In its thrashing, the dragon grabs the knight from his neck and throws him to the deck.[1] Even despite his inhuman strength, there are still things even Leandros cannot simply overpower. It pins Leandros to the deck and pulls up off the ship now that it is no longer being held down. Blood spills onto the deck as it shakes the lance from its neck, the weapon falling into the sea.

Hearing the grunt of its rider, Haurach turns to head back towards the ship now that Shael is safe. She had done her job, it was time to return to her primary duty. The silver drake would not be fast enough to arrive back in time before the dragon unleashed another breath attack.

Water burbled in the back of the dragon's throat before crashing forward like a high-pressure jet.[5] The knight disappears in the torrent of water and the crew on the deck go quiet at the sight. If Leandros was dead and that other kid lost at sea, then they were all going to die. This was bad.

As the water subsides, the dragon lifts its claw confident that it had done the job. Bloodied and carrying a wounded ego it now turns to the rest of the ship to tear it apart plank by plank. Before it can start its rampage, a noise grabs its attention.

"YOU ARE A FOOL TO NOT FINISH THE JOB WYRM." Leandros stands[2] battered, but alive. Haurach arrives back to Leandros' side and lands on the deck. The knight grabs his halberd from the side saddle and the blade lights with a holy fire.[3]

"I will show you the folly of underestimating the Lion of the Landing!" He wills his body forward towards the dragon again, re-engaging the monster in combat. Claws strike steel as the halberd cuts through scales and the crew begins the frantic work on repairs.[4]

---

1. Cuirass 1/2 HP
2. I'm Okay!
3. Blessing of the Divine
4. Tower Shield 2/4 HP used
5. Padding 1/2 HP used

Water laps at the sides of Shael's face as she lies on the iceflow. Her eyes slowly open as she regains consciousness. Everything is blurry and her body feels a bit numb from the cold. That's probably a mercy over the pain from impacting the iceflow so hard. She can't tell if anything is broken, and she doesn't really know where she is or what's going on. The sound of the storm drowns out the combat off in the distance and the waves toss her little icy raft around. The taste of iron lingers on her tongue as she manages to push herself to lie on her back. The cold rain water pelts her face and she squints up at the lightning rippling across the clouds. 

"Fuck," she breathes. 

Meanwhile, Indra manages to climb up over the opposing side of the ship from Leandros and the dragon. Not seeing where her rider is, rage flares in the storm drake's eyes as she glares at the massive sea dragon. The scent of ozone wafts from the drake's breath as she inhales deeply. A luminous glow builds in the back of her throat, lighting up the underside of her throat scales as electricity crackles and ripples across her scales.



The crew see this happening and dive for cover before the drake unleashes the biggest lightning bolt she can muster. The strike courses through the air directly at the sea dragon's face. The lightning tears across the dragon's face and temporarily blinds it. It reels back with a roar, leaving it vulnerable to Leandros' next attack.

The dragon bites down on Leandros' shield[1] but the knight returns the shot with an uppercut slice to push it back. He can't get in close enough to get a killing blow and as thick as his armor is it has its limits. Thankfully, he was not alone in this fight. Haurach kept harrying the dragon with strafing claws, just enough to keep it from fully committing to Leandros.

Then Indra arrives and the balance of the ship and the fight itself changes. The force of the storm drake's breath might not do damage, but it does enough to create that opening. Leandros throws his shield to the side to grip his halberd with both hands, there was no holding back if he wanted to finish this.

A roar leaves his chest as he steps in to bring the halberd down on the dragon's neck. The blade flares as the sheath of holy energy intensifies and surrounds the blade.[2] It comes down clean into the side of the dragon's neck with fire expanding from the wound as the blade travels downward until it hits the deck of the ship.

There is a final cry from the dragon as it slumps against the ship, slowly starting to fall back into the sea. Leandros breathes ragged, but still standing.

"Indra, where is Shael? I think Haurach found her, follow her, I need to thank her...and you properly."

---

1. Tower Shield 1/4 HP
2. Blessing of Pride

Indra whines, her tail lashing side to side anxiously. She’s quick to follow after Haurach as the drake leads her to her rider. She’s careful to pick Shael up off the iceflow and return to the ship as the storm starts to break and dissipate.

Sunlight filters through the storm clouds and the seas start to calm. Just as quickly as the storm came, it disappears and any trace of their being a dragon present is isolated to the shambles the ship has been left in. 

The crew runs about trying to get the damage to the ship fixed as the dragon’s fresh corpse slides back into the ocean and starts to sink to the depths. Surveying the damage, the captain looks flustered and keeps barking orders at the deckhands to make sure the ship stays afloat. 

