A flash of white light exploded from where Telhari stood and streaked towards the dragon.
Boom!
The dragon threw itself to the side and tumbled over the ground to avoid the attack. It had just enough time to rise from the ground before Telhari thrust at it again with blinding speed. This time, the dragon was not so lucky.
Boom!
A cold feeling crept into its body as Telhari sliced through the meat of its arm. Cold gave way to heat and a burning sensation. The cut was deep; and beyond that, the dragon’s arm felt heavy and unresponsive to its will.
Before the dragon could recover, another blast of white-light surged toward it, accompanied by a booming thunderclap. The dragon barely managed to move its neck out of lethal distance. Yet still, a gash appeared and burned white hot. The dragon whipped its body around in a fury so as to retreat backward. It held its breath for another strike, but none came.
Telhari stood still, upright and panting, while the white glow on his blade faded into a wavering aquamarine.
The dragon purred deeply at the sight. His enemy was fearsome, of this there was no doubt; but his endurance was not unending. If it is to become a war of attrition, the dragon wondered, who would have the advantage?
Telhari was tired and wounded, but that attack of his was far too deadly to be trifled with. One wrong move — a misstep of any kind— and the duel would be over. There was, however, a weakness Telhari had that the dragon did not…
“I am truly regretful that it should come to this.”
Telhari held himself tense; ready to react attack at a moment’s notice.
“My mission is too great to be thwarted by ancient custom.” The dragon rose tall, reared back on its hind legs and flared out its wings. “Forgive me, Vlag’Zestaiyr.”
It then turned violently toward the stone bridge and tore through the air towards the forest glade. Realizing all too late, Telhari poured every ounce of his strength into the wind at his back and kicked off the ground so strongly the earth cracked beneath his boot. He flew through the air, chasing desperately after the conniving beast, trying to intercept before—
Ellis and Mary had little time to respond. Like a blur of shadow, the dragon had launched itself upon them. Storm-like winds surged about them, snapping and bending the ancient trees like twigs. The two of them cried out and ran at full speed toward the narrow mountain pass. The earth shook behind them and a blast of air and stone sent them toppling onto the ground. A great suction pulled the air around them toward the gaping mouth of their draconic pursuer and filled its lungs. A heat wave washed over them and burned their eyes; and in a second their vision was engulfed by a terrible wave of flame.
The trees and grasses began to burn and crackle from the intense heat; an invisible force stood resolute before the dragon’s volcanic fury, redirecting the flame into the surrounding wood. Telhari had only just managed to arrive in time, positioning himself between the dragon’s fire and his companions. There was no doubt about it — the dragon had realized his weakness.
The magic he needed to pierce that ancient, reptilian hide was something too devastating and unruly to wield flippantly. Nor was this spell of protection an easy one to maintain. To match the dragon’s speed, to launch an offensive and ensure a defense— he could not maintain such efforts for much longer. He would have to sacrifice one.
Suddenly, the assaulting flame dissipated and a furious claw reached toward Telhari and impacted his spell-woven barrier. Powerful muscles aimed to squeeze murderously at his invisible shield. Telhari ended the magic just in time, turning to grab the two children and leap away as its claw impacted the ground.
“They will be your undoing, Vlag’Zestaiyr,” the dragon mused as it crushed the remaining pieces of earth in its clawed hand. “A pity, indeed.”
“Run you two!”
Telhari set them down and shoved them forward. They broke into a sprint toward the aperture of the mountain pass as Telhari turned back to face the dragon. Suddenly, a thin blast of fire shot passed Telhari at a newfound speed and exploded at the far end of the glade. A wall of flame rose into the air and, guided by the will of its master, encircled Ellis and Mary.
“No!”
Telhari had miscalculated— severely miscalculated. To think that a dragon could have such acute control over extra-corporeal flame? He had never seen it.
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What do I do!?
His mind was racing. If he offered himself to the dragon, would it let them go? Even if it did, the consequences of his death would spell the end for Omnirius. If word got back to his people, would they intervene? To make a mistake here could doom this land to death and destruction for countless generations.
Mary and Ellis cried out behind him as the flames tightened their grip, encroaching ever closer, leaving a trail of ash in their wake.
If he could strike down the dragon in an instant, then maybe—
I am sorry, you two.
