Chapter 410: When the Gate Fell

(Some Minutes Before)

Behind Ronan, the Trihydra released a sound that wasn’t merely a hiss.

It was a roar layered with something deeper he couldn’t place. The sound grated on his ears, and he covered them with his hands, but as if it irritated the Trihydra, the sound grew louder.

And the cave echoed it too. A strange sound that sounded like some beasts were in pain or angered — Ronan wasn’t sure.

The sound rippled through the clearing.

The strange vibration intensified, vibrating through bone and blood.

Ronan felt it crawl beneath his skin. And he wasn’t the only one. Dren staggered back as he covered his ears; even Darius covered his ears too.

But that should have been the least of their worries.

The ground echoed like a storm was coming. Another hiss sounded through the trees. Some trees fell as movement surged between the shadows. The sun became darker as a cloud covered it at that moment.

Ronan watched in shock as even more beasts made their way into the clearing and the sound stopped. He was certain of one thing now — the sound was a summons, and he turned toward the cave.

Whatever was in the cave may actually have control over the beasts in the forest.

More massive shapes began pushing through the trees — additional monstrous silhouettes, eyes glowing, scales glistening, bodies coiling into the clearing like a nightmare unfolding in waves.

The majority of the beasts Ronan knew and had fought before, but there were some he didn’t recognize — some they hadn’t even encountered yet, none recorded in the books they had.

They all made their way into the clearing as another Trihydra slithered forward, as if waiting for all the beasts to enter before blocking the entrance with its massive body.

Cutting off not just escape, but even entry — except whoever was trying to enter would have to be strong enough to take it down.

Ronan swore violently under his breath.

The hope that had ignited moments earlier flickered dangerously.

He pivoted sharply away from Darius just as the Trihydra behind him lunged, one massive head snapping where his torso had been a heartbeat earlier.

Its jaws slammed shut with a thunderous crack.

Ronan rolled through the snow and came up in a defensive stance, sword raised, heart pounding violently.

The battlefield fractured again into chaos.

Ethan and Darek had managed to take down the Trihydra that had been attacking Darek. Now they joined Dren as he fought against some direwolves, but they didn’t even get to defeat the direwolf before a mirelurker took it down, dragging the direwolf back into the ground with it.

Sam, Bianca, and Joren regrouped, pivoting toward a fresh cluster of advancing beasts, blades already slick with blood.

Gregory, Jeffrey, Micah, and Nia repositioned, scanning for the next threat.

But Ronan barely registered any of it.

His focus snapped sharply toward the sound of pounding paws approaching from his left.

He knew even without looking that it was Helios approaching him. Helios had been in a tree, using the height to help assist his people, but he couldn’t continue from there and so he joined the fray, moving to help Ronan.

But a cloaked figure surged into Helios’s path like a shadow breaking free from the snow. The figure shifted immediately, and Helios skidded to a halt just in time to avoid the impending collision. But that didn’t really do anything. The two crashed into each other violently, locked in combat, Helios unable to reach Ronan.

Ronan didn’t mind though. He was sure Helios would get to him with time.

Behind him, the Trihydra reared again, all three heads rising simultaneously.

The second Trihydra at the entrance hissed in answer, its massive coils tightening like a living gate.

Ronan felt the pressure closing in from every direction.

Darius saw the opening.

He lunged for Ronan’s exposed flank.

Steel screamed as blades collided again. Ronan barely caught the strike, muscles screaming from the accumulated strain.

They clashed violently — parry, strike, twist, counter — their footwork carving trenches into the snow.

But Ronan was fighting on too many fronts now.

The Trihydra surged forward again, forcing him to dodge backward just as Darius pressed in aggressively from the opposite side.

He was being boxed in with no way to escape when an arrow whistled through the chaos.

It struck Darius square in the shoulder.

Darius staggered violently, a sharp cry of pain tearing from his throat as blood sprayed across the snow.

His eyes snapped toward the source.

Uther stood several yards away, bow raised, jaw clenched as he fumbled to load another arrow from the few remaining shafts strapped across his back.

His fumbling was the only sign that he wasn’t used to this. Ronan gave him an appreciative nod though.

"You—" Darius snarled in disbelief. "You dare—"

He pivoted toward Uther with murderous intent.

Ronan didn’t think.

He shifted.

Bones cracked and reformed in a violent surge of power as his wolf slammed into existence mid-motion. He launched himself forward and latched onto Darius’s leg with crushing force, fangs sinking deep.

Darius roared in pain and fury, slamming the pommel of his sword down against Ronan’s skull. The impact sent sparks through Ronan’s vision, but he refused to release his grip.

Uther loosed another arrow.

It grazed Darius’s side, drawing another snarl.

But in the chaos, they all forgot one thing.

The Trihydra.

The massive serpent surged forward with terrifying speed.

One head lunged toward Ronan and Darius in a blur of venom and teeth.

Before Ronan could disengage —

The young man moved.

He shoved the little girl securely onto his back, one arm looping tightly around her legs to keep her anchored. His other hand tightened around the sword Ronan had given him, knuckles white but steady.

He stepped directly into the Trihydra’s path.

"HEY!" he shouted hoarsely, voice cracking with fear and raw determination.

The Trihydra’s attention snapped toward him instantly.

Ronan’s heart slammed violently against his ribs.

"No—!" he tried to shift back —

But the young man didn’t hesitate.

He raised the blade defensively, positioning himself between the creature and the others, body shaking but unmoving.

The Trihydra coiled to strike—

Then froze.

A thunderous crash echoed through the clearing.

The massive Trihydra blocking the entrance suddenly collapsed forward.

Headless.

Its enormous body slammed into the snow with earth-shaking force, black blood spraying in violent arcs as its remaining coils twitched and went still.

The battlefield stuttered in stunned silence for a fraction of a second.

The young man stared in disbelief.

Ronan’s breath caught. He knew once more before he saw it, and honestly, he had never been happier in his life.

His head snapped toward the opening.

He saw Orion place Sophia on his back just as Noctis took over.

Her hair streamed wildly behind her, eyes blazing with fierce determination, shortswords already drawn as they made their way toward the others.

Darius’s eyes widened in shock at seeing Sophia, but that gave Ronan the opportunity to strike him with his sword, piercing through Darius’s armor as his blade met his beating heart.