Aric stepped forward, fire blazing around him. "Then I'll burn you to ash."
The Serpent laughed, shadows twisting. "You cannot burn what fire once served. The Crown is mine—and so are you."
They clashed. Fire against shadow, light against dark. The cavern shook, pillars collapsing, shards of the Crown spinning wildly between them.
The Serpent struck deep, shadows piercing Aric's chest. Pain seared through him, but the fire flared brighter, answering with fury.
Yet the Serpent was right—the fire bent toward him, recognizing its master. Aric felt it slipping from his grasp.
Unless… he chose.