The First Battle
764 Words
The castle buzzed with quiet urgency. Scouts returned every few hours with reports of movement, packs gathering at the borders, shadows in the forests, scouts spotted too close to the walls. The storm Thorne had warned about was no longer distant.
I trained harder. Seraphina pushed me to summon larger flames, to hold them under pressure, to direct them while moving. The necklace around my neck warmed with every use, steadying the power when it threatened to flare out of control.
Thorne trained beside me now. He did not hold back. His strikes were fast, precise, forcing me to react without thinking. The first time I blocked one of his attacks with a shield of flame, the impact sent shockwaves through my arms. But I held.
"Good," he said, stepping back. "Again."
We moved together, strike, block, counter. The bond hummed between us, syncing our movements. When our hands brushed during a parry, sparks flared, and the flame in my chest surged brighter.
By evening, I could maintain a full shield while walking, direct bursts of fire at multiple targets, and summon a thin whip of flame that cracked like lightning. I was tired, but the exhaustion felt good and earned.
That night, Thorne found me on the balcony overlooking the frozen lake. The moon was high, silver light reflecting off the ice.
"You should rest," he said, stepping beside me.
"I cannot sleep."
He leaned on the railing next to me. "The scouts say the first attack will come at dawn. Silver Claw pack. They are the closest, the boldest."
I looked at him. "How many?"
"Two hundred, perhaps. Enough to test us."
I touched the necklace. The crystal was warm. "And us?"
"We have three hundred Lycans. Stronger, faster. And you."
I laughed softly. "I am not an army."
"You are more than that." He turned to face me. "You are the flame they fear. The one the prophecy speaks of."
I looked out over the lake. "I am afraid."
"I know." He reached for my hand. I let him take it. "But fear is not weakness. It is what makes you fight harder."
The bond thrummed between us, steady and warm. The flame in my chest glowed softly, reflected in the crystal.
"I will fight," I said. "For the packs. For the future. For... us."
He squeezed my hand. "Then we fight together."
We stood in silence, watching the moon on the ice. The night was quiet, but the air felt charged like the moment before lightning strikes.
Dawn came too soon.
The alarm sounded as the first light touched the mountains. Horns echoed through the castle. Guards ran to the walls. Seraphina appeared at my door.
"It is time," she said.
I dressed quickly in a black leggings, a fitted tunic of dark red, the necklace visible at my throat. Thorne waited outside.
He looked at me. "You are ready."
"I am."
We walked to the main wall. Lycan warriors lined the battlements, bows drawn, swords ready. Below, the Silver Claw pack advanced two hundred wolves in human form, led by an alpha with silver fur and cold eyes.
Thorne stepped to the edge. "Leave now," he called. "This is your only warning."
The alpha laughed. "We came for the flame queen. Hand her over, and we leave in peace."
Thorne's voice was calm. "She stays."
The alpha signaled. The pack surged forward.
Thorne raised a hand. Arrows flew from the walls. Several wolves fell, but more took their place.
The battle began.
I stood beside Thorne, heart pounding. The flame inside me roared, eager and alive.
"Stay close," he said.
I nodded.
The first wave reached the wall. Lycans leaped down to meet them. Claws and swords clashed. Howls filled the air.
A wolf broke through, charging toward me. I raised my hands. Flame burst outward, a wall of fire that stopped him cold. He yelped, retreating.
Thorne fought beside me, moving like shadow and steel. Every strike precise, every movement deadly.
The battle raged. I summoned shields, bursts of flame, whips of fire. The necklace glowed hotter with every use, channeling the power without burning me.
Hours passed. The ground grew slick with blood and ash. The Silver Claw pack began to falter.
Their alpha howled a call to retreat.
They pulled back, leaving bodies behind.
Silence fell.
Thorne turned to me. "You fought well."
I looked at the battlefield. "We won."
"For now," he said. "This was only the first."
I nodded. The flame inside me was steady, calm.
I was no longer afraid.
I was ready.
- Writer
