Two-Faced Princess

Kraaaaww-

The scar on her face turned into a cross, and the queen howled in agony, twisting her body. With her strength, Uriel’s body was flung into the air. In the spot where he was about to land, two gray Croadins opened their mouths, waiting. However, they didn’t come into Apollonia’s sight.

“Please.”

She focused only on the queen’s gaping mouth and turned the cap of the vial she was holding. Freya was already descending at an incredible speed.

Whoosh-

The sound of the rushing wind brushed against her ears, making it hard to open her eyes properly due to the rough movements. Even after entering the queen’s striking range, Freya didn’t stop descending.

Hoooong-

The tip of Freya’s wing brushed against the queen’s teeth, and the unpleasant heat from her breath was felt. In the moment the queen was about to suck it in, Apollonia poured every drop of the liquid from the vial into her throat.

Deaaaargh!

Sensing something, the queen snapped her jaws shut. If Freya had turned slightly later, Apollonia’s arm holding the poison vial would have been torn off.

Grrrrr-

After a brief silence, the queen’s painful screams echoed through the mountain. When Apollonia turned her head to look down, she saw the queen writhing violently.

The twisted tail struck a nearby rock, sending fragments flying in all directions. A rock, the size of a human head, barely grazed Apollonia’s cheek.

Errk- Urgh-

The giant monster’s powerful movements gradually slowed down, and it emitted a short, stifled groan a few times.

Kreng-

With a heavy sound, air rushed out from the queen’s mouth. She fell slowly to the ground, revealing the condition inside her.

Kwoooooong-

The massive body collapsed, causing the whole mountain to shake. With a thud, the queen’s last breath was felt leaving her.

A long silence followed. Apollonia stood still in the air for a few seconds, unable to believe what had just happened.

“Ah, Uriel!”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Finally, she thought of Uriel, who had been thrown from the queen’s body, and turned her head to look at the direction he had flown. The two gray creatures remained frozen in place. They seemed as if they had turned into dolls, unable to do anything other than roll their eyes. As she looked around, the rest of the creatures were the same. It was like looking down at dozens of giant statues.

“Your Highness.”

A familiar voice came from a tree that had grown through the gap in the rocks. Uriel was sitting on a branch, calling out to her. It seemed like he had turned his body while flying to hold onto the branch.

“What did I just… see?”

In the bright daylight, Uriel’s face was now clearly visible. He had a bewildered expression. A mix of shock, worry, and admiration.

“Should I help you come down?”

Unable to say anything else, Apollonia cautiously flew closer to Uriel while riding Freya.

“No. I can come down on my own.” Uriel blushed and insisted. Then, as if to prove his words, he skillfully descended down the tree trunk. Freya followed and gently landed on the ground.

“Uriel, how many people do we need to rescue?”

“Three people.”

Before Uriel could open his mouth, another familiar voice came from behind.

“Caeil.”

Apollonia slowly turned around, and there was Caelion standing there. Pale and shaken, he was supported by two guards as he came out of the cave. By now, the dawn had passed, and the sky had brightened. The light, a sight he hadn’t seen in a long time, seemed to dazzle Caelion’s eyes, and his expression, like Apollonia’s, sparkled more than usual under the sunlight.

“What on earth were you thinking——-”

“I’m relieved that you’re alive.”

Before he could finish speaking, Apollonia rushed into Caelion’s chest and hugged him tightly.

“What crazy thing did you do?”

While holding the brief embrace, Caelion, who had been stunned, finally managed to speak when Apollonia released him. His pale face had turned slightly red.

“Wait here. I’ll go down and call for people. Be careful, you never know how long those creatures over there will stay like that.”

Apollonia pointed to the motionless creatures with rolling eyes. Seeing Freya blowing out a strong breath at Caelion as he grew a few pairs of large pupils behind the image of her riding the legendary untamed beast, Apollonia quickly got back on the black horse without hesitation. Leaving behind his shocked expression, she slowly descended the mountain towards the knights who had been waiting for Caelion, who had disappeared for two days. Freya moved her large wings a few times and quickly descended to the foot of the mountain. The moment her hooves touched the ground, Apollonia jumped off the horse.