by F. P. Spirit
The dragon momentarily winced at the flash, the crash of thunder bouncing off the inner walls of the monolith. As the rumbling noise died down, it was replaced with the sound of deep, wicked laughter. “You missed, little elf.”
Donnie arched a single eyebrow in response. “Did I?”
A huge length of purple fabric suddenly fell from above, the dragon’s great head and upper neck disappearing beneath Larketh’s huge tapestry. At the same time, a familiar voice sounded from behind Donnie. “I trust that is what you meant to do.”
The slim elf spun around and saw Alana standing behind him, a skeptical expression on the lady knight’s face. Donnie peered at Alana with a hurt expression. “Of course I did. How could you ever doubt me?”
Behind him, the dragon let out a great roar, accompanied by the sound of ripping cloth. “I’ll melt you to your bones, you puny little elf!”
Aksel’s voice rang out from the pillar, a few yards away. “Get back here, you two! Before it breaks loose!”
The artist and the lady knight exchanged a quick glance, then grabbed each other by the arm, and sprinted back behind the central column of the monolith.
Outside the monolith, Cyclone hurtled head first toward the exposed back of the unsuspecting green dragon. The dragon hunter’s wicked-looking halberd jutted out in front of him, a glint of light reflecting off the deadly weapon’s sharp tip. Lloyd and Glo exchanged a fleeting glance, then banked into a steep dive, scrambling to get into position in time. The dragon hunter rushed toward his target… one hundred feet… fifty… twenty-five…
The dragon hunter slammed into the dragon’s back, the added force of his high dive driving the long halberd well past the thick green scales. The deathly-sharp weapon dug deep into the great beast’s flesh, just above the base of its wings, next to the dragon’s tall crest. Blood spurted from the wound—the acid blood of a green dragon—hissing as burned through everything it touched.
In an amazing feat of agility, Cyclone avoided the spray of blood, flipping his body around and firmly planting his feet on either side of the impaling weapon.
The dragon’s reaction was immediate, and violent—its large frame bucked like some huge, wild horse, the large wings flaring out wide on either side, the long serpentine tail whipping around furiously. A bone-shattering roar gushed from the entryway, sending chills up Glo’s spine.
A moment later, the dragon was struck again, this time from multiple sources. Lloyd strafed over the creature’s large left wing, his black blade engulfed in flames as it bit deep into the thinly stretched portion of skin between two of the long phalanxes. Three arrows rained down in rapid succession from above, planting themselves in a row along the length of the dragon’s other wing.
Glo shook off his fear and sent a bolt of lightning cascading through the air, into the same area as the three arrows. A moment later, another bolt of lightning flashed past the wizard, Ruka expertly hitting the very same spot that Glo had.
The great dragon flinched with each and every hit, arcs of electricity dancing across its wing, as the loud crash of twin thunder strikes reverberated throughout the clearing. The thin membrane of the dragon’s wing was left scorched and sizzling from the relentless attacks. Its other wing was even worse, Lloyd leaving a huge gash in his wake, rendering the appendage useless for flight.
From above and behind Glo came a triumphant roar. The great beast had been effectively grounded. Now came the hard part—facing the wrath of an enraged full-adult green dragon.
Down near the ground, Lloyd performed a tight bank, blade readied for another pass at the great dragon. Cyclone yelled to the flying warrior, “Attack the underside!”
Lloyd responded with a curt nod, then dove underneath the large creature, his black blade rending several angry red tears along the dragon’s underbelly. Once again, acid blood spurted from those wounds, some of it landing on the flying warrior. Yet before it could burn him, a green aura rose to meet it, causing the acid to dissipate. It was a good thing Glo had cast an absorption spell on the young warrior. Otherwise, that blood would be eating through his armor and skin.
Meanwhile, Cyclone gave a great heave, yanking out the long shaft of his halberd. The dragon hunter then leapt high up into the air and slammed his razor-sharp weapon back down into the deep red oozing wound. The dragon flinched at the blow, another roar of rage exploding within the confines of the monolith.
