Lady Pyrrhagon
The dragon descended.
"So..." Luto said between breaths as he sprinted across the volcanic basin. "Hypothetically speaking..."
Another deafening roar exploded overhead.
"...I know my brother looks like he'd be chewy—"
"HEY!"
"—but he's got way more muscle than I do!" Luto yelled toward the dragon without looking back. "He's basically walking protein! Very filling! You should definitely eat him!"
Ryu gasped dramatically.
"LUTO!"
"What?"
"You traitor!"
"My survival instincts are simply superior!"
Ryu pointed accusingly while still running.
"Don't listen to him!"
The dragon banked lower.
"If anyone's worth eating it's the guy with the ponytail!"
Luto looked offended.
"My ponytail is majestic!"
"It looks like a lava plant!"
"It has structure!"
"It has split ends!"
"I TAKE CARE OF IT!"
"You literally electrocuted it yesterday!"
"THAT WAS ONE TIME!"
The dragon roared again.
Closer.
Much closer.
Ryu looked over his shoulder.
"...It's still chasing us!"
Luto glanced back.
"...Correction."
He immediately pointed.
"It's chasing you."
He slowed down ever so slightly.
A grin spread across his face.
"Oh thank the stars."
Ryu stared in disbelief.
"You're celebrating?!"
"I am expressing gratitude."
"You sold me out!"
"You volunteered yourself."
"I DID NO SUCH THING!"
The shadow swallowed them.
Both instinctively looked up.
"Oh no..."
"Oh yes," Luto answered cheerfully.
The dragon landed.
The impact shook the entire valley.
BOOOOOM!
A hurricane of ash and burning wind blasted outward.
Ryu barely had time to react.
A massive crimson blur lunged forward—
"AAAAAAAH!"
—and pinned him flat against the ground beneath two enormous forelegs.
Dust exploded everywhere.
Luto skidded to a stop several dozen meters away.
"...Well..."
He folded his arms.
"This is certainly unfortunate."
Ryu struggled helplessly beneath the dragon's immense weight.
"I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!"
The dragon lowered her massive head.
"I DON'T EVEN TASTE GOOD!"
Golden eyes studied him.
"I'M MOSTLY STUBBORNNESS!"
Her mouth slowly opened.
"Oh stars..."
Ryu squeezed his eyes shut.
"I DON'T WANNA BE DRAGON FOOD!"
Something warm touched his face.
...
...
Lick.
Ryu blinked.
"...Huh?"
Another one.
Lick.
His hair stood on end from the dragon's rough tongue.
"...Wait..."
The enormous dragon gave an affectionate rumble before rubbing her snout against him with enough enthusiasm to slide both of them several feet across the ground.
"Whoa—!"
Ryu burst into laughter.
"HAHAHA—HEY!"
She nudged him again.
And again.
Her massive tail swept happily across the basin behind her.
Luto stared.
"..."
"...You've got to be kidding me."
The dragon settled comfortably onto the ground.
Keeping Ryu securely trapped beneath her forelegs.
Almost...
Protectively.
She lowered her enormous head again.
Rubbing the side of her face against him like an oversized housecat.
Ryu laughed so hard he could barely breathe.
"She's tickling me!"
Another affectionate rumble echoed through her chest.
Luto slowly walked over.
Hands in his pockets.
Looking entirely unimpressed.
"...You know..."
He stopped beside them.
"I was fully prepared to avenge you."
Ryu snorted.
"Were you?"
"No."
Luto shrugged.
"But it sounded heroic."
The dragon looked toward Luto.
Then back at Ryu.
Almost smugly.
"Oh don't give me that look," Luto said.
"I supported this relationship from the beginning."
Ryu pointed at him from beneath the dragon.
"Liar!"
"I distinctly remember you encouraging her to eat me."
"I was negotiating."
"You were bargaining with my life!"
"It seemed efficient."
Ryu laughed again as the dragon rubbed her nose against him once more.
"You are the worst brother."
"So I've been told."
Heavy footsteps approached.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
Vulkhar.
The Keeper's expression had completely changed.
