"By the Holy Fire! It's the infidels' demon dragon!"
"Run!"
The servants and maids in the palace scattered in panic.
As the Crusaders drove deep into the land and refugees flooded into Damascus, tales of the demon dragon had grown ever more terrifying. Ladon's savage appearance made their hearts and galls tremble.
Many people fought viciously over cisterns and wells where they could hide.
Others, bold beyond measure, tried to loot the palace's valuables amid the chaos.
The Qasari Guard drew their blades and killed without hesitation, doing their utmost to maintain order.
Many of these battle-hardened elites had taken part in Shemiel's "Dragon Blood Warrior" experiments. They knew full well that even if they hid in a cistern, dragonfire would boil it dry in an instant.
Moreover, Ladon's dragonfire possessed the triple properties of venom, curses, and blazing flames. It was far more than mere heat.
For ordinary people facing such a crisis, they might as well sit still and pray for good fortune. At least they would avoid being trampled to death.
The two soldiers guarding the palace gates suddenly cried out, "Your Majesty, you..."
At some point, Saladin, now little more than skin and bones, had donned that magnificent golden scale armor once more. He pushed away the Black Eunuch who tried to support him and walked into the courtyard, slow but steady.
Clang—
He drew the sword at his waist, raised it, and shouted, "Lothar, and that beast beneath you—do you want my life?"
The aged, gaunt lion roared at the new king in the sky.
The new king riding the demon dragon had clearly seen him, yet no matter how Saladin provoked and roared, Lothar's gaze remained cold and indifferent.
The demon dragon circled overhead again and again, but never breathed its destructive dragonfire. Several