The castle walls shook. Even from the courtyard, Kaelis could feel the tremor ripple through her bones, a warning that no ordinary force could bring.
The five girls gathered, weapons in hand, hearts pounding in unison. Selindra's wings were spread, claws flexed, her usual calm replaced with a tense anticipation. Lyra and Elara held their swords tightly, while Ruria's hands glimmered faintly with protective magic. Kaelis' grip on her blade felt heavier than usual; her knuckles were white.
The creature that had landed before them was unlike any they had seen. Its scales were dark as obsidian, but flecks of red shimmered across them like molten lava. Its eyes were twin furnaces, glowing with intelligence, fury, and an ancient, unyielding wrath.
"This… is him?" Lyra whispered, voice trembling.
"Yes," Selindra said, her tone tight. "The Dragon Lord."
Kaelis clenched her jaw. She remembered the dragon Vaelor had killed—the one they had barely survived. The scales, the roar, the overwhelming presence—it had all made sense now. That dragon had been his daughter.
"You killed my daughter," the Dragon Lord said, voice echoing like thunder, each word vibrating the stone beneath them. "Do you realize what you have done?"
Kaelis felt her knees weaken. Even with all her training, all her skill, all her pride, she could sense that nothing in the castle could protect them from this being.
"Please," Ruria began, voice steady despite the fear clawing at her throat. "We didn't know! It was a misunderstanding—she was attacking us!"
The Dragon Lord's eyes narrowed. Smoke curled from its nostrils, and a low rumble emanated from deep within its chest.
"A misunderstanding?" it growled. "Your 'misunderstanding' has taken my child's life. And now you dare stand before me, alive?"
Selindra stepped forward, wings flaring in defiance. "My father is the Demon King," she said, voice loud and commanding. "If you wish harm to anyone here, you will answer to him!"
The Dragon Lord tilted its massive head, regarding Selindra with a curiosity that chilled the girls to the bone.
"You call upon your father to threaten me?" it said slowly, the words like molten metal. "Do you think your lineage matters to me?"
Kaelis swallowed hard. She felt Ruria's hand brush against hers, a silent anchor. Even Selindra, proud and fierce, could not hide the unease in her posture.
Lyra and Elara exchanged glances. Kaelis knew what they were thinking. No magic, no blade, no status—they were insignificant. Against the Dragon Lord, they were nothing.
The Dragon Lord stepped closer, each movement shaking the ground beneath them. "I have ruled skies, seas, and mountains for centuries. Your threats, your alliances, your petty titles mean nothing."
Kaelis' hand tightened around her sword. "Then what do you want from us?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady despite the adrenaline screaming through her veins.
"I want what is mine," the Dragon Lord replied, eyes burning into hers. "And you," it said, lowering its gaze onto Kaelis, "stood in the way of my child. You cannot undo what has been done. You can only pray for your lives."
The girls' hearts sank. Selindra's eyes narrowed. "You dare speak to me as if you can harm us?" she hissed.
"You would try," the Dragon Lord said, almost amused. "And yet, you are powerless. Your father, your magic, your companions—all meaningless against my fury. Your emperor may have killed my daughter, but do you think that grants you immunity?"
Kaelis' mind raced. Vaelor had never spoken of this dragon before. He had healed them, saved them—but the full consequences were now crashing down upon them. The castle's defenses, their blades, their spells—they were nothing compared to this wrath.
Ruria swallowed, stepping slightly forward. "Please, let us speak. We will do anything—"
"Anything?" the Dragon Lord's roar shook the courtyard. "Anything cannot bring back my child. Anything cannot erase the blood spilled. Do not waste my patience, human."
Selindra opened her mouth to respond again, but Kaelis placed a firm hand on her shoulder. Selindra froze.
Kaelis' mind worked rapidly. They could not fight this creature. Their only chance was to survive the encounter, to buy time until Vaelor returned—or until a new plan emerged.
The Dragon Lord leaned down, nostrils flaring. Its eyes studied each of them, and Kaelis could feel the weight of its judgment pressing down. "You have my attention," it said slowly. "Do not make me regret granting you even that."
The courtyard was silent. The girls could hear their own breathing, their hearts hammering in unison. Not one of them dared move. Not a goblin, not a servant, not even a single bird dared stir.
Kaelis' grip on her blade loosened slightly. This was not a fight they could win. But the Dragon Lord's presence forced something new in them: clarity. Survival, not victory, was their goal.
Selindra hissed under her breath, but Kaelis shook her head gently. "We have to play this carefully," she said, voice low. "Do not provoke him further."
Lyra and Elara nodded silently. Ruria's aura shimmered faintly, protective and tense.
The Dragon Lord's gaze shifted toward Selindra once more. "You," it said, voice low and deadly, "do not think your father's status matters here. He would be as powerless as these others if he stood before me."
Kaelis felt a chill travel down her spine. The demon princess's confidence faltered for the first time since she had arrived.
"I…" Selindra began, but the Dragon Lord's roar cut her off.
"I will allow you to leave with your lives," it said slowly. "If you make a single misstep, if you threaten me, if you attempt to hide the truth of what you have done—you will die. And not swiftly. You will suffer as my daughter suffered."
Kaelis swallowed, nodding slightly. The girls followed her lead. Their faces were pale, their weapons trembling slightly in their hands, but they remained upright.
"Go," the Dragon Lord said finally, stepping back, wings rising. "And remember this day. Remember that even in the absence of your emperor, there is a force that cannot be bargained with, cannot be reasoned with, and cannot be forgiven."
The dragon's roar echoed once more as it spread its wings, the sound vibrating through stone, air, and bone. Then it rose into the sky, disappearing as swiftly as it had arrived.
The courtyard was left in stunned silence. The five girls lowered their weapons slowly, hearts still hammering. Kaelis could feel her muscles trembling.
Ruria exhaled shakily. "That… was close."
Selindra's wings folded tightly around her body. Her jaw was clenched, eyes narrowed. "Close doesn't even begin to cover it," she muttered.
Kaelis sheathed her sword. "We survived," she said quietly. "But we need to be ready. He knows. He will not forget."
Lyra's hands shook as she gripped her sword. Elara exhaled slowly, trying to regain composure.
Kaelis looked at each of them. "We live. That's all that matters right now."
Ruria nodded. "We'll survive. Together."
And in the shadow of the castle walls, the weight of the Dragon Lord's fury lingered, a constant reminder of the consequences of power, death, and the one man who had killed his daughter: Vaelor.