Hounds Rising

He turned around to see Ana reaching into her cart. She pulled a long staff from inside it, and blue energy erupted as she slammed into the ground. A spark of magic flew from her staff to the dragon, exploding against its chest. Mr. Muffins didn’t see it damage the creature, but it seemed scared momentarily, using its wings to fly up and away from them.

“What did you do?” Lyla asked.

“I gave us a moment to get ready. It won’t last long, but it convinces the creature to back away from us for a few seconds,” Ana shouted over the gusts of wind from the creature’s wings.

The party split in different directions, trying not to be in the same place. Mr. Muffins moved to a tree and readied himself behind it. Unholstering Jimbo, he spun the chamber and locked it on an amber crystal. He watched as the dragon turned around and started flying towards them. He aimed and released the trigger as three fire bolts shattered from Jimbo. One flew just under the dragon’s left wing, but the other two smacked it in the neck and chest. It roared out, then landed, sliding into the ground as it turned towards the largest group of people, the guards.

It opened its mouth, and a concussive blast exploded forward. The guards were taken off their feet as if an unseen explosion happened, throwing them back into the wall. Mr. Muffins watched as they fell, body parts jumbled at odd angles and blood running from multiple bludgeoning wounds that appeared on their body. He was sure they died instantly. He aimed Jimbo and readied another shot.

Across from the dragon, he could see Rhokhishi and Leaf on the ground, throwing spells and attacks against its legs. Myla was moving up a tree to get a better vantage point. Lyla saw a moment of weakness, ran up the creature’s body, and wrapped her legs around its neck. She looked minuscule compared to the dragon. She reached over and punched at its head, trying to get any purchase to stun it.

The dragon reared back its head. Its wings unfurled from its side, and its legs pushed off from the ground. It soared straight up into the air with Lyla still on its neck. She punched and kicked at it, holding onto its scales with one hand. The dragon spun, throwing Lyla off its neck and catching her in its talons.

“Someone hit this thing!” She screamed out.

Mr. Muffins pointed up, took aim, and shot at the dragon. The fire bolts exploded forward. They hit against the creature’s back and wings, burning through the scales. It shrieked out, then its head slumped forward. Its body went limp and started falling immediately. The dragon and Lyla smacked against the ground, her body bouncing off the grass before falling into a crumpled mess.

Everyone ran to Lyla. Leaf was reaching back into his pack.

“I don’t have a healing kit. Do any of you have anything?”

“I can help,” Ana said.

Ana kneeled in front of Lyla. Her staff gave off a purple energy that transferred down her hand, across her arms, and onto her. Mr. Muffins watched as the power moved across the body, finding places cut or bashed open, then magically closing the wounds before dissipating. Lyla opened her eyes and breathed deeply before coughing and sitting up.

Myla knelt and wrapped her arms around her sister.

“Don’t do that!” She yelled at Lyla.

“My bad, I didn’t expect it to fly.”

“It has wings!”

“Yeah…”

Myla looked up at the party, a look of confusion on her face.

“I spoke to it, the dragon. It was able to speak into my mind. I asked why it was attacking, and it said that its home had been taken, so it was going to take this one.”

“You spoke to the dragon?” Ana asked.

“They can do that,” Rhokhishi answered back, gesturing to the twins.

Lyla stood slowly, and the party moved towards the town’s gate. Mr. Muffins took only one step before hearing something behind him. Before getting a chance to assess the situation, the dragon had managed to wake from its unconscious state, not entirely dead. He aimed Jimbo at it and fired. At the same time, Leaf turned and kicked it on the side of its face. It tried to send out another concussive blast but was stopped as Jimbo’s fire bolts lodged inside the dragon’s throat, burning away at its esophagus. He could hear it sizzling even after it collapsed back to the ground.