[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/DmHThHw.png[/img][/center]
He wasn't entirely unscathed by this scuffle, but Ethelred had managed to do his part, and the Harzel soldiers had done theirs.  The ballista bolt had struck true and broken the wyvern's neck- it wasn't going to get back up from a blow like that.

It was a costly battle, but they had won, and even Grainne seemed to be in a good mood with their victory.  Ethelred, meanwhile, looked down to examine the damage to his armor.  It had been scratched and smashed by the wyverns, but was still holding up.  Now that the wyverns were defeated and Elnith was freed, he'd be able to look around for that elf in case he was injured, find Lonan, and discuss plans to deal with the big wyvern.

Or at least that was Ethelred's plan before Grainne alerted them to the black wyvern's approach.  He wasn't too surprised that it had recovered and was ready for another fight.  However, nothing could have prepared him for the sight that awaited him when Lonan rode into view.

[i][color=6ecff6]What the...?[/color][/i]

Riding along with Lonan was what looked like...Elias...naked.  Ethelred took a split second to check if he was seeing what he thought he was seeing due to just how unexpected this sight was.  In calmer, less strange circumstances, he would have initially assumed it to be an Unseelie illusion meant to offend his sensibilities.  But in the current circumstances, with their formidable adversary approaching and the fact that Elias was with Lonan, the Frozen Knight was willing to entertain a much more optimistic possibility.

[color=6ecff6][i]Could it really be him, somehow returned from having his physical form obliterated?[/i][/color]

If he somehow returned from being disintegrated, it'd explain his lack of clothes.  The fact that he hadn't grabbed any clothes suggested either that he didn't have the time or was too single-mindedly fixated on slaying this dragon to worry about armoring or clothing himself.

Ethelred didn't have time to muse on Elias' wardrobe choices, however.  A beam fired right past the fort, completely destroying a hill.  Their enemy had arrived, and its powers were as strong as ever.  In fact, it was heading straight for the fort, and it wasn't slowing down.

[color=6ecff6]"Watch out, that thing is coming right at us,"[/color] Ethelred shouted.  The Frozen Knight dashed up the stairs, not wanting to be in the dragon's direct path, and desiring to get a better point from which to strike at it once it got closer.  He had many questions to ask (such as how Elias survived being disintegrated) and many updates to give (such as Elnith's escape and the elf's unfortunate wyvern-powered departure), but this was not the time for such matters.

[@Guy0fV4lor]