Aria Blackthorn stood on the edge of the scorched plateau, her twin daggers glinting in the dying light.
The coppery scent of blood hung in the air, and her knuckles were raw from hours of combat.
Across from her, Commander Evelyn Voss—the Iron Wolf of the Eastern Empire—tightened her grip on the hilt of her longsword. Her black-and-silver armor, once pristine, was streaked with soot and blood.
The two women stared each other down, breaths ragged, limbs trembling from exhaustion. They had fought through countless battlefields, across ruined villages and bloodied meadows, leaving only wreckage in their wake. Their rivalry had grown so infamous that soldiers told ghost stories of their clashes around campfires—the rogue shadow and the iron wolf.
Now, they faced each other once more, each woman driven by hatred.
Aria’s lips curled into a sneer. "Giving up already?" she taunted, wiping blood from her cracked lip.
Evelyn spat onto the blackened ground, her piercing gray eyes flashing with defiance. "You wish."
Neither woman was willing to back down. Their feud was personal, a blade of vengeance that cut deeper than duty.
Years ago, Evelyn’s forces had razed Aria’s village, burning everything she had ever known to ash. The rogue had returned the favor by leading a merciless ambush, one that ended with Evelyn’s brother slain on a blood-soaked battlefield. Neither had ever forgiven the other.
Their blades clashed with a violent fury. Aria was swift, dancing around Evelyn with catlike agility, her daggers flashing like silver lightning. She was chaos personified, striking without pattern, without mercy. Evelyn, however, was a fortress of precision. Her longsword cut through the air with ruthless efficiency, each blow measured and deliberate, carrying the strength of years of battle-hardened discipline.
For hours, they fought—relentless, unyielding. Blood and sweat mingled with the dust of the plateau. The sun dipped below the jagged mountains, casting the battlefield in hues of amber and crimson.
But then—the ground trembled beneath their feet.
A guttural roar split the sky.
Both women turned, breath hitching in their throats. From the jagged mountain crevice emerged something neither army had anticipated.
A fire dragon.
Its scales were obsidian-black, streaked with veins of molten gold that pulsed with heat. Its eyes were twin orbs of fire, glowing with ancient wrath. The beast’s wings unfurled, casting a terrifying shadow over the battlefield, blotting out the remnants of the sun.
For the first time that day, fear flickered in Evelyn’s eyes.
"Impossible…" she whispered.
The dragon reared back, its maw opening wide. Flames surged forth in a violent cascade, reducing entire lines of soldiers to cinders. Screams of agony filled the air as men and women—both ally and enemy—fell beneath the inferno.
Without thinking, Aria tackled Evelyn, forcing her to the ground just as a wall of fire roared over them. The heat was blistering, searing their skin as they rolled behind a collapsed stone pillar. Both women gasped for air, the smoke choking their lungs.
Evelyn shoved Aria away, eyes flashing with fury. "Get your hands off me!"
"Saved your life, didn’t I?" Aria shot back, coughing against the smoke.
The dragon’s tail smashed into the ground near them, sending stone and dirt raining down. Soldiers scattered in panic, their armor melting under the dragon’s molten breath. Chaos reigned—former enemies now fled side by side, too terrified to care for allegiance.
Evelyn’s hands trembled on the hilt of her sword. She gritted her teeth. "We’ll die if we fight separately."
Aria’s green eyes narrowed. "Then we fight together."
No more words were needed. In that moment, the fiercest of enemies became allies.
Aria darted through the smoke like a shadow, moving fast and low. Her daggers flashed as she slashed at the dragon’s flank, her blades barely piercing the thick scales. The beast shrieked, its tail whipping toward her. She vaulted over the deadly appendage with seconds to spare, landing in a crouch.
Evelyn, steady and unyielding, charged the dragon head-on. Her longsword cleaved into the creature’s claw, drawing a spray of molten blood. The dragon snarled, snapping its fangs at her, but she held her ground, deflecting the talons with her shield, sparks flying with every impact.
Aria moved with deadly grace, weaving through the dragon’s attacks. She climbed onto its back, using the ridges along its spine as footholds. The dragon writhed, trying to shake her off, but she clung tightly.
"Hold it steady!" she shouted.
Evelyn planted her feet, her muscles straining as she deflected the dragon’s swipes. With a grunt, she threw her shield aside and plunged her sword into the beast’s thigh, drawing a guttural roar from the dragon.
The dragon lashed out with its tail, striking Evelyn square in the chest. She was thrown back, hitting the ground with a sickening thud. She gasped, blood trickling from her lips.
Aria’s heart slammed against her ribs. "No!" she screamed, fury igniting in her veins.
Without hesitation, she scaled the dragon’s neck, the heat of its breath scorching her face. When she reached the base of its skull, she drove both daggers deep into its spine, twisting with all her strength.
The dragon shrieked in agony, its roar shaking the earth. Evelyn, still coughing blood, forced herself to her feet. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she hurled her sword with everything she had.
The blade struck true, piercing the dragon’s throat.
The beast roared one final time before it collapsed, sending a shockwave through the ground as it fell. Its molten blood hissed against the blackened stone, and for a moment, the entire battlefield stood still.
The fighting ceased.
The surviving soldiers—bloodied and exhausted—stared in awe at the two women who had once been bitter rivals, now standing side by side over the slain dragon.
Aria limped toward Evelyn, clutching her side where a dragon’s claw had grazed her. She knelt beside her former enemy and offered her hand.
Evelyn’s gray eyes, still hard with pride, softened ever so slightly. She stared at the hand for a long moment before grasping it firmly.
"You’re a reckless fool," Evelyn muttered, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.
"You’re a bossy brute," Aria shot back, her green eyes glinting with defiance.
For the first time, they shared a laugh. A hollow, exhausted laugh that came from months of blood and fire.
Around them, their soldiers watched. Men and women who had once slaughtered each other now lowered their weapons, united in the wake of a far greater battle. The once-divided armies moved as one, helping the wounded, retrieving their dead.
Aria and Evelyn turned to face each other, no longer enemies, but something else—survivors, equals, sisters forged in fire.
And as they walked side by side through the ashes of battle, the legend of their rivalry became the legend of their unity.
Bound by fire.
