Despite the speed that Emary and her escort were running at, they were too late in reaching the border. The entire forest was crawling with soldiers from King Crassius's army. Tall banners flew in the wind, and smoke from bonfires rose to the sky. It created a sense of unease in Emary's heart.
"Damn, we were too late," the elven princess said before clenching her teeth.
"Don't worry, princess. There is still much time before they would reach the top of the mountain. If we are careful, then we should be able to get there first."
Emary sighed and looked over to the hooded woman before smiling. "I am sorry. You are right. It's just…"
"You are worried about your friend."
The elven priness nodded. "Much more than that, I am also worried about the relations between the humans and our tribes. If we rush too fast, they might spot us. What will happen if a war breaks out because of that?"
"We just have to hope that no such future comes to pass. Your father has placed great faith in you. That is the meaning of our expedition."
Another sigh escaped Emary's lips. It seemed that nothing she could do would stop her father from worrying, but she only had herself to blame. After all, when it is do or die, I am always doing the wrong things. Why...Why didn't I try to stop her? Why didn't I reach out and give her a safe place to stay? It's all because of me that this had to happen.
The painting from before...What happened after...I could have prevented it all. I could have...
A hand on her shoulder stopped her rampaging thoughts. "You need to steel yourself, princess. This heart you have is only getting in your way. Do you think what you are doing is wrong?"
Emary shook her head as they hopped to the next tree. The scenery had changed greatly since they left the elven forests, and the mana had become thinner. Perhaps it was having an effect on her mind.
"If you keep sighing, you will let go of all of your happiness. Face the future that is to come with your chest held high. There is no telling what---"
Before any of them could react, an arrow went straight through the chest of the hooded woman beside Emary.
Emary's eyes widened as the elven woman fell to the forest below, slamming hard against the bark of a tree on her way down.
A silent arrow? How…
"Princess, get down!" Another guard shouted and tackled Emary down from the tree just as an arrow whizzed by her head.
A man's voice came from the shadows. "Wow, you dodged that? The guards of elven royalty are truly a cut above the rest."
Emary searched the direction of the voice, but no matter where she looked, she didn't see anything. She searched high and low, and her guardswomen fanned out with their bows drawn. Some of them remained near the princess for protection, yet another arrow let loose.
This one was so big and heavy that it slammed through two of the guards and pinned them against a tree.
Impossible! How can an arrow that big have no sound? How can it travel so fast?
Green magic spread into Emary's fingertips before she pushed her hand onto the soil. Information rapidly pushed into her mind.
She could feel each individual tree in her surroundings. She felt the leaves on the ground and the wind brushing up against grass. She felt the ripe berries dangling from bushes, yet one spot remained empty.
Emary pointed with her free hand. "There!"
Several of the girls leapt into action. They dashed into the undergrowth, only to be met with an overwhelming force of wind. Each and every one of them were blown away, including the trees surrounding one figure.
Once all of the dust settled, his smiling face was the only one remaining in that clearing. His silver eyes bore directly into Emary's own, and the silver horns on his head showcased the dragon lineage.
The man chuckled. "Wow, I am impressed you were able to find me. It makes sense that the elven princess would be good at Earth magic. Is this a remnant of the druids?"
But Emary was stunned. She couldn't believe her eyes. "Catl, The Wind Champion!? You're supposed to be dead!"
"As you can see, I am very much alive. Unlike your friends."
Emary looked around towards her guardians only to find an empty field paved with blood. All around her, the corpses of elves lay, and their blood pooled towards the center of this massive wind crater.
"Don't look so shocked. It's only natural that this would be the case when lesser beings try to face a dragon."
Emary's stomach twisted. Her instincts were telling her to run. Her heart was raging and yelling for her to kill this dragon. But her feet were stuck in place. The only thing she could do was fall to her knees and empty her guts inside of this fresh crater.
"Ew, such a disgusting sight for the princess of elves to present. Is this all your generation is capable of? No matter, I will dispose of you as well."
The dragon's feet moved slowly. He walked with a purposeful and slow tormenting gait.
Emary choked down the acidic taste in her mouth. She coughed. "Why...Did you ally yourselves with the humans?"
"Now, why...Such an interesting and pointless question. Before I send you to meet your ancestors, I guess I will indulge. It's simple really." His expression hardened, and his eyes narrowed towards the top of the mountain, his nose scrunching up with his anger. "I hate Valericae. That dragon has everything...So what if I incited a delusional king? I will have what I want…"
"What...What do you want?"
The dragon shook his head and fixed his expression. His smile showed off his clean, white, and sharp teeth. "I've already spoken enough. Now die…"