More blood spurted upward, the hunter performing a crazy dance to move out of the way. He managed to avoid most of it, but some got on his armor and skin, causing them both to sizzle—yet somehow Cyclone seemed able to ignore the pain.
For the life of him, Glo couldn’t understand why the hunter had refused his absorption spell. Perhaps it was a matter of pride. Yet there was nothing to be done about it now.
Without warning, the dragon backed completely out of the entrance, moving with frightening speed. Its head swiveled around, the dark-slit eyes focusing with clear hatred on the blue-clad hunter. Seeing Cyclone’s imminent peril, Glo shifted the direction of his next bolt, and loosed it straight at the great beast’s head.
The dragon flinched as the flash of light blasted its long snout, arcs of electricity dancing around its jaw and eyes, but the beast was so enraged that it immediately shook it off. The green dragon opened its large maw wide, inhaling deeply as it prepared to spew out a deadly stream of acid breath.
“Watch out!” Glo cried in horror, his cry punctuated by the receding roll of thunder.
Yet before the dragon could exhale, a golden-brown figure streaked down between it and its prey, letting loose a bolt of lightning straight into the larger creature’s open maw. The smaller dragon swiftly sped past, leaving the greater green sputtering and choking on its own acid. Before it could recover, blue bands of force suddenly appeared around its snout, forcing the great jaws shut with a snap.
Glo spun around and saw Elistra hovering on her ‘hummingbird’ in the air nearby, her brow deeply furrowed with concentration, beads of sweat already forming across her forehead. Down below, the dragon’s eyes practically bulged out of its head, streams of acid spewing out the sides of its mouth.
“I can’t hold it much longer!” Elistra cried, her voice strained with the tension of fighting the dragon’s incredible strength.
Down below, Lloyd strafed in again, rending more red-streaked tears in the dragon’s underbelly. At the same moment, Alana, Donnie, and Aksel poured from the entryway of the monolith. The lady knight, sword and shield in hand, rushed forward with a loud war cry, Donnie right behind her with Inazuma in hand.
As the duo assaulted the dragon’s front legs, Cyclone yanked his halberd out of the deep, bloodied wound and crouched way down. The young dragon hunter then launched himself upward higher than before, and came down with all his might, slamming the deadly weapon well into that same wound yet again. The sharp halberd went all the way in this time, down to the very end of its long shaft.
Blood spurted in all directions from the great wound, the blue-clad hunter twisting and turning to avoid the spray. Yet some of it still got on him, eating away at everything it touched. Large welts appeared all over the hunter’s arms and one appeared on his cheek. Still, Cyclone ignored the pain, firmly hanging on to the end of his weapon’s shaft.
Abruptly the dragon’s large serpentine eyes went glassy, one last terrifying roar escaping the great maw as the bands of blue force disappeared from around its long snout. Beneath the young hunter, the dragon’s body shuddered, the great knees buckling.
“Fall back!” Aksel’s cry reverberated around the clearing.
Alana and Donnie pulled back just as the monster’s long, thick legs gave out altogether, the green dragon falling to the ground with an earth-shaking thud. Everyone looked on in amazement as green liquid spilled from the creature’s mouth and formed an acrid pool on the ground in front of it
. The huge torso twitched a few times, then the whole body shuddered and the green dragon finally lay still.
Cheers of victory went up all around. Lloyd landed next to Cyclone, the young warrior eyeing the dragon hunter with clear concern. Cyclone glanced at the tall warrior, and gave him a brief nod. Glo, Elistra, and Ruka flew down and hovered around the pair. The young dragon’s voice was filled with a mixture of sarcasm and awe. “Remind me never to piss you off.”
Cyclone peered back at her, clearing trying not to wince from the pain. The side of his mouth upturned into a thin smirk. “After that stunt you just pulled, I could say the same.”
Joy and Sorrow
His father had been a dragon hunter, like his father before him.
