I Dreamed of Him Last Night

"Ring, ring, ring..."

A shrill bell pierced the night and rang out across the sea.

Figures flew from the warships one after another, converging on the Astral Rift from every direction. Among them were more than thirty Metallic Dragons.

The elite soldiers aboard the warships hurried into position too, cranking the loading mechanisms of their dragon-hunting crossbows with a rapid clatter.

Elana stood facing the wind, Majius's Staff in hand.

A Red Wizard flew to her side. His hair and beard were graying, and his weathered eyes held a trace of irritation.

"That's the sixth time today. They're wearing us down on purpose."

"We can't let our guard down," Elana said with a soft sigh. "They're stabilizing the rift faster and faster. If we don't intercept them immediately, I'm afraid we won't be able to stop them."

This was a favorite trick of the Otherworld Dragons. They did it several times a day, leaving everyone too on edge to rest.

But they couldn't ignore it. If the Otherworld Dragons really surged out in force and the defenders were a step too slow, all they could do was watch them fly away.

The Otherworld Dragons flew fast. Many mages couldn't catch them with Fly alone.

The space around the Astral Rift couldn't be sealed. After months of work, the spellcasters had managed only to create a ring that blocked teleportation, less than a mile across.

"Those disgusting reptiles..." the Red Wizard muttered.

"Watch your words," Elana warned. "Don't let our allies get the wrong idea."

The Red Wizard shut his mouth at once. He looked up at the blue light spilling from the Astral Rift and said sourly:

"Looks like this will be another... thoroughly satisfying round of harassment!"

Before he had finished speaking, the blue light overhead dimmed rapidly. Within