Fights remained relatively stagnant in terms of movement. One group overpowered the other and pressed forward. Sometimes they would fall back but otherwise they fought in a single area. On the other hand, the airborne fighters moved with the freedom of flight. It was possible to navigate the space even with many people in the sky. Most of them flew a little above the primary battle but Sariel and Veil clashed much higher.
Each time they engaged and retreated the battle moved skyward. Their silhouettes could be glimpsed within clouds with focused concentration. Demons didn’t bother monitoring the mad scientist but Vethyean troops kept an eye on their draconic ally. No one thought it was possible to help them but it would be foolish not to keep track just in case. Thankfully, a field of flowers and metallic scales marked the land wherever Sariel and Veil exchanged blows. The rain of shining stone made it clear that both warriors had lost much of their armor. Such an assumption was foolish when relating to either Sariel or Veil.
Naturally formed dragon scales were incredibly powerful. None of Sariel’s were so much as chipped. She’d made a point to block attacks with the wooden armor so when it cracked or chipped it could be magically repaired. To her surprise, Veil’s armor was as powerful as her true emerald hide. The amount of experimentation he must have done to reach the high quality defense of a dragon made Sariel’s spine shudder. It wasn’t fear. Anger pounded in her head at the only logical way the changeling could have conducted such research.
Sariel was the first dragon the scientist and his allies captured. Centuries of torture and testing allowed them to steal and reproduce the legendary material. It disgusted her that Veil matched her and as the battle continued she didn’t bother hiding it. But the full-face helmet that covered Sariel allowed her to keep a stoic facade. There was no way she’d allow it to slip enough for the demon to bask in it. Instead she focused on ripping apart the false scales that covered his form.
With each failed attack, a new weapon was produced. Veil took it as a sign that the draconic elf could not produce satisfactory weapons. He happily swung rapidly shifting weapons at her. Utilizing an open stance allowed Sariel to shift the weapons off course. Any that collided only impacted the wooden armor. Wounds opened underneath and stained the scales red. Fortunately, similar damage was beginning to appear on Veil. Sariel’s weapons grew barbs and dripped unknown ichors from porous thorns. Well placed strikes carved into the changeling and tore into muscle underneath his hide. It was obvious the unhealable wounds weighed on him the instant they started riddling him.
Suddenly, a howl pierced through the battlefield so loudly that it reached the skybound warriors. Both hesitated long enough to catch a glimpse of the source. While Veil was focused on the blood soaked werewolf, Sariel’s eye turned to the surrounding allies. Namely Vofric as he placed a fallen ally softly on the ground. A somber goodbye passed the dragon’s mouth as she quickly turned back to Veil. The smarmy grin plastered on his face was infuriating. Sariel’s downtrodden eyes quickly lit up with anger but she didn’t move to engage.
“You have always been quite soft for a dragon,” he said. “Your father never attacked settlements as your kind is wont to do. I am unsurprised that such an upbringing produced a weakling who dreamed of traveling. To meet humanoids on equal footing.” He pointed towards Vofric’s group and cackled, “Your weakness has resulted in the death of your precious allies. Their hearts waver with every loss. With every moment you waste attempting to defeat me, more of them will fall.”
A familiar sound rang in Sariel’s ears. Not loud enough for Veil to notice or unique enough to demand attention. But over three years, the elf had grown accustomed to its holy presence. The peculiar wailing that accompanied it identified the young cub who’d grown under the party’s watchful eye. Part of her wished to see what was going to happen but knew she didn’t need to look back. The shift in power was guaranteed when Vofric and Avant were enraged. Though she’d never admit it to the dwarf, Sariel made a point not to get on his bad side.
“A brief glimpse of my allies cannot inform you of their strength,” Sariel explained. “They do not rely on me for protection but to fight as their equal. You are correct that I have failed them. By now you should have fallen and I have toyed with you for far too long.”
Veil squinted at his failed experiment and literally spat at her.
