Chapter 39: The Name of Fire
Lyanna stood at the head of what remained of their army, her boots sinking into the same lifeless mud that swallowed every step, but she barely felt it. Her arms ached from holding the dragon egg close to her chest, but she refused to let go. The obsidian shell, veined with glimmering veins of deep crimson, pulsed faintly beneath her fingers—like the slow, steady beat of a heart.
Aeris.
The name had come to her in a whisper, not from the voices of gods nor from any old legend, but from something deeper, something instinctual. The moment she had touched the egg and felt the weight of her soul laid bare before the heavens, she had known. Knew it with the same certainty as she knew her own name. The hatchling inside was a she. And her name was Aeris.
They had wondered why her bond was different from Kael’s.
Most bonds between dragon and rider followed the same pattern—an impression, a tether, a connection that grew stronger with time. Kael’s link to Titanis had started in scattered images, emotions bleeding through their minds in fragments. But for Lyanna, it had been immediate, like a thread pulled taut from the moment she first laid hands on the egg.
Alric had helped her puzzle through it, along with the few camp aides who still had the strength for anything but marching and surviving. Their best theory? That she was already bonded—to something else.
Scarlet and Ember, the twin swords she had wielded since her sixteenth year, were more than steel in her hands. They had been forged for her, imbued with something deeper than mere craftsmanship. She had always felt them, humming at the edges of her mind, as if the blades themselves breathed with her. They were hers, as much a part of her as her own heartbeat.
And now, Aeris was too.
Lyanna exhaled slowly, tightening her grip on the egg as she felt it again—that faint, rhythmic pulse, beating in the back of her mind. Not words. Not images. Just presence. The hatchling inside was waiting, dreaming in the dark, but she was aware. Aware of Lyanna. Aware of the road. Aware of the battle that lay ahead.
Lyanna pressed her lips together, adjusting the egg against her chest. Hold on, little one.
A gust of wind howled through the valley, biting and sharp. The soldiers behind her trudged onward, their breath misting in the frigid air. They were tired. Beyond tired. One hundred and twelve left. No more. No less. And every single one of them carried death on their shoulders.
She could see Kael ahead, pulling the heavy cart with his usual quiet stubbornness. Titanis padded beside him, its mechanical body whirring with every step, their silent conversation evident in the glances they exchanged.
Lyanna envied that, in a way.
Her bond with Aeris was strong, but it was still dormant. The dragon was not yet hatched, not yet formed. She could feel her, could sense her slumbering warmth, but there were no words, no images—only that steady, waiting heartbeat.
And the waiting was unbearable.
She didn’t know what Aeris would look like when she finally broke free from her shell. Would she be small and sleek, like the wind itself given form? Or would she grow quickly, forging herself into something as fierce and unrelenting as Titanis?
Lyanna hoped she would be strong.
Because the world did not wait for the weak.
Her fingers curled around the egg, her pulse syncing with its warmth. Somewhere in the depths of her mind, she felt Aeris shift—just a flicker, just a whisper of movement.
Lyanna closed her eyes and let go.
The world around her—mud, cold, the weight of the dragon egg pressed against her chest—slipped away.
And she fell.
She had done this enough times now that the transition no longer startled her. Her awareness sank deep within, past flesh and bone, past blood and breath, until she was no longer standing in the waking world at all.
When she opened her eyes, she stood inside her essence pool.
The space was the size of a small broom closet, its walls pulsing with an iridescent glow, shifting in color from deep violet to shimmering gold. The liquid essence filled the pool nearly to the top, rippling with a soft, endless motion, like the surface of a lake caught in the pull of an unseen tide.
It had grown.
Too fast.
She knew why. Essence did not grow on its own; it expanded under pressure, under strain. And what greater strain was there than leading an army to slaughter? Than burying the dead, knowing there would be more by dawn?
Most of their deaths were not her fault.
The gods themselves had told her that when she bonded with Aeris. But still, the weight of it pressed against her ribs, sinking deep into her bones. There was too much blood staining her soul for her to simply believe it wasn’t hers to bear.
She exhaled, her gaze drifting to the three spheres of light beside her.
They floated just above the essence pool, their glow steady and warm.
Scarlet. Ember. Aeris.
Her twin swords had always been there, pulsing with her spirit, their presence as familiar as breath. But now, Aeris’s light flickered beside them, smaller than the other two, yet no less present. She had not even hatched, but already she had carved a space within Lyanna’s soul.
