All five of the dragon’s heads turned toward Ann’s location. She looked down at her armored boot, chalice crushed underneath, and cursed, not for the first time, that she hadn’t trained as a thief. Gauntleted hands clinking, she said a quick prayer of supplication. Her goddess’ power thrummed through her, like every cell in her body was about to burst with potential energy.

Fortified, she whipped the shield off her back and secured it on one arm. Her other hand found Artemis, her bastard sword, a polished ebon blade hewn from metal plucked from the sky. A quick dip of her chin and her visor fell into place. The action activating every arcane charm of protection she had begged, earned, or secreted away.

The elder wyrm watched all of this with silent amusement.

“Shall we roast it where it stands?” inquired the middle head, a giant red, its burnished scales the shade of spilled arterial blood.

“Make it dance!” shrilled the blue head to the left, crackling with energy.

“Melt.” Was the barely intelligible intonation from the serpent-like black head.

“You’re always wanting to melt things,” piped up the white head, wreathed in an icy fog. “Can’t we just keep on of them for our collection? Just once?”

The green sniffed deep. “This bauble thinks itself protected. There is an air of magic about it.” Ichor dripped from its jaws.

“Best to show it its place, then.” Red rumbled.

With that, all five heads reared back and let fly their breath weapons, ignoring the rising prayers of the knight before them.

Fire, ice, acid, lightning, and poison gas all converged on Ann, engulfing her so completely that nothing could be seen other than the violent confluence of the elemental powers.

The dragon took a step forward to claim what was left of its prize when a voice rang out, echoing in the large chamber, amplified till it seemed to emit from the very stones.

“Abomination!” Ann’s voice rang with purpose and power bestowed. “You dare attack the avatar of your Queen? You dare attempt strike the chosen?” The smoke cleared and light faded, revealing Ann standing, shield forward, ebon blade aloft, untouched by the five-fold attack.

“Lacthis!” the red roared. “Is this what you have stooped to? Sending insects to attempt that which you fear to do yourself? Look at this pitiful creature. A fraction of your power and already it threatens to shake itself apart.”

The beast didn’t lie. Ann could feel the energy in her beginning to turn, begging for release before it consumed her instead. She gave it the release it screamed for.

“You think me but a conduit, vile destroyer? You think you are more worthy to contain a god’s glory?” Ann smirked and let the shield drop to the ground, grasping the sword in both hands. “Then you shall have it.” A smile touched her lips as she whipped the sword forward. An arc of black energy, the gravity wave of a forgotten star, tore through the beast that swayed before her.

The death cries of the four keened and rose as Red, the fifth, was burnt away. As quickly as their screams reached an apex, all four fell silent. The wyrm’s body collapsed in on itself, leaving behind only a single ragged fang, pulsing with energy.

“Fang of the Five Headed obtained.” A voice said in Ann’s ear, sounding like the old wizard that had sent her on this quest. “Congratulations!”

She dismissed the text that floated in the air in front of her and opened her pack. Sure enough, there was the artifact that would keep her alive for a little while longer. With a sigh, she opened a chat window and crafted a message.