. Falst tenses, eyes widening as he senses the thing behind him. He leaps forward, barely getting out of the way of giant talons that slam to the ground where he was standing.
. A red, spiked tail slams into him midair with a spray of blood and the crack of breaking bone. Falst hits the ground hard, skidding feet through the dirt.
. “I didn’t think you’d start without me,” the rust-red dragon rumbles, teeth flashing in a slight growl, eyes glowing orange, shape towering over the Paladins as they hurry to surround Falst with spears and swords pointed. Its wings spread out, tail longer than its body, short stone-gray spikes running down its neck and spine to the end of its tail, the same-colored horns pointing horizontally back from its head. “Have we learned our lesson, then?”
…Hm. Okay. Hm. This is bad.
I mean, this would be an awful time for V.D. to show up, but at the same time…
Though I think the most likely thing that’ll happen next is TESS PUNCH!!
If there’s one thing we know about Tess, it’s that she’s always shown up for the dragon fights. In fact, “dragon grievously injures Falst mere moments before Tess jumps in with a Falcon Punch” is not without precedents in this comic (see 1.11.25)
the dRaGoN caN TaLk!???!!?………..anyways, I don’t think the fight will continue really, but how will they even negotiate? They want to kill erin no matter what and don’t find them listening to our protagonists in any scenario. This is looking bad (maybe someone scoops in to save our guys??)
When I first glanced at the dragon’s eyes, for a moment I thought rakhn took that form but then I looked at the text and realised otherwise. I don’t know if they’ll negotiate, the scene is also framed to sell the vibe of (there’s NO WAY you can defeat them NOW). Because we already got falst saving our guys I don’t think there’ll be another big save
I think/hope that the very normal erin storyboard that Red posted on tumblr is going to show up soon. And yes, this would be brilliant timing for a Tess/Alinua-ex Machina. Poor Falst looks like he got gored by the tail.
It’s not comic sans, that has tails on the m, n, and u, and Red’s font doesn’t. (I noticed because I don’t use tails on those letters, and Red’s the first person I’ve seen who also doesn’t write them.)
I thought it was just VD, but apparently dragons are just preinstalled with that attitude. Which, if you’re a giant F-ck You Dragon, is completely fair I guess. This does not bode well for our heroes…
Dragon: Have we learned our lesson, then?
Oh my sweet summer dragon. If you thought that a spiked tail whip to the chest and surrounded by armed men would make Falst think again about throwing himself into danger to help his friends, I’ve got some bad news for you.
I’m really digging the misty ambience to this scene, especially yesterday with that dragon silhouette. It gives the fight tension and has both helped and hindered the gang in equal measure so far. Who knows? With Helm’s climate we could be seeing more foggy fights and ambushes in the future.
Yep, looks like Falst was whipped by the spiky end of the dragon’s tail, ouch. (The gang is not having good luck with whips today, are they?) Hopefully that CRACK was SFX for the tail whip sound and not Falst’s ribs. As for the Paladins, they have at least five of their original eight/nine (judging by 2-6-20) conscious and armed, and now a dragon.
Between these factors, Dainix’s back wound, and Erin’s sorry state, I don’t see them escaping without some kind of outside intervention.
Aha! More evidence the “lady’s parting gift” alluded to by Stefan is something relating to sentience, higher thinking, and/or speech, if this dragon is any indication. This could be trouble, even if Tess shows up; we’ve seen her tackle bestial dragons just fine, but a smart one may prove tricky for her usual tactics.
Actually, looking at the third panel you can see blood. Falst has been stabbed so he might genuinely be out of the fight due to blood loss and stomach stabbing being a generally bad wound. Plus he’s still got those volcanic fumes. Though I’m certain Falst is going to try i just doubt that stubbornness can overcome such a wound.
Ouch, yeah you’re right about the injury, and with Erin no longer able to Life cast, Alinua MIA, and Dainix likely without his medicines, there’s no way to readily heal it.
You’re also right about Falst trying to fight through it. While I counted Falst out in my comment, now that I think about it, he’s in a very similar state now as he was in the dungeon arc. There he pushed himself hard and was able to tap into his Light abilities; I wonder if we might see that again next page. Would make for a hell of a Friday cliffhanger.
Ohhhh crap. Poor Falst. It looked like that spike caught him right in the abdomen. Even with his healing factor, that’s… that’s a lot. At best, he probably needs a day, not a second.
