Leandros gave Byrr sometime to rest and drink from a small nearly dry well. They would both need to be ready for the plan ahead. As the horse drinks, the knight retightens the straps of his armor and the belts of the saddle. Everything needed to be secure if they were going to pull this off.

When there is no more time to linger he whispers the horse over before mounting him. He gives a look up to the gate and nods to the two in hiding, there was no more use in words between the three of them. They had a plan and were enacting it, anything further could lead to fear and doubt which Leandros knew as morale killers. When morale is lost, so is the battle, so he settles his face into a stern and determined look. It wasn't much, but perhaps a bit of certainty from him would settle Del and Cyran.

The knight and his steed head directly for the eye of the storm, a likely spot to find the dragon. The dry desert air provides little rain for this rolling thunderstorm, but the cracks of lightning and peels of thunder are loud enough to signal this dragon's power. Leandros can feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as the electricity builds in the air.

He is barely out of sight of the ruins when the sky starts to shift and move. Out of it descends a massive dragon, the spikes along its back the size of trees, the wings could blot out nations it seemed. The size of dragons was hard to fathom when you only knew them from books. Sensing new pray, it dives out of the sky and towards Leandros.

"ALREADY CHALLENGERS COME TO TAKE MY DOMAIN? YOU HUMANS INSULT ME BY SENDING BUT ONE MAN TO KILL AYARTESHKI, I AM THE STORM OF STORMS, THE MAKER OF THE TEMPEST, I WAS A GOD BEFORE YOUR FOREFATHERS THOUGHT TO CREATE FIRE AND DRAG THEMSELVES FROM THE MUCK."

"Silence wyrm, you should have stayed in the pit you came from!" Leandros tries to call back, but it is impossible for him to match the thunderous voice of the dragon.

The dragon tucks its wings to dive faster as Leandros starts to turn and gallop away. Ayarteshki swoops low to bite, but Leandros pulls hard to the right just out of the way. Sand spills from its jaw and over the knight as the dragon gets ready again.

Leandros does not need to signal the others, the sound of galloping and the brimming rage of the dragon can be heard as he speeds towards the gate.

"GOOD, CORNER YOURSELF LIKE THE LITTLE RAT YOU ARE, I WILL SAVOR YOUR FEAR AND DESPAIR WHEN YOU TRY TO GROVEL AND BEG FOR YOUR LIFE." The dragon spreads its wings wide to start gliding in, it's fast, but this is the window Del and Cyran have.

SPOILER: Click to show

Still buzzing from the ride in, the close contact with Cyran and the new experience of riding a horse, and the weight of the task before them, Del gives Leandros and Cyran a reassuring half-smile before as their paths diverged, and she follows close to Cyran.

The feeling of moving through shadow in tandem is exhilarating. She stays close, feeling the fabric of the shade itself bending light around them both as they move closer to their destination. It's a nervous, buzzing energy that is both aprehension and enjoyment that brings them to the location they're meant to ambush from, no need for words within the companionable silence of synchronicity. Now, as they wait, all that remains is to be airborne.

A hand lays on Cyran's shoulder as they wait, watching Leandros charge off boldly. The storm swells, darkening the sky and kicking up the wind. Lightning cracks and buries into the sand itself in an invigorating display of electrical power. The dragon that emerges from the storm, even at this distance where Leandros is no longer visible, is massive, and Del can scarcely think how that giant creature had fit underground. The fingers on Cyran's shoulder tighten a little; an unconcious seeking and providing of comfort, tied to the bond that resonated in their subconcious, and beneath it, a streak of steely resolve, ready to act.

It's about as loud and pompous as she remembered, at least, so perhaps that would work in their favour.

She sees it dive, too far off, and feels her stomach lurch-- only to relax as Leandros pilots Byrr out of danger. But the dragon is still in flight, pursuing his horsed quarry with the murderous intent of a creature certain of capturing it's prey. Leandros' courage ran deep, she could see; not a moment of faltering. Del would have cheered had she not been part of act two of this incredible performance. And speaking of--

As the storm and the dragon start to get close, Del tenses next to Cyran, ready for him to take them both up. Through the darkness, where they could see one another, Del gives him a smile of assent and puts an arm around him. She hadn't flown before. This would be an interesting first. She waits for precisely the right moment and whispers, "Now."

