The Ocean Siege | Vol.2, The Eldenarian Artifacts ✓

17.

Wind rushed through Makaela's wild curls as she and Amora soared through the sky on Asahi's back. The dragon-shifter had taken on his reptilian form in order to fly over the water while the other magicians rode the other two dragons.

The sound of his leathery wings flapping in the afternoon air thundered in her Makaela's. In front of her sat Amora, who was gripping tightly onto two spines protruding from Asahi's scaly back.

Seawater sprayed her face as they dipped towards the ocean. Ripples passed through the water as they passed over it. She leaned over a bit to gaze at her speeding reflection. It was hazy and blurred, which was exactly how she'd been feeling about herself as of late.

Asahi roared, the noise jolting Makaela upright. Her arms tightened around Amora's waist. The girl scowled over her shoulder.

"Sorry," Makaela grumbled. Squinting, she took a peek in front of her. They were flying straight into a shimmering, transparent forcefield. The fog had thickened, making it nearly impossible to see anything fifteen feet away from them. The water beneath them had disappeared, the surface fully covered by the thick mist.

"What is that?"

Amora cursed. "It's a shield charm."

Asahi let off a blast of orange fire. Smoke poured from his snout while the bright flames dispersed the smog around them. However, the flames hit an invisible barrier and shot upward and sideways. The dragon careened to his left, narrowly missing the massive shield. The other two dragons did the same. They sped around the barricade, in search of a way inside.

Makaela let out an exasperated groan. If dragonfire couldn't take out the shield, she didn't know what .

Asahi circled them around the barrier as they tried searching for a weak point in the magic. He continued spouting flames from his massive maw. The air around Makaela felt like the inside of a furnace. She raised a hand to shield her face from the heat, but it did next to nothing to stop her from sweating.

"Fire isn't working!" Amora yelled over the rushing wind. "We need another plan!"

She nodded. As they zoomed through the air, she focused on the shield charm. It kept phasing in and out of view every time Asahi hit it with his fire. Her eyes widened upon noticing an area in the barrier where the magic wasn't as strong as the rest.

Blasting spell...

That was how they'd get in. Blasting spells were one of the only types of magic strong enough to shatter a shield charm, especially one of this size. If they hit the weak point of the charm enough time, it might've compromised the entire thing.

She and Amora shared a look before nodding. While they rarely say eye-to-eye, they both knew what needed to be done.

Amora held her palm out towards the transparent dome. The purple mark in her hand lit up for a moment. "Anéantis maxus!" A large bolt of dark orange energy raced towards the shield charm. It exploded upon impact. Faint cracks riddled the protective magic.

Makaela resisted the urge to facepalm. She hadn't even thought of using an amplified spell. While they used up more vitalae than the average spell, they also enhanced the effect of the magic being used by tenfold.

"Use that one," Amora instructed. Her breathing was labored, and her face was wet with a mixture of ocean water and perspiration.

Nodding, Makaela directed three blasts of orange at the wall herself. She could feel the energy fleeting her body; drained her stamina and power, but the shield charm was beginning to break.

Just a few more.

Asahi kept them close to the wall. He angled his scale-covered body upright and kept his wings steady so they could effectively hit the barrier. He began to buck like a horse, nearly knocking Makaela and Amora off his back. She put a hand behind herself, desperately trying to keep her balance.