The dragon lurched further into the clearing, spreading shredded wings wide in an impressive display of dominance. They were torn from the trees, folds of the sails hanging down and dripping more of that strange black blood.

Oskar let out another scream of fury, and charged the colossal dragon. Luckily for him, Rando’s spell still held, and he instinctively used the augmentation to the best of his ability. As he rushed forward, the power of the spell allowed Oskar to feel more than see how the dragon would move. As she began to swoop her head down to catch him in her jaws, he pivoted aside, smacking her in the mouth and rushing past, under her belly. She screamed again, whipping to the side to look for him, but he’d feinted and run the other way. He popped her hard where her tail dragged, then turned and pelted north into the trees.

Oskar was heaving heavy breaths by now, growling with eager anticipation. He couldn’t bring himself to keep running, drawing the dragon further and further away, so he turned and ran through the trees, darting back into the other end of the relatively small clearing.

Oskar’s higher brain functions had no real say in things at this point. He only really knew three things: attack, defend, and to a lesser extent, delay. Strategizing was usually far beyond him at this point, but he somehow managed to hold Amnestria’s last orders in his mind, and obeyed.

The dragon roared again in berserk fury as she launched herself at him, smashing through some smaller trees and bowling him over. Her snapping jaws missed him entirely, and the world spun and whipped around as Oskar tumbled arse over tea kettle with the momentum, smashing painfully through underbrush and ricocheting off larger trees before coming to a sudden stop.

He fetched up in some bushes, his chains ripping the thin branches to splinters as he launched himself back to his feet, spinning around to face his foe again. He could feel blood dripping down his face from where the branches had gouged him, and hoped that it wouldn’t interfere with his vision. The dragon was already turning for him before he fully regained his balance.

Oskar darted to the side, but the magic of the bard’s song was fading, and he miscalculated. The dragon’s jaws closed over him neatly as she whipped her head up, dragging him into the air. The crushing pressure around his midsection forced his breath out, denying him the oxygen his body so desperately needed right now. He felt a crack from his torso, and wondered idly how many ribs had just broken. Luckily, the dragon let go quickly when his chains began whipping her face, getting dangerously close to her eyes. This startled reaction had a very interesting effect: Oskar went soaring through the air, launched across the clearing at incredible speed.

He had just enough time to snap his hammer to his back, trusting the magic of the weapon to hold it there, and throw his arms up to shield his eyes, before he hit the canopy. The branches, grappled by his flailing chains, slowed him enough that he tumbled gracelessly down to the forest floor, flipping end over end again before he landed in a heap at the base of a large tree, upside down with the wind knocked out of him. He tipped forward, the jolt as he hit the ground enough to jar his lungs back into action. He heaved for air, breathing in ragged breaths and spitting blood. He’d bitten his tongue, and he could feel that he did indeed have several cracked ribs. None seemed to be entirely broken yet, but at this rate it wouldn’t be long.

He turned as the dragon roared again, and he used this opportunity to cast one of his last spells. He finished the motions, growling out the last few words, just as she turned towards him and began to advance. He redirected slightly, aiming just in front of her… and quickly looked away. The rain of fire and glowing hot embers that began slamming down onto the circle of ground the dragon had just begun to walk through was bright, to say the least. Oskar snatched his hammer from his back again as the darkvision faded, preparing to advance. He faced forward again, and Amnestria’s words came back to him.

“Keep her occupied.”

Oh aye, lass, Oskar thought grimly as he strode forward, towards the writhing dragon in the dimly lit clearing. She’d managed to roll away from the continuing firestorm, digging her head into the ground and keening as she shoved, attempting to extinguish the flames. I’ll keep her occupied, to be sure.

“Do NOT engage.”

Oskar stopped, breathing hard as the dragon hauled herself up, looked around, turned, and charged across the clearing towards him. He had approximately five seconds before she reached the treeline, at which point she’d shove past the sheltering branches and spot him. He bared his teeth in fury at the thought of NOT engaging. He stepped forward again.

“Use the trees… That’s an order!”

Oskar’s steps faltered again, then he bolted to the side. He didn’t try to hide, and the dragon turned, following him deeper into the forest. He tore around the larger trees, in hopes of slowing the beast. He felt another blast of icy air as the dragon roared again, and he darted behind a larger tree. He paused as she settled down, before dashing out again.

He slipped. The dragon’s breath had coated the ground in ice, causing Oskar to lose his footing. He went tumbling and rolled into the clearing, frustration mounting. Oskar’s hammer went spinning from his grasp towards the circle of ash and fire. He reached fruitlessly out for it as the dragon’s foot connected with him, pitching him across the clearing. He landed, rolled, and his chains slowed his progress, dragging long furrows in the already torn earth. Oskar ended up sprawled face-down, the world spinning around him and his ears ringing.

