Eight Intertwined

124 - Dragon

H'aanit nocked yet another arrow and released it toward the dragon. Flames sparked across the surface of the projectile, threatening to completely consume it. The arrow managed to reach its target just before it could be destroyed though, and it slammed straight into the dragon's right wing. The beast tried to brush off the injury, but the flames left behind a massive burn that forced it to the ground. The dragon landed roughly on the snow below, letting out a cry of pain along the way. 

Once it was grounded again, the dragon raised its other wing--the one that had remained unharmed throughout all of this--and bat at the air with as much force as it could stand. H'aanit couldn't quite figure out what the dragon was trying to accomplish until she heard a strangled cry from Tressa. The force of the wind was enough to push her back through the trees the travelers had come from, and the snowfall quickly obscured her from view once again.

Therion was quick to dash after Tressa though, using a small fireball in one hand to light the way forward. He would return to the battlefield with Tressa in tow as soon as he had found her. Leaving her alone for an extended period of time in the middle of such a dense forest filled with monsters was a horrible idea, and it was better to leave the other six members of the group to fight the dragon rather than having one extra set of hands but abandoning Tressa. H'aanit trusted Therion to be able to bring her back safely. She had no doubt he would find a solution to their current conundrum while she and the rest of the party did all they could to fell the beast before them.

Olberic jumped toward the dragon as soon as he could, and his blade gleamed in the minimal sunlight streaming in through the clouds above. He brought his sword down on the dragon's side, and the beast let out a mighty cry of pain. It tried to smack Olberic with its injured wing, but it couldn't summon enough strength or force to deal any significant damage. When the dragon realized the mistake it had made, it instead opted to raise one of its claws and slash at Olberic that way. The warrior raised his blade and gripped the other end of the sword with a gloved hand to try and deflect the attack, but the dragon pushed the advantage even so, forcing Olberic to grind his heels into the snow below.

Alfyn struck at the dragon from the other side, swinging his axe with all the force he could muster. It was dangerous for him to attack the dragon on the side where it still had a functioning wing, but it was worth the risk in his mind if he could save Olberic from danger. Sure enough, that was the distraction Olberic needed to escape the dragon's insistent attacks, but the beast turned its attention to Alfyn instead as it snarled with rage. The dragon's breath fogged up just in front of its face thanks to the frigid air it had come to call its home, and it reared its head back in preparation for what H'aanit knew would be another blast of fire.

Cyrus interrupted before the dragon could release the attack though. A column of light stopped the beast in its tracks when its snout was consumed by the attack seconds before it struck. Ophilia was quick to follow up with a pair of fiery attacks that greedily melted the snow beneath the dragon's feet. The flames did not consume the nearby plants luckily, though Cyrus constructed a barrier of solid ice to cover the herbs of grace even so. It was best to be safe rather than sorry, especially since this was the only place any of them knew an herb of grace could be found.

While the dragon was dazed from the combination of fire and light attacks, Alfyn and Olberic struck from opposite sides. The beast wouldn't be able to recover until it was able to get a grip on its lost vision again, and that left them with a few extra moments to attack. Primrose offered them a boost in strength from the Shadow Fan as well, though neither one of them was able to express their gratitude in the heat of the moment. 

Primrose summoned a blast of light magic to try and keep the dragon dazed for as long as possible even when it made a few attempts to recover. That wouldn't be enough to keep it stunned forever, but it gave the group a few extra seconds, and H'aanit was willing to take that. She nocked another arrow and prepared to send it flying at her target--