“I… I used poison,” he said as he explored his memory of the fight.  “The big fang from the snake we killed.  I… think that dragon broke my spear.”

Jenkins grinned at him, holding up the badly bent length of rebar.  “Bent the hell out of it! It looks like some weird piece of art now.  We’re gonna mount this thing on a wall somewhere to commemorate this battle!”

Campbell extended a hand holding Allistor’s sword. “Pulled this out of its jaw. Thought you might want it back.”

Allistor reached for the offered hilt but missed.  He dropped his hand back to his lap and said, “Maybe hold onto it for a few?”   Campbell nodded in understanding.

“Really got your bell rung, there.  Just take it easy.  We’ve cleared the rest of this level, so I think the whole place is ours again, boss.  Err, Baron, dude.” Goodrich looked sheepish.

Allistor rubbed his head gently, saying “Need to claim this place… before more spawns.  Hang on, guys.”

He closed his eyes to remove the background visual input that was making him dizzy as he looked at his interface.   As quickly as he could, he pulled up the Stronghold tab and mentally clicked the green button to claim the complex as a Stronghold.  He didn’t mess with any of the options like sensors or walls yet, as trying to focus too long on the text was making him nauseous.

Even with his eyes closed, he could see the golden light that surrounded them, and he heard the surprised exclamations from the others.  When it faded, he opened his eyes again.  The others were all spinning around, taking in their modified surroundings.

Fuzzy sniffed at him a few times, then grunted and plopped down next to him.  The Fibble doll in his mouth stared up at Allistor as if pleading for help.  He chuckled and reached out to scratch Fuzzy’s ears.

When the group quieted down, the radio crackled in Allistor’s ear.  A voice came across. “That was awesome, guys!  We got that whole dragon fight recorded.  Congrats!” Allistor thought it was Thorne speaking.

Andrea saved him the hassle of answering.  Keying her throat mic she replied, “Thanks.  We’ll be heading back up shortly.  There better be a decent meal and some adult beverages waiting for us when we get there!”

The airmen around her cheered, fist-bumping and back-slapping each other.  Allistor tried to focus on their faces, then remembered the two who’d been killed.  “What about the two inside?  We need to bury them.”

The group went silent, and Helen put a hand on his shoulder.  “There… wasn’t much left of them.  Looks like the dragon ate them while we had it trapped inside.”

“Shit.” Allistor bowed his head, the motion slow and gentle so as not to make himself dizzy again.  “I’m sorry, guys.  I should have found a better way.”