Fighting a dragon

Kaden threw himself to the side, his body rolling across the jagged ground as the dragon's teeth snapped shut where he had just been standing. 

The impact shattered the stone, shards of rock exploding outward as the dragon's claws dug into the earth, carving deep trenches as it spun around, its massive tail sweeping through the air. 

Kaden barely had time to raise his arms, a barrier of mana flickering to life just as the tail slammed into him, sending him hurtling backward.

He crashed into the rock wall, pain jolting through his body. But he was not a helpless rat or raven anymore. He was in his human form and that meant he was going to fight back with everything he had.

Kaden summoned a thorn whip and charged at the dragon aiming right for the bleeding wound. This was his fight, his chance to seize the power he desperately needed. He lunged forward, his body a blur as he closed the distance between him and the dragon. 

The beast reared back, its golden eyes blazing with rage as it roared, fire crackling in its throat. But Kaden was faster. 

With a flick of his wrist, he snapped the thorn whip forward, the vines lashing through the air with a wicked crack. They struck the bleeding wound on the dragon's chest, the jagged thorns digging deep into the raw flesh.

Kaden was instantly shocked. The thorn whip rebounded with a sharp snap, the force of the impact vibrating up Kaden's arm, nearly wrenching the weapon from his grasp. 

His eyes widened as the vines bounced off the dragon's flesh, the jagged thorns barely scratching the surface. It was like striking solid iron, unyielding and impenetrable.

This was not going to work. He needed to put more in the attack. He converted the thorn whip to a spear form and once again lunged at the dragon.

The dragon's golden eyes burned with fury as it twisted its head, its gaze locking onto him. It roared, the sound reverberating through the Bone Pit, the ground quaking beneath its fury.

As he lunged, the dragon's maw once again opened as it came for him. Flames crackled again but it was not able to get a fire attack out. Maybe its mana was exhausted.

Kaden grinned. Everything was working in his favor. He needed to win this.

His muscles coiled as he lunged forward, his body a blur as he closed the distance, the spear aimed straight at the wound on the dragon's chest. The beast's golden eyes narrowed, its body tensing as it saw the attack coming.

The dragon's eyes flared with rage, its body coiling as it tried to twist away, its wings flaring wide as it flapped, creating a shockwave of wind that tore through the Bone Pit, dust and debris swirling through the air.

But Kaden cast [Sanguine Roots] at the last minute and blocked its momentum. His body moved as fast as he could push it and just as the dragon prepared to defend its weak spot, he struck the spear into its eye with everything he had.

The dragon's golden eye widened in shock, its body twisting as it tried to recoil, its wings flapping desperately as it tried to change its trajectory. But it was too late. 

The [Sanguine Roots] coiled around its legs, tightening like iron chains, their dark vines pulsing with Kaden's mana, binding the beast, trapping it, forcing it to face the oncoming strike. 

The dragon's roar was deafening, its body convulsing as it struggled, the golden flames around its body blazing with fury. But it couldn't break free.

The spear struck dead center, its tip piercing the golden eye, the jagged thorns drilling through the orb, shattering the scales that protected it. Blood exploded outward. The dragon's body convulsed, its wings flailing as its roar turned to a scream.

Kaden's chest heaved, his body trembling from the force of the strike, his arms straining as he pushed the spear deeper, the vines spiraling around the dragon's head, the thorns digging in.

But the dragon did not take it lying down. A searing pain tore through Kaden's back as the dragon's claw raked across him, the force of the impact sending him hurtling through the air. 

His vision blurred as his body crashed into the rock wall, the jagged stone digging into his flesh, blood spraying from the deep gashes across his back. Agony burned through him, his muscles screaming, his bones rattling from the force of the blow.

His chest heaved, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he struggled to stay conscious, the world spinning around him. The pain was overwhelming, his senses flooded with fire, his body trembling as the blood poured from his wounds, staining the ground beneath him. 

But he couldn't afford to fall. Not now. Not when he was so close. Not when the spear was still embedded in the dragon's eye, the thorns still wrapped around its head, the [Sanguine Roots] still binding its legs.

Healing started trickling in from [Sanguine Roots]. At first, it was a trickle but it quickly started flooding. Kaden had no idea why it was happening but he was going to take everything.

With a renewed vigor, he lunged forward again, grinning from ear to ear like a maniac. He conjured another thorn spear in his hand and charged forward.