“You are nothing but a failed experiment. That is why you were abandoned.”
“Both of those are the fault of the one conducting experiments,” Sariel replied readily. “You failed to completely morph me and opted to leave me mutated. You could not utilize magic tools made of my hide and discarded them. You failed to end my life and gambled on whether I would wander aimlessly with lost memories.”
Without showing any preparation, she launched forward and stabbed a dagger into Veil’s shoulder. He reached for the hilt but it quickly transformed into a small flower bulb before jamming under the quickly recovering scale.
“You lack foresight and reek of pride,” the dragon declared.
“This coming from the fool who’s attacks are being overpowered by my scales. This was the only success your being wrought. Think carefully, would the hero’s party be any different without your presence?” Veil asked with a smirk.
To Sariel’s surprise, she responded in kind. A flood of memories washed over her even while crossing swords with the changeling. Insightful words from a small owlbear no one else could understand. Wise teachings from an ex-retiree who was far too interested in other people's lives. Caring questions stemming from a small town traveler turned warrior. Guidance from a woman far more knowledgeable than expected. Yet all of them had shortcomings for which they relied on a quiet elf who originally intended to leave them after reaching her goals.
“Your statements declare me unintelligent yet you battle with a distracted mind,” Veil said. “Declarations regarding the insects beneath us split your attention. Time is wasted because you humor their needs. To even consider them while facing me is the epitome of having pride in your capabilities. That is the sin of all dragons.”
“You are… correct,” Sariel replied as she lunged forward again with two daggers. Both found targets on Veil’s torso but he was able to retaliate with a morningstar against Sariel’s leg. The wooden armor shattered, taking much longer to repair itself.
“Dragons are undeservedly proud creatures stemming simply from the circumstances they are born into.” Sariel continued while repeatedly stabbing daggers into her opponent. Each one transformed and fused into Veil. In turn, he broke more of the wooden armor and began beating on the weak elven form underneath.
“However, my pride is different. It stems from the confidence friends place on me. Their hopes provide me with strength that I fail to utilize.” Sariel took the brunt of a hit to her ribs and lost the armor on her torso. In retaliation she kicked away from him and shed the last of the wooden scales.
Without missing a beat she continued, “The people you consider insects have unique ideas that put your century long experiments to shame. They risk themselves to push forward for even the slightest chance of overcoming hopeless odds. That is where I defer from them. This battle is anything but hopeless. I learned from you to modify experiments. However, I am willing to try until a satisfactory conclusion is reached.”
Veil rolled his eyes and morphed his arms into two sickles. With his large webbed wings fluttering at high speed he resembled an insect far more than the people on the battlefield. He flitted through the sky in seemingly random directions. If not for the sharp eyes of a dragon he may have gotten the drop on Sariel. He got close and swiped one arm. Upon missing he attacked with the other. Normally one would have connected but now the strikes felt slow. A frustrated breath came from Veil as he attempted to strike again. This time his arm locked in place and refused to move.
“It was foolish to allow my plants into your body,” Sariel said.
“I… healed…” Veil said as his jaw tightened.
“Incorrect. I simply changed my bulbs to resemble your scales. Isn’t it intriguing that my scales appear like petals?” Sariel asked while nodding at her opponent’s stabbed shoulder.
Scales were forced apart by a crimson flower’s petals. They had the consistency of the layered armor Sariel had removed. More bloomed from the different areas Veil invited attacks. Thorny vines rippled under the skin and burst outward. Poison tipped spikes froze Veil completely. The rapid wings slowed significantly and could only slow his descent to the ground. It wasn’t enough as he quickly plummeted towards the battlefield. But there was no heavy impact. Tightly shut eyes opened to see Sariel gripping one of the wings as she slowly placed Veil on the ground.
She didn’t bother to defend herself from demons as her allies took care of it. Nothing would pull her attention away from Veil as his facade completely slipped away. Apparent fear was written on his face as his body succumbed to the poison. Every scale slowly faded and only a grey featureless creature remained. The silver eyes that haunted Sariel for centuries stared at her in complete horror.
