CHAPTER 4: In Every Darkness There Is a Light
The air thrummed with raw power.
"Leafage!" she screamed. A gust of wind coiled around her staff, which erupted in a brilliant emerald light before a concentrated bolt of green energy shot toward the black-horned dragon.
"Emperor!" he roared simultaneously. Fire spontaneously burst from the tip of his own staff, a torrent of crimson flame arcing to meet the dragon.
The second attacker, a blur of motion, wasted no time. He charged the beast's massive leg, his steel-gray hair whipping around his face.
"Cyclone!" he grit out.
He spun into a whirling dervish, his blade becoming a rotating circular saw, striking the unyielding scales.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The ear-splitting sound of steel on what felt like bedrock echoed in the forest.
"Curses! Its scales are as tough as iron!" he spat, recoiling from the blow.
"Cogan needs to hurry!" He executed a sharp U-turn, sprinting back to slash the monster's leg once more, hoping that sheer persistence would eventually create a dent.
Meanwhile, Cogan moved with the silence of a predator, using the dense tree canopy for cover as he snuck around to the dragon's back. He raised his head, immediately locating the most vital point that had to be severed to cripple the beast: its wings. The dragon was too consumed by the frontal assault to notice him. He had to be impossibly fast.
He hefted his greatsword—a slab of gleaming steel—and leaped, meeting the dragon's enormous, leathery wing mid-air. The blade instantly pulsed with a soft, white glow.
"Cross Slash!" he bellowed.
He landed with one foot braced firmly on the dragon's back, between its four wings. Before the panicked beast could twist or react, Cogan spun, his body rotating with dizzying speed alongside his sword. Streams of white, shearing light flashed through the wing joints. In less than a second, the four colossal wings detached and plummeted to the forest floor, spraying a geyser of thick, steaming blood everywhere.
ROOOOAAAAAAARRRRRR!
The black-horned dragon unleashed a howl of pure, agonizing pain. The sound was deafening, a shockwave that didn't just rattle the ground—it seized the breath and momentum of the others, instantly halting their attacks.
Cogan clung desperately to the slick, shaking ridge of the dragon's back. He held on, refusing to be dislodged. The dragon stopped moving, its massive head slowly turning. Its terrifying, glowing eyes fixed on the surviving humans with a burning, unholy rage.
The three others were sprawled on the ground. Only Elaina, the healer, was on her feet, frantically trying to mend the wounds of one of her fallen companions. They didn't fully comprehend what had happened. The shockwave hadn't just knocked them down; it had also drained them, stealing their energy and magic. One mage was slumped against a tree trunk, seemingly unable to pose any threat.
Fear, cold and sharp, gripped them under the dragon's glacial gaze. Their healing was painfully slow, as the strange magical shockwave had weakened Elaina herself. The dragon's mouth slowly opened, and an ominous, deep purple flame began to coalesce between its jaws. They were terrified.
They had no idea where Cogan was, or if he was even alive. The extra mage they'd brought was indeed useless.
There was no use fighting now. They had lost.Just as the dragon was about to unleash its fiery annihilation, Cogan launched himself from its spine and into the air, his greatsword shining like a beacon.
"Impact Crash!" he screamed, his voice raw with effort.
He swung his sword downward with every ounce of his remaining strength.
BOOM!
The direct hit on the creature's head was powerful enough to slam its massive jaws shut, cutting off the forming breath of fire. Cogan staggered, landing precariously on the beast's skull. He tried to drive his sword into the cranium, but it barely made a scratch.
"It's not over," he gasped, the words a personal vow. "We're not dying here today!"
He leaped up again for another downward strike. But the dragon was faster this time. It moved its massive claw with impossible speed, snatching Cogan in mid-air. The sheer velocity stunned him. He hadn't seen it coming.
Cogan raised his sword and struck the dragon's iron grip over and over, frantically desperate for a chance to escape. But with his second attacker's legs shattered and the mages utterly exhausted, there was no way out. It was truly over.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Cogan struck the dragon's hand one last time, unwilling to surrender, searching for any flicker of hope. His heavy sword slipped from his numb fingers. Despite all his strength, there was no way out.
"It's over," he whispered, the admission of defeat cracking his resolve.
With a flick of its wrist, the dragon hurled Cogan like a useless piece of debris toward his teammates. He slammed into the earth beside them, lying motionless, his arms twisted backward, several bones likely broken.
"Elaina!" one of the mages cried out, his voice choked with pain.
"Don't worry about us. Focus all your energy on Cogan! He won't survive the trip back!"
Elaina immediately stopped healing the mage and crawled toward Cogan as quickly as possible.
"Seems none of us will make it back," the other mage said grimly, noting the dragon's terrifying, focused gaze.
The dragon inhaled deeply, its chest expanding, ready to release the final, devastating blast.
"It was an honor fighting alongside you all," Cogan murmured weakly, his consciousness fading.
"This was fun," Elaina managed, tears streaming down her face. They all reached out and held hands.
"You guys are kinda like family to me," the female mage sobbed.
"This is goodbye."
The dragon opened its mouth, and the sickly purple flame surged toward them.
"In the midst of darkness, there will always be light."
A massive, glowing card materialized before them, forming an instantaneous shield against the dragon's fiery breath. They opened their eyes, seeing a mysterious cloaked stranger standing in front of them. A large, shimmering purple card floated before him, effortlessly absorbing the dragon's flames. The stranger raised a hand, commanding their attention, and turned his head slightly, looking at them over his shoulder.
"You all fought well," he said, his voice calm and resonant. "I'll take over here."
In a desperate situation like this, who would dare say no?