Like a blazing inferno of a giant Phoenix, the Skeletal Bone Dragon rises in unnatural flight, rising straight up out of the flames, spreading its wings in all of its demonic fire-engulfed glory. Filling the cavern with its Killing Intent and wingspan. Unleashing an unholy roar that deafens all ears and voids all other sounds only to be amplified and reverberate against the cavern walls as they move and shake.

My heart stops. My breath expelled. My mind is in shock. There is no strength in my limbs and my bones rattle to the frequency of this Skeletal Bone Dragon’s Killing Intent and roar.

Somewhere behind me, the Archer is the first to respond to the challenge. Arrows fly in slow motion to my sight as they multiply in mid-flight, only to multiply, and multiply again in a literal rain of death so thick that it blackens out the light of the flames before me.

Rising to near the cavern ceiling, now looking slightly down on us, the still flaming Skeletal Bone Dragon rears back and releases its Breath Weapon, Killing Intent, and deafening roar against us as it once did in life that it has no more.

My heart beats once in terror. There is no breath. A revelation and vision of the Apocalypse before me. My bowels release. Death comes for me.

The Raid leader is shouting commands.

Phaenippos stands. Firms his footing. Raises and activates his Bulwark and shield in a crescent moon shape of power before him.

Art is scrambling to his feet, tears in his eyes, and crying out for forgiveness. He didn’t know. He was a Fool. He continues to franticly cast, only for all his spells to miscast and fizzle in his fingers and around him.

Jack’s face is set with resolve and purpose. I don’t see him specifically, but he is there in my perception, Flash Stepping with power and Intent. Driving himself forward as he snatches his woman, Optata, in stride and over his shoulder. She collapses and folds over him from his power and speed as he picks her up in one arm and continues to drive forward in a retreat from Death.

My heart beats again. Our reprieve only that in death, the Skeletal Bone Dragon has no breath weapon.

A single beat of its massive Skeletal Bone Wings extinguishes the flames burning the Skeletal Bone Dragon and rockets it into the cavern wall where we stand. The Skeletal Bone Dragon's four clawed limbs embedding themselves into the rock wall and anchoring itself there.

The force of the impact crushes the path under my feet and I start to slide with the rubble towards its embedded right front claw.

The Raid Party coming to life and going on the offensive, the Archer’s life is the first to be cut short. Still firing and breaking her bowstring while being chewed in half in the mighty jaws of the Skeletal Bone Dragon.

Sliding, falling. I’m frantic for any handhold I can get. Finding something solid I grab hold and climb for my life. Heart racing. Panting for breath. Clinging for life. I find myself holding onto ribcage bones, just behind a Skeletal Wing.

Art’s spells miscasting, fizzling, and making pretty colors draw unwanted attention to himself. With another bite from the Skeletal Bone Dragon and its massive Skeletal Jaws, Art finds himself in more pieces than he would like. His body dropping in pieces to the cavern floor below.

What’s left of the Raiding Parting is now coordinating its attack. The Raid leader commands and directs attacks to vital points on the Skeletal Bone Dragon. Phaenippos stands firm, tanking most of the blows under his Bulwark and keeping the Skeletal Bone Dragon’s attention as the others continue to hack away.

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Climbing, I find myself between two massive Skeletal Bone Wings. Straddling the backbone trying not to fall, powerful magic takes hold and pulls me down onto a vertebrate behind a small bone spike.

It takes a moment to realize that I am locked into a saddle of some sort. As much violence that’s happening around me, I seem to be at a fulcrum point where all of the motion is smooth and even.

“Heal!” I slam my hand down on the Skeletal Bone Dragon. “Heal!”. I watch to see what effect it will have and wonder if I’m going to be riding a Massive Live Dragon or a pile of bones dropping to the cavern floor below.

“Heal!”

“Heal!”

“Heal!”

Or the third option of being ignored and nothing happening from it.

I have a clear view of Phaenippos standing firm and deflecting the Skeletal Bone Dragon’s head and attempted bites off of his Bulwark. Keeping the Skeletal Bone Dragon’s attention on himself and off of the other members of the Raiding Party. I have a renewed respect for that man and his skill as I watch a Party member dodge the wrong way and become chow, bits falling through the Skeletal Bone Jaws to the cavern floor below.

