The Snapper Dragon's muscles bunched, and then it exploded toward me with frightening speed. Its maw gaped wide, revealing rows of yellowed teeth designed to crush bone. The creature moved like liquid death, covering the distance between us in heartbeats.

  A whisper of air resounded within my ears, followed by a meaty thunk. An arrow sprouted from the beast's thick neck, the enchanted arrowhead driving deep past fur and muscle. The Snapper Dragon's charge faltered, its momentum carrying it forward a few more steps before it stopped completely.

  I stared in amazement at how deeply the arrow had penetrated. The monster's hide should have been nearly impervious; I'd seen how thick its muscles were when examining its kills. Yet Mallie's shot with the elven arrow had punched straight through. Whatever enchantments had been placed on those arrowheads, they were definitely powerful.

  The beast's head snapped up, those predatory eyes scanning the trees for the source of this new threat. Its distraction gave me the opening I needed.

  I lunged forward, mechanical legs propelling me with precise force. My sword arm drove the blade toward the base of its throat. Despite putting my full strength behind the thrust, the steel only managed to sink a few inches into the creature's dense musculature. It was like trying to stab through leather-wrapped stone.

  The beast's roar shook the forest as it recoiled from my blade. I leaped back, my mechanical legs carrying me a safe distance before I thrust forward with my spear. The weapon's point found purchase in its thick hide, drawing a fresh bellow of pain.

  The Snapper Dragon's head darted forward, jaws snapping shut where I'd stood moments before. My combat frame's enhanced reflexes let me weave between its strikes, each bite missing me by inches. The creature's teeth clashed together with enough force to shear through steel.

  More arrows whistled through the air, each finding their mark with uncanny accuracy. The elven arrowheads punched deep into the monster's body, drawing roars of agony. Blood matted its fur where Mallie's shots struck home.

  Suddenly, the beast's entire demeanor changed. Its serpentine body twisted away from me with fluid grace, completely ignoring my presence. My blades struck its flanks again and again, but it paid no attention to the wounds. Its yellow eyes had locked onto something else: Mallie's position high up in the oak tree.

  I chased after it as it charged toward her perch, my weapons finding gaps in its scales and drawing blood, but nothing seemed to slow its advance. The monster's six powerful legs carried it up the trunk, claws gouging deep furrows in the bark.

  Just as it neared her branch, Mallie loosed another arrow. The shot flew true, burying itself deep in one of those predatory eyes. The beast's agonized roar shook leaves from the surrounding trees. It froze in place, half-way up the trunk, its remaining eye wild with pain and fury.

  Taking advantage of its stillness, Mallie displayed athleticism I'd never witnessed from her before. She launched herself from her perch, sailing through the air to land gracefully on a branch of a neighboring tree. The move left me stunned, as this was a side of the farmer's daughter I hadn't known existed.

  I seized my chance as the monster focused on Mallie's new position. My mechanical legs propelled me upward, servos whining with the effort as I launched myself onto the Snapper Dragon's broad back. My main sword plunged deep between its shoulder blades, the blade sinking almost to the hilt in its dense muscle. Blood welled up around the steel as I used the embedded weapon as an anchor point.

  My second sword flashed in rapid strikes, opening deep gashes along its flanks. Each cut drew fresh roars of pain and fury. The beast's hide was tough, but my enhanced strength let me drive the blade through its thick fur and armored scales.

  The Snapper Dragon's muscles bunched beneath me. Before I could react, it hurled itself backward off the tree trunk. The world spun as we plummeted toward the ground, the monster's massive body twisting to land on its back. If I had stayed mounted, I would have been crushed between its bulk and the forest floor.

  I abandoned my grip on the longsword, pushing off from the beast's thrashing form. My mechanical legs absorbed the impact as I landed several yards away, joints creaking from the sudden strain.

  The monster hit the ground with an earthshaking crash that sent dead leaves exploding outward. But it didn't stay down. Its serpentine body rippled with frightening power as it flipped upright, six legs finding purchase in the disturbed soil. Muscles writhed beneath its blood-matted fur like living ropes as it oriented on my position.

  That single remaining eye fixed upon me, blazing with a hatred that seemed too intelligent for a mere beast. The yellow orb narrowed as the Snapper Dragon's lips pulled back from its teeth in a snarl of pure malice.

  More arrows struck the Snapper Dragon's hide, but these merely clattered off its thick scales and dense fur. I recognized the difference immediately; Mallie had exhausted the enchanted elven arrows I had given her and switched to standard ammunition. Her normal arrows, though deadly against human targets, might as well have been throwing twigs at the beast.

  I needed to keep its attention on me before it realized its attacker had lost her advantage. My combat frame's legs propelled me forward as I transferred the spear to my main right hand. The weapon felt more natural there, my mechanical fingers adjusting their grip for maximum force.

