Treasures of Andalia Chronicles: Ring of Flames

Chapter Twenty Nine: A Box of Surprise, Full of Demise

AMARIS

We were all trapped inside the cave. Dragons of different colors and sizes soared through the sky, tearing each other apart. Two of them worked side by side to attack the massive coal-black dragon with purple eyes, varying from dark to light, like the northern lights in Alaska. Their sharpened talons and serrated teeth serve as their main weapons for offense but it proved useless against the violet mist columned towards their way.

Achelous and Mylaera scrambled away, screeching as the mist touched their scales. Mylaera opened a portal in front and sent a roar of fire at the black dragon's back. Howling back in anger, it clambered through the small hole. Its head appeared to the other portal so Mylaera had no choice but to close it.

We stepped back when Queen Ikaria extended her wings, and called back the flames, engulfing her entire body. Her wings propelled the wind to get stronger. I shielded myself from all the dust and pebbles that gathered inside the cave, raising my arms awkwardly. I struggled to keep my foot on the ground.

Queen Ikaria muttered something under her breath when she saw who the intruder was. She seemed to be using another language. I tried to snap her out of it before we get blown together with the wind. But I was too late. My voice was too weak to reach her, muffled by the sound of the violent storm of wind whooshing against hard surfaces.

Then she bolted towards the sky.

"What's happening?" I mumbled.

Galathys coughed out some blood. His crystal-white skin was now painted in red. I scurried along the uneven pavement, and avoided the cracks and waking the wrath of the volcano once again.

"That's Escrivael," Rihaan managed.

I stared at him. For a second, I thought I saw fear in his eyes.

Galathys groaned once again.

His teeth were soaked with blood. I took a glance at his wounds. It hasn't been that long but the cut swelled and started to fester. His skin was decaying faster. Pustules slowly formed on the inflamed parts of the skin.

"How did this become so bad?"

"It's his mist. It's poisonous." I stared at Rihaan, wondering how he knew about it.

I looked up only to see Queen Ikaria getting hurled by the black dragon, and crashed on-site, wrecking the cone shape cave. The ground rumbled, and crumbled to dust. Then, without any notice, we were falling along with the debris.

Escrivael flew through the rocks, his eyes searching for something. Then, his wings spread open as he roared when he saw me, plummeting down to grab me by the neck.

I gasped.

I was his target.

Again? Why does death keep chasing me?

But then, Queen Ikaria came straight for him. They spiraled through the air, and struggled to bring down each other down. Glancing around, I saw how everything moved rapidly while I was the only one falling in slow motion.

Their voices rang inside my head. Full of terror. Galathys passed out from the impact—head hanging by his shoulders. Queen Ikaria grappled against Escrivael as his shriek resonated through the wind.

I started to panic.

No one was going to save us, and we didn't have wings to fly.

Suddenly, flashbacks of my accident played in my mind. How the steering wheel veered on its own, thrusting towards the highway guardrail, and rolled all the way down to the sea. As water seeped through the cracks on the windows, I desperately tried undoing the seatbelt but it was stuck. The car was soon filled with water, depriving me of oxygen. I sunk deep in the water for a long time that, instead of air, water filled my lungs. And then, I lost consciousness.