And Lyanna… she knew she appeared the same. Not as flesh, but as light. A soul given form.
She reached out, brushing her fingers through the liquid essence, feeling its energy hum against her skin. It felt denser than before, more stable. Stronger.
But that did not explain the rune.
Her eyes flicked to the far wall, where an engraving stood etched into the shifting iridescent surface. A symbol—one no one had been able to name. The mages had studied it, puzzled over it, offering half-formed theories and speculation.
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Some believed it was a root version of the contract rune—the fundamental sigil of a bond between beings. A tie that bound souls together.
Connection?
Maybe.
It was another mystery, another unanswered question, just like Kael’s strange affinity with Titanis. One more thing to set aside.
Later.
Now, she had work to do.
She forced herself to breathe, to sink deeper, trying to push at the edges of the essence pool—to grow it, strengthen it. The more she expanded it, the more essence she could channel, the greater her control would be.
Aeris pulsed beside her, as if watching.
Lyanna pressed forward—
—And was yanked back by the sudden, jarring sensation of someone bumping into her.
Her eyes snapped open.
The cold air hit her like a slap, and the weight of exhaustion rushed back in. The army was still marching. The dragon egg was still cradled against her chest. And beside her—
Alric grinned, bumping his shoulder into hers again, this time intentionally. “You looked like you were going to pass out on your feet.”
She huffed, rolling her shoulders. “I was meditating.”
“That’s one word for it,” he said, his smirk lazy but his eyes sharp. He noticed things, even when he pretended not to. “I thought for a second you were going to start floating.”
Before she could respond, movement ahead caught her eye.
Kael stood with his hands on his knees, his tunic drenched in sweat. He had just pulled the cart over the last ridge, his muscles trembling from exertion. Titanis stood beside him, unbothered as ever, watching the exchange with molten eyes.
Before Lyanna could say anything, one of the soldiers—a broad-shouldered woman with arms thick as oak branches—stepped forward and took Kael’s place at the cart.
Titanis watched him with something that might have been amusement. As they walked towards her and Alric.
“Don’t say a word.” Kael said, scowling.
Lyanna arched an eyebrow. “Not even a ‘well done’?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Not from you.”
Alric chuckled. “That bad?”
Kael shot him a glare, but it held no real heat. “I hate this cart.”
Alric clapped him on the back. “Good thing you’re not a mule, then.”
Kael shot him a glare, but there was no real anger behind it. Just exhaustion.
Lyanna shifted the egg against her chest, feeling its faint pulse echo in her bones. The road ahead was still long. Greenhaven waited. The battle waited.
Alric’s smirk faded. His shoulders squared, his usual careless air tightening into something sharper. He took a slow breath, then said, “You two—along with the mages—you’re staying behind.”
The words landed like a hammer to the chest.
Lyanna stiffened, the weight of the dragon egg suddenly feeling heavier against her arms. She had been preparing herself for a battle, for the march, for the long road ahead—but not for this. Not for the thought of being sidelined.
It felt like a slap.
Just like Karina’s hand across her face, moments before everything had fallen apart. Before their home burned. Before the world changed.
The sting of it, the shock, the insult.
Beside her, Kael had frozen mid-motion, still braced against the cart. Then he straightened, his breath still heavy from exertion, but his exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
“You’re joking,” Lyanna said flatly.
“I’m not.” Alric crossed his arms, his expression unreadable.
Kael let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “You have to be joking.”
Alric raised a hand before they could launch into their full protests. “I know you’re the commander, Lyanna. And I know Kael is our best damn rune expert. But listen to me.” His tone held no mockery now, no teasing edge. “Kael, you don’t have the combat skills for tight quarters. Not like the rest of us. And you—” he turned to Lyanna—“your swordplay depends on movement. You fight best in the open, where you can use your speed. The mages? Same problem. They need space to work, and if they get cornered, they’re dead.”
Lyanna forced herself to breathe, to think. She didn’t want to acknowledge the logic in his words, but she wasn’t about to let pride cloud her judgment. She had led too many warriors to their deaths already. Don’t be a fool, she told herself. Listen.
