Jessica knew that the transformation was temporary. A piece of knowledge that somehow seeped over from Peep’s mind into her own. As the lights of the system’s teleportation appeared around her she checked the clock.

Duration of Heart Of The Dragon Remaining: 39 seconds

The short time frame worried her, as did the potential implications to the fifteen second penalty. The lights disappeared, and she found herself standing on a cliff side facing her opponent. A yellow circle pulsed around both of them as a timer appeared in her mind's eye.

Dual will begin in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 Begin!

The Magister General began manipulating mana so potent Jessica could see it visibly from where she was. That’s not good, she thought and she felt Peep agree with her in the back of her mind.

Wings! Peep yelled into her mind. Fly mother, let us fly across and eat her! Jessica didn’t disagree. She flared their wings to their fullest, only to feel the wings grow heavy half a second later. As if someone had attached hundred pound weights to each feather tip. She grunted and lowered them again, only for the weight to ease.

That must be the system's movement penalty, Jessica thought and Peep peeped sadly in agreement. I guess we're just going to have to wait for her opening salvo. Jessica pulled her wings around her, and tried to make herself as small a target as possible.

Sparks flew out from the woman's working, and towards her. Three seemed to go wide and impact on the wall of the cliff far below, but one of the bolts of fire came right at her.

Jessica dodged to one side, but several of her feathers were singed. The smell of burnt feathers and singed skin filled the air, even as the pain on her knees from the jump made the bones in her legs feel like they were vibrating. The new small scales there did little to cushion her.

Ouch, Peep said into her mind and Jessica couldn’t help but agree. As she got back to her feet, the sound and smell of more fire flying her way filled the air.

Movement and casting restrictions removed

Jessica sighed in relief, as she flared her wings wide. She let Peep take over the mechanics of flight and the two-in one through themselves off the cliff and into open air. The bolts of fire and streaks of lightning impacted around her as the Magister made adjustments, but not fast enough to account for Jessica’s new found speed and aerial agility.

The feel of thermals rising under her massive extended wings lifting her higher into the air was one of the most glorious feelings Jessica had ever felt. The freedom and sheer fun of what they were doing was intoxicating. Peep wanted to go higher, she could tell. To go higher and just fly away from the danger. Jessica knew that wouldn’t be allowed, and they only had a short time left together.

Jessica forced them to tip down, and circle back around. Peeps disappointment was nothing compared to the sheer excitement for the hunt that echoed through both of them, playing with their base instincts and resounding off one another in a feedback loop that Jessica recognized could be dangerous if allowed to go on too long. Thankfully, this wouldn't take long, and now was a perfect time to unleash, whatever they had become.

Hunter, Peep thought. We are a hunter, together.