After camping and resting for the night, the soldiers continued their journey to Dorch the following morning. The march was not too long, and before midday, they finally arrived at the great gates of the city. The walls of Dorch were tall and strong.
When the guards on the walls saw them, they became uneasy. These were not soldiers of Dorch, and their armor bore no familiar mark. But what frightened them more was the sight above. A mighty dragon circled in the sky. The beast soon lowered itself and hovered above the soldiers who stood at the gates, waiting.
The guards trembled. None dared to step out. Instead, they sent word quickly for their general. Soon, General Amber of Dorch appeared. He rode alone, and as he approached, he noticed a familiar face among the strangers. Princess Nyella. He had seen her once before on the Plains of Shatals, where she had fought fiercely against the hydra.
Amber slowed his horse and dismounted before her.
"I am glad you are alive, my princess," Amber said with a bow. "We searched tirelessly for you after the battle. Many feared the worst."
"Thank you, General," Nyella replied with a soft smile. "But why do you come alone? Why are we not being allowed into Dorch?"
Amber straightened. "It is protocol, my princess. I know you, yes, and your soldiers too. But there are faces here I do not recognize. And above you soars a creature that is no friend to men. The beast watches us even now. I cannot grant you entry without inquiry. I must return to my king and bring word of your arrival. Only his permission can open the gates."
Nyella nodded slowly. "That is no problem. Go then, General. Tell King Rollo that I stand here before his gates, with the Dragon Rider and his dragon beside me."
Amber bowed once again. "It will not take long, my princess. Wait here a moment." With that, he mounted his horse and rode back towards the inner city.
As Amber left, Aeron leaned toward Nyella. "You know, you could have gone with him. The king would welcome you."
Nyella shook her head. "No. I will not leave you here. We began this journey together. We will go in together."
Aeron said nothing more but turned his eyes to the fields. He scanned the horizon until something caught his attention. To the far right, a group was approaching. He narrowed his eyes, then called out to Nyella. "Look there. Riders are coming."
Nyella turned. At first, she only saw the dust rising from hooves, but as they drew nearer, her eyes widened. A familiar figure rode with them. She would know him anywhere. Ser Devic.
Her face lit with a smile, her heart full of joy. She could not look away as they drew closer. At last, she pulled her horse forward, Aeron riding beside her.
When they came near, Nyella could no longer hold back. She dismounted quickly and hurried forward. At the same time, Ser Devic leapt from his saddle and rushed to meet her.
They met in the middle, running into each other’s arms. They embraced each other tightly.
"Thank goodness you are safe, my princess," Ser Devic said first, his voice filled with relief. "I thought the hydra had captured you. What happened?"
Nyella gave a small smile. "Well, it was tough. But if I had been captured by the hydra, do you think I would be standing here now? No. It was the Nomads. They took us to their village. Not only me, but all the soldiers you see here. They took advantage of the moment they saw the war was over."
Devic leaned closer. "So how did you come out? What happened? How did you escape them?"
Nyella turned slightly and raised her hand, pointing back towards Aeron and the dragon flying above them. "As you can see," she said, "they happened. Both of them. And at the very moment when it was most needed."
Devic’s eyes shifted toward Aeron, then slowly shook his head. Aeron met his gaze and did the same.
Nyella’s voice broke the silence. "I am glad you are safe as well, Devic. But before I say more, tell me, how are my parents? How is the capital? How is the palace?"
Devic’s face grew more serious. "The palace still stands, my princess. The king regrets sending you to the war alone. When the news of your capture reached him, he was filled with sorrow. He sent us to help in whatever way we could. Our task was to go south and gather more armies and kingdoms to fight alongside us."
Nyella frowned and looked past him at the group that had arrived. "But I do not see any armies with you," she said. "What I see are villagers. Young and old. Do you mean to tell me this is the army you gathered?"
Devic let out a slow breath. "We went to two kingdoms. None agreed to fight with us. None were willing to sacrifice their soldiers for a cause they did not fully understand. I believe they refused because they had not seen the enemy with their own eyes. So, the people you see behind me are villagers. They chose to stand and help where the kings refused."
Nyella’s voice sounded angry. "You mean the kings refused to send soldiers for the war?"
"Yes, princess," Devic replied.
"Not even their private guards?" she pressed.
"Not a single one," Devic answered.
Nyella shook her head. "Those greedy kings and lords. Their foolishness will lead to the end of us all."
Devic looked at her with concern. "So what do we do now, my princess?"
Nyella lifted her chin and spoke with strength. "We fight with the number we have. We fight with hope. We never depended on them in the first place."
At that moment, the gates of Dorch opened, and a small group of guards came out first. They looked like elite guards. As the soldiers emerged, they made a small opening, and through the opening came King Rollo himself.