The day of reckoning came swiftly.
From the mountains to the north, Dwarf's soldiers descended like a storm. Villages at the borders of the Dragon Kingdom were the first to fall—homes swallowed in smoke, dragons driven into the sky, their roars drowned by the hiss of shadow fire.
Glow led the defense, his wings blazing with golden light. Wherever his fire struck, shadows shrieked and vanished. He carried the weak to safety, restored order with calm words, and for a moment, the kingdom held.
But then Dwarf appeared. His form was darker, sharper, twisted by the cursed fire. His roar split the sky like thunder.
"Brother!" Glow called, meeting him in the air. "This is not the way!"
"The way?" Dwarf spat. "While you play the saint, I carve my destiny. I will show them who truly deserves the throne."
Their clash was terrible. Glow's golden flame met Dwarf's black fire, and the skies cracked with light and shadow. The battle raged until the soldiers faltered, retreating back to the north.
The kingdom was saved—for now. But Glow's heart ached, for he had seen the hatred in his brother's eyes, and he knew it was no longer a passing storm.
---