The dragon’s voice boomed as it echoed off of the once-hallowed halls of the desert ruins. Its very voice made the already-unstable foundations supporting Del and himself wobble, thrumming through the veins of the earth. But Leandros was unflappable in the face of the ancient being’s might, searing-hot authority in his voice matching the drake’s word for word. It was difficult for man to match the might of a near-immortal, all powerful dragon, but Leandros was damn sure determined to try.

Thunder began to boom around them, crackling lightning punctuating each of the dragon’s words. The hairs on the back of Cyran’s neck stood up as he caught whiff of the ozone in the air. It was all too easy for one to stand there and claim they could fight a dragon, but actually being there… staring into the dragon’s maw, was a different matter entirely. It was difficult to force himself to move, even in the moments that the dragon’s muscles began to uncoil, spreading its wings - despite every instinct screaming at him that it was time for him to move, Cyran could not force his useless body to act.

Not until the moment that Del’s whispered word cut through the drumbeat of his heart pounding in his ears, clear as chiming bells.

“Right.”

Barely a second passed between his reply and a burst of pure, living shadow from his back as Cyran’s magic could no longer contain itself, yearning to be free. The shadows coalesced into a pair of wings, fluttering for only a brief moment before Cyran wrapped his arms around Del’s waist and took to the sky.^[1]

He was unused to having passengers with him, but Cyran had no choice in this moment to simply hold strong and drop them off on the dragon’s back. That was his only choice. He only had to fly in a short burst, long enough for him and Del to make their way onto the dragon’s rigid spine. The landing was shaky, but Cyran’s own natural grace held him steady, allowing them to find footing while they crouched low to the dragon’s body. Cyran gripped one of the spikes along the beast’s spine with one hand, waiting until Del was secure to let go of her and grab Spell Slicer with his free hand. A weapon smaller than each and every one of the fangs nestled in the dragon’s mouth, but in the right hands, capable of dealing devastating damage to vulnerable spots.

They didn’t have much time to act.

He turned to Del, the wind whipping his hair as the dragon made a beeline for Leandros. “Together.” He didn’t offer any more words. Cyran trusted Del would know what he meant and carry it out. The promise uttered, he cast her one last look before they both moved to take out one of the wings. They would have to be in sync. They would have to make this moment count.

---

1. Bat Wings (1/3)

The caveronous maw looked as if it could've swallowed them, ruins and all, if it wanted but thankfully everyone stayed resolute in the plan. It was not something that was meant to be easy and in some respects Leandros almost expect them to leave. Hard to blame anyone for that given the situation, but he would be thankful they didn't.

It was as last second as it could possibly be, but Cyran and Del landed on the wings. Whatever methods they used worked as the dragon roared in pain, crashing into the sand and going ass over tea kettle into the mountain beside them.

Leandros and Byrr just managed to get out from underneath it, though the shockwave sent them tumbling as well. The knight climbed to his feet, using his immense strength to right Byrr before slapping its flanks to send it running off. Byrr served his part, now Leandros would serve is.

Thunder roiled in the cloud of dust before a feral sweep of lighting shot out threatening the trio. Rocks crumbled and fell to the side as Ayarteshki righted herself, the massive from emerging from the dust with fury in her eyes.

There were no boasts or challenges, it would face this indignation with nothing but anger as it slammed its front legs in the sand and let out a massive roar that shook the ground and air itself.

With Cyran's arms secure around her waist, there's a weightlessness in her stomach even before they take to the sky. Holding tight, Del has to smother a squeak of surprise-- this is stealth mission-- as they are suddenly soaring, up, up on wings of shadow. It's a quick flight, a burst of speed from Cyran that has them swoop up and then bear down like the talons of a hunting hawk, directly onto the back of the dragon.

The landing is jostling, but much more smooth than she could have hoped, given the circumstances. With Cyran grasping the dragon's ridged spine, Del carefully disengages, making sure she had a good hold on the creature as well before Cyran unloops his arm from her waist. It's hard to take a deep breath this high off the ground and going this fast, but she manages a sharp intake anyway as she looks at Cyran, the wind whipping his hair in a stream of silver and ink behind him, a blade in his hand.

She can feel the dragon is preparing to enter a dive; from here, she is unable to see Leandros, but can see Byrr cantering for safety without his rider. This is the moment.

"Together," she echoes. Her chest flutters a bit as she slides across to get closer to the other wing. When Cyran is ready, a steely resolve she can feel in the back of her mind and in the ring that is pressed against her collarbone, her grip shifts to a phalanx beside the dragon's body. Placing her hands on either side of the bone, she presses in and the bone snaps at the joint. With that heavy, jagged fracture poking through the membrane of the wing, Del grips the thin skin in one hand, twists it around her hand and tears the membrane away from the broken wing. Unable to keep air beneath its wings, it can not longer stay aloft.

