Breaking Step (Dungeon Runner 3)

Breaking Step, Chapter 68

"So," Mez said. "This is something to add to the list of things we can threaten to tell Kroseph when you annoy us?"

"How is there anything left on that list?" Don asked. "Doesn't he annoy you daily and you've had to tell it all to his man?"

"It seems," the cleric replied, sounding perplexed, "that we have grown accustomed to Jackal's... eccentric ways."

"How can anyone get used to that?" the sorcerer demanded.

"Give it time," Jackal said, amused, "and you're going to love me just as much as they do."

"We don't love you," Mez said. "We tolerate you."

Don looked at Tibs. "How about we disarm the next traps? Instead of getting drawn into what I'm sure will be a deep and philosophical discussion."

"But you love me, right Tibs?" Jackal asked, as he followed Don to the columns.

"Ask me again if you survive the room. Didn't you want one of them to work with me this time?"

Don shook his head. "I can't afford a mistake and the cost of another fight before the dragon."

"We have time for another fight," Jackal said. "If it comes to that."

"What are you planning?" Tibs asked.

Don shook his head, pointing up.

Tibs took position, and in unison they disarm the trigger. Ganny had added an extra step to the second one, which made them more alert on the last one, so that while how the speed at which the lock moved changed proved challenging, it didn't cause them to trigger it.

"You run off to punch it," Tibs warned Jackal, "and I'm letting you hit the wall each time it knocks you into it."

"I would never think to abandon my team just to get a few hits in on my own," Jackal said with pride, the words glowing. Tibs glared. "Well, not a second time."

Only a second time in this room, Tibs felt like pointing out.

"We must—" Don started in the silence, then closed his mouth and shook his head. He looked at Jackal for instructions.

"Tibs, Khumdar and me rush it," the fighter said. "You and Mez hit it with everything you have. See if you can come up with something that gets through its protection. When the wave starts, thin it as much as possible before it reaches us."

Don looked like he wanted to say something, but finally nodded and they faced the dragon.

"Now!" Jackal ordered.

Tibs ran, etching a spear of Duh filed water. It exploded into shards over the scales, but only left scratches on them. He had his ice sword and shield formed by the time he had to jump over the large paw swipe. The slash at it hardly left a mark, so a filigree of Fey didn't help.

Again, the dragon focused on Jackal, mixing swipes with attempt at smashing him under a paw. Tibs iced a front leg, but that shattered as the dragon moved to follow the fighter. He ran under the dragon, adding as much metal essence with filigree of Dhu into the blade. If swings weren't effective, it was time to see what earth backed stabbing did to—

"Retreat!" Don ordered, and Tibs changed direction. Two steps later, the dragon roared, and the essence in the walls shifted. He, Jackal and Khumdar were by the Sorcerer as the lines of creature ran to where they had been fighting the dragon, passing each other and vanishing into the opposite doorway.

"What was—" Jackal started as the doorways disappeared.

"Attack!" Don ordered.

Tibs spared the sorcerer a look before running at the dragon, dodging the paw that he ineffectually swung at reflexively, then was under the belly and stabbed. The sword didn't go in as deep as it should have, most of the essence dispersed by the golden shimmering, but it was more damage than what Tibs had done before, even if the dragon didn't react to it. He made another sword and slammed it back in, and made another—