The trio pressed on, slaying some mus and sahagins while smartly avoiding behemoths. They couldn't afford to battle more of them at this point. Cissnei had managed to stockpile several healing items and a few bomb fragments from the smaller battles against the creatures that guarded the tree. She had decided it was her job to take out any easy targets that were coming in from afar and leave the closer enemies to Zack and Reno.

"We made it," Cissnei said with a happy sigh. "Let's get this over with."

Boom. Boom. Something loud was nearby, very loud. It shook the marsh below their feet and caused the water to ripple rhythmically. There it was again. She stopped dead in her tracks as the sound got closer and closer. "Holy shit," she gaped. In front of them was now a huge dragon with two sets of wings and the color of raw flesh. It bared its crooked, twisted teeth at them, crawling and snapping at random while protecting the tree.