Ruck wasn't faring any better. His breathing was ragged, his movements sluggish.
A deep gash bled freely down his arm, staining his green cloak crimson. The grey energy around his blade flickered erratically, on the verge of failing.
Just as despair threatened to consume them, Adrian saw an opening. The serpent reared back, its massive head swaying for a killing strike. But for a fleeting moment... its underside was exposed.
With a surge of adrenaline, Adrian focused. The air shimmered, reality seemingly warping once more.
This time however, the flames erupted not on the serpent's hide, but at the base of a nearby tree, a gnarled oak thick enough to support a watchtower.
The tree, tinder-dry from years of harsh sunlight, ignited instantly.
The inferno roared, a pillar of cleansing fire that momentarily blinded everyone. Adrian, using the brief respite, dove for cover behind a crumbling rock formation.
