- no. Being too willing to destroy things is what got him into this mess in the first place.

He dissipates the spell.

Lots of things are very on fire! Or very melted after being on fire. A few buildings collapse even after the spell dissipates, their support system still irrevocably damaged.

For a little while there's silence, but for the crackling of a burning city.

It's very satisfying.

He makes a very solid ice bridge across what remains of the flooded section. He walks.

There's a roar that shakes the city to its foundation. For another second, there is silence, then a voice rings out, echoing to every corner of the city.

"Hssssssss loathsome pest, leave! Get out of my city! This does not concern you, you are not welcome here!"

- what, is the person who fucked up this badly still here? Or has somebody come along and claimed it? Or did the curse make a guardian monster along with all the other things?

Owner of the voice is not forthcoming on answers to any of these questions.

"There is nothing for you here, nothing of value, nothing to gain - turn around, now, and nothing will try to stop you. Leave!"

"Don't pay much attention to current events, do you," he says aloud, just in case it can hear him.

"I care nothing for the world outside, only for my city."

Apparently it can hear him.

"I contest your claim," he says, cheerfully.

There's a loud growl that shakes the city again, then -

"Why?"

"Because I'm the Emperor and I can do that. And because I'm in a bad mood and want to fight something. And because this place really pisses me off."

"LIAR!"

The word echoes across the city, sending another burned-out building tumbling to the ground nearby.

"I know why you're here, I know why you've come, you're here to steal away my bride - why else would you come, what else is there - you can't have her, she's MINE."

- at the first word, he snarls and draws his sword.

When the voice finishes speaking, he snaps, "Come here and say that to my face so I can make you regret it. Or are you a coward as well as a slanderer?"

Silence.

"I don't want anything to do with your bride!" he adds. "I bet she's one of those awful little bugs with the hundreds of bloodsucking stingers! You sound like the type to go for that!"

Silence -

- broken by a deafening roar and a large silver head bursting through a building. Lightning crackles around the serpent-like dragon that emerges and launches itself at Siran, jaws wide enough to swallow him whole.

He waits, holding his sword, and when it's almost on him he slashes at its face.

A significant portion of the dragon's jaw is now painting the nearby rubble.

The dragon hisses in agony, but otherwise doesn't give a damn. It has three quarters of its teeth with which to bite Siran, and does so, avoiding biting down on the sword itself. Its teeth feel like the thorns do, and then an impressive amount of electricity is channeled directly through Siran.

- he blanks out for a moment, overwhelmed by pain -

- and then stabs the dragon in the eye.

That eye gets obliterated. The dragon screeches in agony, then flings him at a mess of thorns to attempt to get the sword out of the gaping hole that used to be an eye.

This is perhaps a not wholly advisable course of action. Sure, it puts Siran out of commission at least for the moment, but that sword is awfully recalcitrant. It seems to find a way to do more damage whenever the dragon moves or touches it.

It takes a while, but the dragon is highly motivated to get this sword out of this eye, damage or no. Eventually the sword is out of eye socket, but so is just about everything else.

The sword doesn't much cooperate with being flung away to where Siran can't get it, but the dragon can hiss and begin raking up groups of thorns with its claws to cover it. That's almost good enough. The thorns don't seem to cause any sort of trouble to the dragon.

And meanwhile, Siran is slowly healing his way off that pile of thorns.

He stands up.

He catches fire.

He leaps lightly onto the dragon's back, still on fire, and shoves his hand into its remaining eye, still very much on fire, and grabs the edge of its eye socket and pulls with inhuman strength.

The dragon is officially done with Siran's shit. Siran is going to get to be the emperor of all lightning rods, and the dragon attempts to shake him off before another eye is obliterated.

He can be shaken off, but only after he succeeds in snapping off part of the dragon's eye socket in his hand.