Chapter 12: The King’s Fury
1221 Words
The bolts flew.
Dozens of black arrows sliced through the air toward the fortress wall, their sharp tips glinting with deadly intent.
Straight at Elara.
For a split second, time seemed to freeze.
Elara stood rooted to the spot, her breath caught in her throat as the deadly rain of bolts rushed toward her. She could hear Lira shouting somewhere behind her.
“Elara, move!”
But her legs refused to respond.
Below the wall, Kael’s golden eyes widened with pure fury.
“Elara!”
His roar shook the mountains.
But even the Wolf King was too far away.
The bolts were only seconds from striking her.
Then the ancient creature moved.
Faster than anyone believed possible.
With a deafening roar, the massive beast surged upward, its enormous scaled body rising before the fortress wall like a living mountain.
Its colossal wing-like fins spread wide as its body twisted protectively around Elara.
The bolts struck.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
The black arrows shattered against the creature’s iron-like scales, snapping into useless pieces that scattered across the stone floor.
Not a single one touched Elara.
The battlefield fell silent for a heartbeat.
Then the creature roared.
The sound was earth-shaking.
Pure rage.
The beast’s burning eyes turned slowly toward the soldiers who had fired the weapons.
And in that moment every man below realized something terrifying.
They had just angered a monster.
“Run!” one soldier screamed.
But it was already too late.
The creature slammed its massive tail into the ground.
The impact sent a shockwave across the battlefield, throwing soldiers and horses into the air like rag dolls.
Chaos exploded among the Valencrest ranks.
Above the battlefield, Elara stared at the creature in stunned disbelief.
It had protected her.
Protected her.
Her heart pounded violently as the strange heat returned to her chest.
The creature slowly turned its enormous head toward her again.
Those burning eyes softened slightly.
Almost… respectfully.
Behind her, the wolf warriors whispered nervously.
“It’s protecting her…”
“How is that possible?”
“Why would a beast obey a human?”
Below the fortress wall, Kael watched the scene with a dark expression.
Something about this was very wrong.
Creatures like that did not bow.
They did not protect.
They destroyed.
Yet this one had shielded Elara as if she were its queen.
A dangerous realization began forming in his mind.
Then the creature roared again.
And the battle truly began.
“FOR THE KING!”
The wolf warriors charged from the open gates, their bodies shifting into massive wolves as they stormed the battlefield.
Fur burst from their skin.
Claws extended.
Golden eyes glowed with feral rage.
They slammed into the Valencrest soldiers like a tidal wave.
Steel clashed.
Men screamed.
The battlefield descended into violent chaos.
Kael ran straight into the center of the battle.
His massive Alpha form towered over the other wolves.
A soldier swung a sword at him.
Kael caught the blade in one clawed hand and snapped it in half.
Another soldier rushed forward.
Kael struck once.
The man flew across the ground.
His fury was unstoppable.
Above them, the creature continued its rampage.
It crushed an entire line of soldiers beneath its massive claws.
Its roar echoed through the mountains as it destroyed anything that threatened Elara.
But strangely—
It never moved far from the fortress wall.
As if guarding her.
Elara could barely breathe.
The strange heat inside her chest kept growing stronger.
Then she heard it again.
The voice.
Ancient.
Deep.
Powerful.
Inside her mind.
“You are safe.”
Elara staggered slightly.
“W-what…?”
The voice returned, echoing through her thoughts.
“No harm shall come to you, bearer of the ancient blood.”
Her heart skipped.
“Ancient blood?”
Below on the battlefield, Aric Thorne watched everything with narrowing eyes.
His plan had not gone the way he expected.
The creature should have been destroying both armies.
Not protecting the girl.
He clenched his jaw.
“So the rumors were true,” he muttered.
One of his soldiers rode up beside him.
“My lord, the wolves are overwhelming our forces!”
Aric glanced toward the fortress wall again.
His gaze locked onto Elara.
“Yes…” he murmured.
“They are.”
Then he smiled slightly.
“But now we have confirmation.”
Below the wall, Kael finished throwing another soldier aside when he suddenly sensed something.
He looked up.
Aric was staring directly at Elara.
Not with anger.
With satisfaction.
The realization made Kael’s blood run cold.
Aric had wanted this.
This entire battle.
It had never been about capturing Elara.
It was about proving something.
Aric raised his voice across the battlefield.
“Princess Elara!”
The battle slowed slightly as the soldiers heard him shout.
Elara looked down at him.
Aric smiled.
“You truly are remarkable.”
Kael’s growl rumbled through the air.
“What game are you playing?”
Aric laughed.
“The only game that matters, Wolf King.”
His eyes burned with dark excitement.
“The game of power.”
He gestured toward the ancient creature towering beside the fortress wall.
“For centuries, legends spoke of a bloodline capable of awakening the guardians of the old world.”
Elara’s heart pounded.
Aric continued.
“I wasn’t sure if the story was true.”
His smile widened.
“But now I know.”
The battlefield fell eerily quiet.
Aric pointed directly at Elara.
“The last princess of Valencrest carries the blood of the ancient rulers.”
Shock rippled through the wolf warriors.
Even Kael froze.
Aric’s voice echoed through the mountains.
“And that creature…”
He looked up at the enormous beast beside the wall.
“…answers to her.”
The creature lowered its massive head slightly, as if acknowledging the truth.
Kael’s eyes darkened.
If that was true…
Then Elara was far more dangerous than anyone realized.
Aric suddenly mounted his horse.
“Retreat!”
His remaining soldiers quickly began pulling back from the battlefield.
The wolves snarled as they watched them flee.
But Kael did not chase.
He knew Aric had gotten what he wanted.
Confirmation.
Before disappearing into the mountain pass, Aric turned back one last time.
His voice carried through the cold wind.
“Protect her well, Wolf King.”
His smile was chilling.
“Because every kingdom in this world will soon be hunting her.”
Then he rode away into the mountains.
Silence slowly returned to the battlefield.
The creature beside the fortress wall lowered itself again.
Elara stared at it, her heart racing.
“What… are you?”
The ancient voice returned inside her mind.
“I am the guardian bound to your bloodline.”
The wolf warriors exchanged nervous glances.
Kael slowly approached the fortress wall below.
“Elara,” he called.
She looked down at him.
But before she could speak
The creature suddenly spoke again.
Its ancient voice echoing across the battlefield so everyone could hear.
“The throne of the old world belongs to you.”
A stunned silence fell over the mountains.
Kael’s heart sank.
Because if that statement was true…
Then the war that had just begun was far bigger than any of them imagined.
And Elara had just become the most dangerous person in the world.
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