A thick cloud of black smoke billowed high above the treetops, obscuring the silhouette of a massive creature. Its maw spewed flames, setting the surrounding forest ablaze as it roared, shaking the very ground beneath them.
“That thing is enormous!” Colla shouted, his voice tinged with fear, as he narrowly dodged the charred remains of collapsing trees.
"Too enormous!" Artair shouted back, but there was fascination in his voice as he sprinted toward Colla, leaping onto his back. "Get us closer!"
"What?! No way!" Colla yelled, dodging the burning trees with all the agility he could muster, the heat of the flames singeing the air around him.
"Come on! I want to see it up close!" Artair cried out, his excitement growing even more as they barreled toward the monstrous creature.
"You're going to get us killed one day!" Colla barked, charging toward one of the chains that keep the monster in one place.
"Not to worry, one day is not today!" The professor shot back, grinning widely as he stared up at the enormous, clawed feet covered in black scales, hovering just above them.
"I think it's coming down!" Artair warned, though his tone sounded more thrilled than concerned.
The massive creature landed just behind the heroes, its enormous claws shaking the ground beneath them. Tattered wings, almost entirely covered in black scales, crushed every tree in their path. The wyvern crouched low, leaning its huge, blackened body on its wings for support before slowly opening its gaping maw.
"It has four rows of teeth!" Artair shouted, sounding almost gleeful as he stared straight into the creature’s gaping maw.
"And is about to turn us into ash!" Colla yelled back, panic creeping into his voice as he dodged between trees and flames.
The creature opened its jaws even wider, curling its disgustingly long tongue. Its eyes glazed over with a dark membrane, and a strange, thick substance began to ooze from its mouth.
"It's not attacking?!" Colla asked, trying to put even more distance between them and the creature.
"Don’t tempt fate!" The professor shot back, still studying the beast with growing curiosity.
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the creature’s throat ignited with a fiery orange glow. A split second later, a massive vortex of fire erupted from its jaws, followed by a barrage of smaller, blazing projectiles.
The fiery vortex chased after them, and if it weren’t for Colla’s agility and quick reflexes—dropping to the ground and sprinting out of the blast zone—they would have been incinerated on the spot.
"Incredible!" Artair exclaimed, leaping off Colla's back with wide-eyed excitement.
"Incredible? More like insane!" Colla growled, grabbing the professor just in time to pull him out of the path of a flaming projectile.
"How is it that we always end up in situations like this?!" The exasperated kitsune shouted, tossing Artair onto his back and charging headlong toward the wyvern.
"Right? We’ve got plenty of luck!" The professor replied, grinning.
The wyvern curled its tongue again, this time launching itself into the sky. The sheer force of its massive wings snapped the surrounding trees like twigs and snuffed out most of the lingering flames.
"What is it doing?!" Colla asked in panic, skidding to a halt.
"Run, now!" Artair shouted, pointing toward the chains.
The creature's throat began to glow again, and as Colla bolted toward the chains, a thick, viscous substance oozed from its jaws, coating the ground beneath it.
A wave of fire erupted from the monster’s mouth, hurtling toward the earth and incinerating everything in its path.
The flames surged through the forest, mercilessly consuming everything in their path and wiping all traces of life from its surface. A cloud of pitch-black smoke stretched across the entire forest, choking the sky and reducing visibility to almost nothing.
Colla barely escaped the inferno, leaping onto one of the massive chains that held the wyvern in place.
"I’ll admit, that was terrifying!" The professor remarked, gripping Colla's fur tightly.
"Do you have any idea how to defeat this thing?!" Colla shouted, his voice filled with fear as he climbed higher up the trembling chains.
"Try using lightning, it might work!" Artair called back, his eyes scanning the enormous creature, which had finally stopped spewing fire.
The wyvern’s massive form descended from the sky with a bone jarring crash. The ground trembled violently, sending shockwaves through the earth and uprooting trees like matchsticks. A cascade of debris and splintered wood exploded outward, the impact shook Colla and Artair loose from the chains, sending both of them crashing into the dirt.
