They reached near the volcano, where Arcane was already facing off against the dragon, dancing around its attacks with reckless grace.
"We've got reinforcements!" Aeron shouted.
Just as they arrived, a wave of intense dark energy surged from Arcane's direction. Julian and Zorayel immediately raised their swords and pointed them at him, their expressions serious.
"Wait, he's not the dragon!" Aeron quickly stepped between them.
Julian hesitated, looking at Aeron's face. Trusting his judgment, he slowly lowered his sword. Zorayel did the same, though his eyes remained fixed on Arcane with suspicion.
"How the hell are we supposed to defeat that thing?" Julian asked, staring at Aeron.
Aeron shrugged. "How should I know? You're the knight—shouldn't you have the plan?"
Julian scoffed. "You're the one who always comes up with the Ideas."
Arcane grinned, his arms mid-swing with water magic. "Don't forget about me, guys! I'm still fighting here!" he shouted in a playful tone, even while dodging a swipe from the dragon.
"Forget the plan. We attack head-on!" Julian charged forward with his sword raised.
Arcane launched rapid bursts of water magic at the dragon's face, keeping its attention diverted. Meanwhile, Aeron, Allesio, and Julian ducked and rolled, dodging claws and fire, searching for any possible opening. From afar, Zorayel used precise barrier magic to shield them from attacks coming from their blind spots.
The fight was relentless—until finally, an opportunity presented itself.
Arcane raised both hands. "This is gonna burn my mana pool dry…"
He conjured an enormous water sphere, nearly the size of the dragon's body, and hurled it with all his might. The wave of water slammed into the beast, sending it stumbling backward, soaked to the core.
"Freeze!" Arcane commanded, his voice echoing across the rocky terrain.
The water solidified instantly, forming crystalized ice that pierced through the dragon from the inside, locking it in place.
"Now!" Aeron shouted.
He and Allesio leapt forward, slicing through the dragon's front legs. The beast collapsed forward in agony. Julian, with a roar, dashed in and with a powerful strike, severed the dragon's head.
Panting, Aeron stepped back. "Is it… dead?" he asked, cautiously eyeing the decapitated body.
"No, It will regenerate and hunt us again" Zorayel said in a funny way.
"Don't Jinx it" Aeron said
While they were laughing and resting in peace,
"Hey Guys, why is it glowing?" Aeron pointed at the dragon's chest, which had begun to pulse with a bright, ominous light.
"Oh no," Zorayel whispered.
"Everyone—run!" Arcane shouted, his face pale.
They bolted from the scene, sprinting as fast as their legs would carry them.
BOOM.
The dragon's body exploded, unleashing a shockwave of immense force. It hurled them through the air like ragdolls.
Aeron groaned, trying to push himself up from the ground. "Ow… that hurts…"
Julian coughed. "What the hell was that?"
"No idea," Zorayel said, dusting himself off. "But that kind of explosive magic… it's not natural."
"This kind of power, used on a dragon?" Arcane said, his voice low. "That had to be the work of an extremely powerful mage."
"You sound like you know something," Aeron asked, eyeing him.
"Just a theory," Arcane replied, brushing it off with a nervous smile.
"Hey—look at your chain," Arcane added suddenly.
Aeron and Allesio looked down. Cracks had formed in the obsidiansteel chain.
"That explosion must've weakened the enchantment," Arcane said.
"Looks like your theory might be right after all," Zorayel said thoughtfully. "A mage strong enough to manipulate a dragon like that… that's dangerous."
"I'm heading to Everdawn," Zorayel announced. "I need to talk to my master, about this. You guys should come with me. If anyone can break the enchanment of your chain—it's him."
"You're willing to go that far? Even if it means going against Eryndor?" Aeron asked, surprised.
"We don't fear that false king," Zorayel said, eyes narrowing.
"You know something about Allesio's situation, don't you?" Aeron asked.
Zorayel turned to him. "He didn't tell you anything?"
Aeron looked at Allesio, disappointment and frustration clear in his eyes. "Not a single word."
"We should get moving if we want to reach Everdawn before nightfall," Allesio finally spoke.
"Hey, I want to learn Your story, and if you don't tell me I will hear it from Zorayel-" Aeron began, but Allesio grabbed his wrist and started walking.
"Wait—at least let me finish talking!" Aeron protested as he stumbled forward, getting dragged along.
Zorayel smiled slightly. Julian chuckled.
"Some things never change," Julian said as they followed behind.
Together, they set off—toward Everdawn, to a new adventure