It was hard to judge how far it was to the bottom. He found he was strangely calm and accepting of the fact. Despite the wind rushing past his face, his top hat clung on securely. That was the most ridiculous part, but maybe it was as much a part of him now as anything else.

Of course, he had an out: the Sapphire Star.

For ten seconds, he would become completely invincible, storing the energy of the impact to channel into his next attack.

But Justin knew this had been Vorthyrn's intention. Create the storm, push him off the cliff, and for him to use the Star prematurely.

After which, he would be completely defenseless against her, the true threat.

All this flashed through his mind in an instant.

He noticed a blue shell of energy encasing him: Kargan's Sacrificial Armor spell. Somehow, the orc had managed to cover him with it in the nick of time. Justin knew it worked on enemy attacks, but would it negate the damage from the fall?

At the very least, it might tank the initial impact. But once he rebounded off the cavern floor, the spell would have been spent, and there would be nothing to protect him further.

And that cavern floor was rising all too quickly, demanding a decision.

Justin closed his eyes. It was time to toss the dice.

The impact was brutal. The blue shell of Sacrificial Armor flared bright as it absorbed the fall’s crushing force, shattering instantly. Justin rebounded like a ragdoll, his spine twisting unnaturally. It didn't snap, by some miracle. But pain seared through him, immediate and visceral.

Midair, his Ring of Regeneration activated, its golden glow knitting the injury back together. Relief was fleeting. He had yet to crash back onto the floor.

As he fell, he pointed his cane downward, unleashing a blast of frost breath, hopeful for anything that might slow his fall. Justin felt its force push back against him, slowing him slightly as he leaned forward. It was time to see if his enhanced Coordination could be put to good use.

He landed hard. Rocks gouged his arms and legs as he rolled forward, every jolt driving fresh pain into his battered body.

He finally came to a stop against a jagged boulder. For a moment, he lay there, dazed, blood trickling down his cheek. His top hat, improbably, remained on his head. It was definitely enchanted to stay.

He was alive. Battered, bruised, and bloody, but alive.

He was beyond tempted to activate Lathalon's Grace for extra healing, but the screech of the drake diving after him could not be denied. He needed Vorthak's Flame to defend against its frost breath. He had to trust the passive healing of his ring to patch him up enough to face the threat.

Then came the drake’s screech, sharp and piercing. Vorthyrn was descending to finish what she had started.

Justin scrambled to his feet. He spotted two drakes diving toward him, their frost-veiled forms shimmering in his blurred vision. His double vision corrected itself in time to see the single, very real Vorthyrn coming in for a dive.

Justin staggered behind the boulder he’d slammed into, gritting his teeth against the pain that still radiated from the fall. His Ring of Regeneration wasn't healing him fast enough.

Vorthyrn roared overhead, a veil of frost magic surrounding her. It had regenerated, then. The mystical flames covering Justin’s form flickered under the sheer cold radiating from her presence.

His mind raced. The Sapphire Star was still unused. But until her frost veil was broken, it might as well have been a lump of coal.

He scanned his surroundings. It appeared no cavalry was on the way. It was just him, a boulder, and a very angry drake circling around for another pass. How long would it take for the others to reach him? Too long, he guessed.

As Vorthyrn angled back, Justin dove to the other side of the boulder just in time as her claws raked the ground where he had been standing. Her wings buffeted the rock, sending a spray of icy shards past his shelter.

As the drake flew overhead, circling around again, Justin cursed under his breath. He couldn’t run any farther—there was only open ground beyond. And Gentleman’s Sidestep was still on cooldown.

He needed to buy time.

“We can still make that deal!” he called. “I’m nothing if not reasonable, and my terms are generous!”

Vorthyrn landed hard, answering with a blast of frost breath. Justin circled around the boulder as the temperature plummeted, ice crawling over the surface. Justin’s flames sputtered, barely clinging to life. His breath fogged as he shivered against the creeping cold.

He stepped into the open, not too far from the shelter of his rock, activating Dandy's Swagger. He twirled his cane, tipped his top hat, and flashed an exaggerated smile. The drake simply leered at him.

“Think about it, darling! Walk away with the Star. No death. No loss. Just a good deal.”

The drake shrieked, rattling his bones. But at least she didn’t move closer. When she answered, her voice was like a blade scraping against steel. “I have no need for deals when you're already mine, pathetic mortal.”

She spread her wings, where several icy blue spears formed and then shot with a blast of wind. Justin retreated to the safety of the boulder in time for them to whistle past.

He had the feeling that talking his way out was going to prove more difficult than he thought. Even with his Charisma so high, it could only carry him so far.

A low growl rumbled from Vorthyrn's direction. The sound carried a predatory finality, the prelude to a fatal strike. He braced himself, ready to trigger Gentleman’s Sidestep at the first sign of movement. At least it was off cooldown now.