Telhari gritted his teeth in utter frustration. Within a moment, his rage burned bright and his sword blazed once again with a white hot light.
“You are too slow!” the dragon roared.
“ELLIS! MARY!”
Telhari wavered in his attack at the sound of the familiar voice.
With a pulse of its wings, a thrusting wind pushed Telhari back and gave the dragon distance.
Behind Telhari, three people had arrived, appearing suddenly at the mouth of the mountain pass. A woman in armor jumped from the back of her horse and ran headlong into the inferno. Telhari’s heart sank as he heard her screams of pain rise high above the roar of the flame.
A second woman drew up her ornate wooden staff and called forth a spell of dampening mist which began to quell the fire. A third man dismounted and ran toward the dying circle of flame and grabbed at those still within.
Telhari watched as Ingrid struggled to pull Ellis and Mary away, having wrapped them in her heavy cloak, though she herself was burned and her skin charred.
“Ingrid!?” Ellis cried out as he half supported her weight. “Why did you—?”
“I made a promise,” she uttered weakly. “To keep you two safe.”
“Lay still,” the second woman said as she ran over to them. “Let me heal you…”
Telhari could feel the warmth of her soothing spell at his back. It was magic of the east. He himself had no real talent for such spellwork, but to have another here with that skill was a great help indeed.
“So that’s it, huh?” Albert said with a wry grin as beads of sweat gathered on his brow. “Perry has a sick sense of humor doesn’t he? Sending us in here…”
“Telhari can fight it,” Mary said. “We just need to get out of here before it comes after us again.”
“So many vermin, Vlag’Zestaiyr. What a shameful sight to see you cling so desperately to their aid.”
“Perhaps if your kind were so keen on cooperation, there might still be more of them remaining.”
The dragon gnashed its teeth at the air and lashed its tail in anger.
“One of me is more than sufficient!” The dragon drew up once again and tilted its head curiously to the side, staring into the distance at some far-flung and unseen thing. “You did well to protect these two…But how well would you fare to protect a hundred?”
A weight dropped in Ellis stomach.
“Viemen!”
A piercing wail shattered the valley, and the dragon leapt into the sky with a terrible speed. In a few seconds it had risen a thousand feet; then it turned once more toward its enemies below.
“How many can you save, I wonder?”
“Coward! Why don’t you stay and fight!?” Ellis cried out toward the sky.
“Such boldness! Come then, little mouse, let us put your words to the test!”
With a fearsome blast the dragon wormed up through the air and ascended even higher toward the clouds.
“Telhari,” Ingrid pleaded, “You must not let it reach the town! That thing, it is worse than we could have imagined. They are not prepared!”
Telhari knew she was right. Much had apparently happened since he had been away; but under no circumstances could Viemen ever defend against such an assault on their own.
“Telhari, please!” Ellis said as he ran up to him, “Uncle Perry and everyone—!”
“I know Ellis…I will not let that beast do as it pleases.” Telhari turned with resolution toward the group. “Ingrid, are you able to ride?”
“I will take her,” Albert offered, hoisting her arm over his shoulder.
“And I will go with Lyusya,” Mary said. “Ellis can take Ingrid’s mount.” She paused. “But it took us half a day to ride this far, how could we possibly—”
“You will make it,” Telhari said.
A whispering breeze soon surrounded the group; it wafted through them, then settled around the horses. They stirred suddenly, stamping the ground and flicking their tails; startled, but not in pain.
“What did you—?”
“You’ve enchanted them!?” Lyusya asked with amazement.
“They will ride faster than ever before,” he told them. “Hold tight to the reins and trust their instincts. Let them guide you.”
“And what about you?” Ingrid asked. “How will you make it in time?”
“That creature is not the only one who can command the wind as it pleases.”
Telhari walked steadily toward the edge of the cliff.
“Go now,” he called out to them. “Head toward Viemen with haste. I just pray that Sir Perry is prepared for what is coming his way.”
Telhari then stepped off the cliff and fell out of sight.
Instinctively, Ellis ran toward the edge and peered over. A gust of wind nearly knocked him over as it rose up from the canyon and into the sky. Held within its tempestuous grip, Telhari flew through the air at breakneck speed away from the ancient valley and toward Viemen.