Ragnarok

Chapter 75 - Winged Assault

"I don't like the idea of fighting that thing on a 5-foot ledge," Tyrion grunted. He looked upwards, and saw some distance above them a large, rounded platform that jutted out from the main trunk like a mushroom cap. "Let's try and make it up to there, we'll have more room to move around. Down here we're sitting ducks."

The group immediately began to move forward, double time. As the ledge spiraled up the side of the tree, the dragon was soon out of sight behind the massive trunk. Rather than comforting them, this only made them more anxious, since now they couldn't see where it was or from what side it was approaching.

"I don't suppose we're lucky enough that it didn't see us," Gosta said lightly, jogging brisky behind Thorin.

"Doubtful. Dragon senses are sharp as hell. Skye could count the number of dots on a hare's back from a mile away," Avril replied.

"Naturally ..."

A few moments later, the dragon swooped around the side of the tree in front of them and bore down on them, releasing a terrifying roar. Several of their members cringed instinctively against the outer bark of the world-tree, assaulted by a supernatural fear that left them all but paralyzed. Even those who were able to resist winced and edged closer to the reassuring trunk.

"Don't stop, keep moving!" shouted Tyrion, but the dragon was already sweeping past, and once it was out of sight, the paralyzing fear broke and they all ran forward in a blind rush, scrambling over one another in their haste to keep pressing forward.

A few minutes later, the dragon swooped past again, and this time it didn't stop at trying to spook them. It flew into view, jaws opening wide, and unleashed a blast of dragonfire at them as it swept past. Kitara and Ingrid both held their hands out, rapidly speaking an incantation, and a crackling shell of light appeared between them and the dragon's blast of flame. Then the dragon had swept on around again, the last of its fire breath splashing harmlessly against the magic shield like raindrops off an umbrella.

This continued for some time, the dragon swooping in to roar or breathe fire at them, then flying past and allowing the party to continue sprinting for the platform. Finally, breathing heavily and dripping with sweat despite the frigid air, they stumbled out onto the circular platform. Long-faded blood splatters and burn marks stained the stone here, indicating that others had challenged the beast here and been less than successful. At the edge where the platform connected to the trunk, there was another large, inset door, which doubtlessly would remain sealed until the dragon was defeated.

The dragon swept around the side of the trunk not long after, and with great flaps of its leathery wings it closed with the circular platform. No doubt this was the creature's favored killing ground, and it showed no signs of concern for the small, soft-skinned creatures scurrying around in preparation for it. The dragon was no more conerned about its safety with them than a cat might be regarding a mouse it planned to eat, and that contempt allowed the swifter ones among them to launch the first strike.

Avril and Vladimir, their two fastest fighters, struck first in a pincer maneuver while the dragon was hovering and preparing to land on the edge of the platform. Vladimir's golden greatsword lashed across the dragon's wing, ripping a long gash through the membrane and biting into the wing structure itself. Blood sprayed out from the wound and it shrieked, turning with vicious speed to attack the golden warrior but finding only thin air between its jaws. While it was distracted, Avril drove Straumgard between two of the heavy scales of the dragon's back, and then directed lightning into the blade. The dragon's shriek was twice as loud this time, and it writhed in pain under her assault.

The dragon's movements had suddenly become rather clumsy, and its wings grasped for air as it tried to direct its fall onto the platform. It landed harder than the dragon no doubt would have preferred, but when it stood up there was no sign of broken bones or damaged muscle. The attacks had served more to anger the dragon than anything else, and its tail cracked like a whip as it turned towards them.

The dragon was about twice the size of a horse, with its biggest dimension being its 30-foot wingspan. It was much smaller than the dragon that had attacked them after the battle with Lady Hydra at least, but when it lashed its tail against the ground, there were cracks left behind in the hardened stone. If it had the chance, it might tear the entire platform off the side of the tree, sending them all tumbling to their deaths thousands of feet below.

Thorin, Tyrion and the rest were determined not to give it that chance. As it tried to regain its bearings, they assaulted the scaled beast with everything they had. It shrieked in anger and pain as it was assaulted from all angles. Kitara and Tacitus lashed out at the creature with blasts of pure arcane energy and frigid bursts of ice, while the melee fighters wove around one another, darting in and then retreating behind one another, never allowing it to focus its attacks on one person. Soon the dragon was roaring with frustration and bleeding from a dozen wounds, and started trying to maneuver towards the edge where it could take off again.

As it began to spread its wings, though, Vladimir appeared behind it and hacked at the same wing he had damaged earlier, splintering the bone underneath. The dragon shrieked in agony as its wing flopped uselessly at its side, and just then, Thorin and Tyrion performed a bull rush on the disoriented beast. Straining together, they were able to push the dragon back until it was right on the edge of the platform. Its one good wing flopped around uselessly, trying to drive them away, but it only succeeded in overbalancing itself. With a final roar, it disappeared off the ledge.

There was a soft click from behind them. The door had opened, leading back into the inside of the tree.