The Last Breath of Fire Chapter 4

A/N: Yup, this is chapter 4. It's not a rewrite, only another chapter taking place after Lea visits the king, during Jacob's PoV (Now chapter 5), which he arrives at the inn. I wasn't really supposed to add this, but I decided to do it, as it hopefully would make more sense with all the things going on.

“Grandma, I could feel it. There was something by him, something extra-ordinary. What it was, I could not tell,” Lea told her grandmother with a low voice, almost whispering.

They were in a gigantic chamber, lightened by a dozen candles. On both sides of the room, thick stone pillars supported the weight of the ceiling. In one end of the room, a tall double door stood. Vice versa, there was big feather bed, which Lea’s grandma sat on. Next to her, Lea sat on a table with a cup of wine in one hand, with her other one behind her head, clenching to her hair.

“Are you certain of this, Eleanor?” her grandmother questioned her, filled with excitement.

“Yes, I am,” Lea replied, with her grey-blue eyes staring into her grandma’s sparkling blue ones.

She took a small sip of her wine. The sweet taste danced on her tongue. Coming from the fruity vineyards in the south, the drink was one of the most expensive wines in the realm. Her back had tired from all the horseback riding, so she had the wooden closet behind her supporting her weight.

“Eleanor, there is something you need to know. Long before the words reached Kings Hill, I had a vision. I saw Bun Baldur in ruins. I saw villages all over the Midlands and the South in flames. I saw the statues in the Path of Kings crushed to pieces. I saw the streets of Asgard full of blood. I saw death.

“Once I had recovered after the vision, I called for help. I practiced blood magic, in hope that the realm would receive its only salvation, a dragonrider,” she told her.

Lea’s mind was confused. Could Jacob be the true dragonrider?

“Do you think he is the one to save Asgard?” she asked her grandmother, furrowing her eyebrows.

Her grandma stood up and leaned over her bedroom window. “If he speaks the truth, he may be the one,” she said, studying the city from the glass. “If he is, you must guide him. Lead him to the mountain, through Bun Baldur.”

“Why should I lead him to the mountain? I will only slow us down, I can’t even fight,” she complained.

“Are you telling me you have never shot with a bow? A sword isn’t the only proper weapon in Luxterria, child.”

Lea rolled her eyes. “I am not a child. I’m a grown woman.”

Her grandmother turned against her again. “Then start acting like one, and lead him to the mountain. There is a reason you met him, and not your brother. Things happen for a reason, and this time it’s not different.”

She did not bother to reply. When she realized Lea would not answer, she fetched her cloak hanging on her closet. Her hand dug forth an oval-shaped stone with a blue stripe carved into it.

“This is an old rune from the ancient Crystaldale Keep it near all the time. May it light up your path when you have lost it. Many dangers will meet you both, not even Asgard is safe. Get out of the city as soon as you can, and remember; do not tell anyone that you are leaving.”

Lea accepted the rune, took a glance at it, and slid it through her inner pocket.

“How did you get it?” she asked her curiously.

“Oh, I am old. I know many people, both dangerous and helpful. [

“What is necessary to activate it?”

“You do not activate it. It activates itself.”

She was not so certain of this. “But what if it doesn’t activate when I need it?”

“It will. It’s a protector rune, created specially to defend the owner.”

A short moment of silence appeared, before Lea spoke again, “Alright. I’d better go see my brother; I haven’t seen him since I arrived. Thank you for the advices and the rune.”

She embraced her in a big hug. “Anything for my grandchild.” Her grandma smiled to her, and she smiled back. “Goodbye for now, and stay safe on your journey. Keep in mind; think before you act.”

She gulped down the last of her wine, and walked over to the doors. “I shall remember so,” she said and gave a little knock on the door. The guard outside opened the door for her, and she stepped out into the hallway.

Whoever had built Asgard’s castle, they had done a wonderful job. The hallways had arcs of decorated stone in a certain pattern throughout the path. Equal to the stone in the hallway, the doors also had a curve shape.

She thought Jacob were probably going towards the inn now, so she would have to hurry. On her way to her brother’s room, she met the Master of Arms, Sir Ashley.

“Princess!” he called at her and bowed. “I heard of your return from Kings Hill! Welcome back!”

She overwhelmed the old man with a tight hug. “Call me Lea. Things have not changed that much. I am still the same Lea as I was when I left Asgard so long ago,” she told, smiling at him.

“Well, you seem to have changed a lot during these five years. It’s a pity I couldn’t meet you during your last vis-“ he coughed to the side. “Visit. I have a little cold going on. Anyway, is it something I can help you with?”

“I’m just heading to see my brother, thanks.”

“Oh, your brother? He is out riding with Richard. He won’t return for any time soon,” he told her.

“I understand. Thanks for telling me.”

“You’re welcome!”

“I will be heading downwards to the city then. Would you be so kind to tell my brother of me as soon as he returns?”

He gave her a short nod and kept on walking.

A little further ahead, she arrived at the entrance leading to the inner courtyard. There were four ways in to the small courtyard, each from east, south, west and north. The stone path kept on leading through the courtyard in a cross-shape with a fountain in the centre.

She could both see and hear the water running out from the mouth of a dragon statue, as if the dragon was spitting fire. Lea thought it was pretty ironic with water coming out from it. The stone fountain was the thing she liked the most by the courtyard.

Since there was no roof above it, there were also flowers and plants growing inside. In every corner, there was a carpet of flowers with different colours, each representing the dragonfire of the major cities and castles. Ice blue flowers for Burumstone Castle, deep orange for the city Orilion, dark-raspberry for the ancient Crystaldale, and at last, crimson-red for Asgard.

Along the grey walls, tangled vines hung in a thick layer across the surface. Lea couldn’t quite recon it being there last time she visited the city. Of course, things change, she had as well. She realized how much she missed Kings Hill. The garden back there was probably thrice the size of Asgard’s.

The days lasted longer over there, giving the opportunity to grow the juiciest oranges and sweetest peaches of the realm. Whenever she wanted, she could go and grab as many as she’d like. The thought of the fruits nearly made her drool for a moment.

Back to reality, Lea reminded herself that she had to hurry to meet Jacob. For all she knew, he’d might there already, waiting for her.

And so, she started walking towards the exit of the castle in a fast pace.

'Crystaldale' and 'Bun Baldur' is the new/temp. names for 'Runeterra' and 'Grim Batol', in case you got confused.