Chapter 50

The narrator endures a severe torture attack from Sereme while preparing to flee a mountain burrow with Líri, their dragon companion. After equipping Líri with a new bridle to avoid saddle-based control, they join Rygun, Pyrok, and Kaan in airborne escape, departing a sunlit village nestled below while haunted by knowledge of an impending catastrophe.

The narrator enters the burrow to find Líri coiled in the ice cave. As they approach with a bridle, Sereme—absent but able to inflict pain remotely—attacks through the narrator's leg and spine with excruciating precision. Líri shields the narrator emotionally through their bond, revealing her deep fear of losing them, stemming from her traumatic past under Rekk's control. The narrator explains the bridle's purpose: to replace the saddle as a restraint device the narrator can control but Líri can easily remove, preserving her freedom. During the final attack, the mountain shakes as Rygun and Pyrok leap from overhead, signaling immediate departure. The narrator mounts Líri and they gallop toward the ledge, launching into flight alongside the larger dragons and their riders. As they ascend above a glittering mountain village, the narrator catches sight of three moons and is struck by painful awareness of the impending threat to the settlement below—a danger linked to Korie's slumbersuite. Despite internal turmoil and Kaan's perceived scrutiny, the narrator resolves to stay silent and focused on the mission: finding the young fae who can protect everything.