The dragon's wings beat once, and the heavens screamed.

Wind and ash tore through the city as the monstrous creature wheeled above the rooftops. The air was thick with the stench of sulfur and blood.

Down below, the capital city of Camelot burned.

A deep growl rumbled in the dragon's chest before erupting into a torrent of abyssal fire.

The inferno poured from its jaws, consuming everything in its path. Entire streets were engulfed in flame. Houses, towers, and the people who hadn't run fast enough.

The roar of the fire drowned out their screams.

Up above, mages stationed on the rooftops raised their staves. Spell formations flared to life across the skyline, weaving together into a vast dome of light-blue mana.

The dragonfire struck it, and for a brief, desperate moment, the barrier held.

The city shone beneath its trembling shield, like a candle struggling against a hurricane.

But the dragon didn't stop.

It continued spewing, the fire pouring endlessly from its maw. The barrier cracked, before shattering.

The flames surged through the breach, and the city burned again.

Buildings melted. Stone cracked under the heat. And still, Camelot's defenders fought.

Spells arced upwards like meteors. All kinds of spells. Bursts of ice, streaks of lightning, spears of holy light.

The dragon roared in defiance as explosions dotted its colossal body, leaving only scorch marks that faded seconds later.

It was like trying to wound a god.

At a section of the city already ravaged by the dragon, King Cillian stood, his armor scorched and his sword still burning with fire.

"Archers! Loose at will!" he commanded. "Mages, bind the creature's wings! Bring it down!"

From the ranks, hundreds of glowing arrows rose like a storm, vanishing into the dragon's silhouette.

A rain of light and fire followed, but the creature barely noticed. It tore through the attacks like they were cobwebs.

The King clenched his jaw at the sight. Then he gave a new command.

"Send in the Stormborn."

The soldiers exchanged nervous glances before scattering to make space.

Moments later, the air changed.

A gust swept through the ranks, scattering ash and dust. Thunder boomed across the sky as a man descended from the sky, his entire body wreathed in lightning.

The Stormborn.

The mage raised his hands, and the clouds above the city churned violently, lightning weaving through them in veins of white and blue.

"By the skies," he murmured, voice echoing with static, "be judged."

The heavens split open.

Lightning cascaded from the sky, striking the dragon in a flurry of blinding light.

The creature screamed, an ear-splitting sound that shook the air, and for the first time, it was heavily injured.

The Stormborn didn't stop, creating spell formations faster than the eye could follow.

Winds howled, wrapping around him like swords. He drifted closer in the sky, borne aloft by his tempest, and met the dragon's gaze head-on.

The storm crashed against the dragon, forcing it back in a titanic clash of fire and lightning.

The city below disappeared in the glare of the battle as thunder roared, the flames burning getting snuffed out by the wind. The remaining fire joined the wind, burning hotter as it raged around the dragon.

For a moment, hope flickered in Camelot's heart.

But it didn't last.

The dragon's wings flared. Its maw opened wide, swallowing the lightning whole, and absorbing the storm itself.

The air seemed to freeze, and then, with terrifying speed, the dragon lunged.

One massive claw struck through the cyclone, catching the Stormborn in the air.

"No!" someone shouted from below.

The mage's lightning flared one last time, a blinding flash that seared the dragon's eyes, before it crushed him.

His body crumpled like paper, falling from the sky, and the light of his storm faded.

And the dragon roared in triumph.

The King's soldiers held their ground, even as despair clawed at their hearts.

But Cillian was not ready to give up here.

[][][][][]

Noah's first instinct had been to attack, but he knew that was just the excitement talking.

He couldn't allow it to interfere with his judgement. So, instead, he chose to follow the figure.

The figure moved fast, gliding through the palace halls.

Noah's eyes narrowed as he followed. His footsteps were soundless, his shadows merging with the walls as he slipped after the intruder.

The palace corridors twisted this way and that, but the figure moved with purpose, never hesitating, and never getting lost. Whoever it was, they knew the palace intimately.

It didn't take too long before they met others, and that was when Noah saw that the intruder killed without hesitation.

Any soldier who crossed their path fell where they stood, their throats slit or hearts pierced before they could cry out. The strikes were quick and efficient.

Noah moved faster, narrowing the distance.

The figure turned a corner, and soon entered a wing housing the palace library and study chambers.

At the end of the corridor stood a large double door, half open.

The King's study.

The figure slipped inside.

Noah slowed his pace, his every sense alert.

He sent a shadow in to check the place. The figure was deeper inside.

And so, he made his way to the doors, and pushed one slightly open.

Inside, the room was lit by the light of a single floating crystal. Shelves upon shelves of books lined the walls.

And the intruder was there.

They were moving quickly, hood drawn low over their face, tearing through the books, flipping pages, and scattering volumes across the floor in a frenzy.

Noah moved to the side of the room, hidden by the shadow of a bookshelf, studying them.

The faint glow from the crystal caught a hint of pale skin, long hair spilling out from under the hood.

Whoever she was, she moved with the confidence of someone who knew exactly what she was looking for, and exactly how much time she had left.

One of the shelves toppled over as she pushed past it, scattering papers and old maps across the carpet.

Noah tilted his head, trying to study her movements.

And then her voice filled his mind.

"How long are you going to stand there, Noah Webb?"

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