The roar of pain from the combined efforts of her and Cyran rattles Del from the inside out. The controlled descent of the dragon is not so. They're going down, but not if Del can help it.

There is no time to think. She yanks herself up and over the dragon's back with two heavy pulls of her arms[1] to where Cyran is and tackles him, scooping him into her arms in a princess style carry as her momentum carries them both off the wing before the creature hits the ground.

But they are still high up. "Hang on!" Using the already shattered and now crumbling ruins from the dragons descent, she hits the stone feet first, skidding down a falling length of pillar, twisting to keep her body upright as they slide. As the tip of it smashes into the ground, Del leaps off, and the pair land safely on the sand below, a little ways to the left of where the dragon hits the sand and where Leandros makes his stand.

Panting, harried but absolutely exhilarated, she looks down to Cyran, checking to see if he is alright, a tender concern plain on her face that relaxes into relief to see he's unharmed-- if a bit shaken. Del then lifts her gaze to Leandros; he stands, regal and imposing, cape flowing in the wind, unharmed and undaunted. Lightning flashes overhead as the dragon roars and she sets Cyran to his feet carefully, giving him a relieved smile that their plan had worked so well. They made for an excellent team. "Good work."

And now, as the dragon roars its rage, for phase two. Layers of flaky metal-- dross-- draw over Del's arms and legs as she prepares for what's before them. It makes her wince as it pulls straight from something deep inside her bones, but she's ready.

---

[1] Surface Scaling
[2] Cat's Grace
[3] Art of the Iron Fist.

A dragon’s wings were a touch different from the human anatomy that Cyran was so adept at slicing. But he would made do. In essence, recognizing the pull of muscle and bone and the strain from movement in the dragon’s back. It was easy enough to figure out how the dragon worked, and exactly where to strike it to cause the most damage. Cyran raised Spell Slicer and Cold Steel, delivering a slash right where the skin met bone with Spell Slicer. Another slash, delivered at the joint with Cold Steel - a flick of the wrist and a smooth twist of the blade, and Spell Slicer was once more torn down the side of the wing.^[1,2,3,4] Ice crept up from the limb, creaking and groaning - small cuts, but the damage was irreversible.

With one wing mangled and another sliced into ribbons, Del and Cyran had accomplished what they set out to do. Unfortunately for them, they were still on the dragon’s back as the great beast began hurtling towards the sandy ground. Cyran straightened, wings fluttering behind his back - Del, where was Del? - before he could find her, she found him first, scooping Cyran into her arms like he weighed practically nothing, the two of them sliding down the dragon’s wing before they slid down a pillar, hitting the ground with no further injuries from their descent.

Del set him down, inspecting him for any injuries. Cyran opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out. He decided to do the smart thing and simply refrain from replying before he could make a fool out of himself.

Battle. Focus on the battle.

Del would definitely be able to feel the anxious beating of his heart, though, a sensation that did not come from the sight of the recovering dragon in front of them. Out of the corner of his eye, Cyran could see Del’s body become encased in iron, and Leandros standing firm, preparing his halberd in preparation of the battle to come.

The dragon let out a mighty roar that resonated all the way to Cyran’s very soul.

Where the other two stepped forward, ready to face the threat, Cyran retreated into the comfort of the shadows. His best work was carried out while hidden, dipping his hands into darkness to allow others to shine. He would watch, and wait for the right moment to strike.

---

1. Cyran's Haunting Blade
2. Magic Blocker Enchantment
3. Ice Rune
4. Back Stab

"GNASHING AND BITING LITTLE FLEAS, SUCH A NUISCANCE. YOU WILL PERISH FIRST FOR RUINING MY MAJESTY." Each step the dragon takes kicks up a cloud of sand as it barrels towards Cyran and Del. This time they face down the maw of the dragon that looks to devor them both in one bit.

Before those jaws can clamp down, the two will see a flash of steel before a halberd thrusts out to puncture the dragon, blade sheathed in a glowing light.^[1]

The dust clears to show Leandros and his cloak fluttering behind him. "Do not forget me wyrm!"

