[hr][center][h2][color=9e0b0f]Marduk[/color][/h2][sup][/sup][/center][hr][indent]
The guild was doing surprisingly well for the opening stage of this fight. Marduk hadn't expected them to catch it so badly off guard, and at times it felt like they were pushing it back.

The stronger members of the guild peppered it with magic and blows, doing everything they could to damage the creature. From the very start they moved at a frenetic pace, one he was only too glad to assist. He'd find debris and pelt it at the dragon. It wouldn't hurt the damn thing but it would serve as a distraction. Every single second where it wasn't focusing on his guild members was precious time bought.

He whooped excitedly when Lavinia managed to take out one of it's eyes. That some quick thinking from her, considering they had no time to coordinate that.

A quick scan of the field found Leon healing Grasidia. Good, where he close enough he would have nodded in approval, they needed Grasidia back in fighting shape as soon as possible. He frowned as Grasidia seemingly rebuffed him. What was she being stubborn over?!

In the meantime, Marduk positioned himself on a nearby rooftop, looking for a better vantage point. From there, he opened portals for fleeing civilians, in an effort to get them out faster. The sooner they were out of the way, the more space they would have to fight!

Perhaps it was feeling pressured by their constant barrage, or perhaps by virtue of its wild instincts, but in that moment the Dragon [i]roared[/i]. The breath of flame was devastating in scope and shocking in intensity. Right away Marduk position a portal in front of him, letting the heat eject harmlessly behind him - however, the sheer [i]heat[/i] radiated by the surrounding flames was sweltering, and perspiration dripped down his brow as the fire washed over. His vision went hazy with the heat and his breath labored from the lack of oxygen. It felt like an eternity had passed for what was only a moment of danger.

When he flames dispersed and his vision refocused, he was treated to the heart-stopping sight of Felix taking a roundabout method of suicide - via dragon.

He was about to move the boy out of harms way, when Zenith jumped in. Marduk sighed in relief, and privately resolved to speak with Felix after this was over, if Holly left anything left for him. He'd also have to apologize to her and Zenith.

[color=9e0b0f][i]"But,"[/i][/color] he shook his head, [color=9e0b0f][i]"that was for later."[/i][/color] He had bigger things to worry about.

He'd thought they'd been making headway. The dragon was visibly affected, struggling even. It screamed, a horrible, deafining sound that physically bore down on him. His teeth clenched reflexively, and he opened portals right next to his eats to ease some of the pain, but even still, the pressure it exuded was unbelievable. Still, the danger passed and the dragon fell silet. Holly and the others could damage it, and Grasidia was doing a hell of a job holding it down. For moment it felt that they'd be able to end this soon, and get a resounding victory. Then the moment passed, heralded by a gout of flame.

More and more black thorns grew from its body, twisted and menacing, freeing it from the plant mage's grasp. As if to insult all of their efforts until now, the beasts wounds began closing, sinew and scale growing over them until it was as though they had never existed. The dragon lowered its head, and [i]breathed[/i].

What happened next was pure destruction.

He caught a glimpse of it before Grasidia's brambles rose up to protect him. The winds and flame buffeting the plant mage's protection was magnitudes more intense than the one he had powered through earlier. The scream that followed, he was better prepared for. The shield his guildmate created held well, but it did little to stop the next blow.

Rising into the sky and crashing into the earth like a raging deity, the earth rumbled and cracked, sending debris and shrapnel flying. Marduk's reflexes were not what it was, so though he managed to create a portal to get out of the blast radius, the old man felt his shoulder jolt and shudder, before pain shot through it.

He knelt down, looking at the limb. A line of rebar was sticking out from his right shoulder, red liquid blossoming outwards and trailing down. Marduk glared at the sight, before gripping the rebar and pulling it own. Fire magic quickly sealed the wound, and he looked to survey the damage.

The dragon had followed up its monstrous jump with an equally devastating swipe of its tail. He didn't have vision on any of his guildmates.

Marduk's teeth clenched in worry, until a blooms of red spikes appeared around the dragon, damaging it further. Lavinia's work, no doubt. Good, that was one confirmed safe.

