Chapter 493: Gathering Forces
R’lissea raised her staff high, the emerald set atop gleaming brightly. I shielded my eyes as it emitted a pulse of mana, and the elemental dragon raised its head. It was heavily damaged and leaking mana from several fatal wounds, but elementals didn’t feel pain, nor could they be crippled like ordinary creatures. Their power came from mana and sheer mass, not muscles that could be easily torn.
"Come back," I whispered, laying a hand on my breast and pushing my feelings through the bond to Fable.
The giant, hundred-foot-long wolf slashed the dragon once more with his claws before leaping back. After giving it a final, menacing growl, he bounded across the battlefield, going out of his way to trample several groups of enemy soldiers.
The dragon’s wings had been torn to shreds, but it quickly reallocated matter from the rest of its body to mend them. It leaped into the sky with enough force to crack the ground, flapping hard to gain altitude. After aligning its titanic form, it shot toward us with a miniature sonic boom, arriving just as Fable touched down behind me.
The landing of the two monsters shook the earth, and I stumbled back, falling against Fable’s waiting paw. I was barely the size of his toe, sinking into fur so thick it could have padded an entire wagon. The strands were soft but coarse, and I whimpered as they dragged across the sunpurge.
By the time I clawed free of his fur, the dragon had collected R’lissea and the exhausted Fate Hero. The elf girl stood on its head, gazing down at me. She bit her lip, deep in thought, before giving me a final nod. I half-raised my hand in farewell, but they were already gone, flying back up to the ship that continued to rain mana upon my allies.
No sooner had the dragon carried them to safety than it began to collapse, having sustained too much damage in its brutal clash with Fable. My wolf let out a triumphant roar that nearly shattered my eardrums, then shrank back down to his condensed form. He padded over to me, a deep rumble of satisfaction in his chest, and licked my hand affectionately.
"Stop that," I muttered half-heartedly, pushing his head away with a smile.
The tide of the battle had turned. The relentless boom of the mana cannons hadn’t ceased, but the Last Light Company no longer feared their power. They charged through explosions, arrows, and entire battalions, shredding everything in their path. Enemy magic fizzled harmlessly against the golden aura of Grand Aegis, and weapons froze, unable to cross that final inch to touch their bodies.