Mark Tanner with Biggie in the back seat of Santa's Sleigh accelerated in the space of four feet from zero to a hundred thousand miles per hour. At the nose of the Sleigh sparked many magics aimed at cleaving the magic ward in front of them.

  Ward of Gate

  Ward of Force

  Rune of the Splitting Ax

  Prayers to the Most High

  These were the most powerful. But a dozen more were added to them. Still, if the Dragon did not get out of the way, well, what happens when a two thousand pound object hits a far denser and greatly larger object would happen. At least, it would not hurt.

  He passed a Ward created by the dragon, and suddenly he was replete with time. Oh, he went the same speed, so the force would be the same, but he now had a hundred times more time. So instead of milliseconds, he had microseconds. Just enough time to cast another spell of protection on the front of the Sleigh.

  The Sleigh hit the weak point around which Wards are built, and shattered it, but tore off bits and a runner as well. This force buffetted him in the face.

  -67 Health.

  Mark had expected the Dragon to make a play. Probably some sort of Absolute Doom spell which he gave himself a 70% of outracing. But a timeslow had not been on the menu. Still, it gave him time to see Zirmondo's great head duck and twist inhumanly out of the way showing the similarity of design between snake and dragon. The whipcracking head went to the side, and the Sleigh passed through what had been certain doom.

  In the game of Chicken, the Dragon had gone to the side. Relief flashed through his mind, but he saw Zirmondo's claw come up and rip through the bottom of the Sleigh. The sword long talon came close to ripping off Mark's right foot as it cut through the base of the sleigh. The magic of the Sleigh struggled to reform itself, but in so doing it became less material.

  Yet, they had won. They were past. Him and Biggie had done it. With thanks to Santa too.

  They raced into the Main Laboratory and shut down right as Mark had pre planned for their was no way to be that precise with direct manual control. Mark reached out an arm, and hit a switch, and a tube of light formed in front of him.

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  "On...." He cried even as the great dragon dove to catch the back of the Sleigh only for Biggie to throw some of his own iron mass right into the Dragon's closest garbage can lid sized eye. Zirmondo took one half step slower for that, and they were into the time tunnel. Behind them, radiant energy poured out from the Outer World into the Material Plane. This energy hammered into the Mirror Array, and the Array sent the energy to the Pool of the Deep that Mark had been recently stranded on as he and the dragon had stared each other down.

  Within a minute, the energy sent would be bubbling with boiling the five hundred mile deep pool. Without that, the time machine would be shredded and melted by the great energies. Instead, as they raced down the tube of light, with beyond its very temporary walls enough energy to make the Sun but a spark, Mark cheered.

  "Biggie, Zirmondo is going to get cooked. Even if he tears apart the time machine, he won't be quick enough. He's going to boil."

  "Um, Ironfriend, look back."

  Worried, Mark looked over his shoulder.

  Zirmondo was winging his way down the time tunnel even as it broke behind him. And on the great dragon's face was only fury and hate. But then for a second, the Dragon winked at him. And suddenly Mark knew something that he did not understand.

  Somehow, the Dragon had played him. The lizard beast had wanted this outcome.

  "On Dancer, on Prancer, On..." He cried, urging more speed from the Sleigh. With his brain whirling he tried to figure things out. When he did, it was obvious. Sure, Zirmondo was great and mighty in the Future. He had risen from hatchling to skylord by murdering countless Humans for their experience points. So if he went back in time, as Mark was doing, he could do it all over again, and ascend even higher. And this time, with a Level Two Hundred monster appearing right before the System arose, the Humans of Earth would have even less chance than they did before. Instead of the beginning Level One and Level Two Rats and Goblins, it would be the Dread Dragon who consumed their days and nights with fear.

  "Oh, I am such an idiot." Mark moaned even as he stood at the railing and urged the Sleigh to go faster.