The team made their way through the dark passage with only Karlyle's fire to illuminate their path. The flame was strong but the light it produced didn't cover as much of an area as a Luxmotia. They were quiet on their way down, afraid of attracting unwanted attention. As the myth says, the wyvern is asleep in its lair so waking it before they get there wouldn't be wise.
Karlyle gulped loudly and it echoed through the seemingly infinite tunnel. Mimi lightly smacked the back of his head and put her index finger to her lips telling him to be quiet. He instantly bowed his head and mouthed the word 'sorry.'
After minutes of descending into the rocky abyss, they finally reached the giant marble doors. Karlyle took one last deep breath before nudging the door open and revealing the wyvern. The air that came out of its nose was like a winter breeze to them. Although they weren't even that close to it, it still managed to reach their petrified bodies.
"I guess we're here," Karlyle whispered.
"Karlyle, wait for me and Foster to get to the other side. I don't want to teleport in case that alerts it."
"Alright, tell me when to go."
"Foster, do you think you can inflict pain onto it?"
"I can slightly reach its mind but I doubt I can do enough damage with all those scales acting as reflectors."
The whole conversation was spoken in silent whispers and the group broke up. Mimi and Foster hid behind the wyvern's tail and only then did Mimi give Karlyle the go-ahead to fulfil his role. Karlyle spun the fire on his hands into a ball that he threw up towards the top of the cove. The impact released a giant explosion causing a swarm of rubble to land on the wyvern.
The debris was sectioned into tiny bits by the dragon's wind breath as the explosion awoke it in time to defend itself. It sliced directly through the rocks like they were as easy to cut through as paper. Karlyle stared at the action in terror. He didn't expect the beast to be 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 powerful.
"Hey!!! Look over hereeee!"
Karlyle did his best to attract the wyvern's attention although horrified by what could happen to him if he got hit. He shouted and jumped and clapped and banged his shield on the ground but to no avail in getting its attention. The wyvern ignored him as it felt the two humans behind it try and slice its ankles and tail with no success. It spun its body around and released a ball of its sapphire flame towards the pair. Mimi teleported away without realising that her hand wasn't on Foster, leaving him behind to get scorched.
Karlyle strapped his shield back onto his back and reacted swiftly, shooting his own fireball that curved around the wyvern's body and collided with the blue fire. Using this, Mimi teleported back to Foster and got them out of that area into another part of the wyvern's lair.
"Aha, so you're another elemental?"
The wyvern announced with a deep voice and turned its neck to face Karlyle before its body turned as well. Its head tilted to the left, inspecting the specimen in front of it.
"I haven't seen your type since the first human woman managed to escape me."
"Who are you?"
"I am the great wyvern of Enchark. My name, however, is Xavam."
"Why do you do this?"
"Do what?"
"Trap and eat humans."
"And why do you invade my lair? Better yet, why do humans even breathe? Why do they hunt animals? Why do they think they can do anything they wish?"
Karlyle was silenced by Xavam's remark, after all, he wasn't wrong. Humanity has done countless things that harmed the world and its other inhabitants.
"That's enough of conversation, you're not getting out of here alive."
A bit further away from Xavam and Karlyle, Mimi and Foster were discussing what to do.
"These weapons won't break through its armour Foster."
"I can tell, we need to find a weak point."
"Really? I would've never thought of that."
"Not the time Mimi."
"I will search for a weak point, you just keep attacking it. Don't let Karlyle get hurt."
Karlyle has been managing to keep up with Xavam although he had mostly been evading and dodging. Mimi and Foster were nowhere in his sight so he started to pray that they'll come out of hiding soon and so they did. He saw Mimi teleport onto the back of Xavam's neck. Due to the thickness of the steel-hard scales, Xavam didn't feel her appear on his body. On the other hand, Foster was still behind Xavam trying to pierce the scales on his feet. The beast appeared to have no weak or undefended point.
Xavam ignored the pest that attached itself to his left leg and focused on Karlyle. His fiery breath charged in his mouth before being released with extreme force. Xavam spun his head around left and right to follow Karlyle's movements until forcing him into a corner. Trapped with no escape, Karlyle let out his own stream of fire that clashed with Xavam's azure breath.
The two colours of the fires fused in the middle of the attacks, turning into a flashing white colour that shone brighter than either of the two flames. Karlyle's stream was undoubtedly weaker and Xavam's started to quickly overpower his. The blue inched closer and closer to Karlyle with every passing second.
Right as Karlyle's flame was about to be fully overwhelmed by Xavam's, Mimi teleported in and got Karlyle out of the situation. The gloves he was gifted were singed by the wyvern's breath as they couldn't withstand the heat of a blue fire. Now, they were just leather bracelets that latched onto Karlyle's wrist and had crisp burnt edges.
"Don't get trapped like that Karlyle."
"Yes ma'am."
With Karlyle gone, Xavam was about to attack Foster but he got shot in the chest with fire. Karlyle was punching fire out of his arms with alternating hands. The force of the barrage had slightly broken Xavam's balance but he had quickly regained it. The rest of the fireballs were stopped by Xavam's right wing which moved to cover the entirety of the front of his wyvern body.
Mimi noticed that the scales on Xavam's stomach were slightly burnt but quickly regrew.
"A fire-spitting creature that isn't immune to fire?" She thought.
It was a bizarre idea after all. Maybe Xavam was only immune to his own fire? That wouldn't make logical sense though as his fire is hotter than Karlyle's. Oh well, if it works it works. How is she meant to use this knowledge though?
Karlyle continued to juggle flames at Xavam but that didn't last long enough to do anything. Xavam pushed his wing out, generating a strong gust of wind that sent Karlyle flying back. He managed to slow down the speed he was moving at but his body still smashed into the rocky wall with a large amount of force.
His vision was distorted, blurred and bright, while a ringing noise entered his ears. Karlyle barely managed to keep standing until his legs gave in and he fell to the ground. Mimi swept in and caught his head before it hit the floor.
Xavam had no mercy for the fallen enemy so he breathed his fire once more towards the pair on the floor. Mimi was unable to teleport them as it would just take too much of Karlyle's already diminishing energy. She pulled the shield off Karlyle's back and smashed it into the ground in front of them. The sides expanded through the ground, forming a wall, and the breath pushed against it.
"Karlyle you need to wake up."
The attacking breath got stronger and stronger; until the fire started to spread around the shield while pushing it back. Foster couldn't do anything except watch and hope they figure it out.
He had already tried to inflict pain on the wyvern but it was a futile attempt. The size of the wyvern's brain made it hard enough but the scales were also preventing some of his telepathic energy from reaching inside.
"It isn't immune to your fire. You need to shoot its head. Please wake up."
Mimi kept slapping Karlyle's cheeks and he was barely brought back to the world of the living.
"That... hurts..." Karlyle muttered still with little energy in his body.
"Yes! You woke up!"
Mimi teleported them to Foster right as the shield collapsed and retracted back into its original shape. Karlyle fell onto Foster when they teleported and pulled on his shirt by accident, "sorry Foster," he said under his breath and tried to stand up
"The scales burn easily but they regenerate as easily, so if Karlyle keeps attacking its head then you can probably pain it. Or if he even gives you one opening then maybe the pain will prevent the regen."
"I'll do.. my.. best.."
Karlyle was holding onto Foster's arm trying to keep himself standing as his legs were still feeble. Foster held Karlyle's upper arm in return to assist him until he regained his standing. Karlyle coughed lightly and let go of Foster.
"Let's go."