“Cass! Watch your back!” Alex shouted at her as she dove beh a sweep of the dragon’s cws. She rolled to the side as a short volley of arrows hurtled through the spot she’d just been standing in. She clicked her tongue and tried to reacquire her target but the dragon had moved. The massive beast reeked in a way she couldn’t quite describe, like dead pnts and rancid musk. Her lips curled down as the creature took a step back to try to fix its gaze on her and she whipped her on up and into its throat. The hard scales absorbed most of the blow but the force was enough to force its head back up.

  She gowards Alex who was in the midst of whip-kig away the dire elves that had climbed the long temple stairs and tried to turn her into a pincushion. “Thanks! Keep them off me, I ’t get its joints if I keep having to dodge!” She shouted as the drago out aerrible roar. It fpped its useless wings and tried to get some more distance from her and she charged forward, hammer in hand. She had to be careful about how she did this. The two powers that Ishtar had gifted her with her iment were nothing like her core power and she didn’t need more questions when she used them.

  She dove again, w her way through the dragon’s legs. It shifted its weight and moved out of reach of her again and again. It had amazing senses. I ’t use Shatter on just any part of its body, that’d be too obvious. The joints are a good target though. She thought, I also ’t get hurt too much, grace has a clear glow to it. She pursed her lips as the beast raised its entire body and pressed its cwed back legs into the steps beh it to gain stability. came the green glow up its throat. Oh no you don’t!

  She kicked off the ground with all the strength she could muster and brought her on up in a hard uppercut, smming it into the creature’s jaw just as it opes mouth to release that terrible breath on that had done so much damage to Lily. I hope she’s okay. Cass thought as she collided with the beast, knog its head bad sending it filing backwards. It let out a howl of fury and twisted its body to attempt to catch itself. As Cass desded from her leap she threw her weight forward into a spin, I’ll get you this time!

  That was a mistake. Durihird rotatioiced it, the creature’s powerful tail whipping in her dire at terrible speed. Her eyes went wide, I fot about the tail! She gasped as it collided with her, sendio the ground like a falling stone and embedding her ioairs. Her entire body creaked with pain and she felt something cra her chest, the only thing that stopped it from killing her was the natural toughness she got from her innate ability. She coughed, scrambling to her feet as the creature turned around and raised its talons to skewer her.

  Shit! She rolled to the side and the drago out a howl before hesitating in it’s dest. She gnced bad say of herself standing an equal distance from where she’d fallen but on the opposite side. Thank you, Snow. She thought and gnced up at the dragon that was lookiweewo Cass’ in fusion. She didn’t waste the opportunity. She charged throwing her bato a swing at one of its legs. Her imicked her movements, darting towards its other fnk. The dragon threw its head ba a roar before snapping down to bite at the copy. Got you! She bit out and swung with all her might, activating Shatter.

  CH!

  The blow, enhanced with her already tremendous physical strength, crashed into the dragon’s leg joint which exploded into a mist of blood and powdered bohere was a heavy thud as the beast's left foot hit the ground, separated from the limb. She grihis isn’t so bad, might not even need-

  SCCREEEEEEEEE!

  The sound was deafening, she staggered as a shriek that made her legs weak and her head spin pierced the air. Her ha numb and she dropped her on on instinct, reag up to clutch at her ears as the drago out a pained sound. Nausea washed up her throat and it took everything not to colpse and puke her guts up. A verdant green light bloomed in front of her as she tried to get her body to move, the terrible sound pinnio the spot. She forced her eyes open and watched as wood began to grow from the stump where the dragon’s leg had been separated from the limb, f a false leg.

  You have got to be kidding me! She thought through the pain. She looked past the beast towards the paused fight going on behind it. Even the dire elves and her rades had been struck by the creature’s agony. Val, who had been in the midst of fighting off a group of sword wielding attackers who were trying to interfere with the fight had colpsed to a knee while two of the attackers had just fallen over. John was clutg his head just past him. She couldn’t see Snow, probably hiding to maximize her ability. Where’s Alex? She forced the muddled thoughts out, the pressure of the scream making it hard to think. Her vision swam a little. It’s still going?