Vorthyrn let out a piercing screech and launched into the air, her wings propelling her away with startling speed. For a moment, Justin stood frozen in place, disoriented. Why was she retreating?

He peered from behind the boulder, his eyes tracing her path—and then he saw the reason. Floating down from the cliff above, wrapped in a shimmering bubble of violet energy, was Lila. Starlance blazed in her grip, its fiery radiance like a beacon. The bubble dissipated as her boots touched the ground. She strode toward him like a warrior out of legend.

Justin let out a laugh of sheer relief. “Thank the gods! Lila! Over here!”

Her expression was equal parts exasperation and amusement as she approached. “When are you not in mortal peril, Justin?”

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“Not my fault. This time.” He gestured toward the cliff. “Also, the Baron could have used that spell on me during the fall, but I see he's saving his magic for ‘better’ uses.”

“That much should be obvious,” Lila said, her eyes scanning the horizon for the circling drake. "But in his defense, it all happened so fast. Too fast for him to use his Cant of Gravity. He sent me down first, and he’ll join us once he can create a new cant."

"What about the others?"

"They're heading down, too. The long way. We three will have to be enough to hold her off."

Justin sighed. “Oh, good. More time for her to kill us.”

As if on cue, another figure floated down from the cliff, cloaked in an aura of shimmering violet light: Valdrik. The drake screeched her fury, flying toward him with wings flaring and frost swirling in her wake.

The Baron’s gravity bubble evaporated before she could reach him, allowing him to drop out of reach. Then, angling himself toward Justin and Lila, his staff crackled with dark energy. He darted forward, covering the remaining distance almost instantly.

Justin blinked. "You have no shortage of tricks, Valdrik."

"I can't use my Cant of Gravity yet," he said, ignoring him. "We'll have to hold her off until its cooldown refreshes. Thankfully, my staff is Mythic tier now. It'll refresh quickly."

"You're welcome," Justin said drolly.

The drake’s screech grew louder as she circled back, her frost veil glowing like a fortress of ice. This time, rather than playing cat and mouse with the boulder, she was flying high above.

"She's learning," Valdrik said grimly. "I have to say, I've been impressed with her gambits."

Justin looked at the Baron. "I'll be even more impressed if you succeed in keeping us alive."

That was when Vorthryn screamed, folding her wings as she shot downward like an arrow loosed from a bow. Her frost breath surged before her, and there was no place to run.

Valdrik raised his staff, muttering in the harsh syllables of Vranthillis. Shadows curled outward, forming a jagged shield above him. Whatever the shield was, it caused Vorthyrn to veer aside with a screech.

"Didn't think it would be that easy," he said. "You'll need to bait her in."

"How?" Lila asked. "It's scared of your Cant of Gravity."

"We need to separate," he said. "Otherwise, she'll be too scared to challenge us openly."

"Separate?" Justin asked. "Keep dreaming."

"I mean it," Valdrik said. "Go out into the open. Let her come for you. I'll rush over and use my Cant of Gravity so we can at least keep her grounded."

"She'll see that coming from a mile away."

"Do you have a better idea?"

Justin breathed a curse. "Not really."

"And what about me?" Lila asked.

"Stay here for now," Valdrik said. "She's just as scared of Starlance. Off with you, Justin. Antagonize her somehow. That's one thing you're actually good at."

"Right, because nothing screams ‘great plan’ like yelling at a giant frost lizard."

"You might be surprised, Mr. Talemaker. Now, off with you."

He was preparing another retort, but even Lila was waving him on. Even if he didn't want to admit it, he saw Valdrik's point.

He raced out into the open, shouting to get the drake's attention, which was already circling back. He activated Dandy's Swagger, doing a taunting jig. Vorthyrn shrieked, heading his way with alarming speed.

Justin ran as the drake's claws extended. Looking over his shoulder, Justin activated Gentleman's Sidestep at the last possible moment. As he slid to the side, the drake screamed past him, within twenty feet of the boulder.

That was when Valdrik appeared from behind the boulder, chanting and pointing his staff at the flying beast. It screeched in dismay as it became wrapped in a violet aura. It landed roughly on its feet, its wings falling heavily against its sides.

Then Lila rushed forward, Starlance extended. Vorthyrn swept her massive tail around. Justin's heart stopped; it was going to be a direct hit.

But that was when Lila activated her Acrobatic Tumble, leaping over the tail, Starlance extended. The lance met the shield, spreading fire along the point of contact.

But before the flames could completely engulf her, Vorthyrn raked Lila with one of her claws, sending Lila hurtling back, Starlance in hand.

Justin rushed forward, but he couldn't protect Lila as she spiraled through the air, her body twisting unnaturally.

“Lila!” Justin shouted.

His heart clenched as she landed on her side, hard. Within moments, he was next to her. Blood was already pooling at her leather armor where the drake's claws had dug in. Her body shook from shock.

