Adventures of Paku the Dragon: The Shroud of Shadows

Chapter 16

The first few minutes of the fight are brutal. The orcs and goblins swarm forward, attacking the humans. The rangers and warriors fight valiantly, but they are outnumbered.

"We have to help them!" Paku says, struggling against the chains around his neck that bound him to the stump.

"They are kind of jerks Paku, we should just flee!" Patch suggests.

"No, that's not how we're doing this!" Paku says, as he tugs against the chains.

"How are we supposed to help them then?" Patch asks, frustrated.

"We'll think of something!" Paku replies, pulling harder on the chains. "Come on! Let's go!"

Ziva pulls on her chains. "Paku, you might be able to set this stump on fire, and burn it enough for us to free ourselves!"

"I don't know, that sounds dangerous!" Patch says.

"It is! But it might work." Ziva answers, looking at the stump. "If we can get enough heat, maybe we can burn through the chains."

The battle in the field continues on, the rangers killing a bunch of orcs and goblins, but there were too many, as more rangers began to fall on the battlefield.

"Go ahead!" Ziva yells, turning to face the stump. "Do your thing!"

Patch nods, and turns to the stump. He thinks hard about what he wants to do, and feels a sense of calm wash over him. He allows the fire to flow through his body, and expunges it onto the stump.

A ball of orange flames forms around the stump, and Patch watches it carefully.

"Keep going!" Ziva urges.

Patch concentrates on the flame, and tries to focus it on the stump. However, the lead ranger comes over to them, bloodied from the battle.

"He's going to kill us!" Patch says, as the lead ranger raises his sword. However, he simply cuts the chain apart, freeing the three from their bindings.

"This battle will be the last of the rangers. Flee and you three may have a chance to live." With that, the lead ranger rushes in with the five remaining soldiers, fighting the orc army with all his might.

"We can't leave them!" Paku says.

"Let's go then." Ziva agrees, shaking her head and removing the collar from her neck.

Patch shakes and removes the collar from around his neck, as the three heroes decide to join the battle against the orcs and goblins, trying their best to help the rangers.

"You're either brave, or dumb." the lead ranger says, as he strikes down an orc warrior.

"I'm not going to let you down, or anyone for that matter!" Paku says, throwing a goblin warrior away from him.

"It would be an honor to die fighting side by side then. I am sorry for misjudging your character young dragon." the lead ranger tells Paku as he fights alongside him.

Ziva and Patch work together, Ziva using her electrical breath to zap goblins, while Patch jumps from orc to orc clawing them to shreds. They work well together, and manage to keep a lot of the orcs and goblins off balance.

"Take cover!" the lead ranger yells, as he dodges a blow from an orc warrior.

The rangers and warriors quickly move behind trees and other obstacles.

"Ziva, do you trust me?" Paku asks.

"Yes. Why?" Ziva questions.

"We're going to have to do something drastic. We need a very strong attack to destroy these goblins and orcs. If we don't succeed they will kill us all." Paku explains.

"That move is advanced! It will take a lot of energy from us!" Ziva warns.

"Trust me." Paku says, grasping Ziva's paw with his own.

Ziva looks at Paku. "Are you sure?"

"Very." Paku assures her.

Ziva nods, and they both turn to the orc army.

"Alright, let's do it!"

The two fly up into the air, the last of the rangers fighting the horde below. "What are they doing?" the lead ranger questions.

"Dragon things! Just back up, and don't get hit!" Patch says, as the surviving rangers get out of the way.

Paku and Ziva began to channel their combined power, charging up an attack that will combine both their elements, that of fire and lightning.

"Shoot them down!" yells the orc commander, as arrows are fired at the two dragons. The arrows bounce off of them, and one hits the ground, burning a hole through the dirt.

"Enough!" Paku shouts, as he begins to charge up the blast.

Ziva follows suit, and fires an electric bolt at the horde below. Paku shoots a giant ball of fire at the horde, and the two's combined attack leaves a large impact on the horde, decimating all of the orcs and goblins, completely destroying them.

However, the pair are exhausted, and fall from the sky, landing next to the lead ranger and his surviving men.

"That attack was too much for their bodies to handle." Patch says, as the rangers look at the two unconscious dragons.

"Quick men, carry them with us. We need to get them back to the town." the lead ranger says, as the others pick Ziva and Paku up, carrying the two dragons with them as they made their way towards the town.