding, is against the other."
Maze nodded in agreement. "Well said. Now, shall we all board the ship?"
Karn furrowed his brow. "Board the ship? Where are we going?"
Maze chuckled softly. “Where else, Brancourt. The city of the White Dragon.”