It is secondary.
The pain is secondary. The searing, burning sensation scorching at his form is secondary. All that matters is that they were safe. All that matters is that she was safe. The heat ceases, the pain ceases, but the burning remains. Suddenly he hears her gasp back into life and he releases his own sigh of relief; the great beast that had attempted to see them smote into ashes was distracted by another foe.
“We must go!” He tries to insist, but his words are breathless as if the very air has been burned out of his lungs. Mallossel nods, and he releases her from his arms. She is not without her own injuries, her own burns, but they no longer have time to tarry. If they remain any longer, they will surely perish. She stumbles ahead of him and he follows behind. He is tempted to leave his shield as it feels to be weighing him down, but he knows the rest of his House is relying on him - if they could just get free.
As their feet pound against the scorched paths beneath them, the screams of the masses and cry of the warriors fall upon ears that are deafened to everything save salvation. As soon as he sees his Lord guiding the stragglers through to Idril’s Way, he pushes Mallossel ahead of him to see to it that she enters first. She does not take kindly to that, however, and pauses to grab his hand so they can race out to freedom together. He squeezes her hand tightly. Somewhere in the running, he lost his spear. It seems secondary now - what dreams he had of being a harper, or of being a warden. All that matters now is survival. All that matters now is seeing the sun.
“Mallossel!” Someone shouts in the distance. Amathlan doesn’t stop; he can see the members of the House of the Golden Flower just ahead. Suddenly he feels her hand slip out of his; he stops. He stares after her. She only grants him a brief second of looking back. There is something akin to an apology on her face as she parts from the other members of their House to join Cardanith and the warriors of The Host Palantine.
He stands there for a moment, watching. Before long she disappears into the folds of The Host, and he is left alone there before being swept along by his Lord and the rest of his House. There was a deeply shadowed feeling that weighs upon him as their paths split. Without his sister by his side, the burning sensation began to worsen once more. Dragon’s fire was no longer secondary to loss.
