4: Darken War

16: Alexandria

Chapter Sixteen: Alexandria

As James's war horn rang out across the hills, I stopped beside Alexander and dismounted my horse without a word. We had already shed the cloaks that marked us as royalty. What we wore now was meant for movement—silent, close-quarters combat, stealth. No grand banners, no shining insignias. Just a quiet purpose.

Without a sound, we pressed forward on foot, slipping through the trees and brush like ghosts. I slowed my breath, drawing on my magic to cloak us. Veils of light shimmered across our forms before fading into invisibility. Even the grass barely rustled beneath our boots.

When the dwarven castle's highest tower finally crested the ridgeline in the distance, I raised a hand to signal halt—but before I could speak, a voice cut through the quiet like a blade.

"You know I can see you, right?"

It was a young woman's voice—clear, amused, confident.

Alexander and I both turned at once, weapons not drawn but hands already twitching toward them. Sitting lazily atop a large flat rock was a teenage girl with long, almost glowing blonde hair tied high in a ponytail. Her legs dangled over the edge, her boots scuffed and dirty. She wore plain travel clothes: fitted breeches, a black shirt, fingerless gloves.

Her smile was calm. Knowing.

"You're a Darken, aren't you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. I couldn't help but notice the color of her hair—blonde so bright it was nearly yellow, like the hue Alexander and I had shared before my transformation. Before I became the Great Dragon.

"I am," she said cheerfully. "Seraphina, at your service. My chosen power is seeing through other powers—and dispelling them. Including yours."

Of course. That explained how she saw through my cloaking.

I slid my hand toward my back. If needed, I could shift my bow into its sword form in a heartbeat.

"So you're with Theo," I said flatly.

"I am," she answered, leaping off the rock in one smooth motion. She moved like a fighter—coiled strength behind every limb. Her daggers flashed into her hands as she approached. "Technically, I'm supposed to raise the alarm now. Let everyone know you're here. But..."

She flipped one dagger in the air, caught it with ease, and shrugged.

"I have a few questions first."

Alexander silently drew his sword. I shifted my bow into its sleek, bladed form and brought it to my side.

"We might have answers," I said carefully.

"Good." She tilted her head, clearly unafraid. "Here's my problem. This whole 'Great Dragon' story you've got going? I don't buy it."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"The Great Dragon is a legend. Said to be our original ancestor," Seraphina went on. "How could you, of all people, be her? You're just... a woman. You bleed. You cry. You eat. You get tired. So explain to me how you are supposed to be this all-powerful, eternal being?"

I exhaled, then motioned down the length of my body with my free hand.

"Just look at me," I said. "Tell me what you see."

Seraphina didn't answer.

"I hold every memory of every ruler who's ever sat on the Drakarian throne. I carry every power my ancestors wielded. I am reborn, awakened, merged with the source of it all. My soul is not new—it's simply returned. I am the Great Dragon. In truth. In spirit. In blood."