The War God’s Favorite novel Chapter 126

#126 The Chains
Cassandra couldn’t see the extent of the injury she had just caused. All she had was Vrehan, staggering back while holding his face and scream. His hands were literally covered in blood. Sharpened by Kairen, Phetra’s dagger had become a murderous weapon against her brother.
Cassandra didn’t have much time to contemplate what she had done, though. She kept trying to push the rocks above her leg, desperate to move and get out of her. Her throat was painful, she kept coughing and crying as the dust was making an absolute nightmare out of the scene. Moreover, she could hear the furious growls of dragons battling somewhere above her. With Glahad free, the two dragons had just taken the fight into the Throne Room, causing more damage every time they threw each other against the walls. Even the roof was starting to creak dangerously above their heads. Cassandra had briefly seen it sealed when she had walked in, but how much longer would that hold? Was that Vrehan’s precaution against another Dragon’s attack?
“Cassandra!”
She heard Shareen scream her name, but she felt horribly far in this cloud of dust. Cassandra tried to answer back, horribly coughing. She glanced back, and Vrehan was wiping the blood off his face. He was going to get back at her any minute now, and Cassandra was still trapped. Missandra lying half-dead underneath here, she was desperate to free herself. That rock on her leg was horribly massive, and nowhere near anything she could lift with her current strength. Cassandra coughed again, trying to clear her throat again.
“Kairen!” She called.
“He won’t save you! I’m going to kill you, and watch him weep in front of your dead body!” Yelled Vrehan, from somewhere behind her.
Cassandra glared at him, holding that dagger as her last line of defense. Weak or not, she was not going to let that monster approach her without defending herself all she could. She was reading to fight him off using everything
she could and she had. Vrehan staggered, and as he lowered his hand from his face, she could see the horrible line running through his face, one of his eyes blocked by the blood. Just like his dragon, Cassandra had somewhat blinded one of his eyes with that same dagger.
He still had one, though, and was coming right at her. She shivered. She couldn’t die here, not when Kairen was this close! She kept calling his name and screaming, but all she could hear as an answer were the clamors of men all around fighting, and even louder, the dragons wrestling. Another ruckus imploded from another side of the room, and a wall exploded, throwing more dust and rocks into the mix. This was a complete war scene.
“Cassandra!”
Finally!
Cassandra turned her head, and in the middle of the fog, Kairen’s familiar silhouette appeared. She could have cried in relief from this sight if she wasn’t already too teary from all the dust. He ran to her and, as soon as he spotted his brother standing behind Cassandra, threw out his fist. She heard the violent chock of a jaw broken above her head, and Vrehan’s guttural sound. The second brother screamed in pain, and turned around, running away and disappearing into the cloud of dust. If Cassandra hadn’t been at his feet, Kairen would have gone to finish him off. U
However, the War God didn’t hesitate a second and crouched down, grabbing the humongous rock stuck on her leg. Frowning, he took a couple of seconds to focus and gather his strength before finally lifting it. Cassandra moved quickly to retrieve her leg, despite the pain. Her ankle was twisted or broken, horribly painful. Right after that, she meant to say something, but Kairen’s lips found hers. (2
This was the oddest time and place for a kiss, but they couldn’t stop. In those few long seconds, they just needed it. A wild, passionate, intense kiss to sum up how much they had been dying to see each other again. Cassandra felt her whole body warm up again as if it had been in slumber since they parted, and her heart stopped. She put a hand on his raspy cheek. She would have hugged his whole body, kissed all of his skin, and caressed his hair for
hours if she could. Finally, finally. Her War God was there, her one, only man. Kairen’s large hand on her neck was all she needed. This warm, intense touch that told her she was finally safe, even in this wretched place.
However, those seconds were short-lived. As another part of the wall exploded somewhere behind them, they had to part lips as Kairen moved to shield the two sisters. Cassandra was deafened by a Dragon’s screech for a few seconds. She couldn’t see anything past a few steps.
“Glahad…” She said, her eyes meeting Kairen.
“He’s losing. Vrehan’s firstborn’s dragon arrived.”
Cassandra’s face lost its blood. Glahad couldn’t fight two dragons by himself! She struggled to get back on her feet, Kairen helping her, but her mind was still preoccupied.
“Krai?”
“Still outside. Fighting Lephys’.”
The situation was horrible. With Dragons fighting all over the Palace, it was a complete mess around. Cassandra crouched down to grab her younger sister, but Kairen was faster. Grabbing Missandra, he put her on his shoulder under Cassandra’s panicked eyes. Was her younger sister going to survive this? She was barely alive already…
Kairen!”
