One Wave Rush!

I stared outside, taking a deep breath as I tried to plan our path from here to the heart. With the detailed map that Ember passed to me, I was able to create a path that safely leads to the heart area.

"Fang, let's run. Keep battles to a minimum."

Now that Queen Thalia is not around, Fang and I can run at our top speed without restraints. We can't waste our energy against these almost immortal parasites, the Dragon King's defense mechanism, so we can only try and outrun them.

"Yes, Leader! I'll cover your back!"

Fang nodded her head, a fire burning within her eyes. After all, it was a rare moment where I would literally require her to cover my blind spots. I couldn't help but smile and pat her head, despite the situation we were in. Fang seemed to enjoy it too, as her tail wagged wildly despite the tight space we were stuck in.

"Okay, I'll brief you on the path we'll take first, in case we get separated."