“I can take care of myself,” I repeat, glaring at Thaldiran.
“I didn’t mean to offend,” he says, raising his hands.
“Don’t patronize me. I’m a dragon, remember? If you want me to fight, then let me fight. Don’t hold me back.”
The next wave of Shadow Wraiths comes at us with a vengeance, their dark forms swirling and contorting as they try to overwhelm us. I focus on my movements, channeling the strength and agility that come with my dragon heritage, even if I can’t fully shift. With each slash and thrust of my dagger, I manage to fend off the wraiths that come too close, my strikes precise and effective.
Thaldiran is a force to be reckoned with, his sword dancing through the air as he dispatches wraith after wraith. His movements are fluid, honed from years of battle and training, each strike calculated and lethal. But even as skilled as he is, the wraiths keep coming, their numbers seemingly endless.
A particularly aggressive wraith lunges at me, its dark form swirling with malevolent energy. I dodge its attack, but its shadowy tendrils manage to graze my arm, leaving a stinging sensation in their wake. The pain fuels my determination and I retaliate with a powerful thrust of my dagger, piercing the wraith’s core and causing it to dissipate into nothingness.
Thaldiran notices my injury and frowns. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” I grit out, tightening my grip on my dagger. “Just a scratch.”
We continue to fight back-to-back, our movements in sync as we battle the relentless onslaught of wraiths. The air around us is charged with tension, every clash of metal and wail of the wraiths creating a cacophony that echoes through the forest.
But despite our best efforts, the wraiths keep coming, their numbers overwhelming. Thaldiran glances at me, his eyes filled with concern. “We need to go, now!”
I nod, sensing the urgency in his voice. He grabs my hand, and together we sprint through the forest, dodging trees and leaping over roots as we make our way toward the portal. The sounds of the pursuing wraiths grow louder, their relentless pursuit urging us to push harder, to run faster.
Finally we reach the clearing where the portal awaits, its shimmering surface a beacon of hope amidst the darkness. Thaldiran releases my hand and turns to face our pursuers, his sword at the ready.
“Get in,” he orders.
“What?” I screech. “We have no idea where this leads!”
“Does it matter? We’re not going to win this fight,” he says.
I know he’s right, yet the idea of plunging headfirst into the unknown terrifies me. Apparently, it didn’t work out so well for me the last time I went through a portal. It separated me from my family.
I glance back at the forest, but the wraiths are already closing in. “But—“
“No time to argue!” he interrupts, his gaze shifting to the wraiths. “Get in, now.”
I hesitate, my mind racing with all the possibilities and risks, but Thaldiran is right. We’ve pushed the odds as far as they’ll go. There’s no point in fighting the inevitable.
I take a step forward, my boots crunching on the leaves and debris on the forest floor and approach the shimmering surface. Thaldiran joins me and the closer we get, the more I sense the energy surging from within. It’s a strange sensation, the tingle of magic tickling the edges of my senses.
“Are you sure about this?” I ask, taking one last chance to avoid the unknown. “Because blindly following a fae warrior into a mysterious portal doesn’t sound like a stellar idea.”
“Not really,” he says, his voice strained.
But the wraiths are nearly upon us, their chilling cries echoing through the trees. With a final nod to Thaldiran, I step into the portal, my body engulfed in a rush of energy that feels like a million tiny needles prickling my skin.
The sensation is disorienting, like being caught in a whirlwind, the world blurring into streaks of light and color. My stomach lurches, threatening to expel the food I just ate. I close my eyes, praying that whatever lies on the other side is better than the shadowy figures chasing us.
When the whirlwind of colors finally subsides, I find myself standing on solid ground, the air around me still tingling with residual magic. I open my eyes and immediately regret it. I’m not in the Enchanted Forest anymore. Nor am I in Thaldran’s kingdom. My eyes dart around, taking in the towering structures made of glass and stone, the paved roads filled with strange metal carriages, and the people—dressed in clothes I’ve never seen before—hurrying past us, their faces buried in some sort of rectangular objects that emit a soft glow.
“What in the seven hells is this place?” I mutter.
Thaldiran steps beside me, his eyes wide with disbelief as he surveys the unfamiliar landscape. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. We’ve definitely crossed realms.”
“You think?” I snap, trying to mask my bewilderment as the portal snaps closed behind us.
“We need to figure out where we are and how to get back. Any ideas?”
Thaldiran scans the surroundings, his gaze landing on a wooden sign affixed to a nearby building. “Let’s start by gathering information. That sign might tell us something.”
