Castle (The Badlands Series) Book 1

Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Save Their Souls

Smoke was billowing over the horizon and Emlyn was awoken by the smell that lingered. She coughed and crawled out from under the dragon's wing and looked off into the distance. Black smoke filled the sky and she quickly shook Stella and the dragon awake.

"Wake up guys. Something's on fire! I don't think it's a coincidence either." Inferno and Stella got up and looked into the distance as well seeing the sky clouded with a dark film.

Inferno set the two of them on his back and flew them across the dark sky to where the smoke was coming from. The dragon landed outside the burning village. "What do we do?" Emlyn asked, watching as the fire consumed everything and spread quickly.

Inferno set the girls down and then rose into the air and spread his wings. He began to glow a soft red and his eyes were glowing bright gold. The fire began sucking into him through his chest. It seemed to go into his heart, and he took it all in before he landed again and stopped glowing. "I can pull fire into me, being a fire dragon," he told Stella and Emlyn.

"That's amazing, are there other types of dragons?" Emlyn asked and Inferno smiled at her as they neared the village to see if there were any survivors.

"Yes, there's ice dragons, water dragons, earth dragons, and our rulers are the Golden Inferno's or the golden fire dragons," he explained to her as they arrived at someone who was gasping for air and he looked up at them with pleading eyes.

"Please help me." The man was covered in black ash and you couldn't even see what he looked like. He was bleeding heavily and dying quickly. Stella suddenly leaned down and healed his body. "Thank you." He said and Stella sighed and nodded to him and they looked around for a water source.

Inferno suddenly rose into the air again, "I'll be back. I know how to bring the lake back." He flew off and Stella and Emlyn continued to heal survivors and soon they were healing the Unicorns too.

A young unicorn lay next to the corpse of the grandest of the unicorns Emlyn had ever seen so far and cried out in agony. Soon all the other unicorns began surrounding this dead unicorn howling out to the world. Emlyn looked at Stella who sighed. "She's the queen of the unicorns, well was and it looks like her heart was cut out," she said, sadly.

Emlyn looked at her in shock and horror. "Why would someone do that? Or rather why would Camilla do that?" she asked, Stella shaking her head, wishing she could heal the dead like she could the living.

"Dark magic at least bigger spells, and strong evil magic requires something of high value to perform its magic. She cut out the heart of the queen of the unicorns to get the most out of her spell that requires the heart of a unicorn. There is no greater evil then slaying a creature of such innocence and purity."

Emlyn let out a soft sigh, feeling feel the emptiness in the air of the lost unicorn.

Inferno returned moments later and landed but he wasn't alone. There was a blue dragon with him, and she flew over to where the waterfall used to be and she blew water from her mouth and returned its magic. Water flowed down the mountain and filled the lake up and she flew back to Inferno. "We can return the village with a little more help. I'll bring the others."

She flew off into the direction they had come from and Emlyn was crowded by people and unicorns. "We owe a debt to you; we will help you with whatever you need." Said one of the unicorns and the people and other unicorns nodded in agreement, "I am Mystic, the new queen of the unicorns." She made a little bow and Emlyn sighed, she hated to ask but she knew she had to.

"I'm trying to defeat Camilla. I could use some help." By this time, more dragons had come and began repairing the village but stopped to hear this.

"Then you shall have it. The unicorns will be at your side till the end," she said, and the others bowed to Emlyn who turned to the people for their response.

The man from before stepped forward. "We will help you too. We are forever in your service. My name is Bob, I am a huge fan of yours in case you didn't know." He said with a huge grin.

Stella rolled her eyes, "Bob, I'm sure everyone heard you when you screamed it at her coordination."

"Oh, uh sorry!" He said scratching the back of his head as the people nodded in agreement, what was left of them anyway. A Golden Inferno suddenly landed in front of Emlyn and everyone took a step back to make room.

"I am Aurum the leader of all the dragons, and I can vouch that all the dragons are ready to fight with you, so let us not waste time," he stated, and Emlyn hugged the giant creature and he smiled hugging her back.

Emlyn took control and she and Stella got on Inferno's back. The people climbed aboard unicorns and dragons with weapons, and with Emlyn and Inferno in the lead, they charged off into the distance.