The eagle didn't waste a second.
With a fierce cry, it launched forward, the massive wings kicking up waves of mist and swamp water.
The dragons roared in defiance, their crystal sails glowing bright blue as they readied their attacks.
The wind sliced forward in the form of sharp blades. They slammed into the dragons, cutting shallow lines into their thick hides. The shockwave from it even cut the surrounding trees.
But they weren't dragons for nothing. Even as they were bombarded by wind blades, they continued to charge at the eagle.
A loud sloshing sound suddenly encompassed the area. The mouths of the Spino Dragons now glow a dark blue.
The dragons hissed, and powerful jets of water exploded from their mouths. Pressurized streams so fast that the eagle could only avoid them at the last second.
The eagle tried to climb higher but realized that it couldn't counter from above. So it dipped down and used the trees as cover.
Avoiding the five jets that tore through the swampland, shattering trees like paper.
This is intense!
Raka watched as the eagle used its superior speed to zip past the streams and appear in front of the dragons, talons outstretched.
It crashed heavily onto one dragon's back, sinking claws into its scales.
The dragon bucked and writhed, thrashing in the shallow waters. The eagle flapped its wings, going from one dragon to another, constantly slashing at them.
But that didn't last long.
A dragon closed in quickly, timing its attack right before opening its jaws and snapping for the eagle's neck.
Thankfully, the attack missed his neck, but the dragon's jaws landed in another vital area.
The eagle's wings.
It screeched in pain and lost control of its flying before crashing into the water. The dragons quickly realized the opportunity and charged.
Just as they got close, the eagle screeched and released a wave of wind in all directions. Sending the dragons flying back.
But the attack was so strong that it reached Raka, who stood at least 100 meters away.
"Everyone get down!" Cora's voice yelled out.
The escapees quickly did as told. As the wind reached them, the power was so strong that some of them even got blown back into the water, the others frantically bringing them back just as the attack ended.
Raka's eyes never left the battle as the eagle returned the offensive. Used its injured wings to push itself high, then used wind magic to boost itself toward one of the dragons.
What… should I do?
Its talons glowed green before it slashed at one of the dragons. But this time, the attack cleaved clean through its head, sending it flying away, its headless body falling down with a hard crash.
Four left to go.
/ - /
He was highly irritated.
Dodging, another charge, and bite from a lesser dragon. Before countering with a wind blade that gashed into their flesh, sending blood spewing out.
Jumping back, he got far from the lesser's before catching his breath.
This was humiliating. He was strong enough to crush them if only he could unleash his full might.
If any of his kind were to find out that a lesser dragon landed a hit on him, he would become a laughingstock of the flock!
He wasn't used to fighting in this type of situation. In any other situation, he would have demolished these rejects in a few minutes!
But he couldn't do that.
Glancing toward the panicking civilians reminded him why wide-ranging wind attacks weren't an option.
Even a slight miscalculation could spell disaster and most likely kill all the civilians there.
Well, except for his savior.
He saw his savior looking at his battle with the lesser dragons. Their eyes were so intensely focused that he wasn't sure if he ever saw him blink.
For what reason was his savior not joining the battle?
But his thoughts were quickly dissipated when the dragons had recovered and charged another water attack.
He screeched at them before pushing himself to the sky with his wings. Wincing in pain at his left wing, which had a significant bite mark embedded into his flesh.
Weaving through the canopy of swampland trees, he could dodge the blasts of water with relative ease.
Eyes narrowing, he turned to look at his savior once more and felt a surge of determination fill his ancient body.
He would end this fight quickly and begin to repay the debt to his savior for freeing him from the chains of slavery.
/ - /
Mina blurred forward first, her feet skimming water so lightly it barely rippled beneath her.
Her dragon snarled, lunging with a powerful bite, jaws snapping shut inches from where she'd just stood. Mina spun effortlessly, one hand already raised, an incantation ready on her lips.
"Flash Sphere!"
Brilliant white light exploded in front of the dragon's face, and it roared in pain and confusion. Its thick, muscular neck twisted wildly, and its jaws snapped blindly at empty air.
Mina wasted no time. Darting swiftly to its flank, she drew her daggers, slicing quick, precise cuts into the crystal sail. Chips of blue-glowing crystal scattered around her like sparks.
"Come on, ugly," she taunted, a sly grin crossing her lips. But not easing on her attacks as she continued to tear at the dragon's flesh.
While her slashes aren't as strong as Korin's and can't instantly pierce its thick hide, she could wear it down slowly, before going in for the killing blow.
Nearby, Korin dashed between trees, the massive body of his dragon crashing through branches and roots, smashing the terrain apart as it tried to catch her.