Gone was the imposing guardian who had demanded they prove themselves.
In his place stood someone who looked...
Almost embarrassed.
Luto immediately stepped in front of Ryu.
Nulvyr formed instinctively in his hand.
The dragon lifted her head as well.
Golden eyes calmly following Vulkhar's approach.
The giant stopped several paces away.
Then...
To both brothers' complete surprise—
He bowed.
"My apologies."
Luto blinked.
"...What?"
Vulkhar let out a slow breath.
"It appears Lady Pyrrhagon has taken quite a liking to you."
Silence.
Ryu looked up.
"...Lady... who?"
Luto glanced between the dragon and Vulkhar.
"...Who's Lady Pyrrhagon?"
The Keeper looked genuinely confused.
He slowly pointed toward the enormous crimson dragon currently pinning Ryu to the ground.
"...Her."
Both brothers looked at the dragon.
Then back at Vulkhar.
Then at the dragon again.
"...Her name is Lady Pyrrhagon?" Ryu asked.
The dragon gave a proud rumble.
Vulkhar nodded.
"Lady Pyrrhagon."
He placed a fist over his chest respectfully.
"Closest companion to Lord Ignovar."
The brothers froze.
Ryu slowly looked back at the dragon.
Then awkwardly reached up and patted her enormous snout.
"...So..."
He smiled nervously.
"...I've been using the Sovereign's best friend as a pillow."
Lady Pyrrhagon responded by happily pressing her entire face against him again.
Luto pinched the bridge of his nose.
"...Of course you have."
"I don't think she's letting me leave."
"I noticed."
"...Can you help?"
Luto looked at the dragon.
The dragon looked back.
Without breaking eye contact—
She gently tightened one foreleg around Ryu.
Luto nodded thoughtfully.
"...No."
"You're on your own."
"YOU ARE A TERRIBLE BROTHER!"
"I've been told that already."
Even Vulkhar couldn't suppress the faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
It had been centuries...
Since Lady Pyrrhagon had greeted anyone like this.
Where the Fire Blooms
Wind roared around them.
Far above the burning peaks, Lady Pyrrhagon soared through the crimson sky with her enormous wings spread wide.
Each beat sent waves of heated air rolling across the mountains below.
Ryu sat near the base of her neck, leaning from one side to the other as he tried to look at everything at once.
Luto sat several feet behind him.
Much straighter.
Much quieter.
And holding onto one of Pyrrhagon's scales far more tightly than he would ever admit.
Below them, the Fyr Domain remained as violent as ever.
Fire tornadoes carved glowing paths across the plains.
Lava geysers erupted between jagged mountains.
Ashstriders raced through clouds of embers while enormous reptilian beasts rested beside rivers of molten stone.
Ryu stared down at it all.
Then turned toward Luto with an expression of genuine confusion.
"How does anyone live here?"
Luto looked at him.
"What?"
"Here."
Ryu gestured broadly toward the inferno beneath them.
"Where do they sleep?"
He pointed toward an erupting volcano.
"Where do they eat?"
Another geyser burst from the ground.
"Where do they go when that happens?"
Luto stared at him.
"Probably somewhere else."
"But where is somewhere else?"
"I don't know."
"Do their houses melt?"
"Ryu."
"Do they even have houses?"
"Ryu."
"What if everyone just lives inside the volcanoes?"
Luto sighed.
"I am considerably more concerned about what Vulkhar meant."
Ryu blinked.
"When?"
"Before we left."
The words returned to Luto as clearly as if Vulkhar were still standing before them.
Only moments earlier—
Lady Pyrrhagon had remained sprawled across the basin with Ryu nestled comfortably between her forelegs.
Vulkhar stood nearby, having finally recovered what remained of his imposing dignity.
"The Palace of Scorching Vow lies beyond several more peaks," he explained. "The journey on foot would take considerable time."
Ryu had barely been listening.
Lady Pyrrhagon lowered one of her wings and nudged him toward it with her snout.
He looked at her.
Then at the wing.
Then back at her.
"You want me to climb on?"
