**Caius**
The fortress was still cloaked in the silence of early morning. Most of the dwarves were still asleep, save for a few guards stationed at the walls. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of smoldering embers from the forges that never truly died down.
I woke before dawn, as I always did when my mind was too restless to let me sleep.
The training grounds were empty when I arrived, just as I preferred. No audience. No distractions. Just me and the weight of my thoughts.
I stripped off my tunic, the cool morning air biting at my skin. Gripping my sword, I stepped onto the field and fell into rhythm—swing, parry, lunge. Each movement was practiced, precise. But I pushed harder, forcing my muscles to burn, demanding more of myself than before.
Because if I failed this time, I wouldn't just be failing myself.
Eloise was counting on me.
I exhaled sharply, gripping the hilt tighter. I had told her I was the *Fearless Knight*, but that was a title stained with irony. The truth was, I had *run* before. The name *Fallen Hero* hadn't been given to me for nothing.
The king himself had branded me a disgrace after I withdrew from a battle I knew we couldn't win. I wasn't blind to war—I understood tactics, sacrifice, survival. Staying would have meant certain death for my men, and I refused to let them die for nothing.
But to the king, to the people, I was a coward.
I had learned to live with the weight of that title. But now, with Eloise watching me—with *her* faith placed in me—I wondered if I could bear the shame of failing again.
The sound of heavy footsteps approached, and I didn't have to turn to know who it was.
Boren Ironjaw.
I heard him grunt before he crossed his arms, watching me. "You're swinging that sword like a man trying to kill his own thoughts."
I didn't answer. Just kept moving.
Boren sighed and stepped forward, picking up a wooden training axe. "You always do this, Caius. Pushing yourself like a damned fool whenever you start thinking too much."
I finally stopped, breathing hard, sweat slicking my skin. "I can't afford to be weak."
Boren studied me for a moment before shaking his head. "You were never weak. Even when you left that battle, you didn't run because you were afraid—you ran because you had the sense to know what couldn't be won."
I looked away. "Tell that to the people who spit on my name."
Boren snorted. "The same people who cry for help now? Don't be a fool, Caius. You still hold their respect, even if they won't say it outright."
I clenched my jaw, gripping the hilt of my sword so tightly my knuckles turned white. "And what if I fail again?"
Boren was quiet for a moment. Then, with a sigh, he stepped closer and rested a heavy hand on my shoulder.
"Then you stand back up, like you always do."
I exhaled, letting my muscles relax slightly.
Boren grinned. "Besides, you've got someone who believes in you now. Maybe it's time you start believing in yourself, too."
I let his words sink in, staring at the ground.
Eloise's face flashed through my mind—her stubborn determination, her unwavering faith in me.
Maybe Boren was right.
Maybe it was time to stop running from my past.
Maybe this time, I *wouldn't* fail.
_____
The journey to the dragon's lair was long and grueling. The air grew heavy the closer we got to the beast's nesting ground, thick with the stench of charred earth and lingering smoke. The mountains loomed before us, jagged peaks piercing the sky like the fangs of a great beast.
Eloise rode beside me, her gaze steady, her hands clenched tightly around the reins of her horse. She had refused to stay behind, despite my warnings.
Even now, as the scent of battle thickened around us, she did not waver.
I glanced at her. "Last chance to turn back."
She shot me a determined look. "Not a chance."
I sighed. I knew this was coming. "Then stay close to me. No matter what happens."
She nodded, gripping the handle of her newly forged dagger—the only weapon she had allowed herself to carry.
Behind us, my old friend, Boren, led the charge with a group of elite dwarven warriors, their armor gleaming in the dim light. They were battle-hardened, men and women who had faced death more times than they could count.
And they would follow me into this fight.
We reached the entrance of the cavern, the gaping maw of the dragon's lair. The ground was littered with bones, scorched remains of past victims. The air trembled with each exhale of the beast, deep within the cave.
Then, the silence shattered.
A deafening roar echoed from the darkness, and the ground beneath us trembled violently. The dragon had sensed us.
"Weapons ready!" I barked.
The warriors unsheathed their weapons, and I raised my new sword, feeling the power humming beneath my fingertips. The enchanted blade felt lighter, sharper—*deadly.*
Then, chaos erupted.
From the shadows, the dragon emerged.
It was larger than I had anticipated, its scales the color of molten rock, its eyes burning like twin embers. When it roared again, flames spilled from its jaws, searing the ground where we had stood only seconds before.
The first wave of warriors surged forward, axes and swords gleaming. The dragon struck like a force of nature, its massive tail sweeping through the battlefield, sending men flying. Boren barely dodged in time, rolling to the side before swinging his axe into the beast's leg.
The dragon roared in fury, but it was not enough to bring it down.
I charged, slashing at its wing. The blade met resistance, cutting through part of the membrane, but the beast retaliated instantly. Its claws struck out, and I barely managed to block the attack, the impact sending shockwaves through my body.
"Caius!" Eloise's voice cut through the chaos.
I turned just in time to see her stumble back as the dragon's gaze locked onto her.
A burst of fire erupted from its mouth, aimed straight for her.
Without thinking, I moved.
Throwing myself between Eloise and the flames, I braced for the impact. But before the fire could consume me, something *changed.*
Eloise's hand shot out, and the air around us *shifted.*
The fire bent unnaturally, twisting and dispersing into nothingness. For a moment, silence fell over the battlefield.
Eloise's breathing was ragged, her fingers trembling, her eyes wide with shock.
She had *altered* reality.
I didn't have time to dwell on it. The dragon lunged again, and I pushed forward, blade flashing. The warriors rallied, attacking with newfound strength.
This was it.
This was where I would rise again.
With Eloise at my side, I would not fall.
Not this time.