She flipped agilely, leaping high over a tail-swipe that crushed a small tree beneath it.
Landing lightly, Korin pressed her hand into the ground. "Erde Fessel!" she commanded sharply.
A green glow flowed through the ground, and near Instantly, thick, tangled roots surged upward, twisting like living ropes around the dragon's legs, pulling tight and forcing it momentarily immobile.
"Gotcha!"
Korin took advantage, rushing in close, daggers out, and slashed fiercely at the vulnerable scales around the creature's neck.
Blood splattered her arms as the dragon screeched and twisted violently. She got in a few good slashes before its immense strength finally snapped the roots around it.
"Guess you're tougher than you look," Korin muttered, jumping back just in time to avoid its jaws snapping shut.
The Spino Dragon glared at her with killing intent. Roaring before rushing at her, making her jump into the trees to find another opening.
Meanwhile, Mina continued dancing around her opponent, evading powerful but clumsy strikes. Her relentless barrage of flash spells kept the beast disoriented, its aim increasingly wild.
It tried to send a torrent of compressed water at her, but with its disoriented mind, it was unable to locate her position.
But each failed attempt only fueled the creature's rage. Mina prepared another spell, aiming to restrain its legs just as Korin had, but the dragon anticipated her move.
A tail slammed toward her with shocking speed. Mina saw it coming too late, barely raising her arms to block.
"Agh!" Blood spewed from her mouth.
The force hurled her backward, flying past Korin and slamming her into the mud. Pain exploded through her side, and her breath was knocked out.
Scrambling to her feet, she coughed, grimacing in pain.
"Mina!" Korin shouted, distracted just for an instant.
Her dragon seized the opportunity, sending a water jet hurtling at her. Korin rolled desperately aside, the water slicing past her with enough force to splinter the tree behind him into shards.
Sharp fragments of wood cut across her cheek, drawing Blood. Korin wiped it away hastily, eyes narrowing with determination.
The twins exchanged a glance through the chaos, and nodded their heads in sync.
They moved toward each other without words, weaving past the dragons' snapping jaws and whipping tails. They met in the center, standing back-to-back, panting but focused.
"They're stronger than expected," Mina admitted breathlessly, holding her injured side. Her eyes still shone defiantly.
"Yeah, but we're faster," Korin replied, adjusting her grip on her daggers. Her gaze hardened with renewed resolve. "And smarter."
They squared their shoulders, facing their snarling foes once more. The dragons circled slowly, wary now, their glowing sails pulsing with a sinister rhythm. The twins' breathing synchronized, their muscles tensed.
"Ready for round two?" Mina asked lightly, despite the pain.
"Always," Korin answered with a fierce grin.
This time they decided to fight them together.
Mina and Korin dashed forward together.
The dragons roared, lunging forward aggressively. As they charged, the twins raised their voices simultaneously.
"Accel Geist!"
A faint glow wrapped around their bodies, enhancing their strength, speed, and agility.
They blurred apart, splitting the dragons' focus. The beasts were stunned into stopping, momentarily confused by the sudden burst of speed.
"Flash Sphere!" Mina shouted, throwing her hand up. Korin was able to close her eyes before brilliant white exploded once again, filling the area.
The dragons howled and thrashed, crashing into each other disoriented.
Korin didn't waste the chance, racing in close and using her momentum to drive her daggers deep into the flesh under one dragon's sail.
The beast shrieked in agony, flailing violently.
The second dragon, recovering from the flash, turned to aid its companion, but Mina intercepted it swiftly. "Erde Fessel!" She commanded, channeling mana into the ground.
Thick roots surged upwards, capturing its limbs and binding it, giving Korin room to maneuver.
Korin ducked low, narrowly avoiding her dragon's desperate bite, her daggers flashing as she sliced precise, relentless strikes along its flank.
Its scales shattered and peeled away, Blood streaming down its side. The dragon staggered, roaring furiously, but Korin pressed harder.
Sensing danger, the restrained dragon snapped its bindings, roaring with renewed fury. But Mina was ready, circling swiftly around it, continuously bombarding it with flash spells, keeping its movements erratic and unpredictable.
Blinded and enraged, it snapped its jaws at empty air, stumbling into its wounded companion.
"Now!" Korin shouted, spinning gracefully clear of her weakened dragon's clumsy counterattack.
Mina dashed forward, summoning the last of her enhanced speed, leaping high and driving both daggers down into the dragon's exposed neck, sinking them to the hilts before slashing continuously.
It let out a final, guttural roar, thrashing violently one last time before collapsing heavily into the mud.
Panting, Mina quickly pulled her daggers free, eyes immediately finding Korin's. The remaining dragon glared at them, its body language showing its losing confidence.
