"Azu...ra— cough, cough..." Aysling whispered, coughing from the dust, her voice laced with worry.

"I'm fine, love. Come on... Aysling, we have one chance—this won't be enough to kill that thing." His golden eyes, slit-pupiled and fierce, stared into hers, filled with urgency and concern.

He retracted his massive, injured wings, nearly useless now, the membranes torn and raw from the blast. His back was raw and seared, but he didn’t care.

Azura helped Aysling to her feet, both of them turning toward the corner where a grisly mess of blood and organs splattered across the stone floor—remnants of the witch’s shattered body.

But they knew better than to assume victory. They had only bought themselves precious moments.

"The obelisk! We have to climb it, now!" Azura commanded, his voice echoing in the cavernous space.

They sprinted toward the massive golden column in the center of the room, its towering height reaching far into the high domed ceiling, seemingly endless.

Aysling was the fir