After we'd eaten a a pile of berries, which were indeed refreshing as hell, and made me feel a lot better, we got down to figuring out what to do next.

"We have to pick a direction. Should we look for a town?" I asked the others.

"If there are people or even NPCs, we might be able to barter for goods. We picked up some cool stuff in The Nexus," Trog said.

"What looks the closest? It's going to take me a while to walk very far. My bones, man. My bones," Leech said as he leaned over and rubbed his knees.

"We need to find a veilstone before we do anything else," Darby said.

"What she said." Leech pointed at Darby.

I planted my fists on my sides, gazed at the area where the stronghold met the ground, and narrowed my eyes. "Do you happen to see an entrance?" I asked Darby.

She squinted. "Nope. Even with my marksman's eyes, I can't see shit."

We'd apparently dove out of The Nexus in the early morning because the sun broke over the forest and illuminated our location. I leaned over, touched grass, pulled up a piece, and brought it to eye level. Yep. It was fucking grass.

A scream sounded from above.

"What the-"

Another followed. It wasn't a scream at all. It was like the biggest fucking hawk in the world had just uttered a screech designed to shake the earth.

"Oh… shit!" Leech yelled and pointed up.

I was already backing up, eyes on the sky, hand reaching for my temporal tote. The Titanshard Ultra Greatsword was in my hand in a split second.

Darby whipped her bow out and nocked an arrow.

Leech's magic book appeared in his hand. He hastily threw it open and flipped through the pages.

Trogs' necrolute came up, and his three fingers settled over the strings.

I guess the thing that had been trying to break into our room in The Nexus has also found a way out, and it was literally winging its way toward us.

"Is that a fucking dragon?" Leech exclaimed.

The dragon burst from the tower above. The stench of rot, carried on the winds of its descent, hit us before it even landed.

"Holy shit!" I yelled, stumbling backward and nearly tripping over my own feet. My hands gripped the sword hilt as I brought the massive blade to bear, though I doubted it would do much against something that size. I'd have to get in close and pulverize its head like I had done with Xalawrath the demon lord. That fight had seen me buffed to the gills due to the scurrynook's intervention, as they had given their life force to fuel me. Even then, I felt like it had been pure luck that allowed me to get in a killing blow.

The dragon's wings, tattered and oozing, spread wide as it swooped low over our heads. A rush of rancid fumes filled the air as it passed, and I fought the urge to gag. The beast's scales were a sickly mix of greens and grays, flaking off in places to reveal festering flesh beneath.

"There is something seriously wrong with that thing!" Leech shouted.

Darby had already nocked an arrow, her eyes never leaving the monstrous creature. "That's no dragon. That's what's left of one after passing through a giant meat grinder," she said grimly.

Trogs song filled the air, and a sense of calm settled in. I glanced at my stats and found them rising as his buffing song surrounded our party.

The dragon circled once more before landing heavily about fifty yards away from us. The ground shook with the impact, and I struggled to keep my footing. As it turned its massive head towards us, I got a better look at its eyes - or rather, the empty sockets where eyes should have been. There was no life there, no intelligence or even animal instinct. Just... darkness.

"Guys," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, "I don't think this thing is alive."

The dragon's jaw opened, revealing rows of jagged, rotting teeth. A sound that was somewhere between a roar and a death rattle emerged.

"Alive or not, it's coming for us," Darby said, drawing her bowstring taut, a fletched arrow against her cheek.

I raised my sword, knowing full well how inadequate it felt against such a gigantic opponent. "Any bright ideas?" I asked, glancing at my companions.

Leech was frantically flipping through his spellbook. "Working on it! I wish I could read half this shit!"

Trogs strummed a chord on his necrolute, the note hanging in the air. "Perhaps we can soothe the savage beast?" he suggested, though he sounded unconvinced.

The gnarly dragon took a lumbering step towards us, its claws leaving deep gouges in the earth. Bits of its flesh sloughed off with each movement, leaving a trail of decay in its wake.

"Soothe it? Trog, I don't think this thing has any feelings left to soothe," I said, backing up slowly.