They both turned around to follow Shareen’s voice. Just like them, Shareen was more fighting her way into the dusty mist than battling any soldier now. She had made a few more victims on her way in, but it took them a few more seconds to reunite, as they needed to stop and crouch down regularly to avoid debris fall and dragon claws.
“Mie! She alive?” Asked the Princess.
“Barely. We have to get out of there…”
Shareen nodded, but her eyes were above, on the two dragons fighting. Her eyes suddenly opened wide in horror, and something red and dark suddenly splattered all around them. It smelled horrible, and was warm, giving Cassandra no doubt about what this thing was. She panicked and turned around, trying to catch a glimpse of the fight, but all she could spot were shadows of two dragons fighting furiously.
“Glahad…”
“Yeah, the old one is not going to last much longer,” sighed Shareen, shaking her head. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Without exchanging a word, the siblings exchanged Missandra’s body, Shareen carrying the young girl effortlessly while Kairen grabbed Cassandra to carry her. She didn’t oppose him: with her injured ankle, she had been the one to slow him down, and the Imperial Prince and Princess could get out much faster than her.
As they struggled to get out of the room, Cassandra tried to look around for Vrehan or Lephys. She was scared one of them was going to come out at any moment and attack them from behind. Moreover, she was worried about Glahad. The Imperial Dragon wouldn’t have gotten into this fight if it wasn’t for her, and it was dying. It was its blood she had on her dress right now, on top of hers.
“Here!”
Shareen had found some opening on the wall, more like a breach where more rocks had fallen off from. They climbed a couple of rocks to finally get themselves into the open air, and breathe better. Kairen let Cassandra down, though he wasn’t letting go, his arm around her waist, ready to shield her at any given moment. In Shareen’s arms, Missandra was still inanimate and livid as death. All of this was too much.
“Kairen!”
Cassandra heard Shareen’s scream, but was thrown into the ground before she understood what had happened.
hours if she could. Finally, finally. Her War God was there, her one, only man. Kairen’s large hand on her neck was all she needed. This warm, intense touch that told her she was finally safe, even in this wretched place.
However, those seconds were short-lived. As another part of the wall exploded somewhere behind them, they had to part lips as Kairen moved to shield the two sisters. Cassandra was deafened by a Dragon’s screech for a few seconds. She couldn’t see anything past a few steps.
“Glahad…” She said, her eyes meeting Kairen.
“He’s losing. Vrehan’s firstborn’s dragon arrived.”
Cassandra’s face lost its blood. Glahad couldn’t fight two dragons by himself! She struggled to get back on her feet, Kairen helping her, but her mind was still preoccupied.
“Krai?”
“Still outside. Fighting Lephys’.”
The situation was horrible. With Dragons fighting all over the Palace, it was a complete mess around. Cassandra crouched down to grab her younger sister, but Kairen was faster. Grabbing Missandra, he put her on his shoulder under Cassandra’s panicked eyes. Was her younger sister going to survive this? She was barely alive already…
“Kairen!”
They both turned around to follow Shareen’s voice. Just like them, Shareen was more fighting her way into the dusty mist than battling any soldier now. She had made a few more victims on her way in, but it took them a few more seconds to reunite, as they needed to stop and crouch down regularly to avoid debris fall and dragon claws.
“Mie! She alive?” Asked the Princess.
“Barely. We have to get out of there…”
Shareen nodded, but her eyes were above, on the two dragons fighting. Her eyes suddenly opened wide in horror, and something red and dark suddenly splattered all around them. It smelled horrible, and was warm, giving Cassandra no doubt about what this thing was. She panicked and turned around, trying to catch a glimpse of the fight, but all she could spot were shadows of two dragons fighting furiously. .
“Glahad…”
“Yeah, the old one is not going to last much longer,” sighed Shareen, shaking her head. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Without exchanging a word, the siblings exchanged Missandra’s body, Shareen carrying the young girl effortlessly while Kairen grabbed Cassandra to carry her. She didn’t oppose him: with her injured ankle, she had been the one to slow him down, and the Imperial Prince and Princess could get out much faster than her.
As they struggled to get out of the room, Cassandra tried to look around for Vrehan or Lephys. She was scared one of them was going to come out at any moment and attack them from behind. Moreover, she was worried about Glahad. The Imperial Dragon wouldn’t have gotten into this fight if it wasn’t for her, and it was dying. It was its blood she had on her dress right now, on top of hers.
“Here!”
Shareen had found some opening on the wall, more like a breach where more rocks had fallen off from. They climbed a couple of rocks to finally get themselves into the open air, and breathe better. Kairen let Cassandra down, though he wasn’t letting go, his arm around her waist, ready to shield her at any given moment. In Shareen’s arms, Missandra was still inanimate and livid as death. All of this was too much.