"AHH!" Artair yelled before he hit the ground with a thud.
Colla, on the other hand, landed calmly, seemingly unaffected, on the scorched grass.
For a moment, the massive creature fixed its gaze directly on Colla. The murderous intent radiating from it was palpable, a wave of raw malice that left the kitsune frozen in place.
"Professor?" Colla asked, his voice trembling with fear, unable to tear his gaze away from the monster. No response came.
"Damn it..." He thought, opening his own mouth, ready to act.
In response to his movement, the wyvern mirrored him, widening its gaping maw and curling its long, sinister tongue.
"Alright, Colla, stay calm... you’ve got this." He thought to himself, slowly gathering mana around his jaws.
The wyvern, once again, began to spew the thick substance from its mouth, signaling its impending attack.
"So this is how you want to play, huh?" Colla thought, baring his fangs and unleashing all the energy he had stored.
Spheres of yellow mana flowed from his mouth, swirling and rising high above the wyvern.
"By the wrath of the skies..." Colla began, channeling even more power into the sky above the creature.
The wyvern lowered its head, the back of its throat glowing an intense red, as a flash of fire ignited deep within, aimed directly at Colla.
"...May the goddess Nimraya give judgment apon this creature! Kraa-Zethar!" Colla finished, his voice sharp as he summoned a massive bolt of lightning straight down onto the enormous creature.
The force of the strike was so powerful, it sent both Colla and Artair flying through the air. The roaring flames headed toward them vanished, replaced by the deafening sound of the wyvern's agonized screams.
"AHH!" Colla yelled, crashing into the ground with a heavy thud about 30 feet away from the beast.
Despite the blurred vision and the ringing in his ears, Colla staggered to his feet, changing back to his human form and staring at the massive plume of gray smoke where the wyvern had stood moments before.
"Did it work?" He wondered, struggling to shake off the disorientation from the impact.
As the cloud of smog thinned, the massive creature emerged once more. Its wings were scorched, its maw dripping with blood, and here and there, the scales on its body smoldered with flickering orange flames.
"How... I used the incantation..." The boy thought, rising from the ground, eyes fixed on the beast in disbelief.
The massive creature lumbered toward the boy, crashing through the remnants of the trees, leaving destruction in its wake.
“How am I supposed to beat this thing if even the incantation didn’t work…” Colla thought, glancing frantically around, searching for any sign of help.
The wyvern opened its maw wide once more, and a thick, viscous substance began to spill from its jaws, pooling across the scorched earth beneath it. The ground hissed and sizzled as the liquid spread, a sickening heat rising from it, warning Colla that the beast was preparing for another devastating attack.
"This sludge..." Colla focused his gaze on the thick substance, analyzing its movement and behavior. There was something unnatural about it, how it clung to the earth, sizzling like it was alive, reacting to the heat. His mind raced as he tried to piece together what made this creature so dangerous.
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"I’ve got it..." Colla muttered, extending his hand forward, pointing directly at the wyvern.
The massive creature widened its maw even further, its long, twisted tongue curling inward as it spewed even more of the thick, oozing substance onto the ground.
Colla clenched his fist, channeling his mana into a small, fiery orb. "Eat this..."
"...Fyren!" He shouted, hurling the blazing sphere straight into the wyvern's gaping maw.
The fireball shot straight into the wyvern’s face. The fiery sphere surged into its gaping maw, incinerating the thick, viscous substance that had been oozing from its mouth.
The spell exploded inside the wyvern’s throat, filling its massive head with a blinding blaze. Flames roared violently within the beast, turning its insides into a raging inferno. The wyvern staggered, its massive wings flailing wildly as it tried to shake off the torment.
An agonized roar erupted from the wyvern’s fiery maw. The massive creature continued to expel more of the thick substance, which instantly ignited, fueling the inferno inside its jaws and spreading the blaze further.
"I knew it... It’s not fireproof from the inside!" Colla shouted, watching as the wyvern’s face continued to smolder and smoke.
