The Iron Grip

Chapter 17

A giant plume of smoke rose up as the kingler began to shrink. Mallow pulled Flygon into a dive and picked Lillie's sword up out of the water.

"Where do we go now?", Mallow asked.

"Cheif said that mother was doing something suspicious on volcano island", Lillie explained. "So thats where we go next."

Soon they left the Queendom behind, and were soaring over the open ocean. Down below, dozens of tall-masted wooden ships skimmed gently over the calm sea. They all headed in the same direction, to Volcano Island.

The island itself was a spectacle. Fog seemed to accumulate around it, hiding the tall cone and stony beaches in a fluffy coat. Underneath the blanket of mist, hundreds of warriors stood on the shingle beach. Above them towered huge trebuchets, launching heavy projectiles non-stop over hundreds of meters. Their target was the mountainside, which by now was looking ready to crack open.

When the basalt wall finally succumbed to the great ammount of force the rocks created when colliding with the wall, a shrill cry ran out. Within a millisecond, huge fiery centiskorch, and the smaller (but none the less dangerous) sizzlepede poured out of the newly formed opening.

Warriors rushed to protect a small group of Royal Guard that seemed intent on entering the cave. In the center, atop her Mudslale was Lusamine, the Aether Queen. Frankly, thete was nothing remotely heavenly about her rule, but it was only a name.

Lillie and Mallow took advantage of the dispersed forces and stealthily swooped into the tunnel. The tunnel came to an abrupt end when it opened up into a lava-filled cavern.

Heat rose up from the glowing lava, creating a hazy feeling in the air. Apart from that, the most eye-catching thing was the huge pillar like temple that rose up out of the molten rock.

If that wasn't enough, Lusamine had spotted them and was now making her way towards Lillie, the iron gauntlet clenched around the handle of a spear.

Talonflame landed on the cold, stone floor with a dull thud. Flygon followed soon after, their riders eager to stop Lusamine in her tracks.

Sword in hand, Lillie rushed forward to try knock Lusamine down. A large shield blocked the sword, while a long spear attempted to impale Lillie. This was not going to be easy.

Sheild blocked sword, and sword parried spear. Mallow, using some initiative, decided to bombard Lusamine with small stones. Lusamines reaction was to back away, since using her shield would allow Lillie's sword to strike her.

Lusamine dropped her weapons and sprinted for the temple. In what could be called a "ritual", she placed her gauntlet on a huge brass ball. The ball began to emit a red glow, and everything seemed to slow down.

Lillie siezed her chance. She ran up to Lusamine, where she grabbed Lusamine's gauntlet and threw it into the lava. The cavern began to crumble and shake as Talonflame lifted Lillie up into the air. They swooped through the tunnel to join Mallow outside...