I Only Tame Dragons

With a simple gesture from the Dracolich, it unleashed a roar that shook the ground, its spectral flames igniting the air.

Cedrick's allies froze, their faces pale. The battle had yet to begin, but it was already clear who held the upper hand.

Not to mention that Wingless Valkyrie hadn't yet joined in the battle.

However, it was clear that the Kingdom of Stars was a first-rate guild, as they quickly regained their composure, with Aeloria stepping in to take command of the fight.

The battlefield was a chaotic blur of motion and magic, stretching in the clearing of the forest, scarred by the clash of mighty forces. At the heart of the Kingdom of Stars formation, Cedrick held a shimmering artifact—a gift from his mother.

Cedrick had intended to save the life-saving artifact for a dire confrontation with the Brotherhood Legion, where its power might tip the scales in their favor. But plans rarely survived the chaos of battle. The emergence of dragons—brought into the fray by Horizon—changed everything.

He hadn't anticipated that their fight with the Wingless Valkyrie would escalate to this level. The dragons' overwhelming presence turned the battlefield into a fiery hellscape, their roars shaking the earth and their devastating attacks threatening to annihilate everything in their path.

Cedrick had no choice. Reluctantly, he activated the artifact, the precious relic his mother had entrusted to him. Its golden aura enveloped their forces, forming an impenetrable barrier that could hold against even the most fearsome of assaults. This was supposed to be their trump card, their last line of defense. And now, against all odds, it was being used here.

The relic radiated an eerie, golden aura as Cedrick invoked its power. A translucent barrier expanded outward, engulfing his allies in an impenetrable dome of protection.

"This will hold for five minutes. While its active, nothing could penetrate it," Cedrick declared, his voice steady but laced with urgency. "Do what you must."

The Kingdom of Stars didn't waste time. Aeloria's hands danced in complex patterns, drawing sigils that pulsed with arcane energy. Massive stone guardians, their forms crackling with elemental energy, burst from the earth, each towering over the combatants like sentinels of destruction.

Alongside them, Theron summoned a tempest of storm clouds, his lightning bolts striking the ground to summon storm beasts that howled with electric fury.

From their vantage point, Seraphina, Aria, and the rest of the Wingless Valkyries watched the barrier shimmer, its surface rippling like liquid gold. Seraphina gritted her teeth, her celestial blade humming.

"Five minutes of invulnerability," she muttered. "Long enough to tear us apart from the outside."

Aria, standing slightly behind her, sang a low, haunting note. The sound reverberated, wrapping the Valkyries in an enchantment of focus and agility. "Then we'll just have to survive those five minutes," Aria said.

"A barrier?" Horizon's surprise was evident as his gaze swept over the shimmering dome protecting Cedrick's group.

"It's not completely invincible," Nyx said with a sly grin, her voice tinged with amusement. "It can only last for five minutes."

The first wave of summoned guardians charged forward, their massive forms shaking the ground. Wingless Valkyrie's members, led by Seraphina and her tactical instincts, were already moving to intercept.

"Hold the line!" Aria yelled, raising a barrier of swirling fire to halt the advance of a thunder beast. "Don't let them overwhelm us!"

Seraphina led the charge against the elemental guardians, her blade slicing through stone and flame. Each swing sent shards flying, but for every guardian that fell, another seemed to rise in its place.

"Behind you!" Velvet called out as she materialized from the shadows, her daggers finding weak points in a storm beast's electric hide.

Seraphina pivoted, her blade slicing through the creature's legs. "Thanks," she said, breathless but steady.

Meanwhile, Cedrick and the Kingdom of Stars unleashed a barrage of spells from within their protective barrier. Bolts of fire, shards of ice, and searing beams of light rained down on Horizon and the Valkyries, forcing them into constant motion. Aeloria's spells were particularly devastating, combining elemental forces into massive, chaotic explosions.

Aria hurled a blast of wind to deflect one such attack, the sheer force of it pushing her back several steps. "They're just toying with us," she growled.

Dawnfire, her flames flickering in the storm's winds, nodded grimly. "We need to break that barrier, or we'll be picked off one by one."

From the sidelines, Fiora was working desperately to heal the wounded and summon her guardian wolf. The ethereal beast prowled alongside her, intercepting smaller summons and shielding her with its massive form.

