His side hurt, and he felt the wet, sticky liquid running down his left leg.

Two more ogres lay on the ground nearby. The one with the shield had broken his nose with a well-timed kick but still died. The taste of blood and the pain of breathing had made the third fight harder.

The ogre with two clubs had waited its turn, happy to have a chance at being the one to defeat him.

Blood bubbled from its throat, where he had managed to kill it.

The axe throw was good, but there are three more coming. Hess is fighting through the crowd behind me. My tail keeps them at bay, but you must take the potion.

How is he?

Weak… that is why he has not spoken…

Phillip’s hand trembled as he ripped the axe from the ogre's neck and watched another ogre approach him. The orcs had parted from where he stood, many snarling and shouting, but it was like he was a stone in the middle of a stream. None came at him or Amaranth directly. They all parted, leaving him for the ones who had apparently claimed this right.

His hip hurt, and he knew Amaranth was right. There might not be time to take the potion later.

Sliding his axe into the loop on his belt, he fumbled with the pouch, his fingers aching and hurting from the moments of this day.

Horns continued to blow, and drums could be heard all around. The sounds of people dying and weapons colliding filled the air.

Finally, he managed to open the pouch and pull it wide, seeing the bottle wrapped in multiple layers of cloth and padding. The red liquid was still inside, and thankfully, it had not broken.

“Well, at least the pouch would have kept it inside unless punctured,” he said out loud as he pulled it out and used his teeth, wincing as he did, to pull the top off.

Drinking the liquid, his body began to shake, and he felt bones popping into place. His nose shifted, and he winced as his back and whatever had happened there adjusted.

His pain vanished, and his body felt amazing after a few deep breaths.

“I owe Aldric for trading my other one with me.”

A pair of roars came, and Phillip watched as two ogres arrived thirty yards away from him. Both began shouting at the other, pointing at him as they declared who would have the first chance against him.

Each looked horrible to fight, but what really scared him was the one coming up slowly behind him. The ground actually shook even though it was fifty yards away. The orcs and goblins that were too slow to get out of their way were either squashed or swatted away when it swung the chain with a ball on it.

You may need to run… I am not certain–

No. I will not abandon Foros or you.

Phillip turned and looked at Amaranth. Her eyes were swirling between different colors rapidly.

You trusted me with your egg. Trust me now.

She nodded and then glanced back down at her child beneath her wings.

Five minutes. I should be able to move Foros in five minutes. Can you buy me that time?

Phillip smiled as he turned and started running toward the two arguing ogres.

I will buy that time no matter the cost.

His lifestone had been lagging, and the exhaustion of each fight had taken its toll on him. He was tired and worn, but knowing there was now a chance his dragon could make it energized him.

It roared to life, burning within his chest, and he moved with a speed that caught both of the arguing ogres off guard. He figured the one with the shield had to be easier than the one with the massive metal piece resembling an axe. Hoping that the honor system shown as he fought each of the other ogres would continue, Phillip flexed his fingers around each of his weapon handles and made his move.

The ogre with the shield saw him first and yelled something, but it was too late. The one with the axe had his side turned, and the axe had been pointed at the other ogre, leaving itself open.

Coming from the side, Phillip slid along the ground as the ogre turned, swinging its left arm backward in hopes of hitting him with it.

The blade of his sword sliced through the ogre’s Achilles and grinded against the bone of its lower left leg.

It roared as its leg gave out and started falling to the side.

Phillip jumped up and spun, swinging his axe, cleaving through the ogre’s right hip. The sound of bones shattering brought a smile to his lips.

Without wasting a moment, he moved and hacked off the ogre's arm with the axe above the elbow.

The ogre roared in pain, trying to move and do something as it lay on its back, unable to get up or defend itself.

Pointing his sword at the ogre with the shield, Phillip grinned. “Perhaps you are stronger than this one!” he shouted before bringing his axe down on the fallen ogre’s face.

Blood flew, and the ogre shook twice before lying still.

The one with the shield laughed and swung its sword to show it was ready.

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“Come human, see if I am,” it replied, excited and happy at what had just happened.

Phillip nodded and began to move back toward Amaranth slowly.

“Follow me. I do not want you to win because your friends helped you.”

The ogre paused and then snarled. It roared loudly, and Phillip watched as all the orcs nearby moved away.

The one with the chain and ball stopped about twenty yards away and roared something at the one with the shield.

The ogre he had just challenged turned and began to shout something Phillip couldn’t understand. The exchange between the two was heated by how they pointed at each other and roared.

Phillip’s eye caught movement as the spiked ball it had been dragging behind it suddenly snapped forward. The ogre he had just challenged raised its shield and braced itself for the impact.

The collision made a thunderous sound, and the smaller ogre was knocked backward through the field about seven yards. A huge furrow of dirt ran in a straight line as he withstood the blow. His shield was warped like a blacksmith had hammered metal over a ball around it.

Phillip could see the arm and shoulder were shattered, bones sticking out of the skin of its left arm.

Time seemed to stop as the two ogres stared at each other, and the larger one slowly dragged its weapon back toward him, the metal ball of death bouncing along the ground.

You must run. There is no chance.

