Chapter 313: Dragon Tamer Master - Physical
The competition arena had been enhanced with extraordinarily powerful Undetectable Extension Charms, creating a space of almost incomprehensible vastness. From Sean's position at the center, no visible boundaries marked the arena's limits. His designated environment stretched like an authentic desert - scorching sands shifting under blazing sunlight, superheated air that seemed to burn with each breath, all testament to the venue's startling realism.
The moment Sean had stepped from the tent, he'd found himself transported to this arena's heart. Behind him lay no trace of the entrance, only endless yellow sand punctuated by distant barren mountains crowned with sparse vegetation. Ethereal cheering echoed from somewhere high above, the crowd's excitement filtering down through magical barriers like distant thunder.
Drawing his wand with practiced efficiency, Sean grasped his robe collar and triggered a prepared enchantment. His ordinary school attire instantly transformed into a voluminous black hooded cloak that enveloped his form, providing blessed relief from the desert's merciless glare.
Without hesitation, Sean retrieved four thumb-sized spheres from his equipment pouch and hurled them into the air with calculated precision. A flick of his wand activated their hidden mechanisms as alchemical arrays blazed across their surfaces in intricate patterns. Within heartbeats, the spheres expanded into fully functional puppet birds that took flight under his mental command, spreading in cardinal directions to locate the dragons guarding their precious golden eggs.
Time pressure weighed heavily on his strategy. The oversized arena combined with the strict one-hour limit created a logistical nightmare that went beyond simply confronting draconic guardians. Swift location and immediate action would determine success or failure.
In this regard, Sean's inability to Apparate represented a significant disadvantage compared to more experienced competitors. Fortunately, alternative transportation remained available. While he couldn't publicly employ Voldemort's smoke-rope flying technique, his encounter with a vampire bat during the Castelobruxo expedition had yielded precisely the ability he now required.
Definitely adding Apparition to my immediate curriculum after this ordeal, Sean noted mentally as his surveillance network spread across the burning landscape.
Success came quickly as one puppet bird transmitted the discovery of draconic presence through their magical link.
Without a moment's hesitation, Sean crouched low and launched himself skyward, vampire bat abilities propelling him in a low, swift trajectory toward his target. Sand whipped past his face as he accelerated, the desert floor blurring beneath his passage.
The first dragon occupied a rocky valley nestled between weathered hills, its massive form coiled protectively around a gleaming golden egg. The beast detected Sean's approach immediately, rising to its full intimidating height while unleashing torrents of flame as both warning and threat.
Sean studied his opponent with analytical precision. Pearl-like scales shimmered with rainbow iridescence under the harsh sunlight, while pupil-less eyes tracked his movement with predatory intelligence. Recognition came instantly.
Antipodean Opaleye – among the more manageable dragon species, though "manageable" remained a purely relative term when discussing creatures capable of incinerating buildings.
"ROAAAAR... WHOOSH..."
The Opaleye's greeting consisted of superheated flame that turned sand to molten glass wherever it touched. Sean responded by conjuring towering pillars of yellow sand that intercepted the fiery assault, creating a protective barrier between himself and the dragon's wrath.
His counter-attack came immediately. A red flash erupted from his wand tip, aimed precisely at the dragon's vulnerable eyes. The Conjunctivitis Curse would have ended the confrontation instantly, but the Opaleye's combat experience showed as it twisted its massive head aside, allowing the spell to dissipate harmlessly against armoured scales.
"Clever creature," Sean acknowledged with grudging respect.
BANG!
Abandoning flight, Sean landed heavily on the rocky ground and immediately began reshaping the terrain through Transfiguration. Stone metamorphosed into countless chains that erupted from the earth like metallic serpents, wrapping around the Opaleye's limbs and wings as it attempted to take flight. The powerful links dragged the struggling dragon back to earth despite its frantic efforts to escape.
