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T he next morning, the air was thick with tension as the Beast Queen's army formed ranks just out of the castle's range. Zelda stood on the wall, watching as her army formed outside the castle.

Yarbo had chosen to ride next to Uncle Tank. He was enormous, and she understood he was her uncle’s honor guard. Yarbo was doing it for her, and if she didn’t already love Ozzy, she’d...

It wasn’t called blood willow for nothing.

Zelda called on every lesson her uncle had ever drilled into her and set her concerns aside. She knew her job. She would use the castle and every shred of will and power to crush her enemy.

Quill had been assigned as her aide and bodyguard. She’d seen Ozzy talking to him seriously before Quill had joined her. Quill might be missing out on the main assault, but his job was critical. He would not let her be hurt or distracted from using the full might of the castle.

Threats and insults were exchanged, and the battle engaged.

Screams and roars filled the air. The Beast Queen's creatures were fierce, but the united tribes were deadly. Ozzy fought with a ferocity that surprised even Zelda. She had never seen him in battle before, and it was both terrifying and awe-inspiring.

Apparently, it was possible to decapitate a man with a single blow. Also, headless bodies twitched in the death throes. Death was a great deal more gruesome than she’d realized.

Her attention was drawn to the sky where a large kite soared above.

It was Olly, strapped into a makeshift seat despite his injuries.

Zelda’s brows rose. Despite his injuries, he maneuvered his kite with precision, sending messenger kites to relay critical information.

She saw him draw his crossbow and fire bolt after bolt into the swarming jellyfish.

Each hit was precise, bursting the jellyfish in mid-air and sending showers of toxic goo harmlessly to the ground below.

Someone was getting a promotion. Assuming they all lived, of course.

Her uncle fell. Quill didn’t tell her because it would have distracted her. One man's life wasn’t worth distracting their greatest weapon. Tank would have approved.

Zelda didn’t have any attention to spare. The Beast Queen deployed her aerial weapon, and things were going badly. The flying monsters exploded over the field, and the warders were exhausted.

Clouds of translucent, tentacled jellyfish swarmed through the air, occasionally exploding. Toxic purple goo rained down, burning like acid, judging by the screams from the village. The barrier around the castle protected them, but it wasn't doing anything for the village.

Zelda watched grimly from the castle wall.

Below, the village was engulfed in chaos—translucent, tentacled jellyfish hovered, each pulsing with eerie bioluminescence.

Occasionally, one would swell and burst, sending showers of toxic purple goo that hissed upon contact.

The anguished cries from the village echoed through the night.

The protective barrier around the castle repelled the jellyfish’s advance.

But beyond its confines, villagers scrambled for cover.

The once serene village square was now a battleground, littered with exploded monsters and scorched earth.

The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning thatch and the salty tang of blood, blending into a noxious miasma.

The shadow girls had been forbidden from joining the fray by their mothers, but they must have had a way to witness the chaos, because their creatures wreaked havoc on the battlefield.

The cave bear, towering and exuding dark smoke, barreled through the cultists, swiping and biting with razor-sharp claws and teeth.

Meanwhile, the rabbits were elusive, barely visible until a cultist dropped, exposing terrifying, incorporeal bunnies with razor teeth lunging for the throat.

Despite the ferocity of the shadow creatures, the cultists were relentless, swarming like a plague, their sheer numbers a challenge even for the shadow creatures.

As the acid rained down on the battlefield, Zelda realized that the ward was flickering. There was a limit to how much damage it could take before it needed time to regenerate. And with the Beast Queen's aerial attack, they were quickly reaching that limit.

Zelda was killing them as fast as she could, but she was panting. Things were looking grim.

That was when the gargoyles arrived. One minute Zelda was frantically driving a giant fan to blow the monsters away, and the next her magical vision was swarmed with blue dots.

She blinked and peered around with her naked eyes.

Sweat was blinding her, so she wiped it away on her sleeve and squinted at the sky.

Gargoyles the size of dogs swarmed and dive-bombed the monsters, breathing fire. Their scales sounded like stone sliding over graphite, raspy and chilling.

Quill grabbed her arm. “Friend or foe?” he asked, crossbow in his hand.

“Friend!” she yelled, waving her hands for the others looking at her for direction. “The gargoyles are back!”

She grinned as a gargoyle swooped and dragged monsters away from the battle. Since they were made of stone, they were impervious to acid.

The Beast Queen and her brood may have been powerful, but the gargoyles were a force to be reckoned with. Their razor-sharp claws and fiery breath struck fear into the hearts of even the most devoted cult warriors.

The air was thick with smoke, the scent of blood hanging heavy.

Amidst the chaotic clash of swords and the roar of warriors, Lady Divine moved with purpose, her eyes locked onto the Beast Queen.

The queen, distracted by the ongoing battle, sat in her war wagon, well out of striking range, unaware of the danger creeping up behind her.

Lady Divine climbed onto the wagon with casual grace, as if she belonged there.

The wooden structure creaked under her weight, but she moved swiftly, her eyes never leaving her target.

The Beast Queen's attention was focused on a group of rebels attempting to breach her defenses, leaving her vulnerable.

Smiling smugly, Lady Divine whispered, “Let’s make this interesting.”

The Beast Queen, sensing something amiss, turned just in time to see her assailant. Her eyes widened in shock, but it was too late. Lady Divine's dagger gleamed in the dim light as she plunged it into the Beast Queen's side, the force of the blow driving the breath from her lungs.

Startled, the Beast Queen gasped, “What—?”

