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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 4760847" data-attributes="member: 3285">Serpentine Path: Part 11b – The Final StandLarge green scales covered the massive muscles that propelled the huge creature of legend in an impossibly graceful flight.  Reveling in the panic caused by its mere presence, the scaled horror landed its massive bulk just in front of the citadel’s mighty metal gates.  The cobblestones beneath the creature burst into dust from the impact of its thunderous landing.  “To the gates! Man the gates!” Muatma was mounted on his Altherian war steed. Muatma charged his way to the gate.  He led several hundred Shining Patrolmen down through the streets. Vlad and Beldin followed behind on their own steeds.  Ilmarė and Sebastian followed on foot.With one massive wing, the dragon swept dozens of cannon and men from the right wall near the gate. A casual flick of its tail decimated an entire squad of Patrolmen foolish enough to attack it.Then the creature began to draw in a massive breath of air.  Its sides expanded even larger than before.“It’s going to breathe…” whispered Sebastian.The beast exhaled a huge amount of flame and superheated air directly against the gates of the citadel. The flames streamed against the gate for a full minute before subsiding.  And though massive amounts of white-hot metal pooled at the base, the gates still held.  Muatma rallied the line of riflemen as they waited in front of the gate.  Their courage wavered with each blast.  “Steady!  Steady!”Not yet satisfied, the dragon began to inhale another massive breath, and again released its destructive power against the metal gates.  Again, white-hot metal pooled at the base of the gates, but they held…“You are soldiers of Altheria!” shouted Muatma. “No matter what comes through that gate you will stand your ground!”The dragon slammed its massive head directly into the gate’s red-hot center.  Under the dual onslaught of flame and force, the gates finally collapsed into molten rubble.“Fire!” shouted Muatma.Cannon and flintlock fired in volley from the citadel, but the shots just ricocheted off the beast’s thick hide.  Muatma turned to address Vlad, Beldin, and Kham.  “Let this be the hour when we draw our swords together!”  He drew his sword.  Giant ss’ressen entered through the gate, under an archway that no enemy had ever passed. Kham drew Talon.  Beldin drew Windcutter.  Vlad drew Grungronazharr. They were charging into certain death.Ss’ressen swarmed through the opening and the pitched, hand-to-hand battle spilled into flames and blackened, smoldering buildings throughout the streets of Semar.With a roar, Muatma led a counterattack, followed by several hundred Shining Patrolmen. Ilmarė never even lifted her blade. “You’re not going with them?” asked Sebastian.  “I would have followed, but my presence upsets the horses.”“They don’t have a chance,” she whispered.  “There are too many.”Just then a loud voice carried over the battlefield from high on a citadel wall.</blockquote>

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