Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1520 - 119 : No North Star

*Axureon*

It had been a long time since my stomach churned with so much anxiety, while my mind honed sharp as a dagger due to my sense of purpose. If someone had told me a year ago that I would be assisting Pyroth’s progeny and their mother from the sanctuary of our dragon community across Egoren, I would’ve laughed in their face and probably blown smoke into it too.

But now I was escorting Keelana and her children through the perilous mountain passes to the sanctuary. The cross winds alone could have pitched a dragon stronger than myself into razor-sharp crags, and that wasn’t even the worst of it.

I couldn’t lie. At first, I was lamenting it, regretting how I managed to get her and myself into this mess. If only we could’ve stopped Pryoth before he crossed realms. If only we had been smarter and worked harder.

But then I realized there was no point in beating myself up over the past. This was the outcome of our choices. With some twists of fate here and there, we had to face it head-on. I straightened my posture and entered the heart of the dragon sanctuary where Keelana was waiting with her children.

My chest puffed out in pride for being the one trusted with this monumentally important task. Maybe it made me a self-centered individual, but I felt much better having someone rely on me to keep them safe and be their guide and protector. It made me feel important and not like I was slowly becoming less and less relevant.

“Axureon, we’re ready.” She stood up from the chair she was seated in. Her children sat on the floor next to her, their eyes big and mouths tight and small.

They looked scared but were trying to be so brave.

I looked around them for any travel bags or satchels.

“We didn’t pack anything,” she told me. “We knew that any extra weight could cause us to lose maybe our only advantage, speed.” The warm-hearted mother motioned for them to stand up. “I told them that once we got to our new home, we’d find so many new wonderful things that we wouldn’t even remember all our old things, right loves?”

“Yes, Mama!” they chorused, and my heart melted.

These poor children never asked for this, and neither did Keelana. I wondered why it was always the innocent ones who suffered the most.

“Right, of course, where you’re all going, you’ll be amazed at what you’ll find there. It’s a wonderful haven of happiness and light where you can be whatever you want and go wherever you please,” I reassured them. Their big doe eyes sparkled.

I had to hide my sorrow for them believing they could thrive in a new sanctuary, even though I truly wasn’t sure what lay ahead.

“See? Master Axureon agrees with your mother.” Keelana smiled, and it even reached her eyes.

She turned to me, her expression more serious.

“It’s time, isn’t it, Axureon?” Keelana asked. I nodded.

Adrenaline sparked through my bloodstream as I motioned to the exit.

One of the children yawned. Even though it was the dead of night, Keelana clapped her hands together.

“Now children, remember what I said? This is a game, okay? No matter what, you can’t let Sir Axureon catch up to you. If we can reach the location before he does, you will all get a prize.” Keelana slipped on a cheerful mask. I caught on immediately.

The plan was for me to bring up the rear and look out for trouble from behind, so the story she told her children made a lot of sense.

She really was a wonderful mother.

“Yes, children. You can’t let big bad Axureon catch you.” I smiled making hand gestures, and they giggled and shrieked in delight.

“You can’t catch us!” The boy stuck out his tongue, and I laughed deeply.

“Well, we will see...” I winked. the children got up and raced to the doorway.

“Mom, Mom, Mama, we’re ready, can we go, can we go please can we go?!” they both chanted and asked. Keelana sighed and nodded.

“Yes, but remember, if you fly ahead of me or start before I say go, you won’t get your prize.” Keelana moved past her children and out into the mouth of the labyrinthian tunnel.

“I’m ready,” I affirmed, locking eyes with Keelana and turning into my regal dragon form.

“Now loves, ready,” Keelana began to shift, “set...” Her children began to turn into their little dragon forms. “Go!”

Keelana took off down the dark tunnel lit with sconces. Her children darted after her like little sparrows after a hawk. I unfurled my giant wings and flapped after them after a second or two. As a group, we coursed through the twists and turns of the dark tunnels we had long ago memorized.

I could literally do it with my eyes closed, but I kept my eyes on the children and Keelana. It was as if I stopped watching them, they would disappear. After the eighth turn, Keelana flew straight up through the hidden entryway into the crisp night sky.

Her children followed quickly behind her. I launched myself in the air and spun around to conduct a quick scan. I remembered how my talk with Saoirse went and recalled how she told us that the palace of Egoren had arranged for the safe exile of Keelana and her children in the Light Realm.

Sensing no immediate danger, I took a moment to stare up into the heavens twinkling above us. The lack of light and clouds made every star and other heavenly body twinkle and shimmer. It was breathtaking. The fact that there was a new moon also made every star stand out as important.

