Adventures in the Sacred Forest

Chapter 16: Confrontation with the Dragon Queen

After being dropped off by the mountain dragon, Almas, Creetan, and Seacra, back in her salamander form, soon reached the overlook, where they were met with a sight that took their breath away. An enormous Elder Dragon stood before the cave leading to Elvish lands, chasing a group of men. Almas recognized his father and the escorts among them, and his heart pounded in his chest.

Creetan's voice quivered with awe, "Is that the Dragon Queen?"

Seacra, still in her salamander form, grunted nodded solemnly.

Almas felt a surge of urgency to go help his father, but Seacra growled and blocked his path. Creetan seemed to understand, saying, "It's too dangerous, Almas."

Almas turned to Seacra, desperation in his eyes. "But we have to do something!"

Seacra lowered her heat, and then raised it again. It dawned on Almas that she couldn't go help because without her warmth, they would quickly succumb to the freezing temperatures.

"Right... we wouldn't last long without you," Almas muttered.

They watched as the dragon breathed fire at the men, but Lord Aguerius summoned a golden shield to protect them. The dragon charged forward, and Almas could see that his father was weakening. Desperation grew inside him.

He couldn't just stand there and watch his father be swallowed by the dragon. "STOP!" Almas yelled at the top of his lungs, his voice carrying across the ridge.

The dragon paused, searching for the source of the voice. It returned its attention to the men, but this time, standing between them and the dragon was Ulec. The young elf looked small and insignificant compared to the massive creature.

Ulec ordered the dragon to leave the men alone, but the dragon snarled in response. It seemed like the confrontation would escalate until Ulec firmly commanded, "Mother, stop. That's enough!"

In a mesmerizing transformation, the dragon turned into a tall elvish woman with long golden hair. She glared at Ulec, stating that humans had no right to trespass there.

Ulec stood his ground, his voice strong, "You should give them a warning before you trt to cook them."

At that moment, Seacra nudged Almas and Creetan, leading them down the ridge to where Ulec, his mother, and the men were. They arrived just as Ulec was introducing his mother to Lord Aguerius and his men as Lady Alixia.

Almas couldn't believe it - Ulec's mother was the Dragon Queen herself! The tension in the air was palpable, but Ulec's bravery had saved his father and the others from disaster.