The dragon's flames roared down the tunnel, illuminating the cave with an eerie, flickering light.
Kellan's heart pounded in his chest as he scrambled to take cover, the searing heat licking at his cloak. The satchel with the dragon egg thumped against his side. He had risked everything for that egg. His men, unprepared for the sudden onslaught, scattered in panic.
"Hold the line!" Kellan shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar of the flames. He ducked behind a jagged outcrop of rock, feeling the intense heat against his back. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning fabric and scorched flesh.
Due to the narrow pathway, most of those right behind Kellan had been unprepared and melted into mush. Many of those left alive screamed and tried to run, throwing the ranks into pandemonium.
