Dust swirled in the air as King Emron stood over the undead dragon, their size almost identical. Kaelen couldn't help but feel in his chest a surge of warmth and power. Emron jumped back towards the keep, staying in a lunging position. Demons once again took to the skies, prompting Emron to look up as they swirled around the courtyard like vultures. His eyes glowed brightly. His snarl became thunderous, echoing through the courtyard. With a bark, lightning struck the flying demons, killing them in an instant. They rained down, a trail of smoke following them.

With one decisive blow, the skies became clear once again.

The undead dragon regained its bearings and roared at Emron. In response, he howled, and the moon seemed to grow brighter. His howl echoed, almost deafening, but a siren song of triumph and bravery. Other howls echoed up and down the mountainside. With a twist of his head, Emron pulled a long sword that rested on his side with his teeth, holding it parallel to the ground. The blade had only one edge, demanding his attacks to be very precise.

A flap of the undead dragon's wing made Emron go on guard as the exanimate dragon charged at him. Emron did not wait. He met the dragon in its course and clashed his blade with its wings. The dragon tried to swipe him with its tail, but Emron jumped out of its range. His direction changed quickly as the dragon breathed fire at him, causing him to circle around it.

Once the dragon ran out of breath, Emron planted one of his paws and made a quick dash at the dragon. His blade aimed for its neck, but the dragon used its tail to swat him away. Emron crashed to the ground. The hit didn't faze him, seeing how he got up just fine. His eyes glowed again, and when he let out a bark, lightning struck the dragon, but it had no effect on it. Emron growled, and the winds ran amok within the courtyard, circling around Emron. He charged once again at the dragon, but the undead lizard placed its wings in front of it. But Emron didn't falter in his course. The winds followed his command as they blew upwards underneath the dragon's wings, causing them to lift, bringing the dragon off balance. With a twist of his body, he drove his sword deep into the dragon's chest and jumped back. He barked again, and lightning struck the blade, causing the dragon to bellow and the glow to flicker.

The dragon's neck hung as it grew weak, allowing Emron to use his paw to smack it down, drawing his sword from its body to deal the final blow.

"Incredible!" Said Lyra, also admiring his King.

"We must hurry; we're almost the last ones to enter!" Shouted Aeris.

A sudden explosion within the grand hall blew smoke through the doorway. Emron stabbed his sword into the ground and looked in the direction, his eyes narrowed as if trying to see through the smoke. A large piece of metal flew from the smoke and thudded into the dirt—a stick attached to it snapped in half.

Kaelen recognized it as General Gaius' war hammer. Aeris gasped in shock, her hands covering her mouth. But what demon could defeat General Gaius? Kaelen asked himself.

The smoke soon revealed a demon with goat's legs, answering the question. It's skin dark as coal with hair white as snow, braided to the back. It had horns that circled the top of his head like a crown—two of them in the front were taller than the rest. His eyes shined a brilliant yellow. The demon held a fiery whip in one hand and a sword shrouded by smoke in the other.

"So the Grand Prexy saw it fit to send one of The Thirteen here," said Emron, his voice almost sarcastic. "Would it be too late to enact Akari'sutar?"

"You talk too much, old man." It said, his voice unamused. "Oh, how the great have fallen."

The two stood in silence. A war of attrition, or perhaps it was a sign of respect. Either way, the gravity was suffocating.

Kaelen hurried to Emrond's side and kneeled before him. "I am here to aid you, your highness."

"You will die faster than you can blink, young one."

"I implore you not to underestimate me."

Emron pushed Kaelen with his rear paw.

"Estimating is a gamble I will not take. You are not ready for this fight. Not yet." Emron nudged with his nose a long blade that was hidden within his. The blade fell in front of Kaelen, stabbing into the ground. "I will be back to get Spite Blade from you."

Kaelen took the sword and stared at it in awe. The craftsmanship was out of this world. Even the material felt strange to any of the lands.

"Your customs are so primitive." The demon said, dropping his whip. The ground below him ignited.

"Go, Kaelen, son of Knhaul. Only you and your comrades will remain.

Kaelen couldn't disobey him. He took Spite Blade and hurried to the keep, where Lyra and Aeris waited for him. Kaelen stood at the door and took one last look at his king before ducking into the keep.

When he entered, the halls were lit by torches. The people shuffled as they moved through the keep. He saw Alder guide everyone through the tunnel that led to the other side of the mountain. Alder saw Kaelen and waved him over. He approached him, and a sudden hug came from nowhere.