Moments later, Elladan and Martan emerged from the monolith. The duo stopped next to Aksel, their eyes falling on the still form of the green dragon. Alana and Donnie skirted around the body of the large beast, while Lloyd and Cyclone jumped down from the dragon’s back.
The latter still winced in pain, the welts on his arms and face an angry red. Aksel came rushing over and insisted on healing his wounds despite the proud hunter’s protests. Cyclone eyed the little cleric sharply at first, but finally gave in. “You’re going to keep on hounding me if I don’t let you do this.”
Aksel’s responded with a curt nod, his jaw firmly set.
“Fine!” Cyclone practically spat the word, plopping himself down on the ground facing the remains of the green dragon. “Just don’t block my view.”
As Aksel set to work on Cyclone’s wounds, Glo, Elistra, and Ruka landed, the latter swiftly transforming into a teenaged girl once again. The small group stared in wonder at the carcass of their once invincible opponent. The great head lay still just in front of them, the black-slit eyes unfocused, the long-forked tongue sticking out of its open maw.
Donnie turned to Alana and grasped the lady knight, drawing her into a tight embrace. The slim elf rocked her back and forth, crying for joy. “We did it!”
Alana held on awkwardly to Donnie, her face turning a bright scarlet. At the same time, Elladan clasped Martan on the shoulder. “Nice shooting there! What was that, like three hundred feet?”
Martan gave the elven bard a sidelong glance and responded with a slight smile. “Something like that.”
Glo spun toward Elistra. The seeress appeared quite tired. He put his arms around her, and drew her to him, a warm smile on his lips. “What you did was amazing. Are you alright?”
Elistra gazed up into his eyes, her own gleaming with affection. “I’m fine… just tired.”
“Not too bad,” Cyclone agreed in a gruff voice.
Aksel still hovered over the hunter, divine white light pouring from his palms and bathing the young man’s arms and face with healing energy. Cyclone nodded in the direction of Ruka. “You definitely saved me and the suicidal bronze here from an acid bath.”
Ruka stared back at the dragon hunter with a twisted smirk. “Maybe next time I’ll let the nice green dragon give you that toasty little bath.”
The corner of Cyclone’s mouth lifted, a short laugh escaping his lips, but Lloyd interrupted any retort he might have had. “That leap from the top of the monolith was rather impressive.”
Cyclone shifted his gaze toward the young warrior, his expression turning impassive once more. “That was no big deal. It’s a dragon hunter thing.”
At that point, Alana gently disengaged herself from Donnie’s embrace, and turned toward Martan. “Can you please help me find Syndir and Lamorn? I would like to make sure they are all right.”
Martan responded with a curt nod. “Follow me.”
The tracker took off with Alana in tow, the duo swiftly disappearing into the thick surrounding woods. Ruka watched them go with the others, but as she swung back around, her face suddenly went pale. The young teen swayed where she stood, looking as if she were about to fall over. Donnie immediately rushed forward and grabbed her, Ruka doing little to resist. She melted into his arms, laying her head on the slender elf’s chest.
Aksel, still working on Cyclone, watched the dragon girl with deep lines of concern across his face. “Now that that’s settled, we need to get you permanently cured of that poison.”
Elladan placed a hand on Aksel’s shoulder. “Vermoorden is still the closest town. It would probably be our best bet.”
Aksel glanced up at the bard, and gave him a grateful nod, then shifted his gaze back to Ruka, his eyes narrowing. “Do you think you can make the flight?”
Ruka pursed her lips together, not lifting her head from Donnie’s chest. “Well… I won’t be able to fly at my normal speed, but I should still be able to get us there in just under half a day.”
Elladan gazed up at the sun, the golden orb now just past its zenith. “If you leave soon, you should be able to make it there by late evening.”
Donnie grasped Ruka by the shoulders, his eyes filled with worry. “I’ll go with you, that is, if you don’t mind carrying me on your back.”
Ruka’s cheeks reddened slightly. She shook her head, an embarrassed smile crossing her lips. “No… I don’t mind at all.”
