I Only Tame Dragons

Horizon stood alone now, his undead legion shattered and absent. The battlefield felt strangely silent, yet tension coiled in the air like a predator waiting to pounce.

He could feel their eyes on him, assessing, measuring. Surely they would attack now, with him seemingly at his weakest.

But he was calm. If they dared to make a move, he would show them the folly of underestimating him.

Among his enemies, Seraphina and Aria were the most dangerous—their skills and synergy made them a nightmare to face. Still, Horizon was confident that he could take them on.

Horizon clenched his fists, feeling the faint hum of power resonate within him. The dragon gifted by the Apple Tree Dragon pulsed faintly in his mind, a comforting presence alongside his Dracolich—a skeletal beast of fury and destruction.

With the two dragons unleashed, he could win the battle against Wingless Valkyries.

He would take out Fiora first. Without her, the others would crumble under the sustained damage. Then, he'd set his sights on Seraphina, cutting off the strongest of them. Without her, Wingless Valkyrie was good as dead.

The two dragons would buy him time, engaging the rest of the group in a chaotic melee while he executed his strategy.

Though it would be such a shame since, their partnership would end at that instance.

Horizon's muscles tensed as he prepared to make his move, but to his surprise, the women didn't attack. Their weapons remained in hand, their stances wary but not aggressive.

Though it was fortunate that they didn't seem to want to attack him, he didn't let his guard down for even a second. These were no ordinary foes, and one misstep could be fatal.

Yet, for now, the uneasy stalemate held.

If they didn't attack, he wouldn't provoke them. But if they so much as twitched in his direction, they'd learn that even without his undead, he was no prey to be hunted.

Horizon was a predator. And predators didn't cower—they struck.

Horizon and the others moved across the frozen wasteland, the chill seeped deep into their bones, each step crunching against the icy ground.

The vast expanse of white stretched endlessly before them, with jagged peaks looming in the distance like teeth.

Horizon's gaze flickered between his companions, noting their fatigue and shivering forms. Despite the bitter cold, no one seemed welling to rest.

They had survived the desert against impossible odds, and though the freezing region promised its own dangers, they pressed on.

As the group ventured further into the freezing region, the landscape grew more hostile, the air thicker with frost. The winds howled like wild beasts, whipping snowflakes into their faces.

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Each gust of cold seemed to gnaw at their skin, draining the warmth from their limbs.

Even Velvet, the fastest among them, struggled to keep pace as the biting chill seeped into her bones. Her breath came out in short, sharp clouds, and the once-pristine snow beneath their feet was now a treacherous layer of ice and snowdrifts.

"Is the exit here?" Horizon asked, his voice cutting through the frosty silence. His gaze fell on Nyx, whose skeletal frame now radiated an unnatural chill.

Nyx was now a skeletal dragon encased in frost. Ice clung to her bones, swirling around her form like popsicles.

As the master of undead, she was immune to environmental conditions that would cripple others. Yet, she instinctively shook herself, scattering shards of ice with a crackling sound.

"I can feel it," Nyx replied, her hollow voice reverberating as if it came from the depths of the grave. "The exit is near. Just beyond there."

A wave of relief washed over the group, illuminating their weary faces.

"Really?" Seraphina asked, her tone skeptical but tinged with hope. Her sharp eyes scanned their surroundings, seeking any confirmation of Nyx's words.

Velvet turned to Fiora. "Fiora, can you confirm this? Is the exit truly here?"

Fiora closed her eyes, her hands moving in practiced, fluid motions as she chanted an incantation under her breath. A faint glow enveloped her fingertips, and after a moment, her eyes snapped open.

She nodded firmly. "Yes. The exit is here. I can sense it clearly."

Their collective exhaustion seemed to lift as smiles broke across their faces.

"Finally," Dawnfire exhaled, the tension in her shoulders easing. "We're one step closer to escaping this cursed dimension."

Seraphina couldn't hide her relief. "I can't believe it only took three regions to find the exit. I thought we'd be wandering for weeks. How much time do we have left?"

