The roar of the land wyrm echoed through the narrow ravine as it shattered the stone walls Cedric had summoned. The beast's massive, glowing eyes locked onto him, its claws tearing through the ground as it charged. Cedric's heart raced, the weight of his magic already pulling at his strength.
"Move!" Lira shouted, sprinting toward Cedric.
But before Cedric could react, the wyrm lunged, its claws slamming into the earth where he had been standing moments before. Cedric stumbled backward, barely avoiding the crushing blow as dust and debris filled the air.
"Get up!" Maeve called, tossing another vial toward the creature. It exploded in a burst of light and smoke, blinding the wyrm for a moment and buying Cedric precious time to recover.
Kellen moved swiftly, striking at the wyrm's vulnerable joints with his daggers. His attacks were precise, aiming for the soft spots between the creature's rocky scales. "This thing won't stay down for long!" he called, darting away as the wyrm swung its tail, nearly catching him.
Lira joined the fray, her sword flashing as she struck at the creature's legs. "We need to take it down before it gets the upper hand!"
Cedric struggled to his feet, his hands trembling as he summoned more of his magic. The ground beneath the wyrm shifted, stone spikes rising to pierce the creature's legs. The wyrm roared in pain, its glowing eyes blazing with fury as it struggled to free itself.
"It's weakening," Cedric panted, sweat dripping down his forehead. "We can stop it if we—"
Before he could finish, the wyrm lashed out with its massive claws, tearing through the stone spikes and sending a shockwave through the ground. The force of the impact knocked Cedric off his feet again, his magic faltering as the creature regained its balance.
"It's too strong!" Tamsin cried from the back of the group, her voice trembling with fear.
"Stay back!" Lira ordered, her eyes never leaving the wyrm. "We can handle this."
But Cedric knew they were running out of time. His magic was draining fast, and the wyrm's strength seemed endless. If they didn't act quickly, the beast would overpower them all.
---
Kellen, breathing hard from the fight, glanced at Cedric. "We can't keep this up forever. What's the plan, creator boy?"
Cedric struggled to think, his mind racing as the wyrm continued to thrash against their attacks. "I need to trap it underground. If we can weaken it enough, I can use my magic to pull it back into the earth."
Maeve tossed another vial at the creature, the glass shattering on its rocky hide. "And how do we weaken something that big?"
Lira's eyes narrowed as she dodged another of the wyrm's swings. "We need to make it lose balance. It's strong but slow—if we can bring it down, Cedric can finish it."
Cedric nodded, though his energy was fading fast. "If you can keep it distracted, I'll try to collapse the ground beneath it. But I'll need time."
Kellen flashed a quick grin, despite the danger. "Time, huh? Consider it bought."
Without another word, Kellen darted forward, his daggers flashing as he struck at the wyrm's legs, aiming for the creature's weak spots. Lira followed, her sword a blur as she kept the beast occupied, forcing it to focus on their combined attacks.
Maeve, ever resourceful, hurled another vial into the air. This one exploded in a cloud of thick, noxious smoke, enveloping the wyrm's head and causing it to rear back in confusion.
"Do it now!" Lira shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.
Cedric took a deep breath and focused all his remaining strength on the ground beneath the wyrm. The earth trembled in response, shifting and groaning as he called on his magic. Slowly, the ground beneath the creature's feet began to give way, cracks forming as the soil loosened.
The wyrm, disoriented by the smoke and the combined attacks, roared in frustration as its footing grew unstable. It thrashed wildly, trying to regain its balance, but the ground continued to sink beneath it.
"Hold on!" Cedric shouted, his voice strained with the effort. "Just a little longer!"
The wyrm's claws dug into the earth, but its weight was too much. With a final, desperate lunge, the creature's massive body collapsed into the ground, half-buried as the earth caved in around it.
Cedric fell to his knees, the strain of the magic nearly overwhelming him. His vision blurred, and for a moment, he thought the wyrm might rise again.
But then the creature stilled, its glowing eyes dimming as its body sank deeper into the earth. The ground settled, the rumbling quieting as Cedric's spell took hold.
"It's done," Cedric panted, barely able to speak.
---
The silence that followed was almost as overwhelming as the battle itself. The land wyrm lay buried beneath the ground, its massive form no longer a threat. Cedric remained on his knees, catching his breath as his companions slowly gathered around him.
Maeve was the first to speak, a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Well, that was fun."
Kellen, still catching his breath, sheathed his daggers with a smirk. "If by fun, you mean not getting squashed by a mountain-sized worm, then yeah, sure."
Lira, ever practical, sheathed her sword and surveyed the area. "We were lucky. That thing was stronger than anything we've faced before."
Cedric nodded, though he still felt the weight of the battle pressing down on him. The wyrm had been powerful, but it wasn't just the creature itself that worried him. It was the magic—the dark, corrupted energy that had infused the beast. It had felt wrong, twisted in a way that Cedric couldn't fully explain.
Tamsin approached cautiously, her hands glowing faintly with healing magic. "Is everyone alright?"
"We're fine," Lira said, though her eyes remained sharp. "But this isn't the end. Whatever corrupted that wyrm is still out there. We need to stay on guard."
Cedric stood slowly, exhaustion washing over him. "The corruption we've been sensing—it's spreading. That wyrm wasn't acting on its own."
Kellen raised an eyebrow. "So, what now? We keep chasing down more of these things until we find the source?"
Cedric shook his head, his gaze distant. "No. We need to find out what's behind all of this. We're not just dealing with random creatures—there's something more, something deeper at play."
Maeve sighed, though her grin never faded. "Great. More trouble."
Lira nodded. "Trouble or not, we can't stop here. The borderlands are just the beginning. Whatever's causing this, it's only getting stronger."
Cedric looked at his companions, the weight of their journey heavy on his shoulders. They had survived this battle, but he knew that the real danger still lay ahead.
As they gathered their things and prepared to move on, Cedric couldn't shake the feeling that their next encounter would be even more dangerous than the last. The dark magic that had corrupted the land wyrm was only a glimpse of the threat they were facing.
And whatever was behind it was waiting.