Back in the village…
"Is there anyone here who knows how to fight?" Aeron shouted as they burst into the village square.
"Did you get chased by wild chickens?" a young, muscular man scoffed from a porch nearby.
"It's the dragon! It's awake!" Arcane shouted.
A murmur of fear spread through the gathered villagers.
"What have you done!?" the old man from the previous day demanded, stepping forward.
"There was a tremor—rocks from the cave fell and woke it up," Arcane explained.
"We need to stop that dragon!" Aeron declared.
"You've lost your mind," the young man said. "We can't fight a dragon."
"If we don't stop it, your entire village—and the ones nearby—will burn!" Aeron said urgently.
Just then, Arcane pointed toward the forest. "Aeron, look."
Aeron turned and saw plumes of smoke rising from the trees—the forest was on fire. Flames crawled through the canopy, and the sky was painted black with smoke.
"Someone get a message to the castle!" a villager yelled.
"Evacuate everyone!" another called out.
Aeron stepped forward, heart pounding. "If you don't stop the dragon, your homes will be gone. And even if you rebuild, what if it comes again? Do you think the elite knights will make it in time to save the next village? How many homes… how many lives will be lost by then?"
The villagers fell silent.
"The young can run… but what about the elders? The injured?" Aeron continued. "All I ask is one thing—help us buy time. Distract the dragon until reinforcements arrive."
"I'm with him," the muscular youth said, stepping forward.
"Me too!" another shouted.
One by one, more villagers joined in, their fear shifting into courage.
Arcane looked at Aeron. "What's the plan?"
"Anyone who can use water or ice magic, your job is to contain the fire. Don't let it spread," Aeron commanded.
"Those with wind magic—clear the smoke from the battlefield so we can see."
"And the rest of you," Aeron said, eyes burning with resolve, "you're coming with us."
Arcane gave a proud smile, while Allesio looked on quietly
A few moments later…
Everyone gathered near the dragon's resting ground. Flames still raged in the distance as the mages fought hard to control the wildfire. The rest prepared themselves for the impossible—to engage a dragon.
"Alright, here's the plan," Aeron said, stepping forward, his voice steady despite the sweat trickling down his face from the volcano's heat. "First, we'll gain its attention using stones and arrows. Since it lives in a volcano, fire magic won't do us any good."
The group nodded, listening intently.
"Next, a few of our fastest will bait it—get close, lead it toward the forest. Arcane, that includes you," Aeron added, glancing at him.
Arcane smirked. "I figured."
"Allesio would be perfect for this too… but with this damn chain connecting us, he can't," Aeron said with regret in his voice.
"And then there's the fire breath," he continued. "We'll rely on the water magic users to protect the bait team. Your job is to block or redirect the flames—do whatever it takes to keep them alive."
He pointed to the edge of the dense forest filled with towering trees. "Once the dragon reaches that area, we ambush it. We tie it down using these chains, pin it to the ground. Neck, body, tail—we bind everything."
"That seems easy," one of the villagers commented.
Everyone turned to look at him in dead silence.
Aeron cracked a half-smile. "Easy or not, this is our only shot. Now… let's test our fate."
A moment later…
Villagers climbed trees and ducked into bushes, taking position. Tension filled the air.
"Now!" Aeron shouted.
Stones and arrows flew through the air, striking the dragon's scales. It growled, confused at first, then enraged. Arcane and three brave villagers burst from the brush—hurling stones and using gusts of wind to provoke the beast.
With a deafening roar, the dragon opened its jaws and unleashed a torrent of fire.
Four water mages reacted quickly, casting spells to form a barrier of water—but the dragon's fire was too powerful. It tore through the water and evaporated it instantly. The four barely dodged to the sides in time.
The bait team ran straight into the forest. The dragon snarled and chased after them, its massive body shaking the earth.
In the trap zone…
"Now!" Aeron shouted.
Wind mages focused their spells on the dragon, suppressing its momentum just enough to slow it down.
Six villagers leapt from the trees in pairs—chains in hand. They wrapped the enchanted steel around the dragon's neck, torso, and tail. Others tossed hooked chains at its legs, anchoring them to the ground. Dozens of hands pulled with everything they had.
With a thunderous crash, the dragon slammed into the dirt.
Some brave fighters began moving toward its head.
"No—stay back!" Aeron warned. "Don't go near the head!"
But it was too late.
The dragon let out a deafening roar, shaking everyone loose and throwing them aside. It rose back to its feet, furious.
"Everyone—scatter!" Aeron ordered.
The group broke into four teams and ran in different directions. The dragon's eyes locked onto Arcane, who was sprinting toward the volcano alone.
"Damn it, Why's he going that way!" Aeron muttered.
Everyone stooped running.
"After him!" Aeron commanded, and they followed.
Moments later…
Through the smoke and fire, two horses galloped toward them. On one rode Julian, and on the other—Zorayel
Both dismounted swiftly.
"Why do I always find you in the middle of these disasters?" Julian said with a dry chuckle.
"What's the situation?" Zorayel asked calmly.
"There's a dragon in the volcano. We might've… accidentally woken it up," Aeron admitted.
"Where is it now?" Zorayel asked, scanning the burning forest.
"It's headed that way—Arcane is trying to lead it away," Aeron replied.
"Does he have a death wish or something?" Julian groaned.
"What are you doing here?" Aeron asked.
"This is our kingdom, did you forget? We happened to be nearby nearby when someone called for help," Julian said.
Zorayel turned to them. "From here on out, we'll handle it."
"You can't do this alone," Aeron said firmly.
"That's why you're coming with us," Julian added, looking at him with a knowing smirk.
Zorayel raised a hand. "Let me try removing the chain."
He began casting a spell to undo the enchantment, but the runes glowed and resisted.
"It's a high-tier spell. I can't break it," Zorayel admitted.
"We'll deal with it later," Julian said.
"He's right," Aeron agreed.
The four of them—Aeron, Allesio, Julian, and Zorayel—raced through the burning trees toward the dragon.