"Oh Kaelen!" A familiar voice called to him.

He looked down and saw his mother.

"Mother!" He said with such relief, his arms wrapped around her.

"I thought I'd lost you."

"Where's father?"

"He said he would clear a path. I wasn't too sure what that meant."

Kaelen couldn't help but worry. He set aside the feeling and focused on the people, directing them to keep order. He told Alder to lead the way, and he nodded, turning into the tunnel.

Slowly, the numbers dwindled as the citizens hurried the best they could through the tunnel. The keep rumbled, dust unsettling from the ceiling. Kaelen hurried to barricade the door, Lyra jumping in to help him.

"You need to go," he said, placing a brazier at the end of the enforced barricade.

"Not until everyone is out. That includes you."

Kaelen couldn't help but stare at her in admiration. Despite her being weaker than his kind, she remained useful and helped his people with no questions. He wished their kingdoms had formed an alliance sooner.

"This won't hold no matter how much we put here. We need to move; everyone's already in the tunnel."

Kaelen agreed with her and headed into the tunnel with her. A thick rope hung from one of the wooden pillars at the entrance. He grabbed it from its hook and unwound it.

"What is that?"

"It's to bring this passage down once everyone's through, so nothing can follow us."

Lyra nodded in acceptance.

The two ran through the tunnel. Seconds felt like hours, twisting and turning until a cavern appeared before them. The torchlight ended where they stood and began across the narrow path. In between was a subtle darkness that led to the roaring waters in the abyss below.

Kaelen gestured to Lyra to go first. Without hesitation, she crossed, her back pressed against the wall and her arms outstretched behind her as if she was trying to hug the rock from behind. Kaelen followed close behind her. The sound of rocks being dislodged and rolling down the steep slope unsettled him.

A sound cracked, and the path below Lyra gave way; her breath escaped her in a panicked yelp. Kaelen grabbed a hold of her arm before she plummeted into the darkness. With a little effort, he pulled her back to safety.

"I thought this was supposed to get us out of danger, not put us in it."

"To be fair," Kaelen said as he continued to move, stepping over the hole in the path. "This path is hundreds of years old."

The two continued down the path, eventually making it to the other side. They put the dark abyss behind them and found the exit just further ahead.

Kaelen found that the rope lost its slack, and it gained tension.

"We're going to have to run the rest of the way. But we should be able to make it, especially if you get a head start."

Lyra nodded her head and ran, but not at her full speed. Kaelen tugged at the rope to feel the tension, accidentally tugging hard enough to collapse the tension of the rope. He looked down anticlimactically, hoping it'd be more epic. Kaelen looked back at Lyra, and she gestured a question, but he shrugged his shoulders.

The loose rocks on the ground vibrated. A small puff of dirt rolled into the cave.

"I guess that was it." Kaelen murmured to himself.

Suddenly, the ceiling collapsed a few yards away. He turned and yelled, "Run, Lyra!"

He could feel the boulders closed in on him. All his focus went into his legs, and soon enough, he caught up to Lyra. She fell behind him, so he picked her up and bolted for the exit. His feet stumbled, making him hold Lyra closer to him as he dove out of the cave.

Kaelen's body encountered a few inches of snow and the gasping of some people. He reared his head back and saw that Lyra was alright. While holding her, he stood up and then set her down on her feet. The force threw them into a woodland area concealed by the castle. One civilian ran up to him as he dusted snow off his fur.

"The other soldier told me to rush to you," they said. "There's something that you need to see."

Kaelen hurried to the front of the group and found Alder prone in the snow. He signaled Kaelen to stay low as he approached.

"What's going on?" Asked Kaelen.

Alder pointed out far in the distance. A few torch lights danced, and a foul smell came from down the hill.

"The demons knew that there would be a way for our people to escape, and now they head this way because of the collapse of that cave."

"They don't look like much."

Kaelen fell silent as the moon briefly emerged, unveiling the battalion of demons that were sweeping the forest.

"The pass lies beyond those demons. After that, we are truly safe within the Tundra of The Nine." He looked at Kaelen with sincere eyes. "We cannot outrun them, but I can hold them off for as long as I can."

"We cannot lose you, Alder." Kaelen's hand rested on Alder's pauldron. "You will be a part of the reconstruction of the Kingdom of Lycra."

