Chapter 4: Allies and Enemies

📖 The Dragonborn Girl

Chapter 4: Allies and Enemies

The silence after the battle was heavy. The corrupted drake’s ashes drifted into the night air, glowing faintly like dying embers. Kael stared at Lyra, his bow forgotten at his side.

“You’re dragonborn,” he said again, voice low, as if the word itself carried danger.

Lyra hugged her arms close, trembling. “I didn’t want you to know. No one ever does.”

Kael’s eyes narrowed, but not with hatred—more with calculation. “That explains the fire. The eyes. The… power.” He stepped closer. “Why hide it?”

“Because people fear me,” Lyra whispered. “My village cast me out. I thought you would too.”

Kael was silent for a long moment. Then he knelt beside her, steady and calm.

“Listen. I’ve seen monsters. Real monsters. You’re not one of them.”

Lyra blinked, startled. “But you saw—”

“I saw you save my life,” he interrupted firmly. “That’s all that matters.”

For the first time since leaving Eryndor, warmth spread through Lyra’s chest that wasn’t fire. Trust.

The next days across the Ashen Plains were grueling. The land was barren, food scarce. Strange shadows flickered in the distance, and the air itself seemed to hum with old curses.

One night, as they rested near the remains of a shattered stone tower, Kael spoke quietly.

“You should know… there are those who would hunt you. Dragonborn are rare—some say extinct. To the wrong people, you’re not a girl. You’re a weapon.”

Lyra shivered. “Who would do that?”

Kael’s jaw tightened. “The Black Dominion. Their ruler, Lord Malakar, seeks to bind dragonblood. He believes it will grant him dominion over flame itself.”

Lyra’s eyes widened. The figure in her dreams—the armored man with chains. Could it be him?

The next morning, they were ambushed.

From behind the ruins, a group of mercenaries emerged, clad in black armor marked with the Dominion’s insignia: a clawed hand clutching fire. Their leader, a woman with braided silver hair and cold, piercing eyes, smirked as she stepped forward.

“Well, what do we have here?” she drawled. “A ranger off his path… and a girl with golden eyes.”

Kael’s hand shot to his bow. “Stay behind me, Lyra.”

The woman’s smirk widened. “No need to hide her. We already know what she is.”

Lyra’s breath caught. “How—?”

The woman tapped her temple. “Word travels fast when dragonfire lights the sky. You’re quite the curiosity.” She gestured, and her soldiers raised their blades. “Lord Malakar will pay handsomely for you.”

Kael drew an arrow, his eyes hard. “You’ll have to go through me.”

The woman laughed. “Gladly.”

Steel clashed as the mercenaries surged forward.

Kael’s arrows flew swift and true, dropping two before they closed in. Lyra fought with the dagger Selene had given her, blocking a strike and slashing another’s arm. But there were too many.

One mercenary pinned Kael, sword at his throat. Another grabbed Lyra’s arm, wrenching it back painfully.

“Don’t fight,” the woman hissed, pressing a blade to Lyra’s chest. “Come quietly, little dragon, and maybe I’ll let your ranger live.”

Lyra’s eyes blazed. She could feel the fire surging again. But this time, she hesitated. If she released it here, Kael might burn too.

Then, a horn sounded in the distance. The clash of hooves thundered across the plain.

Over the horizon rode a band of warriors clad in crimson cloaks, their banners bearing the sigil of a phoenix. Their leader, a tall woman with auburn hair and a gleaming spear, raised her weapon high.

“By the flame of Aeloria!” she cried. “Strike them down!”

The mercenaries cursed as the phoenix-cloaked warriors crashed into them. Chaos erupted. Steel rang, fire sparked, and the Dominion soldiers scattered under the sudden assault.

The silver-haired leader glared at Lyra one last time.

“This isn’t over, dragonborn,” she spat, before vanishing into the smoke.

When the dust cleared, the crimson-cloaked warriors stood victorious. Their leader approached, removing her helm to reveal kind but stern eyes.

“You fought bravely,” she said to Kael and Lyra. “I am Captain Arwen of the Phoenix Guard. We serve the city of Aeloria. And you, girl… we have been searching for you.”

Lyra stiffened. “Searching? Why?”

Arwen smiled faintly. “Because you are the key. The Temple of Flames foretold your coming.”

Lyra’s heart pounded. The Temple—just as Selene had said.

But even as relief washed over her, she remembered the silver-haired mercenary’s words.

Lord Malakar was hunting her too.

For the first time, Lyra understood: her journey was not just about discovering who she was.

It was about surviving those who wanted to control her.

✨ End of Chapter 4: Allies and Enemies ✨

Do you want me to continue with Chapter 5: The Dark Kingdom, where Lord Malakar himself is introduced and Lyra starts to feel the pull of her destiny?

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