Regaining the Advantage

In the rugged, windswept peaks of the mountains, a group of cloaked figures made their arduous way through the rocky terrain. The harsh wind whipped around them, carrying whispers of ancient secrets and untold powers hidden within the earth. The leader of the group, a figure cloaked more heavily than the others, walked with a confident, purposeful stride that suggested deep familiarity with these forbidden paths.

One of the followers, his voice tinged with doubt, broke the silence that had fallen over the group. "Master, are you sure that we will arrive before them? They have a dragon that allows them to move much faster. They should arrive in two or three weeks, whereas we need at least two months."

The leader stopped, turning to face his followers, a sardonic smile playing on his lips. With a dismissive chuckle, he responded, "That's true, they might arrive before us, but they won't find the gate to the artifact in such a short time. We know exactly where it is protected. That's why, we don't have to worry about them." His confidence was infectious, and the group's morale visibly lifted as they resumed their march, the leader's laughter echoing off the mountain walls.

Days turned into weeks as they continued their journey, the landscape around them growing ever more forbidding. Over a month after setting out, as they navigated a particularly narrow pass, the ground beneath them trembled. The air grew hot and tense, a sure sign that something extraordinary was about to unfold.

Suddenly, with a thunderous roar that shattered the mountain silence, a giant dragon descended from the sky, landing with a ground-shaking impact in front of the group. Its scales glistened like molten gold under the sun, and its eyes burned with an ancient wisdom and a hint of challenge.

"Are you the ones trying to disrupt the peace of this world?" the dragon boomed, its voice resonant and filled with authority. The leader of the cloaked figures, unshaken by the imposing presence of the dragon, smiled wryly and stepped forward.

"We got lucky, guys," he said to his followers, his voice laced with cruel amusement. "We just need to slay this dragon, and we will have the same vehicle as them." His followers, bolstered by his confidence, readied themselves for the confrontation.

Without warning, the dragon's jaws opened wide, releasing a torrential blast of fire aimed directly at the group. Quick on her feet, a witch among the cloaked figures reacted instantly, summoning a massive wall of water from the air. The water surged forward, meeting the dragon's fire with a hiss and a cloud of steam. The wall of water acted as a barrier, halting the fire's advance momentarily, though it quickly began to vaporize under the intense heat.

But this brief respite was all they needed. As the steam cloud enveloped them, obscuring their movements, the leader called upon the dark arts, and a host of undead warriors sprang from the earth. These spectral figures formed a protective barrier, a meat shield that absorbed the remnants of the dragon's fiery assault.

The dragon, unimpressed by the spectral army summoned by Valarian's forces, conjured a powerful gravity field that weighed heavily upon the undead and their masters, anchoring them to the spot with its oppressive force. With his adversaries struggling to move under the increased gravity, the dragon then began to summon an array of large fireballs, positioning them strategically around the area where his enemies were concentrated.

With a mighty roar, he launched the fireballs at the cloaked figures and their undead minions. A tremendous explosion ensued, enveloping the area in a dense cloud of dust and debris. But the dragon was far from finished. With a calculated fury, he unleashed a series of elemental attacks: acid rain poured down, sizzling as it hit the ground, while powerful gusts of wind tore through the area, adding to the chaos.

After his relentless barrage, the dragon moved forward, intent on continuing his search for the artifacts. Yet, as he approached the site of his recent onslaught, he sensed an unexpected disturbance emanating from the dust cloud. To his astonishment, a giant stony hand emerged, grasping at the air where he had just flown. He dodged swiftly, a flicker of surprise in his ancient eyes.

No sooner had he evaded the stony hand than another threat emerged. From behind, a cloaked figure lunged, plunging a sharp blade into the dragon's eye. The dragon roared in agony, the pain fierce and blinding. In a desperate bid to regain control and assess the situation, he soared upwards, only for his efforts to be thwarted by a massive meteor that struck him squarely, sending him crashing back to the ground into the midst of his assailants.

The cloaked figures, quick to capitalize on the dragon's compromised state, swarmed him. They delivered a flurry of fatal blows, effectively ending the mighty creature's life. As the dragon lay defeated, Valarian approached the lifeless body with a dark tome in hand. Chanting from the necromancer's book, he performed a complex incantation. Slowly, under the sinister power of Valarian's dark magic, the dragon began to stir once more. This time, however, it rose not as the majestic creature it once was but as a mere puppet, enslaved to Valarian's will.

With the dragon now under his control, Valarian and his followers mounted its back. Possessing this new, formidable means of transport, they had effectively leveled the playing field with Amukelo's team, gaining the ability to travel vast distances swiftly and without the fatigue that typically plagued mortal travelers.