Draco had found himself a slightly better spot, one which, in his view, offered less visibility. Although he found his way around the city more easily, spotting a particularly lush bush wasn't all that difficult. The only problem was that he'd become separated from Noah and Sheth. He could still see them, it was true, but he had no way of communicating with them. It would also be difficult to return unnoticed. The dragon did not want to take any unnecessary risks that someone might spot him this time. It seemed the other two had come to a similar conclusion, as the parthir pointed at himself, then at the dragon, and finally at the village. The message was clear. They were going ahead with the plan, with just a slight modification.
Before he set about preparing for the next stage of the attack, Draco cast a quick glance at the defeated cadet, who was staring wearily at the treetops. He was immobilised, so there was little else he could do. Being incapacitated was probably the thing that bothered him the most.
The dragon smiled grimly as he saw that the builder's gaze had just settled on him. The paralysed boy merely rolled his eyes and half-closed his eyelids, clearly planning to take a nap, at least until the next blackout. In his place, I'd probably do the same. The reptile thought, but immediately shook his head to dispel unnecessary thoughts and returned to his task.
Peering out from behind a bush, he scanned the village. It didn't seem as though anyone had noticed that anything had happened. What's more, no one seemed concerned that Gerwyn hadn't returned, although that could easily have been put down to him searching for suitable materials or an earlier argument. Work carried on at its usual pace.
Cedric returned to his original position and, with barely perceptible concern, scanned the forest ahead of him. It was hard to say whether he didn't quite believe they'd manage to take out their opponent without making unnecessary noise, or whether he was waiting for the lone builder to raise the alarm himself. The commander spent a good while like this, until Zane hurled an acorn at him. Retfiled shot the elf a disapproving glance, but tore his gaze away from the forest and cast a quick look at the village.
They needed the right moment to attack, and for the time being most of the defenders were clustered quite closely together and, should any trouble arise, could easily improvise a defensive formation. The guards stationed in the cottage were also part of this. It was hard to say whether there were only three of them there, or perhaps more. Earlier, Cedric had debated the matter, arguing that, having assigned one squad to keep watch in the guardhouse on the rocky outcrop, there was no point in spreading their forces unevenly; if anything, three units should be stationed in the tower by the lake, and only one here. From the defenders' point of view, the village itself should have been the safest place, as it lay between the two bases, and access was also hampered by terrain obstacles that were, in theory, insurmountable.
Time passed slowly, and even dragged on. Draco could be patient, but more often than not he had to rely on that patience whilst hiding from Pirce. However, waiting for the right moment to attack himself was a completely different matter. The dragon could feel the tension in the situation, and being separated from the rest of the team did not help at all. He felt like throwing himself into the fray already, not even out of a desire to take up arms, but simply because he was slowly growing tired of the nervous atmosphere.
It was hard for him to say how much time had passed, but at last something began to happen. Three guards emerged from a hut further away, one of whom was dressed in an outfit not quite suited to the nature of the task at hand. He wore a thick leather apron with plenty of side pockets, reinforced gloves reaching up to his elbows, and a helmet with a semi-transparent visor. On his back he carried a sizeable, cubic rucksack that looked as though it were made of rigid components. Liam, as Draco surmised, assuming it was impossible to look any more like an alchemist handling dangerous substances, was carrying a thin, oblong box in his hands. The other two guards didn't even attempt to approach him, whilst the remaining cadets had stopped what they were doing and were staring at the slow procession heading towards the stream. At that moment, everyone watching Liam had their backs to the forest.
The attackers at the front seized the moment and, trying to make as little noise as possible, pressed forward. They didn't have far to go, and after just a short while they found themselves behind two huts closer to the forest, with their backs pressed against the walls made of thick logs. On the left, Cedric took up position with four other cadets, and on the right, Zane with two.
A rustling sound caught the dragon's attention. As he looked in that direction, Sheth and Noah were moving forward, relatively calmly and choosing a fairly concealed path. The dragon scanned the village and, trying to make as little noise as possible, set off in pursuit of his team-mates. Glancing every now and then towards their opponents, he concluded that they should thank Liam after the lesson. The alchemist was the main reason for their current success and their trouble-free sneak into the village within effective casting range.
Draco stopped at the edge of the forest, just behind the parthir, who had just placed both hands on a massive oak tree and closed his eyes. The troll was standing slightly to the right, partly hidden behind the tree, so the dragon positioned himself in a similar manner on the left. He slowly drew his sword and leaned his shoulder against the trunk to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, though no one was looking in their direction anyway.
Cedric first scanned the edge of the forest, then, as if gathering his composure, took a few deep breaths. Retfield leapt with a fluid motion into the centre of the space between the two cottages, stretching his right arm out in front of him. Before he could do anything else, the other members of the advance unit followed his example and, as if on command, they all cast spells at the backs of the unsuspecting defenders. Multicoloured projectiles whizzed across the square, striking the startled cadets. However, not all of them hit their mark, and one of the fireballs flew alarmingly close to the wooden crate that Liam was still clutching.
