Something inside her pulled taught, urging Ardent to walk across the bridge, away from the exit, she assumed, since the people were fleeing that way.

Scared, she wrapped her wings around herself as she walked, not ready to face the threat, but she had to find Àskériàn.

She reached the end of the bridge and the thing inside pulled tight again. "What the heck is this?" She hissed, grabbing her middle to make the sensation go away.

She went to turn right and walk passed the buildings, but the pull hit her again. She grumbled, holding her middle, "Okay body, stop being weird." She straightened, the pull softening as she turned around.

"That way huh?" She patted her tummy. "Alright, follow it and it stops hurting. Good to know."

She followed the invisible cord to the city's edge, passing the magnificant buildings and architectures as she went. Several statues of dragons were molded into the surroundings, some spewing out water from their stony mouths, into small makeshift ponds, surrounded by flowerbeds and trees, which she assumed, marked man-made recreational areas.

"Where are you?" She grumbled, listening for signs of Etah and Àskériàn, but everything was errily quiet.

She came to the edge of the recreational area, where much like the bridge, a short stone wall formed a railing, the side dropped off to arches below. Instead of buildings, the arches melted into the cavern wall, stretching downward for hundreds of meters.

Her feline ears twitched as she caught the familiar voice. "Ainzy! Come to me, slowly."

Without thinking, she unfurled her wings and lept from the ledge, diving downward into the cavern's depths, following the pull and her knight's voice.

She expanded her wings just as she reached the bottom, where she noticed an opening in the expanse's wall, the pull urging her forward.

She dove into the dark tunnel, allowing the strange feeling in her gut to guide her through the dark.

When the tunnel opened up to another chamber, she landed softly and allowed herself to perch on a large formation of rock where she could see a good portion of her surroundings.

Taking avantage of her vantage point, she scanned the area below. Dragon statues dotted the chamber walls, scarlet flames dancing in between their stony teeth.

She spotted the red dragon from earlier, it's body laying errily still, wrapped in a tight half circle formation, around what appeared to be a nest.

The nest seemed to be made of dark green and red-orange dragon scales, formed together in a tight circle. Inside the nest rested three huge dragon eggs. One was brown in color, another dark green and the other a flame red that matched the mother dragon's color.

Ardent's heart sank. Even in death, the dragon protected it's offspring.

"Àskériàn." Came a female voice, strained with pain, pulling Ardent's attention in it's direction. The female rider sat nestled against the dragon.

"I know sis, it's the pain from the bond." Àskérian soothed, reaching his arms out for the woman.

"I tried to help her. I really did." The girl cried, her brown eyes full of tears.

"We have other things to worry about right now." He spoke softly, inching towards the girl.

Ardent felt conflicted, she wanted to help, but from the interaction with the king earlier, she knew she wouldn't be able to. All she could do was watch. Her pulse pounded in her ears as the chamber shook, the familiar roar rang through the air.

"Listen to me, Jimena Ainzworthy, she isn't completely gone yet. I need you to face the pain and fly us out of here." Àskérian urged in a soft tone.

"What about the eggs? I can't leave them!" She protested.

"You have to. Her mate has lost it. You are not safe. I need you safe, little sister." He reasoned.

"But she needs me!"

"And she wouldn't want you dead!" He said more harshly than he intended, causing Mena to flinch.

The dying dragon stirred, a shallow rumble came from her throat. "He's right, Mena, go." Her golden eyes opened, pleading with her rider.

The girl hung her head in submission. "Alright Esme. I'm so sorry."

Esme chuffed in responce. Lifting her long red-orange tail, she lifted her rider's chin with the tip. "No regrets Mena. I won't regret our bond as dragon and rider. I won't regret having offspring either. Go with your brother. Keep the Morians safe."

Àskérian pulled Ainzy to her feet, the girl's head still hung low. The cavern shook again as another one of Etah's roars reached them.

Ainzy released her leather wings, red like her dragon's. She held out her arms to her brother. "Ready?" She asked, her sad eyes meeting his. He nodded and wrapped her in a tight embrace. She was much shorter than she was, but getting out of the chamber would be easier with her rider abilities.

"I love you, Esme." Ainzy called to her dragon with tears in her eyes.

Esme's eyes lit up with warmth. "As I you, child."

Just as the pair lifted from the ground, Etah shot into the chamber. Ardent flinched at the sight, nearly falling off her stony perch.

Etah dived towards Àskérian and Ainzy, but Esme swipped her tail at him, sending him careening into the chamber wall, wings and talons flailing.

"Go." Esme urged. She knew her mate could feel her life draining, but she would be damned if she let him kill her bonded rider. A rider who had potential to bond with her offspring.

Ardent watched in disdain, suddenly a clarity wafted over her. That's why you sent me, isn't it, father. She gripped the pommel of her sword, the single feather charm peaking out at her from the hilt, she touched it. I have to kill the corrupted dragon and cleanse it's soul before sending it home.

Determination set in as she watched Princess Ainzy fly Àskériàn from the den, her red wings beating against the air. Taking flight, she chased after them through the dark tunnel she had come through before.

On the other side, she followed them up the side of the cavern, the wall turning into carved arches and then they reached the ledge near the recreational area.

Ainzy began to lose her strength and Ardent's heart sank. She wanted so badly to heal the dying dragon, to help her friend and his people.

Ainzy landed and Àskériàn let go. Another temor shook the foundations of the arches, causing Ainzy to loose her footing and, to Ardent's and Àskériàn's horror, Ainzy fell backwards and into the canyon below.

Àskériàn reached out to grab his sister, only managing to catch the golden amulet around her neck, breaking the chain as she fell. The last remnants of her rider bond with Esme dissipated as the dragon's life ebbed out, leaving the princess spiralling downward as her red wings dissapeared.

