With a heavy heart, Aubert felt the weight of the situation pressing down on him. The dragon's looming presence made him feel small and vulnerable, but he knew he couldn't give in to fear.
"G-Gingy, step back," Aubert whispered urgently, his voice barely audible over the dragon's roar.
"ROAR!" The dragon's intimidating roar echoed through the air, adding to Aubert's unease.
"BARK!" "BARK!" "BARK!"
The mind-controlled dogs charged toward them, their movements fueled by dark magic.
Aubert's eyes widened in alarm. He knew he had to find a way to protect himself and Gingy without hurting the dogs.
"Dleihs!"
A shimmering red shield formed in front of them just in time. One of the dogs crashed into it, knocked out by the force of its momentum.
However, the other two dogs managed to evade the barrier, closing in on Aubert and Gingy.
Aubert panicked for a moment but quickly regained his focus. He pointed at one of the dogs, his voice trembling slightly.
"Peels!"
A beam of red energy shot from his fingertips, enveloping the dog and sending it into a peaceful slumber.
But the remaining dog continued its relentless advance, closing the distance with alarming speed.
Aubert's heart raced as he braced himself for the worst, closing his eyes instinctively.
At that moment, Gingy acted without hesitation, placing himself between Aubert and the oncoming threat.
The dog lunged, its sharp teeth bared, aiming for Aubert, but instead sinking its teeth into Gingy's arm.
"AHH!" Gingy cried out in pain, his voice filled with agony.
Aubert's eyes snapped open in shock and horror, witnessing his friend's sacrifice.
"Gingy!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with fear and concern.
As the dog sank its teeth into Gingy's arm, it began to shake its head vigorously from side to side, its grip tightening with each movement.
Gingy winced in pain, his face contorted with agony as he struggled to free himself from the jaws of the mind-controlled creature.
Aubert's heart pounded with fear and urgency as he realized he had to act quickly to help his friend.
With determination fueling his actions, he pointed at the dog, his mind racing with a plan.
Aubert focused his magic on the dog, picturing the need to pry its jaws away from Gingy's arm and hurl it away to safety.
In an instant, a bright red aura enveloped the dog as Aubert's magic took hold. With a concentrated effort, Aubert willed the dog's mouth open, releasing Gingy's arm from its vice-like grip.
Then, summoning all his strength, Aubert flung the dog through the air with a swift motion of his hand. The dog hurtled through the air, crashing into a nearby tree with a resounding thud, before falling to the ground, dazed and disoriented.
Gingy gasped in relief as the dog released its grip, allowing him to pull his arm away, albeit with visible bite marks.
"ROAR!"
As the dragon roared once again, Aubert's heart sank as he witnessed the ominous gathering of dark energy within its gaping maw.
Fear gripped him as he realized the imminent danger.
"Gingy, take the dogs and get out of here!" he shouted urgently, turning to his friend with wide eyes.
But to his dismay, Gingy, too, was transfixed by the sight of the dragon and the impending threat it posed. His icing eyes were wide with terror, and despite Aubert's plea, he remained rooted to the spot, paralyzed by fear.
Aubert's heart raced with desperation as he watched Gingy's fear render him immobile.
Time seemed to slow as he frantically searched for a way to protect his friend and the donut dogs from the dragon's devastating attack.
BOOM!
The air crackled with dark energy as the dragon unleashed its terrifying beam breath attack, aimed directly at Aubert and his companions.
Aubert's eyes widened in alarm as he reacted swiftly, conjuring a vibrant red shield to protect them from the impending onslaught.
The beam collided with the shield with a deafening clash, sending shockwaves rippling through the air.
"Ngh!"
Aubert grunted, his arms trembling as he struggled to maintain the barrier against the relentless force of the dragon's attack.
As he strained to uphold the shield, doubts crept into Aubert's mind. Could he truly withstand the full force of the dragon's assault? Was his magic strong enough to protect them all?
The shield began to waver, its once-solid surface flickering as Aubert's mana reserves dwindled. Self-doubt gnawed at him, threatening to weaken his resolve as the relentless pressure of the beam bore down upon them.
As the dragon's dark beam breath attack continued to hammer against Aubert's weakening shield, an unexpected silence fell over the battlefield.
Aubert, panting heavily from the strain of maintaining the barrier, glanced up in astonishment to see the dragon abruptly halting its assault. The dark energy swirling around its mouth dissipated, leaving behind an eerie calm.
For a moment, Aubert dared to hope that their ordeal was over, but a sense of unease lingered in the air. Why had the dragon stopped its relentless assault? What new danger awaited them?
However, it seems Aubert's worst fears materialized before his eyes.
He watched in horror as the dragon opened its maw once more, this time forming a menacing orb of dark energy. His eyes widened in terror at the sight of the impending attack.
Summoning the last shreds of his waning mana, Aubert strengthened the barrier with all his might as the dragon launched the massive ball of energy toward them. The clash between the orb and the barrier sent shockwaves rippling through the air.
BOOM!
But just as Aubert thought they might withstand the assault, the orb exploded with a deafening roar, enveloping them in a blinding dark light.