Draco, however, had no time to admire the skirmish. He pushed himself away from the oak tree and, tightening his grip on the hilt of Gler'thys, lunged forward. At the edge of his field of vision, he could see that Sheth had done the same and was charging forward with the second wave of the attack. The flashes coming from between the buildings had become more frequent and now seemed to be coming from all sides. The defenders had to react very quickly to the unexpected threat and respond in a rather aggressive manner.
The dragon reached the already destroyed palisade and burst into the square. In those few, incredibly precious moments, much had changed. Cedric, along with two other cadets, was taking cover behind a pile of shattered logs, casting spells at the defenders hiding in the hut opposite. Meanwhile, Zane and Erik were clashing with their opponents using weapons. For a fraction of a second, the dragon's gaze lingered on the elf, as his hands appeared to be covered in a semi-transparent, slightly iridescent matter that allowed him to easily deflect his opponents' weapons.
Standing still was not a good idea. A golden arrow narrowly missed the reptile's head before splitting one of the logs in the wall. Draco darted to the side, trying to see who had attacked him. Only then did he notice the figures lying motionless on the ground. By the cottage he'd just passed lay two lads who'd been following Cedric, whilst another cadet from their group lay almost at Zane's feet. The other side, however, had suffered more. In the middle of the square, three defenders lay sprawled in awkward positions, whilst further on lay Liam, still clutching a wooden crate and crushing the signal flare that had previously been next to the banner. The rest were fighting in relatively even clashes. At least until the second wave of attackers arrived.
The dragon hurled his own spell towards the defenders' hut, but managed only to shatter one of the logs from which the entrance had been fashioned. A scream from the left caught the dragon's attention. Zane had just knocked his opponent down with a ruthless blow to his exposed temple and immediately pointed towards something at the side of the building. Draco could see little, only a hand protruding from a gaping hole in the wall, stretched out towards the sky.
He swore viciously and fired several light projectiles in that direction, which chipped away a few splinters from the logs. Someone grabbed him by the arm as he passed and yanked him to the side. For a dragon, it wasn't a particularly strong pull, but it was enough to make the next projectile miss him. Seeing the look on Cedric's face, Draco knew they'd both thought the same thing. There was no need for a flare to raise the alarm.
The projectiles suddenly struck with greater force, and they took cover behind the bales, which could barely hold out any longer. The dragon glanced quickly around. The second part of their group was just making its way between the buildings, and the defenders had intensified their attacks. There was neither time nor opportunity to prevent the alarm from being raised.
Draco, clinging to a faint hope of success, let go of his sword and threw both arms upwards. Imagining a magical veil stretching over the village, he channelled as much mana into it as he could muster. He felt a sharp jolt somewhere inside him and warmth spreading from within, through his chest, arms, hands and beyond. Dragon runes appeared around his wrists, whirling at a dizzying pace, and flared with golden light. The pulsating, luminous veil began to spread over the settlement, but the further it was from the dragon, the paler and noticeably weaker it became. It was too small to encompass the defenders. Draco bit his lip, tasting blood in his mouth. He concentrated even harder and pushed a much larger surge of energy forward. His vision darkened and he staggered slightly. He felt as though he'd lifted a weight too heavy for him, one that was about to crush him.
A red flash allowed him to focus on something else. A fireball, as if in slow motion, emerged from between the cottages and shot upwards. Draco knew full well that if anyone spotted the explosion, they could kiss any element of surprise or extra points goodbye. However, there was nothing more he could do, so he watched.
A whistling sound in his ears snapped him out of that peculiar state of numbness. The fiery projectile shot upwards and struck the barrier that had formed at the last moment. The ball of flame, however, did not explode; instead, it slid down the sloping barrier and whizzed past, grazing it. Draco watched, fascinated, as the spell arced towards the top of the cast veil and began to descend towards the dragon. The reptile did not react, staring intently at the flames. The magical projectile whizzed over Draco's head and crashed into the cottage behind him with a thud. The explosion wasn't particularly powerful, but it was enough to set the simple interior ablaze.
Someone screamed, and the dragon realised he had frozen in the open. The logs behind which they had previously been hiding had shattered into splinters. At the entrance to the building opposite, at the very last moment, he caught sight of a face illuminated by a cast spell. He knew there was no way to avoid it, and a sudden wave of fatigue left him unable to do anything but sustain the energy-sapping spell that stretched across the small square and descended towards the ground by the stream's bank.
Suddenly, something blocked his view. He wasn't sure if he'd fallen himself, because right in front of his face was a compact mass of earth mixed with wooden splinters. The mass trembled as it was jolted by the explosion.
'I'll shield you, don't let go of the spell!' Warren shouted, driving his hands into the undulating block of what had been solid ground.
Draco didn't even realise when the goblin had appeared beside him, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Sheth throw himself into the fray, hurling golden bolts of lightning ahead of him. The cadet who'd been fighting Zane pushed him aside and leapt behind him.