There was an old legend that said every star in the sky was a living thing. When they all could shine their best, the entire night sky gleamed. I knew that the stars above us were shining for us, lighting our way to freedom for Keelana and her family.

“It’s time for you all to get to your new home,” I said to myself as we began to fly toward the mountain range in the distance that promised freedom.

The mother and her children flew in front of me without looking back. While it was awful that it came to fleeing this territory for them to seek safety and shelter far from the reach of Pyroth and his armies, we were doing so with our heads held high and hearts stout and brave.

However, my senses remained on high alert for any sign of danger or pursuit. Saiorse had told us that King Rhys had battled with Pyroth’s forces earlier that day. I hoped that while his forces were laying low in retreat, it would provide a good opening for Keelana and her children to make their escape.

It was then I noticed that the young dragons had perhaps sensed the gravity of the situation they were in. They began to look back and also toward the sides as they neared the mountains and the winds picked up speed. They still kept up their pace between their mother and myself.

The winds grew stronger, and the clouds began to close in, shrouding the stars beyond them. In the distance, thunder rumbled between the peaks of the mountains. I refused to allow myself to be shaken by this weather development.

Tempests gathered in these mountains frequently. It was nothing to get superstitious about or see as a bad omen. I would not give credence to it being bad luck or signaling doom or despair as they neared the edge of the forest sanctuary.

A tingle of caution still raced up my spine and rankled my scales at the sudden pressure drop in the air. I had the feeling that someone was watching us, but my dragon senses picked up nothing, not even an owl in the air.

As we made our way toward the edge of the sanctuary, my mind raced with thoughts of the future and the uncertain path that lay ahead for Keelana and her precocious offspring. Once we left the sanctuary, the mountain passes would be fraught with dangers like rockslides.

I would have to follow more closely to help usher them through the countless challenges or help redirect any lightning that crooked through the sky with my magic.

A web of lightning spidered out from the clouds near the closest mountain peak, spooking the children.

“It’s okay! The lightning won’t hurt you!” I roared as I urged myself closer to the soaring Keelana.

This journey was not right for children, but with countless hours of planning and tactics, taking the most direct route gave them the best chance of success. Even Saoirse agreed that the path we chose could see them break free and live a wonderful life free from the shadowy clutches of their father’s madness.

“This storm is getting worse, but we can brave it!” Keelana called back in her dragon form. As if on queue, we were all blown harshly to the side by a strong gust of crosswind.

I dove forward, catching her daughter before she struck an outcrop of rock and guided her back toward the path. We needed to climb higher to avoid these crosswinds, but the air would be thinner. It was going to be harder to fly faster.

As we ascended further into the sky, Keelana’s and her children’s wings began to pump harder and faster to keep up the pace. I could see how exhaustion was overtaking them, but they kept going. I wouldn’t have been that tough at that age.

It was frustrating that all this trouble was happening before we even exited the sanctuary.

Even I started to pant in the thin air as we neared the storm clouds.

A massive whip-crack of thunder peeled in front of us, startling Keelana. I roared at them to keep going. It was possible that if we kept this pace, we could get to the Light Realm before the worst of the storm rained down upon us.

The icy patter of rain splashed against our scales and leathery wings. The children began to slow their pace and called out crying about their wet wings.

“Just a little further! Remember, the faster we get there, the better the prize!” Keelana called out, nearly breathless from in front. Her children accelerated again.

I couldn’t help but feel bad for the little ones as we neared the sanctuary’s border, but they were almost home-free.

My heart skipped a beat when a sudden low sound like a runaway freight train rushing past came from above and behind me. My head snapped up, and my slit pupils widened in absolute horror as an enormous looming silhouette descended from above like a dark devil.

The unmistakable silhouette of Pyroth himself circled high above them and let loose a mighty, bone-rattling roar. The blood in my veins ran ice cold like the rain that continued to pelt us, but I didn’t hesitate.

"Go into the clouds!" I roared, my eyes blazing fierce and bright. "I will hold him off and give you time to escape! Whatever you do, don’t look back!"

I let loose my own deep roar at Keelana, urging them forward into the clouds to give them some cover against Pyroth.

“Come with us!” Keelana craned her neck back, beckoning me. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

“Absolutely not! Obey my command, Keelana!” I barked back.

I knew my words were harsh, but I had to do what was necessary for her to understand that my word was absolute.

Keelana, her eyes filled with tears of gratitude and sorrow, nodded once before guiding her children into the clouds.

I watched them go, my heart heavy as lead as I twisted through the air to face Pyroth. There was no way I could win a one-on-one battle against Pyroth, but I could slow down that psychopathic warlord.

It was time for the sacrifice that fate had promised.