“Well, come on, then!” Petra heaved her up. “We have to go back for it. We have to—”

A sudden flash illuminated the cave as a thunderous roar sent the ground shaking. The stone columns screamed as dust billowed out the cave and the mountain face cracked. Up and out, it fractured. Splitting and shifting until streams of dirt ran down its sides.

“We have to run!” Aidan latched an arm around Syra and herded them into the trees away from the city. But they weren’t yet down the slope when gravity lost its hold.

The Dwarven Keep let out one last cry as its mountain crumbled upon itself for a second and final time. Earth and stone, weathered and carved, all tumbled forth, raging down its face in waves. It took the entry hall with its archways and drawings. It took the meadow blossoming on its side. Now it charged on the city with little more than saplings and skeletal buildings for defense. Of these, a lone watchtower—though half its original height—beckoned with its fortified marble siding.

“Behind here!” Syra and the others huddled against its leeward side in time for the landslide to hit. They braced themselves against the wall as the tower shook and groaned against the rush of earth. But the surge hit harder than expected. The tower’s metal screamed, and black lines veined across its white stone until it, too, shattered.

“Get down!” Syra braced herself over Aidan and the twins as darkness fell upon the golden dome.

***

Syra’s lungs and muscles burned by the time the earth had stilled. She gave one last heave and sunlight peeked through as the layer of rubble fell away.

“Is everyone alright?” she asked through pants.

“I think so.” But Cassius double-checked.

“Then, we need to find Marrak.” said Aidan, staying Cassius’ hand. “Did anyone see him escape?”

“No,” said Petra, “but I wasn’t really looking either.”

All craned their heads around the collapsed building to the sunken mountainside above them.

“Could he have actually survived that?” asked Syra. “Even a dragon would be crushed by that weight.”

“Maybe he’s trapped?” asked Cassius.

“Even better.” Petra sneered. “I hope he rots away slowly and—”

The mountain groaned.

All breathing stopped as their eyes shot to the shifting mound of earth and stone.

Bits of rocks tumbled down as the mound grew upwards. Higher and higher, until red light gleamed from underneath. Then, like shedding skin, the layers of dirt fell away leaving a radiant and steaming Ignis crouched in its nest of debris. Embedded across its forehead, five stars shone like a crown of stone and horn.

“We’re too late.” Syra’s voice broke as she stared unblinking at Marrak—his body like cooling lava with a head like the night sky, just like the firelands at nightfall.

What do we do now?

“Syra!” Marrak boomed from his crumbled seat, sending them all back to cover. He swung his wide head around, as if its stars weighed it down. But despite his searching, found only silent rubble. “Syra, where are you?”

His voice cracked and Syra’s body jolted to answer his plea.

No. She reined herself still. Is he actually worried? Or just frustrated that his opponent—his prey—got away? She chewed her cheek as his grunts and digging filled the wasted valley. He said it himself, he has no more words for me. She glanced over at the twins clutching each other's hands. Their burns were healing, but slowly. And their fearscent filled the cavity despite their brave faces. At this point, trying any more really will get us killed.

With a deep breath, she shoved her trembling into a box for later and gave Aidan the sign to hold-in-place. Marrak had a deadline to meet, and an army waiting for his lead. He couldn’t waste time searching for a rebellious daughter that didn’t want to be found. Plus, she needed time and space to unbind the twins.

They all kept stone still, barely brave enough to breathe in fear of Marrak’s possibly heightened senses. But the fresh dirt saturated the air, and Marrak roared and huffed about the fruitless boulders and buildings.

He’s so frantic. Syra thought, sharpening her ear to his movements. His steps are unsteady—he keeps slipping. It’s like he’s not even thinking about where he’s looking. His jostling ended with a shrieking roar that shook the air. Is he…crying? He can’t be this upset over me.

“Damn it, where are you?”

His voice creaked out this time—a whine Syra had only heard the day she deployed—and she strained to catch the whispers.

“No…no I can’t, she’ll get hurt. And Aidan’s with her, too… but…yes, I know.”

Shit. Who’s he talking to? She craned her head to peek through a pinhole in the cracks. But it was just him—crouched by his debris pile and snout shoved into the dirt. Is…is he talking to himself?

“But there’s no time for that!” He clawed at the stones in his forehead as if they were stubborn scalemites. “…then I’ll just have to…exactly, just for now.”

He cast one last glance about the valley before leaping into the air in a rush that threatened to topple the party’s hidey hole. But the stones settled and his wingbeats died on the horizon.

“Fuck, that was way too close.” Petra slumped with a heavy breath. “You could feel his heat from here. Even I don’t want to get near that.”

“But we have to face him somehow, don’t we?” asked Cassius. “The altar’s obviously destroyed, but the shards still worked.”

“If they worked, then why didn’t he just ignite this whole place? Take us out for good?”

“Maybe he doesn’t see us as much of a threat now that they’re implanted?” asked Aidan.

Cassius nodded, “We are a little outmatched right now.”

“The shards,” Syra said , still staring at where Marrak debated himself, “I think they might’ve done something to him.”

“What do you mean?” asked Aidan.

“He just…wasn’t acting like himself.”

“Of course not!” said Petra. “This isn’t Valen we’re dealing with anymore.”

Fair point.

“But even still, he clawed at the stones like they were painful.”

“I bet they are.” Aidan massaged his own forehead. “Can’t see how a surge of mana like that wouldn’t be.”

Syra shook her head, “He was talking to someone, Aidan. Like he was crazed or something.”

“Hm.” Aidan thought for a moment, “Sulaer’s books did mention Gurn being referred to as the ‘Mad Alchemist’. I had thought that only pertained to his methods, but maybe there’s more to it.”

Syra chewed a thumbnail, “A huge surge of mana, you said? Like the current in the altar?”

“Most likely. Gurn didn’t implant the shards like Marrak did, but I can only imagine that having a current that strong so close to your brain would have serious side effects. I mean, my alchemists were arrunic gear for a reason.”

“Damn it. That means he’ll be even less likely to reason with the longer he wears them.”

She turned to the twins and gave Petra grin, pointing to a clearing in the rubble, “Let’s go, then. It’s a long flight and they can jump at any time.”

“Yes, finally!” Petra bolted from the cavity towards the clearing.

“Hold on, don’t trip. Can’t have you broken before the fight even starts.” Cassius watched his footing, but he was nearly skipping himself.

“So, uh…” Aidan stopped Syra with a waxen look on his face, “how am I supposed to come with you, exactly?”

The little imp grinned up at him and clasped his hand like a toddler at a fair, “You get to ride this time.”