The heavy wooden doors crashed open as both the Skyborne and Anti-Rogue Operatives flooded into the library. Mave commanded her harekins to secure the doors behind them as Elucard and his men leaped over book piles and tables to surround the shocked queen and her snarling draconic bodyguard.

Elucard slid his ninjato from its sheath and brandished it under Tashna’s nose. “Where is the king?” he asked with a deep growl.

Ro’Tan stretched out one of his scaly wings, cutting off Elucard from the Div’Rah. He narrowed his reptilian, sapphire eyes and thin wisps of smoke drifted from his nostrils. The draconian warrior’ shadow dominated the presence in the library. However, Elucard did not flinch.

Tashna snuck backwards towards a large, black Estinian tapestry hanging on the wall.

“I vould love to stay and chat, my dear friends, but I really must get going,” she said in a sing-song voice. “Ro’Tan, von’t you be a dear and entertain our guests?”

Ro’Tan responded with a low rumble. “Yes, my Div’Rah.”

“There is no place to run, Estinian!” shouted Mave. She drew her saber with Quinn and Bruce matching her movements with their own weapons.

Tashna backed further and further to the wall as her enemies closed in. She yanked the tapestry down and pushed in a stone block. A secret door slid open and Tashna quickly made her exit.

Mave grit her teeth. “Elucard and Quinn, make sure she doesn’t get away. The rest of us will hold back big and ugly here!”

Elucard nodded and with one clean jump, he sailed over the draconian and dove after Tashna. Quinn quickly grabbed a small acorn-shaped object from one of his leather pouches and smashed it on the floor. A brilliant flash blinded the entire room.

“Sorry about that, chaps,” he said as he slipped past Ro’Tan and through the secret door.

The bright light soon faded and Mave, Bruce, Elisa, Essie, and Kyzo remained alone with the dragon bodyguard.

Ro’Tan gave a fierce, toothy grin. He took in a lengthy breath, and arcs of azure light crawled from his chest and up his throat. With a mighty heave, he spewed out a web of crackling lightning.

Mave’s eyes widened as she and the others leaped for shelter behind the heavy oak bookcases. The lightning streaks and electricity charred the wooden furniture, setting books ablaze.

Ro’Tan barreled his way forward, crashing over the tables, chairs, and bookcases in his way. Mave rolled from her cover and circled behind Ro’Tan, while Kyzo, Essie, and Elisa flanked either side of him. Bruce chose to keep the dragon occupied face to face.

“I’m here you overgrown salamander! Come at me!” Bruce roared at the top of his lungs. He tightened his grip on his cutlass and slashed wildly at the draconian’s chest. The blade glanced off of Ro’Tan’s tough purple scales creating violent sparks.

Bruce growled in frustration of his failed attack. He called out to the others, “His scales are like armor! Slicing and dicing won’t work, mates, we need to stick him like a boar!”

Kyzo and Elisa leaped onto both of Ro’Tan's shoulders driving their blades deep into his thick neck muscle. The dragon let out a thunderous cry and snatched the cloaks of the two ARO members. One by one he launched them into the burning bookcases with a pair of mighty swings. He ended his retaliation with a hefty kick into Bruce’s chest, sending the harekin sailing backwards against the locked doors.

Mave recoiled her sword arm and in one fell thrust, drove her saber into Ro’Tan’s back. Knowing that the dragon would spin on her as a reflex, Mave dragged her blade to the side, slicing a gruesome gash across the dragon’s back.

Ro’Tan lashed out his tail, catching the harekin by the legs. Mave tripped to the ground and rolled out of the way of a devastating stomp as she scrambled to her feet.

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Giving no time for Mave to recover, Ro’Tan lifted the rabbit off the ground with a massive backhand. Ro’Tan sucked in another charge of his breath and let out an awesome flash of lightning.

Mave crossed her arms in a guard as the lighting electrocuted her small body. She crashed to the floor as a smoking heap.

Ro’Tan walked to Mave’s crumpled body and prepared for another voltage. Essie slid in between him and Mave and without hesitation, ran her sword into the draconian’s stomach.

Kyzo dashed and stabbed a twin set of blades into Ro’tan’s calves, buckling the dragon to one knee.