“Kairen!”
Cassandra heard Shareen’s scream, but was thrown into the ground before she understood what had happened.
Blood splattered her face, and when she rose her eyes up, Kairen was on top of her, making the grimace of someone who’s suffering horribly. She heard a Dragon’s growl, and the Prince suddenly pushed her further away from him.
“Kairen!” She screamed.
The Prince was suddenly grabbed back inside, under the two women’s horrified eyes. Shareen hesitated a second before putting Missandra down. Kairen had no weapon left, and a gigantic red dragon had just dragged him back inside this hellish room like a mere puppet. Her brother was going to die.
Before they even exchanged a word, Cassandra handed Shareen her dagger, and she ran back inside. Cassandra had another objective, though, and no time to complete it. Getting back on her feet, silently praying for Kairen to be alright, she started dragging Missandra further away. They had to get far enough for her younger sister to be safe, and moreover, they had somehow gotten back into the Lake’s garden. That part of the Throne room’s wall had gotten them right there, which was an unexpected chance for them.
“Cassandra! Missandra!”
Cassandra turned her head and saw Anour running to them. His eyes were wide open in horror upon the sight of Missandra’s state, and he fell on his knee before them.
“What… what happened…?” He muttered.
Cassandra had no time for her questions.
“Get her out of here!” She yelled while running away.
She didn’t have time to verify if Anour was going to follow her instructions. Kairen was back inside, his sister too, and both of them were completely unharmed to face a furious Dragon! Moreover, that injury he had suffered before being dragged back inside… Cassandra had seen too much blood today, she couldn’t allow any more. I
She wasn’t a fighter, but she could find a way to get them some support. She glanced up, at the chains still blocking the way into this garden for Dragons from the outside. She could hear Krai’s furious growls from the outside, but the black dragon had no way in. Cassandra had to get rid of those damn chains.
“Krai! Krai!” She called, yelling all of her lungs out.
She didn’t know how he could always find her, but she just knew he would. She heard his growls and kept running. What was happening on the other side? She was unable to run fast enough with her injured leg, but her steps were getting her to the Lake, as fast as she could endure. More growlings came from inside the Throne Room’s opening, but she couldn’t look back. Cassandra was silently crying, unable to hold it, and breathing erratically. She was tired, in horrible pain and terrified, but she had to keep going. She needed to do anything she could to help them…
Suddenly, a silver creature flashed in front of her, agitating its little wings.
“Kian!”
The baby dragon had somehow managed to escape the mess of the Throne Room to fly to her, though his scales had much dust on them. He flipped his wings and landed next to Cassandra, emitting some little worried high pitched sounds, looking at her and the throne room. She nodded.
“I know. I know…”
She didn’t have the strength to say more. The young woman slowly made her way to the lake, fighting the tiredness of her own body, that was about to collapse. Finally, she made it to the Lake and fell forward. Down on her knees, she fought against the dizziness and took a deep breath. Kian walked up to her side, tilting his head. Cassandra nodded.
“How about you… help me call your dad?”
She had no idea if the baby dragon had understood her, but he suddenly flipped his wings and took off. Kian was very small compared to any adult dragon, and tiny enough to squeeze himself through the metallic net above them. Cassandra heard him growling and chirping, probably trying to grab Krai’s attention. She had no idea what was going on for the Black Dragon, but she really needed him to come down and help his master now. However, he couldn’t do that unless he could get past Vrehan’s traps first. Cassandra laid down next to the lake, extending her arm into the water. This felt strangely good, the freshwater running on her arm, washing the dirt and the blood away. She closed her eyes for a second, yet fighting not to give in to the darkness. She had to hold on, a bit longer. The fight was not over.
Suddenly, above her, she heard the furious but familiar growl of the black dragon. Cassandra opened her eyes back up just as his shadow flew over her. He furiously attacked the fence, but just them, she saw some gigantic metallic arrows flying his way. Probably Vrehan’s traps. Krai had to fly away again, dodging them as they kept firing. The black dragon growled furiously and started spitting fire too. Cassandra frowned and shielded herself. Though he was meters and meters above her, she could feel the scorching heat of his fire where she was. This was terrifying. No wonder no dragon ever did that within the Imperial Palace. They would have decimated the whole building and everyone around in seconds…
However, right after that, Cassandra froze, her eyes stuck across the other end of the lake. Another dragon had just appeared, growling at her and coming slowly. He was smaller than Krai, but this one was under the net, unrestrained, and menacing. Just from his size and purple color, she knew which it was.
“You damn bitch…” Hissed Lephys’ voice behind her. “This time, I’m going to finish you off!”