Back in our world the next day, I couldn't help reflecting. Those quests in those other realms—I'd remember them forever, and I was grateful we had the chance to go. But I also completely understood, and even agreed with, the laws against fairy magic's mainstream usage. It wasn't something to mess around with.
This time, we headed to the Beastarian Kingdom with a new determination we didn't have before. We had grown so much since our first dragon encounter, and today we would prove it.
Our new gifts didn't hurt either.
Overnight, I'd studied a handful of hex spells from my new hexbook that might prove useful in the fight.
Hexes are basically negative enhancement spells you cast on enemies. I'm just such a kind person I'd never even thought to mention them until now—but since Wiz gifted me this book, it would be unkind not to use it.
Anyway, I was still learning, and whether they'd actually work—only time would tell.
"You enjoying that scroll?" I asked Uri as we approached Lion's Bridge.
He'd been reading it the whole trip—I doubted he'd looked up since Wiz gave it to him.
"Yes. I've learned so many different techniques and ways of fighting, even ways of thinking as a rogue. I'll be a lot more helpful this time," he said.
"Me too," Alva added, inspecting his new bow.
"I won't fail you guys this time. I promise," Talos said firmly.
"You never fail us, Talos. We were all out of our depth back then," I reassured him.
Looking back, I was glad I'd reluctantly agreed to fight it back then, because now we had a clear marker—a way to measure how far we'd come, and the perfect point to close this stage of our journey.
Several minutes passed before we reached the same clearing as last time. The glowing objects were gone, but the tension lingered.
We tied our horses farther from the battlefield this time, then advanced.
"So—same plan?" Alva asked. "Uri, you whistle when you see it, then again before the fire?"
"Yes," Uri replied.
"And remember—get to me when he does," I reminded. They nodded.
I quickly enhanced them, and Uri darted to the same tree as before. As I bent to place the bait, Uri whistled.
"SKRAA!" A black dragon tore through the sky and landed hard in front of us.
With no time to react, Uri whistled again.
I conjured the water bubble and Talos and Alva sprinted inside just as the flames erupted.
As the dragon stopped, I dropped the barrier, and I noticed its face. There was that same mark that Talos had left on the last dragon.
This was…the same one?
"He missed us. I missed him too. Come on!" Talos roared, charging forward.
Had it been waiting for us this whole time? No wonder it struck so quickly. This wasn't just a test of strength anymore.
It was revenge—for both of us.
As Talos closed in and Alva's arrows began to fly, the dragon shielded its body with its massive wings. Talos's halberd hacked against the scales, while Alva searched desperately for weak points between the folds.
The dragon took the blows, and after swiftly realizing we were far stronger than last time, it quickly coiled its body.
With a whip of its tail, it slammed toward Talos—who braced, shield raised. The impact thundered, but Talos held his ground. To my shock, it looked like the attack had hurt the dragon more than him.
Simple strength really did work wonders.
"Not this time," Talos growled, pressing his assault.
The dragon lurched upward, its screech twisting into something maniacal—less controlled, more feral. In a way, that only made it more terrifying.
It rolled and twisted in the sky with erratic fury before wheeling back toward us. Uri whistled and I raised the barrier.
This time the fire blazed thicker, darker—burning red with rage.
Then the dragon's gaze snapped to Uri, and it dove for him.
Had it figured out our secret?
The dragon swooped toward Uri, a wing outstretched to strike. Uri dropped from the tree in a blur and sprinted across the clearing to another.
It wheeled back and came at him again.
Alva dashed forward, loosing volleys at its underbelly, trying to keep pace. The dragon winced, now feeling the sharper bite of arrows from his new bow—this time they stuck fast instead of wriggling loose—before it climbed even higher into the sky.
In the meantime, I searched for an opening to cast a hex. I couldn't get too close, but I also had to make sure I wouldn't miss—while staying ready, and in the right position for the barrier.
The dragon wheeled back down toward us, and Uri whistled.
"Alva!" I cried. But he was too far away—he'd never make it back in time.
Then, suddenly, Alva stopped running…and bolted in the opposite direction.
The fire came down fiercer than ever, and for the first time I questioned whether my barrier would hold.
The sheer rage of this dragon could mean the end for us.
If even a lick of it touched Alva's skin, burns would be the least of his worries.
The fire cleared quicker this time, and the dragon flew off, wincing again.
At last, I spotted Alva on the far side of the clearing, out of harm's way, sprinting as he loosed arrow after arrow.
A risky move to hit the dragon's underbelly—but probably the best move he could have made.
That new bow gave him the same incredible confidence Talos's halberd gave him.
This time, instead of freezing up mid-battle, he did the opposite—almost literally.
"Alva—I thought you were toast! That was one brilliant split-second decision," I said as he stumbled back to us, panting.
"More…arrows," he gasped between breaths. I quickly conjured more.
"Thanks," he said, snatching them up.
The dragon wheeled back, and Uri whistled. This time it moved in a tight arrow formation, shooting straight for him.
Interestingly enough, even in its enraged fury, it still avoided setting the trees alight, keeping its fire aimed mostly at the clearing.
Uri suddenly leapt from the tree—but instead of dropping, he sprang upward. For a moment it felt like slow motion, and I caught myself wondering if I'd given him a jump boost spell or just speed. Either way, he launched himself straight at the dragon.
Was he really—?
No way…he was!
He landed on its back, mounting it as it thrashed and twisted wildly in the sky, trying to shake him off.
"Let's go, Uri!" Talos cheered.
I could hardly believe my eyes—he wouldn't mount a horse, so he chose a dragon instead!
Uri stabbed again and again into its back, somehow balancing on top as the beast slowed under his strikes, flying lower and lower toward the ground.
We were nearing the end.
Alva loosed a rain of arrows. Talos charged forward.
Now was my chance.
I thrust my hands toward the dragon. "Hex of Vulnerability!"
The dragon's body flashed a dark purple, and its movements faltered—it was taking more damage now.
It worked!
Talos leapt high and, with a wide swing, brought his halberd down on the dragon's skull.
The impact—metal against scales—rang out so loudly I knew instantly: that was the final strike.
The beast crashed into the dirt, skidding to a halt, defeated.
The dragon was slain.
I hadn't realized until then how much we'd grown—not just in skill, but in endurance. I felt like we could have fought two more dragons.
"Now that was a fight," Talos said as I released their enhancements.
"Everyone pulled their weight," I added. "Some even went above and beyond."
We laughed. Alva pulled us in for a group hug.
I looked at the dragon's body, then at my friends, and felt the weight of our journey—the gnomes, the crabs, the rats. Every step had led us here.
Confident. Dangerous. Unstoppable. The Orc King stood no chance.
Talos stepped onto the dragon's head, raising his weapon high.
"Orcs!" he roared. "Here. We. Come!" His voice echoed through the sky.
End of Volume II
***
Thank you for sticking with this story. I really hope you enjoyed this arc.
There are two more volumes to go before this tale reaches its end.
Wishing you a blessed day—and see you in Volume III!