But before he could say anything more, a radiant light surged from Starlance, enveloping her body.

The ground beneath her cracked with a sharp burst of energy as the enchantment took hold. Lila’s eyes focused, glowing with a fiery intensity that didn’t belong to her. The wounds on her body knitted themselves together. As she stood, a reddish aura surrounded her as she charged forward, her knives in hand.

Of course, Justin had nearly forgotten. When Lila's health was critical, it activated Last Stand, which healed her and gave her the Berserk status. He wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but he supposed it meant she was going to attack with reckless abandon.

But that was not all. An ethereal figure now raced along beside her, now wielding Starlance while Lila lobbed her knives. Like Lila, his fiery form held the faint aura of berserk fury.

The drake let out a screech, startled by the sudden change of events. She tried, and failed, to flee, weighed down by the Baron's magic. Realizing that running was impossible, she turned to face both Alden and Lila, her wings beating a harsh wind laden with hail.

Another storm had formed within moments. It reduced visibility and pelted Justin with stinging shards that drew blood.

Justin rushed forward. It was all or nothing.

He ran with everything he had, never minding the pain. Soon, his entire flame-ridden body was slick with blood. While the flames melted the ice somewhat, it was not a sure shield.

It was now or never. With a mental push, he activated Sapphire Aegis.

A thick, blue shield surrounded him. It absorbed the storm's energy—not just around him, but the entire storm kicked up by Vorthyrn's wings. In seconds, Vorthyrn's spell channeled into him, causing the shield to grow ever brighter. Vorthyrn cut off the spell, and with a groan, began loping away. But she could not go fast enough, as if weighed down by a great, unyielding weight.

How much time had passed? Justin couldn't say. But the lack of a storm meant Alden could land a pivotal hit on the frost veil, shattering it entirely. Vorthyrn let out a panicked shriek.

The Sapphire Aegis redirected its energy, sapphire light racing down Justin's arm, collecting in his cane. Five seconds to strike.

Justin sprinted as fast as he could, Vorthyrn doing everything she could to pivot out of harm's way.

But Justin would not allow it. With a shout, he extended the drakebone blade as he swung his cane.

It was a glancing hit, but it didn’t matter. All the energy collected by the shield shot directly into Vorthyrn’s side. The force of it rippled along her glittering scales, launching her thirty feet into the air like a stone from a catapult. She arced down with a sickening crunch against the cliff of the plateau, her body crumpling into the snow. A pained croon escaped her maw, low and mournful, a sound that sent an involuntary shiver down Justin’s spine.

He stood frozen, the cane trembling in his grip. He hadn’t just hit her—he’d sent her flying. His mind struggled to process it.

"Did I...just yeet a drake?" he whispered.

“Press the attack!” Valdrik’s voice cut through his disbelief like a whip crack. “She’s ours!”

As one, they charged, Lila and Alden racing ahead of them both. Alden began cutting deeply into the drake's scales, while Lila aimed for the eyes, only adding to her misery. The Baron cast vortices of furious flames along her length, his gray eyes reflecting the madness of his attack.

And it was at this moment that the rest of the party members arrived. Gareth came with his blade and began slashing with inhuman speed. Rothian spread flames along her length, while Eldrin unleashed his arrows.

At first, Vorthyrn attempted to fight back, but Kargan and Ryak were there to shield the party. After a minute or so, she gave up, settling into death. Justin couldn't be sure, but her burning, amethyst eyes seemed to watch him from the midst of the flames before they closed in death.

A mighty blast of frost magic expanded outward from her body, throwing them back. Justin weathered it fine with his Vorthak's Flame, but others were not so lucky. Lila, Rothian, and Gareth were caught by the blast, their bodies covered in ice.

Kargan tended to Lila, while the Baron focused on his own men. As Justin caught up to Lila, he was relieved to see that the damage wasn't severe. The light of the battle madness had left her green eyes, and she stood within his flames, warming up.

The entire party stood, staring at the body of the dead drake, still consumed by flames.

At that moment, there was a great trembling in the ground, rocks shifting beneath Justin's feet. A bright green light shone from the top of the plateau.

The Baron dusted off his black velvet coat. "Well done, all. It's time to claim the treasure."

The others seem to relax at these words, Rothian and Wolfram even allowing small smiles. Justin and his party simply gathered together, while Ryak closed his eyes in relief.

"Thank you," the Iceborne said, looking at Justin. "Whatever your group needs, I am your servant."

Justin turned to see Alden facing Lila, giving a low bow. Then, the ghost disappeared along with Starlance. She would lose access to the weapon, but it had been necessary to ensure the victory.

Already, Baron Valdrik was heading for the trail that would take him back to the plateau and the drake's hoard, his party quick on his tail.

"Let's go," Eldrin said. "Before they take all the spoils."