  The monster's roar shook my steel plates as it charged to meet my advance. Its massive head lunged forward, jaws spreading wide enough to swallow me whole. Time seemed to slow as my enhanced reflexes took over. I dropped into a slide, the beast's teeth snapping shut above me with a sound like steel striking steel.

  As I passed beneath its belly, I drove the spear upward with every ounce of mechanical strength I possessed. The weapon found the softer flesh of its throat, sliding past scales and muscle. The shaft sank deep, blood spraying down onto my combat frame.

  The Snapper Dragon's screech of agony pierced my ears. Its massive body reared up on its back legs, the sudden movement nearly yanking the spear from my grasp. I released the weapon and rolled away just as those huge front claws came crashing down. The impact shook the forest floor, and when I looked back, I saw those razor-sharp talons had sunk deep into the earth where I'd been moments before.

  I shifted my stance, keeping my mechanical legs balanced as I circled the wounded Snapper Dragon. Blood poured from where my spear remained lodged in its throat, but the beast showed no signs of slowing. Its remaining eye tracked my every move, that predatory gaze filled with cold intelligence.

  I transferred the mace from my upper left hand to my main right, mechanical fingers wrapping tightly around the grip. The weapon's familiar weight offered me some comfort. The curved sword in my lower left arm stayed ready, while my other arms maintained defensive positions. The clearing had become eerily quiet, broken only by the soft thud of Mallie's arrows bouncing harmlessly off the monster's scales.

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  We moved in a deadly dance, neither willing to commit to an attack. The dragon's massive body flowed with serpentine grace despite its wounds, matching my careful steps as we circled. Its claws left deep furrows in the soil, and muscles rippled beneath its blood-matted fur with each movement.

  A particularly well-aimed arrow from Mallie whizzed past the beast's remaining eye. The projectile missed by mere inches, causing the monster to blink reflexively. Its head snapped upward, a guttural snarl erupting from its throat as it glared at the girl perched in the trees.

  I seized the moment. My mechanical legs launched me forward, servos whining with the sudden acceleration. The mace swung in a devastating arc, connecting solidly with the beast's snout. The impact rang through my frame like a bell, and I felt bone crack beneath the blow.

  The dragon's head recoiled from the strike, but it recovered with frightening speed. Those massive jaws snapped forward, teeth gleaming as they sought my mechanical body. I was already in motion, my enhanced reflexes carrying me backward out of range.

  As I retreated, my curved sword lashed out. The blade caught the monster's lip, opening a shallow gash that added fresh blood to its already gore-streaked face.

  The dragon's body coiled like a spring, and I realized too late what was coming. Its muscled tail whipped toward me with devastating force. The impact felt like being struck by a battering ram, sending my mechanical frame flying across the clearing. My back slammed against a thick tree trunk, the collision rattling my internal components.

  Before I could recover, the beast's massive weight crashed down on top of me. The sound of steel supports snapping filled my ears as my combat frame's torso buckled under the crushing pressure. Sharp claws raked along my sides, tearing through the reinforced plating like it was paper. Sparks flew as metal screamed against metal.

  I tried to bring my curved sword to bear, but the angle was all wrong. My mechanical arms couldn't generate enough leverage pinned against the tree. Panic rose in my mind as I felt more support structures giving way under the monster's weight.

  The Snapper Dragon's head darted forward, jaws spreading wide. I braced for the killing blow, but its teeth found my exposed left arm instead. Though I couldn't feel pain through the invulnerable flesh, the sheer pressure of its bite was incredible. Those massive jaws could have sheared through steel plate like butter, yet my pale skin remained unmarked.

  The beast's remaining eye widened in what looked like surprise. It bit down harder, muscles in its neck straining with effort, but my flesh refused to yield. I felt the tremendous force trying to crush my arm, which felt like being caught in a closing vault door. But no matter how hard it chomped, it couldn't break through my skin.

  My combat frame was pinned, crushed between the monster's bulk and the tree trunk. Most of my weapons were useless at this angle; all except for the mace still gripped in my right hand. But even if I could swing it, the blunt weapon would do little more than bruise the beast's thick hide.

  I needed something deadlier. As the dragon focused on trying to tear through my invulnerable arm, I activated Assembly. The mace's steel head began to glow, first dull red, then brightening to a fierce orange. The metal softened, becoming malleable under my will. I shaped it with practiced precision, transforming the rounded head into a wickedly sharp spike.

  The weapon radiated intense heat in my mechanical grip as I guided the molten steel into its new form. I forced the metal to cool rapidly, though the spike still glowed with residual heat. Steam rose from its surface as droplets of the monster's blood sizzled against the superheated steel.

  With the dragon's head so close, I had the perfect target. I drove the white-hot spike directly into its remaining eye. The heated metal parted flesh and bone with virtually no resistance, plunging deep into the socket. The beast's eye burst in a spray of fluid that instantly vaporized against the spike's scorching surface.