Horizon pulled up the timer hovering just within his vision. "Less than five days," he said, his tone grim.

Velvet frowned deeply. "Five days already gone just like that? Time moves strangely here. It feels like we just got started, but it's slipping through our fingers."

"Which is why we can't waste another moment," Seraphina declared, her voice sharp with urgency. "If the exit is truly here, we need to reach it before something else blocks our path—or worse, before the other guilds or beasts could surround us."

The group moved into action, each person steeling themselves for what lay ahead. The path to the exit was rarely without its dangers, and this dimension had thrown every imaginable obstacle at them so far. They couldn't afford to relax, not even now.

Nyx let out a low, rumbling sound that echoed like thunder. "Prepare yourselves. Something watches from the shadows."

Horizon's hand tightened around his weapon. Relief would have to wait. Their escape was close, but something told him it wouldn't be easy reaching it.

"Let's go."

=== ===

As Horizon pushed forward, inching closer to the exit of the treacherous frost region, Von, Lydia, Frigid, and Silphie remained behind in the relative safety of the forest zone.

Here, the dangers were minimal, and the group had taken the opportunity to relax. Wild fruits and beasts caught by Von provided their meal, though the mood remained subdued.

The four huddled in a hidden cave, a natural sanctuary that Frigid guarded diligently. His imposing frame and skills ensured no threats would catch them unaware.

Lydia paced near the entrance of the cave, her brows furrowed with concern. "Do you think Horizon will make it to the exit in time?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Von, leaning against the cave wall, was scrolling through the map interface on his device. He gave her a reassuring glance. "This is Horizon we're talking about," he said, his tone steady with confidence. "He's probably already three steps ahead of everyone. If anyone can handle this, it's him."

Despite his words, Von's eyes remained glued to the map. Horizon's marker was distant, far removed from their current location—a reminder that he was traversing a completely different region.

The communication feed confirmed he was alive, but the distance between them was a silent weight pressing on all of their minds.

Silphie, sitting cross-legged on the cave floor, fiddled absentmindedly with a small twig. Her childlike demeanor masked a subtle unease that seeped through her words. "I'm hungry," she mumbled, curling her knees to her chest. "I want some ice cream."

Lydia knelt beside her, brushing a strand of Silphie's hair from her face. "We'll get all the ice cream you want once Horizon clears this first game," she said softly, her tone warm and hopeful. "Just hang in there a little longer."

Von chuckled, his voice a low rumble that lightened the tension. "Ice cream, huh? Guess that's as good a motivation as any, my sweet Silphie."

Frigid let out a low, rumbling sound, an acknowledgment that they were safe for now. The sound reverberated through the cave, a grounding presence in the face of the unknown.

As the group settled back into a fragile calm, Lydia cast one last glance at the map, her heart clinging to the faint hope that Horizon could really get them out of here and go to the next challenge.

The cave's calm was shattered when Von and Frigid suddenly went rigid, their senses heightened like predators spotting danger. The shift was palpable, the once-still air now charged with tension.

"What is it?" Lydia whispered, her voice barely audible as she picked up on their unease.

Von quickly brought a finger to his lips, signaling her to stay silent. His expression, sharp and alert, left no room for questions.

Moving swiftly but soundlessly, he approached Frigid, who stood like an unyielding sentinel at the cave's entrance.

"We've got company," Von muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the darkness beyond the cave.

Lydia's heart skipped a beat, worry etched across her face. "Company? Who?"

"I don't know yet," Von replied tersely, his gaze fixed on the forest beyond. "Stay here and don't make a sound. Frigid, no matter what happens, guard this entrance. Nothing gets past you."

The towering figure of Frigid nodded once, his voice a low rumble. "Understood."

With a final glance at Lydia, and the others, Von slipped into the shadows without as much as a sound. He melted into the dense foliage like a phantom, navigating the forest floor with the practiced ease of someone who had lived on the edge of survival for far too long.

Soon, he found himself perched on a thick branch, concealed by a canopy of leaves. From his vantage point, he could see the approaching figures.