"One down," Korin breathed, wiping sweat and Blood from her face.
"One to go," Mina finished, standing shoulder to shoulder with her sister.
/ - /
"Accel Geist," Nova said as she vaulted into the trees before muttering another spell that erased her presence.
Three Spino‑Dragons searched through the thick clumps of leaves, unable to find a trace of her.
Irritated, one charged up an attack as their mouth released a dark blue glow.
Nova perched atop a tree, hidden from the dragon's eyes. Focusing on the one that is charging an attack.
She aimed her bow at it, waiting for the right moment, and just as it opened its maw.
Release.
The first arrow hissed downward, splitting mist. It buried itself deep in the dragon's mouth, stopping its attack and freezing it from the inside.
But it was somehow still alive, its body moving crooked as it tried to break free from the ice inside.
The other two rushed to her location, but Nova was already gone, sliding down the trunk to launch from a neighboring tree.
Another arrow—a second bloom of ice—bit into a sail, cracking a palm‑sized chunk free.
The two dragons answered with lungfuls of compressed water, mindlessly attacking in all directions.
But she noticed something, their water blasts were weaker. Her eyes widened at what she had just done.
The two Spino Dragons were able to release a torrent of water so quickly because they rushed their preparation, resulting in an inferior attack.
Nova ducked, flipped, and ran horizontally across an angled branch as the torrent shredded leaves behind her.
She didn't need to outrun the jets forever—just long enough for the spell duration to run out. Then, she needed to direct their attention further away from the escapees.
Landing in a broad fork, Nova nocked two arrows at once.
She exhaled and narrowed her focus until the world shrank to the target zones: the eyes, gills, and joints of the legs.
Swoosh
Both arrows loosed together, crossing paths and striking true. Steam burst where frost met hot scale; one dragon reared, splashing gallons of swamp water.
They were strong—brutish, even—but they were not smart. Nova could work with that.
With a grunt, she leaped again, dropping to get up close.
"Hya!"
Her boots smashed against the dragon's snout, sending its head looking in the other direction.
Enraged, It tried to bite, but Nova quickly put both palms against the upper jaw, holding its mouth wide open.
Even for her, the raw force was staggering; teeth clacked a hair's breadth from her face. A frosty filament spiraled down her forearm as she snarled, "Open wide bitch."
Eisstachel.
A shard of ice erupted point‑blank, ramming straight into the dragon's gullet. Crystals blossomed outward, freezing saliva mid‑air.
With a thunderous splash, the dragon gagged, stumbled, and face‑planted into the shallows. Water exploded in all directions, but Nova was already gone, running back into the cover of the trees.
She turned towards the dragon and smirked. Looks like using spells up close was the way to go, as the dragon had stopped moving.
Two left.
They circled more cautiously, sails flickering between teal and indigo, searching for her.
Nova touched down on a tree, rolling her shoulders. The fight was dragging—each hit chipped away scales, but the beasts were tanks.
And she couldn't just keep firing spells at them, either. While it would undoubtedly make the battle end quicker, she couldn't risk running low or running out of mana.
They were still far from Dravareth, and the risk of the slavers catching up was too significant.
Her gaze flicked through the trees, tracing a route that curled deeper into unoccupied swamp ground.
That would do.
She whistled before darting along exposed roots, leaving behind a line of ice as she ran.
The dragons were quick to follow. A water jet roared past her hip, sending water flying everywhere.
Another jet sliced low. She vaulted and felt the power of compressed water pass under her boots as the dragons' hurried footsteps shook the ground.
Nova skidded to a stop on an open spot, closer to the deeper parts of the water but far enough from the escapees.
She drew in mana, her arms glowing a light blue. Ice dust spiraled around her body. The dragons thundered closer, jaws dripping brine.
"Round two,"
She shot forward into the charge—Accel Geist still humming in her limbs. At the last instant, she dove sideways, landing on the water frozen by her icy mana, which she used as a platform to kick off.
Her boot met its sail with a crack, and shards rained as the dragon stumbled into its partner.
Nova spun, conjuring an ice spear as long and tall as her. She thrust the spear beneath a rib plate until it snapped off inside.
The wounded dragon roared, whipping its tail in blind agony. She ducked and side‑kicked the tail mid‑swing, redirecting the blow into the remaining beast. Both creatures toppled in a tangle of limbs and water.
Jumping back to gather her breath, she wiped frost dust from her hands and exhaled.
"If we keep this up," she muttered, turning toward the escapees far behind her, "everything's going to be alright."
Somewhere in the swamp, she heard a loud crash. Nova's eyes narrowed, but she forced herself not to look back.
She had to believe that Mina, Korin, and the eagle had everything under control, and she needed to do this carefully.
One fight at a time.