suffered more. In the middle of the square, three defenders lay sprawled in awkward positions, whilst further on lay Liam, still clutching a wooden crate and crushing the signal flare that had previously been next to the banner. The rest were fighting in relatively even clashes. At least until the second wave of attackers arrived.
The dragon hurled his own spell towards the defenders’ hut, but managed only to shatter one of the logs from which the entrance had been fashioned. A scream from the left caught the dragon’s attention. Zane had just knocked his opponent down with a ruthless blow to his exposed temple and immediately pointed towards something at the side of the building. Draco could see little, only a hand protruding from a gaping hole in the wall, stretched out towards the sky.
He swore viciously and fired several light projectiles in that direction, which chipped away a few splinters from the logs. Someone grabbed him by the arm as he passed and yanked him to the side. For a dragon, it wasn’t a particularly strong pull, but it was enough to make the next projectile miss him. Seeing the look on Cedric’s face, Draco knew they’d both thought the same thing. There was no need for a flare to raise the alarm.
The projectiles suddenly struck with greater force, and they took cover behind the bales, which could barely hold out any longer. The dragon glanced quickly around. The second part of their group was just making its way between the buildings, and the defenders had intensified their attacks. There was neither time nor opportunity to prevent the alarm from being raised.
Draco, clinging to a faint hope of success, let go of his sword and threw both arms upwards. Imagining a magical veil stretching over the village, he channelled as much mana into it as he could muster. He felt a sharp jolt somewhere inside him and warmth spreading from within, through his chest, arms, hands and beyond. Dragon runes appeared around his wrists, whirling at a dizzying pace, and flared with golden light. The
