The wyvern burned brighter than ever, its fiery aura illuminating the dungeon in a blinding crimson glow. Darian and Vaelistra stood ready, their gazes locked on the wounded creature as it rose, defiant and unyielding.
Then, it happened.
Flames surged over the wyvern's injuries, crackling with an intensity that made the air shimmer. Scars vanished, torn scales regrew, and even deep gashes sealed shut as if time itself were reversing. Darian's eyes widened in awe.
"It can regenerate," he muttered. Then, with a sly smirk, he thought, It'd be a shame if it went down too easily.
The wyvern let out a piercing cry, announcing its rebirth, and Vaelistra answered with a roar of her own, her voice brimming with fury and resolve. For a fleeting moment, Darian considered ordering her to retreat, but something held him back. He wanted to see how far her strength could take her—what lay beyond her limits.
Despite its restored wings, the wyvern remained grounded, a curious choice for a creature built for aerial combat. Darian frowned but stayed silent, watching the battle unfold.
Vaelistra moved first, unleashing a devastating blast of frost. The icy winds solidified midair, forming jagged spears hidden within the blizzard. The wyvern retaliated with a torrent of searing flames, the opposing forces colliding in a ferocious display of power. Steam and shards of ice filled the air as the attacks dissipated, leaving the dungeon trembling in their wake.
The wyvern's gaze sharpened. It had sensed the true danger of Vaelistra's hidden assault—the blizzard was more than just a freezing gale. Tiny, razor-sharp icicles glinted on the dungeon floor, a deadly aftermath of her calculated attack.
Vaelistra didn't wait. With a fierce roar, she charged, her claws tearing into the ground as she sprinted toward the wyvern. The beast mirrored her determination, meeting her head-on. The impact was thunderous, sending shockwaves through the chamber.
Vaelistra's claws lashed out, pinning the wyvern to the ground. She raised her forelimb to strike, but the wyvern twisted sharply, her claws sinking into the stone floor instead. A blast of dark flames erupted from the wyvern's maw, forcing Vaelistra to leap away. Her claws raked the ground as she glided, steadying herself before the next attack.
But the wyvern was relentless. It lunged, its talons swiping at her throat. Vaelistra narrowly avoided the strike, though the blow sent her reeling. The wyvern followed through, pinning her down with its claws.
For a moment, Darian's heart clenched. The wyvern's fiery breath could reduce even the hardest armor to ash. Vaelistra's scales, though among the toughest of her kind, were not impenetrable.
Before the wyvern could deliver a killing blow, Vaelistra sank her fangs into its leg. The beast let out a guttural roar of pain, staggering back as blood spilled from the wound. With a surge of strength, Vaelistra hurled the wyvern into the dungeon wall. The impact left a massive crater, dust and debris clouding the air.
Vaelistra didn't stop. She charged once more, her claws slashing violently as she tore into the wyvern's scales. Blood sprayed across the chamber as her strikes left jagged gashes on the creature's body.
Darian watched the savage scene unfold, a mix of pride and concern tugging at his emotions. Vaelistra was unrelenting, but the wyvern was cunning. Summoning the last reserves of its strength, it concentrated a massive sphere of dark flame, releasing it in a cataclysmic blast.
The attack struck Vaelistra squarely, sending her hurtling into the opposite wall. The sound of the impact echoed through the dungeon, followed by a chilling silence.
Vaelistra lay still, her once-pristine white scales scorched and bloodied. Black flames licked at her wounds, leaving burns that even her formidable regeneration couldn't heal.
Darian's patience shattered. His fists clenched as rage coursed through his veins, igniting his draconic features. Scales rippled across his arms, and his golden eyes glowed with a fiery intensity. He stepped forward, ready to finish the wyvern himself.
But then, a white blur darted past him.
Vaelistra.
Despite her battered state, she charged at the wyvern once more, her roar a declaration of unyielding resolve. She slammed into the creature with enough force to shake the dungeon, pinning it against the wall. Frost erupted from her maw, encasing the wyvern in a glacial prison.
Before the creature could react, Vaelistra struck. Her jaws clamped down on one of its wings, and with a mighty tug, she tore it clean off. The wyvern's agonized cry reverberated through the chamber, its blood pooling at Vaelistra's feet.
Darian hesitated. Part of him wanted to intervene, to spare his companion further suffering. But the fire in her eyes stopped him. This was her fight, her triumph to claim.
The wyvern, now grounded and desperate, struggled against its icy bonds. Flames sputtered weakly from its maw, its strength waning with each passing moment.
"You would kill one of your own kind?" the wyvern rasped, its voice trembling with pain.
Vaelistra's reply was cold and unyielding. "Anyone who defies my master deserves death."
The wyvern thrashed violently, clawing at Vaelistra's torn hide in a final bid for survival. But her grip was unshakable. Her fangs sank deeper into its neck, and with one last, feral roar, she tore its head from its body.
The wyvern's lifeless form crumpled to the ground, blood pooling beneath it. Vaelistra stood over her fallen foe, her chest heaving with exhaustion and triumph. She threw her head back and released a bone-chilling roar that echoed throughout the dungeon, shaking its very foundation.
Darian's tense expression softened into a proud smile. Vaelistra had pushed beyond her limits and emerged victorious.
She turned to him, her gaze filled with a mix of pride and gratitude. Despite her wounds, her spirit burned brighter than ever. She had proven herself—both to her master and to the dungeon that dared challenge her.
Her victory indeed was a glorious one, both in her sight and the sight of her master.
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[Quest: Slay all the beasts, kill the dungeon boss, and clear the dungeon.]
[Duration: 3 hours, 5 minutes, 20 seconds.]
[Status: Complete.]