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nI turned north and started to shoot in that direction as the dragon chased me. The speed it could move was absolutely amazing, and its aura cooked anything that got anywhere close to it.

nOn top of the oven aura, it had some type of reactive skin that created a ridiculously strong explosion. It was activated when something like the burning body of a Carnica would impact it.

nThe body would be blown to bits, but there would be no marks on the dark red dragon after. That alone made the creature nearly impossible to fight, but that wasn't even mentioning the deadliest part of the massive creature.

nThe ability to spit out ten-foot fireballs that could be detonated at will had already almost knocked me out of the air. I had tried to just barely avoid it, but the ball of fire ruptured beside me, sending me spinning through the air.

nLuckily, the fireballs also exploded on contact, so I had been hiding in the creatures. Still, the shockwaves from the blast were enough to toss me and the other creatures around from a distance.

nThe Carnica all seemed to agree that I was not the threat anymore, and they basically let me weave around them, and they plummeted to their doom. I was curious when the three big ones would show up, but I was also not sure if they would.

nEven the larger broods were torched or blown apart before a mark could be made on them, which speaks volumes about how quickly they were killed. It might not be worth it to challenge the Dread Dragon at this point.

nIn my case, that was a problem. Our game of cat and mouse was proving to be tiresome for the dragon, who seemed to be getting tired of playing.

nI started to cut east, and then I cut straight down and into the trees. A fireball exploded right behind me as I burned forward, and I used the water whips to grab trees to turn fast.

nHe is just playing with you!

n'Better than eating me!'

nThen I felt a fireball come directly behind, and then I was catapulted forward before I could react as it went off. I mixed my body and puffed into steam, rushing forward with the blast just before hitting a tree.

nFive miles, and then get ready to move fast. The others lost the Kualu that were following them, and they were about eight miles away. Also, you are burning a terrible amount of energy in this form, so be careful.

nI could feel the strain of this form as I had to keep my body constantly working. I have to keep the water hot enough to stay vapor while keeping myself together.

nI could sense the dragon's frustration increase as the explosions started to rain around me, but this allowed me to siphon off more energy. The land here was toxic, and I already tried to absorb some of the energy, but it did nothing but eating the energy that I had.

nAfter the last volley, I forced my body back together, but the Fire-Dread Dragon was almost on top of me. The world around me was blazing even as pure fire. I could feel the oven aura trying to cook me.

nLeft!

nNo thought, I just blasted steam right and narrowly missed getting smashed into the ground with a massive claw. The other tried to grab me as well, but I blew apart as steam, burning a massive amount of energy with the star-level heat from the dragon's aura.

nAlmost there, and the Tri-Gods see you coming, and they look mad. Not really sure what is going to happen here, but get ready to try and not die! I bet Wataluga that we aren't going to make it out of here alive, and now he isn't talking to me, so maybe try to prove me wrong?

nI couldn't even give him a reply, all of my thoughts were focused on getting to the fire lake and then into it. I really hoped that Keri's totem would help me recover here, or I was **ed.

nThe Dread Dragon bit the ground behind me from the dive, and I burned into my last reserves of energy. I rocketed forward towards a split in two rocks, aiming at the lava lake ahead; I was starting to feel drained.

nUP!

nFireden's words were too late, and I was grabbed out of the air by a burning hand. Thankfully, it was a normal fire, even if it was the harmful **ty fire, and it didn't hurt me, but the hand's owner looked like he might change that.

nThe angry-looking element looked none too pleased to see me, and the burning spiked armor looked pretty menacing. I could sense the other two elementals and the Dread Dragon, but I focused on the one that was more than likely to kill me first.

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"What are you doing here, Hero?! Are you looking to die that bad? Or are you just that stupid that you would try to attack me, Embra, Eternal Flame of Damnation for All seven… no nine… Firaga! Is it seven or nine rings of Phenocai?!

" Embra, the idiot Tri-god, asked.

nLike seriously, not like there wasn't some giant dragon coming that makes fire sweat!

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"It's ten, you coaled ember! And throw that little ** in the lake; an overgrown hairless bat is coming this way!

" Strangely wizardly looking, Firaga roared at Embra.

nThe big armored burning giant pulled me up to his face and growled at me, but I was too tired to give him a witty comeback.

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"Don't go anywhere, you little shaman **! I want to know where the Phen you came from, and then I will tear each one of the elemental children out of you! Then I'll -,

" Embra said, but then a massive burning hand slapped the back of Embra's hand.

nI was launched like a bottle cap out of his hand and into the lava lake before I could hear anything else.

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