  Her eyes tried to fix on the false leg that rested on the ground and she saw the dragon take a few steps, turning towards her. I ’t move! She thought as a pair of burning green eyes looked down at her, teeth bared, the sound pushing down even harder just before it ended abruptly. Her legs felt like jelly. The dragon lunged and she felt the back of her shirt get grabbed by a strong hand. She blinked and watched as the dragon’s jaws cmped down on the spot where she’d just been, bits of stone crumblih its mighty bite. Her strength started to e baough to gowards her savior.

  Alex let go of her shirt, scales grown over his ears. He anting, his skin pale and a bit green. “I gotcha.”

  She thought about what he’d said to her. Those cruel words that wereirely false. He’d apologized, but she hadn’t really been able to work through them. Not because she hated him for it, but because she really didn’t feel like she belonged. Like she was a useful add-on. It wasn’t that she couldn’t five him for it, that was easy, he wasn’t wrong. She just didn’t know how to recile it all. He met her gaze and o her, his eyes burning with resolve. He wasn’t bag down and he wasn’t going to let an ally die, no matter what.

  She pressed her lips together as she felt the dragon turn its attention to them. She rolled her shoulder as it started to approad she returned his nod. That oure from him was menuine acceptahan she’d ever felt in her entire life from someone of her age. Sonya had taken her in, cared for her like a little sister. She didn’t quite know how the others felt, but she knew how at least one of them did. That was enough to know what she wanted and what Sonya had meant whealked that night. That was more than enough. She grit her teeth as the dragon charged, jaws open, and dug deep. I am Ishtar’s hammer, I am the Mighty Asterion, and fuck it all, I’m going to be a hero too!

  She bellowed out a roar that shook the stones beh her feet. Each step forward of the dragon was met by one of her own as she smmed her hammer into the ground. She held out her hands as her body began to grow, expand, her muscles being denser, her eyes beginning to burn. Her hair grew longer and longer as her fingers reached up. She was seve, eight feet, ni, teall when her hands collided with the dragon’s jaws. She gripped them tightly with a snarl and bellowed back at it, horns sprouting from her head and curling brutally. She pnted her feet. The massive beast that overshadowed her, just like her sister, I’m big now too!

  She wrenched her arms to the right with a belloulled with all her strength. A sound of gurgled fusiht its the dragon’s throat as she threw it to the ground, smming it onto its side. Her muscles tensed and burned and she pulled again, smming it down in the opposite dire. Again! Again! Again! She roared inside, letting those feelings e power her through as she bashed the dragons head against the ground over and over until a fsh of green light made her blink and squint. She threw its head to the side and a bst of verdant light ripped through part of the staircase and swept across the city around the temple, annihiting anything it touched.

  The bst stopped and the dragon pulled itself to its feet, shaking its head and stumbling a little. Despite all she’d do was just pissed off. She caught her breath and took a step back as she met the creature’s eyes. She grabbed her hammer with one hand and its eyes bur her with unshackled hatred. It spread its wings and threw its head ba another roar, that verdant glow burning on its flesh. Something sprouted from the tears in its wings. Thin strands of… Are those fungus fibers? Her eyes widened and she charged, No! Don’t you dare!

  The fibers shed out across the opening, knitting together and pulling the tears in its wings together and binding them. Alex darted io her, fangs growing in his mouth as his entire body was covered in scales. Both of them smmed into the hind legs of the big thing grabbing hold and trying to fix it to the ground. It tried to whip its legs as it restored its wings, attempting to dislodge them. She looked around. They needed someoo get rid of the damn wings somehow. John was the best choice but he was occupied c Val and keeping the still dense horde of dire elves off of them as an illusory stretch of bded terrain washed doweps to hamper their advahe things were endless, like the dungeon awning them every sed.

  Is that what Otis did? Did he uncap the-

  Her thoughts were broken by a wreng sensation as her body was nearly thrown off the dragon’s leg. She smmed her hammer into the ground to act as an anchor. I ’t hold on forever! She g Alex who met her gaze, “Hang in there!” She shouted.