The drake reels back in a bit of surprise, blood trickling from the wound. A heavy presence seems to eminate from Leandros, through the dragon is able to resist the fear.^[2] A shining aura surrounds his armor as the tank is fully ready to go.^[3]

"Your petty reign of terror ends this day, I refuse to let a wretch like you lay its domain anywhere in Charon. If you wish to live in peace, then you will have to kill me."^[4]

Sparks crackle from the dragon as it exhales through its nose. It seems willing to meet that challenge as it attempts to bring its tail in to sweep the knight away. The massive weight slams into Lee, but amazingly the knight holds his ground blocking with his halberd^[5]. The glow on his armor flickers a bit as he holds, somehow pushing back against it^[6] and turning his halberd up to slash into the tail.

---

<sup>1. Halberd - Holy enchantment
2. Looming Fear
3. Caller of Spirits (summoned, both over Lee, 3/4 preventions left)
4. Challenging Mark
5. Immovable Bastion
6. Lion's Strength (passive)</sup>

As the dragon snarls its rage, Del moves forward; she can feel Cyran somewhere behind her, vanished into shadow. There's a tremulous anxiety that ripples beneath it, something she cannot place in the heat of combat, but feeling his steely resolve as he moves into darkness... is a comfort, as is Leandros who's sudden and well timed ab distracts the dragon from biting down on her. She does not linger, seeing the armored man has this well in hand as she runs[1], darting to the side of the creature while Leandros made his stand and Cyran waited for his opportunity.

Her job, at least as far as Del tended to operate, was to run interference, harrying the great beast so her two companions could swoop in and deal crippling blows, pulling its attention enough to allow it to be distracted.

As it sweeps its tail at Leandros, it gives Del and Cyran full access to to this creature's head and neck. She weaves underneath it's great jaws, and drives her dross covered fist and then elbow straight into the creature's neck where the sparks seemed to emanate from.[2]

The dragon snarls, rounding on her with a snap of it's jaws, but Del is ready; Where the dragon tries to bite down on her again, she deftly slips back, a quick back-hand spring in the sand off to the right that kicks up dust, and allows her to throw a kick right into its jaw. There's a heavy thud and the sound of shattering metal as Del's dross covered leg connects in full contact with its teeth; the already thin, ineffectual metal on that leg is shredded like paper, but the blow also shatters a couple of the dragon's teeth at the same time.[3]

The dragon roars in pain, and as Del lands, she rolls forward, beneath the dragon and into the shadow, vanishing. Unable to locate the pest, the enraged dragon rounds once again on Leandros who continues to draw the majority of its ire.[4]

---

[1] Cat's Grace
[2] Sting Like a Bee (Dragon cannot use its breath weapon this round)
[3] Art of the Iron Fist (1/4 hit prevention, two posts left.)
[4] One With the Shadows

Lightning and steel clashed with a vengeance the longer that Leandros and the dragon battled. Leandros’s very presence on the battlefield was overwhelming, demanding that all eyes remain on him. The tides of battle kept the beast’s eyes trained right on him, allowing Del to jump in, iron-covered fists dealing devastating blows to its neck and gaping maw. Cyran winced when she nearly took a hit, only protected by the metal coating her body - and she just kept moving, unbothered by the hit, until she ducked into the safety of the shadows.

Heavy hitters, the both of them.

Cyran needed to keep the momentum going.

The first few moments of the battle were critical - not one moment passed between Del retreating that Cyran jumped in to cover the slack. Crystals of ice crept up his own hands, from the tips of his fingers to his forearms, jagged edges forming at the back of his hands.^[1] A quick click of the heels of his shoes triggered the mechanism for his hidden blades, and he ducked out of the shadows, gliding effortlessly across sands that were freezing under his feet as he moved.^[2] The extra speed propelled him forward, allowing him to drive his fists into the drake’s side - once, twice, three times.^[3] Still distracted with Leandros, the dragon still had enough wherewithal to idly swipe at the air at Cyran.

The assassin ducked backwards, gliding out of the way on his skates until he came to a stop a couple feet away. He gripped the shattered remains of the ice in his palm - with a flick of his wrist, he threw them at the dragon, each one embedding between scales.

---

1. Cold Fist (3/3 hits used)
2. Ice Skates
3. Cyran's Haunting Blade (2/2)

The roars from the dragon are a mix of pain and angry. The pure unbridled fury of a being that believes it is being disrespected. Leandros had drawn its pointed attention, but the thrashing and size of the dragon still put everyone within threat range.

