Archivist Of The Fallen Dragon Empire

Traitor in the light

The harsh bright spotlights blinded Luca. He squinted against the fierce glare. Reuben stood in the center of the beam. His hand gripped Amelia by her neck. She struggled but his hold was tight. Heavy boots marched toward them from all sides. The elite heavenly guards wore silver armor that shined in the night. They carried long spears pointing straight at Luca. The trap was perfect. Reuben had played them from the start. Luca felt a deep rumble in his chest. His dragon core pulsed with hot anger. He looked at the man.

"Why did you do this Reuben?" Luca asked. His voice was low and calm. Reuben laughed. The sound was sharp. "Dominic Kane offers great rewards for the false sovereign," Reuben said. "I am just a poor scholar. I want power and gold. You are my ticket to a better life." Amelia kicked at his shins. "You are a coward," she spat. Reuben tightened his grip on her throat. She gasped for air. Luca took a step forward. The guards raised their spears higher. "Do not move," a guard shouted. "Surrender now and the false god might show mercy." Luca smiled.

Mercy was a foreign concept to Dominic Kane. Luca knew this better than anyone else alive. He closed his eyes and breathed in the cold air. The shadow beast blood mixed with his ancient magic. He needed to save Amelia right now. He could not let his first ally die here. Luca opened his eyes. They flashed with a brilliant gold light. The guards stepped back in sudden fear. They had never seen magic like this before. It was raw and old. Luca vanished from his spot. He moved faster than human eyes could track. He appeared right behind Reuben.

Reuben gasped in deep shock. He tried to turn his body around. Luca grabbed his arm and squeezed it. The bones broke with a sharp loud snap. Reuben screamed and let go of Amelia. She fell to the ground coughing. Luca shoved the traitor down into the dirt. "You chose the wrong side," Luca whispered. The guards snapped out of their daze. They charged forward with their weapons drawn. Luca stood over Amelia to protect her. He did not have a steel sword. His body was the only weapon now. A guard thrust a spear at his chest. He dodged.

The sharp blade missed him by an inch. Luca grabbed the wooden shaft of the spear. He pulled the guard forward and punched his helmet. The metal dented under his fierce fist. The man collapsed. Luca spun around and kicked another soldier away. The force sent the man flying into a stone wall. More guards rushed into the narrow space. There were too many of them to fight one by one. Luca needed to use a wider attack. He slammed both hands onto the cobblestone street. A wave of golden fire erupted from his palms. The fierce flames rushed out.

The guards screamed as the magic hit them. Their armor could not block the ancient heat. They dropped their weapons and ran away in panic. The massive gate of the compound was now clear. Luca helped Amelia stand up. She was shaking but her eyes were brave. "We have to go now," she said. "The fire will attract the main army." Luca nodded. He looked down at Reuben who was still groaning. He decided to leave the traitor in the dirt. Killing him was a waste of time. They ran toward the large rusted iron gate. Luca pushed it open.

They stepped out of the city and into the forest. The tall trees offered good cover from the bright lights. The night air was fresh and smelled like pine needles. They ran deep into the thick woods without stopping once. Luca could hear the warning bells ringing behind them. The whole city was awake and hunting for them. They found a small cave hidden behind some thick bushes. They crawled inside to catch their breath and hide. Amelia leaned against the damp rock wall and sighed. "We made it," she whispered into the dark space. Luca shook his head. "No."

"We are just starting," Luca replied in a soft voice. "Dominic Kane knows I am alive and he is afraid." "He will send his best killers to hunt us down." "We need to find Elias Thorne as soon as possible." Amelia pulled out the old map from her leather bag. She lit a small match to see the faded ink. "The vault is near the old ruined mountain," she said. "It will take us three days to reach that place." Then the ground beneath them began to shake with force. The small match in her hand blew out right away.

A deep growl echoed from the back of the cave. Two huge glowing yellow eyes opened in the pitch black. The beast stepped forward and the cave shook with power. It was not a normal animal from the wild forest. It was a corrupted dragon hound sent by the heavens. The monster bared its sharp teeth and prepared to jump. Its saliva dripped onto the stone and burned like acid. Luca pushed Amelia behind him and raised his bare hands. His new core flared but the hound was too fast. The beast lunged forward and grabbed his arm in darkness.