I Only Tame Dragons

"We're losing this fight, Seraphina!" Aria shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. "We need to fall back and regroup. We can't hope to defeat that thing with just the five of us!"

"She's right," Dawnfire agreed, urgency lacing her tone. "We should seek out the other guilds and form an alliance. Together, we might stand a chance against that monstrosity."

Silence hung in the air as Seraphina processed their words. The pressure of the situation bore down on her like tons of weight.

They had less than ten days to find the exit, and every moment ticking by felt like an eternity. Retreating meant losing precious time—time they could barely afford.

If they pulled back now to search for allies, they'd risk wasting even more days, and with more players involved, the chance of complications would only increase.

Seraphina glanced at the colossal guardian, its hulking form still in top condition. She refused to retreat just yet despite the odds against them.

"I understand your concerns," Seraphina finally replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil swirling in her mind. "But we can't sit back and wait for others to come to our aid. That could take too long, and we still have to find the exit from the other regions."

The grim reality settled over them like a shroud. While forming alliances was the most logical idea, it also meant losing precious time, which they simply didn't have.

Each second ticked away like grains of sand slipping through an hourglass, and the thought of falling back only deepened the sense of urgency gnawing at Seraphina.

Seraphina's heart raced as she weighed their options. The Eldergrove loomed ominously, its emerald eyes piercing through the mist, watching their every move.

"We have to press on, at least for a little longer. We might find something—anything—that can turn the tide in our favor," Seraphina said.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Dawnfire glanced at the ground beneath them, where roots snaked like tendrils. "It's a risk, but if we can find a way to disrupt its connection to the forest, maybe we can weaken it. We have to think fast. If it can heal as quickly as it has been, we'll be fighting an uphill battle."

"Exactly," Seraphina agreed, sensing a flicker of hope amidst the dread. "Let's focus on finding any weaknesses we can exploit. We can't let fear dictate our actions."

As the guardian let out another deafening roar, echoing through the forest, the ground trembled beneath their feet.

Seraphina felt the power of the Eldergrove resonate within her, and a surge of resolve ignited her spirit. "We've overcome challenges before. We can do this."

With a steely gaze, she signaled to her companions. "Now, let's show this guardian what we're made of!"

While Wingless Valkyries clashed with the towering Eldergrove, Horizon and his team waited patiently in the shadows, observing every detail.

He watched as Seraphina's group engaged in relentless attacks, attempting to exploit the guardian's few visible weaknesses. They slashed at its gnarled roots, aimed for vulnerable spots in its dense bark, and chipped away at the stone covering its core.

The team was so focused on the fight that they hadn't noticed the Eldergrove's peculiar habit of positioning itself protectively in front of the monolith, a large, pulsating stone standing ominously at the edge of the battlefield.

Horizon's eyes narrowed. This monolith was no ordinary decoration; it held the key to advancing to the next region. He could feel the subtle hum of magic radiating from it, the energy tugging at him like a hidden compass.

Timing was everything.

While Seraphina and her group intensified their assault, Horizon signaled David and the others to prepare, slipping deeper into the shadowed edge of the clearing.

Horizon began to move, keeping his footsteps light and swift, evading even the smallest of fallen twigs. Every step was a calculated.

The Eldergrove's towering form loomed above him, roots twisting like giant serpents and lashing out toward anyone within reach.

But Wingless Valkyries held its focus, their shouts and flaring spells keeping its attention diverted.

Using the distraction, Horizon maneuvered through the dense undergrowth, inching closer to the monolith's shimmering surface.

When he finally reached the edge of the clearing, he waited, heart pounding in sync with the faint pulse of the monolith.

One more surge from Seraphina's team sent the guardian reeling back a few paces, just enough for Horizon to close the last bit of distance undetected.

With a swift, fluid motion, he darted past the thrashing roots, slipping into the circle of grass that seemed to act as the Eldergrove's barrier.

The guardian's massive form shuddered as if sensing his presence, but it remained focused on the Valkyries.

Just as he stretched a hand toward the monolith, he locked eyes with Seraphina.

She stood a few paces back from the raging fight, her gaze sharp. For a split second, their eyes met, and Horizon saw the dawning recognition in her expression—the shock, the flash of understanding.

But before she could react, his fingers touched the monolith, and a rush of power surged through him, sweeping him and his team into a shimmering portal.

A cascade of light enveloped him, the sounds of the battlefield fading into silence as he was whisked away, transported to the next region.

Just before he vanished completely, he caught a final glimpse of Seraphina's stunned face, her mouth open in disbelief as Horizon disappeared into the unknown.

In the new region, Horizon's team landed amidst dense mist and towering cliffs, greeted by an eerie silence. His gamble had paid off—while Wingless Valkyries held the guardian at bay, he and his team had slipped through unscathed.

Now, they were one step closer to the exit, leaving Seraphina's team to deal with the Eldergrove on their own.

Horizon didn't feel an ounce of guilt; he didn't know those people, and he was certain they'd have done the same in his position. Besides, he'd shown them the way to the next region. If anything, they should be thanking him.