Leandros had landed the most solid of singular hits, but the peppering of blows from Cyran and Del took their tool as well. The ice patches from Cyran's fists broke off as it moved its lumbering legs, but angry red wounds were left behind.

"YOU THINK YOU LITTLE GNATS CAN HIDE FROM ME?" The dragon calls out in frustration, the sparks unable to rise in its throat because of the monk.

"I think it's time you realize you're outclassed here wyrm!" Leandros returns the call, exerting his will in the fight once more. Though this time, Del and Cyran feel a subtle bolstering of their own bodies.[1]

The dragon seems sick of words at this point, it will silence the chattering with its actions. It turns to slam its claws into Leandros, the sheer size of it sending the tail to whip around towards the direction of Del and Cyran. It's a blind swing that's easy to dodge, but still it's moving fast and large.

As the claw comes in, Leandros lowers his stance and center of gravity before thrusting out to pierce the claw, leaving a large wound behind as the dragon cries out in pain.[2] Blood oozes from the claw as it growls, staring down the knight.

---

1. Inspiring Presence
2. Titanic Reach

Working in tandem with Cyran while Leandros kept the tempo up and the pressure on when dealing with the dragon proper had Del's blood singing. From the shadows as she moves carefully underneath the dragon,[1] she watches jagged shards of rime form over Cyran's hands, and-- his feet? He moved with effortless grace, literally skating over the sand as he launched his own assault. On the other side, Leandros held the line with ferocity, demanding the dragon's attention by being an unrelenting obstacle in the face of great danger. They truly did make quite a team.

She pulls out of the shadow next to Cyran just as the tail swings overhead-- only just managing to evade it because of Cyran's hand on her shoulder guiding her down, both dodging the blow from the heavy tail as it sweeps at where their chest level had been. That. Was close. She exhales; Del lifts a hand to lightly touch Cyran's, a quick and silent thank you-- she would have time to marvel later-- before she breaks from where they had hit the ground towards the opening she now saw, that Leandros had given them.

The ring pressed to her collarbone seems to pulse, and there's a familiar tingle at the back of her neck. Rather than simply feeling and reading the energy this time, Del reaches out, spirit to spirit, as she taps into the cool energy she knows to be Cyran's presence. She feels him with her, guiding her strike to the most vulnerable place along the dragon's side while it's focus was elsewhere, on brave Leandros.

A small concussive wave splits the air where Del's metal laden fist connects with the dragon's ribs, striking with such force that there is a moment where the armored, scaly flesh bows inward. Several somethings snap under her hand, and Del instinctively drops flat against the sand to dodge the sweep of the wing she and Cyran had compromised earlier as it thrashes in furious agony.

---

[1] One With the Shadows
[2] Backstab (Cyran's Eternity Ring), damage enhanced by Inspiring Presence and Art of the Iron Fist. (1/1) (1 post left on Art of the Iron Fist, 3/4 hit preventions remaining).

From Leandros’s words, Cyran felt a burst of energy - enough for him to grab Del by the shoulder and pull them both down to avoid the swipe of the dragon’s tail. Del recovered quickly, jumping back in the fray while Leandros carved out devastating strikes with his halberd from the front while Del struck him in the back with her fists. Something tugged at Cyran while he moved, a nagging familiarity about the way that she moved. It was almost like watching his own actions mirrored back at him…

Focus. Couldn’t afford to get distracted. Cyran closed his eye, calling upon his shadow - it rose up from behind him, taking physical form, until a perfect copy of Cyran himself stood next to him.^[1] The copy opened its eyes, raising his own daggers that perfectly mirrored Cyran’s own. With a nod, he ordered the clone to take the opposite direction, and the two split up. They would attack at once.

The original Cyran took the right, slicing up the side with Spell Slicer and Cold Steel. The one on the left took to it with a plain dagger in mirror of one another. The dragon’s broken wings snapped and thrashed - Cyran, from its side, was not lucky enough to dodge the blow. The wing struck him in the back, a hit that would have sent him careening to the ground, if it weren’t for pale, ghostly hands that halted it from behind with a peal of amused laughter that seemed to echo in the air, covered up by the sound of thunder and lightning cracking around them.^[2] The momentum send Cyran forward, and he ducked and rolled, pulling himself to his feet and raising his blades.

---

1. Shadow Clone
2. Spirit Guardian (hit prevention 1/2)

"GrrrRRRRROOOOOOOAARRRRRRRRR!" The dragon bellows out as it feels the concussive blows of the people fighting below. It's wings flare out, even in their broken and battered state each flap sends gusts of wind and sand. Even Leandros finds it hard to stand his ground as the dragon crashes back down into the sand, lightning crackling in it's throat again.

