I Only Tame Dragons

Dawnfire smirked, her earlier wariness replaced by a fierce grin. "Now that's more like it. Let's tear this trap apart."

Velvet nodded, cracking her knuckles. "I'm ready. Let's show whoever's messing with us that they made a big mistake."

Seraphina placed a hand on Fiora's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "You did well. Now leave the rest to us."

The group rallied, their earlier hesitation replaced by a newfound resolve. They had a target now, a focus for their efforts.

The trap had been sprung, but they weren't helpless prey. They were hunters, and they were ready to turn the tables on whoever had dared to trap them here.

Horizon took a deep breath, letting his eyes linger on the dark, pulsing rift in the air. Thanks to Fiora, they had managed to locate the source of the magical loop.

The jagged tear emanated an ominous hum, a constant reminder of the force keeping them trapped in this timeless loop.

It looked like a wound in reality itself, distorting the very air around it. He felt the weight of the unknown pressing against his chest. They had to act quickly—before the trap closed its jaws tighter around them.

"Alright," Horizon said, his tone firm. "The rift is the anchor. If we want to escape, we need to sever the magic that's feeding it. But this won't be easy. Whoever set this up knew what they were doing."

Seraphina nodded. "Disrupting a seal of this magnitude could trigger a backlash. We need to be prepared for anything. Velvet, you take the left side and create a barrier using one of our items. Dawnfire, get ready to nullify any incoming spells. Aria, you're with me on support. Fiora, you've done enough—just rest."

Fiora tried to protest, but Aria placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "She's right. You've already drained yourself. Let us handle the rest."

Fiora nodded reluctantly, leaning against a rock, her eyes still focused on the rift.

Horizon's undead minions formed a defensive line around them, ready to intercept any threats. The desert wind whipped up, carrying with it a faint, eerie whisper as if the land itself was resisting their attempt to break free.

"Ready?" Horizon called out. The group gave a collective nod.

"Let's do this," Seraphina replied.

They moved in unison, their actions swift and precise.

Velvet knelt down, pulling out a sleek, ornate quill from her pouch.

The [Starfire Quill] shimmered in her hand, its shaft carved from the feather of a mythical Phoenix, imbued with shimmering blue runes that pulsed like a heartbeat. The tip wasn't just ink; it was pure starlight, a concentrated fragment of celestial magic.

The quill had cost the Wingless Valkyrie a fortune—priceless jewels, a rare dragon's scale, and three priceless favors owed to the most powerful arcane clans across the lands.

It was a gamble, an extravagant expense they hadn't planned to make, but no one else could craft a barrier this strong without it.

The mysterious clan who sold it to her had warned, "It can only be used once. After that, the quill's magic is spent."

They had hoped to save it for a critical moment, a last-resort measure during a final confrontation.

But as the rift screamed and the desert air crackled with dark energy, it was clear: this was the moment.

Velvet dug the quill's tip into the sand, and immediately, the ground beneath her feet illuminated with a dazzling silver light. She traced her hand in fluid, rapid motions, drawing intricate symbols. The quill left behind streaks of glittering light, like the tail of a comet blazing across the sky.

The runes she drew came alive, bursting into shimmering flames that coiled and twisted, forming an ethereal red barrier around the group. The air vibrated with power, the barrier humming like a forcefield that could withstand the wrath of gods.

"It's beautiful," Aria whispered, momentarily entranced by the spectacle.

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"Don't get distracted," Velvet snapped, her voice tight with concentration. The runes flared brighter, each stroke draining more of the quill's magic, but she didn't falter.

She was burning through an item of unimaginable value, yet there was no hesitation in her movements. They needed this barrier, now or never.

As the final rune was etched into the ground, the barrier solidified, glowing a deep crimson that radiated outward in a dome.

The sand beneath it turned to glass from the heat, shimmering in the light of the quill's remaining magic. The [Starfire Quill's] glow dimmed, its light fading as it released its last trace of power.

Velvet gave the quill a final glance, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Looks like you were worth the price after all."

With the barrier in place, the group steeled themselves. They were ready to break the loop, the shimmering shield standing between them and the dark energies threatening to consume them.

