The Molten Maw was quiet now.
Cracked obsidian ridges still glowed with residual heat, but the dragon's breath no longer churned the air. The ash hung like mist, thick and cloying, clinging to the folds of armor and the slits in their visors. The team stood in the wake of destruction, blinking against the rising steam and the first signs of dawnlight creeping in from the crevice roof above.
Akron lowered Althea gently to the ground. Her body, still recovering from the mecha state, was flushed and trembling, eyes unfocused but steady.
"Stay with me," Akron said softly.
Althea smirked faintly. "Don't worry. I'm not dying in this hole."
A shadow fell across them.
Magnus had arrived.
