Desert Dragon

by Michael Rogers

  Millard: "What are you saying?"

  Kath: "I will terminate you, now." *She grunted in a stern manner, facing Millard.*

  Millard: *He watched the moonlight shine off Kath's glasses, taking a step forward.* "I will end your pain and suffering."

  Kath: "Pain and suffering? Ha ha! Don't make me laugh. I love what I do."

  Millard: "No, you're being consumed by your own power. This is not you-"

  Kath: "Stop talking!"

  Millard: *He stepped back, watching a swirl of grass spiral around Kath.* (Huh? Her Neurons-)

  Kath: "I will have to do this myself!" *She screamed at Millard, blasting powerful gusts of wind across the plains.*

  Millard: (Her power-) *He covered his face, as the wind's power intensified.*

  ----------

  Luna: *She gasped, as Destiny hissed at the same time.* "Sh-Shit?!"

  Destiny: "Yeu!" *She quickly floated into Luna's arms, shivering in fear.*

  Champion: *She gasped with widening eyes.* "Oh my.."

  Karol: "Th-That's the sayme Neurons that stole my mummy and daddy." *He squealed and quickly ran to Rachael, tightly wrapping his arms around her leg.*

  Lezard: "Are you satisfied with those Neuron signatures?"

  Rachael: (Unbelievable..) *She looked at her hands, noticing her fingers twitch.* (I haven't felt like this since we encountered that Nancy captain years ago.)

  Nathan: *He puffed out his chest.* "Let's keep moving."

  Trevour: *He took a deep breath, trying to keep his composure.* "I don't feel as frightened as I would, knowing that I have my guild by my side."

  Luna: "L-Loser.." *She tried to emphasise how lame Trevour was.*

  Rachael: "..." *She placed her hand on the back of Karol's head and followed Lezard through the forest, as he led the guild forward.*

  ----------

  Kath: *She raised her arms, causing a red glyph to spiral underneath her.* "Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat-"

  Millard: "She's already going to strike-?" *He mumbled under his breath, adjusting his hat.* "Powers of the never ending red, beat and skip through the winds-"

  Kath: "FLAMING WHEEL" *She pushed forward, causing a wave of blue flames to spiral towards Millard.*

  Millard: "FIRE'S PULSE" *A ring of fire swirled around his hand and he pushed forward, causing a large ring of fire to block the blue flames.*

  Kath: "What-?"

  *An eruption of red and blue fire violently exploded in front of Millard.*

  Millard: "That was close-"

  Kath: "You think blocking my Rostical was a winning act? How dare you insult the Consultants! I cannot tolerate this type of behaviour!"

  Millard: (I promise I'll end this suffering of yours-)

  Kath: "FLAMING STORM" *A cluster of flames swirled in front of her, forming itself into a ball.*

  Millard: "Raging flames, fall down, snatching heat, FLAMING WHEEL"

  Kath: "Harh!" *She clicked her fingers, blasting an eruption of bright red flames at Millard.*

  Millard: "..." *He quickly moved his hands, causing a swirl of flames to ring along the ground.*

  Kath: "A direct hit-"

  Millard: "Harh!" *He raised his arms, causing a tornado-like swirl of flames to erupt around him.*

  Kath: *She watched her fire collide into the tornado-like fire, noticing the flames merge together.* (He used his own Rostical around himself to block my fire?)

  Millard: *He stared at the swirling wall of fire around him, taking a deep breath.* (That was close.)

  Kath: (I can't see, the fire-) *She flashstepped along the ground, spotting Millard in the fire.* "FLAMING STORM"

  Millard: *He swayed his arm to the side, extinguishing the swirl of flames around him.* (What Rostical did she-?)

  Kath: *She pointed at Millard, focusing on a cluster of forming flames above him.* (I'll explode this fireball directly in your face!)