But Kael wasn’t so quick to let it go. He stepped forward, his jaw tight. “I know that town better than anyone else alive,” he said, voice low but steady. “I grew up there, Alric. I know every alley, every hidden path, every weak spot. You can’t just—” he exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “You can’t just tell me to stay behind.”
Alric met his gaze, unreadable for a long moment. Then he said, “I know.”
The words weren’t dismissive. If anything, they were quiet. Thoughtful.
And that made them worse.
Lyanna felt the weight of them settle between them like a blade driven into the earth. She still wanted to fight, to argue, but Kael had taken up the cause now, and for once, she let him.
Because a part of her agreed with him.
A part of her, the part that still held onto the sting of Karina’s slap, the part that still carried too many ghosts, refused to be left behind.
The silence stretched between them, taut as a bowstring.
Lyanna’s grip on the dragon egg tightened. She could feel Aeris’s presence thrumming in the back of her mind, steady but silent, as if waiting to see what she would do.
Kael’s jaw was clenched so tight she thought his teeth might crack. His hands curled into fists at his sides. Lyanna could almost hear the words building behind his teeth, the defiance ready to spill over.
Alric sighed, rubbing a hand over his face before finally speaking. “Fine. Kael, you can come.”
Kael’s posture eased slightly—but Alric wasn’t done.
“But Titanis stays behind.”
Kael stiffened again, his head snapping up, eyes blazing. “The hell he does.”
Alric met his glare with unwavering calm. “We’re going into a town, Kael. Tight streets, ruined buildings, ambush points everywhere. Titanis is the size of a damn wagon—he’ll make us a target before we even get close.”
Titanis, who had been silent until now, let out a low, rumbling growl. His molten eyes burned as he stared at Alric, and Lyanna felt the heavy shift in the air as the dragon’s mind brushed against theirs.
“You will leave me behind.” Titanis’s voice slithered into their thoughts, dark and quiet.
Kael’s fists clenched, his stance rigid. “I’m not leaving you behind.”
Alric’s expression didn’t waver. “You don’t have a choice.”
Kael stepped forward. “Like hell I don’t—”
Titanis moved, sudden and deliberate, cutting him off. His great head extending until his snout was nearly level with Kael’s chest. The air between them thrummed with tension, thick enough to choke.
Kael flinched as if struck.
Lyanna’s stomach twisted.
For all of Kael’s stubbornness, for all his defiance, she knew how much Titanis meant to him. The dragon was more than just a companion—he was a piece of Kael’s soul, a constant, unwavering presence. To be separated now, after everything, must have felt like tearing something vital away.
Kael swallowed hard. His hands shook at his sides.
Then, finally, he exhaled.
His voice was quiet when he spoke. “You sure about this?”
Titanis huffed, something almost amused in the sound. I would rather stay here than crawl through human filth like a caged beast. A pause. Besides. Someone must keep the hatchling safe.
Lyanna exhaled through her nose, steadying herself. Her hand—her ruined hand—ached as she flexed her fingers, the scars pulling tight over knotted flesh. Absentmindedly, she let it drift to Scarlet’s hilt, the familiar warmth of the blade humming beneath her fingertips. The sword had been with her through every battle, every blood-soaked step of this journey. It had been with her before the ruin of her hand, and it would be with her long after.
She sighed. “I’ll decide once Greenhaven is in sight.”
Alric opened his mouth, but whatever argument he had died before it reached his lips. He knew better than to push her when she spoke like this.
Kael, however, still looked ready to fight. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, his breath uneven. Titanis had pulled away, but his molten gaze lingered on Kael’s face, unreadable.
Lyanna knew what this felt like for him. She had seen it before, in the way he looked at Titanis when he thought no one was watching—the quiet reverence, the bond that went deeper than words. He had lost too much already.
Titanis was his one unshaken constant.
And now, they were asking him to leave him behind.
But there was no better answer. Lyanna knew that. Knew it in the same way she knew how battles were won—not with pride, not with gut feelings, but with strategy.
Still, she couldn’t bring herself to say it outright.
Instead, she turned to Kael. “We’ll figure it out when we get there.”
His jaw worked, but after a long moment, he gave a sharp nod. Not an agreement, not really—just an acknowledgment that the conversation wasn’t over.
Lyanna tightened her grip on Scarlet’s hilt, the weight of the dragon egg still firm against her chest. Aeris’s presence remained quiet, steady, waiting.
She adjusted her stance, eyes on the road ahead.
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