Chapter 14

Evelyn turned and fled as the black dragon charged toward the adventurers with unstoppable force, shattering trees in its path. Fallen branches and leaves flew everywhere, and Evelyn fell to the ground, covering her head and face while her body shook uncontrollably. The dragon's wings, heavy with earth and the smell of blood, swept over her.

She heard the dragon hunters blow a long whistle. Scrambling to her feet, Evelyn glanced back—the hunters, using the dense forest as cover, had launched a counterattack. The mage chanted a spell, his staff emitting a red glow, while the warrior raised his greatsword, parrying the dragon's vicious claws. The other two hunters periodically threw objects at the dragon, causing bursts of orange-red sparks to explode against its black scales.

The wounds on the dragon's underbelly tore further, spilling more blood from the sky. Enraged and seemingly beyond reason, the dragon roared deafeningly. Ignoring the blood streaming from its wings, it swept its talons across the forest, felling trees as thick as two men put together. A hunter caught off-guard was crushed beneath the falling timber, pinned motionless under the weight.

Evelyn's lips trembled as she turned and stumbled forward. "Run now," she thought. "While the hunters have its attention, run." Her mind replayed the horrific sight of trees crashing down and the dragon's frenzied silhouette.

The mage's hoarse voice thundered a spell, and Evelyn instinctively looked back—her pupils dilated as she saw a blazing orb, bright as a second sun, hurtling toward her. The magical fireball approached too quickly for her to react, and then suddenly, everything went dark.

It wasn't the night falling; the dragon's wing had shielded her. The veins on the dragon's neck stood out as it turned, exhaling a stream of fire hotter and thicker than before. The forest around them erupted into a fiery inferno.

Evelyn's face tightened as she touched her cheek, realizing her tears had evaporated in the blast's intense heat.

No more attacks came from the hunters within the sea of flames.

The dragon lowered its head and emitted a soothing purr. With its tattered wings, it gently nudged Evelyn, coaxing her to sit upon its claw.

"Hold on," it rasped, its voice rough but devoid of malice.

Evelyn looked up, but from her angle, the dragon's expression was obscured. She bowed her head and clung to the dragon's claw, which was sticky with mud, leaves, and blood. After a moment, she gripped it even tighter.

In the midst of a raging inferno, the black dragon adjusted its battered wings to shield the human princess perched on its claw, carefully leading her away from the danger zone. The smoke from the forest fire mingled with the volcanic ash he had previously inhaled, triggering a strong urge to cough. Zachary fought it back, his body trembling uncontrollably.

As the vibrations coursed through him, Evelyn looked up to see large drops of water falling through the holes in the dragon's wings. Initially just a few isolated droplets, it quickly turned into a torrential downpour. Realizing that acidic rain often followed volcanic eruptions and wildfires, Evelyn understood that this rain must be causing Zachary immense pain.

She pursed her lips tightly in concern.

Abruptly, Zachary halted and lowered his body, spreading his wings slightly as he cast a wary gaze into the forest ahead, emitting a low, threatening growl from his throat. Evelyn could feel the tension in his taut muscles—he was on high alert.

A similar draconic hum answered from the woods, prompting Zachary's protective stance. His wings largely obscured her view, but soon Evelyn caught sight of a green dragon's claw emerging from the trees.

Another dragon?

Evelyn tensed up further.

Zachary crouched lower, baring his teeth as a silent threat. It was clear that one more step would provoke an attack.

The air vibrated with the calls of the dragons, thick with the tension of an impending clash, until finally, the green dragon retreated and vanished from sight. Only then did Zachary relax and straighten up.

His original lair was too close to the western forest, so instead of returning there, Zachary led her to a natural stone cave farther away. He settled down with difficulty, pulling out a hare he had caught along the way. After skinning it, he cooked it near the tip of his wing, his flame sporadic and weak, revealing his frail state. Once the hare was cooked, he offered it to Evelyn and then closed his heavy eyelids, succumbing to a deep sleep.

Evelyn held the hot, slightly undercooked hare, sitting in stunned silence. Zachary had never been more vulnerable. Now would be her perfect opportunity to act.

Yet, as she contemplated the roasted hare in her hands, she found herself unable to set it aside and reach for her dagger.

Evelyn sniffled, overwhelmed by the turmoil within. On one hand was Briarwood Kingdom, her homeland; on the other, the formidable dragon that had abducted her. The choice seemed straightforward.

However, memories of the dragon's clumsy attempts at cooking meat for her, weaving baskets while seated awkwardly in the cave, stirring the lake waters in embarrassment, and the comforting warmth of his wing during her menstrual cycles softened her resolve.

Now, that same wing was ragged and torn, yet it still formed a familiar, protective curve beside him.

It was a space he had maintained just for her, a posture of sheltering her from the world's harsh realities.

Evelyn's eyes widened in desperation, tears uncontrollably streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto the slowly cooling roasted hare. She sniffled again, and after a moment of hesitation, as if reaching a final decision, she gently set the hare aside.

"Let it be," she thought. "He's so badly injured and has been soaked in the rain for so long, he might not even survive."

At that moment, Evelyn found herself uncertain whether she wished for his survival or for it all to end.

She was overwhelmed with nostalgia for Briarwood Kingdom. She yearned for her stern father, her warm and passionate mother, her considerate brother, her brave sister, and even her attentive maid, Laura. She missed the dew-covered roses in vases and the golden threads on the curtains of her royal bedchamber.

Curled up with her knees drawn to her chest, Evelyn drifted into a light sleep, lulled by the gentle patter of rain.

In her dream, she was back in Briarwood Kingdom. It was a snowy winter day; she and her family were seated by the cozy fireplace, laughing together as Laura set a tray of sliced fruit on the table.

Suddenly, the dream shifted. The relentless snow continued for days, collapsing roofs and claiming the lives of countless people and livestock. Her father was so overworked that he fell ill, her brother had not slept for days, and her mother constantly wore a frown. Evelyn felt utterly powerless to assist.

In her deepest despair, the black dragon appeared in the skies above Briarwood Kingdom. With a mighty sweep of its wings, it blew the snow to the nearby sea. Its fiery breath melted vast areas of snow, which transformed into rivers that flowed into the mountains.

This black dragon bore a scar that nearly reached its eye.

Evelyn woke from the dream with tears streaming down her face, yet her eyes sparkled with hope, and a smile crept across her lips.

Her forehead burned, her head spun, her nose was congested, and her throat throbbed with pain, yet she felt a strange sense of wellbeing.

In her prophetic dream, he had saved them all.

Her visions had never been wrong. If he had been merely a minion of eastern bandits, he would have had no reason to save them.

There must be some misunderstanding between her and him.