“Hide!” Haagut snapped. He turned and saw nothing that could be used as cover. Color drained from Odelia’s face, in a second she turned ran. Reciting an incantation as she ran; giant rocks broke out of the ground and began orbiting her. A bright glow erupted out from her as the rocks circled her. Haagut rubbed dirt over his hands and gave Cleatus a quick slap on the thigh and ducked behind a rock. Cleatus didn’t notice, his eyes were locked on the figure in the raging flurry. Flying circles around the seed and the party within the eye of the storm.

Shaynen turned about in the storm feeling completely helpless. There was nothing he could do, but that wasn’t good enough. He watched the shadow in the storm circle about, something deep within him started to stir as the cold was chased away from his body. He began advancing toward the storm, keeping time within his mind about when the shadow would pass him. As he walked a glow of blue-silver bled out and over him. Among the giant clumps of snow appeared silvery wisping feathers that slipped together into a pair of large wings that spread out from behind Shaynen. More of it wisping climbed up and framed his face in a set of horns and silver markings resembling scales lined his face.

“You will leave right now!” He commanded as the shadow passed. The shadow paused within the tempest. Hovering ahead of Shaynen with an icy glare.

“Is that supposed to frighten me, little imposter?” The voice bounced and echoed through the winds from every direction.

“Get the bastard!” Haagut called from his cover, digging frantically into his bag.

“I plan to,” Cleatus said. His fur was swept in every direction by the wind. As the slate grey strands waved they began to change colors. A midnight color washing over him, his black spots fading into a covering of a thousand stars. Across his chest the stars moved themselves and a line was drawn between them into the constellation of The Archer. Cleatus pulled his bow back but didn’t grab an arrow. The Archer on his chest also drew back his bow. Cleatus released the string and a beam of starry light flew out from The Archer. Piercing through the storm and straight to the shadow within it. Staggering it back and out of sight again.

Cleatus flipped an arrow from his quiver between his fingers and nocked it. Holding his bow down and searching the storm for the shadow. Within the same second he caught sight of the shadow; he shot at it with his bow. However it didn’t stop this time. The dragon burst through the razor sharp winds, baring its teeth; it descended down through the eye of the storm. A concentrated flurry of ice burst through it’s sharply defined jaws. Raining down across the party. The shards of ice rained down over Haagut and Cleatus. Piercing through Haagut’s cover and through him as well. Dropping him among the snow that was also falling.

Odelia stumbled back toward the center of the storm again. She was hyperventilating, everything looked exactly the same. The cold was closing in on her. She slung two of the rocks orbiting her into the tempest. Hearing the sound of them crashing against something solid within the wind. She saw the shadow again in the wind and threw two more rocks after the shadow with equal sounding crashes.

Haagut suddenly gasped and sat up. Cleatus’ starry skin changed and The Archer vanished and was replaced with the silvery Chalice. He slipped a couple of berries out of his pack and tossed them to Haagut. He rapidly fired two arrows into the storm. Through the storm the dragon appeared again. Dropping down in the center of the storm. It’s tail whipped around and slapped Cleatus back. Shaynen leapt forward towards the jaw of the dragon. He rapidly slapped the dragon’s jaw closed and kept punching at it’s jaw. Avoiding getting caught by the teeth.

Odelia threw her mind like a dagger, piercing into the dragon’s mind. It flinched back with two more of the orbiting rocks. The two stones collided into the dragon’s eyes. The dragon screeched and shook its head. Haagut jumped up out of the snow and jumped. Shrieking curses to the heavens in goblin as he ran at the dragon’s back foot. Jumping into the air and plunging his immovable spear into the dragon’s foot. Cleatus got to his knees and shot an arrow into the dragon. Adding a little forest magic to the arrow that propelled him up and onto his feet. Jumping back and out of the dragon’s reach.

The dragon blindly swept his tail around the field. Haagut felt the wind of it’s swipe over his head. A swipe of his claw breezed past Cleatus. Blood spilled between the dragon’s teeth as his jaws open and lunged forward at Shaynen. Haagut slid his shield off his back and swung it around. The green scale flew off and smacked the dragon’s jaws closed and away from Shaynen. The dragon reared back and plunged into the snow, burying down into the earth. The party took a sigh of relief. Haagut healed up his wounds and Cleatus did the same. Shaynen looked down the hole worriedly. Noticing the wings out of the corner of his eyes; his heart skipped a few beats.

The dragon burst up from the ground behind Cleatus and Haagut. It breathed in and threw icy shrapnel across the area. It pierced through Cleatus, Haagut, and Shaynen. Haagut again fell to the ground in a puddle of his own blood. Odelia slid in from the side, white magic darts shot out from her fingers. She stumbled as she felt her muscles tremble and then deflate. However her brain became alive with logic far beyond what she had ever thought of before. With such clarity she held up her hand and a bolt of fire burst from her palm. Striking the side of the dragon before being engulfed in the light she conjured.

Cleatus shot off another arrow that went wide past the dragon. He was staring at Haagut, he waved his hand and commanded Haagut to awaken. The unconscious goblin’s eyes opened and he sat up surprised. Cleatus turned back toward the dragon in time to be slammed back by the dragon’s tail. Knocking him unconscious against the snow covered rocks. The dragon turned and charged at Shaynen. Shaynen took half a step back as the icy teeth framed his vision. He reached up and brought down the feathery ethereal wings over his arms. They changed from the wings to a feathery set of claws. Shaynen caught the dragon’s jaws in his astral claws. The force of the dragon’s charge pushed him back through the snow and dirt. His teeth grated together as he pushed back against the icy creature.

The dragon’s head jerked as it tried to shake Shaynen’s grip off. Shaynen wrestled with the dragon; matching every push and pull. He tightened his grip and wrenched the dragon’s jaws sharply. The crack of the creature’s bones echoed over the mountaintop; as did the thud of the dead dragon hitting the ground. Shaynen dropped the dead jaws and stumbled back. Tripping over the snow bank that was created from the fight. He watched the partially visible feathers drift away as the astral energy faded away.