The massive creature collapsed to the ground as the fire continued its relentless journey along its neck.
As the massive body of the wyvern lay still, the flames continued their relentless work, turning the beast’s remains to ash. Gray smoke billowed upward, mingling with the ashes and creating a dense, ghostly cloud that drifted into the sky.
“I did it...” Colla sighed, his eyes fixed on the burning remains of the beast.
Unexpectedly, as Colla struggled to recover from the battle, a tall figure emerged from the billowing smoke. Clad in dark robes, the figure carried a large staff topped with a glowing green crystal.
"Impressive, I didn’t expect you to defeat it so quickly..." The figure said with coarse voice, approaching the exhausted Colla with a measured stride.
"When did he got here...? There was noone here seconds ago" Colla thought, gazing at the mysterious figure.
"Who are you?" The boy demanded, taking a cautious step back.
"I am Ewald Bosques, son of Conrad Bosques and right hand of Emmerich del Esserg!" The man proclaimed, raising his staff high.
"Great... just what I needed, another lunatic..." Colla thought, beginning to gather the remnants of his mana into his right hand.
"Don't even think about it!" The man shouted.
"How does he...?" Colla wondered, halting the flow of mana into his hand.
"Did you really think that the descendant of the great Bosques line wouldn’t sense your mana flow? How foolish!" The man retorted, swinging his staff with authority.
"Who the hell is he?!" The boy thought, taking a few nervous steps back, edging closer to where the professor lay unconscious on the scorched ground.
The slaver advanced, each step deliberate, the charred earth crackling under his boots.
"Professor, please wake up..." Colla whispered, kneeling beside Artair and shaking him gently, desperation creeping into his voice.
Ewald halted a few feet from the boy, looking down at him with disdain.
"Pathetic... I thought you’d be strong, considering you managed to defeat my mutant." He said, pointing his staff at Colla.
"But here you are, begging an unconscious man for help." He sneered, a mocking laugh escaping his lips.
"Dammit... I don’t have enough mana to fight him..." Colla thought, rising from the ground, his eyes darting to the still motionless professor. "Why isn’t the professor waking up?!"
"And now... by the breath of the wind and the fury of the flames..." Ewald began, channeling his mana into the crystal atop his staff.
"An incantation?!" Colla’s heart raced, pounding in his chest.
"...let the skies ignite with your ruin..." Ewald continued, the crystal glowing ominously as raw power surged through it.
Colla’s thoughts spiraled in panic. "How do I dodge this?! What about the professor?! Am I... going to die?"
"... Xenthra-Fyren!" Ewald bellowed, forming a massive sphere of fire, swirling with violent winds at the tip of his staff.
With a sharp swing, he hurled the blazing orb straight at the terrified Colla.
In a desperate move, Colla's hand shot toward Artair's staff, lying just beneath his feet. He yanked out a large scroll hidden within its base.
"Please! Work!" He shouted, tearing the scroll to shreds as the fiery spell raced toward him.
The falling pieces of paper ignited, burning away completely and leaving only ashes behind. In a flash, those ashes swirled and transformed into orbs of pure energy.
"It worked!" Colla shouted, thrusting his hands forward.
The fireball was mere inches from him now, its heat already searing his skin.
With all his remaining strength, Colla gathered the energy orbs around him, forcing them into a shield in front of him. The air crackled with raw power as the barrier took shape.
But as soon as the fireball collided with the shield, Colla’s hands erupted in burning pain, like they were set ablaze themselves. The intense heat from the fireball surged through him, and the boy screamed in agony.
"AAAHHHH!" His cry tore through the smoke-filled battlefield as the fiery sphere crashed into his outstretched palms.
The fire dissipated on impact, vanishing completely, leaving Colla with burns scorched across his hands.
"How... how did you survive my Xenthra-Fyren?!" Ewald bellowed, his voice dripping with frustration.
He stormed forward, closing the distance between them until he was only a few steps away from Colla. His eyes flared with fury, and his grip on the staff tightened.