“Sariel, you were correct. I am a failure of a scientist. I can learn!” Veil shouted. “Allow me to speak with my master. We can come to an agreement.”
“You have nothing to coerce myself nor my friends,” Sariel said as she landed a few feet from her prisoner.
“I can revert your form!” When Veil’s declaration didn’t elicit a reaction, he asked, “Do you not wish to shed this skin?”
Sariel scoffed while summoning an intricate arrow. “Had you asked before, I may have agreed. Now I see it as a gift that allows me to walk alongside the people I adore.”
Veil screamed fearfully. Tears streaked their face as they blubbered, “Keeping me as a prisoner makes you as monstrous as myself! Please, I will remove myself from this battle. You do not need to kill me.”
“I will not keep you prisoner, Veil.” The bow Sariel carried for years appeared in her left hand. “This is not removal or murder,” she said as she knocked the arrow created with stems from flora across Vethyea. “You will provide nutrients to our world and be forgotten among the corpses of your brethren.”
Not so much as a whimper came from Veil as the arrow launched. Myriad hues of green swirled around the projectile as it drilled into the monster’s chest. Flowers bloomed from the shaft as it collided. Nutrients from the dying body rapidly flooded into the roots which ripped through the changeling’s limbs and dug into the ground. Flora violently expanded and could no longer be contained in the near lifeless husk. A violent explosion of blood, guts, and petals shook the battlefield. Beauty overpowered violence in the brief moment a shower of pristine flowers fell over the war.
Sariel took one last look at what little remained of her captor and removed her mask. Only a few dozen Vethyeans saw the wide smile that appeared on the dragon’s face. Others wouldn’t believe it when spoken of in the future. Likely because it vanished moments later as the draconic elf immediately returned to battle. Nevertheless, the legendary blessing would never be forgotten by those who saw it.
Fights remained relatively stagnant in terms of movement. One group overpowered the other and pressed forward. Sometimes they would fall back but otherwise they fought in a single area. On the other hand, the airborne fighters moved with the freedom of flight. It was possible to navigate the space even with many people in the sky. Most of them flew a little above the primary battle but Sariel and Veil clashed much higher.
Each time they engaged and retreated the battle moved skyward. Their silhouettes could be glimpsed within clouds with focused concentration. Demons didn’t bother monitoring the mad scientist but Vethyean troops kept an eye on their draconic ally. No one thought it was possible to help them but it would be foolish not to keep track just in case. Thankfully, a field of flowers and metallic scales marked the land wherever Sariel and Veil exchanged blows. The rain of shining stone made it clear that both warriors had lost much of their armor. Such an assumption was foolish when relating to either Sariel or Veil.
Naturally formed dragon scales were incredibly powerful. None of Sariel’s were so much as chipped. She’d made a point to block attacks with the wooden armor so when it cracked or chipped it could be magically repaired. To her surprise, Veil’s armor was as powerful as her true emerald hide. The amount of experimentation he must have done to reach the high quality defense of a dragon made Sariel’s spine shudder. It wasn’t fear. Anger pounded in her head at the only logical way the changeling could have conducted such research.
Sariel was the first dragon the scientist and his allies captured. Centuries of torture and testing allowed them to steal and reproduce the legendary material. It disgusted her that Veil matched her and as the battle continued she didn’t bother hiding it. But the full-face helmet that covered Sariel allowed her to keep a stoic facade. There was no way she’d allow it to slip enough for the demon to bask in it. Instead she focused on ripping apart the false scales that covered his form.