  “That’s about all I’m doing!” Alex ughed despite the situation and tried to dig his sharpened fingers into the scales. “Damn thing is so tough! Why is this thing s?”

  “Ties that bind, rades, a union of strength.”

  The words washed through her entire being. Ollie? I thought he was hiding with Snow. She gnced over her shoulder and saw the thin young man standing there at the top of the steps, his hands outstretched, his entire body shaking. Get inside you idiot! There’s too many!

  He met her gaze and ched his outstretched hands into fists, bringing them together. A shock ran through her body. She felt something growing on her skin, it itched a disgusting but her body felt… harder, tougher, her boried to knit together as the cuts and scrapes across her skin started to close beh thick golden scales. Scales? Then that’s Alex’s regeion. That means- She whipped her head towards Alex who’s body began to expand, he threw his head ba a terrible rasping hiss as his arms pulled close to his body, he released the dragon’s leg only for a moment before he ged.

  A bck scaled horned serpent as wide around as a sedan ed its way around the dragon’s leg before slithering up its side and weaving itself around the dragons ned body, applying even more weight. The dragon struggled, fpping its restored wings but it just couldn’t move. She was able to pull away, readying her hammer to tihe onsught. Alex reared his massive head bad shed out, biting down on the dragons throat and not letting go. She gnced back at Ollie in amazement only to see him go pale and colpse to his knees, sweat beading on his face. He looked stri. Beh him, a half dozen dire elves raced up towards him, Alex no lohere to block them.

  She turned, ready to face them ahem some breathing room as a field of illusory static washed doweps in front of Ollie, causing the dire elves to hesitate as a small figure darted out to help Ollie to his feet. Cass turned her attention back to the dragon a her jaw. She let out a roar, rag towards it with booming steps and swung, crushing part of its jaw and sending its head reeling away. It tried to whip its head back towards her and she swung again.

  “JUST. STAY. DOWN. ALREADY!” she roared as it filed with each thunderous blow, frantically trying to dislodge Alex’s mass a away from her. She knew she could bring it down with enough time, but every moment spent in this pce was another spent not doing something to help outside. The elves respawning had slowed down a bit, at least. Val and John had to be tired at this point.

  Stalemate, she realized. She didn’t panic, she could keep holding on as long as she o. e on Lillian, whatever you’ve got pnned, now’s the-

  Purple light bloomed at the foot of the temple steps. It spread like wildfire up and up and up washing over the elves that were still fighting to get to her. Her eyes widened, a smile spreading across her fad she raised her voice, “It’s about damn time!” she shouted as the elves were pulled dowairs by an invisible force. The moment, two shapes darted towards the dragon. She slung her hammer over her shoulder, taking a casual step back as its wings were cleaved off.

  Your turn.

  –

  There was a momentary stillness, a pause that hung in the air over the eemple and surrounding pza. For a heartbeat, all eyes were on the pair that stood atop the colpsed dragon. Even the massive bck serpent that had the beast coiled in its grip could only stare in shock at the two. Lillian, Crusader, stood looking down at the enemies below. Her hair fluttered in the wind, one green streak and oreak dang like feathers amidst a sea of bck. The red and green tattoo on her neck glowed brightly, petals dang. Her avian eyes bzed with internal energy as she surveyed everything.

  She turned her head and looked Mar the eyes. His bright blue eyes glimmered in response, a golden on his head as his spun-gold hair fluttered around him. She quirked her lip a little, it was se seeing him. He usually kept to himself so she thought he just didn’t like anybody at the camp, if she was being ho. Perhaps even a little full of himself, “Looks like I get to fight at your side after all,” She said tentatively.

  His lip twitched before he brandished a perfect smile at her, “Looks like it,” He said and looked up towards the entrao the temple, “Injured?”

  She gnced up at the top of the steps, reassessihoughts a bit. If he’s ed about the injured, he ’t be all bad. Maybe he’s just a loner. She paused and spotted a small form behind some rubble and smiled, There she is, good. “A few,” She said with a nod befng down at the massive serpehat stared at her from below. She smiled at it, “Hey Alex!” She ughed, “You look good! Put on some weight?” She turo look at Cass a her eyes, her smile turned a bit mehank you, for holding out for me.”