"I can't keep this up forever," Fiora admitted, her voice strained.

"None of us can," Velvet said, dodging a lightning strike. "So let's stop worrying about forever and focus on now."

Inside the barrier, Cedrick's dark magic was building to a crescendo. Shadows coalesced around him, forming spectral tendrils that lashed out at anyone who dared approach the dome. His expression was calm, but his eyes gleamed with a dangerous intensity.

"How much longer?" Aeloria asked, her voice tight as she cast another enchantment to bolster the defenses of the guardians.

"Three minutes," Cedrick replied without looking at her. "Don't worry about the timer and just eliminate them all!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Outside the barrier, the battle raged on. The alliance between Horizon and the Valkyries was holding, but barely. Every second felt like an eternity as they fought against overwhelming odds.

Seraphina charged at a colossal guardian, her blade glowing with divine energy. She leapt high, bringing her sword down in a brilliant arc that cleaved the guardian in two. The explosion of stone sent her tumbling, but she landed on her feet, already seeking her next target.

Nearby, Aria's voice soared, weaving a melody that confused the storm beasts and turned them against one another. "Keep them off me!" she called, her concentration split between her magic and the chaos around her.

Dawnfire answered with a wave of molten rain, the fiery deluge melting through the ranks of summoned creatures. "You're covered!" she yelled.

Velvet, darting between shadows, made her way closer to the barrier. Her poisoned daggers found their mark on a crackling storm beast, which collapsed in a heap of sizzling flesh.

"Any bright ideas on breaking that shield?" she called out to Seraphina.

"Working on it," Seraphina replied, frustration evident in her voice.

The clock was ticking. Inside the barrier, Cedrick's dark magic reached its peak, the air around him vibrating with raw energy. He turned to Aeloria.

"It's time," he said with a grin.

Aeloria nodded, raising her staff high. The ground beneath the barrier began to glow, intricate runes appearing and spreading outward.

"They're preparing something big," Nyx warned, her sharp eyes catching the glow.

"We can't wait for it to hit us," Seraphina said. She turned to Dawnfire. "Can you channel everything into one focused attack?"

Dawnfire hesitated, then nodded. "It'll drain me, but I can do it."

"Do it," Seraphina ordered. "We'll cover you."

As Dawnfire began gathering her energy, Seraphina and the others formed a protective circle around her. The air grew hotter as Dawnfire's flames intensified, swirling into a massive orb of molten energy.

Inside the barrier, Cedrick felt the heat even through the protective dome. He glanced at Aeloria.

"They're trying to force their way in," Trisha said.

"They won't succeed," Cedrick replied, his tone calm and confident.

Dawnfire unleashed her attack, the fiery orb hurtling toward the barrier with incredible force. It struck the dome with a deafening explosion, the shockwave shaking the battlefield. For a moment, the barrier flickered, its golden light dimming.

"Now!" Seraphina shouted, charging forward.

The barrier held firm, the artifact's power radiating unbroken and impenetrable. Cedrick's smirk widened as he raised his hand, summoning a surge of dark energy that crackled ominously in the air.

"Ahahaha! Fools!" Cedrick's voice echoed with triumph. "You'll never destroy this barrier! You can't harm us from inside here!"

Horizon stood silent for a moment before bursting into laughter, cutting through the tension like a blade. Cedrick's spell faltered mid-gesture, his eyes narrowing in irritation.

"What's so funny?" Cedrick snapped, his voice laced with anger. "Your dragon couldn't even scratch this barrier! You've lost!"

Horizon met Cedrick's glare with a sharp grin, his confidence unwavering. "You're so sure about that barrier, aren't you?" He raised a hand and snapped his fingers. Instantly, the massive Dracolich, which had been battering the barrier moments before, vanished in a swirl of shadows.

Cedrick's smug expression wavered. "W-what are you doing?"

"The solution's simple." Horizon's tone was calm but biting. "We can't break your barrier, sure. But you can't leave it, either. So . . . I'll just run and hide, and come back after that barrier is gone."

With a mocking salute, Horizon leaped to a nearby branch, his movements as fluid as they were taunting. In a flash, he darted away, disappearing into the forest's dense canopy.

Cedrick's jaw tightened, his confidence crumbling. "W-what? Come back here!"