Holly was not far behind either, and not to be undone.

The show of magic that followed in her wake would have troubled even a Wizard Saint. A hail of everything around it buffeted the overgrown lizard, knocking it every which way. It look like something he would have done in his prime!

But he was no longer in his prime, and he could not afford to sit still and watch either.

He watched Holly collapse, most likely from exhaustion, but he couldn't rule out an injury either. He created a portal right next to her, lifting her in a bridal carry and belted out orders.

[color=9e0b0f]"Luke! Keep that horny devil occupied!"[/color] Looking down at Holly, he said in a quieter voice. [color=9e0b0f]"Hold on lass, I'll get you to Leon. We'll get you back in the fight, don't you worry."[/color]

He created a portal into the air, free falling and eyes flicking through the wrecked battleground. His guildmates were battling hard, doing their best. They were beaten, bloodied, but still bringing the fight however they could. His heart sunk as he saw Leon, his hands full as it were. There was no way he would be able to handle healing Holly as he was now. His eyes flickered, back and forth between his comrades, mind racing and weighing his options.

[i][color=0072bc]Zenith[/color], [color=39b54a]Felix[/color], [color=palegreen]Leon[/color], [color=C1cdcd]Lilliana[/color], [color=darkblue]Cloven[/color], [color=0054a6]Gwen[/color], [color=9e0b0f]Lavinia[/color]-[/i]

[b][color=9e0b0f]"[/color][color=aqua][i]ASTORIA[/i][/color][color=9e0b0f]!"[/color][/b]

Marduk roared stepped through a portal, right as she got her cyclone started. The old man set Holly down gently behind Ashers bulwark.

[color=9e0b0f]"Ria, she needs your healing. We'll run out of people that can hurt that thing at this rate!"[/color] His right arm had gone numb. The blood was coming out wrong. He ignored it. [color=9e0b0f]"You were stopping the fires right? Leave that to me. You and Leon are our only field healers. Focus on healing and let us do the rest!"[/color]

With that being said, Marduk could only hope Astoria knew what needed to be done, because he sure as hell didn't. He'd only heard about Ria's healing abilities in passing, thanks to Gwen. It was laughable: he'd known her longer, but he didn't know nearly as much about her abilities than he did Leon's. He was so fucking conceited wasn't he? For all that talk about bringing back that the old ways, he was really horribly inept at it.

Now he knew he had to make sure they won this: No way he'd be able to rectify that if he was dead.

This would take a helluva lot of concentration and more power than he felt he had. Taking a deep breath, Marduk surveyed the battlefield once more. Right now they were lacking coordination. They'd done well at the start by sheer virtue of their upper-tier mage's power, but that had been wasting the abilities of everyone else who had come. But magic power was not what determined a fight. Sometimes, all it took was a little courage. The determination to keep going, the resolve to just to show up. They had all shown that spirit, and he couldn't be prouder of them.

He would not let their spirit go to waste.

A portal opened in front of Zenith, sending the gout fire towards the dragons rear end.

A portal opened below Felix's unconscious body, dropping him next to Leon.

And smaller portals the size of a plate opened right next to Lavinia, Gwen, and Zenith. His voice echoed through them less than a second later:

[color=9e0b0f]"Gwen, load up all the biggest, baddest spells you've got. When you give the signal, fire below you and I'll open a portal from there to its ass ! We're sending this thing overgrown lizard to hell! Vinny, Zenith, join Luke! I'm counting on you three to keep that thing busy until then, do you understand?!"[/color]

His vision blurred. Not good. Need to focus.

He opened a portal next to where Cloven and Asher were.

[color=9e0b0f]"Cloven, find Grasidia! We need her help! Asher, protect Astoria like your balls depended on it!"[/color]

Hehehe, he was getting crude now. It's been awhile hasn't it? Well, might as well go all the way!

[color=9e0b0f][b]"MAGES OF FENIXTEAR, BITCH SLAP THAT DUMB FUCKING SORRY EXCUSE FOR A DRAGON!"[/b][/color] Now, to put out some fires. [/indent]