Fivilia's eyes, burning with a determined rage, lock onto the dragon. Unsheathing her sword, she pulls herself onto her feet.
She starts moving forward. Her walk is lifeless, arms hanging by her side. The dragon, ahead of her, attacks its surroundings. Then her pace hastens gradually before changing into a jog, then to a run, until she is full on sprinting towards the dragon.
Her sword, gripped in hand, flows behind her. The dragon, noticing her, takes a swing with its claw. Spotting it flying towards her, Fivilia drops into a slide.
Shing!
The claw slices the air where her torso was, barely missing her. Fivilia then strengthens her off-hand and pushes down the ground, launching her back onto her feet. Then, strengthening her legs, she leaps onto the dragon's arm.
The dragon, surprised, starts shaking its arm like it's trying to get rid of a bug. In an effort to stay on, Fivilia stabs her sword into the dragon.
Clang!
The sword fails to pierce the scales, instead creating a sound like metal striking metal followed by an irritating screech it slides off the scales, causing Fivilia to lose further balance and fall flat on her face. She then wraps her hands around the dragon's arm, head face down to keep the dizziness to a minimum.
As the shaking slows down, Fivilia looks up, eyes still filled with determination, before beginning the crawl.
While she heads up the arm, slow and steady, the dragon opens its mouth and lunges at her.
Chomp!
The dragon bites above its arm, hitting nothing.
Chomp! Chomp! Chomp!
It continues biting randomly above the arm, unable to see its target, until one time it tries biting and feels like it hits something with its mouth. The dragon flinches back and observes. Seeing nothing on the arm, its eyes dart around, examining the surroundings.
■■■
Fivilia hangs onto one of the scales under the dragon's mouth. Gripping fiercely with her off-hand, she sways around as the dragon is drawn to a distant rumbling.
Heads locked, they both stare at the entrance to the plateau where they see Commander Mourne's knights divide into small squads and set up a widespread formation with the tank at the centre.
Seeing the tank emanate a blue haze, the dragon narrows its eyes and postures itself into a more prepared position before it starts flapping its wings.
The sounds of coughing and choking enter Fivilia's ears. Worry washes over face as she looks down to see dust clouds forming. Then, as the flapping hastens, the flames grow fiercer, combining with the dust to create tornados straight out of hell.
She watches in anguish as her remaining knights struggle against the raging pillars of death, which are only made worse as the dragon takes off.
Whoooosh!
Fivilia loses her grip as the dragon soars forward through the air.
Sent flying above the dragon, she crashes into its back. Air resistance holding her in place, she desperately holds onto her sword. As the dragon speeds up, the handle creeps out of her hand. Then it slips out.
Reacting quickly, Fivilia claws after her sword but is unable to reach it. Flipping onto her stomach, she grabs in between the scales and pulls down. Getting caught in the air current, she ragdolls up into the sky alongside her sword.
Spinning around, her view rapidly changes between the blue sky above and the red dragon below. Flailing her hands around, she finally takes a hold of her weapon when-
Wrrrvvvv-PPPRRRRROOOOOOOOMMMMM!
A large blue laser strikes the dragon, stopping it mid-air, before sending it spinning onto its back. As it does this, the blue laser reflects off the dragon's glimmering scales-
BOOOOM!
The tank explodes, the reflected laser slicing straight through it as it spins into the sky, disrupting the air flow as it narrowly avoids Fivilia. She falls back down, crashing into the dragon, who is flying back uncontrollably. She bashes into the dragon several times before finally grabbing onto its scales.
Sheathing her sword, she grips on tightly. Unfortunately, the dragon hits the ground, losing speed rapidly, and sending her flying once again.
Fivilia braces herself, as she soars towards the treeline, before hitting it like a cannonball.
"Agghh!"
A branch breaks off, stabbing into her gut, slowing her down before she tumbles to a stop on the forest floor.
Breathing heavily, she drags herself onto her feet. With only her drive to survive keeping her going, she stumbles through the forest. Spotting a cave, she pulls out her pistol and goes inside.