Roen could feel the searing heat from the stream of fire that shot past her shoulder. She veered sharply left just in time after catching a glimpse of the wyvern's neck rearing back, and that was all that had saved her from burning.
She swore to herself. I need to find cover. Goldwind was in full gallop, spurred onward after Khadai’s warning. Roen could not possibly keep her eyes on her airborne pursuer while her mount was in full sprint. And the wyvern's speed and flight gave it much greater tactical advantage. And sooner rather than later.
Water splashed wildly as her chocobo raced over the shallow stream, Goldwind’s talons kicking up moist dirt on the bank as she turned him abruptly to race northward. Roen caught the wyvern’s shadow upon the ground pass over her head and the paladin looked up to follow the wyvern’s course as it circled back around in the sky. She knew did not have much time to reach her goal, and her gaze shot ahead upstream.
The stone bridge crossing the stream came into view, just south to the last ruin they had passed on the road.
The smaller wyvern let out a sharp screech that rang through the forelands, and though not accompanied by any audible Dravanian words this time, Roen recognized the intent of the cry well enough. What made her breath catch was the sound's frighteningly fast approach. She allowed herself only a split instant to glimpse behind her shoulder, and the creature had spread its wings to slow its dive, readying to rear its head. It would only be seconds before another gout of flame came pouring down.
Roen flattened herself upon the bird’s back and pulled the reigns lower upon her mount’s neck. As both rider and bird dashed under the stone bridge, she felt another wave of heat behind her, fire bathing the blocks of stone. With a hard yank of the reign, Goldwind dug its powerful talons into the ground, skidding to a half spinning stop under the bridge with a wild spray of water. The paladin leaped off the saddle, her armored boots plunging through the shallow stream as she brought up her shield and sword. With narrowed eyes she called upon the aether, a swirl of stone weaving around her limbs, then body, and fading from view once it had encased her in its invisible protection.
The paladin brought her shield in front of her, her other hand testing the grip of her sword. She scanned the ground for a moving shadow of the dragonkin. Goldwind clawed nervously at his watery footing, black eyes wide as he too glanced back and forth. Another angry screech echoed from above, before Roen spotted the beast's reflection upon on the water. The wyvern had been clever to hide its shadow, but she saw its distorted image along the stream as it flapped its large wings hovering in the air. Then a bright glare obliterated the reflection as she felt another blast of heat hit the stones above. But the slabs were too thick. The paladin knew the creature could not get to them from above.
The wyvern landed twenty yalms away from the bridge upon the running stream with an angry splash, its sinewy neck slithering low to get a better view of its prey. When the paladin and the dragonkin met each other’s gaze, Roen banged the front of her shield with the pommel of her sword, issuing a wordless challenge. The dragonkin answered with a toothy expression, its sharp fangs almost glistening with the reflection from the water. When it reared its neck, the paladin clucked her tongue, sending Goldwind retreating to the other side of the bridge. She ducked behind her raised shield, just as another wave of fire washed over her. Her shield and armor hissed in protest to the heat, but her stoneskin spell held fast. When she peered over her shield again, the wyvern let out another enraged shriek; its fangs were bared as it opened its maw wide, infuriated with the paladin’s ability to evade certain death thus far. It stalked forward, claws and wings punching the stream and spouting water with each step. The wyvern's lust for blood stood clear in its yellow eyes.
Roen was not sure how much longer her stoneskin would hold under the constant onslaught of conflagration, and she was certain that was what the wyvern was betting on as well. The paladin was not intent to wait and find out.
As the wyvern ducked its head under the arch of the bridge, Roen let out a loud whistle. She could hear the thumping of chocobo feet darting over the bridge overhead, and the wyvern whirled its head around as the noise did not escape its notice either. But the dragonkin had already approached too close to the bridge, and could not spin about immediately. Roen spotted the flash of deep yellow feathers as Goldwind came to land on the wyvern’s flank. When her mount delivered a somersault kick to the dragonkin’s wing, there was a resounding crack and it let out a painful cry.
Now.
