“What did your dad say aboutawlyas?” Stefan asked.
“Don’t fuck with em.” I sighed. “I suppose we have to fight it to get the stone.”
“It shouldn’t be hard. There are six of us here,” Emma said.
“We should surround it, before it sees us,” I said. “Let’s move.”
We did— or at least, we tried. Delmare and Stefan were the only ones who were able to cross further into the ruins. The remainder of the group was stuck, unable to venture through. The girls placed their hands against something invisible, as if held back by glass, while myself and the other Companions found our feet glued to the spot. We couldn’t advance.
“Stop messing around. What the hell’s the matter with you?” Stefan demanded.
“It’s not us! We can’t cross through!” Emma hissed.
Delmare’s eyes cleared. “Stefan and I can walk through the barrier,” Delmare said. “The rest of you can’t.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” I growled in frustration.
“This is a test by the gods,” Stefan said in realization. “A test for dragons.”
“Itisthe dragon stone,” Delmare said. “It’d make sense if dragons are the only ones that can obtain it.”
“But awlya’s are dangerous! We can’t allow you to fight it on your own,” Theo objected.
“You don’t have a choice,” Stefan said. “Just sit back and relax. We can handle it.”
“Stefan,” I growled. “Don’t do this without us.”
He didn’t listen. Stefan proceeded forward, Delmare at his side. She summoned a red orb of battle magic in both hands as she walked toward theawlya. The rest of us could do nothing, so we crouched beside the ruins and waited for this to play out.
The monster saw them coming. It paused as they advanced, observing Stefan with blinking eyes. It made no move to hurt them.
Delmare was holding her breath as she crossed the room. She proceeded toward the silver box while theawlyawas distracted. She reached out a hand, placing it on the lid.
It was then theawlyaattacked. The owl-creature let out a cry and dived toward Delmare with an open beak. Delmare rolled out of the way, and the silver box went flying as the monster’s head collided with the stone tablet, breaking it in two.
Stefan moved. He charged forward with his horns down, aiming for theawlya. The bird slid out of the way. Stefan crashed into a wall instead, sending what remained of it crumbling to the ground in a great crash.
The monster was still after Delmare. It hissed as it ran after her, lowering its antlers. Delmare sent a ball of battle magic flying toward the creature. It hit and exploded on impact, singeing the monster’s feathers. The monster gave a screech and swiped its claws at Delmare, who rolled to the ground to avoid them.
“Irena, stay down!” Stefan cried.
Delmare remained glued to the floor as Stefan opened his mouth. Flames came billowing out of the dragon’s belly, igniting the monster in flames. Theawlyarose up on its hind legs and batted at the flames, hissing and clicking its beak. The body of the monster became submerged in shadow as Stefan’s flames turned it into a fiery pyre. Stefan kept the flames going for a full minute, until his magic finally fizzled out, and he had to stop to take a breath.
I gaped in surprise as the monster shook itself, appearing bothered, but not hurt. There wasn’t a burn on the creature. It was completely fine.
Kiara put it together before the rest of us did. “Its feathers must be fire-resistant!” Kiara called. “Fire won’t harm it!”
“That would’ve been nice to know a minute ago!” Stefan yelled. He bared his fangs and lunged for theawlya’sthroat, but the creature sprang into the sky with a screeching battle cry.
As it did so, Delmare climbed back onto her feet. Theawlya’ssharp tail feathers swung to the side, cutting into her corset and causing a bloody wound.
“Irena!” Stefan said in panic as he smelled the blood.
Delmare gritted her teeth through the pain. “I’ll be fine! Just work on getting that thing out of the air!”
Stefan spread his wings and took off, giving chase after theawlya. They twirled around in circles in the sky, while Delmare ignited another ball of battle magic. She cried out as she pressed the ball into her side, smoke rising from the wound as she cauterized the slit shut.
In the sky, Stefan was battling theawlyawith all his might. The monster was just as big as he was, and as deadly. Their talons locked together as the two dragons dove their heads toward each other in a furious battle. The monster latched its beak onto Stefan’s wing and bit down hard, causing the dragon to roar in pain. Stefan brought his tail up and bashed it into the monster’s head, forcing it to let the wing go. Stefan clawed at theawlyawith his front talons, ripping open wounds in the monster’s front.
