With a final, thunderous shout, the elder unleashed the Execution Fire, a towering wave of magical flames. The sky lit up with a blinding glow as the fire surged toward Valdraxx, threatening to consume him completely.
Valdraxx, now realizing the gravity of the situation, felt a terror he had never known before.
"No! This cannot end like this! My plans years of preparation won't be destroyed like this!"
Desperate, Valdraxx turned to the artifact he had stolen.
"I have no other choice... I must absorb its power. It's risky, but I can't die here, not like this!"
He clutched the artifact tightly, trying to absorb its energy. But the power within it resisted. The process was too slow. His eyes widened in panic.
"Why isn't this working faster?" he muttered, sweat beginning to trickle down his face.
With no other options, Valdraxx made a reckless decision. With a roar of fury, he swallowed the artifact whole, hoping it would grant him the strength to survive the Execution Fire.
As the fire was about to strike, something unexpected happened. A swirling black portal opened behind Valdraxx, pulling him back.
The tribe watched in shock as the fire struck the spot where Valdraxx had stood, but instead of obliterating him, the dragon was sucked into the portal.
"What? What is this? Why is it pulling me?" Valdraxx muttered, confused as he began to disappear.
From the shadows, far from the battlefield, a cloaked figure whispered to themselves, "I don't know where this teleportation will take you, Valdraxx, but it's the only thing I can do without revealing my presence to the tribe."
The elder, realizing what was happening, shouted in panic, "Don't let him escape! Strike harder! Even if it costs your lives, the artifact must not fall into the hands of such a vile creature!"
As Valdraxx was dragged into the portal, his concentration faltered. In his desperation, he let his guard down, creating a gap in his defenses.
The Execution Fire, though unable to completely incinerate him, still landed a devastating blow.
"No! My defenses... failed!" Valdraxx screamed as the fire penetrated his body. His scales were scorched, and nearly 80% of his body was burned. Though the portal saved him from death, the damage was severe.
Seconds later, Valdraxx disappeared, carried away by the portal, his body broken and burned, but still alive.
The battlefield fell silent. They stared at the charred ground where Valdraxx had stood. The elder collapsed to his knees, exhausted and feeling defeated.
"That cursed creature... he escaped," the elder whispered, his voice filled with regret.
The tribe's warriors gathered around their leader, their eyes wide in disbelief. Though they had dealt a serious blow to Valdraxx, they had failed to stop him and worse, they had lost the artifact their ancestors had guarded for centuries.
"We managed to wound him," the elder muttered, "but he will return. And next time, he will be more dangerous than ever."
The elder slowly rose, leaning on his staff. His voice was grim. "We must prepare. Valdraxx will return. And when he does, he will come to take everything."
From the shadows, the mysterious ally who had helped Valdraxx watched in silence.
Valdraxx felt his body being hurled through teleportation, spinning in a dark, swirling dimension, until he was finally grateful to still be alive.
However, his body was severely injured, with burnt skin and scales from the Judgment Fire attack leaving a biting pain.
Every movement sent waves of agony piercing down to his bones. Not long after, his vision began to blur, and consciousness slowly slipped away. In a helpless state, Valdraxx fainted.
When he finally awoke, he found himself in an unfamiliar place. The world around him felt familiar yet different.
The air was thinner, and the ground beneath him was denser. Valdraxx struggled to stand, looking around, trying to comprehend where he was.
"This… looks like Arkhana," he muttered, observing the scenery. "But everything seems smaller… Where is this?"
Confusion struck him, compounded by the unbearable pain throughout his body. His wounds were still unhealed, and with every passing second, his body felt heavier.
Pain, fatigue, and hunger began to haunt his thoughts. He knew that before contemplating his situation, he had to regain energy and address the gnawing hunger.
Night had fallen, and darkness enveloped the area. In the stillness of the night, he heard distant
animal groans. Instinct took over, and his mind shifted to one thing: food. In his severely wounded condition, flying was not an option.
The only way for him was to stagger forward, hoping to reach the source of the animal sounds.
Step by heavy step, Valdraxx finally arrived at the source of the noise. Before him, a large creature was ensnared in a trap. The creature had a strange shape, with two large teeth protruding from its face and a massive body devoid of teeth or spines.
Despite its odd appearance, this creature was the perfect prey for the starving Valdraxx.
"Not many choices, but this will suffice for tonight," Valdraxx murmured, salivating. The pain was momentarily forgotten as hunger consumed him.
With savage and feral movements, Valdraxx lunged at the creature. His sharp fangs tore into its flesh, blood spraying everywhere.
Nothing remained of the unfortunate creature, Valdraxx devoured every part of its body, ensuring every morsel of meat provided the strength he needed.
In the ferocity of his feast, he felt a fleeting satisfaction, at least for now, as the torment of hunger had subsided.
After satisfying his hunger, Valdraxx sought a place to rest. Drowsiness began to overwhelm him, but his mind was filled with thoughts of the artifact hidden within him.
An ancient artifact that had been a source of conflict, nearly costing him his life.
"How do I use this damned artifact?" he muttered in frustration, recalling the immense power within it that felt just out of reach.
However, before he could think further, something happened. He felt his body being pulled down, ensnared by a larger trap that was even stronger than the one that had ensnared the creature he had just eaten. The trap struck his unhealed wounds, causing Valdraxx to scream in pain.