I genuinely don’t know what’ll happen next. Falst finally being pushed to tap into his Light powers unintentionally? Dainix going full Crucible? Tess, Kendal, and/or Alinua coming in clutch at the last moment? The party being totally screwed and at least one member captured? Feels a little soon for Alinua, and I think something narratively important to Falst’s, Dainix’s, and/or Erin’s arc probably needs to happen before Tess and Kendal arrive, although it seems like Tess and Kendal have a higher chance of getting back to them sooner…
I don’t think I commented on the previous page, but Falst’s stressed-out fury and ass-kicking, Dainix’s seeming sadness and worry for him (emotinoally? or because he was vulnerable like he was among the cave crawlers? or both?), and Falst reacting like he thought Dainix was scared of him was heartbreaking and so well done.
Hm, I remember a while back the Light Dragon mentioned leaving a gift to the dragon she possessed to give her report to that one king. I wonder if the speech is related to that. We know the Light Dragon is in people, and that she’s most likely related to free will or at least mental prowess given her interference fucked up the Void Dragon’s plans and the Diadem shutting down everyone’s minds except Kendal’s, so maybe the gift is the sapience this dragon exhibits.
Long time, no comment, but oooo it’s a kind of normal dragon? It’s always cool seeing different types of dragons in Aurora, and this one talks, seemingly on its own accord! I’m hoping to see the more of the different designs if we ever get close-ups of the other paladin dragons.
Now would be a very good time for Tess and Kendal to show up. Granted, Dainix could probably wreck most of these guys, but they need more firepower (or I guess, non-fire power)
Wait a minute. So, lions in this universe, like in ours, have round pupils (as confirmed by Red), but Falst has slit pupils, like a domestic cat. Or… like a dragon. We know his father is a Paladin and that he himself has Light powers, could the eyes be a symptom of that?
Do you think his connection to Light could be genetic? Though Ferin seem to interact with magic oddly (such as their origin being magical and the big shock at it being genetic), or his early life being spent near a Paladin could have affected his soul/channels like how being near concentrations of other elements affected certain groups of humans over time…
I think its more that he was bestowed these powers by the Light Dragon, and the eyes are a result of that. Note that when the Void Dragon more actively possesses Erin, his eyes develop slit pupils, where they are usually round
It seems like these sound effects are red-orange because they’re caused by the red dragon, but if Dainix and the dragon square off it might be tough to tell whose sound effect is whose. (I expected the skid to be in Falst’s golden-yellow and was very confused what was going on for a sec)
Oh golly me it’s a dragon
Oh golly me Falst is dying
oh golly me NOOOO MY BOY!!!
Nah, I don’t think he’s dying. Sure, the “stunned” condition is less than ideal, but the boy probably has plenty of hit points left.
Looks more like he got knocked prone to me
Looks like our boy got hit with that extra sneak attack damage
For mobile readers.
Alt-text: hello it is I the bigger fish
Image source: lesson
Tumblr text: bad news guys this one’s got a thagomizer
Bluesky text: aren’t you glad this isn’t friday
Tumblr text: bad news guys this one’s got a thagomizer
Bluesky text: aren’t you glad this isn’t friday
. Falst tenses, eyes widening as he senses the thing behind him. He leaps forward, barely getting out of the way of giant talons that slam to the ground where he was standing.
. A red, spiked tail slams into him midair with a spray of blood and the crack of breaking bone. Falst hits the ground hard, skidding feet through the dirt.
. “I didn’t think you’d start without me,” the rust-red dragon rumbles, teeth flashing in a slight growl, eyes glowing orange, shape towering over the Paladins as they hurry to surround Falst with spears and swords pointed. Its wings spread out, tail longer than its body, short stone-gray spikes running down its neck and spine to the end of its tail, the same-colored horns pointing horizontally back from its head. “Have we learned our lesson, then?”
…Hm. Okay. Hm. This is bad.
I mean, this would be an awful time for V.D. to show up, but at the same time…
Though I think the most likely thing that’ll happen next is TESS PUNCH!!
now we have confirmation that this is not just the Primordial Font™ but also the Normal Dragon Font™
I think it’s just Really Big Guy Font ™
gods, now I’m gonna want to go through the entire comic and catalog the fonts
Where are Tess and Kendal? Now (or Very Soon) would be a good time for a dramatic entrance!
The DPS are taking a beating! Where are our tanks!?
