"Code UH! I repeat, UH!" echoed through the dungeon corridors.

Severa wondered what the soldiers were planning. She expected it meant something like "Our target has escaped." But to her surprise, loud cheering erupted from all directions. The soldiers, who had been marching haphazardly through the corridors, now turned to move in unison.

Severa remained out of sight but felt she no longer needed to stay as vigilant. Their tight, focused expressions had eased, and they wore wide smiles. Two soldiers passing each other in the hallway bumped shoulders in pride.

Severa stayed silent, waiting to see what the soldiers were up to. It seemed they were all heading toward the old woman's cell. The clatter of boots, accompanied by the euphoric chatter of the men, grew closer.

She moved toward the sound and soon saw the procession of men and women pass by. The lead soldier, the one who had almost run her through with his sword, marched at the front. In his arms, the woman hung limp and lifeless. Behind him trailed about twenty-five soldiers, all with faces of satisfaction and relief.

The man next to the soldier carrying the woman held two torches in his hands. He had a sharp face and a long nose. Like a bloodhound, he scanned the corridors and barked orders to the troops, but the soldiers' boisterous chatter drowned him out. Yet, everyone followed him without question.

Severa decided to cautiously sneak behind the group, hoping to discover what they intended to do with the woman. However, the cacophony of overlapping voices made it impossible to discern any single sentence. Getting closer seemed too risky.

She caught a mention of Einar and his mother, followed by uproarious laughter from half the group. Beneath the laughter, she could hear a few serious voices. One mentioned something like "Deliver the secret weapon to the prince," while another spoke resolutely about "Helping Ragnar."

Were they planning to use the woman as a secret weapon, just like the dragon? Wasn't that monster terrible enough? Severa shuddered. The woman had kept her word, but Severa was far from safe. Now she had to escape the fire dragon.

Would they leave if she stayed inside? What if they destroyed the temple, as they destroyed everything else? Was she even safe here?

Severa steeled herself. If she waited for the right moment, she might slip away unnoticed by the dragon or the soldiers.

The soldiers had long gone when Severa crept upward in the darkness. The hall was silent and dark; her campfire must have burned out. She cautiously approached the large door, left slightly ajar. Peeking through, she saw the fire dragon sprawled on its belly. A metal muzzle was strapped around its mouth, and thick steel cables bound its body, pinning its wings tightly against its sides.

A soldier sat atop the dragon, receiving sacks of supplies from another soldier who climbed the dragon's wings to pass them up. The rest of the soldiers stood beside the Pyroraptor, seemingly in a meeting.

One soldier, likely the leader, wore a bronze-colored armor so extravagantly adorned it seemed more ceremonial than practical. He stood before the group of soldiers. Between them lay the old woman, while the soldier who had carried her stood directly opposite the leader. His earlier cheerful demeanor had turned into a serious expression.

The leader glared at him sternly. "I do not doubt your judgment, Sigurd. She truly seems as the legend describes her."

"Commander, I saw that she..." Sigurd began nervously.

The commander raised his arm, gesturing for Sigurd to stop, his stern face unyielding. Sigurd bowed his head in shame. "Whether she can do what the legend claims is irrelevant. I am not obligated to believe in such nonsense; I merely follow the king's orders. I expect you to do the same."

Sigurd nodded, his pride somewhat restored. The commander, still unsatisfied, continued in a grave tone.

"The burning campfire in the hall clearly indicates that something has moved freely through this building. And by 'something,' I mean a human. I doubt very much that rocks can build campfires." His fierce gaze swept over the soldiers. "Has anyone seen anything suspicious?" he demanded, his piercing eyes scanning each of them. They gulped nervously, some because they knew the truth, others because of his intimidating presence.

"The king's orders were clear. No one must live to tell of this encounter. The fire dragon and this woman are our secret weapons, and we intend to keep it that way. Understood?"

"Yes, commander," the soldiers replied in unison.

The commander's expression softened, and he smiled unpleasantly. "Unleash the Firetryon, destroy this temple, and burn the forest. No one must know what happened here."

The soldiers, once fearless, exchanged uneasy glances at these orders but complied hesitantly. The soldier atop the dragon made threatening gestures to a few others to mount the beast, while the rest hastily followed the commander, who stepped away from the creature.

She had to leave before she was crushed like an insect. But it was already too late to slip away unnoticed.

She drew her bow. First, she would take down as many soldiers as possible. Once discovered, she would have to rely on her machete. She knew she was no match for Brimsjá's swords or the fire dragon, but she had no choice. If she were to fall, it would be fighting.

She drew her arrow and aimed at the Pyroraptor's rider. Perhaps if no one commanded the beast to burn her to ash, it would leave her alone. Her arrow struck the soldier in the neck, hitting the exposed spot, and he toppled backward off the beast.

Only a few soldiers noticed. They would be her next targets. One through the forehead, another through the groin. About thirty more to go.

"What is going on here?!" bellowed the commander. "Code GKM!" He became her next target.

Severa's arrow flew from her bow toward him, but the leader swiftly drew his sword and held it defensively before his face. The arrow deflected off.
"There, in the temple!" he barked.

She saw all the soldiers charging toward her. She was doomed. One last arrow; it shot through the doorway, striking another soldier down. She drew her machete and pressed herself against the wall beside the door. The soldiers stormed into the temple.

"Where is she?" one of them hissed as they looked around furiously. Their eyes had yet to adjust to the dark, which was to her advantage. She managed to stab one soldier, but the others immediately rushed toward the sound.