Dragon Hunter

Chapter 45: Campaign of Fire and Ash

Grimly Cooper continued to fire as quickly as he could at the oncoming dragons. But, as they had already seen with the formations used to break away from the original attack, he watched with growing dismay as the formations moved smoothly in coordinated efforts to avoid getting dropped out of the sky. It didn't help all of them, but enough confused his targeting ability that a significant force remained to directly attack his position.

"They're on us, my friend," Theron tautly declared. "We need to withdraw!"

"When I'm good and ready!" Cooper fired back, firing through the wintery blast Saddahk sprayed across the leading ranks to send several imperials dropping out of formation, their bodies frozen solid. If he could just find the damn officer commanding the flight ...

Then the primal silver was at his shoulder.

"I know you search for the flight commander," Saddahk said in a low voice as Cooper, unfazed by the were-form's proximity, continued firing. "But they're a wily one, with knowledge of your previous attacks. They'll do what they can to avoid you. Only by bringing them to ground will you triumph here!"

"Shit," Cooper growled in muted frustration as the imperials drew within fire attack range and began to suck in breath. The primal was right. He needed to bring the bastard down onto the ground to truly take them out!

"Soldier! Jump us to the cave!"

Shadow instantly surrounded him, holding Cooper in its inky heart for several breaths before disappearing as abruptly as it had come. And the determined human found himself standing on the time-worn floor of a tall, cathedral-like cave, its roof invisible above them but extending long shards of stone and dark crystal into the space above.

"You made it, my lord," the noriquien lieutenant indicated from where he and the squad's healer knelt an injured soldier in Temple black. "She Who Watches be praised!"

"Not for lack of trying," Theron wryly pointed out with a snort. "My hair got signed by a red's fire before he finally ordered the jump!"

He gave the thoughtful human a comradely push to the shoulder.

"Sometimes I think he actually wants to die by flame and draconic fury!"

"No, not die," Saddahk adroitly countered, giving Cooper's other shoulder a squeeze as he stepped past. "Just waste as little time as possible by killing as many of them as he can!"

The silver looked over at Theron.

"That flight was being directed by a command-level officer."

Brow lifted in question, Theron looked back at Cooper.

"Is that why they flew in such a tight formation, Cooper?" he asked, looking for confirmation. Which the human was quick to give.

Nodding tightly, Cooper frowned.

"I was trying to cut away the commander's guard and expose them to direct attack," he added in the way of explaining what he was attempting to accomplish, lips thinned by frustration. "But they were too well-disciplined. I couldn't reach them before the vanguard burnt us to ash!"

"Disciplined and aware of your previous victories against them, perhaps," Saddahk pointed out.

Then they were all looking towards the cave's entrance as it filled with a rush of dragon fire.

"Maybe that's why they aren't going to were-form and coming in after us," Theron observed, his expression thoughtful.

"I'd say they either know that we've used that tactic against them to great effect," Saddahk noted thoughtfully before looking back at Cooper and the Sidhe elf.