She screamed in pain when her enemy’s sharp teeth gouged a furrow in her neck. The tear was dangerously deep, and already one of her eyes was half-closed from their previous encounters. She craned her long neck, trying to keep it out of the way of the dragon’s jaws, at the same time trying to snap at either Tarik or a place where his mount’s gray scales were already torn. The magus sent a ball of flame at Liana’s head and she ducked, feeling fire scorch her back.

She shook her head in an attempt to clear the fog of agony. If she wanted to defeat her opponents, she would have to use abilities they could never match.

As soon as the thought occurred to her, she began to change her shape, and soon the shifting sensation came over her. Now, still in the air, she was a giant, with a thick torso and protruding jaw, but also a woman’s build. Far larger and heavier, she continued to grapple her winged foe, holding the dragon fast. Her enemy struggled, but she held on, her jaw set tightly. She squeezed, trying to break any bones she could. Her stomach was in her mouth; they were falling with speed. She looked down to see the sea rushing up at her.

With a mighty smack, they struck water, and the dragon shrieked as its wings thrashed at the sea. Still Liana gripped with all her strength, and now they were sinking. Her lungs screamed at her as the depth grew and the color of the sea became darker, carrying scant light from the surface to the depths. Her chest heaved, but still she held fast. She saw Tarik trying to untangle himself, but his wrist was caught in the copper chains.

Liana felt darkness come over her, along with a terrible feeling of weariness. She saw the magus on the dragon’s back writhe, his eyes wide with shock. He gave one last shudder, mouth gaping like a fish, and then went still.

The dragon continued to thrash, but it was deep enough now to simply let it go. Watching it drift away, Liana continued to plummet into the ocean depths. She closed her eyes as her limbs relaxed and she sank down, deeper into the sea.

But then she suddenly opened them.

Above her, she could just make out the fluttering silhouette of the winged dragon; it was still twitching. Liana arrested her sinking motion, kicking with her legs, but a giant’s shape wasn’t made to have command of the ocean.

She told herself that the sea was her element. She was longing to swim to the surface with her elongated body, thrusting at the water with her tail.

The change came over her.