The ground continued to shake as the spire split apart, trembling with the force of multiple Ninth-level auras. Above it all, a billowing cloud of smoke rose above the shattered top of the spire, as dark and endless as the sea dividing the contents. Bursts of fire lit the inside, revealing glimpses of two monstrous forms. The silhouette showed long, sinewy necks, wings of burning fire, and a body hundreds of yards long.
A thunderous roar shook the city as one of the dragons flapped their wings, sending a surge of raw fire mana sweeping outward. The wave was invisible to normal eyes, but everything–from stone to timber–burst into flames or melted in its wake. I hugged R'lissea as it rolled over us, but Adaptive Resistance soaked up its power, registering it near the peak of the seventh level.
