“Gah…” Laura groaned as she finally regained consciousness. “Where am I? Why is it so freaking hot?” She complained as she opened her eyes.

The roar of an immense conflagration jolted her wide awake and Laura ogled disbelievingly at the sea of flame raging before her. “Oh, that’s it. I made a wish… but whatever did I wish for? I can’t remember anything.” Laura groaned.

The ground shook violently and the sound of collapsing buildings reverberated close by, “This must be hell… I hope Lily’s okay up there…” Laura muttered. She rose defiantly to her feel and yelled at the flames rolling towards her, “Do your worst! I’m not scared! I’m… eek” she shrieked in fear as a burning chandelier crashed to the ground beside her and showered her with a rain of shattered molten glass. “Is that all?” The princess recovered quickly and began taunting at the flames creeping hungrily toward her.

“Hey you! Are you Laura or Lily?”

Laura jumped in shock as a firm hand clamped on her shoulder and whirled to meet the assailant. Then her eyes widened as she recognized the soot and blood caked figure, “Hello Prince Aryan, are you enjoying your visit?” she snickered.

The prince sighed, “You must be Laura. Come with me, let’s get out of this place. I swore on my honor to ensure your safety.”

“Are you mad? You leapt willingly into hell to save me?” Laura spluttered.

The prince shrugged, “It’s the least I could do in this situation. After all, I did promise your dying father to escort you to safety.”

“Father’s dead!?” Laura’s disbelieving wail slipped from her lips.

“Yes. Yes. I saw it with my own eyes. There was an explosion that blew up half the inner palace, and then the assassins were among us before anyone realized it. I barely escaped with my life…” Aryan muttered. “How did they even get in... I thought that the Andanian magical defenses were supposed to be impregnable!”

“Lily! Where is my sister Lily? She must have survived, I must have wished it…” Laura demanded as she grabbed at Aryan’s bloodied vest.

The prince staggered to his knees in pain as blood seeped from a gash in his chest, “I don’t know. It all happened so quickly and they weren’t taking any prisoners…” he mumbled weakly.

“You are hurt!” Laura exclaimed as she tore off the hem of her dress and sketched a crude healing rune with his blood before pressing it against the wound.

“The assassins were good, I should have trained harder.” Aryan sighed wryly.

“Idiot. How am I supposed to punish you for your sins if you decide to die before I… Hey!” Laura was cut of mid-sentence as Aryan dashed forward and shoved her to the side. “What insolence! I’ll… I’ll…” Laura spluttered. She whirled to face the prince, even as she activated the most torturous talisman she possessed, and…

Aryan bled profusely from a gash in his side as he staggered and fell helplessly before the silent assassin.

“Jackpot. First the Andanian princess, and now the Vaishyan Prince himself! Emperor Xerxes will be extremely pleased.” The assassin gloated.

“My sister! What did you do to my sister?” Laura screamed furiously as she pointed her humming talisman at the assassin.

The assassin’s eyes widened as he finally recognized the princess, “You are still alive! How is that even possible…” he gasped. Then he bent over and clutched at his stomach, “Haha… haha… hahaha…” he began laughing madly. His eyes bulged in horror as he fell and continued laughing uncontrollably while rolling wildly about on the burning floor.

“Ugh…” Aryan groaned as he pressed his hand against his latest wound while eyeing the assassin warily, “What did you do to him?” he questioned.

“Worry more about yourself. Here, let me staunch the bleeding.” Laura huffed as she pressed another healing talisman against the wounded prince.

“Haha… hehe… hohoho…” the assassin continued to laugh with tears of agony in his eyes as the flames licked at his blistering skin.

“You were going to punish me with that?” Aryan glanced suspiciously at Laura.

“Urp… I mean, isn’t it kinda effective? They are almost always too embarrassed to return for a second try.” Laura replied somewhat bashfully.

“…” Aryan muttered under his breath as he shot a dirty look at the princess.

“What?” Laura pouted.

“Nothing. Let’s go, it’s not safe here. I have a ship docked at the port.” Aryan rose hurriedly to his feet and tugged Laura away from the spreading flames.

“I’m not going anywhere! Andania is my country, who will rule without father?” Laura protested as they exited the crumbling palace compound.

“Stay if you want. But there’s not going to be much left of Andania after tonight.” Aryan warned as he gestured furiously at the sea.

Laura gazed in the general direction where Aryan had pointed. Hundreds of battling warships bearing both Vaishyan and Saadian colors filled the ocean up to the far horizon. The cries of desperate sailors drifted across the wind to the royal pair, but Laura frowned in confusion as she realized that the two sides were not fighting each other.

“You! You conspired with the Saadians to betray…” Laura’s accusation dissipated midway as a massive tentacle rose up above the nearest battleship and smashed it to smithereens. The sailors leapt wildly to escape from the sinking vessel, but their struggles were in vain as hundreds of smaller tentacles shot out from the main branch and dragged them screaming to their watery demise. The surrounding ships bobbed wildly as commanders screamed desperate orders for counterattack or retreat, but the fleets were packed far too tightly for either option to be carried out effectively.

“Krall. You heard my wish, you came to save us…” Laura whispered with awed reverence.

“As I was saying, if it had been just one Krall, we could have dealt with it somehow… But there must be dozens of those bloody things out there! And I thought that the Krall were solitary beasts? I’ve never seen so many of those creatures swarm together in my life!” Aryan yelled. It was only then that Laura’s whispered words finally sunk into his mind, “What?? You summoned those beasts… How? Why!?”

“Why else?” Laura retorted defiantly, “Leave my lands foolish invader! Andania does not need your protection when the Krall will defend us!”

“Ahem… Have you gone mad with grief? Haven’t you noticed those things crawling all over your city?” Aryan coughed.

Laura let out a scream of unadulterated horror as she gazed at what had once been the royal capital of Andania. A wide fissure had spilt the city in two and hordes of twitching tentacles had emerged to flood the once pristine streets with a sea of squirming darkness.

“This can’t be happening. All this must just be a really vivid nightmare.” Laura muttered to herself as she watched the writhing tentacles swarm into a nearby building and drag out the screaming citizens cowering within. She turned desperately to Aryan, “Make it stop right now!” she wailed.

“The ship. Now! The entire island is breaking apart, there’s nothing any human can do here.” Aryan clamped his hand firmly on Laura’s wrist and began dragging her towards his waiting vessel.

“Nooo!” Laura wailed as she struggled to break free from the stronger boy. “I must save my people. I must stop that stupid Krall!”

Aryan’s lips tightened with frustration and he slung the struggling princess over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes before racing towards the only vessel remaining in the port. Fortunately, the palace was located next to the ocean and their return to his schooner was relatively uneventful.

“Prince Aryan! You have returned safely. We must depart at once!” The pale-faced captain wrung his hands nervously as he glanced at the madness unfolding around him.

Aryan immediately nodded in affirmation, “Hoist the sails, raise the anchor. Double time!” he yelled as he dumped Laura unceremoniously on the deck before him.

“Nooo! You don’t understand. I must return to the Tower!” Laura screamed.

“Snap out of it! Do you want to die?” Aryan yelled as he struck the hysterical princess across her cheek, “Guards! Toss her in the brig, and make sure she stays there!” he commanded.

“Yes, your highness!” A pair of heavily armored warriors saluted the prince and began dragging Laura towards the stockade.

Laura hung limply as she was hauled to the brig, “Wait… wasn’t dying the price for my wish? Why am I still alive?” She muttered to herself, far too softly to be heard amidst the swirling chaos.