10-10-2016, 11:30 AM
With another bone-shuddering roar, Roseus stepped forward with one front foot and promptly lashed out with the other. The group scattered to the winds as one of the koopas and an astronomer were caught in the arc of the swing and thrown violently toward the far wall of the chamber. Seventeen didn’t fall back too far, and when the path was open, he threw forth a hand and launched a burst of ki at the dragon’s face.
The creature reeled back for a brief moment, but before a smile had time to creep across the cyborg’s face, he had to dive away from a deluge of lava. Landing sharply on his right shoulder, Seventeen couldn’t help but stare in mild awe at the fourteen-foot long streak of burning earth. Much like the flan’s attacks, the fire spewed from the dragon burned brighter and hotter than anything he’d ever seen—and that included his home’s version of Hell.
“By Kami’s beard,” the cyborg whispered as he turned his focus back to Roseus. In the light of the burning lava, he noticed that something seemed off about the lumbering dragoness. For the first time, he could see that there were pieces missing—chunks of flesh were absent, and in many places, the cyborg could spot that some bones were visible. The wings of the creature were more bone than flesh, with strips of torn skin hanging limply.
“I guess Marie doesn’t like,” Seventeen muttered beneath his breath as he tightened his grip on the Power Sword. Something or someone had brought the dead dragon back to life, and with the star nowhere in sight, that meant they’d have to deal with Roseus before their expedition could find its prize. “All in a day’s work…”
Before he could plot his course of action, a giant wall of frost slammed into the dragon’s left flank and sent her stumbling sideways for a few yards. Seventeen followed the path of the attack and saw that Julius and two of his peers were channeling their powers together to combat the undead dragon. The leader of the Dalaran expedition clenched his jaw as he barked another order and jabbed forth with his wand. Although they wore grim determination across their visages, the trio was unable to launch their next combined attack against the dragon before it beat its partially decayed wings and somehow—in spite of all laws of physics—took flight with a disturbing swiftness.
As Roseus pulled up into the air, it threw down its head and released a lava-filled roar at its aggressors. The astronomers split apart to avoid the deluge.
“We need to ground her!” Julius screamed toward the cyborg.
Seventeen nodded his head and backed up right into the broad chest of Dutch Koopa. The machine-hybrid turned and glanced at the gym rat of a koopa, who gestured up at the dragon with a swift motion of his head.
“I got you,” he spoke quickly as he grabbed Seventeen by the back of the shirt and the belt. Before the cyborg could protest, he was already being thrown through the air at the dragon. Despite the incredulousness of the situation, survival instincts took over very quickly, and the raven-haired warrior righted himself mid-flight. With a thud he crashed against the side of Roseus and scrambled up onto her broad back. Twirling the Power Sword once over his head, Seventeen dropped down to a knee and thrust the blade down between the dragon’s shoulder blades.
Instead of screaming out in undeniable agony, the undead drake altered her flight path and started to go backwards with all the grace of something that hadn’t been dead for years. As she reversed, her lower legs swung up under her body, and with a glance over his back, Seventeen realized that he was a few moments away from being flattened like an unwanted house fly.
“I’ll be back for you!” The cyborg shouted at the Power Sword as he let go and ran forward onto the dragon’s neck. When he reached the top of her head, he dove awkwardly to the left to avoid the mouthful of broken, yellowed teeth that snapped at him. Before he could crash into the ground, Seventeen spotted one of the astronomers beneath him. The man jiggled his scepter and fired a translucent burst of magic that washed over the cyborg and turned his downward plunge into a gentle descent. “Thanks, bud.”
“Anytime,” the astronomer said with a grim smile as he looked up at the enraged dragon hovering near the roof of the magma chamber. “We still need to ground her...”
“I still have a plan,” Seventeen muttered as he willed a fistful of energy into his right palm. “Just try and buy me some time, okay?”
The magician nodded and started to jog away from the cyborg. As he moved away, he released a quick succession of icicle-like attacks at Roseus, who shrugged off the menial aggression as she started on another flyover. The astronomer was quickly joined by three of the koopas, who had overhead the conversation and could see the spinning disc hovering above their troupe leader’s fingertips.
