The great priest was in a good mood after knowing his 'patients' would include the mage. This was one man they had hunted since prophecies said he would be born. Those from Cursed Town had never given them an easy task in this and it was a wonder how careless they had been this time.
He snapped his middle and index fingers and the caskets opened. Three bodies lay still in them as if they were dead. A devilish grin found its way on his face upon catching the sight of the three. He nodded in satisfaction before reciting an enchantment. With the end of it, a large bluish bubble appeared and enclosed the three coffins.
"Disciples, it is your time to appear." He said with a satisfied smile and almost immediately, seven men appeared. Their ages ranged from fifteen to twenty. They bowed towards the old man after which they made a circle around the bubble. Upon the priest's signal, they started going around it reciting an incantation. As they did, azure smoke wafted from the three's bodies. This gave the bubble an azure color making the caskets almost invisible.
When they were on the verge of completing the first phase of their ritual, loud flapping of wings resounded from the sky. The incantation came to abrupt end petrifying the seven disciples. The priest lifted his head and the sight of what was descending made his heart race at a speed above usual. As the creature enlarged, it became clear what it was.
"Green Wyvern." He turned his head to the bubble to issue instructions but decided to let go upon seeing his disciples standing like statues. "What is it doing here?" He wondered.
He did not have to wonder for too long, for a second later it was towering over him as it stood just a meter away from him. "Is there an end to your preposterousness, human? This is a mage, one chosen by the gods to bring Woodland to greater heights, do you think you are worth finishing him like you want to do now?" Green Wyvern sneered.
It opened its mouth slightly and released a few flames which made the priest cover his face to protect himself. When the flames ceased, he flickered his wrist and two metal plates appeared in both his hands. He was about to bring them together when the dragon made a little turn before stopping. Its tail was pushed forward with the inertia. The tip of the tail hit the back of the priest and he was thrown to the purple-leafed tree. This made the tree shade almost all of its leaves.
The priest banged on the ground sending the plates he had to the air. When they landed, the bubble burst releasing Eddie and the other two. The three of them were also forced out of the coffins.
"Catherine."
Deborah jumped from the dragon and ran towards Catherine who lay on the ground unconscious. She was just about to help her up when the seven disciples came to. A signal from the priest who was already on his feet made them aware of the situation. Rods of three meters long appeared in their hands. They surrounded her and released the power of what the rods had. This forced Deborah to clench her eyes in pain but seeing her friend almost dead, her hands went to the air. She yelled and the seven young men fell on the ground simultaneously.
The dragon was on the other hand engaged in a one-sided battle with the priest. He was using anything he could think of to fight but no matter what he brought out, he was thrown like a bean bag even before he made use of the power he took out. Three minutes into the fight, he was run out of means to fight and his body was wounded all over. When he could take it no more, he vanished into the thin air, making the dragon reveal what seemed like a smile.
By the time the priest vanished, while she was straining, Deborah was handling the seven quite well. At this moment, they were so exhausted that moving their muscles was one difficult thing. When they saw their master abandoning them, one by one they went away, leaving the dragon, Deborah and the unconscious three under the purple tree.
"We should get out of this place before they come back." The dragon said as it used an invisible power to lift the three and put them on its back.
"Are they coming back?"
"I do not know but we are in their home, they may have an ace up their sleeves."
Deborah jumped on its back and it took off immediately.