Aksel abruptly cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention back to him. “Ahem, actually, I should probably go with her. If you get there and there is no immediate cure, then you will need another spell to delay the poison from spreading.”
Donnie eyed Aksel for a moment, then nodded. He shifted his gaze back to Ruka and spoke in a soft voice. “He’s right. Your health is paramount. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you.”
Ruka’s cheeks reddened even further. The young teen stared at the sandy-haired elf for a moment, her emerald eyes filled with more than just a touch of affection. Her voice was just barely above a whisper. “I feel the same way.”
Donnie flashed her a bright smile, then let Ruka go and stepped back. He drew Inazuma from his sheath and held it out in front of her. “Thank you for the use of your family’s blade.”
“You’re welcome,” Ruka responded with a satisfied smile, reaching out to take back the ancient sword. Her small hand lingered on Donnie’s for a long moment before drawing the weapon away.
Donnie gazed warmly at the young teen, then shifted his eyes toward Aksel. “Before you go, take these.”
The thin elf bent down and removed his Boots of the Spider, and dropped them next to the little cleric. “These will help you hang on and not slow Ruka down.”
Aksel gave Donnie a grateful nod. “Thanks.”
White light gradually stopped pouring from the little cleric’s hands as he stepped back away from Cyclone. The angry welts on the hunter’s arms and face had disappeared, only a trace of reddish skin remained where they had been. Cyclone pushed himself off the ground and made circles with each arm, one after the other, then cast a glance down at Aksel. “I suppose I should thank you.”
Aksel, in the interim, had sat down and removed his boots, pulling on Donnie’s. He smiled back up at the hunter. “No thanks are necessary. Just doing my job.”
Cyclone gave the little cleric a short nod, his face expressionless, but there was a slight twinkle in his eye. Meanwhile, the magical boots Aksel had pulled on abruptly shrank to fit the gnome’s smaller legs. Aksel stared at them in wonder for a moment, then got up and turned to face Ruka. “Shall we?”
The young teen nodded. She cast one last reluctant stare at Donnie, then spun around and walked a short way from the others. Ruka’s body glowed once more as she shifted back to her natural form. Once the transformation was complete, she lay down on the ground, allowing the little cleric to climb up onto her back.
Aksel perched himself on her shoulders just above her glistening golden-brown wings. Ruka then stood, her great wings fanning out on either side of her sleek bronze torso. With a few steady flaps, the duo gently lift
ed off the ground, slowly rising above the tree tops. The gleaming bronze dragon hovered there as she spun toward the east, then shot off out of the clearing, swiftly disappearing behind the treetops.
Cyclone watched with interest as the dragon girl flew off with the little gnome on her back. The amount of concern this strange group showed for the young bronze seemed unnatural to him. What was more surprising, was that the dragon girl had risked her life for him—a dragon hunter.
In truth, he had not thought much of Ruka at first. From everything she had said, and the way the group acted around her, he suspected she was some kind of dragon. Yet that didn’t impress him much. She was obviously sick, and Cyclone considered her more of a liability in a fight than not. Yet the girl had proven herself in battle, and that was something the young hunter could respect.
Cyclone was also impressed with the rest of the group… well, some of them at least. The tall warrior, Lloyd, had proven to be quite useful in the fight. With his ability to fly, and those burning blades, he had done significant damage to the dragon. Cyclone had to admit he was curious how the warrior would fare against him in a one-on-one battle.
The wizard had also done an adequate job. Cyclone didn’t care much for casters. They were only good as long as their spells held out. Once those were gone, they were useless on the battlefield. The knight and the wiry elf had acted bravely, rushing the dragon’s legs. Neither had done that much damage, but their attempt had earned the hunter’s respect.
What had really surprised Cyclone, other than the actions of the bronze, was the other caster… the gypsy, Elistra. That little parlor trick she had pulled had given him just enough time to deliver the killing blow. Maybe casters weren’t so useless after all… well at least not this one.