  Millard: (Her Rostical is slightly different from mine, but luckily she hasn't changed her fighting style.) *He moved around the cluster of fire, crossing his arms.* (Despite how far one travels, the Rasticsplash would still kill the opponent. But merely moving behind the fire-)

  Kath: *She watched the fireball grow in size, suddenly exploding around Millard.* "Grr!" (How did he know to move around it?! Foes wouldn't recognise such a blatant weakness to that Remenistal-)

  Millard: "FLAME BOLT" *He spread his arms, shooting eight fireballs towards Kath.*

  Kath: *She frowned at Millard, taking a step back.* "Flames consume and burn my Astragons, HEAT LANCE" *She pretended to throw a spear, hurling eight blue lance-like flames at Millard.*

  *The fire lances and balls collided, causing bright red and blue flames to light up the plains.*

  Millard: *He stepped to the side and flicked his wrist, causing a spurt of flames to blow out from his fingers.* (I needed to release some heat-)

  Kath: (His power almost rivals my own-)

  Millard: (I can't hold back!) *He started to run towards Kath, frowning in determination.*

  Kath: *She focused her attention on Millard, raising her arm.* "Lushes of aqua, crush, MERCURY BLAZE" *She dropped her arm to the side, causing water-like fire to wave down.*

  Millard: "Forty four, Fire Stroke." *He waved his arm upwards, causing a slash-like line of flames to block the blue fire.*

  Kath: *She covered her face, watching blue and red splinters of fire extinguish past her.* "Tssk-"

  Millard: *He formed a fist and jumped into striking distance.* "Ha!" *He punched towards Kath's face, causing a stream of fire to scorch out of his fist.*

  Kath: *She gasped and bent down, cupping her hands.* "Rharh!" *She lifted her hands, causing a wall of blue fire to block Millard's attack.*

  Millard: *He watched strings of bright red flames, flicker in a fluid-like manner around the wall of blue flames.* (She set that defensive wall of flames fairly quickly, but-)

  Kath: *She opened her hands, pretending to push the fire away.* (His fire-)

  Millard: *He formed a second fist and punched another wave of flames, causing his fire to brightly light up the surrounding area.* (You weren't expecting this, were you?)

  Kath: *She gritted her teeth, watching spurts of bright red flames burn the ground past her blue flames.* "It's strong!"

  Millard: *He straightened both arms, watching his flames overwhelm Kath.* (I've been training off screen to fight you, my love.)

  Kath: *Her feet slid back, as she struggled to keep her wall of flames up.* "Grr-" *She frowned and pushed to the side, extinguishing all the flames.*

  Millard: *He awkwardly stepped to the side, staring at Kath.* (She extinguished the Neurons powering my flames causing the fire to die out-)

  Kath: "Your power-" *She spoke in disbelief, pushing her glasses up with one finger.*

  Millard: "My love, Kathalestel. It's time to end this."

  Kath: "Silence, you must be terminated!" *She stamped her foot, causing multiple eruptions of blue flames to swirl around her.*

  Millard: *He stepped back in shock, forming a fist.* (Her Neurons continues to rise!)

  Kath: *She lunged forward, waving her arms in a fluid-like manner.* "RIPPLING FIREY WEB" *String-like fire streams, rippled through the air towards Millard.*

  Millard: "Dang it-" *He spun around, raising his arms in the air.* "FLAMING WHEEL"

  *A swirl of flames spiralled around Millard, erupting high into the air.*

  Kath: *She watched the strings of fire extinguish in Millard's swirling flames.* (He's clearly mastered that Rostical-)

  Millard: "Cosmic flames, crash down, blasting burns-" *He raised his arm and twirled it around, as if he was stirring something.*

  Kath: *She frowned and formed fists, causing rings of flames to spiral around her hands.* (Only until now, I've realised how foolish it was mastering only one elemental affinity-)

  Millard: "SPIRAL FLAMES" *He dropped his arm, causing a barrage of waterfall-like flames to crash on top of Kath.*

 
; Kath: *She crossed her arms, covering her head.* (I thought I was the only one that could create such flames out of nowhere-?) *She leant forward, unaffected by the flame's heat.*

  Millard: (She's acting like the fire's water!) *He watched the fire continued to pour on top of her.* (Her clothes aren't even catching alight!-)

  Kath: (Take this!) *She kicked the ground, causing a swirl of blue flames to spiral around her foot.* "FIRE BLAST"

  *A suddenly burst of bright blue flames exploded Millard's waterfall-like fire.*

  Kath: "Pathetic." *She grunted in confidence, ignoring the strings of flames around her.*

  Millard: *He squinted his eyes, staring at the extinguishing flames.* (She used the sudden burst of Neurons from that Rostical to negate my Rostical-)

  Kath: "Materialising fire in the air is powerful." *She hunched forward, glaring at Millard in anger.* "But I'll show you how it's really done!"

  Millard: *He stepped back, standing in a battle-ready pose.* (Our power is almost equal, the only way I'll be able to win is to effectively parry my Rostical into a combo-)

  Kath: "Grand Rostical."

