This Chapter contains or rather, covers the whole journey to get the glowing rose for star’s healing. Instead of dragging this mini plot out i have decided to skim through it once.

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Enjoy

The caravan left Silverveil at dawn. Fifty elite elven warriors marched in formation behind Prince Lirien’s warhorse. Star’s pale and feverish body lay wrapped in soft silk inside a reinforced carriage. The poison had already started turning his veins a sickly black color. Lirien rode at the very front, his jaw tight and his eyes burning with a mix of fury and deep guilt.

"Move out!" Lirien shouted, his voice echoing across the palace gates. "We do not stop until we reach the Red Mountain. Anyone who slows us down will be left behind."

One of the senior captains rode up beside him. "Your Highness, the Red Mountain is cursed. Many have died trying to climb it. Are you sure we should risk so many lives for one consort?"

Lirien turned his head sharply. His silver eyes were cold. "That one consort is worth more to me than all of you combined. Star took a poisoned dart meant for me. If he dies, I will make sure every single one of you regrets ever questioning me. Now ride!"

The captain bowed his head quickly. "Yes, Your Highness."

The long journey began.

Day 1

The first day was quiet, almost deceptively peaceful. The group traveled through green forests and rolling hills. The Red Mountain stood tall in the distance like a giant bleeding wound against the sky. Lirien rode in silence most of the time, but he kept checking on the carriage every few hours.

At night, they made camp near a clear river. Lirien sat beside Star’s carriage and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead with a clean cloth.

"Hold on, Star," he whispered. "I will fix this. I swear on my bloodline I will fix this."

One of the younger soldiers approached carefully. "Prince Lirien, the men are worried. The mountain has claimed thousands of lives before. What if we fail?"

Lirien looked up with hard eyes. "Failure is not an option. Star is dying because he protected me. I will burn the entire mountain to ash if that is what it takes to save him. Tell the others that. Anyone who wants to turn back can do so now and face my judgment later."

No one turned back.

Day 2

The trouble started on the second day as they reached the lower slopes of the mountain.

At dusk, the ground suddenly shook. A loud chittering sound filled the air.

"Red Crawlers!" a scout shouted. "Hundreds of them!"

Spider-like monsters the size of wolves burst out from cracks in the rocks. Their fangs dripped with green venom and their red eyes glowed with hunger.

"Form ranks!" Lirien roared. "Protect the carriage!"

He raised his hand and unleashed a storm of golden fire. The flames roared forward like a living wave, turning more than half the swarm into burning ash instantly. The smell of burnt chitin filled the air.

"Die you bastards!" one elf warrior shouted as he swung his sword, cutting two crawlers in half.

But the monsters were too many. Ten elves screamed in agony as the remaining creatures tore into them with venomous fangs. One soldier fell right next to the carriage, his body twitching violently from the venom.

Lirien jumped from his horse and charged into the middle of the swarm. His sword blazed with solar fire as he sliced through monster after monster.

"For Star!" he shouted. "Fight for Star!"

The battle lasted twenty brutal minutes. When it finally ended, the ground was covered in black blood and broken bodies. Lirien stood breathing heavily, his armor splattered with gore. He walked back to the carriage and looked at Star’s pale face through the window.

"Let’s move!."

Only forty warriors remained.

Day 3

The mountain slopes grew steeper on the third day. Black smoke rose from deep fissures in the rock. The air smelled strongly of sulfur and made breathing difficult.

"Stay alert!" Lirien called out. "This place wants us dead."

As they climbed higher, the sky darkened suddenly. Loud roars echoed from the cliffs above.

"Flame Drakes!" a mage shouted in panic. "Incoming!"

Massive dragon-like creatures with fiery wings descended from the rocky cliffs. Their scales glowed red hot and flames dripped from their jaws.

"Raise the barrier!" Lirien ordered.

He channeled powerful magic and created a massive wall of radiant light around the entire caravan. The mages added their power, forming ice spears that shot upward.

The drakes crashed against the barrier, roaring angrily. Flames exploded everywhere. Three drakes broke through and attacked the rear.

"Push them back!" a captain yelled. "Do not let them reach the carriage!"

Lirien leaped high into the air, sword blazing, and cut down one drake in a single powerful strike. Hot blood rained down as the creature crashed to the ground.

"These beasts will not stop us!" he shouted to his men. "Fight like your lives depend on it because they do!"

Twenty-two more elves died in the fierce battle. Their screams echoed across the mountain as drake fire consumed them. By the time the last drake was driven off, Lirien’s robes were scorched and torn. His face showed no tiredness, only cold determination.

"Keep moving," he ordered. "We rest when Star is safe."

"But sir.." one of the elven mages said but was immediately cut off.

"Shut up, you either die by these monsters or i cut you down myself.

Day 4

On the fourth day, the mountain fought them with fear itself.

Shadow Wraiths rose from the cracked black earth. These incorporeal beings had no solid form. They fed on fear and slowly drained life force from anyone they touched.

"Stay together!" Lirien commanded. "Do not let them separate you!"

The wraiths whispered terrible things as they attacked. Voices of dead loved ones filled the air.

"You failed him..." one wraith whispered to Lirien. "Star will die because of your weakness."

"Shut your mouth!" Lirien roared in anger.

