Chapter 8 - THE DESCENT OF THE DRAGON
Before the blade could touch Princess Lyra, the entire subterranean vault shook violently. The solid stone ceiling cracked directly overhead, showering the amphitheater in dust and debris.
With a deafening roar that shook the foundations of the entire capital city, Oren’s massive, golden-eyed head burst through the upper wall, clearing away tons of masonry with a single sweep of his powerful foreleg. The dragon’s immense body filled the entire chamber, his glowing scales casting a brilliant, warm illumination that instantly extinguished the sickly green fire of the braziers.
"You dare desecrate the sanctuary?" Oren’s voice reverberated through the minds of everyone present, carrying a weight so absolute that several of Vane’s cultists dropped their staves and fled toward the exit.
Vane stumbled backward, panic flashing across his eyes. "Kill the girl! Break the ritual!" he screamed to his remaining guards.
"Not today," Ellen yelled.
She sprinted across the stone floor, dodging a lunging guard, and threw herself onto the obsidian altar. With frantic strength, she struck the heavy iron chains binding Princess Lyra with the edge of Roan's dropped dagger, shattering the locks with a burst of residual golden light from her fingertips.
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Roan engaged Vane in a fierce sword fight, steel clashing against steel under the glowing gaze of the dragon. Vane fought with desperate, corrupted strength, but Roan’s fury and purpose were unmatched. With a swift, decisive parry, Roan disarmed the chancellor and kicked him hard against the base of the altar.
As Vane collapsed, gasping for breath, the obsidian altar began to fracture. The deep spiral carving on its surface flared with blinding brilliance, connecting Ellen, Roan, and the awakened dragon in an unbreakable triangle of light.