The Assassin’s Blade is holstered on my boot as it was for its previous owner. Pulling the blade, I push power and intent into the Assassin’s Blade as I raise it in a two-handed grip over my head. Rings of power shining true as I drive the blade down to its hilt into the vertebrate before me at the base of the Skeletal Bone Dragon’s neck.

The Skeletal Bone Dragon doesn’t seem to notice me as another party member is chomped in two.

Pushing power and Intent, using the Assassin’s Blade like an ice pike, I repeatedly chip away at the vertebrate until a large chunk comes out.

With a shock, like electricity must have gone through its system, the Skeletal Bone Dragon raises its neck and stiffens under the pain. It then launches itself backward off of the cavern wall and into the air. Twisting, turning, trying to claw at me.

Continuing to fall and being whipped around in a death spiral, I continue to chip away at the vertebrate as I am able with the Assassin’s Blade.

Impacting the cavern floor, I am knocked from my saddle as the Skeletal Bone Dragon lands on its side, crushing one of its wings. Holding on for life as I am to its backbone, I am flung around to the other side, inside of its ribcage.

I am being crushed under its hatred and Killing Intent as it raises up on its hind two legs, twisting and curling its neck to get a better look at me.

The Skeletal Bone Dragon begins attacking itself, its own ribcage, trying to break through. The impacts jarring and loosening my grip, I climb for my life again and into the saddle.

Chipping away again with the Assassin's Blade, I break off another piece of the vertebrate. The Skeletal Bone Dragon goes mad, throwing itself back into the cavern wall and onto its back trying to kill me.

Because of its one crushed bone wing, the Skeletal Bone Dragon doesn’t throw itself straight backward, but more of a curve back and to its side. Allowing me to avoid any direct impact and the crushed bone wing cushioning me where I sit.

Chipping away again with terror-infused strength and resolve, the Assassin's Blade breaks through the last of the vertebrate. Without a sound, the Skeletal Bone Dragon just stiffens. Its neck and head fall to the cavern floor with a slight bounce as the head rolls to sit upright on its chin and out flat on its neck.

The essence of the kill starts to visibly collect and focus on me still sitting in the saddle.

The rush is intense at first and grows exponentially from there.

The pain is immense. I open my mouth to scream but I can’t even suck air.

The essence of the Skeletal Bone Dragon presses and forces itself into me.

Empowered and forced growth. Forced leveling of a system that I am not a part of.

I remember. I was warned.

“You have done this yourself, knowingly or not. You crossed a line into this world that you will not unconsciously forget. The natural laws here allow for added growth and development at an increasingly exponential cost. This is the balance here. Your growth is linear and is in balance with your home.”

My Bones ache as they increase in density and strength. My sinew and muscle burn in their accelerated growth. My head and body feel blazing like fire as my nerve ending rush ahead in growth and expansion. The world grows slow and small as my understanding of the Skeletal Bone Dragon’s focus and Killing Intent become clear.

The magic fades from my saddle. I slump, roll, and fall to the ground. The pain is nothing. I roll to my back and look up through the bones, repeatedly unconsciously clenching and unclenching my hands into fists as my body continues to develop, harden, and absorb the essence of this world.

The undead are forming again. I slowly roll over to my knees, then stand. No, not undead. Skeletal warriors. These are more than what was, but so am I.

I stand on the cavern floor at the same level as the crypts.

My heart and my mind calm.

“Heal.” My hand on my chest. I didn’t feel anything. Maybe I’m not hurt.

I pick up and holster the Assassin’s Blade back into my boot.

There is armor and weapons littered around. The flames from the scrolls and potions are mostly out. I can still feel the heat radiating from the cavern floor and rock. I pick up a thick rod that looks good for smashing bone and a larger shield.

I walk to where I feel the skeletal warriors forming with the intent of putting them down. That’s no longer a question for me. Is this the mind of an apex predator?

The Main crypt comes closer into view. The first of the Royal Guards assemble to block the path before me. Their actions and responses are slow as I crush and break their bones, through their magical defenses and shields.

“Waldhar! Death comes for you!”