But Lady Divine was relentless. She twisted the blade with a wicked grin, aiming for maximum damage. “Surprise!” she taunted.

The Beast Queen's eyes filled with a mix of rage and disbelief as she crumpled to the ground.

The battlefield seemed to pause for a moment, the shock of the Beast Queen's fall rippling through her forces.

Thrilled with her success, Lady Divine stood over her fallen foe and smirked. “Game over, loser.”

There was a shocked pause as everyone realized what had happened. As the dust settled and the echoes of battle faded, Lady Divine looked down at the Beast Queen's lifeless body, feeling a rush of triumph, completely unapologetic for her actions. This victory was hers, and she had no regrets.

The crowd, a mix of loyalists and rebels, watched in awe and trepidation. Lady Divine's eyes sparkled with ambition as she raised her arms, ready to proclaim herself queen. She had planned for this moment, with a whole speech prepared.

But just as the words were about to leave her lips, a sharp pain pierced her back. Her eyes widened in shock as she felt the cold steel of a dagger. The crowd gasped, and a murmur of confusion spread through the ranks. Lady Divine staggered as she tried to turn and face her attacker.

The unknown assailant, cloaked in shadows, withdrew the blade and disappeared into the chaos. Lady Divine fell to her knees, clutching her wound, her moment shattered. The crowd erupted into panic, unsure of what to do or who to follow.

Chaos spread among the cult members, who had finally had enough of their leaders' treacherous ways. In a frenzy, they turned on each other, killing anyone in their path. The goblins seized the opportunity, wiping out any of the fleeing cult members they could find.

“Don't let them escape!” Ozzy roared, spurring his battle ram in pursuit.

Meanwhile, Zelda was on the roof, guzzling water. She was parched! All around her, the gargoyles flew, celebrating their victory. They finally settled like oversized birds on the walls, preening with satisfaction.

The flock leader landed on the wall in front of her and greeted her with a squawk. He tilted his head to look at her out of one bird-like eye and then began to clean his stone scales. Like the others, he was covered in gore.

“Thank you, and welcome home,” she said with gratitude. She took a piece of jerky out of her pocket and began to take stock. She was in the yard, deep in after-battle details, when she was interrupted by cries of, “Look there! Look out!”

Olly, barely clinging to consciousness, crash-landed his kite outside the castle, overturning the basket and dumping him out. Guards rushed to his aid, and Zelda hurried out, sensing trouble.

“What happened? What news?” one of the guards demanded as he helped the battered young man to stand.

Olly weaved, and the guard steadied him so he could report. “Ozzy... surrounded... cult... outnumbered... he’s in trouble...”

“Outnumbered! Where is he?” Zelda looked around, realizing that Ozzy and most of the army had disappeared in pursuit of the enemy.

Blood dripped from Olly’s wounds as he struggled to speak. He nodded in the direction he’d come from. “There were more of them. Lots.”

Zelda’s expression hardened, her mind racing with the implications of the mage’s message. They didn’t have enough men.

She turned to her guards, issuing commands. “Clear a path in front of the castle.”

“How wide?” the guard asked, not questioning the order.

“Wide,” she snapped, her mind racing. She looked at Olly. “You did well.” She looked at the guard supporting him. “Take him to the healers.”

She headed to the great hall. The gargoyles wouldn’t go after Ozzy. They only protected their castle home.

“My lady! Ozzy needs reinforcements now!” Quill said, dogging her heels.

“I’m on it,” she said, pausing in the great hall.

“But...”

“Shut up,” she ordered him, and closed her eyes. What she planned had never been done. That just meant she’d be the first, she told herself fiercely.

At first, the castle resisted.

“Move,” she whispered.

It ignored her. She wanted the impossible.

Zelda ground her teeth. “I am a daughter of legends. You. Will. Move.”

The castle pushed back. It, too, was a legend.

“Move.” She pushed harder, grinding her will into the unyielding stone.

The castle shivered.

Zelda’s eyes shot open, glowing with white fire. “You’re a moving castle! Now move!” she shouted.

At first, nothing happened. The castle remained silent, defiant. Then, deep within its structure, a low rumbling began. The grinding of gears echoed through the halls as the castle slowly awakened.

The sound grew louder, and with a sudden jolt, the entire castle began to shift. The floors trembled, and the walls groaned as the ancient magic stirred to life.

Zelda grinned fiercely at the stunned Quill. “You’ll want to hold on to something. We’re going for a ride.”

The soldiers clearing bodies out of the way saw four massive stone wheels emerge from the base of the castle, which started rolling down the hill like an unstoppable force.

The gargoyles took to the air, their cries of exhilaration mixing with the grinding of gears.

They soared above, hooting and hollering, as the living castle rolled forward, an unstoppable juggernaut of stone and magic.

In the nearby grasslands, Ozzy fought desperately against the cult members, the odds heavily against him. His mind was working feverishly on a plan when a thunderous rumbling filled the air. He glanced up to see the living castle barreling down the hill, with gargoyles flying above it.

For a moment, he could only stare. “What the...?”

His battle ram, which had never fled a battle, succumbed to primal fear and bolted with the rest of the rams. “Retreat, make way!” Ozzy yelled, as that was the only sensible thing to do.

The cult members froze, their eyes widening in shock and fear at the sight of the moving fortress, and then they, too, fled. Unfortunately, most of them were on foot. They were doomed.

The castle rolled into the fray, scattering the cultists with its sheer size and power. The gargoyles swooped down, joining the battle with cries of joy.

A daughter of legends, indeed.