Slaying a dragon, part 2.

They came up to the dragon, just as it was getting up, scorched on most of its right side, and limping heavily. And clearly enraged. It turned a loathing gaze at them just as they approached. "Quick, take cover!" Kazuma shouted as it reared its head back, and not a moment to soon, as just as they made it to behind the nearest boulder, its icy breath impacted their cover. "Darn, getting close to that thing is going to be a pain in the ass!" Kazuma growled.

"Don't worry about it, I got this!" Cremea shouted, recklessly getting out from behind cover and charging the beast with her shield up.

"No you don't, you idiot! Stop!" Kazuma panicked. To his surprise though, when the ice breath hit her shield, it managed to part the breath well enough for her to keep charging, even as frost coated the shield, and part of Cremea. She reached the dragon, and swung her new mace repeatedly, striking it several times in the face, making it recoil in clear discomfort. She then dashed for the wounded side, and struck that with her mace a couple of times.

Just when it was looking like she actually stood a chance though, it struck her with its good forepaw, and sent her flying, and sprawled, badly injured. Kazuma realized that it would have killed her if not for Endure. "Shit!" Fio shouted, also dashing out from behind cover, and firing her crossbow bolt at the beast, hitting it right in the membrane of its good wing, impaling it. It roared and turned its attention to Fio. "Come this way you dumb brute!" she shouted, reloading as she stayed on the move, managing to avoid the ice breath it shot in retaliation.

"Darkness, quick!" Kazuma shouted as he and Darkness ran out from behind the cover, and ran at the dragon from behind as it chased after Fio while Aqua ran to Cremea to heal her. The beast cornered Fio, and lunged, attempting to make her a snack as its teeth snapped shut... Just short of her. Both dragon and Fio blinked, and the dragon looked back to see Darkness had wrapped both of her arms around its tail, using her absurd strength to hold it back.

"Gotcha!" Darkness shouted, though she was clearly struggling.

"Your outstretched tail is wide open!" Kazuma shouted gleefully as he ran forward, swinging down with both arms. SNAP! Kazuma blinked, and slowly raised his weapon up to look at it. Yep. It had broken clean in half against the dragon's hard scales. "...ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" he protested at the second time he'd recently broken a weapon. "This better not become a running gag with me!"

"Um, Kazuma?" Darkness asked hesitantly. Kazuma froze, figuratively, though he had a bad feeling it was about to become very literal. His worst fears were confirmed as he saw the irritated dragon inhaling and facing them both. Crap!