The Fire Within

Chapter Four – The Fire Within (Fred’s POV)

The moment Drake pulled away from the hug, his warmth left me like a fire being snatched away in a storm. His golden eyes flickered with something unreadable, something deep—but in an instant, his expression hardened.

“This changes nothing,” he said, his voice like thunder rolling through the cavern. “You should still fear me.”

I tilted my head, amused. “Should I?”

His jaw clenched. His entire presence was overwhelming—towering over me, wings half-flared, shadows of firelight dancing over his sharp features. Any sane man would have trembled beneath that deadly gaze.

But I wasn’t afraid. I never had been.

I crossed my arms, pretending to think. “Hmm… Maybe I should have let you die that day instead.”

His entire body went rigid.

For a brief second, I swore I saw something—something almost like a smile—flash across his face. But then it was gone, replaced by the same cold, unshaken mask he always wore.

“You should have,” he muttered, stepping back. “It would have been easier.”

I shrugged, teasing. “Too late for that.”

Drake turned away sharply, as if forcing himself to end the conversation, but something had changed in his gaze. He wasn’t just looking at me as a foolish human anymore—he was seeing me as something else. Something more.

Just when the air between us started to settle, a sudden rumbling sound echoed through the lair. The ground beneath my feet trembled.

Drake’s head snapped toward the entrance. His entire body tensed, wings twitching, claws flexing.

“What’s that?” I asked.

He didn’t answer right away. His sharp gaze flickered with something close to irritation. “Humans.”

My breath caught. “My father’s men?”

Drake let out a slow, frustrated sigh. “Of course, your king wouldn’t just sit back and wait. He’s desperate.” He turned his gaze back to me. “And you’re the reason they’re here.”

My stomach twisted, but I refused to let it show. “Are you saying this is my fault?”

“Stay here,” he ordered, his deep voice sharp with warning.

I shook my head instantly. “No.”

“Fred.” His voice dropped lower, filled with barely restrained irritation. “This is not up for debate.”

But I had already started moving toward him. “I’m coming with you.”

His hand shot out, gripping my wrist, his claws barely pressing against my skin. “You don’t understand what’s out there,” he said, his tone dark and heavy. “They are not only here to take you home. They are here to kill me.”

His words sent a shiver down my spine.

Of course, I knew that. My father and his men didn’t just want to bring me back to the kingdom—they wanted Drake dead. To them, he was a monster. A threat that needed to be erased.

And I couldn’t let that happen.

I pulled my wrist free. “That’s why I can’t stay here.”

Before he could stop me, I rushed past him, stepping outside. And then—

My breath caught in my throat.

The mountains surrounding the lair were covered in soldiers. Thousands of them. Their gleaming armor reflected the firelight from Drake’s lair, and their swords, spears, and crossbows were all pointed at him.

A burning fear coiled in my stomach. “Drake,” I whispered, gripping his arm.

But he was already stepping forward, his wings spreading wide, his muscles tensing. A deep, earth-shaking growl left his chest, sending ripples of heat through the air.

And then—

They attacked.

The sound was deafening. Arrows rained down. Swords clashed. Shouts and war cries filled the night.

Drake moved like a force of nature.

He wasn’t just fighting—he was devastating them.

His claws tore through armor as if it were paper. His flames turned men into nothing but ashes. Every movement was precise, brutal, and inhumanly fast. Soldiers fell around him, some trying to run, others screaming as his fire consumed them.

And still… they came. Thousands of them.

I had never witnessed such brute strength before. And yet, my chest constricted with fear. They would never cease.

Drake might slay them all, but they would never stop coming for him.

I balled my fists, heart racing in my ears.

Then, abruptly—silence.

The battlefield was strewn with dead men, some still writhing, others motionless. The remaining soldiers had either run or were too fearful to attack.

Drake exhaled a heavy sigh, his flames dying down. It was over.

Or so we thought.

A stir in the corner of my vision made me flinch.

My heart dropped.

From the shadows behind the rocks, one soldier emerged. Not just any soldier.

General Kael.

My breath hitched. I knew him. I had trusted him.

He was my father’s right-hand man, the one who had taught me sword fighting as a child, the one who had always been by my father’s side.

And now, he was raising a strange black-bladed dagger, its tip aimed at Drake’s undefended back.

Time slowed.

Drake wasn’t aware of him. He thought the fight was over.

But Kael had waited. He had hidden until the perfect moment.

The dagger he held—something in it made my blood go cold. It was not an ordinary weapon. It was meant to kill dragons.

I had to do something. Now.

Instinctively, without hesitation—I jumped forward.

Grabbing a heavy, jagged rock from the ground, I swung with all my might.

CRACK!

The sound of the impact echoed off the mountains.

Kael’s eyes widened in shock as the rock slammed into the side of his head. He staggered, the dagger slipping from his grasp.

For a moment, he just stood there, wavering. Then his body crumpled to the ground. Blood pooled around him.

I couldn’t breathe.

My hands trembled violently, the rock dropping from my grasp. I staggered back, heart racing in my chest.

I had just—

I had just killed someone.

Kael. Someone I knew. Someone who had trained me once.

My stomach twisted with knots, bile rising up my throat.

“Fred.” A strong arm wrapped around me, pulling me away. Drake.

I barely registered the movement before his hand covered my eyes.

“Don’t look.” His voice was softer now. Steady. But there was something in it—something unsure, almost shaken.

I could feel his warmth, his strength. But I couldn’t stop trembling.

“I—” My voice broke. I didn’t know what I was going to say.

Drake didn’t say anything either.

He just held me there, his hand still over my eyes, as the night dissolved into an uncomfortable silence.