After annihilating the stick bug, FIa's fire was already warmed up for the newcomer. She was the first dragon to volley a counterattack, opening her maw wide and hacking two fireballs in quick succession. The dragonette had no idea what creature that ugly, snorkel face belonged to, but it made a great target for her next fireball.

Close behind her, Rokirith retaliated against the surprise attack. He turned to shield his injured shoulder and breathed blackfire toward the river. The twin fires briefly reflected in the piggish eyes of the swamp monster before its head submerged back into its domain.

The red flames frizzled against the water whereas the black ones thickened the algae bloom into slush. A few bubbles breached the rippling surface where the vile creature had gone.

Viliant bounded to the river's edge. It might be safe from your fire underwater, but it can't hide from my shadows! All four of his clawed feet slid through the mud as he took a wide stance. Viliant barked a savage sound, and the dark jungle responded to him. Tendrils of shadow arced from the murky water and plunged into its depths.

"Get back to the trees!" Rokirith shouted. The adult limped over to Fia and shoved her with the side of one wing. "Move."

She sidestepped him and ignored his order, entirely focused on how she might assist Viliant.

An insidious, purplish energy laced the dragonet's black scales. His eyes gleamed with a long-awaited ferocity. Viliant had not killed anything since Rokirith had rescued them at the oasis. Now, he unleashed all his frustration after they had not been able to stand their ground against the human army.

The muffled sound of some sharp cracks peeled above the water. The disturbed surface convulsed as different currents whipped against each other, interrupting the possible formation of a whirlpool. An inky cloud started to accumulate below. Its reddish tint soon became apparent, followed by a large body which floated to the top.

The brown, horse-like body had every bone in its body snapped the wrong way. Some white spears of bone protruded from its flesh. Across the remainder of its shredded skin, ropes of shadow bound the beast. Once rays of sunlight shone across its sorry state, the hold of Viliant's shadow magic weakened and released it.

"Get away from the water!" Rokirith reiterated in a shout. "Tapirs usually live in herds."

A tapir? Fia wondered, still not entirely sure what manner of beast was attacking them. The mangled, floating corpse did not provide her a good example of one. She did not have to wait long to find out as a half dozen tapir heads peeked out of the water.

With their faces half submerged, the tapirs' snouts skimmed the surface. Large beads of water rolled down the sides of their sturdy bodies as they clambered onto the bank. Each tapir looked to weigh at least a couple hundred pounds. Their four-toed feet left deep impressions in the mud, each step spreading farther apart as they entered a frenzied run.

As the closest one to the tapir stampede, Viliant once again found himself overwhelmed by sheer numbers. A gravelly grumble caught in his throat. He fell back on his element and dipped into the realm of shadows.

The enraged tapirs plowed through Viliant's ephemeral form. They kept charging for the two other dragons in front of them.

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With one clawed foot, Rokirith grabbed Fia by the back. He dashed amongst the trees on three legs with her tucked close to his ribs. Then, his leg which held her swung upward and hurled Fia into the air.

"Eek!" she yelped and closed her eyes. Her horns punctured a few leaves on the way up. Once she opened her eyes and saw herself above a layer of narrow branches, Fia snapped her wings open. The dragonette glided to the nearest tree trunk ahead of her. The tips of her claws scratched for purchase, and her tail wrapped around a branch for stability.

A relieved sigh huffed past her jaws. Fia shook her head to dislodge an odd leaf from her horns. That little leaf drifted downward, bringing her attention along with it. Fia looked down in time to see the shades of the tapirs' muddied backs blur by.

The leaf rustled on the ground after five of the tapirs had passed. The slowest, smallest one of the herd dawdled behind just in time for a leaf to land in front of it. The movement caused the pudgy tapir to tip back its head.

From her vantage point in the trees, Fia blinked back at it. Before she had entered this jungle, the dragonette would have tried to smooth over this rough introduction with the tapir. The old Fia would have squeaked a hello. Instead, she leaped from the tree with claws extending for the rearing tapir.

A whistle curled from its raised trunk. The tapir shot out some slimy mucus toward Fia.

Fia closed the clear film of her second eyelids, normally utilized in flight to protect her eyes. Neither this layer nor her primary, scaled eyelids would protect her from the acidic tapir snot, but it helped her glare, unblinking, at the opponent. Fia needed her eyes open to watch where her talons sunk into the tapir's back.

A high-pitched scream, somewhere between an ululating, horse's whinny and a piercing, pig's squeal, curled from the snout at the end of its trunk. The tapir staggered to one side, then the other. Its wide-set eyes lolled back as if to catch a glimpse of Fia who clung onto its back. The tapir rammed sideways into a tree trunk, slamming Fia with it. Her claws caught between the tree and the tapir's body with enough force to crack the side of her claws.

A sharp pain entered the quick, but Fia responded with nothing more than a grunt. The fierce dragonette unlatched her gritted fangs and bit the back of the tapir's neck. Her chomping, grating teeth sought to do as much damage as possible. Even though her fangs did not kill it yet, she gained a better grip.

The tapir dashed forward at a breakneck pace. The chunky mammal proved itself surprisingly nimble as it weaved around a tree. Fia clung onto the tapir. The dragon jockey stayed low. All four of her clawed feet left bloodied trails along the thin, short-haired skin. I'm the predator now! This will be my biggest prey ever! Fia thought, excited to take down the tapir all by herself. The succulent taste of its blood made drool leak from the corners of her mouth.

Suddenly, the tapirs' forelegs ground to a halt. Its rear snapped into the air, but Fia had latched on too securely to be thrown off that easily. From there, the tapir crashed onto its side. Fia was not prepared for the unceremonious fall. Her legs were crushed beneath the rotund ribs. Luckily, this was the smallest tapir around Viliant's size, so her bones were not crushed beneath its weight.

"Ow!" she still howled. As such, Fia was forced to release its neck from her maw. She came back down with greater fervor, this time spreading her jaws wide enough to encapsulate its skull. Fire poured from her maw. The intense heat cooked the tapir's brains till its body went limp.

By the time that Viliant raced over to the trees and followed the tapir's tracks, Fia had already clambered off her quarry. The tapir lay in a heap on its side. You alright? her friend asked as he joined her, staring down at it.

I took it down—all by myself! Fia announced. Briefly, she wondered if she owed Rokirith any credit for giving her a boost into the trees. Viliant would disregard any role that he had played, anyway, so Fia let herself bask in this moment alone.

Good job, Fia. Viliant said. Should we go help the old dragon?

She gave a firm nod. Part of Fia wanted to remember this location so that she could taste the same tapir that she had killed with her own claws. That was unnecessary so long as she helped Rokirith and Viliant kill at least one more.