A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night

"That's because you were holding me back!" Shiera shouted back, veins popping up at her forehead.

Kael snorted. "Really? Because from where I was standing, it was my sister doing all the actual work. Didn't see you shielding me, or casting a single barrier. So much for being a dutiful wife."

Shiera's nostrils flared. "No one asked you to jump in! You could've just stayed outside, like a normal idiot. I clearly told you to stay away."

Kael yawned. "If I had, you'd all be toast. Well-done. Crispy. Like those lizards we passed five kilometers back."

She opened her mouth to yell again, but her voice caught mid-growl. Her hand shot to her throat.

"Urgh…" she coughed. "Damn it. Too dry."

From the back, Mia let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Gods, will you two stop your couple squabble already?"

"We're not a couple," Kael and Shiera said in unison. Then immediately glared at each other.

Mia waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah. Tell that to someone not dying of thirst." She adjusted her headscarf and kept walking. "Every time you argue, I swear the sun gets hotter."

Kael smirked, but didn't reply. The wolf beneath him gave a ghostly growl and kept padding silently through the dunes.

Shiera stiffened her shoulders as she clenched her fists, staring at Kael's smirk. "Damn you, Kael… You grew a spine with your sister around. I swear I'll teach you a lesson, one day."

48 Hours Earlier…

Somewhere in the wilderness, the entrance to the dungeon loomed ahead—a gaping maw of black stone carved into the side of a jagged cliff.

Kael stood just a few paces behind the others, arms crossed.

"So this is it," Orin said, squinting. "The Lavalight Dungeon."

"Cool name," Mia said. "I like it."

"Keep your heads down and stay sharp," Shiera ordered as the team captain. She adjusted her gauntlets. "The last team that went in didn't make it past the second floor."

Kael whistled. "Quite an encouragement statement to boost our morale. Way to go, captain."

"You don't need to come." Shiera got ticked by his sarcastic remark, not looking at him. "Stay outside and wait for us."

Kael shrugged. "If I didn't come, you would just drag my sister into it anyway. I would rather watch her back myself."

"You mean you would rather have her watch your back," Shiera muttered.

"We are part of the same coin. Flip it either way, it doesn't make any difference."

"Ugh… whatever. Just stick close to that wolf of yours." Shiera stopped arguing with him and proceeded to walk forward.

As the others followed behind, Kael gently stroked the wolf's fur. "Nyx, I'm going to depend on you, alright?"

Nyx flinched for a moment, but nodded.

"What are you saying, bro? With me here, you don't have to worry about depending on anything." Mia grabbed his arm and dragged him with her.

As they stepped through the portal, heat slammed into them like a physical force.

The group emerged onto a wide, descending corridor—barely ten steps long—built entirely from blackened obsidian stone.

Rivers of molten lava coursed along both sides, bubbling, glowing, crackling. The air shimmered, thick with the scent of scorched rock and sulfur.

"Welcome to hell," Orin muttered, already sweating.

"Careful," Shiera said, peering into the lava. "Something's down there."

From the bubbling depths, a figure emerged. A humanoid skeleton enveloped in flame, its bones glowing faintly. It stood still, molten liquid lapping at its ankles.

Mia narrowed her eyes. "Only its feet are submerged. So, I guess it is not deep enough to hinder our movements. "

Shiera nodded. "We can cross if we reinforce our feet with mana. Just keep the flow steady."

Kael dismounted from the air beside her, landing softly atop his spectral wolf. The creature gave a low, rippling growl, its semi-transparent fur flickering with silver light.

"Nyx is resistant to elemental effects," Kael said, resting a hand on the wolf's neck. "We'll be fine."

Nyx snorted arrogantly, voice echoing directly in their minds. "This puddle of soup? Hardly a challenge."

Mia still didn't look convinced. "Kael—"

"I've got this," he cut in gently. "Promise."

Shiera exhaled, drawing her sword. "No time to argue. Let's move."

She charged down the obsidian steps. Her boots flared with mana, bright blue runes lighting up the soles. The moment she reached the bottom, the skeleton's head jerked up.

*Scraaa*

With a screech, it leapt from the lava, trailing molten droplets as it flew toward her.

"Here it comes!" Orin barked, raising his shield.

Leiza raised the twin swords.

Shiera didn't slow. She met the creature mid-air, blade slicing across its ribs in a blur. The skeleton crashed into the far wall, bones scattering all around.

But they didn't stay scattered for much time.

The bones rattled, clinking together as flames reignited. The skeleton stood again, slower this time, but still burning.

Mia's face darkened. "That's a problem."

"Undead skeletons are usually weak to fire," she muttered, "but these are made of fire. That disadvantage is gone."

Shiera slashed again, her blade gleaming with mana as it cleaved through the flaming skeleton's midsection. The creature crumpled—but didn't stop.

"Oraaa…"

With a growl, she stepped forward and drove her sword through its neck, then spun and sliced off both arms in a fluid motion.

"It doesn't matter if it regenerates," she muttered, "just don't let it stay together…"

Suddenly, she heard a sharp sound at her ankle region, and her eyes shifted down.

"What the…"

The skull, severed moments ago, had rolled to her feet. Now, its jaws clamped down on her armored boot, teeth grinding, flame still glowing in its hollow sockets.

"Persistent little bastard!"

Before she could react further, Nyx growled.

The spectral wolf's eyes flared bright, and a ripple of energy pulsed from its form.

With a howling woosh, the skull was yanked off Shiera's leg and pulled straight into the air toward Nyx. It snapped into the wolf's waiting claw and was crushed into flaming fragments.

Kael smirked, mounting atop Nyx's back, arms crossed. "So much for all that tough talk."

He stretched lazily. "Surely your idol would be very impressed by how bravely you defeated a disembodied skull."

Shiera's eyes momentarily shifted to Mia, who looked calmer. Her eyes shifted back to Kael, who gave off a grin.

Shiera flushed red, deep crimson. "I…" she spluttered, stomped once on the broken bones in front of her, then spun on her heel. "Forget this!"

And with that, she charged straight down the lava corridor.

Kael chuckled as she disappeared into the smoke and heat. "Ah, there she goes."

Mia, standing beside him, rubbed her temple. "Stop teasing the poor girl already. She is your wife, for god's sake."

"Exactly," Kael replied with a grin. "You don't get it. If you weren't here watching, that 'rageful kitten' would turn right back into a feral tiger and probably beat me to death."

He leaned forward. "So really, this is the best time to enjoy it. Where else am I going to get a chance to poke fun without getting stabbed?"

Mia sighed again. "You're lucky she hasn't tried anyway."

Kael just grinned wider. "With you on my side, she wouldn't dare to do it."

Mia shook her head, sighing once again. "You have gotten quite cheekier lately, Bro."