With each failed attack, a new weapon was produced. Veil took it as a sign that the draconic elf could not produce satisfactory weapons. He happily swung rapidly shifting weapons at her. Utilizing an open stance allowed Sariel to shift the weapons off course. Any that collided only impacted the wooden armor. Wounds opened underneath and stained the scales red. Fortunately, similar damage was beginning to appear on Veil. Sariel’s weapons grew barbs and dripped unknown ichors from porous thorns. Well placed strikes carved into the changeling and tore into muscle underneath his hide. It was obvious the unhealable wounds weighed on him the instant they started riddling him.
Suddenly, a howl pierced through the battlefield so loudly that it reached the skybound warriors. Both hesitated long enough to catch a glimpse of the source. While Veil was focused on the blood soaked werewolf, Sariel’s eye turned to the surrounding allies. Namely Vofric as he placed a fallen ally softly on the ground. A somber goodbye passed the dragon’s mouth as she quickly turned back to Veil. The smarmy grin plastered on his face was infuriating. Sariel’s downtrodden eyes quickly lit up with anger but she didn’t move to engage.
“You have always been quite soft for a dragon,” he said. “Your father never attacked settlements as your kind is wont to do. I am unsurprised that such an upbringing produced a weakling who dreamed of traveling. To meet humanoids on equal footing.” He pointed towards Vofric’s group and cackled, “Your weakness has resulted in the death of your precious allies. Their hearts waver with every loss. With every moment you waste attempting to defeat me, more of them will fall.”
A familiar sound rang in Sariel’s ears. Not loud enough for Veil to notice or unique enough to demand attention. But over three years, the elf had grown accustomed to its holy presence. The peculiar wailing that accompanied it identified the young cub who’d grown under the party’s watchful eye. Part of her wished to see what was going to happen but knew she didn’t need to look back. The shift in power was guaranteed when Vofric and Avant were enraged. Though she’d never admit it to the dwarf, Sariel made a point not to get on his bad side.
“A brief glimpse of my allies cannot inform you of their strength,” Sariel explained. “They do not rely on me for protection but to fight as their equal. You are correct that I have failed them. By now you should have fallen and I have toyed with you for far too long.”
Veil squinted at his failed experiment and literally spat at her.
“You are nothing but a failed experiment. That is why you were abandoned.”
“Both of those are the fault of the one conducting experiments,” Sariel replied readily. “You failed to completely morph me and opted to leave me mutated. You could not utilize magic tools made of my hide and discarded them. You failed to end my life and gambled on whether I would wander aimlessly with lost memories.”
Without showing any preparation, she launched forward and stabbed a dagger into Veil’s shoulder. He reached for the hilt but it quickly transformed into a small flower bulb before jamming under the quickly recovering scale.
“You lack foresight and reek of pride,” the dragon declared.
“This coming from the fool who’s attacks are being overpowered by my scales. This was the only success your being wrought. Think carefully, would the hero’s party be any different without your presence?” Veil asked with a smirk.
To Sariel’s surprise, she responded in kind. A flood of memories washed over her even while crossing swords with the changeling. Insightful words from a small owlbear no one else could understand. Wise teachings from an ex-retiree who was far too interested in other people's lives. Caring questions stemming from a small town traveler turned warrior. Guidance from a woman far more knowledgeable than expected. Yet all of them had shortcomings for which they relied on a quiet elf who originally intended to leave them after reaching her goals.
“Your statements declare me unintelligent yet you battle with a distracted mind,” Veil said. “Declarations regarding the insects beneath us split your attention. Time is wasted because you humor their needs. To even consider them while facing me is the epitome of having pride in your capabilities. That is the sin of all dragons.”
“You are… correct,” Sariel replied as she lunged forward again with two daggers. Both found targets on Veil’s torso but he was able to retaliate with a morningstar against Sariel’s leg. The wooden armor shattered, taking much longer to repair itself.
“Dragons are undeservedly proud creatures stemming simply from the circumstances they are born into.” Sariel continued while repeatedly stabbing daggers into her opponent. Each one transformed and fused into Veil. In turn, he broke more of the wooden armor and began beating on the weak elven form underneath.