The beast's feet picked up the pace, and it charged, head high, wings spread, and claws ripping at the ground.

I triggered Guardian's Oath, and a protective shield settled over us. I could absorb damage for a few precious seconds while my companions figured out how to deal with this.

I held the huge Titanguard Ultra Greatsword out and triggered a second feat, Knight's Reckless Charge. Trogs hit a pair of chords, and a haste spell joined, making my feet lighter and faster.

I roared as I rapidly closed on the dragon. It growled as it raced toward me. The beast's putrid stench grew stronger as I closed the distance, but I pushed through my revulsion. With a roar, I swung the massive blade at its approaching form.

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The dragon snapped its head to the side, but its momentum was unstoppable, and I got a piece of the next best thing. My blade connected with a sickening squelch, biting deep into the dragon's rotting flesh. I almost felt a moment of triumph, but it was short-lived. The blade ripped into the dragon's wing near its shoulder joint and partially severed one of its wings, sending a shower of decayed tissue and bone fragments to the ground.

But my victory was short-lived. The dragon barely seemed to notice the damage, its empty eye sockets fixed on me with an unnerving intensity. Before I could react, it swung its massive head, batting me aside like I was nothing more than an annoying insect.

I flew through the air, the wind knocked me out of me, and I hit the ground hard. Pain exploded across my body as I skidded to a stop. Gasping for breath, I struggled to my feet, my armor dented and my health bar battered.

Behind me, Darby's bow repeatedly twanged. An arrow whistled past, finding its mark in one of the dragon's empty eye sockets. The beast roared, more in irritation than pain, and shook its head violently.

Rolling forward to regain my feet. Stars danced. My head was full of cotton. The ground swirled beneath my feet.

Leech's voice rang out as he incanted a spell. A fireball erupted from his hands, streaking toward the undead monstrosity. It exploded against the dragon's side, but the flames seemed to do little more than singe its rotting hide.

"Shit," Leech muttered. "Fire's not working. Let's try ice!"

I stepped toward the beast, fully intent on getting another piece. I had one more Knight's Reckless Charge left, but Guardian's Oath was already faltering.

Leech began another incantation, his hand gripping his staff, while he held his magic tome in the other. A blast of frigid air shot forth, coating the ground beneath the dragon in a layer of frost. The beast, however, seemed unaffected by the sudden change in temperature. Its claws made short work of the

"It's not working!" I shouted, readying my sword for another attack.

"No shit!" Leech shouted back.

The dragon advanced, its massive form looming over me.

I dodged another swipe of the dragon's massive claws, the rush of air from the near-miss ruffling my hair. The stench of decay was overwhelming, but I pushed through it, determined to find a weakness in this abomination.

Darting in close, I swung my greatsword in a wide arc, the blade biting deep into the dragon's rotting flesh. A chunk of putrid meat flew off, splattering the ground with a sickening squelch. The dragon roared in fury, its head snapping towards me with terrifying speed.

I barely managed to avoid its snapping jaws, but as I twisted away, I felt a sharp tug on my arm. The dragon's teeth had snagged on my bracers of better biceps, ripping them clean off my arm. I stumbled back, feeling a sudden drain on my strength as the magical item was torn away.

Sharp and painful memories flashed through my mind - the Shadow Warden fight, where I'd lost an arm to its vicious attacks. I gritted my teeth, refusing to let history repeat itself.

Darby's arrows continued to pepper the dragon, each finding its mark with unerring accuracy. One arrow, its tip ablaze with magical fire, stuck fast in the beast's other wing. Flames began to spread, consuming the tattered membrane and filling the air with the acrid stench of burning flesh.

The dragon thrashed, its movements becoming more erratic as the fire spread.

With it distracted, I knew this was my chance. The loss of two points in strength, thanks to my bracers flying off, worked against me at every turn. I had already been running dangerously close to my maximum encumbrance, and now my UGS was dragging with every swing.

The dragon caught me mid-swing. Thankfully, its nasty mouth and long, sharp teeth didn't, but it was enough to send me flying again through the air. I didn't get a chance to trigger a skill. I had no time to reach into my bag and try to find something helpful for this fight.

