Chapter 21: 22-Combat

As Rowan and his group began to flee, an ominous premonition overcame him. They had already turned their backs from the battle, trusting Dolly and Buckbeak to fend off the dragon. In the end, he couldn’t resist turning his head to look back at how the animals were faring.

It turned out that this was the right decision.

His eyes met the dragon who was staring at their group and it grinned. It arched its neck back and inhaled for its signature technique. Dolly and Buckbeak renewed their attacks with increased intensity, but to no avail. The dragon this time was insistent on reaching its goal.

It had come to slaughter, and it would have its way.

Rowan's face paled as he already saw the results of the dragon fire. He watched as the dragon finished its preparations and released a torrent of flames.

Rowan saw the incoming inferno and made a quick decision. There was no time to shout as he pushed the closest organism to him with as much as he could muster. This turned out to be Aaron, who was running next to him as Rowan jumped to the left right after.

“What are-” Aaron shouted before a wall of flame separated them. It had been so close that Rowan just barely missed having his hands burned off. Beads of sweat broke down his face as he had been just moments away from being cooked alive. He now knew how bread felt in an oven. That was an experience Rowan rather not have even though the dragon wanted him to taste its flame up close and personally.

 The separated group consisted of Bessie and two chickens. He had seen the inferno claim at least one of the chickens when it was shot towards them. He did not know how many lives of the remaining farm animals had been claimed from the last dragon breath. 

Maybe those who had lost their lives could be considered lucky as they no longer needed to worry. Rowan saw the Dragon preparing for the second shot and could only push himself to run faster.

 

The dragon was surprised. Not at the ferocity in which the animals fought or how hard their group tried to flee.

No, it was surprised at its own terrible aim.  

It supposed it should not be a surprise. Before it awakened to thought, it had never been able to release its breath. It flame had happened so suddenly. Just as it was chasing its prey, it wished for a way to attack it from a distance to stop it from fleeing. The next thing it knew, it suddenly released its breath in a way it had never done so before.

It admitted it like the new feeling, especially when the prey burned.

This current group of prey was tenacious and strange. Most groups shared similar characteristics, but this one was different.  The earlier group had all ran on four legs. This current group could run on two legs or four. Their colors and sizes also varied .

Most importantly, some members of the group were able to fight back. 

Not that it mattered since the attacks did not even break through its skin. It had grown tired of the bothersome attacks and began to focus on the weaker members of the group. It was surprising that the majority of the group still lived after its initial breath. The last breath it had released had claim a few of the miniature ones. It couldn’t really tell nor did it matter. 

This time it would make sure its second breath would wipe them all  out.

 

“Its getting ready for the second shot!” Rowan shouted with urgency as he ran. It didn’t really matter if he had warned their group or not. It was more so of a mental preparation than anything else. The group was already running at top speed and they were doing everything they could to avoid the dragon’s breath. Now they could only rely on luck to survive.

Just as the dragon was about to release the second shot, something burst out from the flaming wreckage that was once their home.

Specifically a person.

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“ENOUGH!” Grandpa Rodan shouted as he charged at the dragon. 

The dragon stared at the old man that had suddenly rushed over. In a blink of an eye, he stood right under it and swung upwards. The plow had somehow survived the flames and struck the dragon's chin, just in time to redirect the breath that it was about to release. A blast of fire was released into the night sky, lighting the surroundings for miles.

“Grandpa Rodan, you're alive!” Rowan shouted in joy. His group had stopped running after discovering the elderly farmer had survived and in good shape.

“WHY ARE YOU STOPPING? KEEP RUNNING!” Grandpa Rodan yelled as he began hacking at the dragon. This woke Rowan out of his joyous mood and he turned around to run. However this time, he knew that there was still a chance of them getting out alive.

Dolly and Buckbeak worked with renewed vigor as they joined up with the retired knight in trading blows with the dragon. Buckbeak was responsible for creating openings such as attacking the eyes and head while Dolly focused on attacking the legs to redirect the dragon’s  blows. Grandpa Rodan would strike at these openings with all his might. No matter how strong the dragon was it was unable to fend off the three beings who at least seemingly matched it in agility.

At first it seemed pointless, as nothing was able to damage the scales of the dragon. However as the damage accumulated on the dragon's body, scratches and tears began to form. Finally Grandpa Rodan was able to land a blow on one of its legs.

A blow deep enough that the dragon began to bleed.

Seeing its own blood for the first time since its rampage, the dragon let out a deep terrorizing roar. Its eyes turned crimson as it slashed down with a force that was incomparable to any strike it made before. A blow so mighty that Grandpa Rodan was barely able to defend against it. His arms trembling as he fended the blow with his plow. Dolly appeared behind the farmer in an effort to help him stave off the slash, only for both of them to be sent flying away.

Right  in the direction where Rowan and his group were running. 

Rowan’s group had made it quite far only to find that a certain old man  was sent flying right in front of them.  Grandpa Rodan crashed into the ground along with Dolly.

“Grandpa are you alr-” Rowan began asking in concern, but bit back the question after seeing the state his grandfather was in. Clearly he wasn’t alright. The cloth he had originally worn had been burned away by the flames, only his rags were left that cover his modest body parts. Cuts and burns spread out all over the old man’s body from the effects of battle. The group rushed over to help the old farmer up.

“Curse my age and weakness. If that lizard had appeared back in my heyday, I would have made short work of this lizard. Thanks for the help, but keep running.” Grandpa Rodan said as he leapt at the encroaching dragon and welcomed it with an overhead strike. 

The enraged dragon met the retired knight with one of its claws, resulting in a loud clanging noise as it met the farm tool with force. Grandpa Rodan was once again swatted to this side. The only difference was this time, he was able to maintain his posture with his feet digging into the ground. The incensed dragon seethed with rage. How dare prey stand in its way!

The dragon  arches its head back once again in preparation to release its breath. Grandpa Rodan took a defensive stance to meet the breath. Just as it looked like the dragon was about release its fire at Grandpa Rodan, it twisted its head sideways just enough to aim at Rowan’s group once more.

“NO!” Grandpa Rodan shouted in realization as he ran forward to block, only to be intercepted by the dragon’s swinging tail.

The dragon's target was not the one who fought it to a standstill. Its target were the ones that the old man had wanted to protect.

It wanted to hurt the one responsible for causing it to bleed.

 It wanted them to suffer.

Rowan watched as the flame approached their group with the promise of a burning painful death. His mind sought out ways to overcome this threat, only to come up empty. They had already done everything they could to survive so far.

After everything they did to escape, was this the end?

Just as Rowan was about to give up, Bessie stepped forward to meet the blazing inferno that threatened to engulf them.

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