The Raven Flame [The Crown Saga III] (First Draft)

Fallen Warrior

Gauntlets...

They vibrated in my hands, the metal humming low and reverberating like the growl of a dragon. It traveled through my skin, moving through my muscles and settling like an echo in my bones.

There was so much energy stored in these gauntlets, waiting to be released. It had to be the relic we were looking for.

"Is that it?" Caiden whispered behind me.

I nodded, clenching the two metal gloves in my hands. It was tempting to put them on, the whispering voices begging me to try their fit.

My vision blurred around the edges, the sounds around me dampening. I saw no light apart from the reflection in the gauntlets' glinting metal.

"Will."

Caiden's hand on my shoulder widened my world again, reminding me I wasn't alone.

"If these gauntlets are the relics we came from, we leave. Now."

I looked over my shoulder, staring into Caiden's calm ocean eyes. "We cannot stay here longer than necessary, or it may prove impossible to retreat unnoticed," he whispered, as if he were afraid the air would carry his voice to the nearest foe.

"Yeah," I said, reaching for my bag. I carefully placed the gauntlets in the left pocket. "Let's go."

We maneuvered quietly through the basement again, back the same way we came. If everything went smoothly, we would arrive at the door of a Thousand worlds shortly. From there, we could use the hidden tunnel to escape outside. Then, Arok would descend the mist to fall upon the city, and we'd be able to sneak back to the mountain without being noticed.

"Wait," I whispered, grabbing Caiden's arm to hold him back before he could round the next corner.

He looked back at me. I shook my head, not uttering a word.

I could feel them approaching, sense the vibrations through the walls, through the floor, and feel the air push against me like a wave of energy.

"What?" he whispered, listening for any sounds to disturb the silent air. He wouldn't hear any—not yet.

I pressed my index finger against my pursed lips, furrowing my brow to attenuate my message.

He clamped his mouth shut, staring at me with puzzled eyes. I smiled wryly. It always amused me to see him stumped.

A golden prince raised to wear a golden crown, humbly following the orders of a simple girl raised in the slums of the Bronze Region. We would take his crown back, expose the king's corruption, and save Heliac from drowning in the looming darkness, but I could still enjoy it for now.

Marching steps soon sparked faint echoes between the barren walls. The assembly of guards was coming this way, the energies surrounding their bodies suggesting their heading. They'd likely turn around this corner, which meant we had to leave.

I patted Caiden's shoulder, gesturing that we should return down the path we came from.

He'd heard the footsteps, so he didn't question me this time as we snuck back along the wall, quiet, carefully.

The guards moved closer, my heart throbbing harder with each step. Suddenly, I stopped, my throbbing heart with me, as I felt a new pressure against my body.

"What?" Caiden whispered, his brow pinched.

Another assembly of guards came from the other direction. My face went pale. There was no split path for us to take between the assemblies. We were trapped.

"They're coming," I whispered, fumbling for Caiden's hand. I squeezed it tightly once I found it, savoring the heat of his skin. "They're coming from both sides, Caiden. I can't feel a way out."