As the smoke cleared from the explosion, I braced myself for the dragon's inevitable retaliation. With a guttural roar of defiance, the Amphiptere gathered its remaining strength, its eyes gleaming with determination.
Without warning, the dragon unleashed a barrage of crystal shards from the ground and nearby structures. The sharp projectiles flew towards me with incredible speed, forcing me to dive and roll to avoid being impaled. As I scrambled for cover, I could feel the ground beneath me tremble from the force of the attack.
Gritting my teeth, I summoned a protective barrier of fire to shield myself from the onslaught of crystal shards. The barrier crackled and sputtered as the shards collided with it, but it held firm, deflecting the projectiles away from me.