Dragon Sorcerer 2- Chapter 83 (Patreon)

Chapter 83- Dragon vs Baloth

Our patrols the day before had never taken us further than fifteen miles from the village we had stayed in before. Even in my human form, I could have run than in perhaps half an hour if it were flat ground. The forest and uneven terrain would have turned it into a couple of hours.

The baloth was going to make it in probably five to seven minutes if I was estimating correctly. It was too powerful to be slowed down by the ground, and whatever corruption it experienced didn’t seem to keep it from manipulating the ground around it.

Yet all that speed wouldn’t matter. I was in the air and no land creature could keep up with a lord of the air. My wings beat, but that wasn’t the true power of my flight. I moved by magic so subtle and yet powerful that it was no more necessary for me to think about it than it would be to order my heart to beat.

Cami squealed in joy. “You’ve never flown this fast with me.”

“There’s never been a reason.”

We were silent for a minute as I crossed most of the distance. I saw the baloth. Despite its head start, it had only reached some of the farms which were on the outskirts of the town.

“Are you ready?”

“I’ll follow your lead?”

I struggled. I wanted to announce that of course she would follow my lead. She was only a human, a lesser being, a minion. Yet the memories of Draconis and Reegor in battle blended with the waking dream I had just experienced. There was so much more going on that I didn’t know. I wouldn’t be subservient to anyone, but I either had to trust my ancestor or not. Breaking down his last words, I had to decide if I would trust Cami fully. If the bond was a trap, I needed more information, but if it was a tool, I needed to use it.

I nearly choked on my telepathic answer, but it was the right thing. This was battle and I needed to use all my tools against a powerful foe. “Yes, but the first strike belongs to you. Draw upon my power to boost your spells. Show no mercy and don’t hold back with this monster.”

I felt her determination. Suddenly, we were of one mind. Her clarity of thought and desire to protect the humans below swelled through me, but I felt her legs squeeze down tighter as she sat on my back. My ferocity was raging within me.

-2 DKP Your bonded is casting Call the Charge at 5th Tier

As I saw the notification, a thought struck me. I poured more DKP into boosting Shocking Aura.

Shocking Aura 2: 10 DKP

Shocking Aura 3: 20 DKP

Shocking Aura 4: 40 DKP

It was a huge amount of power to spend, but the pay-off was worth it.

Your bonded companion’s spell has merged with Shocking Aura. You have become the storm.

Electrical Armor forms all around you. Your body is filled with the power of the storm. Increased damage resistance achieved. Energy-based damage reduced by 100. Physical based damage reduced by 50.

All your electrical damage boosted by 200%. Damage penetration increased by 100%.

Shocking Aura 4 (synergy boosted): All non-bonded beings who come within 12 feet of you will be shocked for 12-96 electrical damage. They will continue to take 24 electrical damage every second that they stay within the ten-foot range.

I felt so alive. I felt Cami start casting her next spell, but I had to cast one of my own.

Identify

Baloth -Horror Spawn Tier 4*

HP: 1990/4100

-2 DKP Your bonded is casting Burning Sphere at 5thTier

Number of spheres upgraded to 3. Base damage increased to 9-36+3/caster level. Sphere size increased to 4’ diameter.

No sooner had she finished casting the spell than all three of the sphere fell like burning stars from the sky and homed in on the baloth. It looked up from the horse it was ripping in half as it destroyed a barn, but it was too late. I smiled.

The sphere blasted into it and the barn went up in flame. The damage was tripled and soon the baloth was leaping out of burning wood. Its body was scarred by fire, but already its regenerative powers had been partially restored. That was fine, though. Cami’s attack had taken its attention, now it was my turn.

I opened my mouth and death rolled out. Dracomorphic lightning in my human form felt so odd. This felt so natural. It was literally as easy as breathing. The air inside my mouth ignited. The pleasant smell of ozone created by Shocking Aura suddenly and dramatically increased as a bolt of lightning larger than any I had ever produced ripped from me into the Baloth.

Bark like flesh was blasted away from its body in great gouts and a large opening ripped into its side. The creature’s entire form was thrown twenty feet. When it landed, it rolled around, trying to put out the flames and soothe its pain. A full quarter of its remaining life had been taken in a single instant and more than that once the fire was added in.

I could definitely get used to the increased power, but as is always the case, when something seems too easy there is still more to it.

The baloth’s body rippled, and it shrunk down. Before it had been twenty-five feet long but now it lost about ten percent of its size but as it did, all its wounds closed. It howled and then hissed at me. “So the wyrmling has some teeth, after all.”

Rather than engage in a back and forth I dove. My claws were extended. If it wanted to feel my teeth, I’d be only too happy to oblige it. Claws and teeth both ripped into it, but it got exactly what it wanted. As I closed in, spikes extended from its sides and lanced into me.

My own body weight and momentum drove his weapons into me just as easily as my claws ripped him apart. I bit down but howled in pain as I felt the thorny protrusions rip into the soft flesh, which was bereft of the protection provided by my scales.