He didn’t have long to ponder the situation though, as the dragon’s footfalls were growing rapidly closer. His exhaustion caught up with him, and the chains suddenly retreated back into his body. Normally cold, the chains had been rendered even more frigid by the dragon’s breath, and the unpleasant sensation of the spiked links dragging back into his flesh was even more unnerving this time. Oskar’s reason and logic began to return to him as he turned over onto his back, but he didn’t have any time to think of a plan. The dragon loomed over him, black blood and charred scales sprinkling down around him.

She stared downward, breathing hard, growling breaths as she snarled in his face. Rank, frozen air washed over him, sprinkling him with black blood and saliva. Oskar could see that the dragon’s gums had gone black, and the whites of her eyes had filled with the black as well. It wasn’t solid, but rather seemed to swirl in pretty patterns as he watched.

Why is she no killing me? Is she playing wi’ me? I should run. I should run now.

Several seconds passed as the dragon considered him, snarling and breathing great breaths that ruffled his hair back from his face. Then she began to speak in his own native language.

“Fool,” she hissed in Dwarven. “You think you can master me? The butterflies obey my command, they swing from the trees and bring me diamonds!”

“Um,” Oskar replied, nonplussed. “What?”

Oskar turned his head to either side, but naturally his hammer was nowhere in sight. He sighed, and began to consider other options. He had no other weapons. He was out of any useful spells… except for that last one. The black in the dragon’s eyes seemed to swirl faster.

“Nobody hides from my sight,” she spat. “I have ten million eyes, and they see the feelings! The truth in the rain sparkles over the ocean YOU’LL NEVER TAKE ME!”

She screamed that last bit, flapping her shredded wings as she reared back to roar, the shrieking tones conveying pain and rage. In her distraction, Oskar surged to his feet, sprinting as fast as he could without spells. The Flameshower spell had taken the last of his magic, and he was out of options – aside from that one spell granted by his bloodline. He hated using it, but he might not have a choice. He made for the trees again, finally seeing the fruitlessness of attempting to fight the dragon in the clearing, especially unarmed. He’d get into the trees and then turn, leading the dragon away yet again. He just needed cover, and he needed it now.

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The immense impact as the tail slapped into his side carried him off his feet and threw him, again, across the clearing, sending him to the opposite side from which his friends had gone. Oskar was ready for it this time, and he focused, bringing his rage back into the forefront of his mind. As the chains once again burst from his flesh, he used the momentum of his emotions to form that last spell, casting it out just as he hit the trees.

The blob of blackness shot out behind him, impacting a tree just as he began to tumble through the branches. The small blob expanded rapidly into an area over a hundred feet wide. The edges of the darkness actually reached Oskar, crawling over his legs before he outpaced it and finished his most recent trajectory through the smashing branches. His chains were once again helpful, snagging onto branches and slowing his fall. As he crashed to the ground, he peered back to see a colossal sphere of black in the pale, red-tinted grey and white forest. He heard a confused, yet still enraged, shrieking from beyond it, and willed himself to calmness.

As Oskar’s rage subsided again, he took several deep breaths before trying to move quietly to the side. The darkness had distracted the dragon. Hopefully she thought he was still in there.

Oskar worked his way back to the clearing, pausing on the edges of the forest as he peered in. The dragon’s hindquarters were still visible, but her front half was in the trees, in the darkness. Oskar moved quietly forward and looked fruitlessly around for his hammer.

Dammit. I just had that enchanted.

He continued his search, glancing back occasionally to keep an eye on the dragon, and was just about to give up and make a run for it when he spotted a telltale metallic glint at the very edge of the clearing. He started forward at a run, but before he knew what was happening, he was slammed to the ground once more by the rushing force and power of the great dragon. She loomed over him again, slamming a foot onto Oskar, pinning him down. She was shaking hard in fury, staggering as she fought to retain her feet. She was badly injured, and if she could barely keep her balance, maybe Oskar could still take her. He’d inflicted enough damage upon her already, driving her into blind rage with pain and fury… yet still, she did not kill him.

Instead she screamed, her face close to Oskar’s prone form as the frigid air blasted over him, speckling him with black-tinged saliva. The immensity of the sound was too much this time, and he slapped his hands over his ears as he screamed as well, the pain spiking as he distinctly heard two tiny pops… and then nothing. All sound faded. He could no longer hear the dragon’s breathing, or her rambling. He felt blood trickling from his ears, over his palms.

Oskar laid his head back onto the ground, thinking hard. He’d hold on, try for any chance the crazed beast gave him, but his prospects looked very, very bad. He focused on the dragon’s gnashing maw, trying idly to puzzle out some of what she was saying. He looked around, spying his hammer again, fifty feet away. He needed to rage again, push her off, then go for the hammer. She’ d probably take him as he did so, but he would not go out lying down.

Sorry Ness, Oskar thought with finality. I’m sorry I couldna delay any longer. Marent...

He looked back up at the beast, baring his teeth and snarling in fury as the chains whipped out for a third time, causing her to snatch her foot off of him as she reared up to roar again. As she did so, an arrow buried itself in her cheek, a dagger impacted her side, and a hammer bounced off of her face.