At the side, Dawnfire's hands sparked with blue flames as she prepared a counter-spell. The air around her crackled with static, the temperature dropping as she pulled on her mana reserves. Her eyes narrowed, focused on the rift, waiting for the inevitable retaliation.

Seraphina joined Horizon at the front, her hands glowing with a golden light. She raised them towards the rift, sending a pulse of cleansing energy forward. The light struck the dark tear, causing it to shudder and ripple violently, like a disturbed reflection in water.

Meanwhile, Horizon didn't cast spells like a traditional mage like the others thought he would do. Instead, he activated his ability [Wyrm Call], which allowed him to summon the spectral essence of his dragons and transform them into formidable weapons.

Summoning the essence of the Dracolich, Horizon's eyes burned with an eerie green light. The air around him grew cold as ghostly wisps of necrotic energy coiled up his arm, swirling faster until they formed the unmistakable shape of a weapon.

It was a skeletal bazooka, forged entirely from the bones of the ancient Dracolich—a monstrous relic that looked like it had been ripped straight from the underworld. The cannon's mouth was a gaping dragon skull, its hollow eye sockets glowing with a sickly, deathly hue.

The others watched in stunned silence. Horizon's fighting style was unlike anything they'd seen before. He didn't fit the image of a typical Necromancer mage—no dark robes or ritualistic chanting.

Instead, he wielded death itself as if it were an extension of his will, blending sheer combat ferocity with forbidden magic.

"What the hell is he?" Velvet muttered, eyes wide with a mix of awe and confusion.

But before any questions could be voiced, Horizon planted his feet firmly on the ground and took aim at the rift.

The skeletal bazooka roared to life, its dragon maw opening wide as necrotic energy pooled within it. The entire weapon crackled with dark lightning, and the air vibrated with a low, resonating hum, as if the very essence of death was charging up for a cataclysmic release.

With a sharp exhale, Horizon pulled the trigger. A torrent of black energy erupted from the cannon's mouth, spiraling outward like a shadowy dragon's breath.

The blast tore through the air, a concentrated beam of pure necrosis that left a trail of blackened, withering space in its wake.

It slammed into the rift with a deafening explosion. The impact was immediate—the rift screamed as if it were a living thing, its edges cracking and fracturing, unable to withstand the raw power of Horizon and Seraphina's combines attack.

The dark energies of the necrotic blast seemed to consume the rift itself, pulling it inwards as it collapsed under its own weight. Waves of dark energy erupted from it, slamming into Velvet's barrier. The red runes flickered but held strong under the assault.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Now!" Horizon shouted.

Aria thrust her staff into the ground, channeling her magical energy directly into the sand. Tendrils of shadow surged from the earth, wrapping around the rift like chains. They constricted tightly, pulling at the tear, trying to pry it open further.

At the same time, Seraphina poured her golden light into the rift, the two opposing forces clashing violently.

Dawnfire stepped in, releasing her counter-spell. A wave of blue flames washed over the rift, nullifying the dark energy spilling out.

It was like dousing oil with water—chaotic and explosive. Sparks of blue and black shot out in all directions, but the rift began to shrink, the tear slowly mending.

"Push harder!" Seraphina urged, sweat dripping down her forehead.

Suddenly, a deep rumble echoed through the desert. The ground beneath them shook violently. Cracks spiderwebbed out from the rift, splitting the earth. The wind picked up, howling with a bone-chilling intensity. It felt as if the desert itself was trying to swallow them whole.

The rift pulsed one last time, releasing a shockwave of pure magical energy. It struck the group like a physical blow, nearly knocking them off their feet. Velvet's barrier shattered, the crimson runes dissipating into the air.

"Hold on!" Dawnfire shouted, her blue flames intensifying as she pushed back against the wave.

Aria quickly cast a protective spell over Fiora, shielding her from the blast. Seraphina and Horizon gritted their teeth, and blasted another wave of spell into the rift.

With a final, ear-splitting crack, the rift collapsed in on itself. The dark tear shrank rapidly, folding into a pinprick of darkness before vanishing entirely.

The desert fell silent, the oppressive energy lifting like a heavy fog clearing from the land.