She responded with an eager rumble.
Ryu's eyes widened.
"Absolutely."
Before Vulkhar could object, Ryu climbed along her wing and settled onto the dragon's back.
Lady Pyrrhagon seemed entirely pleased with the arrangement.
Luto approached next.
She turned her head.
And stared at him.
Luto stopped.
"...What?"
Pyrrhagon continued staring.
Ryu leaned over from above.
"I don't think she likes you."
"She likes me."
The dragon released a low, doubtful rumble.
Luto frowned.
"That sounded unnecessarily judgmental."
"Try asking nicely."
"I don't ask transportation nicely."
Pyrrhagon began folding her wing.
"Wait."
Luto exhaled through his nose.
Then forced something resembling a pleasant expression.
"Lady Pyrrhagon."
The dragon watched him expectantly.
"...Would you kindly permit me to ride upon your back?"
Nothing happened.
Luto's eye twitched.
Ryu covered his mouth, failing to hide his laughter.
Luto tried again.
"Please."
Lady Pyrrhagon immediately lowered her wing.
Ryu burst out laughing.
"You made him say please!"
Luto climbed onto her back.
"Not another word."
Ryu looked toward Vulkhar.
"You coming?"
The Keeper recoiled as though Ryu had proposed an unforgivable crime.
"I would never disrespect Lady Pyrrhagon in such a manner."
Both brothers looked down at him.
Vulkhar placed one fist over his chest.
"Only the Sovereign has ever been permitted to ride upon her."
Silence.
Ryu slowly looked beneath himself.
Luto did the same.
Lady Pyrrhagon gave a satisfied rumble.
Ryu patted one of her scales.
"...Guess she really likes us."
"She likes you," Luto corrected.
"I was forced to apologize for existing."
Vulkhar continued staring at the dragon with open disbelief.
"If Lady Pyrrhagon has offered to carry you, then she will take you directly to the palace."
Luto's attention sharpened.
"Will we be able to speak with Ignovar?"
Vulkhar paused.
For just a moment.
Then his molten eyes settled on the brothers.
"You will see."
Luto frowned.
That was not an answer.
Before he could press further, Vulkhar stepped back.
"May the living flame guide your passage."
Lady Pyrrhagon spread her wings.
The force nearly threw Luto from her back.
Then she launched into the sky.
The memory faded.
Once again, only the roar of wind surrounded them.
Luto stared toward the horizon.
"You will see."
Ryu glanced back at him.
"That's what's bothering you?"
"It was how he said it."
"Maybe he's dramatic."
"He is dramatic."
"Exactly."
"He also seemed surprised that she allowed us to ride her."
Ryu shrugged and stroked one of Pyrrhagon's crimson scales.
"She has excellent taste."
Lady Pyrrhagon rumbled in agreement.
Luto frowned.
"Don't encourage him."
The dragon rumbled louder.
Ryu laughed.
Then something ahead caught his attention.
His smile faded into wonder.
"Luto."
"I'm thinking."
"Luto."
"What?"
"Look."
They passed beyond the final burning peak.
And the Fyr Domain transformed.
The ash vanished first.
Then the jagged volcanic wasteland opened into an immense valley hidden between the mountains.
Green stretched across the land below.
Not the faint, struggling green of life barely surviving—
But endless, vibrant color.
Forests of towering scarlet-leafed trees surrounded crystalline rivers illuminated by golden light. Vast fields of flowers shimmered in shades of amber, violet, and deep blue, their petals opening whenever sparks drifted across them.
Waterfalls poured from the cliffs.
Some carried ordinary water.
Others flowed like ribbons of harmless liquid flame, winding through the valley beside them.
Mortals filled the roads.
Terrans—people whose familiar faces and varied shades of brown reminded the brothers strangely of themselves, though neither yet knew the name's ancient history.
Elves.
Beastfolk.
Horned races neither brother recognized.
Winged travelers drifted between elevated bridges while merchants guided enormous burden-beasts through crowded streets.
Cities had been built into the valleys and mountainsides.
