Drakonis

Last Battle

"More bombs are coming too! We have to retreat!" Kairos's urgent voice cut through as the group stood over the ruble and dead bodies debating what to do next.

But Thalia wasn't listening. Anger, white-hot and all-consuming, began to build within her, fueling a fury that eclipsed her grief. She wasn't just going to let them win, not after this. Wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, she grabbed her spear, the cold steel a comforting weight in her hands.

"Eli, Uhroh!" Thalia shouted, her voice hoarse but commanding. Her sons turned to her, confusion and pain etched on their faces. They looked at her, their eyes wide with disbelief. "Head out of here and find your cousin and aunt. Now!"

"What?" Eli's voice was strained, disbelief clear in his tone. "We're not leaving you!"

"We can't just abandon you, Mother!" Uhroh added, stepping closer to her, his sword still drawn. Their loyalty was fierce, and the idea of leaving her behind was unthinkable.

Thalia's eyes burned with both tears and determination. "You have to go!" she ordered, her voice trembling with emotion. "There are others who need you more right now—Ashley and Luna—they're still out there, and they're hurt. You have to find them and get them to safety!"

Eli and Uhroh exchanged a desperate glance, their hearts torn. They wanted nothing more than to stay and fight alongside their parents, to avenge their sister's death. But they could see the fire in their mother's eyes, the determination that would not waver.

"But what about you?" Eli asked, his voice barely a whisper, the pain in his chest nearly unbearable.

Thalia softened, looking at her sons with fierce love. "I'll fight with your father. We'll hold them off," she said, though they all knew it was a promise she might not be able to keep. "But you need to save Ashley and Luna. Get everyone to safety and get in contact with Queen Velera. We'll catch up with you."

The mention of their sister was enough to steel their resolve, and Eli nodded, though tears welled in his eyes. "Okay," his voice thick with emotion.

"Eldrith take the boys and get them to safety" she shouted at her sister in law.

"King Draven, Kairos, Theron and I will lead more troops off so you all get out safely" Vorian spoke up as the men nodded.

Thalia gave a small, heartbreaking smile, one last look of love before she turned back to the battlefield, where Vorian stood ready to face the oncoming enemy. "Go," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

With heavy hearts, Eli and Uhroh turned and ran, the weight of their grief pressing down on them as they moved swiftly through the battlefield and into the dark, forbidding forest. The air was thick with smoke and the distant sounds of the ongoing battle, but they pressed on, driven by the urgent need to find their cousin and aunt.

"Keep going," Eli urged as they pushed through the underbrush, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of Ashley and Luna. Every shadow, every rustle in the trees set their nerves on edge, but they couldn't afford to stop.

Finally, through the tangled undergrowth, they saw a familiar figure. Ashley was slumped against the base of a massive tree, her leg twisted awkwardly, her face pale and streaked with dirt. Luna lay beside her, unconscious, her arm covered in blood from a deep wound.

"Ashley! Luna!" Uhroh dropped to his knees beside them, his hands trembling as he checked their injuries. Ashley stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open as she looked up at her cousins.

"Uhroh... Eli..." Ashley's voice was weak, filled with pain. "It hurts..."

"Don't talk, Ash. We're getting you out of here," Eli said, his voice firm but gentle as he began to tear strips of cloth from his tunic to bandage Luna's wound. "Can you walk?"