Chapter 683: Expected Ally
Time crashed back with the force of a tidal wave, knocking me to the ground. I gasped for breath, clutching at my chest in vain as the light faded and darkness claimed me. Suspending time for so long, even with Fable and Elaine joining on their own, was too much for my time-tossed soul.
I awoke with a start, curled in a ball on hard, smooth stone. Tears welled up in my eyes, and my throat ached. The pain and stress of my soul had subsided somewhat, but a dull ache remained. I reached for Fable, but my fingers grasped empty air.
"You’re awake."
Avant’s rough voice greeted me as I raised my head. I lay in the ash and dust at his feet, beneath the umbrella cast by his protective wards. He held his staff and was currently casting several sixth and seventh-level spells at once, chantless.
"H-how long?" I croaked, checking myself for injuries. My tail stung a bit where I’d fallen on it, but a soulcast second-circle spell soothed that and the various other minor aches.
"A few minutes. Your wolf is putting on quite the show."
The surprise in his voice was evident, and I quickly looked up. The twin dragons filled the sky with their immensity and flames. Fable, in his full form, dashed between their coils, biting and slashing with his claws. His eighth-level strength was insufficient to cause real damage, but the sheer size of his claws opened up long, shallow gashes in their scales, tearing them asunder.
Elaine ran alongside him, pausing to unleash savage two-handed attacks in his wake. Her obsidian blade cut to the hilt in their bodies, but the real damage came from the massive explosions of her magical techniques. She avoided using fire, but without physical substance, her mana was ineffective against the dragon’s hardened scales. But, as I’d hoped, she followed close behind Fable, only attacking the vulnerable flesh exposed by Fable’s claws. Every strike sent geysers of molten blood pouring into the air, drawing pained roars from the dragons.
"They haven’t gone berserk yet, have they?" I asked, struggling to my feet.
Avant spared me a glance. "Berserk? I’ve seen nothing to indicate the usage of that term."
I let out a breath and summoned my staff. "Thank goodness. Try not to hurt them too much, or we might trigger it. We’ll all die if that happens."