The lightning dancing along my body burnt into it, but it seemed to be immune to the muscle spasming shock effects. Finally, in a roar of pain, I let go of it and beat my wings to break contact. It was battered and torn, but I was bleeding from a dozen wounds and my mouth hurt intensely. I noticed that as I pulled back, Cami yanked on her spear. I felt pride that not only was she casting, but she was using her own version of a dragon’s claw.

It also worried me though. If the barbed spikes had done this much damage to me, they would kill Cami. She was mine, and that would not be allowed. As I gained some attitude, I felt the strangest sensation from her. She wasn’t worried about herself. She was worried for me.

“Are you okay, Nico?”

I didn’t immediately reply but instead cast Life’s Blood followed by Lesser Regeneration.

The two spells combined to close most of the wounds I had suffered as I said, “That hurt. He needs to burn.”

I couldn’t see, but I felt Cami smile. “Look.”

I glanced down and saw the Burning Spheres she controlled as they continued to roll around, harassing the monster. Its body had shrunk once again, and it was no longer than twenty feet now, but it was once again healed of all the damage I had caused. Then it was off and running for the village again.

This fight showed me something. I knew the evolution of the claw would never be the right path for me. I craved more magical power. The power of lightning filled my veins, and I wanted more of that. I needed to find an evolution which would boost my magic. That, and both Cami and I needed to gain more spells.

Going through my options, I didn’t have any spell strong enough even boosted to deal with a Tier 4 monster.

I sucked in a deep breath as I braced myself for what had to come. “Cami…” I began.

“I know. We don’t have enough magic. I’m sorry, Nico. I’ll get stronger. I swear it.”

Our minds felt more in sync than ever before. This was what I had seen in the battle when Draconis and Reegor fought as one. I wanted this and more, not because I wanted to lose myself, but because I wanted that power.

The Burning Spheres just weren’t enough. Force Darts didn’t pack enough punch. I could feel the energy for another breath weapon attack building back up, but it wasn’t ready yet. Dragon Fear was having no effect. There was little choice but to engage physically again.

As I dove back down again, I once again triggered my ability Project Image. The image of me, this time in my true form, appeared in the path right in front of the baloth. The creature leapt aside but then burst into a hoarse laughter. “You’ll have to do better than that, wyrmling. My kind was made to kill dragons. If you want to fight me, you’ll have to get bloody.”

I roared in rage just as he hit the edge of the town. Then I dove at him faster than an arrow. At the last second, I pulled up and slammed my tail into his rear leg. The monster was flipped end over end and slammed into a building, but he had prepared his own attack. Two spikes shout out from his front shoulders.

This time, though, they were more than simply spikes. Each was connected to his body still with a thick vine like cord. Only one of the spike managed to penetrate my scales as the other was deflected away, but that one latched onto me and I felt myself be pulled from the sky.

The creature's earthen power countered the magic which kept me aloft, and my body slammed downward. I cursed myself for falling for such a tactic and then cursed in pain as I felt one of my wings snap as I twisted my body, trying to keep Cami from hitting the ground. She leapt free from me at the last second and despite the pain I could breathe a bit easier.

That was when things got truly brutal. I struck with claws, lashed with my tail, and bit down with fangs. Each attack tore at the creature’s body while Shocking Aura cut him up with arcs of lightning dancing all over him.

The baloth kept shoving his horn at me and I barely diverted it time and again. I didn’t want to be impaled, as his powerful front claws were already damaging me badly enough. They seemed designed for tearing through rock, but it occurred to me that they were likely good at tearing through rock because they have been designed to rip open dragon scales.

The tips were fine enough that he would batter them until he found a spot under one of my scales and then rip it clean off. Each such attack brought a roar of pain, but I was giving as good as I got. His body was being ripped apart and whatever regenerative power he had was overtaxed and no longer working.

Every time he tried to condense his body again, I ripped into him. His rippling form would waver almost seeming like it was going to break apart and then it would reform without healing. He growled like a feral beast and no longer had breath to spare for taunts.

As the fight drug on, I began to become confident that I would win. He was strong and durable but I had more power and as tough as his hide was my scales gave me an advantage he could only chip away at but never fully overcome.

When I was able to breathe a lightning bolt point blank into his face, the fight was all but decided. He wouldn’t stop, but that was fine. I wouldn’t have accepted his surrender. Piece by piece, I tore him apart. Only when each of his limbs and his head had been severed from the monster's main body did he finally stop moving.

At the last second, Cami leapt in and was able to drive her spear through the creature’s eye. Our rolling bodies had prevented her from getting too close, but as a true bonded, she had waited for just the right moment. Right as she attacked, I felt a draw on my DKP one last time.

-3 DKP Your bonded is casting Venom of Silence at 5thTier

The highly toxic poison coursed into the creature’s brain along with the tip of her spear and soon its body began to break down. I struggled back to all fours and looked around. A couple of the buildings in the village had been destroyed, but more than a hundred humans were staring at us.

I would have shaken my head in shock at their stupidity. How had they possibly thought it was safe to stand outside watching the fight, but then they started to cheer and clap? They took up a chant, repeating the same simple phrase again and again.

“The dragon is a hero!”