Concord shivered and began to tremble nervously. No, Concord. Don't run. Don't be the coward this time. But he couldn't stop himself. He took a step back. It was a mistake. A loud "CRACK" echoed around the room as he stepped on a root protruding out of the stone floor.

The drake raised its head at the sound, its huge, yellow eyes swiveling around to focus on Concord.

Concord felt a wave of panic surge through him. Don't run, don't run! The others aren't running. There's no need to panic. Just... stay calm. He took a deep breath.

Cascade stared at the books beneath the drake, avoiding its gaze. I need that knowledge. What's there that's so important it must be guarded?

The drake stood, steam erupting from its nostrils, as if it had heard Cascade's greedy thoughts.

Maybe we'll have to kill it first, but nevertheless...

The drake roared. A horrifying, deafening noise, low-pitched, echoing around the walls. Then it took a deep breath and sent flames flying towards them.

Andrea gasped and bit back a scream as she made a swift hand motion to throw the flames to the side. As the ball of fire swerved from its path at her will, slamming into the side wall, she gave a sigh of relief. It worked, phew. Usually flames aren't too eager to obey me.

But the drake wasn't about to stop its attack. It leapt forward, straight towards where they stood.

Andrea fired a ball of flames at the drake, but it did nothing to slow its approach. Cascade took water from a pool in the center of the room and streamed it towards the drake, but it met her attack with a ball of flame, vaporizing it. Then the drake was almost upon them.

As the drake bore down on them, Concord froze where he was, paralyzed by his fear. No no no no no no no...

Omar saw Concord freeze, and knew that Andrea and Cascade wouldn't make it out of the path of the drake in time either. Flashing a glance towards the quickly advancing drake, he boosted himself, with the speed of the wind, towards his companions. Tackling Concord and shoving Andrea and Cascade to the side with blasts of air, he threw them out of the drake's path. Omar flinched and shuddered as he heard the drake's jaws snap shut in the open air where they had been standing.

They picked themselves up from the ground quickly, the shock and fear of the drake's previous sudden attack invigorating them. As the drake snarled and ran towards them once more, Concord reacted immediately, angry with himself for his previous inability to fight. Taking the stone and earth from the ground, he flung a wall up in front of them, blocking the flames. There. Not cowardly. Concord winced. Though it did take me a minute to un-freeze.

The earth wall fell almost immediately. Huge talons pierced it, tearing it in half, and huge jaws crushed the stone.

Concord stifled a small scream. He turned to Cascade. "Do you think we should run now?" His panic was returning.

"No. We need that knowledge." And I know how to get it. Cascade summoned water from the pools outside the door and streamed it towards the drake in a strong jet, shoving it back a bit. "Help me push him back against the wall!"

They all paused, but as another wave of flames came their way, with Concord keeping it away once more, they put in their efforts. Omar blasted air towards the drake, shoving it back even more. Concord raised another slab of stone and shot it forward, pressing it against the huge creature with all his might. Andrea attempted to summon a ball of fire, but now that her panic had subsided, it was to no avail.

"Now, someone- Andrea, get some of the books!!"

Andrea nodded. I know that Cascade can hold the drake back. Plus, she's got the others to help. I can make it past this drake, my powers working or not. Andrea sprinted forward, running as fast as she could towards the drake. As it launched a fireball towards her, she offset its course slightly so that it wouldn't hit her, for that was all she could do. Her initial fright and panic had melted away, and so her control over the flames had weakened. Each time a sphere of fire flew towards her, she adjusted its course slightly. Finally, approaching the pile of books, she slid between the legs of the drake and snatched two of the glowing tomes from the pile. As she rose to her feet once more, she was nearly dragged down again by the weight of the objects she carried. They're so heavy. I don't think I could even carry more than these.

"Please, hurry! I can't hold it back much longer!" Cascade's arms trembled violently as she attempted to keep the constant pressure against the drake.

Andrea moved forward once more, but suddenly heard a sound from behind her; the falling of many books as they finally hit the ground. She quickened her pace, but still could not move fast, burdened by the heavy tomes she held. She couldn't escape the wave of books that fell on top of her as the stacks toppled over.

"ANDREA!!" Cascade stopped her stream of water and rushed across the room, throwing up walls of water as balls of fire were launched towards her. She ran faster than she ever had before, through the crackling fires which still burned all around the room, kept lit by the roots protruding from the floor. The books don't matter anymore. I just want to save Andrea. Please. Let her be alive. Sliding to a stop next to the fallen stacks of books, Cascade dug through the pile of heavy volumes as she searched for Andrea, a thousand tears streaming down her cheeks. She paid no heed to the drake, which stood less than ten meters away, such was her desperation to find her friend.