It inhales deeply before expelling lightning that seared the sand below it, hot enough to instantly turn it to glass, arcing right for the man covered in metal. Unable to dodge it or counter it, Leandros takes the blow as sparks arc around and past his flickering shield, strong as it was, it wasn't able to withstand the full power of an ancient dragon's anger.

It sneers at the elves, but for the first time it does show a bit of fear seeing Leandros still standing when the dust clears, panting, but on his feet. "What? How?"

"Because the Lion of the Landing refuses kneel to you!" Leandros stepped forward to swing a horizontal cut across a foreleg, a deep wound causing the drake to buckle a moment. "You dragons claw for power and status!" The halberd shifts in his hand to deliver a diagonal cut across the chest to finally tip it over.

The dragon crashes into the sand, falling face first into the earth. "The Lion knows that it is king." With the halberd at the peak of its upward arc, Leandros brings it down as hard as he can to gouge through the scales and open the dragon's neck.

It roars once more in pain and stands up to stumble back into the rocky outcropping at the back of this area they found. No words come as its mouth fills with blood. There's a desperate scratching and clawing as it looks for an escape before slumping back into the rocks. It is an unceremonious slide back into the sand as it slowly stops moving, the last bits of life leaving it.

So much happens all at once; Cyran's shadow moving on its own, striking in tandem with him, but watched him get struck from behind-- but, no, the blow hadn't landed. But he did roll forward, into the sand. Before she realizes what she's doing, filled with a burst of panic, Del rushes to his side, hitting the ground in a skid to be at his back just as the wings of the dragon start buffeting the air around them, kicking up a swirling cloud of sand and anger.

With the sudden, broken gusts of wind battering them-- an act that was sure to be extremely painful, bt by now, the dragon had to be desperate-- Del moves to cover Cyran, arm around his shoulder to shield him from the wind and prevent them from sliding too much as her dross laden legs take the brunt of a sweeping blow from the broken flanges of the dragon[1]. A stone from the fallen ruins cuts across the crown of her head, but she scarcely notices, determined to ensure they both stay on their feet. They can't falter, not now, not when--

Through the sand, there's a brilliant flash, a crashing of thunder, Leandros' imposing silhouette thrown into sharp relief against the lightning that struck him. Fear shoots through her, fearing the worst. Before she can yell anything to Cyran over the storm... it starts to peter out, dying as the dragon is cut down.

Vision improves as the sand begins to settle, no longer sent sweeping into the air by desperate wings as the dragon collapses on one leg. From where they stand at the flank of the dragon, Leandros stands unscathed-- at least from here-- as he raises his halberd and cuts down the dragon with a finality. Blood spills into the sand in it's death throes before, finally, the threat is no more and the creature lies still.

"Dust and ash," Del whispers. She looks between Cyran and Leandros, flushed with exertion and concern. "Are you alright?" She asks, the question directed at them both. Leandros especially, as he had taken a direct blast of lightning. Reaching out, she puts a hand on the side of the dragon, to see if she could feel its heart beating... but with that much blood soaking into the sand, she found that very unlikely.

---

[1] Art of the Iron Fist, 2/4 protections used, dissipates as of this post

Cyran’s shadow dissipated in a burst of smoke as Cyran hit the ground, unable to maintain his hold on the shade. Strong arms were thrown around his shoulders, cradling him protectively - Del was taking the brunt of the force from the dragon’s wings, and he could just barely make out the sounds of shouting and the dragon’s enraged roars, finally worn down by Leandros’s unrelenting attacks. It was all happening so fast, the lion’s roar mingling with the rumbling thunder and the wind whipping around them -

And then, all fell still.

Cyran shifted as Del readjusted, shifting her stance to let him go and assess both him and Leandros. Cyran pulled himself to his feet, brushing off dust and sand from his outfit, giving her a grateful smile. Thank you, he mouthed, though he didn’t need to voice such a thing for Del to feel the startled surprise at being… protected in such a way, and the unwavering gratitude coursing through him. He tucked his daggers away, pulling out a necklace from under his tunic. “I’m alright. Are either of you injured? It’s not much, but I have a little spare elixir in event of emergencies…”

He barely spared a passing glance for the dragon. The beast had been slain, and making sure that his companions were both alright was Cyran’s first priority.