We watched as the chimera planted itself on the vast terrain, facing the colossal figure of the creature that had just awakened. Despite its imposing size, the chimera seemed small beside the majestic beast standing before it.
The two monsters studied each other briefly before the chimera, driven by unrestrained fury, launched into attack.
With a fierce beat of its wings, the chimera lunged at Ticaros, its sharp claws extended, aiming to strike any weak spot it could find.
But Ticaros, with a calm that made the battle seem almost insignificant, moved one of its enormous limbs and blocked the attack effortlessly. The chimera's claws merely scraped against the creature's rocky skin, not leaving a single scratch.
"It's like a living mountain," murmured Lyris, her amazement reflected in her eyes.
Ticaros wasted no time retaliating. Its massive, agile tail swung in a devastating arc, striking the chimera with such brutal force that it sent it flying several meters back, making the ground tremble beneath our feet.
Zhavros watched the scene with a faint smile. "Look at how it doesn't even flinch."
The chimera, far from giving up, rose with renewed rage. With a roar that echoed through every corner of the cavern, it spread its wings and unleashed a cloud of venom from its tail, aiming straight for Ticaros's head. The venom sizzled on contact with the ground, dissolving the rock in its path.
But Ticaros responded with an even more imposing display, exhaling an icy breath that not only neutralized the venom but crystallized it in mid-air, causing the remnants to fall like frozen dust. The contrast between the chimera's ferocity and Ticaros's total dominance was strikingly clear.
"It's toying with her," I murmured, feeling unease grow within me. Every movement Ticaros made seemed calculated, as if it could anticipate each attack from its opponent.
Eldrek, his jaw clenched, watched in silence. "If the chimera can't even touch it, I don't see how we could stand a chance."
Despite its rage, the chimera was starting to give in. Each strike seemed to crash into an invisible barrier, and Ticaros barely needed to move to block or dodge.
It wasn't just its strength that intimidated us; it was the intelligence reflected in its eyes. It was as if Ticaros analyzed every move the chimera made, waiting for the perfect moment to finish it off.
"It's more than brute strength," added Zhavros, in an unusually serious tone. "Ticaros is observing each of its attacks. It's... learning."
Suddenly, the ground beneath the chimera began to tremble. Ticaros had planted its feet firmly into the earth and, with a nearly imperceptible motion, caused the terrain beneath the chimera to crack and collapse.
The creature lost its balance, dropping to its knees, and a hint of fear began to show in its eyes. The beast, which had once seemed invincible, now looked vulnerable and disoriented.
"If it can manipulate the ground at will, we don't stand a chance," said Lyris, her eyes fixed on the scene. "No matter how fast we are."
The chimera's desperation was palpable. In one final attempt, it lunged at Ticaros with its jaws wide open, but the beast, without losing its composure, opened its own mouth and exhaled a corrosive breath that enveloped the chimera. The creature collapsed, defeated, without having landed even a single scratch.
Zhavros silently watched as the life drained out of the chimera bit by bit. But the most disturbing part was not its defeat, but the coldness with which Ticaros had subdued it, as if the whole ordeal was nothing more than a trivial annoyance.
We remained in complete silence as the titanic beast returned to its original position.
After a final, deep growl, Ticaros simply turned away and returned to its resting place, ignoring the inert body of the chimera, which began to decay under the effect of the corrosive breath. The battle was over.
Without saying a word, we began to retreat as silently as possible, each of us lost in our own thoughts. We knew we wouldn't have lasted even a minute in that fight. We followed Zhavros back to his refuge, trying not to make the slightest sound.
Upon arriving, we gathered around the small space Zhavros had turned into a temporary hideout. At first, no one spoke, as if we were still processing what we had witnessed. Finally, Lyris broke the silence.
"A close-quarters fight would be suicide," she said, crossing her arms and looking at Eldrek and me. "With that many limbs, it'd be impossible to get close without being crushed."
Eldrek nodded gravely, his expression reflecting the same awe. "It's too strong. It blocked the chimera's attacks as if they were nothing. I don't see how we could overpower it in a direct confrontation."
In his usual carefree tone, Zhavros added:
"There's no need to face it directly. What we saw was enough to understand that our odds in a fight are slim." He settled back into his improvised seat. "Ticaros isn't just a simple beast. It's an ancient being created solely to fight... but I think there has to be some alternative to facing it head-on."
Silence fell over us again as each of us tried to absorb what Zhavros was saying. The battle had clearly shown us that even a creature as fierce as the chimera couldn't harm it.
"So, what's the solution?" I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral, though the anxiety was evident. "If we can't defeat it, how are we supposed to cross its territory?"
Zhavros looked at us in silence, a glint in his eyes suggesting a new plan. We hadn't come to a conclusion yet, but it was clear that facing it head-on wasn't an option.
Instead of defeating it, we needed to find a way to pass without being detected... or find a way to ensure Ticaros wouldn't pose a threat to us.
"We need to find another method," I murmured, more to myself than to the others. The idea of putting Ticaros to sleep briefly crossed my mind, though it was still a vague plan.
Finally, I decided to voice my idea, with more conviction than I expected.
"You're right. There's no need to face it directly... What if there were a way to put it to sleep? While it's asleep, we could retrieve the artifact without having to fight it."
I looked at Zhavros, hoping that, with his unique knowledge, he might have a solution. "Do you know any way to do that?"
Zhavros met my gaze with that arrogant smile I had come to know all too well, the same one he wore during crucial moments.
"This kid isn't just a pretty face, I see... seems you've got a brain in there after all."
I didn't appreciate his comment, but instead of showing my annoyance, I simply waited in silence, knowing Zhavros enjoyed playing with his words.
After a dramatic pause, he finally continued. "I know a way. But, if we're going to do this, each of you will have a crucial role to play."
He looked at each of us in silence, as if assessing our reactions. There was something unsettling in his tone, something that suggested the plan he had in mind was not only risky but would depend entirely on us. A slight chill ran down my spine.