Omar blasted more air towards the drake, now no longer having Cascade to help him. He groaned quietly as the creature pushed back against his efforts, though Concord was trying equally hard to keep it back. You can do this. Just hold it back long enough for Cascade and Andrea to get out.

Concord saw the drake turning its head towards Andrea and Cascade. He gasped as he saw it take a breath in. Oh, no you don't. Concord set his lips in a thin line and threw slabs up from the ground, forming a dome around Andrea and Cascade.

With a screech, a huge blast of flames erupted from the drake, almost completely covering Concord's dome, scorching it. But the flames didn't break through. The girls were safe, for the moment.

Cascade moved a few more books to the side, then stopped as she saw a strand of auburn hair peeking out from between them. Andrea. She threw the books lying upon her friend aside, tears starting to drip down her face as Andrea's unmoving body became uncovered. She's not dead, is she? If she is... I... I won't ever forgive myself. Cascade pulled Andrea out of the pile and checked for a pulse, letting out a sigh of relief as she found one. She's alive. But unconscious. I'll have to carry her back. Cascade looked around at the dome, the roaring of the flames filling her ears. But the fire from the drake hasn't stopped. Concord can't let the dome down. She sighed. We're stuck here, for now.

Omar groaned as he struggled to hold the drake back against the wall. It'll break free any moment now! Just hold it back a bit longer!

As the drake stopped its barrage of flames upon the dome of earth to take a breath, Concord let his dome down, and saw Cascade start to move towards them with Andrea. This might be their only chance.

Suddenly, the drake broke free of Omar's hold on it. It pounced upon the girls. Concord threw a ceiling of stone up above the pair, blocking them off from the drake. The creature sliced through it easily, but was met immediately by pillars of earth erupting from the ground below it.

The drake's heavy spiked tail smashed against the ceiling of the room, causing huge slabs to fall. Concord stopped their descent, hovering them above Andrea and Cascade so that they could escape. But he also could no longer help them, burdened by the stone he had to keep raised. He gasped in horror as the drake sliced through the pillars that held it back.

Omar gathered himself up once more, though he was exhausted, and blasted the drake back, using the last vestiges of energy he still had. "Run, Cascade! RUN!" He shouted in despair towards his companion.

Cascade ran as fast as her legs would carry her while she carried Andrea. Balls of fire crashed down behind her and next to her, the force of the impact sometimes throwing her to one side. But she rose each time.

Thick gray smoke swirled around the room, and as Cascade breathed it in, she coughed and gasped, slowing. Her eyes stung and filled with tears. The roaring of the drake, the crackling of the fires, and the shouting of the two boys encouraging her to press on rang in her ears. Blinded by the cacophony of noises and the smoke attacking her eyes, she wanted to drop to the ground and rest. But as she forced her eyes open again and looked at Andrea, lying in her arms, she was filled with new determination. Andrea needs me to save her. I can't give up on her now. Sprinting across the stone floor once more, Andrea in her arms, she pressed on. She could feel the flames, thrown by the drake, licking at her heels as she ran. Her hair, flying behind her, caught on fire, but she continued. Finally, she slid to a stop next to Omar and Concord, panting and gasping. And just in time.

Omar couldn't hold the drake back any longer. He stopped blasting air towards it and fell to his knees, exhausted. He swayed.

As the drake lunged forward, Concord dropped the slabs of stone which he had been holding up, and they crashed down upon it. With a screech, it was buried beneath the rubble.

Cascade quickly took water from the pool in the center of the room and extinguished her burning ivory hair. Then, with her last bit of strength, she took Andrea and dragged her from the room. Omar stumbled after her, with Concord following.

Cascade collapsed on the hard stone ground of the library, leaving Andrea next to her. She heard two other thumps as Concord and Omar lay upon the floor as well. As her eyes slid shut, she fell asleep almost instantly.

Cascade woke. She blinked a few times and stood, stumbling and wincing softly as she did so. But she quickly recovered her footing. Cascade looked towards the room of forbidden knowledge, where they had battled the drake. I still wish I had gotten that knowledge. Just grabbed one of those books. She squinted at the wall separating the library from the room with the piles of tomes. Maybe I can still get one. Concord didn't close the hole in the wall that we used to enter when we left... I could step in there and grab one. The drake's buried beneath stone, after all. Cascade glanced towards her friends, then walked through the gap in the wall.

Suddenly, something barreled into Cascade from behind, knocking her feet off the ground and propelling her forward. She landed on the ground with a thud, then heard a resounding crash from behind her, followed by a roar. The mysterious form that had pushed her forward released her. Looking to the side, Cascade saw Omar offer his hand to her. She grabbed it and rose. Then she turned towards the drake, taking water from the pool in the center of the room and sending it in jets towards the flames which bore down upon them. She groaned. She was tiring, fast. All of my power must not be back yet. The drake's tail whipped up and down, smashing against the ceiling and causing stone to fall, blocking the gap in the wall which they had used to enter.

