Part 1
We finally broke through the last line of trees, chests heaving and sweat stinging my eyes. Below, bathed in a patch of dappled sunlight, lay a scene of horrifying beauty.A wyvern, a monstrous creature I'd only ever seen in dusty old books, crouched over its prey. Its immense size was awe-inspiring, it's size was larger than normal wyverns that I have read about, its leathery wings folded like tattered sails. But it was the unnatural glow emanating from its scales, a sickly green that pulsed with an inner fire, that sent a jolt of primal fear through me.Wyverns weren't fire-breathing beasts. This wasn't right.The prey, whatever it was, lay unrecognizable – a charred husk picked clean. My stomach lurched. This wasn't some majestic predator taking down its meal. This was something…else."This is bad," I muttered, the words catching in my throat."No kidding," Zane replied, his voice grim as he hefted his oversized sword. "But hey, at least it's distracted."Lirien, her brow furrowed in concentration, echoed my unspoken fear. "It's not a normal wyvern," she whispered, her crimson eyes reflecting the unsettling glow.Durgin, the silent giant of our group, stepped forward, a low growl rumbling in his chest. "Demons," he said, the word heavy with dread. "I've heard rumors. They capture wyverns, tame them to their will."A cold dread settled over me. These weren't mere beasts; they were tools of demonic power. The implications were terrifying. Wyverns belonged in the remote mountains far to the north, not terrorizing these very woods. Someone, or something, had brought them here."How in the world did they tame these things?" I asked, the question hanging heavy in the air.Suddenly, Aria spoke, her voice quiet but laced with a steely resolve. "We don't have time for questions. It's feeding, distracted. We attack now, together. Maybe, just maybe, we can bring it down in one shot."Her words were a stark reminder of the danger we faced. We couldn't afford to let this monstrosity roam free. But charging in blindly felt like a recipe for disaster."Alright," I said, taking a deep breath. "Here's the plan. Lirien, you hit it with a spell, something big to get its attention. Durgin and I will go in close, try to disable it or at least slow it down. Aria, you stay back, use your bow to find any weak points you can."Zane cracked his knuckles, a humorless grin splitting his face. "And me? I leave the big finish to pretty boy here?""Focus, Zane," I snapped, my irritation laced with a sliver of fear. "This isn't some bar brawl. We need precision, teamwork. If we mess up, we're all dead."A tense silence followed. We all knew the risks, the sheer improbability of pulling this off. But we also knew there was no turning back. With a shared look of grim determination, we sealed our unspoken pact. Our gazes locked on the monstrous wyvern below, the silence broken only by the ragged rasp of our breaths. The hunt was on.Part2Lirien made the first move, she came out of hiding and launched a powerfull fire spell onto the wyvern."Let the Gods, spark a flame of burning might, Fuel my spell, and ignite the light, Bestow upon me fire's explosive grace, [INFERNO]!"Like all the magicians that I met and saw back in Stonecreek. Lirien also uses incanation to use magic.This was an advanced fire spell that was launched onto the beast, and my first time of seeing this live.The wyvern roared its defiance, the sound a physical blow that hammered against our chests. Smoke billowed from its maw, momentarily obscuring Lirien's frantic form. "Go, go, go!" she screamed, her voice tight with urgency.Durgin, our dwarven shield, didn't need telling twice. He charged, a mountain of muscle and fury, his battle cry echoing through the trees. He brought his massive axe down on the wyvern's leg with a sickening thud – a blow that would have shattered lesser bones. But the wyvern's hide, thick and leathery like ancient armor, held. It shrieked in pain, the unnatural glow on its scales flaring for a moment before dimming slightly."It's not working!" Durgin bellowed, frustration lacing his voice. Panic clawed at my throat. "What the hell is this thing?!"Aria, ever the silent observer, unleashed a flurry of arrows tipped with Lirien's fire magic.They struck true, peppering the wyvern's hide with searing embers. It whipped its head around, enraged, and unleashed a torrent of flame. Zane, dove forward with his fancy blade. A clang of steel met fire as he deflected the fiery breath with a skill that bordered on arrogance."Looks like we're winging it, mates!" he shouted, a manic grin cracking his face. I envied his bravado. Fear threatened to paralyze me, but the sight of Lirien, pale and sweating as she weaved another spell, spurred me on. She wouldn't last long at this pace.I locked eyes with the wyvern, its gaze a burning ember in the clearing. It was a monstrous thing, its scales were glowing and its wings a tattered tapestry of shadow. With a desperate roar, I charged, hoping to draw its attention. The wyvern turned, its head snapping like a viper's strike. Just as it opened its maw to unleash another blast of fire, I rolled to the side, the heat searing my cheek. I felt the wind of its tail whoosh past, narrowly missing me.Suddenly, the world turned to ice. Lirien's spell, a swirling vortex of razor-sharp shards, slammed into the wyvern's back. A monstrous bellow tore from its throat, the light on its scales flaring momentarily. It stumbled, its movements sluggish with pain."Now!" Lirien screamed, her voice hoarse. This was my chance. But fear threatened to freeze me. Zane, was already there. He danced around the lumbering beast, his blade a blur as he found chinks in the wyvern's armor, drawing blood with each precise strike. He landed a particularly brutal blow to the neck, creating a gaping wound.With a surge of adrenaline, I focused my magic. My hands tingled, and a golden light pulsed from my palm, wrapping around my sword. My sword started burning. It wasn't much compared to Lirien's power, but it was all I had. With a feral roar, I launched myself forward, aiming for the wound Zane had created.The world became a blur of motion. The wyvern reared its head, breathing fire once more. It was too close – the flames licked at my face, the heat stealing my breath. I stumbled, fear clawing at my throat.Suddenly, before the fire hit me. Lirien casted small wind explosion, a novice rank magic which saved me from burning as, I was drifted away from the flames.Fury surged through me, hot and blinding. I ignored the searing pain on my arm, the sting of singed skin. With a renewed determination, I lunged forward, plunging my flaming sword into the open wound on the wyvern's side.It roared in agony, its head snapping back. I held the blade there, pouring every ounce of my remaining magic into it. The air crackled with raw power, the stench of burning flesh filling the air."Burn!" I screamed, channeling all my energy into the blade.A blinding light erupted, engulfing the wyvern's head in a fiery explosion. I was also drifted to the other side with pressure. The beast's roar cut short in a choked gurgle. Then, silence.The severed head of the wyvern tumbled to the ground, the unnatural glow on its remaining scales fading away. The rest of its body crashed to the earth with a heavy thud.The world spun. Pressure built in my chest, and my legs gave way. The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was Lirien, her face etched with worry, rushing toward me while casting another spell."Let the gods, channel life's gentle stream, Flow through me, and heal the wounded dream, Mend the flesh, and soothe the soul's dark pain, [HEALING LIGHT]"...