Oskar couldn’t hear, but he could feel the scream she released at this attack vibrating through the ground as he launched himself to the side, rolling and sprinting like mad for his weapon. He couldn’t hear the others. All he could do was run for the hammer, and hope she lasted long enough.

He wanted to be the one to end her.

Oskar reached his hammer, sliding to a stop and whipping his body back around as he grasped the hammer’s handle, and began pelting back towards the action.

Amnestria was in the trees somewhere, sending arrows into the fray. Most of them were bouncing off of the dragon’s hide, but the first one had impacted, and that had been enough.

Marent had charged in to engage the dragon, his short form easily winding between her legs as she whipped around trying to catch him. Rando didn’t fight, but seemed to be belting out some song that kept the dragon distracted, looking back at him and forgetting about Marent until a hammer landed a heavy blow. The beast was in a fury, and lifted her head to scream again.

Marent was kicked aside, and Rando darted for cover. The dragon lowered her head and breathed her icy breath in a wide swath, turning to see Oskar as he charged her again, hammer held high. The carved head of the weapon came down on the dragon’s lowered skull with a heavy crack that Oskar could feel resonate in his bones as it connected. He saw the skull flatten slightly under the impact, and bared his teeth in grim satisfaction.

The dragon’s blackened eyes widened in shock as she reared up again. Amnestria continued to pepper her with arrows; Oskar knew she wouldn’t stop her assault until the dragon lay still, but the colossal beast was too stubborn to admit that she was already dead. He glanced around for Marent, spotted him staggering out of the way, and then turned back to the dragon. He simply waited, ducking aside occasionally to dodge a flailing limb. The chains retreated again, leaving him shaking and weak as he stood his silent vigil.

Eventually, a hand on Oskar’s arm caught his attention. He looked down to see Marent watching the dragon as she heaved her last breath, mouth moving. “Marent,” Oskar broke in. Marent turned to look up at him. Oskar pointed to his ear as he tilted his head to show the shorter man the still wet blood trails leading back and down from his ears.

Marent blinked, brow furrowing in concern. The blood from the head wound he’d taken earlier had dried and crusted across his face, settling into the creases and accentuating his features. Thus, the slight movement of brow turned a subtle expression into a dramatic one, and Oskar snorted in amusement as he turned to look back at the dying dragon.

Marent faced Oskar straight on, taking Oskar’s face in his hands and turning it downward to make sure Oskar paid attention. Oskar watched Marent’s lips closely, and figured that Marent was saying, “Come wi’ me, lad.” Oskar nodded, glancing back once as he followed the dwarf off the field of battle, away from the defeated dragon.

~~

Oskar sat, eyes closed, holding himself as straight as he could. His arms were up over his head, and Marent circled him as he wound the long strip of cloth tightly around Oskar’s muscled torso. Marent was worried, he was always worried when his husband went and got himself into trouble like this – which was something Oskar did frequently. Marent was out of healing spells, having used the last of them when he’d woken up – one for himself, and one for Amnestria. He’d then struggled down from Rando’s shoulder, demanded to know where Oskar was, and then bolted back towards the distant sounds of battle.

They’d arrived as the dragon pinned Oskar down. Upon seeing the beast looming over Oskar, Marent had charged immediately, throwing his smaller hammer as soon as he’d gotten close enough. Oskar burst into a rage just as he’d thrown, and was able to draw back, returning in time to deal the death blow as the others distracted the beast.

Marent’s heart twinged sensing the pain his husband was hiding, but there was nothing more he was able to do at this point. He finished with the bandage, and tied it off near Oskar’s heart before laying a hand gently on the taller man’s shoulder.

Oskar lowered his arms as he opened his eyes, catching Marent’s gaze with his own. An eyebrow twitched, eyes widened slightly. Marent's face softened. Even in the dying coals of the firestorm Oskar had called up he was certain nobody would be able to see the emotions plainly visible on his face at the moment.

Oskar spoke quietly in Dwarven then, voice somewhat hollow. “I would’ve had her, even if you hadna come back. One more good swing, and she fell. I could have taken her.”

Marent smiled a very small smile. “I know, lad. Maybe we just wanted to watch you do it.” Marent spoke almost silently, mouthing the words with exaggerated care as he raised a hand to brush hair from Oskar’s face. “But once I saw you on the ground, I couldna help myself.”

Oskar snorted, raising a hand to grasp Marent’s, pressing it against his cheek. “Well, I canna say I’m sorry you did. Wouldna have fancied a hike through the forest, searching for that damn lake, in this condition.” He winced, hauling himself to his feet. Marent tried to get under Oskar to support him, but Oskar staggered away. “No, no, you’re as bad off as I am. I’ll not lean on you, Love.”

Marent sighed. “I may look worse than you,” he mouthed. “But I managed to heal myself, so I’ll do.” He moved under Oskar’s arm, taking the swaying man’s weight on his shoulder. He nudged gently, and they began moving forward.

“Stubborn old man,” Oskar muttered in his hollow voice.

“Not nearly as stubborn as you, lad,” Marent replied quietly as he walked at Oskar’s side. Oskar was watching the ground in front of them, and did not notice.