"COME AT ME LIKE YOU MEAN TO SNUFF THE LIGHT OF MY EXISTENCE!!", the Elder Dragon, Escalibor, roared excitedly as it sent flurry after flurry of attack at Ashen who simply exchanged blows with it in silence. On the other hand-
"You sure a a talkative one, old dragon! Stop slobbering all-over London with that drool of yours!"
-The fairy, Oberon, responded with biting remarks as it trailed behind and assisted Ashen in his fight against Escalibor.
The battle was intense-much more so that their earlier exchange a few minutes ago looked like they were just playing around. The dragon, Escalibor, had not only began continuously throwing fireballs but also began attacking Ashen and Oberon with streams of its deadly flame breath that easily melted the surrounding structures.
Whenever it saw Ashen and Oberon jump away, it lunges at both of them with its claws or tries to swipe them down with its tail causing pretty much a hell of a lot more damage on the environment than melted concrete.
It was pretty obvious it was attempting to separate Ashen from Oberon since Oberon seems to be working as the severely wounded Ashen's only source of proper defense at the moment.
"Got you!", with an excited cry, Escalibor launches a punch at a midair Ashen.
"Oberon.", Ashen however, remained undaunted and commanded Oberon to receive the attack in his place.
"By your will!"
Oberon obediently follows through Ashen's command and dutifully placed itself before him to receive the attack by erecting numerous magical barriers.
Admitting it to himself, Ashen knows he is very reckless. Especially in life-or-death situations. However, he is no fool.
He understands the difference between himself and the Elder Dragon, Escalibor. He knows that his battered body cannot last fore more than a few more minutes even if someone were to heal him with magic. He can feel his strength slowly dwindle as his blood flowed out of his wounds like a river.
'But who cares?'
With that thought in mind, Ashen simply steeled himself and pushed on. Forcing his body to move which normally-by now, it should have already collapsed.
"Oberon."
"By your will!"
With that one prompt, Ashen makes Oberon go on the offensive as soon as Ashen sees the break in Escalibor's attacks.
"RRRRAAAAAAARGH!!", roared Escalibor as it blew a stream of green flames at Ashen. It's merciless viridian radiance melting the nearby structures without even touching them.
'What now, Oathbreaker?', Ashen hears the familiar callous voice ask.
'Blow it away...', he responds and then raises Excalibur high above the back of his head.
As the flames mercilessly bear down upon him, his mind was clear. Within his mind, only the thought of cutting the flames existed and so with utter indifference, he slams down Excalibur and splits apart the flames.
"Even my True Flames...", Escalibor muttered as it stopped its attack, "Oathbreaker, you seemed to have lied when you said that you were not the chosen wielder of the holy sword."
"I have no inclination of humoring you further in idle talk, dragon. Have at you!", however, Ashen shrugs of Escalibor's bewildered utterance and charges at it promptly after seeing Oberon cast an offensive spell at the unsuspecting dragon.
"Not a chance!", Escalibor notices the attack and promptly destroys the cast magic and swiping Oberon out of the air before quickly sending another stream of green flames at the charging Ashen.
However, Ashen did not panic and simply split apart the flames once more and continued on with Excalibur poised to deal a fatal blow.
Escalibor-not planning on letting Ashen land a blow, decides to strike back by attacking with its claws.
'Too late!', Ashen declared so within his mind. However-
"!"
-his vision suddenly blurred and he lost strength in his legs and then a short moment later, he tumbles down to the ground and without even a moment to determine what had just happened to him, Escalibor's attack hits Ashen and sends him flying backwards towards the river with such force, his flying body caused vicious ripples across the its surface before finally hitting the bank on the other side with a loud boom.
*BOOOM!*
The sound of the impact echoed in the air further disorienting Ashen.
'What-?'
Before his thought could finish, a green fireball comes flying at him and immediately explodes upon impact, causing yet another and even bigger explosion to ensue. Blowing smoke and steam everywhere.
When the clouds of smoke and steam started to part, it revealed the not-so-small charred crater the explosion had created and at its center, was a groaning Ashen; now lay sprawled on the charred ground with his body now almost without cover as his clothes and armor almost completely gone. His skin filled with numerous burns and wounds with the blood-forcibly dried by the heat of explosion, covering him with a sickly shade of brown.
"Your Majesty!", the voice of Oberon calls out in Ashen's mind.
"Oberon...where...are you?", Ashen struggled to speak.
"Forgive me, your Majesty. But the dragon made sure I could not come back to the physical realm by making you expend the stored mana within Excalibur.", Oberon replies. Its tone completely distraught.
"*Koff!*...*Koff!*...Is that so?"
Ashen looks at his hand and sure enough, the faint white glow that once covered the blade of Excalibur had disappeared.
"Damn...", he grumbled wearily.
"Are you out of strength already, Oathbreaker?", as if mocking Ashen, the dragon Escalibor arrives and descends from the gray skies hovering slightly above the river, "To survive even that attack of mine with your body, I admit that I am very shocked.", the dragon commented.
"Shut up...dumb dragon...", Ashen retorted while struggling to stand up. However, his body wouldn't respond or rather-it was heavy. So heavy that thought he weighed more than a couple of elephants.
'Damn...', he thought so in disdain.
He knew that now, his body will no longer move. It had passed the breaking point and now-
"Guh!"
-all the pain that had been absent while he was fighting came rushing over his body and overwhelming his senses; his arms not only felt heavy, it felt like they were covered in acid as the burns made themselves known to his mind; his body that once felt like a sturdy and unmoving wall of stone, now felt like it was shattered not only on the outside, but also inside as his broken bones and torn muscles screamed out in agony, and finally, his eyes slowly lost all their will to keep themselves open and were slowly closing due to weakness.
It was obvious, he can no longer continue the fight.
"No matter, it was a good fight, Oathbreaker. I must confess that you have proven me wrong in this battle.", Escalibor remarked, "I do not know when I will be able to fight someone like you again. Probably not in another hundred years...", the dragon muttered knowingly, "So it is to my regret, that I shall end you here and now, King of Brittania.", saying so with great regret, Escalibor began to gather power within its mouth.
"Your Majesty!", the frantic voice of Oberon screamed out inside Ashen's mind.
Though his eyes were already barely open, Ashen could make out the scene of the dragon preparing to unleash its merciless attack, 'Ah...damn...I can't even move...', he thought so wearily.
Of course he was thinking of a way to turn the tables, however he also knew for a fact that no matter what he planned to make it out of his predicament would never work; because he can no longer move. For even keeping himself conscious was a herculean task already.
'Ah...I wish I could just...'
'Just what?', the familiar callous voice speaks in his mind once more.
'For once in my life...can I at least get some rest...?'
'Rest? Unfortunately for you-'
The blurry light before Ashen intensified as he could barely make out even the sound of the surroundings.
'-not even the Heavens nor the Underworld is ready to accommodate a monster like you.'
"May we meet again in your next life, Oathbreaker!"
As Ashen hears the dragon's words, his eyes close as the reality of his loss finally bears down on him and he finally loses consciousness as he falls into the dark gloom of nothingness.