If there’s one thing we know about Tess, it’s that she’s always shown up for the dragon fights. In fact, “dragon grievously injures Falst mere moments before Tess jumps in with a Falcon Punch” is not without precedents in this comic (see 1.11.25)
the dRaGoN caN TaLk!???!!?………..anyways, I don’t think the fight will continue really, but how will they even negotiate? They want to kill erin no matter what and don’t find them listening to our protagonists in any scenario. This is looking bad (maybe someone scoops in to save our guys??)
When I first glanced at the dragon’s eyes, for a moment I thought rakhn took that form but then I looked at the text and realised otherwise. I don’t know if they’ll negotiate, the scene is also framed to sell the vibe of (there’s NO WAY you can defeat them NOW). Because we already got falst saving our guys I don’t think there’ll be another big save
The dragon’s tail looks very dinosaur-y
I think/hope that the very normal erin storyboard that Red posted on tumblr is going to show up soon. And yes, this would be brilliant timing for a Tess/Alinua-ex Machina. Poor Falst looks like he got gored by the tail.
Awe man i replied to the wrong comment 🙁
Which storyboard?
Yea please link to it
thagomizer
Whuh-oh, that looks painful.
That is some tasty escalation of threat – and already, the mist is being used to great effect
Now would be a great time for Tess to fly in with the atomic elbow.
“Atomic elbow” is my new favorite tess-term
You’re welcome. Nice username by the way.
She has literal brass knuckles.
Dragon!!! Talking dragon!!!
uh oh
Hello, my name is Mr. Dragon.
I whack the cat.
*He one-shots Falst with a tail swipe.
I’m the bigger fish.
*Credits roll, all according to plan.
Oooh dragons speak in the same font as the Light and Void Dragons! Love that detail!!!
This page made me realize that everyone else talks in comic sans.
Afaik, it’s a font Red made herself based on her handwriting
It’s not comic sans its a custom Red font
It’s not comic sans, that has tails on the m, n, and u, and Red’s font doesn’t. (I noticed because I don’t use tails on those letters, and Red’s the first person I’ve seen who also doesn’t write them.)
I thought it was just VD, but apparently dragons are just preinstalled with that attitude. Which, if you’re a giant F-ck You Dragon, is completely fair I guess. This does not bode well for our heroes…
Our sample size for Dragons who speak the common tongue of Aurora is still at: 1. . .
Dragon: Have we learned our lesson, then?
Oh my sweet summer dragon. If you thought that a spiked tail whip to the chest and surrounded by armed men would make Falst think again about throwing himself into danger to help his friends, I’ve got some bad news for you.
I’m really digging the misty ambience to this scene, especially yesterday with that dragon silhouette. It gives the fight tension and has both helped and hindered the gang in equal measure so far. Who knows? With Helm’s climate we could be seeing more foggy fights and ambushes in the future.
Yep, looks like Falst was whipped by the spiky end of the dragon’s tail, ouch. (The gang is not having good luck with whips today, are they?) Hopefully that CRACK was SFX for the tail whip sound and not Falst’s ribs. As for the Paladins, they have at least five of their original eight/nine (judging by 2-6-20) conscious and armed, and now a dragon.
Between these factors, Dainix’s back wound, and Erin’s sorry state, I don’t see them escaping without some kind of outside intervention.
Aha! More evidence the “lady’s parting gift” alluded to by Stefan is something relating to sentience, higher thinking, and/or speech, if this dragon is any indication. This could be trouble, even if Tess shows up; we’ve seen her tackle bestial dragons just fine, but a smart one may prove tricky for her usual tactics.
Actually, looking at the third panel you can see blood. Falst has been stabbed so he might genuinely be out of the fight due to blood loss and stomach stabbing being a generally bad wound. Plus he’s still got those volcanic fumes. Though I’m certain Falst is going to try i just doubt that stubbornness can overcome such a wound.
Ouch, yeah you’re right about the injury, and with Erin no longer able to Life cast, Alinua MIA, and Dainix likely without his medicines, there’s no way to readily heal it.
You’re also right about Falst trying to fight through it. While I counted Falst out in my comment, now that I think about it, he’s in a very similar state now as he was in the dungeon arc. There he pushed himself hard and was able to tap into his Light abilities; I wonder if we might see that again next page. Would make for a hell of a Friday cliffhanger.
I think the dragon isaddressing the Pauladins for having initiated the attack without it.
I think the dragon is addressing the Pauladins for having initiated the attack without it.
My precious kitty
The bravest little meow meow
Save him, flame boyfriend
This is peak haiku. I love it.