  Millard: *He gasped with widening eyes.* "No!"

  Kath: *She took a deep breath, cupping her hands.* "..."

  Millard: *He looked up, staring at the night sky in fear.* (I have to charge up a Grand Rostical with the intention to just block this attack!-)

  *The moonlight which shined on the plains, slightly dimmed, causing the area to become darker than normal.*

  Kath: "Now, time for your termination."

  Millard: "Recite the crimson words, volcanic courage inflame my might, four corners meet and combine-" *Several red glyphs spiralled around him, suddenly expanding in a 3D-like manner.*

  Kath: *Red glyphic symbols and seals materialised in the air around her.* "FADING SUNS"

  Millard: "MYSTIC SCORCHING STRIKE" *Swirls of glass-like spheres made of white flames materialised in the air around him.*

  Kath: "Take this!" *She screamed at the sky and a beam of yellow magma crashed down on top of Millard.*

  Millard: "Harh!" *He pushed up, blasting the balls of white flames into the magma.*

  *Sounds of shattering glass echoed across the plains, as the spheres of flames smashed into the magma.*

  Kath: *She watched continuous balls of white flames, materialise in the air around Millard.* (He's withstanding my Grand Rostical?!)

  Millard: *Strings of magma splattered around him, burning the grass into yellow flames.* (Just a little longer-)

  Kath: "Hahaha!" *She smirked in confidence, as her eyes glowed an eerie yellow colour.*

  Millard: (An object's strength is determined by its weakness-) *He twitched his fingers, causing the balls of white flames to shatter in one spot.*

  Kath: *She watched spurts of white flames, explode inside the magma.* "Inside? What?"

  *The magma suddenly exploded and scattered, raining bright yellow strings of magma across the plains.*

  Millard: (Excellent-)

  Kath: "How dare you!"

  Millard: (By concentrating on the one spot, I was able to explode the Rostical as a whole-) *He took a deep breath and clicked his fingers, causing the magma to instantly dry up.*

  Kath: (That must've been a powerful technique if it caused mine to explode in that manner!-)

  Millard: "I've held back for all these years, to unleash everything I've got on you right now."

  Kath: *She watched dry charcoal rain around Millard in anger.* "I won't go easy on you!"

  Millard: "I wouldn't have it any other way."

  Kath: *She spread her arms far apart and spun around, causing two green waves to scorch the air.* "Burn his flesh!"

  Millard: (Green flames?!)

  Kath: "..." *She pushed forward, blasting the flames at Millard.*

  Millard: *He watched the green waves of fire burn the grass, as it rumbled towards him.* "SPIRAL FLAMES" *He raised his arms and quickly dropped them, causing a waterfall of flames to erupt down from the sky on to the ground.*

  Kath: *She watched her green flames suddenly explode, as it collided with Millard's fire.* (Even at that level, it will not completely stop my flames-)

  *Two streams of green fire suddenly scorched past Millard's fire, spiralling towards him.*

  Millard: (Oh my-) *He quickly spread his arms far apart, separating the green fire away from him.*

  Kath: (I see an opportunity-) *She grunted in thought, taking a step forward.*

  Millard: *He looked over his shoulder, glancing at the green flames in shock.* (Her fire still bypassed my Spiral Flames-?)

  Kath: *She jumped through the weakened fire, flashstepping in front of Millard.* "Weak!-"

  Millard: *He stepped back in shock, watching a delayed trail of green and red flames extinguish behind Kath.*

  Kath: "You were dismissed as Consultant, and now the dismissal of your life!"

  Millard: "My, you jumped through my Spiral Flames-?"

  Kath: "Ougi." *She placed two fingers on Millard's chest.* "Bakana Flare."

  Millard: "No!-"

  *A multi-coloured, volcanic-like eruption, blasted Millard across the plains.*

  Kath: *Her hair and surrounding grass, violently blew back, caused by the sheer power of the flames.* (Perfect-)

  Millard: "Argh!" *Different coloured flames burnt his robes, causing him to grit his teeth in pain.*

  Kath: *She leant forward, ignoring the extinguishing flames around her fingers.* (Due to the termination of so many warriors, I've learnt how to follow up on my Rostical-)

  Millard: *He touched the ground, sliding back on his feet.* (A direct hit from her Ougi-)

  Kath: "Cosmic flames, crash down immediately, blasting burns, SPIRAL FLAMES" *A ball of green flames formed itself in the air, suddenly erupting down in front of Millard.*