  She ched her unblemished fist, her muscles tensing in her arm as power coursed through it. The blockages that she’d felt through her meridians were gone, every cell in her body felt like it was s. She felt strohan she’d ever been in her entire life. Strohan she’d ever ceive of feeling. Around her, no one spoke, no one breathed. She looked back at Mard exhaled, “I’d ask what you guys are doing here, but I just really appreciate it,” She said before nodding to him, “Ready to up, hero?”

  He tilted his up a bit a her gaze, his chest swelling a bit. “You know what? I’d be hoo help,” He said with a firm voibsp;

  She couldn’t help it, she grinned a little at him. Now that’s the right attitude, she thought as the dragon began to rouse from its shobsp;

  The beast beh them writhed against the force that suppressed it and Crusader g Alex, “Go help the others,” She said with a nod, “We’ve got this.”

  “I’ll hold him down!” Another voice joined in from afar and the serpent whipped its head treg, floating up the side of the temple before nding oeps and making his way to the top. He casually gestured and the group of dire elves that had been ready to charge the top and attaow and Ollie were flung away, screaming as they fell to their deaths. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned around to stand stalwart in front of the opening to the temple.

  As if his pose was the firing of a starting gun, a roar rose up among the dire elves. The dragon thrashed and Alex dislodged from the beast while Mard Lily hopped into the air, Cass doubling back several paces and readying her on. It staggered to its feet. It could stand but its movements were sluggish. Dazed by losing its wings and suppressed by Gregs powers. Cass shot the two a look before brandishing her hammer and charging with a shout. Alex slithered doweps to join Val and John who had resumed their fight.

  Crusader could only smile as she took it all in, her power building, her internal energy cyg.

  Val was like a mae of destru, he darted from pce to pce, his body spinning like a top at times. He weaved and bobbed, each puning out with the force of a rocket. He crushed armor, smashed defensive spells, ruined ons, and id waste to anything that got too close to him. He ughed the eime, throwing out hoots and whoops as if he was having the time of his life. He unched into the sky, “Faster!” She heard him shout, “Faster! Faster! Faster!” The air began to bubble around his body as he whipped back around and uraight for the ground.

  He let out a roar of triumph as he picked up speed in a matter of seds. She felt his heart thundering in his chest even from so far away. Her breath caught as he hit the ground and broke the sound barrier at the same time, fshing every rocket in his body to stop himself. A shockwave that ripped out of the point of impact sent a mass of dire elves hurtling through the air. He staggered and fell forward for a moment but caught himself, throwing his fists into the air.

  He threw his head bad let out a whoop, “I’m a fu’ superhero!”

  John twirled the knives between his fingers and moved with a steady rhythm, his body swaying and dipping. Those stiff and jerky movements that he had always used began to melt away as he darted between bdes, arrows, and spells. He pivoted and twisted, his body moving at strange and impossible angles. She felt his heart thundering in his chest even as she heard something else, something she’d never heard from him before. A low humming and the occasional chuckle. He swayed and danced and if she didn’t know better she could have sworn she was watg Sonya fight.

  He dodged a sword that screamed through the air in his dire as a rge dire elf darted towards him. His movements went faster and faster as he engaged in his dance. He threw himself into a backflip before nding on another bde that shed out at him from behind. He… grinned? His foot snapped out with a kid caught one dire elf in the head as he threw a k its throat. It fell and he hopped atop it, pulling the k and rolling before steppi and right with a casual grace, dodging another pair of swings.

  He was so… alive.

  Just past him, Alex came r in with a titanient, his entire bulk smming down on a dozen dire elves before rearing bad whipping his tail out. He coiled and struck, smmed and crushed, wreaking havod creating space for his two friends. Val unched over his head and joined in while John moved between ah his coils, using Alex’s armored body for prote against ining fire. That was when a series of explosions spttered against the line of dire elves, sending more of them scattering. Crusader whipped her head up to see Snow standi with her pistol pointed out. She lowered the on and drew her hands back before pushing outward in a forceful gesture.