Homes of dark stone and bronze rose between gardens of fire-resistant flora. Towers curved around the natural shape of the land rather than cutting through it.
Children raced through plazas.
Craftsmen worked beside open furnaces.
Music drifted upward from the streets.
The outer Fyr Domain had been a furnace.
This was its heart.
Protected by the very dangers they had crossed.
Ryu stared without blinking.
Luto slowly leaned forward.
For once, neither had a joke.
Ryu finally whispered—
"So that's where everyone lives."
Luto looked across the hidden civilization.
"There's your answer."
Lady Pyrrhagon glided lower.
People beneath them began looking upward.
Several waved.
Others bowed their heads respectfully as the great crimson dragon passed overhead.
Ryu immediately waved back with both arms.
Luto grabbed the back of his clothing before he could fall.
"Sit down."
"They're waving!"
"You can wave without throwing yourself from a dragon."
"No fun."
Then a shadow appeared across the valley.
Not from Pyrrhagon.
Something far greater stood beyond the cities.
The Palace of Scorching Vow.
It rose from the highest mountain overlooking the entire inhabited region.
A monolith carved from fire-kissed obsidian.
Its immense foundation appeared fused directly into the peak, while countless towers spiraled toward the clouds like volcanic spears.
Molten light flowed through channels carved across its walls.
Bridges of black stone connected its many sections above open rivers of fire. Massive banners hung from the highest towers, each bearing a symbol resembling a crown within an eternal flame.
The palace didn't merely overlook the valley.
It guarded it.
Ryu's eyes widened.
"Whoa..."
Even Luto could find nothing to criticize.
Lady Pyrrhagon angled toward the palace.
Its towers grew larger with every beat of her wings.
Ryu continued staring.
At the city.
At the gardens.
At the molten waterfalls.
At the impossible palace piercing the sky.
The amazement slowly left his face.
His voice became quiet.
"...Onyx would've loved this."
Luto's expression hardened instantly.
Not in anger.
In refusal.
"We'll come back with him."
Ryu looked over his shoulder.
Luto met his gaze without hesitation.
"We'll bring him here."
No doubt.
No room for another outcome.
The words settled between them.
Ryu looked back toward the Palace of Scorching Vow.
Then nodded.
Lady Pyrrhagon released a low rumble.
Softer than before.
Almost understanding.
Neither brother spoke again.
Together, they flew over the hidden heart of the Fyr Domain.
Toward the palace.
The Empty Throne
Lady Pyrrhagon descended toward the Palace of Scorching Vow.
The closer they came, the larger the structure became.
What had seemed like towers from a distance now resembled mountains forged into spears. Bridges stretched between them above rivers of molten fire, while enormous statues of armored figures stood guard along the palace walls.
Pyrrhagon folded her wings.
Then dropped.
Ryu immediately grabbed the nearest scale.
"Little warning!"
Luto tightened his grip behind him.
"She did warn us."
"When?"
"She stopped flapping."
"That is not a warning!"
Lady Pyrrhagon struck the palace landing grounds.
BOOM.
The impact sent a wave of ash and heated wind across the immense courtyard.
Neither brother moved for several seconds.
Then Ryu slowly sat upright.
"...Smooth."
Luto glared at the back of his head.
"You nearly flew off."
"But I didn't."
"Because I grabbed you."
"Exactly. Smooth."
Lady Pyrrhagon began walking.
Ryu blinked.
Then looked toward the edge of her back.
The ground was still several stories beneath them.
"Uh..."
Pyrrhagon continued toward the palace.
"Are we getting off?"
No response.
Ryu patted one of her scales.
"Lady Pyrrhagon?"
The dragon gave a low rumble.
Then kept walking.
Luto looked around.
"Perhaps she intends to carry us inside."
"Can she fit?"
The main palace gates towered above even Pyrrhagon.
Luto stared at them.
"...Yes."
"Right."
Ryu shifted toward the dragon's side.
Pyrrhagon immediately lifted one wing, blocking him.
He stopped.
"Okay."
He slowly moved back.
"That was very clear."
Luto attempted the other side.
