Stormclaw flew higher and higher, his body twisting like a serpent as he rose. Dark clouds swirled around him like a tornado, their base expanding to form a wide circle in the sky.

The cloud's center darkened and grew, a shadow cast by something within the heart of the storm. The drake's massive form rose up, its back breaching the surface of the clouds like a whale at sea. A high-pitched humming sound permeated the air, rising to deafening levels before fading into an almost musical note.

At the last moment, I realized what Stormclaw planned to do.

"Get down!" I cried.

Flint and Eliaria were already running for cover.

Stormclaw's maw opened. A ball of inky black ice formed at the back of his throat.

"No," I breathed.

I threw myself to the ground.

I had the briefest image of a dark, roiling mass forming in the drake's mouth. The darkness shot forward, then the world turned to white.

My body shuddered as a wave of concussive force hit me. The air was knocked from my lungs, and I gasped, struggling for breath.

My head throbbed.

My ears rang.

All around me, I heard the crackle of ice and the screams of my companions.

"Bastion!"

Eliaria's voice cut through the ringing in my ears. I forced myself to open my eyes.

Everything was white. A thick layer of snow blanketed the ground.

I waited, hoping that Stormclaw's attack was over.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"I'm fine," Eliaria replied.

Flint groaned, but he too was alive.

The ringing in my ears faded, and I could hear Stormclaw's deep, rumbling breath. I pushed myself to my feet, and the world spun around me.

A hand grasped my arm, steadying me. I turned and saw Eliaria, her face pale, her expression hard.

"We need to get out of here," she said. "There's no way we can beat that thing."

"There's nowhere to run," Flint said.

He was right. Even if we somehow made it off the floating island, where would we go? My hopes vanished as the drake opened its mouth and let loose another ear-splitting shriek.

The ice that littered the floor began to squirm, as if the drake’s cry had brought it to life.

"What the hell is that!" Flint cried.

Creatures emerged from the snow, their bodies twisted and grotesque, like something from a nightmare. They crawled toward us, their movements slow and languid.

"Ice elementals," Eliaria said.

Flint swore.

The elementals skin was a light blue color, their features vaguely humanoid, but their bodies twisted and warped, like something broken and stuck back together by an amateur craftsman. They didn't move quickly, but they were still fast enough to be dangerous.

We moved as a unit, trying to avoid the worst of the swarm. We fought our way through them, the air filled with the hiss of magic and the crunch of frozen limbs.

As the smaller creatures attacked, the drake drew in streams of air, surrounding itself in a cocoon of swirling vortexes.

"Shoot it!" I yelled, pointing at Stormclaw.

Eliaria unleashed [Toxic Barrage] straight at the drake, but the green orbs bounced harmlessly off of its protective barrier.

"It's not working!" she cried.

I dodged an elemental’s attack, and swung my dagger at a second, slicing it in half. The creature fell to the ground, exploding in a burst of white dust. As I did so, I kept an eye on the drake. It seemed to be gathering winds in preparation for a massive assault.

"It has a protective shield," I said. "We have to break through it before it's next attack."

Flint was fighting his way toward us, his staff smashing through the icy attackers. "How are we supposed to do that?" he shouted.

"I don't know!"

The next couple of minutes felt like hours, as we slashed, crushed and hurled magic at the waves of elementals.

"I leveled up!" Flint shouted over the sounds of combat.

"Leveled as well," said Eliaria, as she fired a volley of poison orbs into the enemy, each one finding its mark.

"Use your points now!" I shouted, my face flushed, and sweat dripping from my forehead.

"I put them into [strength]," Flint replied, as he dodged an ice-spear aimed at his chest.

I stabbed my dagger into an elemental's skull, shattering its head like glass.

I turned, searching for my next opponent, and noticed that there were none left. The ice elementals were all dead. Their death signaled the beginning of the next phase of the battle.

The sky seemed to darken, as if Stormclaw had sucked up the light. The sun sank below the horizon in a single ominous flash, and I caught a glimpse of the horror as it flew high above.

I looked around and found Eliaria and Flint, crouching beside me.

"What's happening?" Eliaria asked, "Did we win?"

"I'm not sure," I answered.

Flint shook his head, "Things are about to get worse."

Eliaria nodded, "How bad?"

Flint pointed to the north, where lightning flashed and thunder rumbled ominously.

"That's not good," Eliaria said, fear lacing her voice.

"Listen," I said, "you two find a hole and hide in it. Do whatever you have to do to survive."