“However, my pride is different. It stems from the confidence friends place on me. Their hopes provide me with strength that I fail to utilize.” Sariel took the brunt of a hit to her ribs and lost the armor on her torso. In retaliation she kicked away from him and shed the last of the wooden scales.
Without missing a beat she continued, “The people you consider insects have unique ideas that put your century long experiments to shame. They risk themselves to push forward for even the slightest chance of overcoming hopeless odds. That is where I defer from them. This battle is anything but hopeless. I learned from you to modify experiments. However, I am willing to try until a satisfactory conclusion is reached.”
Veil rolled his eyes and morphed his arms into two sickles. With his large webbed wings fluttering at high speed he resembled an insect far more than the people on the battlefield. He flitted through the sky in seemingly random directions. If not for the sharp eyes of a dragon he may have gotten the drop on Sariel. He got close and swiped one arm. Upon missing he attacked with the other. Normally one would have connected but now the strikes felt slow. A frustrated breath came from Veil as he attempted to strike again. This time his arm locked in place and refused to move.
“It was foolish to allow my plants into your body,” Sariel said.
“I… healed…” Veil said as his jaw tightened.
“Incorrect. I simply changed my bulbs to resemble your scales. Isn’t it intriguing that my scales appear like petals?” Sariel asked while nodding at her opponent’s stabbed shoulder.
Scales were forced apart by a crimson flower’s petals. They had the consistency of the layered armor Sariel had removed. More bloomed from the different areas Veil invited attacks. Thorny vines rippled under the skin and burst outward. Poison tipped spikes froze Veil completely. The rapid wings slowed significantly and could only slow his descent to the ground. It wasn’t enough as he quickly plummeted towards the battlefield. But there was no heavy impact. Tightly shut eyes opened to see Sariel gripping one of the wings as she slowly placed Veil on the ground.
She didn’t bother to defend herself from demons as her allies took care of it. Nothing would pull her attention away from Veil as his facade completely slipped away. Apparent fear was written on his face as his body succumbed to the poison. Every scale slowly faded and only a grey featureless creature remained. The silver eyes that haunted Sariel for centuries stared at her in complete horror.
“Sariel, you were correct. I am a failure of a scientist. I can learn!” Veil shouted. “Allow me to speak with my master. We can come to an agreement.”
“You have nothing to coerce myself nor my friends,” Sariel said as she landed a few feet from her prisoner.
“I can revert your form!” When Veil’s declaration didn’t elicit a reaction, he asked, “Do you not wish to shed this skin?”
Sariel scoffed while summoning an intricate arrow. “Had you asked before, I may have agreed. Now I see it as a gift that allows me to walk alongside the people I adore.”
Veil screamed fearfully. Tears streaked their face as they blubbered, “Keeping me as a prisoner makes you as monstrous as myself! Please, I will remove myself from this battle. You do not need to kill me.”
“I will not keep you prisoner, Veil.” The bow Sariel carried for years appeared in her left hand. “This is not removal or murder,” she said as she knocked the arrow created with stems from flora across Vethyea. “You will provide nutrients to our world and be forgotten among the corpses of your brethren.”
Not so much as a whimper came from Veil as the arrow launched. Myriad hues of green swirled around the projectile as it drilled into the monster’s chest. Flowers bloomed from the shaft as it collided. Nutrients from the dying body rapidly flooded into the roots which ripped through the changeling’s limbs and dug into the ground. Flora violently expanded and could no longer be contained in the near lifeless husk. A violent explosion of blood, guts, and petals shook the battlefield. Beauty overpowered violence in the brief moment a shower of pristine flowers fell over the war.
Sariel took one last look at what little remained of her captor and removed her mask. Only a few dozen Vethyeans saw the wide smile that appeared on the dragon’s face. Others wouldn’t believe it when spoken of in the future. Likely because it vanished moments later as the draconic elf immediately returned to battle. Nevertheless, the legendary blessing would never be forgotten by those who saw it.