Hitting the ground once again made my health bar plummet. It was in the yellow, and soon it would be in the red, and I'd be damn dead. My greatsword flew out of my hand and slid across the grass.

Leech, staff in one hand, arcane magic book in the other, yelled words that seared the air around us. Multiple huge, metal-tipped bolts shot out of the ground and attacked the dragon. The beast was pierced in at least five places, but it refused to give in.

The creature's aura, for lack of a better word, flashed red. Like, don't fuck with me, red. That was new. There was no health circle, but that seemed more due to the loss of meaningful info from my HUD.

I scrambled backward, my hands and feet tearing against the dirt as the sickened dragon bore down on me. Its fetid breath washed over me in nauseating waves. Bits of rotting flesh hanging from its jaws.

"Liam!" Darby's voice cut through the chaos. "My arrows aren't doing shit! It's like shooting pebbles at a brick wall!"

She frantically nocked another arrow, her face a mask of frustration and fear. She loosed the shot, which buried itself in the dragon's neck, joining a dozen others that seemed to have no effect.

Leech's voice was tinged with desperation. "I'm running on fumes here! No more mana potions left!" He waved his staff, sending a feeble spark of magic towards the beast that fizzled out before even reaching its target.

The dragon's head swung towards me, its empty eye sockets somehow managing to convey a sense of malevolent hunger. I knew I was out of options. My sword lay just out of reach, and even if I could grab it, I doubted I had the strength left to swing it effectively.

Just as I braced myself for the end, a thunderous sound erupted from the tree line. I turned my head, expecting to see another threat, but instead, my jaw dropped at the sight before me.

Bursting through the foliage came a huge ram with curled horns the size of spare tires. Its wool gleamed like polished silver, and atop its back sat a dwarf, resplendent in ornate armor that caught the light with every movement. I blinked, wondering if my exhausted mind was playing tricks on me. But no, this was real. The dwarf's armor was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, intricate patterns etched into gleaming metal. Each subtle shift of the ram's muscles sent cascades of reflected light across the clearing, momentarily blinding me.

The ram charged full-tilt toward the dragon, its horns lowered like battering rams. As they closed the distance, the dwarf stood on the ram's back, an enormous halberd gripped in both hands.

With impossible timing, the dwarf leaped from the ram's back just as it collided with the dragon's flank. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, and I watched in awe as the dwarf soared through the air, his weapon raised high above his head.

Time seemed to slow as the dwarf descended, his battle cry eliciting a fierce splash of gold that ignited his weapon. The halberd's blade was encased in flames, and the tip glinted in the sunlight as it was aimed directly at the dragon's skull.

"Leefser avenge!" The dwarf shouted.

The blade punched through the dragon's neck, just behind its head, and drove the point several feet into the ground, taking the now-dead dragon with it. The dwarf landed on the dragon's back, did a little roll, and flipped off the creature to land on his feet.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed.

The ram turned to regard me with big, dark eyes.

I stared in disbelief as the giant ram that had just moments ago charged into battle transformed before my eyes. Swirls of gold and green light danced around its form, merging into the shape of a woman.

She stood tall and lithe, her features delicate yet somehow wild. Her long, flowing hair was a rich auburn, adorned with tiny braids and what looked like leaves woven into intricate patterns. Her eyes were a vibrant green.

The woman wore a fitted leather jerkin over a loose linen shirt. The sleeves pushed up to reveal forearms marked with swirling tattoos. Her legs were clad in supple leather breeches tucked into well-worn boots that laced up to her knees. A cloak of deep green hung from her shoulders, its edges embroidered with silver thread in patterns that reminded me of tree branches and leaves.

She wore a headband crafted from intricately woven sticks. The design included small crystals and what looked like berries.

The dwarf gestured towards the woman, still catching his breath from his impressive aerial maneuver. "Allow me to introduce Sylara," he said, his voice gruff and tinged with respect.

Sylara inclined her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over our battered group. "Well met," she said, her voice carrying a hint of an accent I couldn't quite place. "It seems we arrived just in time."