The Dragon Prince: Breath of Hope

Chapter 25- Long Live Prince Cadonumis

"So, you ready?"

Soren turned to the voice and blinked when he saw the dragoness. Her dress was now changed out for armour, similar to the Sunfire elves', but the metal was tinted red, and her clothes below were tight and black. The metal was shaped and patterned like the scales of her draconic form.

After taking a moment to admire her, Soren sighed and looked back out the window of the lookout tower. Unlike a normal lookout tower, this one was underneath the palace, right below the blanket of clouds.

"To fight an army of humans? To fight my own Crownguard? People I trained? Not to mention my own sister and father?" He sighed as he looked out over the distance, waiting for them to appear over the horizon. "No, I'm not ready."

"I'll say you're not. You don't even have a sword."

"Threw mine down when I left my father," the blond explained. "I didn't want to carry it if it would be used to kill innocents. I want peace Pyrrah, just like everyone here."

The dragoness sighed, leaning on the window banister with him. "It's a shame...that we'll have to fight. But with the Sunfire army, the dragons, and the other human army...if they turn up in time...we may have a chance to just intimidate him into surrender."

Soren scoffed. "You don't know my father like I do. He doesn't get intimidated."

Looking out, they stood in silence for a bit, but then Pyrrah shuffled on the spot. "Thank you, by the way."

"For what?"

"For helping save me...when I was shot down, and you loosened the chains."

"Yeah, I remember. Never thought you would thank me for it."

"Contrary to what you might think, I like being alive." She smirked. "And...I'm sorry about the village. When this fight is over, I'll go there, see if I can help somehow."

"Well, a strong pair of wings will be helpful in fixing the tower. If you don't mind some lifting that is."

She gave him a glare, trying to see if he was serious or not. "We have to get through this battle first."

"We'll make it. If you're half as good a fighter as you are at insults, we'll be fine."

Pyrrah chuckled lightly at that. "Indeed." She then looked at him with a smile. "And if you're as good at fighting as you are kind, you'll do great too." The dragoness reached to her side, drawing out the weapon she was carrying. "But you'll be no good to anyone without a sword," she explained, then held the hilt towards him. "Here, take mine."

Soren looked at the weapon as she offered it; the blade was a fiery red like the dragon's natural scales, and the hilt was shaped beautifully, a small, red gem at the base.

He quickly held up his hands. "I-I can't accept."

"Do you have any idea how strong a dragon blade is? I mean, a sunforge blade may stay hot forever, but they still have their limits. A dragon blade? They're sharp enough to cut through stone and never dull."

"But it's yours."

"I'll be fighting in my true form. I won't need it," she explained. "The dragons are assigned to the air, attacking from above. So weapons are useless to me, and you need one."

After a few more internal hesitations, Soren reached out and took hold of the hilt, feeling the weight. "It's so light."

"Try it against that pillar," Pyrrah advised, pointing to one near them.