The pair of drakes land back on the deck of the ship and Indra gently sets Shael down on the wet deck while hovering over her protectively.

Shael winces, everything hurts and she’s still a bit dazed. There's a good chance she has a few broken bones and a concussion from slamming into the ice flow. Better than drowning though. She tries to sit up, but can't manage to pull herself upright, so instead she just lays on the deck on her back. She tilts her head to look up at Leandros.

God this man is too tall. 

“Did you kill that jerk dragon?” She asks, wincing from the effort to talk.

"I wouldn't let that sink unless you want the captain to take the repair costs from your pay." Leandros offers a haggard smile to the crew, putting on a brave face to stave off how close he was to grave injury.

While the drakes go off in search of Shael, Leandros helps to secure the what is now cargo. Heavy rope and chains are tossed out as men work to fasten it to the side. This isn't a whaling ship, so it is a much more makeshift process than Leandros would like. Still, it was going to be a payday for certain and that would be enough.

He surveys the damage for a moment and remains grateful the mast is only cracked and not fully broken. It can be patched and hold tight now that the storm has passed. The ship will limp into harbor, but it will make it....after at least a full night of repairs.

A wave of relief hits Leandros as the drakes land, their own weight a counterbalance to the dragon. His hand pats Haurach's cheek as he walks over, the silvered drake covered in scrapes from the fight.

He crouches down beside Shael with a smile, "I somehow managed yes, and once we are to shore you should be able to claim something from it for a prize."

If allowed, Leandros will extend a hand and healing to the young rider. A nice bit of warmth as they both are soaked to the bone from the rain and ocean spray. He stands and shields his eyes as he looks to the sky at the clearing clouds. It was good to see the sun again, as brief as the storm was this meant it had passed and the dragon along with it.

Shael sits up once Leandros heals her wounds. "Ugh. That sucked." 

Definitely an understatement. She's lucky she didn't crack her skull or drown out in the storm. She's equally lucky that Leandros has magic to mend wounds that would have taken months worth of bedrest to heal in a scant few seconds. It would have been awful to be stuck on the boat for the rest of the journey to Sol City with dozens of broken bones. 

Before she even has a chance to get back on her feet, Indra shoves her nose right into the teenager. "Oof! I'm okay, I'm okay." She pats the drake's head and reassures her as Indra whines and pushes against her. "Easy! You're going to break my ribs all over again." 

The drake slides down to lay on the deck with her head in Shael's lap. Her tail slaps against the deck which creates a little bit of a hazard for the crew to work around as they repair the damage the dragon caused. No one dares complain though. The drakes might not be the same size as the dragon, but they put in the work just like Leandros did to take it down in the end. 

Shael looks back up at Leandros after getting Indra to settle down a bit. "I don't need anything from it. You did all the work."

What would she even do with anything from a sea dragon? Guess she could sell whatever she's given. Or maybe get some new boots or riding gloves made from its skin. She glances over at the crew as they tether the corpse to the side of the ship, its fins poking up above the deck's rail. On second thought, it looks too slimy to make something useful out of. 

"Well...good thing you showed up when you did. These guys better show you some respect after all that." 

"I doubt that man is going to be thanking either of us, but as I said I have never done this for the thanks." He gives a weary smile as he puts his halberd back in the sheath on Haurach's saddle bags.

The knight gently leans against a spot of railing that hasn't been shattered. He is careful not to show just how hurt he is in that moment, though just looking at his armor makes it easy to tell. A ragged little breath escapes as he relaxes back.

"Without your help and Indra's, this battle would not have gone the way it did....Plus if this is your first dragon, then it only makes sense that you would take a token from it. Dragons are a far cry from your average beast, it is a mark of pride to be able to say you fell on.

Though from the sounds of it, they may have to gently persuade the captain to not be a tight ass and allow them to take something. He was already bloviating about the costs of the damage and how many different parts he could sell. The captain barely seems to consider the adventurers who actually did the fighting. He barely even mentions the crew that stayed and fought while he remained in his quarters.

"My recommendation is the webbing, it makes great leather...resilient stuff too. It is what my cape here is made out of and few money hungry men like the captain think to harvest it. Scales and claws is all they think about, teeth too if they are not planning to make the head into a trophy."

"Ugh. You're too nice to people who are jerks to you." 

Guess she should be grateful for that rather than critiquing him for it. She hasn't been awful to him...but she could be a lot better. She could be a lot better to a lot of folks. Baby steps. 

