The Light Within - Book 1

Chapter 8

Ryze and I rushed to the queen's chambers, where we found her bleeding from her leg but conscious. My heart raced with fear as I watched Ryze examine her wound, trying to assess the damage.

"What happened, Your Majesty?" I asked, my voice trembling with concern.

The queen's face was pale, but she managed to speak in a steady voice. "I was attacked by a darkling. They managed to get past the wards. I have no idea how."

"A darkling," Ryze asked in astonishment. "This is a bad sign," He shook his head. "Their army's power is growing everyday."

"What is a darkling," I ask as a pit of fear begins to grow in my belly.

"It's a type of shadow creature," Ryze explained gravely. "They are known to be very dangerous, they have never gotten past the barrier before."

My mind raced with worry as I listened to Ryze's explanation. If the darklings were getting past the barrier, it meant that they were becoming more powerful, and the kingdom was in grave danger.

"What can we do to stop them?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Ryze looked at me with a serious expression. "We need to strengthen the wards and increase our defenses," he said firmly. "And we need to find out how they are getting through the barrier."

The queen nodded in agreement. "We must act quickly before they launch a full-scale attack on the kingdom," she said, her voice weakened by her injury. My heart sank at the thought of a full-scale attack. We needed to do everything in our power to prevent it from happening. "I'll do whatever I can to help," I said firmly.

As we spoke, a servant burst into the room. "Your Majesty, I have brought a water dragon. Its healing powers may be able to help." As Ryze stood to make room for the healer, I finally saw the extent of the damage. The queen's leg was badly gashed, with blood seeping through her clothes.

I watched as the water dragon approached the queen's side, her dark hair turning blue as she pulled on her magic. She poured what I assumed was water on the wound, and I saw with amazement as the water swirled around, almost like it was alive. The queen's eyes fluttered closed as the water began to glow with a soft blue light, and I felt a glimmer of hope in my heart. Maybe the water dragon's healing powers could save her.

But as the healer worked, she frowned in concern. "This wound is not responding to my magic," she said, her voice low and urgent. "I'm going to need to shift and pull more power. The queen's life may depend on it."

Without hesitation, the water dragon shifted into her dragon form. Her blue scales shimmered in the light as she summoned more power from the water around her. The room filled with a bright, blue light as she focused her magic on the queen's wound.

I held my breath, my heart pounding in my chest as the healer worked. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she withdrew her magic and shifted back into her human form. "She will live," the dragon healer said, her voice shaking with exhaustion. "But she will need rest and care. She is not out of danger yet."

Ryze reached out and placed an arm on the healer's shoulder, "Thank you, we are grateful for your help."

As Ryze thanked the healer, I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Seeing him touch another dragon, even in a friendly manner, stirred something inside of me that I couldn't quite explain. The healer smiled and suggested we all leave to let the queen rest, but then she turned to Ryze and said, "Maybe I'll see you at the tavern later?"

I let out a low growl, surprised at my own reaction. My chest vibrated with the intensity of the feeling, and I had to take a deep breath to calm myself down. I saw Ryze's eyes flick to mine for a split second. What was I doing? The healer had just saved Ryze's mother, and here I was feeling jealous of a simple gesture of gratitude. I knew I couldn't let my emotions get the best of me, especially not in a situation like this. I forced a smile and followed Ryze out of the room, determined to keep my jealousy in check.