Chapter 174

“I don’t like it,” Snowcloud said, shooting a worried look at the sleeping dragon . “It’s too dangerous . “

“I don’t like it either,” Arran replied truthfully, “but we’re not exactly spoiled for choice, and if Crassus is right, time is running short . “

Snowcloud sighed deeply . “We could at least wait until nightfall . At least then, it won’t be able to see you . “

Arran shook his head . “It’s another eight hours before the sun goes down . By then, the dragon will be even stronger . Every hour we wait is another hour it has to recover . “

Snowcloud hesitated briefly, but then, she gave Arran a reluctant nod . “All right . Just… be careful . This isn’t the fight we planned for . “

Arran knew that all too well, of course . They had expected there would be at least another week before they had to face the dragon, with plenty of time to plan and prepare . And in their original plans, they would attack in the dead of night, using their Sense and Arran’s Shadowsight to gain an advantage over the beast .

But then, Crassus had informed them that the dragon was already beginning to recover, over a week ahead of schedule . And although Arran had some doubts about the fat guide, from what he could tell, the man was right .

Which meant that they had to attack immediately, with nothing but an improvised plan and the hope that the dragon had only recovered a tiny portion of its strength .

Arran did not despair at the prospect — he didn’t have the time for that . All he could do now was perform the task ahead as best he could, and hope for the best . If he survived, there would be time to worry after the battle .

He quickly hurried along the edge of the valley, hiding between the rocks as he moved . Even though the dragon should still be fast asleep, he didn’t want to risk waking it — not until they launched their attack, at least .

When he finally came to a stop, he was on the opposite side of the valley, in an area filled with rocks and outcrops . While the cover would offer little protection if the dragon attacked, he hoped that hiding should buy him some time until he accomplished his task .

He grabbed his Duskcloak from his void bag immediately and wrapped it around himself . Then, he produced his weapon — the dragonbone bow Lord Jiang had given him years ago .

While the ‘dragonbone’ from which the bow was crafted was really just wood, the weapon was still a formidable one . Even now, with his body many times stronger than it had been when he received the bow, it still took him effort to fully draw it . And while he wasn’t sure how much it would accomplish against an adept, it could rip through a novice with ease .

But of course, he wasn’t facing novices or adepts right now . He was facing an adult dragon — strong enough to effortlessly kill novices and adepts alike .

Arran took out half a dozen arrows, then spent several moments getting his position just right . In the battle to come, he needed every advantage he could get .

Finally, when he was certain he had done all he could, he raised his hand and waved briefly toward the rocks that hid Snowcloud .

A moment later, a man-sized boulder at the far edge of the valley began to roll, seeming to move all by itself .

This, of course, was Snowcloud’s doing . She was using Wind Essence to apply an invisible force to the rock, causing it to move even though she herself was several hundreds of paces away .

Despite his anxiety, Arran could not help but be impressed by the feat . Although he was physically stronger than Snowcloud, this was something he wouldn’t be able to do using just magic — both his skill and control were clearly still a level below hers .

The rock steadily rolled toward the motionless dragon, picking up speed as it moved, and soon it was hurtling toward the beast as if it was rolling down a hill, moving forward with a thunderous sound . But despite the noise, the dragon did not react — it simply lay there like a scaled, rust-colored hill, still unmoving .

A moment later, the rock struck the creature, crashing into it with enough force to flatten even a strong mage .

Yet although the boulder cracked into several pieces when it struck, the dragon itself was completely unharmed, its steel-like skin easily resisting the blow .

Arran had expected this, of course . If the beast were that easy to injure, their task would be an easy one . All he needed was for the dragon to be awakened from its slumber .

For a few brief moments, the dragon did not react, as if it hadn’t even noticed the savage impact . But then, it began to stir, sluggishly raising its head .

As the dragon moved, Arran waited with bated breath, arrow nocked to his bow . The moment was almost there…

The giant beast moved its head several times, as if trying to shake off the poison’s daze . Then, it opened its eyes .

That was the moment Arran had been waiting for . At once, he loosed an arrow that soared toward the dragon’s head with staggering force . Before the arrow struck, he loosed a second, then a third .

Before his Tempering, he would not have been able to shoot so quickly and still be accurate . But now, it was a simple matter, even from a distance of several hundred paces . The only question was how much the dragon would move before the arrows struck .

The moment the third arrow left Arran’s bow, he sent a surge of Essence into his Duskcloak, and like that, he disappeared from sight . Hit or miss, he did not want to give the dragon a chance to find him .

As Arran hid, the first arrow struck, ramming into the side of the creature’s head with devastating power… and harmlessly glancing off its scales .

Yet the sudden impact caused the dragon to turn its head, and the second and third arrows struck only a moment later, slamming into the beast’s left eye with enough force to shatter a stone wall .

While the dragon’s scales were like steel, its eyes had no such protection, and the creature roared in pain as its eye was torn apart .

Arran breathed a quiet sigh of relief . The first half of the task was completed . Now, all they would need to do was wait for the dragon to calm down, then repeat the feat and fully blind the creature .

Between the force of the arrows and the three types of poison Snowcloud had applied to them, it should be at least several days before the beast’s injuries healed . And while it was fully blinded, they should have a far easier time causing it further injuries .

Arran’s relief was cut short an instant later, however, when the giant beast turned its head toward his hiding spot . The creature let out an anguished roar, then slowly raised its massive body up on its legs .

Then, it took a step toward Arran, its clawed foot hitting the ground with a booming crash . Another step followed, and slowly though the beast moved, Arran paled at the sight .

A feeling of dread set in when he understood this beast wasn’t as stupid as its juvenile cousin . Even if the dragon had not seen him, it seemed to realize from where the attack had come . And now, the colossal creature was heading straight for him .

Arran cursed silently, his mind racing as he tried to think of a way to escape .