Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of the Abyss.

Chapter 21

Remday, Gnome-Decan 45, ND2019 – 9:30am local time (Mount Zaleho)

A giant red-orange creature with glowing green eyes circled above the group. Its ragged-looking wings resembled flames, and so did the ridge along its back that ran from its snake-like head and neck to the forked end of its thick tail. It had huge, club-like front legs that made its muscular rear legs look weak by comparison.

The creature circled the group once more before it swooped down, roaring and breathing fire. The six companions scattered to avoid its attack.

"What is that thing?!" Florian yelped. He had never seen a monster like this one, not even in a storybook or graphic novel, but surely it couldn't be—!

Guy swore. "Damn! It's another dragon!"

"Another?!" Anise squeaked. "When did you see any other dragons here?!"

"Never mind that!" Jade snapped. "Get ready!"

Florian was wondering the same thing as Anise, but if Jade's reaction was any hint, now was definitely not the time to ask. The group scrambled to reassemble into their battle formation as the dragon landed with a resounding whump! It threw back its head and roared again, bellowing a challenge at the humans who had invaded its territory.

"It's weak against water attacks!" Tear shouted. "Colonel!"

Jade was already casting. "Rest in a merciless silver embrace..."

Guy surged forward, drawing his sword, with Anise and Natalia flanking him. Florian unsheathed his dagger, but Tear grabbed him by the shoulder of his robes and pulled him back, placing herself between him and the dragon.

"Hey!" Florian protested.

"Stay back!" Tear warned. "Be ready to run away, if you have to! You must get to Ifrit, no matter what happens to the rest of us!"

Natalia fired two waves of arrows. "Gallant Barrage!"

"Absolute!" Jade finished.

Guy followed up immediately, using the field of Fourth Fonons that Jade's arte had created. "Piercing blade of ice! Final Glacier!"

Jade began casting another arte. "Arise O violent waters to rout mine enemies..."

"O divine spear, run my enemy through..." chanted Tear. "Holy Lance!"

"Blessed Drops!"

"Just for you! Frigid Raptor! ...Owww!" shrieked Anise as the dragon whipped its tail around, smashing into Tokunaga and sending both puppet and puppeteer flying.

"Anise!" cried Florian. Damn it, he thought furiously. I have to do something!

Tee hee hee! We can help, Innocent One! said a voice in his head.

"Sylph? Is that you?"

Yes, yes, we're here! You can use our power to strike the enemy with blades of wind. Go on! Go on!

Florian shifted his feet to take a casting stance like Jade's. "All right..." he murmured to Sylph. "Show me how?"

A wordless picture formed in his mind, showing three curved blades of air striking the dragon.

"Got it," Florian muttered. He aimed past Tear, flung out his arm, and let loose three arcs of Third Fonons. "Wind Blade!"

The weak arte hit the dragon's side, with no effect... but it left a small field of Third Fonons nonetheless.

Jade instantly took advantage. "O sacred will, strike down those who would be mine enemy... Divine Saber!"

"Nice!" cheered Guy as he dodged a burst of fiery dragon-breath. "Again, Florian!"

Florian nodded and cast his new arte again, drawing on Sylph's power from within himself, not needing an incantation. "Wind Blade!"

"Brilliant lightning! Thunder Beast!" The impact from Guy's attack knocked the dragon off balance.

It was all the opening Natalia needed. "Leave it to me!" she declared, and aimed her bow straight up. "Do not think you can escape me!" she shouted at the dragon. "Pour forth, O starlight! Astral Rain!"

Arrows of light rained down upon the dragon, making it roar in pain. Anise attacked with Tokunaga again, hitting the dragon with a series of punches, but the dragon punched back with its massive front paws. Its claws ripped through Tokunaga and narrowly missed Anise herself. She tumbled from the torn puppet's back and landed between the dragon's feet.

"No!" snarled Florian. "I won't let you hurt Anise! Wind Blade! Wind Blade!"

The dragon turned, glaring at Florian with its green eyes narrowed. Uh-oh, Florian thought, getting ready to dodge its next attack.

Taking its attention off everyone else turned out to be a bad move. Jade, Guy, Natalia, and Tear all converged on the dragon at once.

"Impaling Heaven!"

"White Tiger Strike!"

"Star Stroke!"

"Nocturnal Light!"

Roaring in agony, the dragon reared up on its hind legs. One of its back paws slipped off the pathway. The dragon staggered, flapping its injured wings awkwardly as it tried to regain its footing, but it lost its balance and fell into the lava below, too weakened to fly or fight anymore.

"Just like last time," Guy said, twirling his sword once before sheathing it. "Is everyone all right?"

Florian ran to Anise, who was sitting up looking disoriented. "Anise, are you hurt?"

"Ugh..." Anise groaned. "No more, guys. Please..."

"O soothing light..." chanted Natalia. "Heal!"

"Thanks," said Anise, sounding a little better. "Oh no... Tokunaga!"

The puppet was torn nearly in half, spilling its stuffing everywhere.

"Do healing artes work on Tokunaga?" Florian asked hopefully.

Anise shook her head. "Nope. I'm going to have to sew him up – again." She sighed. "What a pain. I hate dragons! Good riddance!" She shook her fist at the lava where the dragon had fallen, then put her hands on Tokunaga and closed her eyes. Fonons flowed, and Tokunaga shrank back to his normal size. Anise pulled off her tabard and wrapped it around the damaged puppet.

"Shall we be on our way?" asked Jade.

Anise sighed again as she got up. "Yeah..." she muttered, looking down at her shoes and not meeting anyone's eyes.

"Hey, Anise, let's put him in here for now," Guy offered, holding out the item bag.

"No, it's okay," Anise replied hastily. "I can carry him. I just..." she trailed off, sounding miserable.

"You still have a wand," Florian pointed out, trying to make her feel better. "It's not like you can't fight anymore."

"I know. But... never mind. Let's just go."

"Come now, Anise, it's not so bad," Jade said lightly. "Without Tokunaga, you're a smaller target."

"Colonel, that's not amusing," Natalia scolded.

"Oh, did you think I was joking?" Jade asked.

"Cut it out, Jade," Guy said, rolling his eyes.

Tear pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger, as if trying to suppress a headache there. "Stop bickering and get moving. We need to reach Ifrit."

"Yes," Florian agreed. "How much farther is it?"

"Well, the shortcut to the passage ring is over there," Guy replied, pointing to a dark opening in the cavern wall with large steps leading down into lava, "but it looks like we can't get there from here." He gestured at the glowing golden surface below them. "The ice seed froze this whole area, but I guess the eruption melted it again."

"So, we have to keep following this path instead?" Florian asked.

"It's the long way around, but I guess it's the only way," Guy replied.

"I wish we could fly..." mourned Anise.

Florian blinked. "Actually..." he began, then paused. This might be a bad idea.

"Ah," said Jade in a tone of enlightenment. "Yes, that might work very well. Go ahead, Florian."

"Huh?" said Anise.

"Colonel?" Tear and Natalia asked simultaneously.

"Oh, I get it!" exclaimed Guy. "You're going to have Sylph carry us, right?"

"Maybe," said Florian. "Um, Sylph? Could you fly us to that opening over there?"

Tee hee hee! Took you long enough to ask, Innocent One! said the voice in Florian's head.

With a loud whoosh, a gust of hot air lifted Florian and his companions off the pathway and carried them in a high, smooth arc across the lava to the shortcut.

"Thank you, Sylph," Florian said, smiling as his feet touched down on solid rock once more.

Tee hee! You're welcome, Innocent One. Call on us anytime!