Page 115 of A Kingdom so Crimson

The Skinners backed up, screaming at the dragon in fury is if they were trying to talk to it. The dragon snapped its jaws, the crack reverberating through the air and stealing my breath.

I nocked an arrow while still on the ground when a loud snarl from behind the dragon caused the Skinners to stop their screeching. The dragon turned its massive head towards the noise, and my eyes followed. A massive, golden-brown wolf with streaks of coppery oranges came into view. Saliva was dripping from its snarling maw and charged towards us.

Seizing the shift in attention, I stumbled to my feet and bolted, running back the way I had come, aiming for the entrance of the maze.

But the Skinner was relentless and leaped towards me, plunging its sharp, bony fingers into my leg. I cried out as pain erupted, shooting up into my back. I slammed into the ground just as the massive wolf tackled the creature, ripping it off me, and quickly snapping its neck. The other Skinner, still bleeding profusely from its neck wound, slashed out at me but had no chance as the wolf shredded it apart, then continued its attack by tearing apart the remaining morbid stolen-flesh creatures.

Terror surged through me as I forced myself up, grabbed my bow, and limped away, leaving a trail of blood in my wake. The dragon advanced, jaws open and snapping, tendrils of its poisonous smoke puffing out. It brushed against my right elbow, and a searing pain consumed me as a burning fire spread through my body in a blur of agony. I plunged forward, each step leaving a bloody footprint from the gash in my leg.

The massive wolf leaped from one of the large boulders onto the dragon's back, its claws sinking deep and sending the black, metallic scales clattering to the ground. The dragon thrashed and stopped spewing its poisonous smoke as it tried to dislodge the massive wolf. Its tail whipped against the black rocks and shook the ground beneath us. The wolf sprang from the dragon's back to its outstretched wing, snapping down on bone and shredding through the thick membrane of its wing like paper. The dragon's roar of pain echoed through the air, so intense that I had to cover my ears.

I stumbled, my vision blurring from the pain and blood loss. The dragon's tail lashed out, narrowly missing me and striking the ground with a force that sent shards of rock flying. The wolf continued its relentless assault, tearing into the dragon's flesh with savage ferocity. Blood, dark and metallic, sprayed across the ground, mingling with my own.

I crawled away, my body trembling, each movement a battle against the agony that gripped me and screamed at me to stop, to accept the dark oblivion. The dragon's screams grew more frantic, a mix of rage and desperation, as the wolf tore segments of its body apart, the ground littered with chunks of flesh and shattered scales.

I collapsed behind a boulder, trying to catch my breath, my entire body shaking in pain and the loss of blood. My right elbow burned as my leg pulsated with my warm blood that oozed outfrom the Skinners grip. I clutched my bow, knuckles white, and forced myself to remain conscious.

I watched in horror as the dragon snapped its wing, sending the wolf hurtling through the air. The wolf hit the ground with a sickening thud, landing just inches from me. A pained yelp escaped its throat, and our eyes met—its vibrant amber eyes locking with mine, filled with a familiar, desperate worry. The sight of its golden coat and fiery gaze triggered a flood of memories, taking me back to my last evaluation at Jesri's. The image flashed vividly in my mind—pulling four bloodied arrows from its soft fur after it attacked the terrorizing black beast.

My brows furrowed in confusion as I struggled to make sense of the familiarity, the glow of those amber eyes stirring something deep inside me that I couldn't quite understand in my murky mind, and the growing pressure in my head built, threatening to pull me under.

The wolf staggered to its feet, swiftly rushing towards me, its snout nudging under my arm. I hesitated, torn between fear and desperate need of help. Meanwhile, the dragon snapped and snarled, its tongue lashing out like a serpent. The wolf's amber eyes bore into mine, filled with an urgency that sent familiar shudders down my spine as it snarled at me in anger.

"Get on, now!"shouted the phantom voice barely recognizable within my disoriented mind.

With a final glance at the advancing dragon, I tightly grasped the wolf's coat, hauling myself over its massive body. The rough fur scraped against my blistered elbow that left my skin barely hanging on, but I held on tight, determined to survive.

The wolf took off, charging straight towards the dragon, forcing me to hold on. Smoke billowed from the dragon's mouth as it leaped after us with a deafening roar. The wolf dashed around the dragon, running faster and harder, its powerful muscles rippling beneath me.