"Like hell," Flint said, "If you die, I'm probably dead as well."

I sighed and looked at Eliaria, "What about you? Are you staying too?"

Eliaria shook her head, "I'm not leaving you," she said, "Not now, not after everything."

I looked at my two friends, seeing the determination and fear on their faces. I didn't know how this would end, but I was glad they were with me. I turned back to the approaching storm, the rain hammering against my body. I could feel the cold water dripping down my spine.

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"Okay," I said, "But if it gets bad, promise me you'll run."

Eliaria hesitated, and then nodded.

"Alright," I said, "Let's get this over with."

Thunder roared as if in answer to our resolve, and lightning arced from the cloud, striking the ground all around us. The three of us stood in awe as the electricity ripped the air apart.

"I'm starting to think we should have never left that temple," Flint muttered.

"Agreed," Eliaria said, shivering.

A flash of blue light caught my eye. I turned and saw the drake's wings spread wide, its massive body illuminated by a cascade of lightning.

***

Stormclaw circled overhead, the beat of his wings thundering in our ears. Lightning arced across the sky like fireworks, and the howls of the storm echoed on in the distance.

"He's gathering lightning and wind," Eliaria said, "and compacting them into a single devastating attack."

"It all comes down to this attack," I said. "One shot is all we get."

"How do we take him down?" Flint asked.

I thought about it for a second, drawing on my gaming knowledge. We needed to survive this big attack, and then hit him hard with everything we had.

"I've got a plan," I said, "but it's not a good one."

Eliaria shook her head, "It never is."

"Flint, I need you to build us a wall," I said.

"What? How?"

"Use your portal to gather rocks and pile them up in a large barrier, like a fort or a castle. You've got to do it quickly, while the drake is still powering up."

"I'll try."

Flint rushed off and began absorbing rocks into [Arcane Vault].

"What about me?" Eliaria asked.

"Your job is to stay behind me," I said, "and keep me alive."

She nodded, "Got it."

I looked over at Flint and saw him dropping a massive boulder on top of the hill. He was sweating, and his eyes were wide.

"Hurry!" I called.

"It's almost done," he said, panting.

As the tower of rocks grew higher, a deep rumbling came from above.

"He's ready!" Eliaria cried.

"Get behind me," I said.

Eliaria positioned herself directly behind me while Flint dropped a boulder onto the growing fort. A minute later, he finished piling the last stone atop the wall and then dove for cover behind us.

The sky went black, and a deafening roar shook the ground.

Beads of sweat formed on my forehead as I braced for the impending chaos. We had to survive this attack. We were all out of [Etherix], there were no trump cards up our sleeves, it would come down to timing and luck.

I raised a shimmering shield of air in front of us and watched and waited. The spell had a two-minute duration and a thirty-second cooldown, if I timed it right I'd have a double layer of protection when the attack came.

I counted down from the moment I cast the spell... and then I felt the wind rise around me and heard the distant roar of the approaching storm.

I held my breath, waiting for the moment I knew would come.

A streak of lightning flashed across the sky, and Stormclaw dove out of the sky, the sound of his wings filling the air. Bolts of lightning shot from the heavens and hit the ground between us. It crackled like fire, sending chunks of rock flying everywhere.

I closed my eyes as a massive shockwave ripped through the air. The ground shook, and the tower of rocks Flint had piled up trembled.

I cast [Sky Shield] a second time, and the twin shields gleamed in the light as the earth shook. Thunder pealed all around us, the air itself seemed to vibrate with the fury of the attack.

I needed the boss to be close for my plan to work.

A great pressure fell upon us, like a mighty hand pressing down on me. The earth itself seemed to groan as plants and rocks were flattened under the force of the attack.

"Here it comes!" I shouted.

Lightning and wind slammed into the rock wall in a ball of destruction. The barrier of rocks was reduced to rubble and a massive crack appeared on my first shield.

"Hold on!" I yelled, as the ground trembled, and the storm raged above.

Another bolt slammed into the shield.

More cracks appeared along its length like spiderwebs, and I knew I couldn't hold on much longer.

I felt the air grow cold and tasted the metallic tang of magic in my mouth.

The first shield shattered, showering us in magic splinters.

"Damn it," I cursed.

I braced myself for the end, as I stared up through my final shield at the drake.

My hands began to shake and sweat covered my palm.

A crack appeared on the second shield.

"No!" Eliaria cried.

My final barrier shattered, and the full force of the shock wave hit me.

