As the explosion rocked the ground beneath him, Daniel instinctively folded his body down into a crouch. The blast had sent him skidding back, the bottom of his shield scraping a trail in the ground as he took to one knee, his body well behind the a wall of reflexive diamond. Soot and dust ushered him back, the shockwave still pushing earth up and around in a sandy hail. It pushed him as if with gigantic hands until he felt his back hit a monolith behind him, its shadow looming ominously overhead. The world was lost in a brown gray haze, but even in this brief pause of shallow breath and collecting defenses, the knight knew that the dragon would not fall so easily.

Daniel knew that it was fast, that it was insanely tough, that the ache in his arm was reporting its prodigious strength. In many respects, the odds were against him, but he would fightto his last breath. With one arm holding his shield fast before him, Daniel primed another charge, eight left in his pack, and armed it behind him. The dust was still settling, and he waited for a renewed assault-- with the magic hum of the iron tower behind him, and explosion and his sword ready to meet his foe, Daniel's determination grew.

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DETERMINATION: 2