Elisa popped in front of the dragon to smash a bottle of a crimson gas over Ro’Tan’s snout. The draconian inhaled the fumes choking and coughing as he fell to his other knee.

Bruce finished the combination of attacks with a powerful fist that crunched into Ro’Tan’s jaw, breaking loose a fang or two.

Ro’Tan faltered, crashing to the ground in a daze.

Kyzo helped Mave to her feet. “Is it over?” he said between labored breaths.

Mave shook her head and pointed to the dragon slowly recovering. “We only fazed him. Come on lads, we’re in it for the long haul.”

The Devil Jumpers raised their weapons, ready for another round, each one battered and bruised. Some bleeding, some broken, but all prepared to die for the cause: to rescue the Dawnedge king.

Mave raised her saber and called to Ro’Tan, “We’ll take you with us to the Roaming Plane if we have to. With our last drop of blood we will make sure we put you into the ground. You scabby-scaled, puss-breathing, sorry excuse for a dragon!”

Ro’Tan gnashed his teeth and tightened his fists. With a bellowing roar, he exploded forward.

Mave dashed towards the dragon, sliding on her knees and releasing a rapid flurry of thrusts. Each attack found their mark through Ro’Tan’s waist and thighs.

Bruce jumped into the air, coming down, he rocked Ro’Tan’s jaw with a quaking blow that sent ripples of force cascading across the dragon’s face.

Elisa and Kyzo shoved their weight into a neighboring shelf toppling the towering bookcase down upon the draconian.

Essie wrapped her scarf over her mouth as she gagged on the building smoke from the nearby flames. “We have to get out of here!”

Mave pushed aside an overturned table, clearing a path to the library’s exit. “This way, mates!”

Elisa pulled out her rebreather and stuck it in her mouth as she made her way through the smoky room. Bruce followed her and together they burst open the doors.

Mave ushered Kyzo to the door. She looked back at Ro’Tan. “Go, Kyzo, I’ll finish off the dragon so he doesn’t follow us.”

Kyzo nodded. “Be careful, Captain.”

Mave stepped in front of Ro’Tan, the flaming bookcase on top of him kept him down. She raised her blade over his head. “I’ll make this quick, beast.”

Ro’Tan glanced at the saber and a cruel smile carved through his face. “I’ll make sure you suffer with me, rabbit!” With the last ounce of his strength, Ro’Tan lunged forward and chomped down on Mave’s leg.

The harekin shrieked in agony and drove down her sword into the draconian’s skull, however his jaws only clamped down tighter.

The fires continued to burn down the library. Smoke plumed and fogged the air. Mave clenched her teeth trying desperately to pry open the dragon’s mouth.

Got yourself into a right old mess this time, eh Mave? she thought to herself.

The rafters of the library began to break apart, as embers fell from the ceiling. Mave continued to cough and gag. With no other options left she looked at her sword’s sharp edge and her injured trapped leg.

No, there’s got to be a better way out of here!

“Help! I need bloody help over here!” she cried with the last gasps of breath that she had left. “Can anyone bloomin’ hear me?!”

Mave’s shaky hand brought her sword to her leg. Tears swelled in her eyes. She stuffed one of her gloves in her mouth to act as a bit. She was going to have to amputate her leg.

Alue guide my hand. Don’t let it hurt too much.

“Mave!” Bruce’s voice cut through Mave’s thoughts. “Mave, I’m coming!”

Mave dropped her sword with a clatter, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Over here!”

Bruce rushed to his captain’s side. “Essie! I found her!” he shouted to the medic as she wafted through the fiery heat and smoke.

Mave pointed to her leg. “Help me get this great lug’s teeth out of my leg!”

Bruce spit into his hands and grunted as he opened the jaws of death just long enough for Essie to tug Mave away from the dragon’s mouth. Essie took a look at the mangled leg. It was much worse than Bruce’s gator bite. The muscle was torn up and her bone was crushed. Blood soaked the harekin’s gray fur. Essie instinctively reached for her runecloth but pulled out none. She frowned and quickly wrapped the wound with a roll of blistercloth. “I can stop the bleeding. That will have to do for now.” She and Bruce shouldered their commanding officer and together they hurried her to safety.