Spirit Game

"Golly, the teleportation runes!" Rain shouted over the howling wind. "Can you get us out of here using those?"

Golly's hands trembled as he fumbled with the runes, his earlier confidence shattered by the sheer magnitude of the threat bearing down on them. "I—I don't know!" he admitted, his voice cracking under the strain. "The interference from the dragon's magic is too strong. I can't stabilize the spell! And it would take too long!"

The dragon's presence was now undeniable. It was close enough that they could see the flicker of its massive wings, each beat sending shockwaves through the air that resonated with the primal power of the beast.

Its eyes, glowing like molten lava, pierced through the darkness, locking onto the small group of survivors with a malevolent intelligence that sent chills down their spines.

Rain's heart raced as he weighed their options, or rather, their lack of them. They couldn't stay here, but every exit was either blocked or led directly into the path of the dragon.

He had faced impossible odds before, but nothing like this. The dragon was a force of nature, an embodiment of destruction, and they were mere mortals, battered and broken from their fight with Gorm.

They had come too far, fought too hard, to let everything end like this. If they were going to die, they would do so fighting, with blades in their hands and fire in their hearts.

"Everyone," Rain called out, his voice steady despite the fear that clawed at his insides. "We're not going down without a fight. We protect Golly until he can get those runes working. We hold the line."

Thorgar nodded, his grip on his axe tightening as he stepped forward to stand beside Rain. "To the death, then," he said with a grim smile.

Thraigar gripped his war hammer. "I am with you friend."

Helliana drew her bow and nocked some arrows, her eyes blazing. "Let's show that overgrown lizard what we're made of."

Chick and Chill's expression hardened. "If this is how it ends, I'm glad to be at your side, My Lord." they chirped.

Chi weakly stood up. 'We can fused one more time, my Lord.'

"You're still recovering Chi. Don't push it."

Ri appeared beside Rain, ready to protect him. "My Lord, if the situation gets worse, you should escape."

"I will not do that Ri," Rain said seriously, "I will not leave you here and escape.

Santi was still pale and shaken, and forced herself to her feet, drawing her own blade with a trembling hand. "I'll fight too," she said, though her voice wavered. "For my father . . . and for the Sand Elves."

"If we don't stop Balaur now, he'll lay waste to everything in the barren wasteland," Thraigar said grimly, his voice heavy with resolve. "Now that he's awakened, nothing will stand in his path but us, right here, right now."

Rain gave a nod of approval. They would need every sword they could get.

The dragon's roar shook the city once more, closer now, its immense form blotting out the dim light as it descended upon the city.

The winds became a hurricane, tearing at their clothes and sending rocks flying through the air like deadly missiles. The ground trembled as the beast landed, its talons digging deep into the earth, its eyes blazing with an insatiable hunger.

And then it struck.

The dragon's massive head reared back, and with a deafening roar, it unleashed a torrent of dark flames that spewed forth from its maw, a hellish inferno that consumed everything in its path. The heat was unbearable, the flames scorching the very air as they surged toward Rain and his companions.

"Take cover!" Rain shouted, diving to the side as the flames roared past him. The others scattered, narrowly avoiding the deadly inferno as it incinerated the ground where they had just stood.

Thorgar charged forward with a battle cry, his axe raised high as he swung at the dragon's massive foreleg. The blade struck true, but the dragon's scales were like iron, the blow barely leaving a scratch.

Helliana was a blur of motion, darting in and out, her daggers slashing at the beast's underbelly in a flurry of strikes, but the dragon's thick hide repelled her attacks.

Chi unleashed a barrage of arrows, each one aimed for the dragon's eyes, but the beast swatted them away with a flick of its tail, sending the projectiles scattering harmlessly across the ground.

Santi fought alongside them, her blade flashing in the dim light as she desperately tried to find a weak spot in the dragon's armor. Her spirit beasts were still resting from the battle with Gorm and she could do nothing but fight in close combat.

But it was a losing battle. The dragon was too strong, too massive, its power overwhelming.

With every passing second, the beast drew closer, its flames scorching the ground and filling the air with the stench of burning stone.

Rain could feel the heat on his skin, the suffocating pressure of the dragon's presence pressing down on him like a physical weight.

Golly was their only hope, and he knew it. The gnome worked frantically, his hands a blur as he tried to stabilize the teleportation runes.

But the dragon's magic was too powerful, the interference too great. The runes sparked and fizzled, the spell teetering on the brink of collapse.

"Come on, come on," Golly muttered under his breath, sweat pouring down his face as he struggled to concentrate.

The dragon roared again, and with a sweep of its tail, it sent Thorgar and Thraigar crashing into a wall with bone-shattering force.

Helliana barely managed to dodge another blast of flames, the heat singing her hair as she tumbled to the ground.

Chi was forced to retreat, her quiver empty, while Santi fought to protect Golly, her blade a blur as she deflected the dragon's strikes.

Chick and Chill fought with everything they had, weaving through the chaos as they launched attack after attack at the dragon. Still, even with their efforts, they were losing strength, just like the few remaining soldiers still standing.

Panic surged through Rain as he watched everyone fall, one by one, their strength fading fast. They couldn't hold out much longer — Balaur was too powerful.

Even without a host of devastating abilities, the dragon's adamantine armor was impenetrable, shrugging off every attack like it was nothing. It felt hopeless to even try to harm him.

And even worse — did they even have enough strength and mana left to face the dragon? Every spell cast, every swing of a blade drained them further, and against Balaur's unstoppable might, they were running on fumes.

What were they supposed to do now?!

If Golly didn't get those runes working soon, they were all going to die.

Even if they couldn't defeat Balaur now, they could still escape, regroup, and devise a strategy to slay the beast. It wasn't over yet — their fight would continue, but only if they survived today.

Rain's mind wandered for just a moment, his thoughts scattered amidst the chaos of battle. But that moment was all Balaur needed. The dragon let out a deafening roar, unleashing another torrent of molten fire directly at him.

"Rain!" The others screamed, their voices frantic, but it was too late — he couldn't dodge in time. The searing flames rushed toward him, ready to consume him in an instant. The heat was unbearable, and he knew he wouldn't survive.

Chi, Chill, and Chick leapt into action, racing to shield him, but before they could reach him, a figure darted in front of Rain — Ri.

"Ri! Get out of the way!" Rain shouted. Both of them would get disintegrated if he didn't leave.

But Ri stood calm, unflinching. His stoic face betrayed no fear as he raised his hand, summoning the elemental power of the earth.

Sand began to swirl around him in a whirlwind, and he dropped into a fighting stance, his focus razor-sharp. The very essence of the earth gathered around his clenched fist, crackling with raw energy.

As the fiery breath closed in, Ri remained still, his eyes narrowing in concentration. At the last possible second, he drove his fist forward.

The ground trembled beneath him as a massive, earthen fist erupted from the sand, surging up and colliding with the oncoming flames.

The two forces clashed with a thunderous roar, the earthen fist smashing through Balaur's fire like a hammer breaking glass, dispersing the deadly blaze in all directions.

Ri didn't flinch. His eyes remained locked on the dragon as he stood, unscathed, in front of Rain who was gaping at Ri right now.

Ri's spell was so powerful, it shattered the fiery breath on impact, dispersing the flames in a wave of dust and debris.

The sheer force of his earth magic not only stopped Balaur's attack — it obliterated it, leaving the dragon's destructive fire to fade into nothingness.

Rain looked up at the dragon, its blazing eyes locked onto them with a fury that promised death. The beast roared, a sound of pure rage that shook the very earth beneath their feet.