(Y/N POV)-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was halfway down the final corridor, after getting lost multiple times when a loud boom suddenly echoed across the palace. I heard many heavy footstep, and I only managed to sneak inside an open door just in time before what seemed like dozens of guards running the way I had been going just before. This time, they weren't moving causally like they usually were on patrol. These guards had alert, and some had alarmed expressions of their faces, as they moved urgently. Something was going on. I could hear what sounded like clashing of metal and roaring off in the distance, but I couldn't be sure. 

What the hell is going on!? I thought as I peeked back around the edge of the huge doorway. 

And that was when I heard a sound I had hoped I wouldn't hear on my little escape trip. A huge roar of pure rage and anger echoed across the halls of the hallways. It made my legs tremble and a small whimper escape my mouth.

"Yep, now Kara's awake. Great." I muttered anxiously as sweat dripped down my face. That was the last thing I really needed.

 So much for a quiet exit. I thought grimly, as I checked that the coast was clear, before I stepped back out into the hallway. I wasn't so worried about death, as I knew enough about Kara that she wouldn't kill me. Or, at least I didn't think so. I guessed the worse she would do was swallow me, but that was the part that worried me. 

Now, I needed to find Sapphire more then ever. No longer even bothering to be quiet, I ran as fast as I could, the hallway flashing past me as I focused all my energy on moving as quickly as humanly possible. I was rapidly running out time. This palace was huge, but Kara knew it better than I did. It was only a matter of time before-

It was the mass of fighting and shrieking dragons that stopped me, dead in my tracks. Spears clashed, armor ripped, talons swiped, teeth bared. At times I saw glimpses of the royal palace guards, whom I had seen so many of already during my time in the palace, but there were other dragons too. Other dragons I had no idea of where they had come from, or why they were here. 

And then suddenly, from the mass of the battle, I caught a glimpse of a dragon I thought I wouldn't see. A dragon who I thought had been locked deep within the dungeon. 

It was Sapphire. I called out. 

"Sapphire!" I called as loudly as I could. Even through the midst of the battle, I saw here ear perk up. She bit the dragon guard she was fighting in the neck, before kicking the limp, but still breathing body away. She looked over to where I was, and seemed to study me for a second. Within the timespan of a few seconds, her expression shifted from confusion, to shock, to bewilderment, before utter joy. 

"Y/N!?"

She ran towards me, and pounced, scooping me up into her talons before hugging me, burying me deep in her chest. She looked down at me, tears running down her snout as she hugged me. 

"Is it really you!? B-But, how!? I thought you were dead?" She asked, as I nodded, accepting her embrace. Not even struggling. Despite wanting to go home, despite me sick of dragons obsessing over me and thinking they could claim me.

I was still happy to be back with Sapphire. For a few seconds, everything felt like when we were still back in Sapphire's cave, and not trapped in this palace, with an awful queen. 

"L-listen Y/N, love, I want to hear what you've been through, I need to know if Kara hurt you, but first we need to leave this place. I'll explain when we're safe. Me, and Ember."

"W-who's Ember-?" I started to ask, before a booming voice suddenly interrupted me. Cutting out my sentence. 

"WHAT IS GOING IN HERE!?" 

Everyone stopped fighting, and looked at the voice. Nervous. Even the intruders stopped fighting. I shivered. I knew that voice. Sapphire sensed my nervousness, because she started stroking my back, as she turned her head to face the speaker. 

Standing there, in her full height, gold and gem accessories glinting viciously in the light of the huge chandeliers above. Her eyes burning with pure spite and hatred, as she glared at everyone. Especially at Sapphire, who was in her direct line of sight. Then she looked at me, before letting out a snarl. 

"That human, belongs to me..."

Suddenly, another dragons started pushing through the crowd, before she stepped into the light, no longer hidden by everyone else, and for the first time, I saw Kara look surprised. In fact, she looked baffled. She didn't say anything. She stared at the dragon as it emerged completely from the crowd. 

The dragon wasn't the biggest in the room. In fact, she looked quite small. She smaller then both Kara and Sapphire, and most other dragons in the room to be precise, but still much bigger then a normal human. 

She walked up, and sat down on her haunches, and returned Kara's gaze. Something that took me a lot of courage to do. 

Kara still didn't react. She stared, the same stunned expression on her face. Like she had just seen the impossible. 

Like she had just seen a ghost.

Finally, when it seemed like the room was going to burst from the tension, the strange dragoness who I had only just seen, had I suddenly just taken an instant respect for, spoke.

"Greetings Kara, my sister... Did you miss me?"

Kara finally got over her shock, as she began to advance. Her eyes once more filled with hate. 

"Hello Sapphire, Hello... Ember... I didn't expect to see you alive. Aren't you supposed to be dead? And more importantly, hand Y/N, the human over to me..."

Sapphire stood taller, glaring back at Kara. "Or what?" 

Kara growled, a low snarl forming within her throat.

"Because if you don't..."

Right on cue, what seemed like a hundred more guards ran down from the surrounding halls that branched off from the main one. I wondered how Kara could do that. How she could just seemingly summon more troops with just her mind. I sensed that there was more to this story than I previously thought. 

The troops surrounded everyone, and it gave me a bad memory of when Sapphire and I had first arrived at the palace. 

"...Or, I will kill all of you expect Y/N, right here. Right now." Kara finished, a smirk on her face, knowing we were all trapped. 

Uh oh. This can't be good...

(Author's Note)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To be continued...

;)