As the drake stopped its barrage of fire to take a breath, Cascade leapt to the side, then started to run across the room, seeking the shelter of the fallen shards of the ceiling. Omar quickly caught up with her and took her hand, boosting them along, helping them to speed faster towards the safe haven of debris. As another wave of flames flew towards them, then crouched down behind one of the pieces of rubble. The stone protected them from the fire, but they were careful not to touch it, for they knew how hot it was. While they had a brief moment of rest, Omar turned to Cascade. "Why would you run in here like that? The drake was simply knocked out by the rocks from the ceiling," he told her, speaking over the rumbling of the flames against the stone. "You're lucky I woke when you got up. You'd be dead, otherwise."

"I wanted to get one of the books in this room. I-" Cascade sighed. "I thought it was safe. I didn't think the drake would have gotten out of the rubble."

That's reckless of her. She's greedy for this information. She's putting her life at risk for something she shouldn't be. "Why is it so important to get the books? I'm sure they have plenty of knowledge, which I'm curious about as well, but is it worth your life?"

"They just... look important. I'm sure we didn't get visions summoning us here for nothing. Those books must be... special somehow, and related to us. Whatever they contain, I want to know."

Omar sighed. "Maybe. But I think we should leave-" Suddenly, the rock they crouched behind broke into pieces, a huge claw slicing through it easily. Massive jaws opened around Cascade and Omar, but closed on thin air as the pair leapt out of the way.

Omar started towards the exit, but then realized Cascade wasn't next to him. He listened for her footsteps, and heard them receding. She's heading towards the pile of books. Omar sighed, and his brow furrowed with worry as he heard the drake following her. She just won't change her mind once she's set her mind to something, will she? Omar brought his hands up so that he could blast the drake away from Cascade, but when he tried, he found that the only thing he could create was a bit of a breeze, nothing near enough to move the drake. My power is still weaker than earlier. I'm still too tired to move the drake. I don't know what to do.

Cascade snatched one of the tomes from the pile and began to run back towards Omar, albeit a little slower than before. She could hear the drake, close behind her and to her right. She looked over her shoulder briefly and gasped as she saw it slow slightly, about to take a breath in. I don't have much power left, but hopefully I have enough for this. I hope it works. Cascade took water from the pool and sprayed it at the jaws of the drake. Then, clearing almost all other thoughts from her head, she turned the water into ice, freezing the drake's jaws shut. She swayed slightly, but continued to run as best she could. At least it can't eat me now, or send fire, she thought. But she knew that she still had to hurry.

Omar saw the drake, its mouth now frozen shut, start gaining on Cascade once more. Cascade's probably out of power by now. I need to do something. Omar made a wind blow towards him, allowing Cascade to run faster. But the drake was still close behind. I can't use too much power now. I don't know what'll happen. The drake was almost upon Cascade. Omar sighed. No. You've got to save Cascade. She needs your help. Omar made the wind stronger, making Cascade seem to fly forward. He felt himself getting faint, but he continued to push her towards the entrance. Once she reached the pile of rubble that covered the entrance, he stopped. He tried to move, but such was his fatigue that his legs nearly collapsed under him.

Suddenly, he felt a huge, clawed hand wrap around him and raise him into the air. He let out a cry of pain as its grip tightened.

Cascade saw Omar, trapped in the grasp of the drake, and dropped the tome she held. "Omar!" She cried out in despair, knowing that she had little or no power left, though she wished to save him. Suddenly, one of the stones in the pile of rubble covering the entrance suddenly moved to the side, creating a gap. The gap was just large enough to hold a person, and Cascade could see that Concord had made a small tunnel leading out of the room.

"Run, Cascade! Go through the tunnel! Leave!" Omar told her. "Save yourself..." He gasped and gritted his teeth as the drake's grip tightened once more.

"No." Cascade focused, and, finding one last vestige of power, she took water out of the pool. Shaping the water into the form of a long spear, she launched it at the eye of the drake. It went straight through. With a screech, the drake dropped Omar.

Cascade rushed forward and caught Omar, who had lost consciousness, then headed back towards the tunnel. Luckily, it wasn't too far, so she reached it in a fairly short amount of time. She passed Omar to the exhausted Concord in the tunnel, then scooped up the book she had left on the ground and entered the tunnel herself, just as the drake swiped another hand towards her. Then they stumbled along in the confined space until they reached the other side, where Andrea met them.