Baleful Wings (Dragon's Dogma Fanfiction)

Chapter 30: Audacity

"He was dead before he went to the ground," said Lyon, with his hand on Edward's shoulder. Arya couldn't imagine leaving reassuring remarks, afraid to only reopen fresh wounds. At this point, though, she could see the usefulness. Edward's stalwart expression only proved to be twice as depressing.
"Tis the Dragon," said Edward, distantly. Lyon's eyebrows raised. "Ever since the Dragon came to Gransys, these beasts have aught gotten bigger and more ferocious than ever," continued Edward. "Like they've been waiting for the sign to descend the mountains.. And the Dragon is their Messiah."
"Don't go bleating that Salvation dross," commented Caellach. "The Dragon is no god. 'Tis but another beast, like as the rest of them." He spoke in an inconsiderably annoyed manner.
"Well, how do you explain the lizard?" Asked Franz, who before now seemed apprehensive about joining the conversation. "I've seen naught a Saurian that caliber of vicious."
"Every land wrought by the Dragon is home to naught but beasts," inserted ser Orson. "I've heard tales of lands where Dragons are a commonplace, and are hunted by groups of men with the help of talking cats."
Caellach bursted into laughter. Edward remained strangely silent, as if to only absorb different perspectives.
"I'm only saying, that Ser Edward may have aught a point when he says that the beasts wait for the Dragon," said Orson, staring into the distance.
"There is otherwise good news! Before we left I received word that the woman from house Marten slayed a Hydra, and plans on bringing its head to the Duke," inserted Valter, obviously hoping to lighten the mood.
Arya was more than relieved to hear it, but everyone else was silent.

Arya still felt a strange surge of energy, but tried to shake it off. She could smell the grass, and track almost every leaf that blew in the wind. Something was coming closer, and closer, she could feel the heat from its body enter her space.
"Hey."
Ser Gerik scratched his neck, "My thanks, ser Arya. You saved my life back there."
"I just happened to be in the right place at the right time," replied Arya.
"And I'm glad you were." Gerik was a strange man, with scars on his face. He had medium-length sandy hair that was swept back. One would think he was a swordsman of some sort from looking at him.

Arya noticed the group gradually split up. The sky became grey, and everything around her seemed to lose color as a gale wind blew over them. She looked up, quickly, and locked eyes with a Dragon. It's leathered scales were as red as fire and shined in the sunlight as the color came back to Arya's eyes. The beating of its wings rendered a mighty force, and smoke flowed from its mouth. The Black Cloaks were much more careful as the monster descended, slowly moving as they observed the Drake, who watched them equally intensely. As it landed, it turned directly to Arya.
"You... You're the chosen one," The Drake said, its blazing eyes burning a hole through her head.
"I don't return your sentiment, lizard," replied Arya, pointing her sword at the beast. "There's another Dragon I wish to slay."
Edward's eyes widened at the exchange between them, but he quickly squared his eyes on the monster above.
"Aye, that is the way, chosen one!" The Drake stepped back, and unleashed fiery breath on the land. The fire blazed violently against the scorched dirt, Edward cast the flames aside with his cape. "Maker's glasses! A Dragon!?"
Caellach rushed forward with a sinister glare on his face, "I wonder if it tastes as good as it smells!" He and Lyon flanked both sides of it.
A spinning whip of the drake's tail sent them flying to the ground.
"Yaahhh!!" Arya shouted as she came down with a wild downward swing.

The dragon only looked blankly at its horn on the ground. It quickly turned, dealing a backward swipe to Edward who was coming in for an attack. Shining bolts rained from the sky, truly the Black Cloaks' combat abilities were on display. The creature sprinted with an amazing speed, eluding most of the attacks before taking to the air.
Franz kept his magick bow drawn, "What in blazes is this thing even doing here!?"
The dragon's glowing eyes left a trace in the air as it moved. Now looming just out of sword's reach, the dragon unleashed more fire-breath. Franz hurried to Edward, and helped him elude the blazes.
"Caellach!" Said Lyon, crouched down, holding his greatsword by his palm. Caellach ran toward him, and Lyon launched him skyward.
"Son of a bitch!" Said Caellach, as he grabbed on to the winged menace and started smashing at its back with his hammer. The beast struggled greatly before spinning mid-air and knocking him off. Edward sprinted forth and caught Caellach before he hit the ground.

"The beast lives up to their reputation," said Edward, breathing heavily, setting Caellach down. "It bears a fair amount of strength."
"And it's fire-breath is naught a trifle," added Franz. The monster roared, pierced by multiple arrows from Valter and Orson.
Edward picked up his greatsword, "We'll try another pincer attack. 'Tis the only way we're going to best this monster."
Lyon grimaced, "We saw what happened last time we tried that."
Edward glanced at Arya, "No... It will work this time."
Caellach was silent, casually popping his shoulder back into place. The dragon took quick notice of them, and with a beat of its wings it blasted forward. Suddenly, a pillar of ice blasted forth from the ground, thrusting into the beast's chest.
"AAAAGGHHH!!!!" The dragon writhed in agony after crashing to the ground.
"Excellent timing, Gerik!" Exclaimed Caellach.
Lyon and Edward rushed in and dealt slashes to the dragon's wings.
The Black Cloaks now surrounded the dragon as it regained its stance. Its eyes moved swiftly between its foes, embers peeked out of its mouth. The monster leapt, in a feeble attempt to regain flight, but its wings were far too damaged. Arrows suddenly pelted the beast's hide, and as it looked over it was met with a crunching blow from Caellach's hammer. Arya bursted forth, the Dragon's heart as her target. It met Arya's blow with its mighty claw.

"Not so fast, chosen -- guh!"
The Drake looked over slowly, at Lyon and Edward as they impaled it from both sides. "I see.. " It dropped down as they removed their swords from its hide. The dragon's eyes glowed, as it murmured in dragon-speak.
"Aught are we waiting for, let's kill this dammed creature already!" Caellach spun his hammer and swung with all his might.
-CLANK!-
Arya directed his attacked straight into the dirt with her shield, "No, ser Caellach. This fight is over."
"Why, you little--!"
The dragon suddenly leapt into the air, flying doggedly into the distance.