>>5882884Bringing up a foot, he slams it down upon the earth, smashing the forum floor beneath him and creating a veritable shockwave that knocks the abjurers backwards. The ritual circle is broken as the floor it is drawn upon shatters. The Star Serpent recedes into the man, whose eyes glow white like stars as he angrily turns his attention upon the crowd surrounding him.
The abjurers scatter as the dragons, with the eldest flanked by the two younger wyrms, all unleash their fiery breaths upon the man. He brings up his arms in a defensive posture and holds his ground. When their torrents of flame cease, he stands there, his skin charred in places and his clothes destroyed, but seemingly unharmed.
Men rush up and throw nets upon him, which he begins to tear through. The elder dragon commands the two younger ones to fall back before moving to engage the demigod in combat, whipping his tail at the man, knocking him into the statue of the red serpent. He picks up a chunk of the stone and hurls it at the dragon, who narrowly avoids it. The dragon lets out a mighty roar, though not one to intimidate his foe: a signal.
Hidden figures amongst the rooftops of the capital rise up, their wings unfurling from their backs. Seven warriors, white-haired with brilliant blazing orange eyes, their hands ending in claws, with horns, wings and reptilian tails, begin to circle the demigod in the sky, hurling evocation magic down upon him. Warrior-priests use illusory magic to conjure up false images and distractions.
The demigod is enraged by all these gnats poking at him, and he charges the elder dragon, tackling into the great beast. In a feat that astounds all present, he lifts the dragon over his head, turns in place and throws the beast into the basilica, crashing through its entryway, injuring it. The enemy, towering over the forum, walks towards the dragon with the intent to finish it off.
The Rex darts in with a spear and stands before the demigod, even as the large man is attacked from behind by fiery bolts he shrugs off and ignores.
"You can do nothing," he boasts in an otherworldly voice; the Star Serpent's.
The Rex stabs at the man, only for his spear to break.
The demigod grabs the Rex by the throat, lifting him up. He could snap the man's neck in an instant, but he takes the opportunity to gloat some more.
It is this opportunity that saves the Rex's life, as a great red tail uncoils from the side to knock the demigod down. The Rex's wife rushes to his side to help him up as they both look on and see the red naga wrapping his tail around the demigod like a constrictor snake.
The red naga and the Star Serpent stare each other in the eyes. Suddenly, the man stops moving, and he opens his mouth as the specter of the cosmic prisoner begins to leave. The plan has succeeded; he has been kept occupied long enough to prevent renewal of the possession.
