The two women clenched their jaws. Their expressions hardening after the taunt escaped one of their lips. Despite their bravado, they could feel the burning pain from Erend and Eccar's combined assault.
Their bodies and armor had been scorched by the explosive impact of the fiery boulders, but both of them possessed powerful regenerative abilities. The cracks in their armor mended swiftly, and the burns on their skin faded as if they had never been.
Still, they couldn't ignore the truth: the power of the Dragonborn was far greater than they had anticipated.
"We underestimated them," one of the women muttered, her voice low and edged with annoyance. Her red eyes flickered with a dangerous glint as she glanced at her companion.
The other woman, whose face was set in a grim expression, nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, Svetlana," she replied. "These Dragonborn are stronger than we expected. But that doesn't mean we will lose."
Svetlana's lips curled into a cold smile. "We'll split them up. You take the one with the earth Magic. I'll deal with the one who have fire Magic."
Her companion, named Miraslava, nodded once, her gaze locked on Eccar. "Agreed. Let's finish this."
Without another word, the two harbingers shot forward with terrifying speed, their forms becoming nothing more than blurs in the sky. The sudden acceleration caught both Erend and Eccar off guard. One moment the harbingers had been hovering ominously in the distance and the next they were racing toward them like crimson streaks of lightning.
"Damn! They're fast!" Erend hissed, his eyes widening.
Eccar barely had time to respond before Miraslava was upon him, her sword gleaming in the faint light of the vortex above. The two harbingers moved with fluid and dangerous grace when they swords.
But Erend and Eccar had anticipated this. They had already activated their Dragon Scales, the protective layers of scales now covering their bodies, giving them the appearance of ancient, armored beasts. The scales shimmered with power, their surfaces tough and nearly impenetrable.
Erend and Eccar chose to fight using their claws for now. The sharp, talon-like extensions of their hands glowing with their Draconic energy.
The sky erupted into chaos as the four fighters collided.
Erend's eyes burned with anger looking at the being who wanted to destroy the world he wanted to protect.
"We'll see about that."
With a powerful burst of flames erupted all over his body, he surged forward, claws raised.
BOOM!
---
Aurdis stood by the window, her eyes fixed on the chaotic battle raging in the sky. The flicker of flames and the clash of Magic reflected in her eyes as she anxiously gripped her own hands. Behind her, Aerchon and Saeldir were focused intently on the large crystal atop the table, its surface glowing faintly with the power of the dome they were maintaining.
The strain was clear on the crystal. They had all felt the dome shudder under the tremendous blows it had just endured. The cracks that had formed earlier were signs of the immense pressure from the red spikes. But thanks to Erend and Eccar's intervention the barrier had not broken.
Aerchon exchanged a tense glance with Saeldir. The air between them heavy with unspoken understanding. They knew now, without a doubt, that the enemy they were facing was far stronger than the one they had encountered before. And it actually make sense cause they must be the last of them.
Aurdis's attention still locked on the fierce battle outside. Her heart pounded in her chest, every strike and explosion echoing in her bones.
She could see Erend and Eccar giving everything they had, their powers flaring like beacons in the darkened sky.
But the enemies were powerful.
She pressed her palm against the cold glass, wishing she could do more, wishing she could be out there with them. A deep pit of worry gnawed at her insides. She had faith in Erend and Eccar but still, she can't let go of her anxiety for the worst.
"Come on, Erend..." she whispered under her breath, her fingers trembling slightly. "You have to win."
The fate of the palace, and perhaps everything they fought to protect, now rested in their hands. All Aurdis could do was hope.
---