Shael might not be the most empathetic person, but she isn't totally oblivious. She can see the dents and scrapes on Leandros' armor, the way he moves just a bit more slowly and hesitant. He's hurt. Great. Just great. Here she is on her way to hide out at his house and take advantage of his offer of a safe place to get away from the chaos of Darkveil, and she couldn't do much of anything to keep the guy from getting all beat up. 

Doesn't he have a wife at home? Bet she's going to just be thrilled to see Leandros all dinged up while towing a ratty brat through the front door. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. She could still turn back, just hop on Indra and go or catch another ship back from the Capitol. 

She doesn't get to consider that much before Leandros starts talking about making something out of the dragon they just slayed. 

It's awkward for her to think about. Dragons are so similar to drakes, and she's always hated folks who treat them like dumb animals to be turned into boots and handbags. Dragons are more like people than drakes are. They can talk and she's even heard stories of them shapeshifting and blending in with society.

She remembers this one history book she would sneak out of her father's study when he was away on business, it described a high-ranking ship captain during the reign of King Darius and the wars that embroiled all of Charon. The captain was respected and feared, not because of his magic or tactical prowess, but because he was actually a dragon capable of singlehandedly dragging any ship down to a watery grave single-handedly. 

Thinking about making a dragon's skin into a cloak just makes her picture someone doing the same with her own skin. The thought makes her stomach turn. 

"Guess it just feels weird to take something. Dragons are just bigger talkative drakes you know." 

Still, dragons and drakes are just monsters to other folks. She wouldn't call those people wrong for making use of what they can scavenge. 

"I'll think about it. More worried about just getting off this damned ship now." 

With time, that worry would ease as the tall protective walls of Sol City rise up over the horizon as the ship nears its destination. The completion of the journey had taken longer than planned thanks to the dragon attack and the ship being weighed down by its corpse, but they managed to make it safely into the port nonetheless.

Shael and Leandros have had some time to recover from the ordeal, and Indra has been nothing but a pest to Haurach, challenging the young drake to race around the ship to kill any pent-up energy and boredom.

The young elf stretches as she disembarks from the ship and gets the chance to put her feet back on dry land. "Ugh. Finally. So where's your place?"

"You meet anger with anger and that just creates more anger. Approach them with kindness and you either win them over or..." He gestures to the captain who has since avoided talking to them because how do you yell at the two people who nearly died protecting your ship. "They feel to embarassed and leave you alone."



He takes a few moments to listen to what Shael says and lets the word process his mind for a moment. It was a fair point and not one he had really considered. Another small lesson to add to the many he's had to consider since committing to adventuring more widely across Charon.



"I see your point...the Aurthurian family is known for dragonslaying, so my instinct is naturally to take a trophy....Blue Scale Manor got its name for the blue dragon my grandfather slayed, a job that secured our family's position in Capitol Landing....but Indra and Haurach prove things are not so simplistic...I will not force you to take anything of course, the story can be enough a reward for some."



Leandros is happy to have the few extra hours of rest because of the heaving size of the dragon slowing the ship down. When everyone of the crew members who were hurt had a chance to be healed, Leandros used what little magical reserves he had left on himself. Only then did he allow himself ot properly rest until they got to shore.



A small wave was given to the crew as they stepped off the ship, "I should only be about an hour's flight from here, if we hurry we can make it before nightfall. You still sure you want to join? The decision is yours."

"That's hard. I don't want to be nice to assholes." Then again...that approach has worked for Leandros...and the more she thinks about it, something clicks. 

An aghast look crosses her face. That's it. That's how that jerkass fellblood won everyone over, by smiling to their faces, pretending to be a 'nice guy', and keeping the authorities off his back by playing the part of a 'law-abiding citizen'. Damn the dead gods in their stupid graves, that explains everything. 

Now she's just pissed and she stews in that for the rest of the trip. 

---

"Not that far then."

An hour's flight in good weather with the wind at their backs shouldn't be a problem for Indra since she's had a chance to rest after the dragon encounter. Getting somewhere safe before nightfall definitely is a good idea, not that Capitol Landing is known for having much dangerous wildlife. Unless you count the snobby nobles and the corrupt monarchy. 

She steps over to Indra and double-checks the saddle to make sure it's secure before hopping up onto the drake's back. Once she's settled, she looks over at Leandros. 

"Yeah, I'm sure. Would be a waste to come all the way here and not say hi to your wife." 

With that, she lets the knight take the lead back to his home. The promise of a warm meal and safe bed keeps her looking forward rather than back across the sea where all her troubles await her return. Too bad for them she has no intentions of making that wait particularly short. If she goes back at all, it'll be on her terms and her terms alone. At least...that's what she likes to think.