I clenched my teeth, the strain to hold on almost unbearable as I clung to the wolf's golden coat, my blood staining its fur with dark streaks. We hurtled across the boulders, hitting them each with a jarring impact that felt like it might throw me off.

Behind us, the dragon's thunderous roar echoed through the blur in my mind, its monstrous presence charging after us with a fury that shook the very ground. My vision blurred with adrenaline and fear, but amidst the terror, a thin thread of hope flickered in my chest, urging me to believe that I might just make it out alive.

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The wind screamed past my ears as we raced faster and faster, leaving the dragon behind with its broken and bloodied body, its screeches of anger and pain fading with the wind. A fleeting pang of pity stirred within me as I glimpsed back at the creature struggling with its broken wing, but I quickly banished the thought, recalling the malevolence I had sensed emanating from it.

I clung desperately to the wolf's mane, fighting to maintain my grip as it bounded, ducked, pivoted, and sprinted with relentless energy. Before I could fully comprehend our trajectory, we were in the air, leaping from the highest boulder and landing on the side of the mountain.

The wolf's breaths were deep and ragged as it began scaling the slanted mountainside, overlooking the vast expanse of the dragon's dark, pebbled domain below. A lump caught in my throat at the height of the mountain, and I pressed my legs more tightly against the beast's sides, holding on for life.

In the distance, I spotted another contestant making their way toward the spot where Osric's dead and blistered body lay.Yet, even as we continued our ascent, the dragon continued its pursuit, its massive and tattered body slowing it down. Its claws gouged deep into the mountain and spewed billows of poisonous smoke our way, but it was caught by the high wind and swirled away.

A deep grumble roared from the dragon's mouth as we rounded the steep range onto a landing. The wolf abruptly stopped, launching me off its back, and I landed with a thud, a loud groan escaped my lips. Ignoring me, it began madly digging and clawing at the mountain's edge, sending dirt and rocks flying off the side. The wolf dug faster and faster, jumping slightly as more debris scattered around the now-soft ground gouged out in the center and slumped. Suddenly, it stopped and leaped toward me, nudging me to climb back on.

The wolf sprawled on the ground to help me get on its back, and I did so with great effort. As soon as I was on, it stood up and sprinted away just as the dragon's claw slammed down right where the wolf had dug. The dragon struggled for purchase as another claw followed, scrambling for hold on the soft ground, but failed.

I looked away towards the slopes of the Adauntus Range, not wishing to see the dragon perish. The dragon's roar boomed, and I heard frantic claws losing grip. A wave of terror washed over me as a blaring roar split the air, its echo growing fainter and fainter as it fell into the depths below. Moments later, a bone-jarring smack reverberated through the surrounding mountains, resonating off the rugged terrain.

The wolf soared across the range's peaks, high above the rocky-cold expanse below. The frigid air bit my wet, bloodied skin as we passed through one dark cloud after another. The fog was thick with moisture as we leaped over a man in royal colors, his blood splattered on the ground, followed by two more bodies farther along the crater that still held Astor's dead body.We continued to run, reaching the alcove where Astor and I had waited for daylight to navigate the canyon before the Skinner attack. The realization hit me hard as I glanced down at the wolf. I was now convinced it had been responsible for sending those rocks tumbling down on us, rousing my senses and alerting me to the impending danger.

My thoughts ceased as darkness delved deeper into my mind, radiating a headache through my skull; my only tether to consciousness was a single thread of warmth that quivered with exhaustion. We descended along the back of the mountain range, emerging from the clouds and into the open sky, hitting the valley floor.

My hands ached from gripping so tightly that I let go for a moment to flex them but tumbled to the ground with a crash.

I coughed, clutching my aching stomach as my whole body shook in effort. Closing my eyes, the adrenaline completely subsided, and I felt the full extent of the pain and exhaustion strike deep.

The wolf's damp nose pressed against my neck, sending shivers across my skin, making it prickle with tiny bumps. I was overtaken by violent, uncontrollable shaking as I lost my grip on reality, my mind opening to the presence of the Spellcasters. I could feel their oily darkness seeping into my thoughts and soul with a menacing force intent on consuming every part of me.

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