TEMPEST TWISTED SIDEWAYS, narrowly avoiding the dragon's talons.

She landed with a thud. Shock vibrated throughout her body from the force of the fall. The dragon's ocean hued scales skated across her cheek when she raised her face. A sharp blow from its reptilian arm sent her flying. Daggers dug into her back when she slammed into a tree.

Kane's anxiety ridden face appeared above her. His eyes were like reflections of pure distress. He glanced between Tempest's dazed expression and the dragon circling the sky.

"What can I do to help?"

Tempest weakly shook her head, staggering to her feet and launching Kane to the side as the dragon dove. "I told you to hide!"

The river rose and fell in serpentine waves, mimicking the dragon's flying pattern. Tempest broke into a mad dash, diving into the lake seconds before the dragon sliced through the tree. She breathed in the lake water, jolting awake at the cool vigor seeping into her skin.

The dragon plunged in after her.

Tempest yelled, whipping out Clarent and clasping the hilt with both hands. The obsidian power emerging from the blade bonded with her strong will. "Come on!"

The dragon roared, shooting towards Tempest quicker than an arrow. Water crashed into her feet, propelling her towards the beast. Her shoulder burned when the dragon tilted its head to the side, dodging her swing and latching onto her. Gargled screams erupted from her open mouth. The dragon bit harder, nearly snapping her arm off.

So much for benevolence.

Tempest gasped. Her nerves went haywire. The lake water desperately tried and failed to heal her bleeding wound. The dragon sank its teeth deeper until it reached her bones. She let out a choked shout, feebly clobbering the dragon with Clarent's hilt. Black spots dotted her vision. Golden blood pricked her tongue.

She really hated Eastern dragons.

An earth shattering boom echoed above them. The dragon jerked towards the noise, red eyes narrowing. The sharp pain blasting throughout her stung like a thousand bee stings. It woke her up. She bombarded the dragon with quick lashings and kicks. Taking advantage of its surprise, Tempest drove Clarent straight through its left eye.

Sweet relief overcame her when the dragon's jaw went slack. Tempest grabbed the end of her sword with all the strength she could muster. She pushed Clarent in deeper, using it like a spear. A disturbing wail pierced the underwater ambience and the dragon finally let her go.

Tempest sunk like a rock, too stunned to move as the cold element rushed to save her. The dragon slithered throughout the lake in a panicked dance. Knocking against rocks and mauling its own face. Clarent refused to budge. Tempest knew better than to call it back to her before she'd fully recovered.

Things rarely seemed to go her way, though. Not these days.

She cried out when the dragon charged towards the surface. All she could think of was Kane and how defenseless he'd be against a fully grown dragon with his limited training.

That thought alone terrified her more than she'd ever like to admit.

Only half healed, Tempest flew into action. She crashed into the bottom of the lake. Twisting her hand in a circular motion, she summoned a thick whip and aimed for the fleeing beast. Blood pounded within her ears. Strands of her water whip wrapped around the dragon's leg, halting its ascension. A confused sound reached her ears yet she didn't allow herself a moment to breathe.

Tempest grunted, babying her injured arm and grasping the whip tighter. Spotty vision wreaked havoc on her again yet she persisted. A storm of bothersome wails plagued her. The dragon dragged her across the lake, deepening the way the whip carved through its scales. She clenched her teeth, hands trembling furiously when she felt her body be lifted.

She cursed. The dragon darted upwards, bringing her along for the ride. Tempest let out a scream of frustration, reaching towards the bottom of the lake with her weaker arm. Dozens of strands of water latched onto her wrist then sunk beyond the slick rocks. Darkness painted her vision black. The force of the resistance yanked her arm out of its socket.

Exhaustion and agony were her enemies. They battled within her, urging Tempest to succumb to her injuries as she was ripped in two. Her grip loosened the further her arm became detached. Tears of raw anguish slipped from her as easily as her own blood did. She couldn't focus. She didn't know what to do.

Then she saw it.

A small mirror glared at her in its slow descent. From above she saw Kane's frantic eyes. Begging and pleading. He shook his head, mouthing something she couldn't make out. Then he leaned away from the edge to rifle through the discarded bag.

Tempest eyed the mirror, beyond thankful for her favorite 'tween.

Maybe he wasn't so foolish after all.

Taking a deep breath, Tempest released her hold over the lake and advanced towards the mirror. The stabbing pain was slow to go numb. Little by little she lost her strength.

All she could do was swim with one arm and pray to the gods to bless her like they usually did.

The mirror vanished then reappeared before her like a gift. "Thank you," she whispered, weeping with both gratitude and suffering. Tempest touched the clear surface. "Lake Glass."

The portal exploded, propelling her backwards. Water from Lake Glass punctured its way into Drakōn's world. This time the healing was instantaneous. Tempest didn't even have time to shout as Lake Glass forced her arm into its correct position.