  Shouts and fusi out, the dire elves below slipping and sliding atop ice that they didn’t know wasn’t real. The tide turned, it all happened in just a few heartbeats. She grinned wildly, it felt like she could feel their momentum inside of her, pushing her further, harder, she wao match them, wao surpass them, wao be at their side and bring all of her might to the table. Out of the er of her eye, Marc had drifted up to hover in the air briefly o her as they began to fall back down. The dragon threw its head up in a roar as light billowed in its mouth. It spread across its body in a brilliant barrier, preparing for what they had in mind.

  A fsh of long blonde hair and silver metal smmed into the beast. Cass letting out a bellow of challenge as she collided with it, her hammer crashing into the barrier it had just formed and shattering it with a single blow. Crusader drew her sword bad it exploded with golden fmes, more burning from her lips and catg on her brows. It was an impromptu move, but she didn’t care. She was feeling creative. Her eyes sparkled as she threw herself forward into a spin, mimig Cass’s own favored move. Alongside her, Marc drew his on over his head a himself fall, yellow-white light blooming from it.

  So muergy! She thought, feeling the power rippling off of his on as he plummeted with her. So this is what a mythic’s power is like? I’ve felt teacher’s power but she’s always kind of held back around me.

  The instant, she was standing on the ground, her on burning bright as the massive weight of the dragon's head nded oairs with a resounding boom. She gnced over her shoulder at Mard Cass and nodded before they turheir attention on the horde below. The three of them charged.

  We’re all getting out of here, alive! Crusader swore and threw herself bato the thick of it. Her steps came easier, eaent was almost enough to build momentum for First March. She barreled through the dire elves, each swing releasing enough heat and fire to bst any behind those who were up close away. Beside her, Marc brought his on down a a streak of light in a line ahead of him, clearing a path. He turned and punched one of the monsters in the face, crushing its head with a single blow. A hoot of etion rose up over them and Cass collided with the crowd just past them. She stood to her full te of height, golden scales glistening on her skin as she raised her hammer and swung, knog more and more of them away.

  Marc turned o her and spun his sword once, smming into the ground by its point with a grunt, he bore his teeth and a sheet of golden light rushed up from the spot, spreading out and blog a volley of arrows and spells that were aimed at the two of them. He hunched his shoulders and whipped his head to the right, swinging hard again and releasing another arc of gold that cut through a pair of sword wielding dire elves that were rag towards Val in the distance, already engaged with a small group. Val g him, surprised, and shot him a thumbs up before rocketing into anroup.

  The massive shape of Alex unched past her, crashing into more and even swallowing a few whole. He reared his body up and stood tall, ing his long body in a ring. Val nded on his head, John flipping over to nd on one part of his body. Cass joihem, standing with the others as Crusader charged, shouldering her way through the thinning crowd of enemies. She hopped onto the tail as well, Marc joining her a momehey stood together, looking around at the remaining army of mohat had finally, finally, started to turn into a trickle. She felt a lump ihroat as she pointed her sword towards a cluster of them. Snow falling around her head. She smiled to herself just as a bright purple glow washed over everything.

  She looked back to see Greg at the foot of the steps, his hand on the ground. Illusory copies of snow standing around him with knives in their hands. From her feet, the world began to ge. The breath caught in Crusader’s throat as the false i the ground began to jut up in hundreds of spikes that spread out in a wave. The snow fell faster, harder, it whirled around them, making visibility for a on the poser’s side even more difficult. The spikes stretched and morphed until dozens of copies of snow rushed out into the mass of enemies, crashing into them. Some shattered on impact, but many nded oargets and brought their knives down with ruthless precision as Snow sowed even more chaos.

  At the foot of the stairs, Greg looked up and o her in gratitude. The violet light that had begun to blossom across the field built and built and built. What came , he threw his entire being into.

  WHOOSH!

  Screams and cries of anger and bewilderment spread across the field. The dire elves floated into the air, kig and filing about. o her, Marc held his sword over his head in triumph, “Heroes!” He shouted, “Let’s finish them off a out of here!”