The tension in the throne room was suffocating. Zareth, the Dragon King, stood as an imposing figure, his golden eyes burning with fury and disdain. Elira stood beside him, her face pale but resolute. Across from them, Kaelion, the Wolf
Prince, radiated anger and defiance, though uncertainty flickered in his eyes as he glanced at the scrolls Zareth had cast at his feet.
"Read them," Zareth said, his voice a low, threatening growl. "See the truth for yourself, Wolf Prince. Your trusted ally has betrayed you, not me. I never attacked your kingdom."
Kaelion bent down, snatching up the scrolls with trembling hands. His eyes
scanned the words, the damning evidence of his friend's treachery. Each letter, each map, each betrayal unfolded before him, and his heart pounded with rage. Slowly, he turned toward his closest confidant, the man who had stood by his side through countless battles.
"You…" Kaelion's voice was low, deadly. "Is this true?"
The man's composure faltered for the first time. "Kaelion, you know me. I did what was necessary to protect the Wolf Kingdom—"
"By pitting me against a war I never needed to fight? By betraying me?" Kaelion roared, his voice echoing through the hall. His claws extended as his wolfish instincts surged forward.
The advisor stepped back, panic overtaking him. "Kaelion, please—"
But the Wolf Prince was beyond reason. With a furious snarl, he lunged forward, slashing at the man's throat. Blood splattered across the marble floor as the
traitor crumpled, lifeless, at Kaelion's feet. The throne room fell silent, save for Kaelion's ragged breathing.
Zareth observed coldly, unimpressed. "You've cleaned up your mess. Good. Now, let's settle ours."
Kaelion whipped around, his eyes blazing. "You dare come into my kingdom, flaunting your power, and think I'll let you walk out of here alive? She is mine, Zareth. No matter what you say, no matter what proof you show me, Elira belongs to me!"
Elira flinched at his words, but Zareth stepped in front of her, shielding her from Kaelion's fury. His voice dropped into a growl that shook the room. "She is not yours. She was never yours. And now, Kaelion, you've sealed your fate."
Kaelion's claws extended further, his wolf form beginning to emerge. "Then come, Dragon King. Let's see if your flames are strong enough to burn a wolf."
The battlefield was a maelstrom of fire and fury. The Dragon King, Zareth, stood towering in his dragon form, his molten gold veins glowing brighter with each breath. The Wolf Prince, Kaelion, snarled beneath him, pinned to the scorched earth by the dragon's massive claw. Blood seeped from Kaelion's wounds, staining the ground beneath him.
"Yield," Zareth commanded, his voice a deep, thunderous growl that resonated through the battlefield.
Kaelion struggled beneath the weight of Zareth's claw, his claws scraping at the dirt. "Never," he spat, blood dripping from his mouth. His silver eyes burned with defiance, but there was no mistaking the fear that flickered behind them.
Zareth stared down at the wolf prince, his golden eyes blazing with fury and a hint of something darker. For a brief moment, he hesitated. Despite the betrayal, despite the chaos Kaelion had unleashed, Zareth had not come here to take his
life—not initially.
But then, his gaze flickered to the distant figure of Elira, standing on the edge of the battlefield, her face etched with pain and tears. Memories surged forward— her trembling form in the Wolf Kingdom, the marks of Kaelion's cruelty, the way she had begged for her life. Zareth's hesitation melted away, replaced by a cold, unyielding resolve.
He leaned closer, his massive jaws inches from Kaelion's face. "I would have let you go, Kaelion," he growled, his voice low and deadly. "If you had not touched what was mine. But you dared to lay your hands on my queen. And for that, there is no chance of you to win."
Kaelion's eyes widened, fear overtaking his defiance. "Zareth, wait—"
But the Dragon King was beyond reason. With a deafening roar, Zareth reared back, flames building in his throat. In one swift, merciless strike, he unleashed a torrent of fire directly at Kaelion. The flames engulfed the Wolf Prince, consuming him entirely. His howls of agony echoed across the battlefield, only to be silenced moments later.
When the fire subsided, all that remained was scorched earth and the faint outline of what had once been the Wolf Prince. The battlefield fell silent, the soldiers on both sides frozen in shock and awe.
Zareth shifted back into his human form, his golden eyes still glowing with the remnants of his rage. He turned to his soldiers, his voice cutting through the
silence. "The Wolf Kingdom has fallen. Let no one dare challenge the might of the Dragon King again."
Elira stood rooted to the spot, her heart pounding in her chest. She had witnessed cruelty before, but this… this was vengeance on a scale she could barely comprehend.
Zareth approached her, his expression softening as he saw her pale face and trembling form. "Elira," he said gently, reaching for her.
She flinched, stepping back instinctively. Her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions—fear, relief, and something she couldn't quite name.
"You… killed him," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Zareth's gaze held hers, unwavering. "He deserved it. He hurt you, and he would have done worse if I hadn't stopped him."
Elira swallowed hard, tears brimming in her eyes. Deep down, she knew he was right, but the weight of what she had witnessed was suffocating.
"Come," Zareth said, his tone softening. "This war is over. You're safe now, Elira."
He extended a hand to her, and after a long moment, she took it, allowing him to guide her away from the battlefield and the ashes of the Wolf Kingdom.
Would you like me to expand on the aftermath of the war or focus on Elira's evolving feelings toward Zareth?