Lake Glass took full command. Tempest absorbed every ounce of offered energy, leaving her body vibrating. Before she could even blink, Lake Glass pushed her towards the surface at lightning speed.

Tempest breathed in the crisp night air as she soared into the sky, grazing the dragon's tail. "Clarent!"

The dragon roared, twisting in the air as Clarent vanished and red blood rained from its face. Tempest snatched Clarent as it materialized beside her. Before the dragon could get away she swung her sword with all her power and chopped off its tail. Her ears rang from the force of the ear splitting bellow of rage the dragon released.

Lake Glass wrapped around Tempest's body, soothing her ears as she fell. The dragon jerked side to side, struggling to fly now that it wasn't balanced. Tempest threw her arms forward as the lake deposited her onto the grass. Water heaved towards the sky, thrusting the dragon onto the ground and pinning it there.

Tempest raised her sword and spun, stopping just in time to avoid cutting Kane's head off. "Damn it, Pendragon! You can't just run up on me like that!"

Kane threw up his hands in surrender with a bomb in each hand. "Sorry! I thought you heard me coming."

Tempest noticed a missing bomb from his belt. Certain trees were scorched and burning. The contents of the packed bag were scattered.

"Did you throw a bomb at a tree?" she asked in disbelief, lowering her sword.

Kane's cheeks went rosy. "I thought you could use some help? Like a distraction? I didn't know what else to do! Throwing a bomb in the water would've been worse, right?"

Tempest's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "I..." she paused, meeting his sincere gaze, "...yes. That would've been worse." With his cursed luck, he probably would've blown her up instead. "Well done."

Kane beamed then turned to face the whimpering dragon. "What are we gonna do about the dragon?"

Tempest sheathed Clarent then took a bomb from him. Wordlessly, she threw it at the dragon's face. The glass shattered, spilling the magickal contents and bursting into purple flames. The kill was immediate once the fire seeped into the dragon's open mouth.

It was silent.

Kane strapped the remaining bomb to his belt. His face was conflicted but didn't betray much regarding how he truly felt. Lake Glass deposited the mirror in her hand. Tempest touched the surface and closed the portal, thanking her friend for helping.

Her body was healed yet there was still a bit of fatigue to be felt within her bones. She needed to rest before the next battle. Tempest wasn't sure how she'd manage that given how inexperienced Kane was. Leaving him to keep watch over them both made her extremely nervous.

They worked together to repack the bag and cover their tracks. Tempest doused the dragon from head to toe, extinguishing the rising smoke and flames. Midnight had long passed by the time they were following the river in search of a safe spot to rest.

Tempest kept a firm grip on the remaining water from Lake Glass. It darkened the river a tad, illuminating its otherworldly properties in Drakōn's world. Having a piece of Hiraeth made her feel more at ease as they walked. She managed to relax a little when they entered a rocky area.

"Is that the first time you've killed a dragon?" Kane asked, looking over his shoulder even though the dragon was nowhere to be seen.

Tempest's keen eyes darted between Kane and their surroundings. "No."

She struck down another poisonous bird with a water arrow. Her eyes were incredibly heavy by the time they stumbled across a cave. The dark sky gave way to a plum hued canvas and the falling moonbeams lessened. Kane collapsed onto the cold ground and Tempest had half a mind to follow him.

Yet she hesitated.

"What's wrong?"

"I need to rest before the next fight or I'll be useless." Tempest swore as the word vomit tumbled out of her mouth. Áine's heat returned tenfold, chasing away the cold energy flowing within her. "But I don't trust you to guard me while I sleep. You're curious so you might wander off and get eaten. I don't have the capacity to keep my hold over the leftover water from Lake Glass, sleep, and keep you safe. I can't do everything at once. I have to choose."

Kane shifted uncomfortably under Tempest's scrutinizing stare. "I can try? To keep watch. If you let me..."

Tempest wavered. The stubborn part of her wanted to reject the offer immediately. Yet the more logical part of her knew there was no other way for Kane to improve if she didn't give him a chance.

Lake Glass poked around in her mind, silently urging her to concede. When Kane looked at her with pleading eyes, she surrendered.

Her back slid down the curved cave wall. She dropped Clarent and nodded. "Alright," she relented, jutting her chin towards the bag, "do what I say first. Then it's on you to keep watch."

Kane straightened up, giving her the most determined look she'd ever seen. "You can trust me."

You can trust me, Silver's ghost-like voice whispered in the back of her mind. I won't let you down, Sunshine. I promise.

Tempest pursed her lips, feeling the ice in her heart hardening and fighting Áine's power. "We'll see about that."

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QOTD: What are your thoughts on Tempest fighting the dragon with Kane's little moments of assistance? How do you think Kane can earn Tempest's trust to do more after she's been severely burned by Silver's actions?