Page 60 of Beneath Scales and Shadows
“Your army,” Sora murmured, awestruck despite the gravity of their mission.
“What remains of it,”Ignis pathed, voice subdued.“Once, thousands would have answered my call.”
The full weight of what was at stake crushed down on her. This wasn’t just about rescuing Coal or her family. It was about survival—of a species, a culture, a way of life pushed to the brink of extinction.
They soared higher, cresting the mountain ridge to reveal a landscape transformed by the gold-pink light of dawn. Forests spread like dark carpets across valleys, rivers like silver ribbons winding between them. The winds carried scents that Sora’s increasingly sensitive nose identified—pine, wildflowers, the mineral tang of distant snows.
In the distance, the spires of Celestoria Castle rose from morning mist, both beautiful and ominous. It was hard to believe that something so breathtaking could harbor such darkness.
Flying transcended everything she’d imagined.
Not the static constraints of airplane travel she’d known on Earth, but dynamic, alive—every shift in Ignis’s muscles communicated through her body, every adjustment of his wings changing their trajectory in ways that felt like shared intention rather than separate beings moving together.
The wind rushed past, tugging at her cloak and hair. The rhythmic beat of Ignis’s wings created a hypnotic cadence, his muscles moving in perfect harmony beneath her. Her body swayed naturally with his movements, finding balance without conscious thought. When he banked left, she leaned with him; when he rose on a thermal current, she adjusted her weight forward.
It wasn’t just skill—it was something deeper, as if she could feel his intentions, every sense attuned to his presence beneath her.
For a breathless moment, exhilaration overwhelmed her. This was freedom beyond anything Earth had offered—to pierce clouds, to dance with wind currents, to see the world spread beneath like a living map unbound by human constraints.
Then reality returned with sobering clarity. They flew not for pleasure but for confrontation. Below, at the agreed meeting point of the northern pass, Celestorian forces would be gathering.
Coal would be there. Her family. Lyra. All held hostage to force her return.
Then reality returned with sobering clarity. They flew not for pleasure but for confrontation. Below, at the agreed meeting point of the northern pass, Celestorian forces would be gathering. Coal would be there. Her family. Lyra. All held hostage to force her return.
“Tell me the plan again,” she said, leaning forward to speak closer to Ignis’s ear. “I need to be certain.”
His head tilted slightly, acknowledging her concern.“We approach openly—displaying strength while signaling willingness to negotiate. Our warriors remain at altitude, beyond arrow range but visible. I land with you, while Ember and a select strike force circle in reserve. We assess the situation, locate Coal and your family, then proceed based on what we find.”
The plan sounded reasonable, and while she had faith in their preparations after all their careful discussions, dread still coiled in her stomach. The Celestorians hadn’t exactly proven themselves honorable negotiators—their history of betrayal stretched back centuries.
“And if it’s a trap?”
A rumble vibrated through his body.“Every encounter with Celestoria is a trap, Luna. The question is merely which kind we face today.”
They flew in silence after that, the landscape changing as they approached the border. Lush forests gave way to sparser vegetation, then to the stark beauty of the northern pass—a natural gateway between kingdoms where ancient stone formations created a valley flanked by sheer cliffs.
And there, in the pass below, waited the Celestorian forces.
Even from their height, Sora could make out the regimented formations of the royal army. Hundreds of soldiers in gleaming armor stood in precise rows. Cavalry lined the edges, their mounts shifting restlessly. Archers positioned at strategic points along the cliffs, the morning sun glinting off arrow tips with ominous precision.
At the center of this military display stood a smaller group—royal guards surrounding what appeared to be a carriage bearing the Celestorian crest. Beside it, a platform had been erected, upon which several figures stood.
Ignis circled once, high above arrow range, giving Sora time to assess the scene below. “There,” she pathed, pointing. “Near the platform. Those must be my family.”
She could make out three figures huddled together, surrounded by guards. Not on the platform itself, but close enough to be visible. Another figure—shorter, slimmer—stood slightly apart. Lyra, perhaps?
And on the platform itself, something that made her blood run cold. A large cage, inside which a hunched form lay motionless.
“Coal,” she whispered, the name carried away by the wind.
Ignis’s entire body tensed beneath her. “I see him.”
A powerful roar echoed beside them, making the mountains tremble. Sora didn’t need to look to know it was Ember—she’d seen her mate injured and trapped.
With a series of wingbeats that spoke of controlled rage, he began their descent. The dragon formations behind them split with military precision, some maintaining altitude while others descended in protective patterns around their king.
The wind whipped more fiercely around them as they spiraled downward. Sora’s cloak snapped behind her like a battle standard, the hood remaining secure despite their speed. Through gaps in the clouds, she caught glimpses of movement below—soldiers forming tighter ranks, archers nocking arrows but holding them lowered.
