Page 63 of Beyond the Treaty
A breath I hadn’t realised I was holding escaped me. “Thank you, Bastian.”
His smile was grim but warm. “Let’s make sure this isn’t our last battle.”
With our allies secured, we returned to Azrael’s keep, our forces stronger than before. But the most significant challenge still lay ahead, the dragon’s awakening. And with it, the uncertain future of us all.
CHAPTER 33
We stood at the chamber’s threshold, heat radiating from the depths below. Azrael placed his hands on the stone, chanting in a language older than time. The ground trembled, the air thick with magic. The moment the bindings shattered, the world seemed to hold its breath. A deep, ancient growl rumbled from the abyss below, the heat intensifying as molten light seeped through the cracks in the stone. The dragon stirred.
A gust of searing wing burst forth as an immense form began to emerge. Scales as dark as the void shimmered with molten veins, shifting like liquid fire beneath the beast’s skin. Two glowing, slitted eyes pierced through the darkness, locking onto Azrael with a gaze heavy with recognition, and challenge.
The dragon, a creature of primordial chaos, stretched its wings, causing the walls to tremble. Its voice was not spoken but thundered within our minds, carrying the weight of eternity itself.
“You dare wake me?”
Azrael stepped forward, his stance unwavering despite the overwhelming power before him. “I do.” His voice was calm,firm. “The world stands on the edge of annihilation. It is time for you to fulfil your purpose.”
The dragon exhaled sharply, embers swirling around its maw.“I serve no one, demon.”
Azrael’s lips curved in a knowing smile. “I am not asking
you to serve. I am offering you the one thing you crave more than freedom.”
The dragon narrowed its glowing eyes.“And what would that be?”
Azrael stepped closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “A reckoning.”
Silence. Then, a low rumble of dark amusement.“Speak your terms.”
Azrael turned slightly, glancing over his shoulder where I stood, his expression unreadable. He exhaled, then motioned to the dragon, leading it away from where I could hear.
A few moments go by before Azrael returns to us. The dragon let out a deep, rumbling laugh.“Very well, demon. I shall play your game.”It lowered its massive head, those burning eyes gleaming.“But if you fail to hold up your end, if I am left chained again, I will burn this world to the ground, starting with you.”
Azrael didn’t flinch. “If we fail, no world will be left to burn.”
A moment passed. Then, with a mighty sweep of its wings, the dragon descended back into the abyss, vanishing into the darkness below. The earth sealed itself again, leaving only faint heat traces in the stone.
Azrael turned back towards me, schooling his features into impassivity. I watched him, suspicion flickering in my gaze.
“What did you say to it?” I asked.
Azrael’s expression remained unreadable. “Only what needed to be said.”
My eyes narrowed, but I didn’t press. Not yet. The war was coming, and soon, all would be revealed.
The days that followed were spent in a flurry of preparations.Messages were sent to our scattered allies, each of us getting ready for the battles to come. But the unease lingered. I could not shake the feeling that Azrael was hiding something, that whatever he had whispered to the dragon in secret would change the course of our war in ways none of us could predict.
Darius and Bastian trained tirelessly with the Lycans, testing the limits of their strength and forging an uneasy camaraderie with the warriors of the Ashen Wilds. The Nightborne Fae remained elusive, their motives unclear, yet they had given their word. Cold and silent as the grave, the Revenant Knights prepared their cursed weapons, eager for their promised vengeance.
On the eve of battle, I found Azrael standing on the keep’s balcony, gazing at the dark horizon. The air was thick with anticipation, the sky heavy with the weight of what would come.
“You never answered me,” I said, stepping beside him. “What did you say to it?”
Azrael’s gaze didn’t waver. “I told it the truth.”
I crossed my arms. “Which is?”
“That this war is bigger than any of us.” His voice was quiet,
