The Dragon King's Heart

Chapter 298 - Fire

Blood was pouring out of Laina's mouth. Her vision was blurry as she continued to lose blood. But she refused to admit defeat. Despite the crushing weight of the beast, she was fighting back. Her mind swirled as a high pitch tone rang in her ears. 

She could no longer hear Dante calling her name. Or the gurgling of the beast. But through it all, Laina felt something in her heart. There was a feeling of warmth in her heart. 

The warmth soon turned into a heat-like sensation that coursed through her body. She felt as if she was burning from the inside out. Laina was unafraid. 

In fact, it felt eerily familiar. But at the same time, her vision goes black. 

Laina's body was consumed by fire. Dante looked in awe as the flames that consumed Laina's body spread to the beast. 

"Phoenix fire," Dante muttered as he witnessed its brilliance. 

Normal fire would not have caused much damage to the beast. But this was phoenix fire. Although it was a lower form of it, it was still extremely powerful and deadly. 

The skin of the beast began to bubble and peel as its piercing screams echoed throughout the cave. It no longer had Laina in its claws. The beast stumbled backward, thrashing about in an attempt to put the fire out. 

But nothing worked. The cave was beginning to crumble under the attack of the beast. Realizing they needed to get out of there, Dante powered through the pain to get to Laina with Titan's help.  Though his legs were not working, Dante mustered enough strength to summon his wings. 

With Laina in his arms, he flew all of them out of the cave just as it crumbled and collapsed behind them. The cries of the beast echoed from within until it was cut. Dante landed with a thud, still holding Laina in his arms. 

The flames that surrounded her body slowly extinguished. To Dante's surprise, it even healed some of his and Laina's wounds. As soon as the last of the flames were extinguished, Laina opened her eyes and sat up in a state of shock. 

Even Dante was surprised. 

"Laina, are you alright?" he asked as he cupped her face in his hands. 

He checked her for any signs of injuries. But there were close to none. Titan came between them, licking both of their faces. 

"I... I don't know," she replied in a state of confusion. 

Laina did not know what had happened after she blacked out. All she knew was that one moment, she was trapped under the claws of the beast. When she next opened her eyes, they were no longer in the cave. 

Dante looked up at the sky, then back at Laina, "We don't have much sunlight left. We should find a place to rest for the night." 

Laina nodded. While she was awake, she could feel her energy fleeting fast. It felt as if a bout of fatigue could hit her at any time. 

"The map said there's a hot spring cave nearby. I think we can rest there," she explained. 

The grogginess was hitting Laina quicker than she was expecting. She could barely keep her eyes open. Knowing that she would black out soon enough. Laina turned to Titan. Titan looked at her straight in the eyes. At that moment, it was as if they were able to communicate telepathically. 

"Titan... bring us... bring us to the hot spring cave. I don't think... we can walk there," Laina slurred her last words before collapsing into Dante's arms. 

"Laina? Laina!" he attempted to wake her up but he could not. 

Dante noticed something was amiss. He could smell the blood in the air. His heart sank into his stomach, the wounds Laina had sustained her opening up. The healing effects were only temporary!

Just as he was about to wonder what they should do next, a growing shadow loomed over them. When Dante looked up, he could not believe his eyes. Titan had grown larger in a matter of seconds. He was now the size of an adult elephant. 

Titan sat down and signaled Dante to get onto his back with Laina. He was just about to open his mouth to ask but he quickly closed it shut. Now was not the time for questions. It was time for action. 

Using what strength he had left in him, Dante got Laina and himself onto Titan's back. Holding onto his soft fur, Dante gave him the signal. Titan got back up onto his feet and trudged through the snow towards their destination. 

His keen sense of smell picked up the sulfur of the hot springs almost immediately. Titan sprinted his way to the hot springs. The icy winds billowed against his fur. Dante gritted his teeth, shivering a little in the cold as they made their way across the snow-covered landscape. 

The hot spring was larger than they had anticipated. The cave, filled with glowing crystals, lit its way further in. Each pool of water was of a different color. Dante could sense that each hot spring had a different effect. 

"Which is the right one?" he wondered to himself as he got off Titan's back. 

Dante checked on Laina's condition. Her breathing was steady as if she was sound asleep. It was a good sign. Titan sniffed around the pools of water, stopping before one that was filled with pale green water. He barked brightly and quickly caught hold of Dante's attention. 

"Did you find the right one?" he asked Titan as he brought over Laina in his arms. 

He had regained enough strength to walk, although at a slower pace. Titan barked twice as if to reply yes. 

Dante smiled as he pats Titan on the head, running his hand through his fur, "I trust you."

Dante carefully undressed Laina. He would have preferred to get her consent before doing so but time was of the essence. Then, he carefully submerged her in the water. He was about to get into the water as well when Titan stopped him from doing so. 

The Solar Mastiff sniffed around the other pools of water and circled the pool that was next to Laina's. 

"This one is suitable for me?" he asked Titan, who replied to him with two bright barks. 

Dante hesitated for a moment, worried for Laina's safety. But seeing as they would be right next to one another, he relented.. Stripping naked, he entered the pale blue water.