The first thing Aiden felt was warmth. Not the oppressive heat of a fire, but a gentle, encompassing warmth, like the first rays of the sun after a long winter. The second thing he felt was a weight.
A heavy, solid weight was on his chest, making it difficult to take a full breath. Something soft was tucked under his arm, and a leg was draped over his own, pinning him in place. His eyes fluttered open.
The morning sun was streaming into the cave, painting the stone walls in shades of gold and rose. The storm had passed. The air was clean and fresh. And he was completely, utterly trapped.
He slowly tilted his head down. Rina was curled up against his left side, her head using his shoulder as a pillow, her breathing soft and even. Lyra was on his right, her hand resting possessively over his heart, her face serene. At the foot of his bedroll, Talia was sprawled on her stomach, one of her legs thrown over his, her fiery hair a messy cascade across his shins. Eira and Seraphine were lying close by, forming a protective, if suffocating, circle around him.
His personal space had been brutally and thoroughly violated.
Aiden's face went from a peaceful sleep to a burning crimson in a matter of seconds. His heart hammered against his ribs, right under Lyra's hand. He tried to wriggle free, but the movement only caused Rina to snuggle closer with a soft sigh.
This was it. This was how he died. Not in a heroic battle, but of embarrassment, smothered by his five maids.
A strangled yelp escaped his throat. "WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS IS THIS?!"
The shout echoed in the cave, causing everyone to jolt awake.
Rina shot up like a frightened rabbit, her eyes wide with horror. "A-Aiden! I'm so sorry! I must have been cold and—" she stammered, scrambling away.
Talia groaned and sat up, running a hand through her messy hair. "Stop your whining. It was for survival. You were the only warm thing in the cave," she grumbled, though a faint blush colored her cheeks.
"You were having a nightmare," Lyra said calmly, sitting up and not looking the least bit embarrassed. "I was soothing your spirit. It is my duty."
"It was a logical decision," Eira stated, already composed. "Body heat sharing is the most efficient method of thermoregulation in a group."
Seraphine simply propped herself up on an elbow, a slow, predatory smile spreading across her face. "My, my. Someone is shy. Who knew the cynical prince was so easily flustered?"
"Up. Everyone. Now," Aiden commanded, his voice tight as he untangled himself from the heap of limbs and practically leaped to his feet. He stalked to the cave entrance, his back to them, willing the heat in his face to subside. "We leave in ten minutes. The storm is over."
The departure was a flurry of awkward, silent activity. They packed their gear, saddled up Nimbus, and ate a cold, hurried breakfast of Rina's leftover soup. No one spoke. Aiden was too mortified, and the others seemed to sense that pushing him further would be unwise.
Soon, they were airborne again.
The world, washed clean by the storm, stretched out beneath them in breathtaking clarity. They flew over vast forests of deep green, crossed rivers that shimmered like liquid sapphire, and saw herds of wild beasts roaming the plains. The air grew thinner and sharper as they flew north, the landscape becoming more rugged and wild.
Talia, now in her element as pilot, guided Nimbus with a steady hand. The mood was less chaotic than the previous day's flight, more focused. They were a unit, however mismatched.
Hours passed. The sun began its descent, painting the western sky in fiery oranges and purples. And then, Talia's voice cut through the wind. "There."
Aiden squinted, following her gaze. On the horizon, a colossal, jagged spine of rock rose from the earth, so massive it seemed to be holding up the sky itself. The Dragonspin Mountains.
They were not like the soft, rolling hills of his kingdom. These were mountains of myth and menace. Their peaks were sharp, jagged teeth that ripped at the clouds. Perpetual wreaths of mist clung to their slopes, hiding unknown dangers within their folds. Even from this distance, Aiden could feel the raw, untamed power emanating from them. It was a place of ancient magic and profound danger.
Nimbus rumbled beneath them, a sound of apprehension. This place is old. And angry.