'Flar!' Cedric's voice rang out from the side.
Someone answered him, but in the general commotion the dragon couldn't make out what was said. A moment later, there was another boom, followed by a whistling sound accompanied by an orange flash as the flare flew beneath the barrier and shot on towards the trees.
Everyone around froze, watching the projectile's flight. Just as it seemed it would fly over the forest and explode there, some vines shot out from the crown of an oak tree and seized the flare. The smouldering tangle hid amongst the leaves of the spreading tree, and its branches began to close in like a mimosa. Another loud bang snapped everyone out of their stupor.
Draco turned away, feeling his arms drop of their own accord. The barrier above them had faded, and the barrier erected by the goblin had crumbled, leaving behind a shapeless mound of earth. The last defender stood over Liam, holding the smouldering casing of a flare. A smile was just fading from his face, replaced by a hint of disbelief.
Zane leapt towards the guard before he could even take his eyes off the twisted oak. The elf swung his arm, and at that moment the glinting gauntlet on his hand quivered and transformed into a short blade. The blow was precise and swift. The cadet simply froze and fell to the ground.
'That's all of them now,' shouted Zane.
The attackers breathed a sigh of relief. They'd managed to carry out their plan, despite a minor hiccup along the way. So far, things hadn't gone too badly for them. Draco, however, had a different problem. His head was spinning and he felt unwell. On top of that, there was a constant ringing in his ears, which was leaving him feeling somewhat dazed.
'What are our casualties?' Cedric's voice seemed to come from far away and be muffled by something.
Someone replied, but the dragon couldn't make it out, as he was focused on the pounding in his skull. He clutched his head and closed his eyes. He tried to stay on his feet.
'Are you all right?' Warren's voice was like a pin being driven into his brain.
'No, I feel sick…' Draco muttered, managing only that much for fear of the mounting nausea. He didn't understand what was happening to him. He'd never experienced anything like this before, and he could have written a book about exhaustion and losing strength due to injuries. A rather thick one, unfortunately.
'Perhaps you'd better sit down.'
The dragon felt a small hand rest on his shoulder and gently nudge him in a certain direction. In his current state, the reptile had no intention of resisting and simply allowed himself to be led to one side. Following the goblin's advice, he slid down the wall and sat down in the shade. He soon regretted it, however, as the change in position triggered a new, very unpleasant symptom: the world began to spin around him like a kaleidoscope, and the mounting commotion all around him felt like torture.
'I'll go and look for Noah; don't move from here.' Draco couldn't tell whether the voice belonged to Warren or someone else. He couldn't manage to reply either, though it seemed he had mumbled something.
Left in peace, he drew his legs up and rested his head on his knees. In the past, he'd often tried to recover in exactly this position. Out of habit, he almost felt like transforming to see if he'd feel better in his dragon form. However, despite the jumble of thoughts in his head, he abandoned the idea.
He couldn't tell how much time had passed, but certainly long enough for him to get used to sitting, and the world had slowed down, swaying only slightly. When he opened his eyes, he saw the other members of their group bustling about amongst the buildings, checking who had been eliminated and searching the enemy positions.
'I should have expected this.' This time he recognised it as Noah's voice. The boy crouched down beside the dragon and placed a hand on his shoulder. 'Try to focus your gaze on me.' The whisper, barely audible, wasn't as unpleasant as the other sounds coming from all around. Draco turned his eyes towards the parthir, but the image seemed to be floating, leaving a blurred afterimage in its wake. 'Uuu… This isn't good,' muttered their lord of nature. 'It's a good thing Liam was here. Try not to move; I'll be right back.'
The reptile felt like replying that, for some reason, he had no desire whatsoever to go anywhere, and it would do him even more good if everyone around him would just fall silent.
'Drink this.' The calm yet firm voice certainly belonged to the parthir, but Draco was certain that he'd just walked away from him, rather than kneeling right beside him. Without further ado, he tried to reach for the vial Noah was holding, but it wasn't all that easy. Finally, parthir changed his approach and pressed the glass vial to Draco's lips. The boy drank the whole thing, whatever it was. 'Now lean back and close your eyes.'
Draco obediently followed the instruction. Slowly, he began to feel better. Warmth started to spread through his body from his stomach, through his chest, and then further, following the flow of his blood. He sat like that until a sudden screech and a loud bang made him jump. He opened his eyes, searching for the source of the sound. An orange cloud of signal flares hung over the forest on the other side of the stream.
'Maybe no one noticed?' Draco said, regaining some of his sharp wit.
In the next second, the ground shook, accompanied by a mighty clap of thunder. All manner of debris began to fall upon the cottage: from earth and small stones to large splinters and fragments of trees.
'You wait here, and I'll go and see what's going on.' As he walked away, Noah glanced back at the dragon over his shoulder. 'Just don't move, or it'll only get worse.'