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I braced myself, the dagger gripped tightly in my hand. As he swung his sword, I twisted out of the way, the blade missing me by mere inches. I struck back with my weapon, aiming for hisexposed throat, but he was fast—he blocked my attack with his forearm, the force of the impact jolting up my arm.
With a grunt of effort, I wrenched the dagger free and slashed at him again, this time catching him across the face. He cried out in pain, blood streaming from the wound, but he didn’t even falter. Instead, he lashed out with a backhanded blow that sent me sprawling to the ground all while knocking the air from my lungs.
I gasped for breath, the world spinning around me. Then the soldier loomed over me, raising his sword for the killing blow. Panic surged through me, my mind racing for a way out, but there was no time. He was going to kill me—I could see it in his eyes.
Before he could strike me, the hellhound barreled into him, its gigantic body crashing into the soldier with the force of a freight train. The man was thrown to the ground, his sword flying from his grasp as the hellhound’s jaws closed around his throat. There was a sickening crunch, and the soldier went limp, his body falling lifeless to the ground.
I scrambled to my feet, my heart hammering in my chest.
Another soldier charged at me, his sword slicing through the air. I sidestepped his attack, the blade missing me by a hair’s breadth, and drove the dagger into his side. He gasped, his eyes wide with shock as he staggered backwards, clutching at the wound. I didn’t wait for him to recover—I pulled the dagger free and slashed at his throat, ending the fight in a single, savage stroke.
The soldier fell to the ground, his blood staining the dark earth beneath him. I stood over him, my breath coming in raggedgasps, my hands trembling with the adrenaline coursing through me. I had survived—barely—but the battle was far from over.
I turned, ready to face the next threat, but what I saw made my blood run cold. A group of Sungard soldiers had surrounded the hellhound, their weapons raised as they closed in on the beast. The hellhound snarled, snapping at them with its fiery jaws, but it was outnumbered, and they were closing in fast.
I couldn’t let them kill it. Not after everything it had done for me.
Without thinking, I charged at the nearest soldier, the dagger clutched tightly in my hand. He saw me coming and turned to face me, his sword swinging in a wide arc. I ducked low, dodging the attack, and drove the dagger into his stomach. He grunted in pain, doubling over, and I pulled the blade free, slashing at his throat to finish the job.
But as the soldier fell, another one was already upon me. He swung his sword at me, and I barely managed to block the blow with the dagger. The force of the impact sent me stumbling back, my arms aching from the strain. The soldier pressed his advantage, raining down blows with relentless speed, and I could feel my strength waning.
I dodged, parried, and struck back whenever I could, but he was stronger and faster than me. His sword slashed across my arm, a searing pain shooting through me as the blade bit into my flesh. I cried out, but there was no time to recover—he was already coming at me again, his eyes filled with the intent to kill.
My back hit something solid—a tree, or maybe a rock—and I knew I was trapped. The soldier’s sword came down in a deadly arc, and I raised the dagger in a desperate attempt to block it. The blades clashed, sparks flying from the impact, but the forceof his blow sent the dagger flying from my hand, the blade spinning away into the darkness.
I was defenseless.
The soldier grinned, his victory assured, and raised his sword for the final blow. I braced myself, knowing there was no escape, but just as the blade began to fall, a giant shape barreled into the soldier, knocking him to the ground.
The hellhound.
It had broken free of the soldiers and come to my rescue once again. The beast snarled, its jaws closing around the man’s throat with a bone-crunching force. The soldier’s scream was cut short, and his body went limp in the hellhound’s grip.
The hellhound dropped the soldier’s body and turned to me. I stumbled forward, clutching my wounded arm, and reached out to steady myself against the beast’s massive form. The battle still raged around us, but for a moment, all I could do was catch my breath.
But there was no time to rest. I retrieved the dagger from where it had fallen, the blade still slickened with blood, and steeled myself for the fight ahead. I wasn’t out of the woods yet, but I had survived this far, and I wasn’t about to give up now.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice trembling. The hellhound nuzzled me gently, its warm breath a comfort in the midst of the turmoil.
The hellhound nudged me again, as if sensing my exhaustion and the growing danger surrounding us. Despite the chaos, it lowered to the ground, bowing its head and allowing me to climb onto its back once more. I didn’t hesitate this time. Gripping thethick, matted fur at its neck, I hauled myself up, my injured arm throbbing with every movement.
Once I was securely on its back, the hellhound rose to its full height with a powerful surge. Without warning, it took off, its strong legs carrying us away from the thick of the battle. The sudden speed left me clinging tightly to its fur, trying to keep my balance as it leaped over bodies, ducked under branches, and weaved through the warring soldiers.
Finally, the hellhound slowed, coming to a stop at the crest of a high ridge.
The hellhound settled beneath me, its body warm and steady as it huffed a breath, seemingly content that we were temporarily out of harm’s way. I released my grip on its fur, my hands trembling from the rush of adrenaline and the pain in my arm. The wound throbbed, but I pushed the discomfort aside, my eyes drawn to the battle unfolding below.
From this higher vantage point, I could see the scale of the conflict in all its terrifying detail. The Sun King’s soldiers, shining bright like beacons in their golden armor, were pushing against the Dark King’s forces, but Hades’ men were holding their ground.
Above it all, the two dragons still fought, circling each other in the sky. I watched, my heart in my throat as they lunged at each other, claws tearing through scales, teeth snapping with bone-crushing force.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away, even as the battle raged on below, even as the bloodshed and violence continued unabated.
The hellhound beneath me shifted, sensing my tension. It let out a low, comforting growl, and I patted its side, grateful for itspresence. It had chosen to protect me, and in that moment, it felt like I wasn’t entirely alone.
I couldn’t shake the gnawing dread that filled my chest, though. Hades was strong and insanely powerful, but the Sun King was no less formidable, and the forces of Sungard seemed endless in their fight.
As I watched the two dragons battle, Hades let out a roar and dove toward the Sun King with terrifying speed, his jaws snapping at his throat. The Sun King twisted in the air, avoiding the strike and countering with a blast of searing light that sent Hades reeling. My heart lurched as I saw him falter, the Dark King’s mighty form thrown back by the force of the attack.