Her tail curved around and gently pressed him back into place.
Luto looked down at it.
Then toward the dragon's head.
"We are capable of walking."
Pyrrhagon released another rumble.
This one sounded almost dismissive.
Ryu grinned.
"She doesn't trust you."
"She is currently refusing to let either of us leave."
"Mostly you."
"You are sitting beside me."
"By choice."
Luto's eyes narrowed.
"You were screaming about becoming dragon food less than an hour ago."
"People change."
Before Luto could answer—
The gates of the Palace of Scorching Vow groaned open.
The sound rolled through the courtyard like distant thunder.
Beyond them waited a corridor of molten gold and colossal basalt pillars.
Sigils covered every surface.
They pulsed slowly beneath the stone.
Not randomly.
Rhythmically.
Like heartbeats.
Lady Pyrrhagon stepped through the threshold.
The brothers fell silent.
Rivers of lava flowed beneath translucent glass floors, casting a deep reddish glow upward across the hall. Every movement sent their reflections shifting over the polished surface below.
The air crackled.
Not with heat alone.
With age.
With memory.
With history.
They passed beneath archways carved from star-fused stone.
Ancient scars covered their surfaces.
Some were clean cuts.
Others were deep impact craters that no one had attempted to repair.
Relics of wars fought long before either brother had been born.
Flame-fed braziers floated in the air between the pillars, drifting soundlessly as Pyrrhagon moved beneath them.
Their light illuminated murals stretching across the walls.
Titans stood locked in battle with gods.
Armies burned beneath fractured skies.
Warriors wielded weapons carved from the cores of dead suns.
One mural depicted an enormous dragon wrapped around a collapsing star while a lone figure stood upon its head, spear raised against an army of winged beings.
Ryu leaned sideways to see it more clearly.
"Is that her?"
Luto studied the crimson dragon painted across the wall.
"It might be."
Ryu looked down at Pyrrhagon.
"You've been busy."
She gave a proud rumble.
Luto frowned at another mural.
Several figures had been deliberately scratched away.
Not damaged by time.
Removed.
He opened his mouth to mention it.
Then stopped.
Lady Pyrrhagon had turned into another hall.
Their journey continued deeper into the palace.
No servants approached.
No guards challenged them.
They passed entire corridors without seeing another soul.
Only their movement disturbed the silence.
Pyrrhagon's claws struck the glass floor.
Slow.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
Clack.
Clack.
Clack.
Ryu looked around.
"This place is empty."
"Not empty," Luto replied.
"Quiet."
"That's worse."
"I agree."
At last—
The corridor widened.
Lady Pyrrhagon entered the palace's central chamber.
The space was enormous.
A domed ceiling disappeared into darkness far overhead. Rings of molten light rotated slowly through the air, resembling miniature suns orbiting an invisible center.
Basalt columns surrounded the chamber.
Each bore the carved name of a battle, a world, or a fallen warrior.
At the far end—
A throne waited.
It had been sculpted from the skull of a long-extinct flame wyrm.
Its massive fangs curved around the seat, while veins of molten gold ran through the ancient bone. The creature's empty eye sockets still glowed with a faint internal fire.
But the throne itself was empty.
Lady Pyrrhagon finally lowered one wing.
Ryu looked down at it.
Then at Luto.
"Permission granted."
Luto dismounted first.
"Try not to fall."
Ryu slid down immediately after him.
"I never fall."
"You fell off a mountain yesterday."
"The mountain moved."
"It erupted."
"Exactly."
Once both brothers were on the floor, Lady Pyrrhagon crossed the chamber.
She approached the throne.
For a moment, Ryu expected her to sit beside it.
Instead—
She turned in a slow circle.
Then lowered herself near its base.
Her enormous body curled protectively around one side of the empty seat.
Ryu stared.
Luto studied the chamber.
Neither saw Ignovar.
No guards.
No attendants.
No Sovereign.
Only the dragon.
The throne.
And silence.
Ryu whispered—
"Did she bring us to the wrong room?"
"Dragons do not accidentally enter throne rooms."
