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He regretted doing so when it exploded, his fire fuelling it and sending him flying back.

He crashed through the wall. It crumbled to pieces as he went through the hallway and into the wall of a smaller room. The second floor began to topple on top of him and the inner walls of the room caved in.

Just as he was digging his way out of it, he heard the shattering of a window.

He didn’t have the time to even look in its direction because the moment he pushed a slab of rock off himself, Strolguil was in front of him.

Rurik’s lips curled back in a feral growl as he was slashed across the snout by ghostly looking claws. It was a projection of magic from the Dragon claws he’d stolen.

Rurik snapped his head forward to bite around him since he was so close, but Strolguil jumped back to evade his attack.

He brought a wing forward when Strolguil threw another one of those tiny bones at him and blew fire underneath it when the shield formed. He felt the impact of the bone, but the rocky foundation of the building that had toppled around him kept him in place.

With a roar, he leapt forward and unleashed more fire to keep him at bay, despite knowing it would never reach him. He just wanted time to get out from the foundations so he could slash his paw sideways.

Impetus.A gust of force came from the side.

Not expecting an attack to come from beside him, Strolguil was thrown sideways. Laying on his side, the Witch threw three small crystals into the air and Rurik could see he was concentrating.

He is chanting.

What had been a random toss became targeted, and although they did not hold the same devastating impact as the bone, they hit hard into his body. It felt like the power of multiple punches against him.

I am too big of a target.He only managed to avoid being hit because of his shields. He also could not manoeuvre well with his large body tucked inside this small building.

Rurik began to speak the lengthy chant in his mind while he used his wings to shield himself of anything Strolguil could throw at him. He felt impacts as he chanted, heard the shatter of a glass vial that slid off the shield and onto the ground. It began to bubble like acid on the stone at his feet.

When he finally drew his wings back, he had changed his size to that of the man in front of him.

Scuttering, he moved with swift and unimaginable speed on his small paws, now able to move anywhere in this building a human could with ease. If his wings caught on something, like a corner or a doorframe, they were flexible enough to withstand it.

“You are changing how you fight, WitchSlayer,” Strolguil said when Rurik ducked around the corridor of the building to avoid being hit with one of the glass vials.

The liquid once again melted into the ground.

His eyes flicked to the main room just across from him. He needed to get back in there where he could see him and move.

“I learn from each of our battles.” And he had. He became a much better fighter because of his defeats.

The only time Rurik never lost himself to his anger was when he was in the middle of a fight. He had trained himself to keep his emotions guarded in the heat of battle. The rest of the time he was a volatile, unpredictable bomb about to go off at any moment. He needed to remain focused since he could be angry in the afterlife all he wanted.

“It will not be enough to save you from me. You are only lucky I do not wish to kill you, that I am holding back.” His voice was coming closer.

If he joined him in the corridor, he would be cornered.

Diving for the hole his body had created, he rolled into the main room. He uncurled himself to slide over his four paws to face the large hole in the wall.

As soon as Strolguil joined him, Rurik slashed the claws of one hand forward.Vulnus.Those blades of invisible energy slashed towards him through the air, and he followed it with a breath of fire, refusing to give him a moment to recover.

The dragonscale shield he created shattered on impact, and he had to quickly make another one for his fire.

What he didn’t know was that Rurik had released another slash of air right behind his flames. When he lowered his shield to retaliate, he was cut across his torso and sent flying back.

Being evasive with long range attacks would do him little good. They were merely playing a game of duck and cover.

Rurik needed to think of a way to bring him down.

He is blinded on the left side. I must take a risk.He needed to seize his chance while Strolguil was distracted and on his back.