Elven Oath

Chapter 12

Aodhan

W e were so close to home, yet something gnawed at me, an instinct deep in my bones. My wound still ached, but it was nothing compared to the weight of unease pressing down on my shoulders.

Falkor was riding silently beside me with Vevina at my back. Both sensing the same shift in the atmosphere. The river marked the edge of my homeland, and once we crossed, we’d be on the way back to the mountains. Back to safety.

Drago, who had ridden ahead to scout the path, came galloping back, his face grim. “The bridge is blocked,” he says without preamble, pulling his horse up next to mine. “A group of men are waiting on the other side, armed to the teeth.”

I curse the Gods under my breath. Of course. It couldn’t just be easy. “How many?” I ask.

“Enough to give us trouble,” Drago replies.

My mind raced, weighing our options. We could try to find another crossing, but that would take too much time. We had to deal with this head-on.

“We go forward,” I decided. “Let’s find out who these bastards are.”

Falkor grins, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. “I like the sound of that.”

As we ride cautiously toward the bridge, my senses sharpen, scanning for any hint of danger. The landscape was still, unnaturally so. No birds sang, and even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

When we finally approached the bridge, I could see them clearly. A group of men stood on the far side, dressed in dark, mismatched armor, their weapons drawn.

But what caught my attention was the man standing at the center of them. He wasn’t an Elf, and he didn’t carry himself like one. He was tall, lean, and his eyes glinted with an unsettling kind of intelligence.

As we drew closer, the man stepped forward, a slow, confident smile spreading across his face. “Prince Aodhan,” he called, his voice smooth and sharp, cutting through the silence. “And the beautiful Vevina. I’ve been expecting you.”

I bristle at the way he says her name, but I keep my expression impassive. “Who are you?” I demand, keeping my voice steady. “What do you want?”

The man’s smile widens. “Who I am is not important. What matters is what I represent. I come bearing a message and a mission. You both need to die before you leave Elf lands.”

My grip tightens on the reins. “And why is that?”

He chuckles darkly. “Because a bond between an Elf and a dragon could create a child. A child that would save your dying race.”

My blood runs cold. He knew. Somehow, he knew about the ancient bond, the one that had been buried in legend. But how?

“And why would that concern you?” I ask, trying to keep my voice calm.

“Because,” the man says, stepping closer to the edge of the bridge, “your survival threatens everything we’ve worked for. Dragons must go extinct, and magic must die with them.”

A flicker of movement behind him catches my eye, and I see the others. His men, shifting uncomfortably, as if waiting for a signal.

“And who exactly is ‘we’?” Falkor growls, his sword already halfway out of its scabbard.

The man’s smile never falters. “Wizards. We’ve made an alliance with a new race. Humans. They have a fresh perspective, and they understand what must be done. They’re ambitious, you see. They believe the world will be theirs, free from magic. Together, we will destroy all the magical races. The dragons, the Elves, and anyone else who stands in our way.”

Wizards. Of course. It made sense. They had always sought to control magic, to manipulate it for their own ends. And now they had found a new race. Humans, with their greed and hunger for power.

“Enough of this,” I say, my voice low and dangerous. “If you think we’re going to let you stand in our way, you’re mistaken.”

The man’s smile fades, replaced by a cold, calculating expression. “Very well,” he says, raising his hand. “Kill them.”

The battle explodes into chaos. Drago, Falkor, and I shift into our dragon forms as soon as we jump from our horses. The transformation takes only seconds. The rush of power surged through my veins as I feel my wings stretch, my scales harden, and the fire ignite in my chest.

But the moment we take to the skies, the enemy launches their attack. Arrows whiz past us, some tipped with strange, dark magic that I could feel pulsing in the air. The wizards had come prepared.

I swoop down, unleashing a torrent of fire, scorching the ground beneath us. Falkor and Drago do the same, their roars shaking the earth. But the enemy was relentless, and more wizards appeared, their dark spells slamming into us, trying to force us down.

Then, out of nowhere, I heard her voice. Aodhan, to your left! Behind the trees!

I hesitate, confused. It wasn’t just any voice, it was Vevina’s voice. In my head. But how?

Before I can process it, I glance left, just in time to see an ambush of men and wizards hiding in the shadows, preparing to launch another volley of magic. I veer sharply, dodging the incoming spells and retaliating with a blast of fire.

Above you! Her voice came again, clear and strong.

I look up and see two wizards perched on the ridge, their hands glowing with magic aimed straight for Falkor. I roar a warning, and Falkor dodges just in time, sending a stream of fire in their direction.

My mind was spinning, caught between the battle and the impossible fact that Vevina was speaking to me. How are you doing this? I ask, though I wasn’t sure if she could even hear me in return.

I don’t know, she replies, her voice strained but focused. But I can sense them. I can feel where they are, and I can warn you. Just trust me!

I had no choice but to trust her. Every time she called out a direction or a warning, it saved us from a potential blow. And every time, I marveled at the strange connection between us.

