Fight them, I can almost hear Lukas and Valasca growling out at me. You can’t outrun them, so stand and fight!

Some animal nerve deep inside me springs to life. Shoving my fear aside, I grit my teeth, whip around, and draw back my arm, the translucent green aim tracks from the Wand forming in my Wyvernfire-streaked vision. With a snarl, I hurl my arm forward and release my Ash’rion blade.

A huge gust of silver-glowing wind blasts from the blade and collides with the soldiers, scattering their raised weapons as they grunt from its force, blown against the building behind them so hard they crumple to the ground.

My breath stuttering in amazement, I curl my fingers into my palm’s glamoured retrieval rune, and the Ash’rion soars through the alley, back into my hand. I pivot, ready to race away, but freeze as I take in the much larger contingent of soldiers closing in on the alley’s other end.

“Stay where you are!” the lead soldier bellows.

I stumble backward as they launch themselves toward me, unsheathing their swords with a terrifyingly uniform screech, the Wyvernfire in my lines surging to scorching heights. My skin slick with sweat, I fumble to read their magic and prepare a counterstrike as they fire up a multitude of elemental power.

Too much power.

As I realize, with debilitating certainty, that this is the end.

The whoosh of powerful wings sounds above.

My gaze snaps up, a ferocious blast of Wyvernfire aura searing down, intensely bright. Shock ignites as an Icaral swoops in and lands with his back to me, black horns arcing up from crimson hair, dark wings unfurled. He’s shirtless and spectacularly muscular, his skin covered in glowing sapphire and emerald runes.

Ancient One...

Fire leaps through my vision, obscuring his form as he pushes both of his palms out to his sides and circles them in the air. A cyclonic spiral of fire flashes to life, blasting from his hands like two prone tornados of flame, smoke and wind churning around them.

He thrusts his palms out hard and the fire-tornados launch toward the Vu Trin at both alley ends, pummeling into their fire-shielded uniforms and driving them back with stunning impact. Forcing his palms out once more, he projects more flame to form two barriers of fire.

And then he turns.

Yvan’s gold-blazing gaze locks on to mine as the full, dizzying rush of his fire bond grips hold of me.

“Yvan,” I rasp as everything in the world but him and the fire burns away.

His eyes lighting to incandescence, he surges toward me, the heat of his fire bond turning cataclysmic as he sweeps me into his arms.