Throne of Ashes (Fire And Blood Saga I)

Chapter 2: Blood, I

Once again, all the mistakes are mine, excuse me~

Leave a comment, please, and I hope you enjoy this!

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Kael watched with weary eyes as Cassel disappeared among the trees, his eyelids still narrowed as he forced himself to keep looking, his gaze locked on the figure that faded into the blurry distance.

He simply needed to be sure, powerless to do anything but watch, his eyes remained open. Kael had to know that his son made it out.

A fresh wave of flames crashed somewhere in the castle, but Kael couldn't even spare it a glance, his breathing growing slower and more labored with each passing second, his gaze fixed on his son.

Nothing else mattered.

His eyes surrendered, losing the battle against the void that was encroaching around him, and suddenly, it was as if he could hear the waves crashing against the sand, beyond the crumbling walls of the east wing, where the trees parted and the beach began to unfold, and in a final moment of consciousness, Kael felt gratitude.

Cassel was safe.

*

Arianae, the Queen Mother, observed around with dismay in her gaze, while standing in one of the tallest towers in the north wing, her eyes scanning the courtyard below to identify her family among the fleeing figures, her heart yearning for her children, daughter-in-law, and grandson.

The silent cry of her heart went unanswered, as the colossal silhouette continued to soar above the citadel, unleashing deafening roars as flames and screams entwined in an unbearable dance.

Her hopeful yet naive eyes turned southward, toward areas still intact and unscathed, praying that her family had found refuge there. Arianae had already lost her husband; she couldn't bear the thought of losing her children too. She had only begun to feel affection for her daughter-in-law. Tears filled her eyes as a sense of helplessness overwhelmed her; her grandson was so young, unprepared for life.

Gods, her little grandson still complained upon waking at dawn.

Her gaze soon followed the faint sunbeams piercing the dense ash cloud that had engulfed the sky above the citadel and surrounding towns. As what felt like the power of a thousand suns ravaged her home irreparably, she couldn't even turn to the God who had accompanied her since before she learned to walk.

She had never felt more abandoned than in that moment.

It was just a second, almost a blink, and her body stiffened, fear coursing down her spine like never before, for it was as if her gaze had made contact with the beast circling back toward the castle.

Its black scales seemed to gleam with the reflection of the flames ravaging her home, its eyes burning ferocious and bloodthirsty, leaving her unable to gaze longer than that single second, when a fleeting, harmless memory from years past suddenly surfaced in her mind.

"...in a moment of need, we may need to invoke one of the three aspects of the Goddess."

The pain in her heart seemed to grow, but hope began to envelop her; for though she might soon reunite with her husband in the wheel of reincarnation, her family could still be saved.

It was early morning, and the dense layer of smoke and ash covering the land obscured the moon from view. Yet, Arianae, though not a devout follower of the Goddess of Beasts, was a devoted grandmother. Her trembling hands reached for the collar hidden beneath her nightclothes, a gift from her beloved grandson, and grasped it tightly.

The moonstone shone brightly amidst the flames illuminating the citadel, held firmly in Arianae's desperate hands. Though she wished for more time to muster courage, she felt the heat closing in on the north wing, urgency accelerating her heartbeat as seconds ticked away.