The cold winds and freezing snow blew heavily on the young adventurers as they climbed the mountain path.
"I can't see Merlin." Awia yelled out as they snow had blurred her vision.
"Lemme check." Lee looked back with complete concentration.
He could see Merlin's dark armor standing out in the snowstorm.
"Don't worry about him, he's coming." Lee responded to Awia as they kept climbing.
Aki rubbed his gloves together as his was strapped unto the handle of his backpack.
"It's getting too cold for us."
"We have to find a cave." Aki screamed to his guild members as he raised his lantern.
After searching for a while they finally found a cave and hurriedly ran into it.
"We're… really lucky…this mountain has a path". Aki said out loud, his teeth shaking as he fought the cold.
Lee had set a fire which the group sat around, Merlin sat quietly. Fully clad in his armour.
"Merlin, are you okay?". A concerned Aki asked.
"I'm fine siir." Merlin quickly responded.
"sir?". Aki uttered in confusion.
"Yes Sir." Merlin responded as he tightened his grip on his blade.
"That's weird." Aki whispered to Awia.
"You want to take a look around the cave?. He asked.
" Okay." Awia responded as she got up and walked alongside Aki.
They got deeper into the cave and Aki raised his lantern revealing ancient paintings possibly dating back to the war.
"Wow, these mean someone or a group of people lived here for a time during the war." Awia said to Aki as she expressed both awe and surprise.
As they continued to observe the painting, Aki slipped and fell.
"It's awfully warm in here". Awia said to Aki they got deeper into the large cave.
"Yeah i noticed, but still no sign of the…"
Aki slipped on a rock and fell.
"Oh sorry". Awia asked as she stretched out her hand and pulled him up.
The lantern which had fallen from Aki's hand rolls towards the dark side of the side.
It's illumination revealed the dreaded beast. There it layed asleep, it scales were dark blue, it's belly and burns shared a brown color and it was clearly 5 times taller than the average human. It's massive magical presence washed over the two travellers.
They froze in fear.
"Don't move". Aki quietly told out Awia, out of pure instinct.
As the dragon breathed out, flames emerged from it's nostrils and burned the ground.
"I know but we need to call the others." Awia whispered.
"I CAN FEEL YOU!!!"
A loud voice echoed through the cave. The Black Knight shot through the two bystanders and stabbed the dragon in it's neck.
"I'VE GOT YOU!!!". Merlin yelled out, his darkness leaking from his armour as he laughed insanely.
The dragon let out a mad roar, the very air heated up in it's wake. Only survival filled it's mind.
The Black Knight continued to wound the beast as it tried to shake him off, the blade did not cut deeper with each stab as the dragon tightened it's muscles.
"Huh?". Merlin entered a state of confusion as his attack proved ineffective.
The creature got up revealing it's full length and size, it spread open it's great wings accompanied by a mighty roar. Hot winds filled the cave.
"It's burning the oxygen." Aki shouted in horror.
"Awia…it's burning the oxygen". Aki screamed out as his two arms struggled around his neck.
Aki grabbed and threw her towards the cave's exit.
"Lee." Aki screamed out.
"Aye boss". Lee quickly catches Awia and heads towards the exit.
"You're gonna have to get down this mountain Awia, i know you want to help but we can't let our healer get hurt at a time like this". Lee told her as he grabbed her shoulders.
Lee quickly returns to the cave leaving Awia outside the cave, the snow and cold winds blew her hair and clothes as she clutched her staff and looked at the cave.
Aki pressed himself to the ground aiming for the creature's stomach as he forcefully propelled himself through the air.
BOoM!!!
He smashed into the dragon's belly.
Crack!!!
His shoulder dislocated as the creature's hide had proven too thick.
"I did all that just to crack my arm?". Aki muttered to himself.
"We're gonna have to come up with a plan". Lee said to his boss as he approached from behind.
"I know. I really thought Merlin would be useful since he's known as the Dragon Slayer." Aki responded to him as they raced towards their target.
"He will be, it's just that he gets lost in the job sometimes". Lee added as he pulled out sniper rifle components from his coat.
The gunslinger quickly began setting up the artillery as Aki joined the fight.
Aki launched multiple high speed physical attack on the dragons legs, ultimately to no effect.
Merlin was thrown off the creature as it drew it's wings closer to itself.
It quickly flapped it wings and began to hover from the floor of the cave.
It opened it's mouth wide and then came fire, huge flames moving through the air like a river. They descended upon The Black Knight.
Merlin takes his shield from his back and blocks the flowing flames, it's outpour melting the very ground on which he stood.
When the flames had stopped, half of the shield was gone and the black knight disposed of it, immediately jumping back into battle.
"Done". Lee screamed out as he readied the rifle.
"This was called an armor piercing shell". Lee added as he aimed at the dragon's hind legs and pulled the trigger.
The bullet traveled quickly and penetrated both of its legs. The creature screamed in pain and fell on it's belly.
"I think we got it". Lee yelled gleefully.
The cave began to heat up again.
The dragon used it's body heat on an attempt to burn the oxygen again.
The three fighters struggled to breathe.
Merlin pressed his sword into the ground with his right hand as he struggled to keep upright.
He began to channel his darkness into his body to enhance his physical capabilities beyond their limits. An aura of shadows emanated from him.
He unstrapped his axe and grabbed it with both hands as he let out a primal scream.
The dragon struggled to stand on it's four legs after the damage done to it's hind legs.
"Oh no you don't". Aki shot like a rocket into the left hind leg, cracking it's bone with his fists.
The creature refused to fall to the floor and charged up for another rain of fire.
"ARRRRGHHHHH".
Lee screamed out as he landed from the above, spinning like blade in the air. He descended with full speed and cut offature injured leg of the beast as it let out a horrifying scream.
The dragon turned it's head to the side to face the black knight who was drenched in it's steaming hot blood. It's jaw opened wide, a large ball of fire was visible in it's mouth.
Aki ran towards the creature with his scepter in hand, he spun around and slammed the creature in the crown of it's head, causing the fireball to change targets and smash into the top of the cave's corner.
The dragon repeatedly slammed Aki into the cave's walls with it's tail. Aki began to black out as he fell to the floor.
"You all thought i was going to sit this, right."
Awia said out loud as golden light glowed directly above her staff, she fired a beam of holy light at the dragon's tail, the continuous force tore off the creature's tail.
"Why did you come back?". Lee screamed at Awia as he ran towards her.
"My team needs me". Awia hurriedly replied him as she begun healing Aki.
Lee brings out two assault rifles, raining bullets at the creature, the continuous fire of mana infused bullets chased the creature away from Awia and the injured Aki.
Merlin emerged from the creature's shadow.
"It's just me and you now". Merlin said to the staggering dragon as he smiled menacingly. He took up his sword in one hand and his axe in the other and leaped atop the beast, lowering his arms for a strike.