Àskériàn's vision of his sister was cut off by a thick stream of flames. Ardent's heart shattered as sister and brother were separated.

Etah shot upward and expanded his enourmous wings, his tail lashing in the air, facing Àskériàn with murderous eyes before diving down and leveling out near the arches.

Unsheething his new sword, Àskériàn let the black flames envelope his body and then he plunged himself into the abyss, driving his sword through Etah's body.

With a loud roar of protest, Etah flew upwards toward the cavern ceiling, eager to dislodge Àskériàn with the stalactites, but the knight was quick and he pulled out his sword, hoping that the wound would kill the dragon, he freefell into the canyon.

"Àskérian, prince of dragons, I hold you responsable for the death of my mate. Now I will inflict my own pain on you." Etah spoke near the jagged ceiling, his voice thundering throughout the cave, several stalactites breaking loose and falling.

The dragon dived low and caught Àskérian with hislong sharp talons, bringing the prince down below to the bottom of the cavern.

He flung Àskérian down on the cold hard cavern floor, stunning him motionless. As Etah's blood streamed down his talons, he bought them upward and then down again as he periced Àskérian's back.

Àskérian let out a roar of agony, one that made Ardent flinch from where she was forced to watch in the air.

Etah's blood dribbled into Àskérian's wound. "Àskérian you are now bound to me, until my death. Seek me out and try to kill me, if you wish, otherwise live with my pain for eternity."

Anger welled up inside Ardent's heart. There was only one thing left to do and this time, she would not fail.

"ÀSKÉRIAN!" Her voice rang out through the atmosphere she was trapped in and made it's way to his ears.

The injured knight looked up at the violet cloud. His eyes wide with shock.

"Impossible!" The fae leader cried as it watched orange flames begin to engulf Ardent's body. On her forehead, embers glowed in the form of a cross.

"Ah the mark of the Christ. How? She's the weakest angel in Heaven. How?" It yelled in a confused protest.

Ardent opened her eyes, now a golden color that radiated with light. "You. You can do what you want to me." She said pulling Illuminara from it's sheath, flames dancing up the blade, "But you caused him pain, so ye shall reap what thou hast sown."

The atmosphere exploded and bright orange flames danced in its place against the darkening sky. Àskérian held the shocked look on his face, unable to look away. The fae had also stopped their attack. "Leader is dead! Leader is dead!" They cried in unison, still clutching him with their claws.

Para watched from the ground, continuing to fend off the fae around him with his crystals and glaive. He too, was shocked at the sight in the sky.

I've been hanging onto my own pain far too long. Thinking only of myself, when all along, every smile, every tease, you were hurting just as I was. Ardent thought as she lifted her sword. "I will protect you this time." She declaired in a determined voice.

A streak of white light flashed through the sky, then Àskérian found himself being embraced by Ardent.

Her body was consumed by flames and they increased in intensity, targetting the fae that had him pinned. The creatures were disengrated by the flames. A moment of panic washed over Àskérian, until he felt his flesh fix itself where his wounds were. Realization dawned on him.

"Stop!" He demanded. "You're going to use up too much of your energy!" He cried. She pulled away from him and smiled.

The mark on her forehead dissapeared and the flames receeded. He let out a sigh of relief.

Then her body pulsated and an unconsious Ardent began falling towards the earth.

Àskérian cursed under his breath as he he flew downwards after her, but she was falling too fast, he wouldn't reach her in time. "Catch her!" He yelled to Para.

Para stood in the midst of dissengrating fae that he had finished off. Hearing Àskérian's voice, he turned to look and with his bi-colored eyes, he saw the falling angel.

He managed to catch her before she hit the ground. Askerian switched to full dragon mode, his black scales gleaming their red tint against the sunset.

"I don't have time to explain right now, but I need you to get on." He said in his deep dragon voice.

Para looked at the dragon figure infront of him and hesitated. He glanced down at the unconsious angel, his eyes holding uncertainty in them.

Finally he did as Àskérian had said, placing the angel on the dragon's back and then pulling himself up.

"Hold on to her and make sure she doesn't fall off." The dragon knight commanded. Para nodded in responce as Àskériàn plunged them into the sky in one fell swoop.

Àskérian flew at a fast pace. Two days! It took us two days to get to Melania. How am I going to get her back in time? He grumbled in his head.

Para looked at Ardent and noticed how pale she was starting to look. What the heck happened up there?

Then he saw something he had not seen before, feathers were releasing themselves from her wings and falling into the wind, like flower petals from a cherry tree.

"Hey, are angels supposed to loose feathers?" Para asked. Darnit! Àskérian yelled in his mind.

The sky grew darker as the moon set itself into the sky to join with the stars that twinkled around it. Para glanced over at the moon, his eyes full of confusion and concern.

A radiant glow caught his attention and he looked to see another sight that shocked him. "Something's happening." He yelled to Àskérian.

Ardent's body had begun to glow a soft white light, the same color as the full moon. Her body stood out against the dark color of Àskérian's dragon skin, the glow lasted for a few moments and then faded.

Para examined Ardent again and was releived to see that her skin was no longer pale and her feathers had stopped their wilting. "She's become stable, I think." He yelled again.

"What do you mean stable?"

Para described what he had witnessed. When he was finished, a memory flashed through Àskérian's mind. He remembered Ardent the first time he had entered the realm, how her body glowed with the starlight from the realm.

"Of course." He said slowing his pace. "Looks like we won't have to worry now."

"Can you explain?" Para asked still confused.

"Its the stars and the moon. She draws energy from the positive light they give off." Àskérian sighed, giving a low growl. This woman is going to be the death of me.