The Blood King

Chapter 29

Neytiri

The sound of feet on the dirt and hooves kicking up the rocks is a sound I will never forget. The sound of 1,000 men, marching possibly to their deaths, is one I will never take for granted. And I swear with every last drop of blood in me, I will protect all of these men.

I know where Cassian is, and he knows where we are. I can sense him and his armies as they wait for us at the mid-point of the mountain. Where the snow meets the grass. Tikaani is steady beneath me and Caius rides next to me. The rest of the men are on their horses or foot, clad in armor. Armor encased with my power, to protect them the best that I can.

I thought that when this moment finally came, I would feel some kind of fear. But I feel calm for some reason. Ready. It's either us or them. And for the sake of every living being beyond these mountains, it cannot be them.

We reach the mid-point of the mountain, and I know that Cassian's army is just over the horizon line. The scent of dirt and a slight mist of water fills the air. And the sun is barely peeking over the horizon, casting a small glow over the land.

I take a deep breath and focus my eyes on what is to come. And that's when I see them. Four of them. They look like birds at first in the distance, but as they grow closer, I can make them out. Dragonborn. They are in their Dragon form, flying high in the sky. My eyes travel below to the massive army that breaks through the trees, and the object of my nightmares comes barreling through.

Cassian. I know it's him. He's massive, full of black scales that are on fire. He lands in front of his army, letting out an ear-piercing cry. And in a burst of flames, he's back in human form. He's still dressed in armor that glints off the barely rising sun. Flames are still burning off of his shoulders and even though he is so far away, I can feel his gaze on me as if he were directly in front of me. He smiles. He's excited to kill us. To kill me.

All of his Dragonborn allies land next to him, but they stay in their dragon forms, open their jaws — impossibly wide jaws. Their loud screech-like roars echo across the field, shaking my bones. Tikaani rises on his hackles beneath me, and I pat him lightly.

"Calm," I murmur. It's all I can do. Cassian still doesn't make a move. His entire army behind him is a sight to truly fear. Our numbers are small and his are massive. I feel him, inside my head, and I hear his voice.

"They will all die," he growls. I try and shake him out of my head, but he remains just long enough for me to hear his words to his men. He holds his hands high in the air, all the while keeping his gaze locked to mine.

"Kill them all."

Shouts of twenty-thousand men echo across the field, as they all take off towards us. The Dragonborn next to him lift off in the air coming towards us at high speed. I grip Tikaani's fur tightly beneath me. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"No fear," I say. I turn to the men behind me.

"Do not fear! Today, we determine the fate of the world! Today, we stop the Blood Kong's reign! Today, we fight for what is right!" I scream.

The men all shout with me. War cries fill the air, as do fearless men's clank of armor. I smile. I turn to look at Caius. I take a deep breath. I give him a shaky laugh.

Before I can utter the words he smiles softly at me.

"I know," he says. I nod my head.

"Are you with me?" I say. He nods his head.

"Until my last breath."

I face forward, bracing my thighs on either side of Tikaani. I hold my hands out next to me letting the poisonous ice flow through my veins and manifest itself into blades covering my arms. A weapon I learned from the warriors of my tribe.