Seekers of the Stone Maker

The creature on her arm stretched and grew as Rhokhishi put her arm in front of her and Trista. The ancient white dragon exhaled, sending a cold gust of air out, freezing the air immediately and causing shards of ice to soar and shatter on the ground around her. Bringing her arm down, the creature returned to its form as a bracer.

“We need an exit strategy,” Trista stated. “Is your group fighters, or do they run?”

Rhokhishi looked behind Trista and saw Lyla running towards Zidingris. She watched spectral wings appear on her back in a blast of light, and Lyla lifted off the ground. Landing at the base of the neck, she grabbed one of the spikes between the dragon’s shoulder blades and started attacking.

“We’re going to fight.”

“Okay. Keep Zidingris away from the tunnel. I’ll do what I can to try and melt the ice blocking the path.”

Rhokhishi nodded. Looking around, her jaw dropped for a moment as she watched Ana fly by on a white horse. Staring, she saw a pegasus gliding through the air on large wings. Ana held her pan flute in front of her and played. Music echoed through the lair, and Rhokhishi noticed Zidingris was distracted by the sound. She grabbed her warhammer and ran to attack.

She dodged under the giant beast and aimed at its stomach. As the hammer hit, she felt it reverberate off. She tried again. Zidingris moved, and Rhokhishi dodged from underneath its legs to not become paste on the ground.

“It’s skin is too strong! I can’t hurt it!”

“It can only be hurt by magic!” Leaf shouted in reply.

Zidingris turned toward Rhokhishi. Its claws were larger than she was but moved with immense speed. She braced for the impact as it crashed into her body. Rhokhishi grabbed onto the claw and focused her energy. Taking the impact, she pushed the damage back. A concussion waved out in front of her, hitting the dragon. Zidingris threw her claw back, obviously hurt, then snarled.

I will chill your spine before I break it! The dragon shouted at her.

From across the room, Rhokhishi could hear Trista scream out.

“Rhokhishi, Catch!”

She dodged away as the dragon inhaled and shot another breath of ice. Looking above her, she could see metal flying through the air. Reaching up, she grabbed onto the hilt of the shortsword Mr. Muffins recently received in Karthmere Keep. As it touched her hand, she could feel it vibrate with energy. The metal glowed red, and the vibration grew stronger when she pointed it at Zidingris.

Loudly crashing, Rhokhishi saw Ana and the pegasus on the ground twenty feet away. The dragon reached down with its claw and pulled Ana into the air. Rhokhishi rushed to the pegasus, helped it up, then jumped on. With a smack on its hindquarters, it pushed its wings into the ground and took flight. Rhokhishi had nothing to hold onto but its mane and tried her hardest to control the creature. She saw Zidingris’ face approaching Ana and knew she had to act.

She dug her heels into the side of the pegasus, causing it to throw its wings down and push itself faster. Rhokhishi pulled herself up, standing on her back. She wasn’t sure if it understood commands, but she had to try.

“Now!”

The pegasus threw its wings in front of itself, almost stopping in midair. Rhokhishi’s feet left the creature’s back, and she could feel herself soaring through the air. She readied the sword, pushing it up in front of her. As it connected to the dragon’s neck, Rhokhishi pushed her shoulder into the pommel and felt Zidingris’ tough hide give. Grabbing the hilt, she let herself slide through the attack then started falling. It was thirty feet up, and she knew she could handle the fall, but she had already taken so much damage.

As if knowing what to do, the pegasus appeared below her. Rhokhishi landed behind its wings and then flew off. Zidingris roared in anger and pain, taking a snap with its giant teeth but missing by only inches.