As they drew closer, Aiden could see why the poachers had chosen this place. It was a labyrinth of stone and shadow, a thousand places to hide, a thousand places to die. The mission was no longer an abstract concept. It was right there in front of him, a vast, intimidating, and very real challenge.
He looked at the mountains, then at the five women clinging to the saddle behind him. His awkward, chaotic, and surprisingly capable squadron. The journey was over. The trial was about to begin.
The mountains were a sight to behold, a jagged spine of rock and ice that seemed to hold up the very sky. They flew closer, the air growing colder and thinner, the landscape below a treacherous maze of shadowed ravines and sheer cliffs. This was a place that did not welcome visitors. It was a place that swallowed them whole.
Aiden felt a grim sense of purpose settle over him. This was it. The source of the suffering, the heart of the darkness he had come to fight.
And then, a vicious thwip cut through the air.
It was a sound so out of place, so sharp and aggressive, that for a moment, Aiden's mind couldn't process it. An arrow, black-fletched and wickedly barbed, streaked out of a shadowed ravine below. It sliced through the air just inches from Nimbus's left wingtip, a near miss that was terrifyingly deliberate.
Nimbus roared, a sound of fury and surprise that shook them all. He lurched violently in mid-air, the sudden movement nearly unseating Rina, who let out a terrified squeak.
"ENEMY ATTACK! HOLD ON!" Talia's voice was a sharp crack of command, cutting through the wind. Her knuckles were white on the reins, her body instantly coiled for combat.
Another arrow flew past, then another. They weren't random shots. They were aimed, calculated.
"They're not aiming for us," Eira said, her voice preternaturally calm despite the dragon's wild movements. Her eyes were closed for a split second, then open, sharp and focused. "They're targeting Nimbus."
Aiden's blood ran cold. But the cold was instantly replaced by a white-hot, blinding rage. They weren't just attacking a dragon. They were attacking Nimbus. His friend. His confidant. The one creature who had listened to his sarcastic rants for years without judgment, who had carried him away from his troubles and into the sky.
His dragon.
A low growl rumbled in Aiden's chest, a sound of pure, unadulterated fury. His hands clenched into fists, his jaw tight. "They dare," he snarled, the words barely audible over the wind and the dragon's roars. "They dare."
A volley of arrows now rose from the ravines, a dark cloud of death rising to meet them.
Talia swore, a string of colorful curses that would have made a sailor blush. "Hang on!" she yelled, yanking the reins hard.
Nimbus responded instantly. He folded his wings and dropped, a stomach-lurching dive that sent them plummeting towards the earth. The arrows whizzed harmlessly overhead. At the last second, the dragon unfurled his wings with a mighty whoosh, pulling out of the dive into a steep, controlled glide through a narrow canyon.
Rina was screaming. Lyra had thrown an arm around Aiden's waist, her body a tense shield. Seraphine looked merely annoyed, as if this were a poorly orchestrated play.
"Where are they coming from?" Aiden shouted, his rage now focused into a sharp, tactical edge.
"Everywhere!" Talia yelled back, her eyes scanning the cliff walls. "They're using the cover! This is an ambush!"
Aiden looked down at the sheer rock walls and the shadowed ledges. They were flying into a trap. A trap designed specifically to hunt a dragon.
His rage hardened into resolve. They wanted his dragon? They would have to go through him first.
"Talia!" he commanded, his voice the voice of a prince, not a panicked passenger. "Find a ledge! A wide one! We're landing!"
Talia shot him a look of disbelief. "Are you insane? We're sitting ducks down there!"
"We're sitting ducks up here too!" Aiden shot back. "Down there, we can fight back! Now, find us a landing spot!"
For a moment, she hesitated. Then she saw the look in his eyes—the cold, furious determination. She nodded once, a sharp, professional gesture. "Hold on to your hats, Your Highness," she muttered, and steered Nimbus towards a flat, rocky outcropping that jutted from the canyon wall.
The dragon landed with a heavy thud, his claws scraping against the stone. They were down. They were exposed. And the hunters were still out there, hidden in the shadows.
The real battle had begun.