The poor lil guy T_T
THIS! This is peak poetry and a heartfelt sentiment I endorse!
oof ouch owie my boy got Thagomized™
Is that a Far Side reference I see?
Red mentioned the thagomizer too, so I’d guess so
(Also palaeontologists made “thagomizer” an official term, bc they didn’t have one when the Far Side comic was made)
Lol
Ohhhh crap. Poor Falst. It looked like that spike caught him right in the abdomen. Even with his healing factor, that’s… that’s a lot. At best, he probably needs a day, not a second.
I genuinely don’t know what’ll happen next. Falst finally being pushed to tap into his Light powers unintentionally? Dainix going full Crucible? Tess, Kendal, and/or Alinua coming in clutch at the last moment? The party being totally screwed and at least one member captured? Feels a little soon for Alinua, and I think something narratively important to Falst’s, Dainix’s, and/or Erin’s arc probably needs to happen before Tess and Kendal arrive, although it seems like Tess and Kendal have a higher chance of getting back to them sooner…
I don’t think I commented on the previous page, but Falst’s stressed-out fury and ass-kicking, Dainix’s seeming sadness and worry for him (emotinoally? or because he was vulnerable like he was among the cave crawlers? or both?), and Falst reacting like he thought Dainix was scared of him was heartbreaking and so well done.
just for clarity on that last paragraph I definitely think “both”
Ah dang, a dragon? There’s no way we can beat that! Sure would be convenient to have a dragon hunter right now. Shame. Death it will be then.
THEY HAVE DIFFERENT FONT WOAHHHHHH
Red… Did you just “Akira slide” Falst?
I’m sure that’s a good font color
Jesus Dragon Christ, that’s a long tail!
Hm, I remember a while back the Light Dragon mentioned leaving a gift to the dragon she possessed to give her report to that one king. I wonder if the speech is related to that. We know the Light Dragon is in people, and that she’s most likely related to free will or at least mental prowess given her interference fucked up the Void Dragon’s plans and the Diadem shutting down everyone’s minds except Kendal’s, so maybe the gift is the sapience this dragon exhibits.
On the plus side, this is a perfect battlefield location for Alinua when she shows up to save the day.
Soooo, Dainix, about that flame seed…
$5 and a cookie says he’s about to go bat-crap to save his boi.
It’s my birthday and I love that it’s today we get the first regular talking dragon :p
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
Happy Birthday!
Cheers!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday! Enjoy the dragon!
Another day, another dozen injuries for Falst.
Erin needs to cast Summon Bigger Fish.
Erin – borderline incapacitated
Dainix – nearly got killed
Falst – well and truly winded
Someone call Tess, the adult of the group. She should be on her way back, right?
Uh. Hold on that looked like blood. Those are spines. Did Falst just get IMPALED????
i appreciate the amount of restraint it must have taken to not draw falst in the yamcha pose
thagomizer intimidation level: max
Someone update the “Falst’s broken bones” counter
Long time, no comment, but oooo it’s a kind of normal dragon? It’s always cool seeing different types of dragons in Aurora, and this one talks, seemingly on its own accord! I’m hoping to see the more of the different designs if we ever get close-ups of the other paladin dragons.
Now would be a very good time for Tess and Kendal to show up. Granted, Dainix could probably wreck most of these guys, but they need more firepower (or I guess, non-fire power)
Tess is going to demolish that thing isn’t she.
Catlike refle–
best comment, gold star
Falst’s ribs simply cannot catch a break
Wait a minute. So, lions in this universe, like in ours, have round pupils (as confirmed by Red), but Falst has slit pupils, like a domestic cat. Or… like a dragon. We know his father is a Paladin and that he himself has Light powers, could the eyes be a symptom of that?
Do you think his connection to Light could be genetic? Though Ferin seem to interact with magic oddly (such as their origin being magical and the big shock at it being genetic), or his early life being spent near a Paladin could have affected his soul/channels like how being near concentrations of other elements affected certain groups of humans over time…
I think its more that he was bestowed these powers by the Light Dragon, and the eyes are a result of that. Note that when the Void Dragon more actively possesses Erin, his eyes develop slit pupils, where they are usually round
It seems like these sound effects are red-orange because they’re caused by the red dragon, but if Dainix and the dragon square off it might be tough to tell whose sound effect is whose. (I expected the skid to be in Falst’s golden-yellow and was very confused what was going on for a sec)
Not gonna lie, that dragon looks majestic af!
Ok everyone be normal about that last panel (actively not being normal)