Will you leave your son and flee?

Amaranth said nothing for a moment, and Phillip knew her answer before she replied.

I cannot and will not.

Then that makes two of us.

Groans came as the beaten ogre rose from the shallow dirt it had somehow survived. It let the sheld go, its arm hanging limply against its body. Without a word or even a glance at Phillip, it moved toward the back line.

Laughter drifted over the battlefield. It was guttural and dark.

“It is time to die, dragon rider,” it bellowed as it began to walk toward him. “I will smash you and suck the life from you. Then your head I will wear around my neck.”

It laughed again as it came closer.

“Phillip! We need to run!”

Glancing to his left, Phillip saw Hess coming up toward him. He was covered in gore and blood. Behind him were a few of the students he recognized, each looking worn and tired but appearing to be in decent shape.

‘That’s a tier four or five!” Hess shouted. “It is way beyond us all!”

The ogre stopped and looked at Hess and then at the half-dozen teenagers he had with him, each fighting against the orcs near them.

“More fun and food! Fight me, you all!”

Phillip saw the ogre flick his chain, the ball having been brought to his side. It flew backward a few yards, killing a few orcs that had gotten behind it.

“I won’t leave!” Phillip shouted, hooking his axe and switching hands for his sword. He grabbed the shield from his back and took a few deep breaths. “My potion is gone, but my dragon is there. We need more time!”

Laughter came as the ogre watched them shouting and arguing about fleeing.

“Stay and play. Stay and die.”

Phillip glanced at the students who had moved up near him.

“We will follow you, Phillip. We owe you that much.”

“Thank you, Gerald, but you’re not strong–”

“Neither are you, sir, and you can’t make us. If you won’t go, neither will we. None of us signed up to run away.”

Phillip trembled some at the words. He had spoken those words before on the wall during the first attacks.

“Very well. Pattern C, I’ll lead. Get me an opening.”

As one of the eight students that had arrived spread out, each banging their weapon against their shield one time.

‘Watch its range and speed! It’s going to come fast! I need an opening like we trained!”

The ogre began to laugh louder, apparently amused by the teenagers preparing to fight against it.

“Hess, are you helping or not?”

A grunt came, and Phillip saw out of the corner of his eye the man who had kicked his ass more times than he could remember pulling something out of his pouch. Whatever had been in the vial had caused Hess to glow blue for a second.

“Tell Sulenda I love her.”

Phillip opened his mouth to reply, but Hess was already moving. His shield was fixed to his arm and ready for impact, and his massive hammer was low and coming behind him.

“GO!” Phillip roared as he raced toward the ogre, angered at Hess’s words.

Movement from the ogre signaled its weapon was now in play as it snapped toward Hess.

When Hess charged, they were only fifteen yards from the ogre, and he had reduced the distance to seven when the ball collided with his shield.

A second before impact, the shield glowed, and the two slammed into each other.

The sound was overwhelming, and yet the ball dropped straight down as Hess came to a complete stop.

Phillip was now past Hess, his sword out and eyes scanning the ogre for what it might do. It seemed surprised, and that second of delay allowed Phillip to get within five yards.

Its wrist flicked backward as its body shifted, and Phillip saw the chain yanking the ball in his direction. It swung its right arm across its body, whipping its weapon as it tried to make up for the slack in the chain.

There was no time to smile, but if there had been, Phillip would have sported one. Seconds before the spiked ball would hit him, he slid onto his back, shield up.

A spike slid across his lifted shield as it passed by, causing it to roll in the air. He and Frederick had practiced that maneuver the last few months, and it paid off now.

The minor collision with the ogre’s weapon slowed Phillip's momentum, but he was on his feet a second after it passed, rushing for the creature's legs.

Roar now!

There was almost no delay as Amaranth lifted her head and shook the area around her with the force of her roar.

His ears popped, but Phillip pushed through the pain, seeing that it had also affected the ogre.

[ Power Slash ]

His sword moved, and the entire three-foot section of his blade sliced through the ogre’s right calf, cutting through the bone and almost slicing the bottom leg off.

The ogre's right hand jerked back as Phillip swung, and right after his sword connected, its oversized fist slammed into him.

Bones shattered inside him, and the sword was left inside the ogre's leg as Phillip was sent flying. Like a small rock hit by a stick, he flew backwards toward Amaranth and Foros, flopping and rolling along the ground. He slammed into a pile of orc corpses and came to a halt.

He couldn’t move as his legs weren’t working. He wanted to look at himself, yet pinned against the way he was, nothing responded to his wishes.

Instead, he was forced to look at the fight that was taking place.

The ogre struggled to stand as Hess recovered from their initial clash. He could only see out of one eye, yet there, as clear as day, were the students he had trained, rushing at a creature almost three times their size and beyond their limits without fear.

Don’t move! I am coming!

Amaranth’s voice filled his head, and it hurt from the force of it.

Breathing was getting harder, and Phillip noticed everything was darker.

He could feel the ground vibrating and knew it had to be Amaranth, but it didn’t matter. He felt peace, and it was too hard to breathe. Phillip closed his eyelid, succumbing to the darkness that beckoned him.