The force of the explosion rocked the forest, sending smoke billowing into the air and shockwaves reverberating throughout the surroundings.
As the smoke gradually cleared, Aubert and Gingy emerged battered and bruised, Aubert's clothes torn and tattered.
The ground beneath them remained solid, but the area surrounding them had been transformed into a vast crater, a testament to the ferocity of the dragon's attack.
Exhausted and with his vision blurred, Aubert collapsed to his knees, his mana completely depleted.
Aubert struggled to focus through his blurred vision, as he attempted to survey the aftermath of the explosion.
Shapes and shadows danced before his eyes, distorted by the lingering effects of the blast.
Through the haze, he caught glimpses of scorched trees and smoldering debris, evidence of the devastation wrought by the dragon's onslaught. His heart sank at the sight of their once beautiful surroundings reduced to ruin.
Despite the chaos around him, Aubert's gaze remained fixed on Gingy, who lay motionless nearby. Panic surged through him as he realized his friend was still unconscious, vulnerable to any further danger that might lurk nearby.
Then, through the haze, a shadow loomed, growing larger and larger until Aubert's blurry vision sharpened just enough to make out the imposing figure of the dragon. Its dark scales glistened in the aftermath of the explosion, and its piercing eyes bore into Aubert with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine.
As Aubert struggled to remain conscious amidst the devastation, his blurry vision caught sight of the dragon landing beside Gingy, who lay still and unconscious.
Horror seized Aubert's heart as he watched the dragon lean down, its menacing form overshadowing his friend.
With his mana depleted and his body battered, he could do nothing but watch, fear clutching at his chest as he witnessed the monstrous creature devouring his friend before his very eyes.
Tears welled in Aubert's eyes as he realized that he had failed to protect his new friend. He failed to know what Gingy was troubled with.
Guilt washed over him in waves, threatening to drown him in its suffocating embrace.
"Please die...dragon," Aubert whispered hoarsely, his voice barely audible amidst the chaos surrounding them.
But even as he uttered the words, Aubert felt his strength waning, his body succumbing to exhaustion and pain.
With a final, desperate effort, he tried to summon whatever remained of his mana, but it was like grasping at wisps of smoke, slipping through his fingers.
As darkness closed in around him, Aubert's last conscious thought was of Gingy, lying helpless before the monstrous creature that had wrought so much devastation upon their lives.
Then, mercifully, oblivion claimed him, and Aubert slipped into unconsciousness, his mind consumed by swirling shadows and distant echoes.
In the depths of his unconsciousness, Aubert was unaware of the dragon's fate as the dragon let out one final roar before slowly disintegrating into ashes, fading from existence like a specter swallowed by the void.
***
Maurice, concealed from Aubert's sight, observed the unfolding events with a heavy heart, hidden yet vigilant.
From the moment Aubert ventured into the Stargate, Maurice had been meticulously monitoring his son's journey, employing his mastery over mana to remain unseen and casting an invisibility spell upon himself.
As he bore witness to Aubert's struggles and the tragic demise of Gingy, Maurice experienced a twinge of sorrow.
His paternal instincts urged him to intervene, to extend his protection and aid to his son in his hour of need. Yet, he understood that such interference would undermine the very purpose of Aubert's journey.
For Aubert to truly grow and develop as a Magician, he needed to confront challenges head-on and surmount obstacles independently. It was through these trials that Maurice believed Aubert would cultivate the strength and resilience necessary to fulfill his potential.
Despite the sorrow weighing on his heart, Maurice also felt a swell of pride as he observed Aubert's valiant efforts.
Though he had not expected Aubert to vanquish the dragon with a single spell, he admired his son's courage and determination in the face of such daunting odds.
The dragon, as Maurice soon realized, was none other than the Alpha of this realm, a formidable adversary indeed.
However, Maurice recognized that there was still room for improvement in Aubert's approach to combatting such formidable foes. He believed that Aubert needed to cultivate greater self-confidence and adopt a more offensive stance when confronting adversaries of such magnitude.
Moreover, the issue of Aubert's mana limitations weighed heavily on Maurice's mind. While he understood that Aubert was still a child and thus bound by certain limitations, he also knew that mana could be expanded through diligent training and practice.
Furthermore, Maurice couldn't help but notice that Aubert's spells lacked presentation and flair, lacking the showmanship that Maurice himself was known for.
If Aubert wanted to become a showman like him, then Maurice would have to help him refine his techniques and add a touch of theatricality to his magic.
"Reality-warping magic is surely scary," Maurice mused silently, contemplating the formidable powers at play.
"ylF," Maurice muttered quietly, his voice barely audible amidst the chaos surrounding them.
With a heavy heart, he flew beside Aubert and gently cradled him in his arms, careful not to disturb his unconscious form.
With a gentle touch to Aubert's forehead, Maurice murmured reassuringly, "It's okay, Aubert."
Though Aubert couldn't hear him in his unconscious state, Maurice hoped that his words would offer some comfort to his son, even in the darkness of his dreams.
With Aubert safely in his arms, Maurice took flight, carrying his son toward the Stargate before its imminent closure.