  The Snapper Dragon's scream of agony shook the trees. It released my arm and hurled itself backward, massive body thrashing wildly. Its six legs clawed at the ground as it rolled across the forest floor, trying desperately to escape the searing pain. Steam rose from the empty socket where my improvised weapon had struck, the flesh around it charred and smoking.

  The monster's tail lashed out blindly, its huge body twisting in mindless agony. Without sight to guide it, its movements became erratic and panicked. Blood and steam poured from its ruined eyes as it writhed, those massive claws raking furrows in the earth while it tried to dislodge the spike still embedded in its skull.

  I took advantage of the dragon's blindness to quickly assess the damage to my combat frame. The crushing impact had severely compromised several support structures in my torso. Using Assembly, I began to repair the worst of the damage. Metal groaned and sparked as I forced damaged plates back into alignment. Servos whined as I reconnected severed control linkages. The repairs weren't perfect, but they would hold.

  The Snapper Dragon's agonized thrashing had finally subsided. Its massive body lay sprawled across the forest floor, chest heaving as it drew ragged breaths. Steam still rose from its ruined eye socket, and blood matted its thick fur. The beast that had seemed so terrifyingly powerful moments ago now looked pitiful and broken.

  I approached cautiously, my mechanical legs carrying me closer to its vulnerable position. The monster's only response was a deep, resonating groan that seemed to well up from deep in its chest. Its six legs twitched weakly, lacking the strength for any real resistance.

  My fingers wrapped around the shaft of the spear still lodged in its throat. With a sharp tug, I yanked the weapon free. Fresh blood welled up from the wound, but the dragon barely reacted beyond another weak moan.

  I positioned myself carefully beside its massive chest, watching the rise and fall of its breathing. Through its thick fur, I could see where its heart beat frantically beneath layers of muscle and bone. I adjusted my grip on the spear, angling the point downward.

  Using the enhanced strength of all four of my arms, I drove the spear deep into its chest. The weapon punched through fur, scale, and muscle before finding its mark. The dragon's huge body convulsed as the spearhead pierced its heart. Its legs kicked out reflexively, claws raking uselessly at the air. A final, rattling breath escaped its throat before its massive form went completely still.

  "Yes! We did it!" Mallie's triumphant shout rang out from her perch high in the oak tree.

  I looked up at her and gave the young Archer a nod.

  Yes. We did.

  I then turned my eyeless sight back to the still form of the monster I had just killed. Its massive black body was curled up like a dead insect, its six legs sticking up in the air. What had once been a fearsome, powerful creature was now made entirely harmless through the combined effort of Mallie and myself.

  I had done it. My duty. By slaying this monster, I had protected Weath. As did Mallie. We both lived up to our titles as Defenders of Weath.

  "Um, No Eyes?" I turned at Mallie's hesitant voice. "Could you... maybe help me down somehow?"

  Looking up, I saw her white-knuckled grip on the thick oak branch, her legs dangling at least twenty feet above the forest floor. Her bow hung loosely from one shoulder, threatening to slip off.

  Can't you climb down the same way you got up? I asked through Mind Speech.

  Her freckled face flushed red. "I... I kind of just jumped up here when the dragon charged at me. Wasn't really thinking about how to get back down."

  The sound of wind chimes clinking together during a spring rain emerged from my throat.

  "Don't laugh!" Mallie's embarrassment turned to indignation. "This isn't funny! I'm really stuck up here!"

  The fearless archer who helped slay a dragon. Afraid of heights?

  "I'm not afraid of heights!" she protested. "I just... prefer having solid ground under my feet. And maybe I got a little carried away with the jumping." Her voice grew smaller. "Please help?"

  My mechanical frame was still damaged from the fight, but the basic structures remained sound. I approached the oak tree, servos whining as I calculated the best path up. My four arms would make climbing easier, even with the compromised torso plating.

  Hold still, I instructed. I'm coming up.

  I scaled the trunk quickly, mechanical fingers finding purchase in the rough bark. When I reached her branch, I saw how tightly she was clinging to it, her face pressed against the wood.

  Put your arms around my neck, I directed. I'll carry you down.

  She carefully shifted position, wrapping her arms around my porcelain-plated neck while keeping a death grip on the branch with her legs. "Don't drop me," she whispered.

  I won't.

  Mallie finally released the branch, and I secured her with two of my arms while using the others to control our descent. We reached the ground smoothly, though she kept her eyes squeezed shut the entire time.

  When her feet touched earth, she immediately collapsed onto her knees, pressing her palms against the dirt. "Oh thank the gods," she breathed. "Solid ground."

  Next time, I suggested, perhaps choose a lower branch. For tactical retreat.

  She shot me a glare. "You're being mean again."

  I couldn't help but laugh once more.