  Millard: "Did she miscalculate my distance? Her Rostical clearly missed-"

  Kath: "Confusing winds, burning fury, five powerstarter, FIRE BLAST" *She tapped the ground with one foot and a wave of flames formed in front of her.*

  Millard: "I don't understand-" *He reached behind him and a burst of flames caused him to instantly stop.*

  Kath: *She threw her arm back and punched the wave, crashing the wave of fire towards Millard.* "With this, it should be the end of you-"

  Millard: "I don't understand what you're thinking, but-" *He mumbled to himself, preparing to jump into the air.*

  *The wave of fire hit the Spiral Flames, causing its speed to increase.*

  Millard: "H-How? The two Rostical combined-" *He watched a tower sized wave of fire crash in front him.* "N-No-"

  Alicia: "Frosted skies reveal the truth, please with the power strike forward, FREEZING HOLLOWS" *A tunnel of ice pierced in between Millard and the wave of flames.*

  Kath: "What?" *She watched the ice instantly turn into water, wetting the grass.*

  Millard: *He looked at the water with widening eyes.* (Here's my chance!-) "FLAME BOLT" *He crossed his arms and spread them, blasting several fireballs into the tower sized flames.*

  Kath: *She watched multiple explosions push back her flames, before extinguishing into nothing.* (What intercepted my flames giving him a chance to strike back-?!)

  Lance: "O-Old fart!" *He yelled at the top of his lungs, running onto the plains.*

  Alicia: (G-Good, we made it in time.)

  Lance: "Good work, thunda-thighs, your Rostickal reached them all the way from over here."

  Millard: *He looked worried, motioning them to stop.* "S-Sorry, children! I need to do this myself!"

  Alicia: "B-But!-"

  Lance: *He touched her shoulder.* "Respect the old fart's wishes."

  Alicia: "But-"

  Lance: "If someone else comes, we'll smash their face in, OK?" *He smirked at Alicia.*

  Alicia: "Alright-"

  Lance: "Oh, and don't interrupt me, dick sniffer."

  Alicia: *She looked at Millard, cupping her hands.* "HEALING RINGS"

  Millard: *Tw
o rings of white light spiralled around him, causing him to sigh in relief.* "Thankies."

  Kath: *She rubbed her forehead in anger, flicking hair out of her face.* (It looks like his friends won't interfere.)

  Millard: (I'm at a disadvantage. I lost the ability to flashstep in order to maximise my Rostical's raw power-)

  Kath: "Harh!" *She jumped up and kicked the ground, causing another green wave to crash in front of her.*

  Lance: "Shit! That fire is green." *He grunted with a dropping jaw.*

  Kath: "Harh!" *She kicked the fire, hurtling it towards Millard.*

  Millard: *He spun around and swung his arm across his face, causing a bright red flame to twirl around him.* (Blast this brittle body!)

  *An explosion of green and bright red flames, erupted in front of Millard.*

  Lance: "Their fires collided-"

  Alicia: "Their power is even stronger than that captain."

  Lance: "W-Wat captain?" *He stared at the flames dance before him.*

  Alicia: "The one that defeated Zayden in one hit."

  Kath: (He keeps blocking my fire with another fire at the last minute.)

  Millard: *He waved his arm, extinguishing the flames.* "FIRE BLAST" *He shouted, punching both hands towards Kath, causing two streams of flames to erupt towards her.*

  Lance: "Man, it looks like they're fire bendin'."

  Alicia: "F-Fire bending?" *She tilted her head at Lance, staring at the bright red flames.*

  Lance: "Never mind."

  Millard: "Kathalestel, let's put an end to this!"

  Kath: *She stepped to the side, flashstepping out of the fire's range.* "Don't tell me what to do!"

  Millard: *He noticed Kath in the distance and lowered his arms, causing the fire to extinguish.* "You've taught me-"

  Kath: *She focused on her hands, causing her fingers to twitch.* "Save your lectures! Ougi."

  Alicia: (O-Ougi?)

  Millard: "You've taught me, friendship isn't about who you've known the longest. It's about those who met you, and never left your side!"

  Kath: "..."

  Millard: "Kathalestel. I'll never ever leave your side again-"

  Kath: *Her eyes glazed, as she pretended to ignore Millard.* "Gentle fists acquire the power of Remenistal, Scorching Roharnia."

  Millard: *He stared at Kath with widening eyes, stepping back.* (The Roharnia arts? The strongest variation of hand to hand combat-)