Kaelen looked out at the army of demons again, analyzing the best he could of the situation. Hiding wasn't an option, as the lack of foliage both on the trees and the ground wouldn't be enough to conceal them.

His ideas were dwindling.

A sound of footfalls crunched in the snow behind them. The two drew their weapons, but stopped almost immediately as they realized who it was.

"Father?" questioned Kaelen.

"You've done well to get this far, boy." His voice was grumbly and almost lost.

Knhaul's armor had chipped away to where half his breastplate was still intact. His mouth bloodied, dripping down his chin and rolling down his neck, but Kaelen couldn't tell if it was his. Dried blood welded one of his eyes shut as a deep cut scored his brow.

"Lomel!" Kaelen's mother blurted. She rushed to him and held him tight, holding him as if he would blow away with the wind.

Knhaul's hand rested on her head. His face showed peace as he slowly shut his eye and returned the warmth to his wife.

"Time is of the essence," he said, finding it difficult to pry himself away. "I will clear the path. You boys stay by my side as we funnel the civilians through the pass."

Kaelen saw Lyra try to volunteer, but he waved her away. Lyra brought up her crossbow and shook it at him, but he shook his head in return.

Knhaul informed the civilians of the plan. Though it was suicide, it was better than waiting for them to be caught and slaughtered. The three Lycans stood in formation, basically a wide triangle, and the civilians waited in the center. Knaul charged his gauntlets, and lightning irradiated around it. Once the demons got close enough, Knhaul clapped his hands together—unleashing a devastating arc of lightning that tore the earth as it traveled and disintegrated any life that stood in its path.

Alder and Kaelen dashed past him after the initial attack, giving the demons another surprise. The two Lycans laid waste on the frontline of demons but struggled as the demons became bigger the deeper they got. Knhaul wasted no time with them, however, blowing fist-sized holes through their bodies and continuing to the next opponent.

The three, together, began splitting the demon battalion like an arrow piercing its game. The civilians followed close, but some stragglers didn't get lucky as they would get picked off by arrows or stayed too far back. Kaelen saw Lyra do her best to help the stragglers, but she ran out of bolts, resulting in a retreat within the crowd.

Kaelen's hope radiated as he saw the pass illuminated by the moonlight. The path was narrow but hidden well; its entrance had the mountain almost wrapping it around, giving it tall natural walls. His will became forged by his newfound strength, cleaving through enemies he didn't think he would. The strength was intoxicating, making him want to fight more.

His father grabbed Kaelen in his spree, almost invoking his wrath, but Kaelen recognized who it was—not recognizing that he had already made it to the pass.

"Your eyes tell me you have unlocked the potential of your blade." Knhaul grasped his shoulders with both hands. "You're going through changes that I cannot help you through." Kaelen gave him a questioning look. "You are ready; you've been ready. You have someone to fight for now; I can see it in your eyes."

The civilians rushed past them like a startled herd.

"Why are you saying it like that?" Asked Kaelen, pointing his sword at the battalion of demons. "I can fight with you!"

"My son," the words struck deep into Kaelen's heart. Knhaul revealed a wound that was irreversible, even with magic. "You have fought with me; you have shown me everything I needed to see."

Kaelen's emotions welled in his chest and worked their way to the dam in his throat. Doing his best not to shed a tear, he hugged his father, not wanting to let go.

"I am so sorry!" The words quivering out of his mouth.

"I am the one that's sorry," Knhaul gently pushed Kaelen to arm's length. "My fear got in front of my love, making me a nightmare for you. But I will right my wrongs now."

Lyra almost passed them, sliding to a stop.

"We gotta go! The other Lycan is retreating."

Knhaul brought Kaelen's head to meet his, and he pressed his bloody hand onto his chest plate. "I am so proud of you."

Before Kaelen could say anything, Knhaul pushed him towards Alder as he was running by, telling him to take him. Kaelen's eyes widened as Knhaul's gauntlets lit up again. With devastating force, he punched both sides of the pass, collapsing any means of getting to the other side. A flash of light blinded them for a moment, followed by a deafening thunder, sealing the horrors within.

Kaelen shook Alder off but fell to his knees. In front of him lay his father's grave. Further, was the blackened smoke of his fallen kingdom. Kaelen stood, his fist clenched and tears streaming down his eyes.

Lyra stood next to him, comforting his hand with hers.