He channeled ancient elven star magic and created a blazing halo of light around the group. The halo burned the wraiths away like morning mist.

But the creatures were relentless. Fifteen more soldiers died, their bodies crumbling into gray dust as their life force was completely drained.

One young warrior fell to his knees beside Lirien. "Prince... I cannot... the fear... it is too strong..."

Lirien grabbed him by the shoulders. "You will fight! Think of your family waiting in Silverveil. Think of the beauty we are trying to save! Stand up!"

The warrior stood with tears in his eyes and fought until the end. When the last wraith was destroyed, only twenty-three elves remained alive.

Lirien looked at the shrinking group. "You are the best of Silverveil. Do not die meaningless deaths. Star needs us."

As if any of that matters, who was star to them anyway. The one who was sleeping away as people with families struggled for him.

The fifth day tested their will completely.

Living stone golems made of obsidian and flowing magma erupted from the ground without warning. Their massive fists smashed into the earth, sending rocks flying everywhere.

"Defend the carriage!" Lirien shouted as he leaped from his horse.

He charged straight at the biggest golem. His sword burned with pure solar fire as he carved through its rocky body like it was made of butter. Chunks of burning stone flew in every direction.

"These things do not bleed!" one soldier yelled while dodging a magma fist. "How do we kill them?"

"Destroy the core!" Lirien answered. "Aim for the glowing center!"

He destroyed three golems single-handedly, his magic tearing apart entire formations. But the cost was high. Eight more elves perished under crushing stone fists and burning magma.

When the last golem finally crumbled, only fifteen warriors remained. They looked exhausted and broken, but none asked to turn back.

Day 6

Day six became a nightmare of exhaustion and constant fighting.

Swarm Serpents with hard crystalline scales ambushed them in a narrow mountain pass. The creatures moved like lightning and their bites carried powerful paralyzing venom.

Lirien burned a path forward, his power flaring like a miniature sun. "Stay behind me!" he roared. "I will clear the way!"

The serpents hissed and attacked from every side. Seven more brave elves died protecting the carriage, their bodies torn apart by crystal fangs.

One dying soldier grabbed Lirien’s leg with his last strength. "You really left us with to die"

But the prince gave him a quick glance and stabbed his back with his sword.

"Don’t touch me" the stab was quick and no one had saw.

Only eight survivors now marched behind him.

On the morning of the seventh day, only ten elves remained including Lirien.

They stood at the base of the final steep climb. The glowing rose was visible at the very peak, pulsing with beautiful crimson light that gave hope even in this hellish place.

Lirien turned to his remaining warriors "stay alive"

They began the climb.

Then the sky suddenly darkened.

Loud, terrifying roars shook the entire mountain as a massive horde of Wyverns descended from the peak. Dozens of the huge fire-breathing beasts with obsidian scales filled the sky, their wings blocking out the sun.

"Wyverns!" one soldier screamed in horror.

Lirien raised his sword high. Golden light exploded around his body as he channeled every drop of his royal bloodline power.

"Fight with everything you have!"

The final battle exploded into chaos.

Lirien leaped into the air like a comet. His sword blazed with blinding light as he cleaved straight through the first wyvern’s neck in one powerful strike. Hot blood rained down as the creature crashed into the rocks below.

"Die you filthy beasts!" he shouted.

Flames erupted from his body as he unleashed a cataclysmic spell. A giant sphere of pure solar fire formed above him and exploded outward, engulfing half the wyvern horde and reducing them to nothing but falling ash.

The remaining elves fought desperately at his side, shouting battle cries as they attacked with swords and magic.

"We fight for the Prince!" one warrior yelled before a wyvern’s claw tore him apart.

Three more elves died quickly in the opening clash, their bodies ripped apart by sharp claws and burning fire breath.

Lirien moved like a demon possessed. He dodged streams of scorching fire, countered with bursts of starlight magic, and carved through wyvern after wyvern. His robes burned away completely, revealing his powerful scarred body glowing with inner divine power.

One wyvern dove straight at him with its jaws wide open.

"You will not stop me!" Lirien roared.

He thrust his sword forward and released a concentrated beam of solar energy that punched straight through the wyvern’s head, killing it instantly.

But the losses continued. One by one, his last brave warriors fell around him until Lirien stood completely alone against the final wave of wyverns.

Breathing heavily, covered in blood and ash, he looked up at the remaining monsters with pure rage in his eyes.

he screamed.

He raised both hands and unleashed his strongest spell yet. "Solar Judgment!"

A massive pillar of divine golden fire shot into the sky like the wrath of the gods. The light was so bright it turned night into day for several seconds. The remaining wyverns screamed in agony as the holy fire consumed them completely in a blinding explosion that shook the entire mountain. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Silence finally fell.

Lirien dropped to one knee, breathing hard. His body trembled from using so much power. But he forced himself up.

He climbed the final few meters to the glowing rose. With trembling hands, he plucked the beautiful crimson flower. Its warm healing light bathed his exhausted face.

"Star..." he whispered.."

Covered in wounds and exhaustion, Prince Lirien began the desperate journey back down the Red Mountain back to where he left the carriage.

Star was dying, that’s what he knew, but unbeknownst to him the silver haired beauty was undergoing his biggest transformation yet.