The Sage's Vow

1.3 || Fight and Flight

"Take that, you cartoon monster reject!" Josh yelled down at the imp.

In response, the imp spread its wings, taking control of its descent only seconds before its feet slammed into the barrier a couple hundred feet below. The energy field rippled like water when a large rock fell into it. For an uneasy moment, Josh thought the barrier would break, but it held.

Snarling, the imp lifted its head. Josh cringed. Parts of its face were charred, and the other parts were covered in a gross green-brown liquid. Ugh. Monster blood. It looked as appealing as mold soup.

Cale appeared by his side, Ezraim pausing his dive to circle Josh. "Take a moment to check the damage. I'll be fine alone with it for now," Cale said. And then Ezraim shot downward, ready to meet the imp head-on.

The damage. Cale's words drew Josh's eyes back to Boomer's leg. It hung limp as his dragon tried to ease the pain. Josh's heart twisted. A phantom sensation throbbed along his own thigh. When Josh reached toward the bond to check the extent of Boomer's pain, he met a wall of pure will.

For Boomer to forbid Josh to feel the pain, what he did sense must have been only a fraction of it.

I'm fine. Nothing but a scratch, Boomer assured, but his strained tone said otherwise. Shame colored his words, and if dragons could blush, Josh was sure Boomer would have. He dipped his snout. We should get down there.

The imp had flown up a few dozen feet before Cale intercepted it. Ezraim kept its limbs occupied, his claws digging into the monster's shoulders while his forelegs dug into its gut. Cale, on the other hand, had found more sand, perhaps still drifting around from before, and he willed it through the air, blocking incoming tail swipes and wind blasts.

The sand's movement paused as the imp turned its assault into one of slashes and bites. Then Cale gave a sharp flick of his hand, and the sand darted between Ezraim and the imp.

With a shriek, the imp released a large burst of wind. Ezraim shot upward as if a geyser erupted beneath him. Cale clung to the saddle and managed to keep on his dragon, but Ezraim wobbled, trying to orient himself, while the imp already flew at them.

Boomer, we— Josh met the wall again, and he gritted his teeth. "We need to get between them," he said aloud.

Boomer startled, and the phantom pain in Josh's thigh flared for a moment. With a growl, Boomer swooped down, jarring Josh before he could investigate. He reached for the bond to pull at the magic it created, but once more, he couldn't get anywhere. Instead, he summoned his weaker lightning to his sword.

Blood coated the imp's stomach, fresh liquid still spilling from a new wound. That must have been what Cale did with the sand that angered the imp so much. It apparently hated the damage to its face more, though, because when it spotted Josh, the anger in its eyes turned into a burning fury.

"That's right. I'm back, ugly!" Josh slashed, and the lightning shot from his blade. It wasn't as fast as the lightning he created using the bond, nor was it as powerful.

And of course, the imp noticed. With a mocking sneer, it easily dodged before flying at Josh and Boomer. Josh attacked with another lightning bolt. The imp spread its arms, bellowed something that sounded like a laugh, and flung its arms forward. A harsh gust of wind halted his lightning, causing the suspended magic to fizzle out, before continuing on to slam against Boomer.

Boomer roared. The sharp, metallic tang of blood flooded Josh's nose. The wall separating the bond shattered, and fire exploded through it. The heat seared through his veins and consumed all feeling in his thigh. Spots danced in his eyes.