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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Medriev" data-source="post: 4718272" data-attributes="member: 21864">Chapter 20 - Proving Ground (Part 5)Dulvarna heard Erlmoor’s call and ducked through the portcullis. Looking right, she saw the black, spiked sphere roll around the north-western corner of the circular central corridor and begin to roll down towards her. She rushed across to the southern entrance to the central chamber and ducked inside, squeezing between Lavren and Erlmoor and rushing over to take up position against the western wall. She raised her blade and braced her feet as the dragon swept down the chamber.  Telkya rushed across the central corridor and ducked past Lavren into the central chamber. She raised her left hand and brought down a column of light onto the dragon as it passed over the pit in the middle of the chamber. Telkya’s prayer was too slow and the column descended behind the dragon as it swept forward. Enlishia ducked into the chamber on the other side and raised her bow, loosing an arrow towards the dragon. The shaft flew wide and clattered into the far wall beyond the wyrm. The dragon beat its wings to slow its flight over the pit and as it did it drew in a deep breath. When it let the breath out, it came as noxious fumes but the companions had already turned away from the dragon and covered their mouths and noses with their cloaks. Erlmoor roared and charged the dragon with his blade before him but as he reached it, it beat its wings and took itself back beyond his reach. Litiraan came into the chamber behind the others and loosed a silver bolt from his wand that seared past the dragon. Lavren loosed black, crackling energy towards the dragon but this too flew wide of the mark. The sphere rolled past the archway behind him and he glanced back for a moment as Dulvarna rushed forward to join Erlmoor before the dragon. She weaved her blade before her as she reached the wyrm, drawing it towards her and then she lashed out. Aecris tore across the dragon’s nose and drew blood but the wyrm paid the wound little mind as it beat its wings and hovered over the pit. Telkya loosed a bolt of light that flew wide of the dragon and then Enlishia loosed two arrows quickly. One flew wide but the second drive into the dragon’s shoulder and drew a shriek of pain from the wyrm. The dragon beat its wings back once more and then swept forward, diving for the archway that led out of the room. As it reached the portal, it reached down with its jaws and tore at Lavren’s left shoulder, spinning him into the wall next to him. The elf looked left to follow the dragon’s path and saw the wyrm, gracefully turn right and then left to swoop into the southern passageway from which he and Litiraan had come. No sooner had it turned into the passage than it banked left sharply and turned through the eastern doors of the southern passage that led to the circle of runes where Dulvarna had stood with the mask a scant few moments ago.“Where did it go?” Erlmoor roared as he turned around towards the southern archway.“Into the prison where the skeletons lie,” answered Lavren.“Then we meet it at the portcullis,” Erlmoor snarled and rushed past his companions and out into the circular corridor.Behind the dragonborn, Litiraan and Lavren raised their wands and turned to face the portcullis from the archway where they stood. Dulvarna rushed past them and overtook Erlmoor to duck through the portcullis and raise her blade for when the dragon came around the corner towards her. She glanced left as the black sphere rounded the north western corner once more and rolled down towards the portcullis just as she ducked through it. Behind the others, Telkya darted across the corridor and ducked into the southern passageway ready to attack the dragon as it swept though the portcullis. Enlishia rushed across the central corridor to join her just as the dragon swept around the corner past the iron bound doors and bore down on Dulvarna and Erlmoor. For the first time, the dragon landed, setting down midst the litter of bones that surrounded the chained skeletons. It lashed out at Dulvarna with its right claw but she ducked under the swing only to be caught by the wyrm’s left claw as it swept in and cuffed her shoulder. She spun to the left and threw her momentum into the turn to spin on the spot. She rose with her blade in her hands before her and stepped towards the dragon. Erlmoor surged past her with a roar and charged into the midst of the twitching skeletons that lay on the floor. A skeleton reached out and grabbed his right leg but he paid it no mind and lashed out at the dragon. The wyrm screeched and reared back to evade the blow but as it did so, Litiraan ducked through the portcullis behind Erlmoor. He raised his wand and loosed a silver bolt into the dragon’s chest. It screeched and reared back again raising its head to the high ceiling of the chamber. Lavren rushed into the room beside Dulvarna and loosed a bolt of black energy that struck the ceiling behind the dragon. The wyrm roared and lowered its front feet to the floor once again. It began beating its wings as though it intended to take flight once more and as it did so, Dulvarna charged. A skeleton reached out and grabbed the leg of the warrior woman but she drove her blade forward despite the hindrance and the pain. Aecris pierced the right foreleg of the dragon at the mid-joint and drew another screech of pain from the creature. Then, as the screech ended, the dragon loosed its terrible noxious breath for a second time.</blockquote>

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