The Dragon King and His Fallen Star novel Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Vallea Illura

KIERYGAN’S POV

+25 Points

Eirlys opened her door before I even raised a hand to knock. She stepped out, and the moment her

eyes met mine, her skin glowed with a soft, golden light.

“Ready?” I asked, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to the crown of her head.

She nodded. “I am.”

I offered her my arm. She slipped hers through mine without hesitation, and together we

descended the staircase and stepped into the courtyard.

Ulyanna and Evander were already there, locked in quiet conversation beneath the breaking light of dawn. Their expressions were solemn, shadowed by whatever lay ahead.

From the far edge of the courtyard, Ashteryn approached.

His footsteps were heavy, each one punctuated by the muted thud of his tall staff. It was carved from runed blackthorn wood, topped with a shard of violet crystal that pulsed faintly beneath the

rising sun.

Just as Ashteryn closed the distance to join the group, a slow, silvery smoke slithered along the ground between Ulyanna and Evander like creeping mist. From it, a woman’s figure began to take

shape.

“I hope I arrived just in time,” Scylla said, the smoke vanishing into her palms with a graceful flick.

Evander scoffed. “Unfortunately.”

Scylla smirked, her voice sweet with bite. “Aren’t you a little ray of sunshine, butcher.”

I stepped in before the exchange could escalate. “Listen, everyone,” I said firmly. “Eirlys and I will fly

to the borders of Val’Thirael. From there, we continue on foot.”

“Fine by me,” Ulyanna said with a nod. “We still don’t know what lurks behind those mists.”

She turned to the smith, who looked increasingly impatient. “Ashteryn, you’re with me.”

Once everyone gave their assent, I gave a final glance around the circle. “We’ll regroup at the border,” I said, brushing my hand lightly against Eirlys’ to signal her.

The two witches vanished in a blink-Ulyanna apparating with Ashteryn in tow-while Evander phased cleanly out of sight. I took a step back and shifted, feeling my wings unfurl and bones

lengthen. Eirlys climbed onto my back, and with a single beat of my wings, we were airborne.

The wind rushed against my scales as I ascended, wings cutting clean through the thick clouds. Eirlys clung to me, arms wrapped tightly around my neck, her heartbeat steady-a quiet,

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Chapter 98: Vallea Illura

comforting rhythm against the rush of air.

+25 Points

The temperature dropped as we neared the distant mountain range, and the mists of Val’Thirael shimmered ahead like a living curtain of silver, veiling whatever lay beyond.

I dove just outside the border where the veil began landing with a crunch of gravel and dust. Eirlys slid from my back with ease, her fingers lingering for the briefest moment along the ridge of my neck before she stepped away.

I shifted back and approached the four figures waiting at the edge of the dark mist.

H

Ashteryn stepped forward and held out a hand. “Before we cross,” he said, “take these.”

He handed each of us a pendant shaped like a crescent moon, forged from dull star-iron and

etched with fine runes. At the center of each one pulsed a faint opalescent gem.

“These are warded to shield us from the blight,” he explained, his voice gravel and steel. “And to

keep us undetected… if anything watches from within.”

We each fastened the pendant around our necks in silence. The metal was cold at first touch, but

warmed quickly, pulsing faintly against the skin like a heartbeat.

Ashteryn took the lead, stepping into the veil without hesitation. The tip of his staff flared to life with a pale, crystalline light, casting sharp glimmers through the gloom and pushing the mist back. just enough to reveal a path for us to follow.

As soon as we entered, the runes on our pendants shimmered to life. A soft hum filled the air, and a transparent shimmer rippled over our skin, wrapping around us like a shield.

The world within the mists was hushed, smothered like sound itself had been swallowed.

Beside me, I felt Eirlys’s grip tighten. “This feels just like in my dreams,” she whispered.

I know, I almost said.

Because I’d dreamed them too. And the weight in the air, the pressure behind my ribs it was the

same ominous pull from those shared visions.

I couldn’t tell how long we’d been walking. The mist had swallowed all sense of time-skyless,

colorless, soundless. Every step felt the same, like we were caught in a dream without end.

The ground grew uneven beneath our feet. Cracked stone gave way to twisted roots and scattered rubble as the terrain sloped upward. We were climbing now, the valley narrowing around us.

I felt the soft brush of Eirlys’ breath against the back of my neck.

She’d finally relented and clung to my back, despite her earlier protests. I shifted my stance to

carry her more comfortably. Every now and then, she let out a faint snore. It made me smile, even

with the rot pressing in from all sides.

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Chapter 98: Vallea Illura

+25 Points

Ahead, Ashteryn moved with quick, deliberate strides. He consulted the map repeatedly as we trekked, each pause brief, each step precise.

“How much farther?” I asked, keeping my voice low so as not to wake her.

Ashteryn didn’t turn. “Not far,” he said, his voice thickened by mist. “We’re close.”

He was right. Moments later, he lifted his staff again, the crystalline light spilling forward. And

there it was.

At first, only a jagged silhouette in the distance. But as we neared, the mist thinned just enough to reveal what lay beyond the withering trees.

A palace.

Larger than Solmere’s. Once white-perhaps even radiant. Now streaked with gray rot and choking vines, as if it had been in mourning for centuries. Its towers leaned, but did not fall. Arched windows yawned open like hollow eyes.

Ashteryn came to a halt. The base of his staff struck the ground with a soft, final thud.

“This is it,” he said. “Vallea Illura.”

As if on cue, she stirred on my back-just a soft, sleepy shift at first, then a faint exhale against my

neck, warm and feather-light.

“You can let me down now,” she rasped near my ear

I slowed and eased into a crouch. Her arms slipped from around my shoulders, and she slid off

with a sleepy huff.

I caught her by the arm as she found her footing, her steps still heavy with lingering sleep.

Together, we stepped toward the palace’s entrance

Then Scylla’s voice broke the hush.

She had paused a few paces behind us, gaze fixed on Eirlys. “This is where it happened, isn’t it?”

she asked, her voice low. “Your dreams.”

Eirlys glanced around, eyes scanning the withered trees and crumbling stone, then gave a small

nod. “Yes.”

I felt it too-the scent of dread and decay clinging to the air, sharp and unyielding. A metallic tang coated my tongue, like old blood long dried. Above us, I recognized the twisted outline of gnarled

branches.

This was the place.

It happened here.

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Chapter 98. Vallea Illura

+25 Points

A flicker of emotions crossed Eirlys’ face-recognition, dread, sorrow-all layered beneath the dim light like shadows.

I moved, ready to offer her some words, some gesture of comfort.

But Evander stepped forward first. “We need to go nside,” he said, his voice clipped and colder than usual. “The sooner we get what we came for, the better.”

Gone was the usual charm from his tone. Perhaps it was the weight of this place. Or perhaps it

was because of the seer walking beside us.

But he was right-we didn’t need to linger here longer than necessary. I glanced at Eirlys. She gave

me a small nod.

And together, we stepped across the threshold of the dead palace.

Debris of white marble and shattered glass cracked beneath our boots as we stepped inside. Dust

drifted through shafts of broken light pouring from the ruined domes above. The paintings were faded, their glory lost to time, and the tapestries hung like ghosts along the walls.

What had once been a stronghold of cosmic grace how stood hollowed and silent.

Ulyanna’s voice broke the quiet. “Perhaps you should lead the way, Eirlys. See if something calls to

you.”

She nodded hesitantly, then turned to me. Her fingers brushed mine. Without a word, I laced them

together.

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