My body convulsed, trying to absorb the blast, but it was far beyond my ability to withstand. My skin tore, bones snapped, flesh burst.

I screamed as my own blood ran from my eyes and ears.

Eliaria's tears dripped on my back as she cast healing, and I heard her scream in pain as my own wounds came upon her.

The storm grew louder, drawing closer.

The drake was still too far away, and my plan hinged on it coming closer.

Desperation clawed at my thoughts as Stormclaw’s assault and Eliaria's magic fought over my very life.

I can't die here... I don't want to lose anyone else.

The pressure intensified, and I could feel my body failing.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Flint yelled like a mantra.

I looked up, seeing death and destruction approaching like a tsunami. The dark clouds filled the sky, and the rain lashed against my face.

Behind me, I felt Eliaria's hand on my back, her healing power coursing through my battered body, keeping me on the precipice of life.

Just when I feared I couldn't go on any longer, Stormclaw came into range.

The moment I had been waiting for.

The moment my plan depended on.

I reached into my deck and summoned my last hope.

[Rootbound Bison] appeared, a massive creature, with the body of a bull covered in vines. The bison bellowed, a sound like a rock slide.

"Nature's Wrath!" I yelled, as I triggered its rank-2 ability.

Vines erupted from the bison’s body, shooting toward the sky. They wrapped around Stormclaw's limbs, pulling it down. The drake let out a howl, and its wings flapped wildly as the vines dragged it from the sky.

"Holy shit," Flint said, as he watched the drake struggle.

"Bring it down!" I shouted as the drake strained against its bonds.

But Stormclaw's colossal wings were too powerful, it began to lift the bison off the ground with astonishing strength.

"Shit!" I screamed, as my plans crumbled in front of me.

I heard Eliaria gasp behind me, her healing spell card was once again on cooldown.

"Flint!" I yelled, "I need a boost, now!"

"Got it!" Flint said.

I leapt upward, my feet landing on Flint's outstretched staff. With a roar, he launched me into the air, straight toward the rising bison.

My hands were outstretched, and my fingers clenched around a vine hanging from the bison's leg.

Stormclaw roared, flapping its wings, lifting the bison and I higher.

I gritted my teeth, clinging to the vines, "Shoot the wings!" I shouted, my voice reverberating in my skull with a mix of desperation and resolve.

I braced myself as toxic orbs and black energy flew. They streaked toward the drake's wings, there was a flash of light and an explosion.

Stormclaw screamed in agony, the magic eating away at the drake's wings, but the creature was relentless. It continued to rise, dragging me along with it.

As we reached the apex of its ascent, the drake's head turned, and I saw the beast's eyes focused directly on me.

"Maker," I said over the sound of beating wings, "if you can hear me, I could use some of your power right about now."

There was no reply.

Stormclaw jaws opened wide, and I knew that this was going to be it.

I begin ascending the vines, clinging to them like a pirate scaling a treacherous mast. Soon, I grabbed hold of the drake's leg and hauled myself up on its back. I stabbed my dagger into the softest looking part of the neck, between the scales and the wing membrane. At first, it didn't penetrate, but I kept thrusting until the blade pierced flesh.

The drake roared, its massive jaws open wide.

I seized the opportunity and cast [Sky Shield] directly into its gaping mouth, pinning it open like an apple in a pig's mouth.

"Shoot it!" I shouted again, my words carried by the wind.

Eliaria and Flint responded with another volley of magic, this time directed straight into the drake's mouth.

I released the shield and a torrent of dark energy and acidic fury filled the creature's insides.

As the drake roared, I plunged my dagger into the corner of its mouth and slid down its back. I dragged the blade down, slicing through it from mouth to stomach. A torrent of blood erupted from the beast's body as I let gravity pull me back down to earth.

I fell, landing hard on the ground. My vision blurring, blood welling in my throat. A second later, Stormclaw and the bison slammed into the ground together, the impact sending shockwaves rippling across the surface.

"No," I heard Eliaria shout, and her soft footsteps drew nearer.

I coughed up blood, my body broken and battered.

Through blurred vision, I saw Stormclaw twitching, its body a smoking ruin.

I couldn't move.

"Bastion!" Eliaria said, her voice frantic.

Her hand touched my chest, her healing power flowing through me.

The floor boss twitched a final time and then it stopped moving.

[Your Rank is Now Bronze-3]

[Unspent Points 6]

"It’s over," Eliaria whispered.

Flint knelt beside me, and the two of them stared down at my bloodied body.

I smiled weakly, "We did it, we killed the bastard."

***