They emerged from the trees to see the creek right in front of them.  Just upstream, the monster was perched on a fallen log.  Rick bent over and puked as the dragon took hold of Candy’s arm with its jaws and ripped it from her body.  Tilting its head upward, it swallowed the limb whole.  Allistor Examined the beast.

Forest Drake

Level 12

Health:  8,700/8,700

The creature was maybe thirty feet long from nose to the tail, with a wingspan nearly as wide.  Its head was covered in small horns that coalesced at the top of its skull into a ridge that ran the length of its back and down its tail.

As it bit into a lifeless Candy again, Rick shouted a curse and charged at it.  His shotgun fired again and again as he got closer.  The beast took the hits, bits of green scale chipping off.  When he was within reach, the drake flicked its tail at Rick.  The impact knocked him off his feet to smash face-first into a tree.   Rick’s body crumpled limply to the ground.

Allistor cast Flame Shot at the monster’s face, the fireball screaming toward it and engulfing its head.  Having seen that the scales were tough enough to resist Rick’s shots, the others all fired their weapons at the drake’s head as well.  Round after round from Sam, Michael, and Luther pounded into its nose and throat, each doing less damage than normal.

More shots rang out as some of the other survivors caught up.  Ramon and two of Luther’s guys added their firepower.  Allistor was raising his own weapon when he saw the drake take a deep breath.

“Take cover!” he shouted as he cast Restraint at the monster.  The spell worked, and it froze, its mouth open and chest expanded.  He fired one slug straight into its mouth then retreated behind the nearest tree.

When the spell wore off after four seconds, the creature resumed its attack.  A molten liquid boiled up from its gullet and spewed outward toward the spot they’d been standing.  Everything in its path caught fire.

The drake bellowed in pain and began shaking its head violently.  The flames abruptly ceased, and the survivors risked a peek from behind their cover.  Smoke rose from the drake’s mouth as it thrashed, and blood splattered in every direction.  When it opened its mouth to roar, they could see a nasty-looking burned patch in the roof of its mouth.