Vevina

The air was thick with the scent of smoke and magic, crackling like a storm about to break. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing with fear, adrenaline, and something I couldn’t quite name.

As I called out warnings to Aodhan and the others, guiding them away from danger, I felt a strange, warm energy stirring inside me. It was like a pulse, an awareness beyond my senses, tethering me to Aodhan’s movements in the sky above.

This shouldn’t be happening, I thought. I shouldn’t be able to do this.

But there was no time to question it. I could feel the enemy everywhere, creeping in the shadows, hiding in the trees, waiting to strike again. My mind was racing, keeping track of every movement, every flicker of magic in the air. And then I saw it. A blast of dark magic aimed directly at Aodhan.

“No!” I screamed, my voice lost in the chaos.

Instinctively, my hands shot out toward him, though I knew it was useless. He was too far, and I had no way to stop the blast. But as my fingers stretched forward, I felt a surge of power unlike anything I had ever known, rushing up from deep within me. It built in my chest, spiraling through my arms, and before I even realized what was happening, a burst of light exploded from my palms.

It formed a shimmering, glowing barrier that erupted between Aodhan and the incoming spell. Blocking the dark magic from reaching him.

The spell slammed into the shield with a resounding crack, sending shockwaves through the air, but it held tight. I watched in disbelief as the energy dissipated, my hands still trembling, glowing with the remnants of power.

“What... what did I just do?” I whisper, half to myself.

Aodhan swoops down, his massive dragon form casting a shadow over me, and for a split second, our eyes meet. I could see the shock mirrored in his golden eyes, the same disbelief that gripped me.

But there wasn’t time to dwell on it. Another volley of attacks came, and I gritted my teeth, focusing on the strange new power coursing through me.

I could feel it now, pulsing beneath my skin like a river of light. I didn’t know where it came from, but I could direct it.

I raised my hands again, willing the shield to form once more, and it did, shimmering brighter than before. I blocked another incoming spell, then another, my hands moving with a grace I had never known.

With Aodhan and his friends fighting fiercely in their dragon forms, and me protecting them from the wizards' magic, we were finally turning the tide of the battle. Falkor roars, sending a blast of fire toward a cluster of enemies hiding behind the rocks. Drago follows him, his flame sweeping through the forest, cutting off the wizards' retreat.

I grab the dagger at my waist, the one that had turned into a sword during our last attack, and braced myself.

One of the wizards hurls another spell at me, dark tendrils of magic snaking through the air, and I instinctively summon the shield again, blocking the attack just before it reaches me.

It was then that I realize something terrifying: I was meant for this. This magic, this power. It had always been inside me, waiting for the right moment to emerge. And now, in the midst of battle, it had found its purpose.

Suddenly, the tide shifts. The men fighting alongside the wizards begin to falter, their movements sluggish as they realize they are losing.

Aodhan and his friends pressed their advantage, cutting down the remaining attackers with swift, brutal precision. With every blast of dragon fire, with every swing of a sword, the enemy lines broke.

The last of the wizards tried to retreat, but Aodhan wasn’t letting them escape easily. He dove from the sky, flames trailing behind him like a comet, and with a final roar, he sent a wall of fire across the river, chasing the rest into the trees.

The world around us falls silent, the air thick with smoke and the acrid scent of burnt earth. My hands slowly lower, the glow fading from my fingers as the last of the enemy that hadn’t fallen, disappears into the forest.

I stand there, breathless, staring at my hands in disbelief. How had I done that? My entire body was trembling, not just from exhaustion, but from the weight of what had just happened.

Aodhan landed beside me, shifting back into his human form, his golden eyes still wide with wonder. For a moment, neither of us speak. We just stand there, the silence between us heavy with questions.

But even as the battle ended, I knew this was far from over. Whoever these wizards were, they weren’t going to stop until they had destroyed everything we were fighting for.

Aodhan looks at me, his gaze intense. “How did you do that?” he asks, his voice rough with exhaustion.

“I... I don’t know,” I admit, still staring at my hands. “I didn’t even know I could.”

He steps closer, his expression softening as he pulls me in for a kiss and I become very aware of the fact that he is completely naked. All three of them are so I keep my eyes glued to Aodhan.

“Please tell me you all have more clothes with you.” I whisper as I hear Falkor and Drago walking behind me.

They must hear what I’m saying as all of them start laughing.

“After you two get dressed and save my sweet wife’s gentle eyes, search the wounded for any we can take with us. Maybe we can get more answers from them.” Aodhan says to his friends who both immediately do as he tells them.

“I should get dressed.” He says just as I feel his cock hardening against my belly.

Arousal surges through me instantly and I feel a deep vibration in his chest.

“Are you purring?” I ask with a grin as he shakes his head at me and moves over to his horse from some fresh clothes.

“I’ll clear the bridge if you grab our horses and bring them across.” He says, ignoring my question. I giggle as he walks away, mumbling to himself and all I catch is: “I’ll show her purring later.”