Rather than simply securing the golden egg, Sean made an unexpected choice that would shock spectators and judges alike. He vaulted directly onto the Australian Opaleye's back, seizing one of its horns with his left hand while his right began delivering devastating punches to the dragon's head.
Initially, the Opaleye continued its violent resistance, roaring with rage while breathing gouts of flame and attempting to dislodge its unwelcome rider through aerial manoeuvres. But Sean's relentless assault combined with the gradually intensifying aura of the White Serpent King began producing visible effects. Each blow landed with supernatural force enhanced by his troll-like strength, while the predatory presence of an apex magical creature pressed against the dragon's consciousness.
Slowly but inevitably, the Opaleye's struggles weakened. Its roars transformed from rage to uncertainty, then to something approaching submission. Finally, with a sound like distant thunder, the great beast lowered its head and wings to the ground in complete capitulation.
Sean's smile carried fierce satisfaction as he pointed his wand at the nearby golden egg. The prize flew directly into his grasp before disappearing into his specially prepared storage pouch.
Using advanced Transfiguration, Sean created an ornate chain collar around the now-docile Opaleye's neck, effectively claiming the dragon as his mount. Without pause, he guided his new companion skyward toward the second target location.
Unknown to Sean, the magical screens broadcasting his performance to the packed stands had triggered an explosion of reaction. Hogwarts students roared their approval at witnessing their champion physically dominate a dragon through martial prowess alone. Among the five-judge panel, expressions ranged from amazement to concern, with Karkaroff's features particularly sour as his champion's prospects dimmed considerably.
The second confrontation awaited at a different valley where Sean's puppet bird had met its destruction at the claws of a more aggressive guardian.
Examining the scattered mechanical remains and studying his new opponent, Sean identified deep green scales and gleaming golden horns that marked this beast as a Romanian Longhorn. Its signature weapons posed deadly threats – those horns could pierce armour as easily as the flames they breathed could melt steel.
Sean chose direct confrontation over subtlety, guiding the Opaleye into a diving attack that brought both dragons together in thunderous collision. Claws raked across scales while fangs sought vital points, spraying blood and torn armour across the rocky ground. The aerial battle quickly revealed the Longhorn's superior close-combat capabilities, its namesake horn functioning as a devastating spear that opened multiple wounds in the Opaleye's hide.
Hearing his mount's pained cries, Sean abandoned his wand in favour of more direct methods. The enhanced balance granted by Wolf's Agility allowed him to maintain perfect footing on the Opaleye's head even during violent aerial combat.
As the Romanian Longhorn charged forward with horn extended like a lance, Sean made a split-second decision that defied all conventional wisdom. He leaped directly from his mount's head onto the attacking horn, using his supernatural strength to drive the weapon downward until it embedded deeply in solid stone.
Trapped by its own primary weapon, the Longhorn found itself helpless as Sean repeated his earlier tactics. Landing squarely on the dragon's head, he began delivering punches with mechanical precision and devastating force. The Longhorn's anguished cries echoed across the valley, but the embedded horn prevented any escape attempt.
The sound of splintering bone accompanied Sean's final assault. With an audible crack that seemed to shake the very mountains, the Romanian Longhorn's magnificent horn snapped completely away from its head. Faced with overwhelming physical dominance and the inexorable pressure of the White Serpent King's aura, this proud dragon too prostrated itself in absolute submission.
Sean stood triumphant atop his second conquest, blood and sand coating his black robes while two of the most dangerous creatures in the magical world acknowledged him as their master. The golden egg from this encounter joined its companion in his storage pouch as he prepared to seek whatever additional challenges the vast arena might contain.
Time was passing, but Sean's unconventional approach had proven devastatingly effective. Rather than avoiding or deceiving the dragons, he had conquered them through sheer physical dominance, turning the tournament's greatest threats into his greatest assets.
The desert arena still held secrets, and Sean intended to claim every prize it offered before his hour expired.