"Maybe she forgot he wasn't here."
Luto looked at him.
"She remembered how to make me say please."
"Good point."
Ryu stepped closer to the throne.
"Ignovar?"
His voice echoed across the chamber.
No answer.
He cupped his hands around his mouth.
"Lord Ignovar?"
Still nothing.
Luto's unease returned.
Vulkhar's words repeated in his mind.
You will see.
He turned slowly.
"Something isn't right."
Ryu glanced toward Pyrrhagon.
"Maybe we're supposed to wait."
"For how long?"
"I don't know."
Ryu looked toward the empty throne again.
"Maybe he's invisible."
"He's the Fire Sovereign."
"Invisible fire exists."
"That is not—"
A calm voice interrupted him.
"Unfortunately for you two..."
Both brothers froze.
"...Lord Ignovar isn't here."
Ryu and Luto turned instantly.
They had not been alone.
Across the chamber, between two basalt pillars, sat a towering woman.
She rested upon a raised stone platform, legs crossed beneath her in a meditative position.
She had been so still that they had mistaken her for part of the architecture.
Her hair rose behind her like solar flares.
Not merely colored like flame—
Burning.
Golden-orange strands drifted upward without wind, shedding sparks that vanished before touching the floor.
Blackened steel armor covered her powerful frame.
The metal was scorched and fractured in places, as though it had survived fires hot enough to melt worlds. A long cloak of deep crimson rested behind her, its edges smoldering without being consumed.
Her eyes opened.
Brilliant gold.
Focused directly upon them.
Ryu's body instinctively moved into a fighting stance.
Nulvyr flashed into Luto's grip.
The woman did not react.
She remained seated.
Calm.
Unthreatened.
Lady Pyrrhagon released a quiet rumble from beside the throne.
Not a warning.
A greeting.
The woman's gaze moved briefly toward the dragon.
Then returned to the brothers.
"You crossed the Burning Peaks."
Her voice filled the chamber without rising.
"Survived Vulkhar's test."
Her eyes paused on Luto.
"Restrained yourselves enough to remain hidden."
Then shifted toward Ryu.
"And somehow earned Lady Pyrrhagon's affection."
Ryu slowly lowered his hand.
"...Who are you?"
The woman unfolded from her meditative posture.
Even before fully standing, she seemed enormous.
When she rose to her feet—
She towered over both brothers.
Solar hair flared behind her.
The molten rings above the chamber brightened in response.
She looked toward the empty throne.
Then back at them.
"Someone entrusted with this palace in its master's absence."
Luto tightened his grip on Nulvyr.
"Where is Ignovar?"
For the first time—
The woman's expression changed.
Only slightly.
But enough.
"His whereabouts are of no concern to you..."
She said.
"..because the Sovereign was expecting you."
The Name He Already Knew
"...The Sovereign was expecting you."
The words lingered in the chamber.
Neither brother spoke.
Ryu was the first to recover.
"...What?"
He took an uncertain step forward.
"What do you mean he was expecting us?"
Luto followed immediately.
"Where is he?"
"When did he learn about us?"
"Who told him we were coming?"
The questions came one after another.
Calm.
Measured.
But carrying an urgency neither brother could hide.
The woman simply looked at them.
Then sighed.
"...It is considered rude."
Her tone remained perfectly flat.
"...to question someone when you do not even know their name."
Silence.
"...Ryu."
The younger brother froze.
"...Huh?"
"I was speaking to you."
Ryu slowly pointed at himself.
"...How do you know my—"
"Luto."
She shifted her gaze.
"I would advise your brother to breathe before he asks another twelve questions."
Luto's expression tightened.
He hadn't introduced himself either.
The room suddenly felt much quieter.
Lady Pyrrhagon merely rested her head upon the stone, watching the exchange with sleepy amusement.
The woman finally stepped away from the platform.
"My name is Seravynn Pyrelash."
She placed one armored fist over her chest.
"First Flamekeeper."
"Right Hand to Sovereign Ignovar."
"And the acting steward of the Palace of Scorching Vow in his absence."