Roen spun her sword once in her grip, sparks of aether crackling down the blade’s length. She charged.
She swore to herself. I need to find cover. Goldwind was in full gallop, spurred onward after Khadai’s warning. Roen could not possibly keep her eyes on her airborne pursuer while her mount was in full sprint. And the wyvern's speed and flight gave it much greater tactical advantage. And sooner rather than later.
Water splashed wildly as her chocobo raced over the shallow stream, Goldwind’s talons kicking up moist dirt on the bank as she turned him abruptly to race northward. Roen caught the wyvern’s shadow upon the ground pass over her head and the paladin looked up to follow the wyvern’s course as it circled back around in the sky. She knew did not have much time to reach her goal, and her gaze shot ahead upstream.
The stone bridge crossing the stream came into view, just south to the last ruin they had passed on the road.
The smaller wyvern let out a sharp screech that rang through the forelands, and though not accompanied by any audible Dravanian words this time, Roen recognized the intent of the cry well enough. What made her breath catch was the sound's frighteningly fast approach. She allowed herself only a split instant to glimpse behind her shoulder, and the creature had spread its wings to slow its dive, readying to rear its head. It would only be seconds before another gout of flame came pouring down.
Roen flattened herself upon the bird’s back and pulled the reigns lower upon her mount’s neck. As both rider and bird dashed under the stone bridge, she felt another wave of heat behind her, fire bathing the blocks of stone. With a hard yank of the reign, Goldwind dug its powerful talons into the ground, skidding to a half spinning stop under the bridge with a wild spray of water. The paladin leaped off the saddle, her armored boots plunging through the shallow stream as she brought up her shield and sword. With narrowed eyes she called upon the aether, a swirl of stone weaving around her limbs, then body, and fading from view once it had encased her in its invisible protection.
The paladin brought her shield in front of her, her other hand testing the grip of her sword. She scanned the ground for a moving shadow of the dragonkin. Goldwind clawed nervously at his watery footing, black eyes wide as he too glanced back and forth. Another angry screech echoed from above, before Roen spotted the beast's reflection upon on the water. The wyvern had been clever to hide its shadow, but she saw its distorted image along the stream as it flapped its large wings hovering in the air. Then a bright glare obliterated the reflection as she felt another blast of heat hit the stones above. But the slabs were too thick. The paladin knew the creature could not get to them from above.
The wyvern landed twenty yalms away from the bridge upon the running stream with an angry splash, its sinewy neck slithering low to get a better view of its prey. When the paladin and the dragonkin met each other’s gaze, Roen banged the front of her shield with the pommel of her sword, issuing a wordless challenge. The dragonkin answered with a toothy expression, its sharp fangs almost glistening with the reflection from the water. When it reared its neck, the paladin clucked her tongue, sending Goldwind retreating to the other side of the bridge. She ducked behind her raised shield, just as another wave of fire washed over her. Her shield and armor hissed in protest to the heat, but her stoneskin spell held fast. When she peered over her shield again, the wyvern let out another enraged shriek; its fangs were bared as it opened its maw wide, infuriated with the paladin’s ability to evade certain death thus far. It stalked forward, claws and wings punching the stream and spouting water with each step. The wyvern's lust for blood stood clear in its yellow eyes.
Roen was not sure how much longer her stoneskin would hold under the constant onslaught of conflagration, and she was certain that was what the wyvern was betting on as well. The paladin was not intent to wait and find out.
As the wyvern ducked its head under the arch of the bridge, Roen let out a loud whistle. She could hear the thumping of chocobo feet darting over the bridge overhead, and the wyvern whirled its head around as the noise did not escape its notice either. But the dragonkin had already approached too close to the bridge, and could not spin about immediately. Roen spotted the flash of deep yellow feathers as Goldwind came to land on the wyvern’s flank. When her mount delivered a somersault kick to the dragonkin’s wing, there was a resounding crack and it let out a painful cry.
Now.
Roen spun her sword once in her grip, sparks of aether crackling down the blade’s length. She charged.