Dropping back a few steps, Seventeen glued his eyes to the flight path of Roseus as she dropped down her head to spew another lethal, bomb-like blast of lava down at the expedition. The dragon’s slight decrease in speed was his moment, and the cyborg didn’t waste another moment. His hand flung forward, and the ki disc went airborne.
The creature reeled back for a brief moment, but before a smile had time to creep across the cyborg’s face, he had to dive away from a deluge of lava. Landing sharply on his right shoulder, Seventeen couldn’t help but stare in mild awe at the fourteen-foot long streak of burning earth. Much like the flan’s attacks, the fire spewed from the dragon burned brighter and hotter than anything he’d ever seen—and that included his home’s version of Hell.
“By Kami’s beard,” the cyborg whispered as he turned his focus back to Roseus. In the light of the burning lava, he noticed that something seemed off about the lumbering dragoness. For the first time, he could see that there were pieces missing—chunks of flesh were absent, and in many places, the cyborg could spot that some bones were visible. The wings of the creature were more bone than flesh, with strips of torn skin hanging limply.
“I guess Marie doesn’t like,” Seventeen muttered beneath his breath as he tightened his grip on the Power Sword. Something or someone had brought the dead dragon back to life, and with the star nowhere in sight, that meant they’d have to deal with Roseus before their expedition could find its prize. “All in a day’s work…”
Before he could plot his course of action, a giant wall of frost slammed into the dragon’s left flank and sent her stumbling sideways for a few yards. Seventeen followed the path of the attack and saw that Julius and two of his peers were channeling their powers together to combat the undead dragon. The leader of the Dalaran expedition clenched his jaw as he barked another order and jabbed forth with his wand. Although they wore grim determination across their visages, the trio was unable to launch their next combined attack against the dragon before it beat its partially decayed wings and somehow—in spite of all laws of physics—took flight with a disturbing swiftness.
As Roseus pulled up into the air, it threw down its head and released a lava-filled roar at its aggressors. The astronomers split apart to avoid the deluge.
“We need to ground her!” Julius screamed toward the cyborg.
Seventeen nodded his head and backed up right into the broad chest of Dutch Koopa. The machine-hybrid turned and glanced at the gym rat of a koopa, who gestured up at the dragon with a swift motion of his head.
“I got you,” he spoke quickly as he grabbed Seventeen by the back of the shirt and the belt. Before the cyborg could protest, he was already being thrown through the air at the dragon. Despite the incredulousness of the situation, survival instincts took over very quickly, and the raven-haired warrior righted himself mid-flight. With a thud he crashed against the side of Roseus and scrambled up onto her broad back. Twirling the Power Sword once over his head, Seventeen dropped down to a knee and thrust the blade down between the dragon’s shoulder blades.
Instead of screaming out in undeniable agony, the undead drake altered her flight path and started to go backwards with all the grace of something that hadn’t been dead for years. As she reversed, her lower legs swung up under her body, and with a glance over his back, Seventeen realized that he was a few moments away from being flattened like an unwanted house fly.
“I’ll be back for you!” The cyborg shouted at the Power Sword as he let go and ran forward onto the dragon’s neck. When he reached the top of her head, he dove awkwardly to the left to avoid the mouthful of broken, yellowed teeth that snapped at him. Before he could crash into the ground, Seventeen spotted one of the astronomers beneath him. The man jiggled his scepter and fired a translucent burst of magic that washed over the cyborg and turned his downward plunge into a gentle descent. “Thanks, bud.”
“Anytime,” the astronomer said with a grim smile as he looked up at the enraged dragon hovering near the roof of the magma chamber. “We still need to ground her...”
“I still have a plan,” Seventeen muttered as he willed a fistful of energy into his right palm. “Just try and buy me some time, okay?”
The magician nodded and started to jog away from the cyborg. As he moved away, he released a quick succession of icicle-like attacks at Roseus, who shrugged off the menial aggression as she started on another flyover. The astronomer was quickly joined by three of the koopas, who had overhead the conversation and could see the spinning disc hovering above their troupe leader’s fingertips.
Dropping back a few steps, Seventeen glued his eyes to the flight path of Roseus as she dropped down her head to spew another lethal, bomb-like blast of lava down at the expedition. The dragon’s slight decrease in speed was his moment, and the cyborg didn’t waste another moment. His hand flung forward, and the ki disc went airborne.
![[Image: 17.jpg]](http://omniverse-rpg.com/images/17.jpg)