The title alone was enough to make both brothers straighten instinctively.
Ryu rubbed the back of his neck.
"...Sorry."
Luto gave a respectful nod.
"Our apologies, Lady Seravynn."
She inclined her head ever so slightly.
"Accepted."
Ryu took another cautious step.
"...So..."
"...How do you know us?"
Luto nodded.
"And how long have you known about us?"
Seravynn studied them for a long moment before answering.
"There is only one thing I value above strength."
She began walking slowly around the chamber.
"The multiverse is full of beings who hunger."
She passed beneath one of the floating braziers.
"Some hunger for wealth."
"Others seek ancient weapons."
"Immortality."
"Technology."
"Influence."
She stopped beside one of the murals depicting an ancient war.
"I hunger for information."
Her golden eyes reflected the firelight.
"Every secret."
"Every rumor."
"Every truth."
"And every lie."
Luto frowned.
"...What exactly does that have to do with us?"
Ryu, surprisingly, remained completely silent.
Listening.
Seravynn noticed.
"This..."
She said quietly.
"...is the multiverse you have chosen to walk."
She turned toward them.
"It is populated by thieves who smile."
"Murderers who preach justice."
"Kings who purchase loyalty."
"Daredevils who would sell their own comrades."
"And what I call..."
She paused.
"...the Blinded Divine."
"The devoted."
"The unquestioning."
"Those who believe that obedience itself is virtue."
Her expression never changed.
"My responsibility is singular."
She rested a hand against the hilt of the blade at her side.
"To ensure that no harm ever reaches my master."
"Not from mortals."
"Not from Sovereigns."
"Not even from the Divine themselves."
"If information grants me that certainty..."
"I will gather every piece of it."
The chamber fell silent again.
Seravynn looked directly at Ryu.
"A few years ago..."
"...Lord Ignovar spoke of two brothers."
Her gaze shifted to Luto.
"One carried impossible flame."
"The other with a mind far older than his years."
"When he told me of you..."
"I investigated."
"Everything."
She said it so casually that it almost didn't register.
Ryu blinked.
"...Everything?"
"Everything."
Luto's fingers unconsciously tightened around Nulvyr.
"...You..."
"...You've been watching us?"
"Not exactly, but I have."
Ryu stared at her.
"...That's..."
"...Really creepy."
Luto shot him a look.
"Ryu."
"What?"
"It is."
To their surprise—
The corner of Seravynn's mouth lifted.
Barely.
"I've been called worse."
Her expression returned to normal almost instantly.
"If Lady Pyrrhagon had not accepted you..."
She looked toward the dragon.
"...I would have tested your resolve myself."
Ryu scratched his cheek.
"...Like..."
"...A duel?"
"A fight."
She answered plainly.
"To the death."
Silence.
Ryu slowly looked toward Luto.
Luto slowly looked back.
Neither doubted for a second that she meant every word.
"...Good thing she likes me."
Lady Pyrrhagon gave an approving rumble.
"...Apparently."
Luto muttered.
Ryu looked back toward Seravynn.
One question had remained at the front of his mind since she'd begun speaking.
"...Why?"
Seravynn waited.
"Why us?"
Ryu asked quietly.
"Why would someone like Ignovar..."
"...care about two nobodies?"
Luto nodded.
"...How does the Fire Sovereign even know who we are?"
For the first time since entering the chamber—
Seravynn's eyes softened.
Not with pity.
With remembrance.
She looked toward the empty throne.
Then to Lady Pyrrhagon.
Before finally returning her gaze to the brothers.
"It wasn't you..."
She said.
"...that first drew Lord Ignovar's attention."
The brothers frowned.
"It was your brother."
The room seemed to lose all sound.
Ryu felt his heartbeat quicken.
Luto didn't move.
Seravynn's next words shattered the silence.
"...Because Lord Ignovar has already met..."
She paused.
"...the one you now call..."
"...Onyx."
A long silence followed.
Then—
"They encountered one another."
Her golden eyes never left the brothers.
"And after that meeting..."
"...nothing was ever quite the same."