"Even the great Rosmerta couldn’t withstand it!" He continued, his face reddening with rage.
"Rosmerta?!" Colla froze in shock, his mind reeling at the revelation.
"I’ll... damn well kill you!" Ewald roared frantically, lifting his staff high.
"He’s gone insane!" Colla thought, using the last of his gathered mana to partially transform into his kitsune form.
"By the shadows of the abyss and the whispers of the forgotten, rise from death's embrace, my creation!" the slaver shouted, as swarms of dark energy began to emanate from his body and swirl around his staff.
"Rise from death?! He’s trying to resurrect that monster?!" Colla exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief. With a burst of determination, he charged directly at the slaver.
Colla’s half-transformed form flickered with silver light as he darted between the smoldering remains of the forest. His claws slashed through the air, leaving trails of glimmering sparks.
Colla narrowed his eyes, the distance between him and Ewald shrinking with every step. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, nearly drowning out the chaotic whispers of mana swirling around the slaver’s staff.
Colla drove his foot straight into Ewald's stomach. The force of the kick reverberated through his leg, but the man didn’t flinch, as if the blow had no effect on him at all.
"Too weak..." Colla thought, leaping away from the man as quickly as his battered body would allow. He began gathering mana into his right hand, feeling the energy swirl and build, crackling with intensity.
"...But this should do the trick." His eyes narrowed in focus, the faint glow of the mana pulsing brighter with each second.
"May the skies and goddess Nimraya grant me power, Kraa-Zethar!" Colla shouted, channeling his mana into a bolt of lightning that shot straight toward Ewald, and then split in two.
Ewald slowly turned his cold, empty gaze toward the boy. A sneer curled at the corners of his mouth.
“You’re too weak after all, kitsune.” He hissed through clenched teeth. Before Colla could react, Ewald appeared before him, completely avoiding his spell and swung his staff with lightning speed, striking him squarely on the head.
Colla’s head snapped to the side, and the world spun as he was sent flying through the air. A sharp, searing pain exploded in his skull, as if every nerve in his body had ignited. As he fell, the ground seemed to slip away beneath him.
He crashed into one of the charred trees, snapping it clean in half.
"Dammit..." He groaned, clutching his head as waves of pain shot through his body, every nerve screaming in protest.
"I don’t have time to play with you anymore..." Ewald's voice dripped with disdain, as he pointed his staff, now pulsating with raw, crackling energy, directly at Colla. The air hummed with power, swirling around the tip of the staff like a gathering storm.
"You know... me too." The boy muttered weakly, extending his hand toward Ewald. "By the will of the heavens, the strength of the earth, and the breath of time itself... bind him..." He finished, his voice faltering.
"What are you... why are you still alive?!" Ewald spat out, his irritation clear.
In the blink of an eye, chains of mana materialized around Ewald, wrapping tightly around him and completely sealing off his magical power.
"What is—" the man began, but was cut off by excruciating pain piercing through his entire body. "AHHHH!"
"It worked..." Colla thought, resting his head against the remnants of a charred tree. "...I need to thank Linn for those lessons on sealing magic..."
"What did you do to m—" The man tried to speak, but the pain continued to pierce through his body.
"Nothing special, just a basic seal." Colla replied, rising slowly and limping toward Artair.
“Professor, please get up...” The boy said, shaking the professor gently.
“Mmhh... just one more minute.” Artair mumbled, turning onto his side.
Colla raised an eyebrow and delivered a firm punch to Artair's stomach.
“UGH!” Artair exclaimed. “Alright, alright... I'm awake...” The professor groaned, curling up in pain.
“...How long have you been conscious?” Colla asked, preparing for another strike.
“I woke up just a moment ago, stop hitting me...” The professor grumbled, pushing himself up from the ground.
"Alright then..." Colla sighed and sat down next to the professor.
"What exactly happened while I was out?" Artair asked, surveying the devastated forest, the remains of the wyvern, and the large fires still burning around them.
"He happened..." Colla gestured toward Ewald, who was still struggling to free himself from the bindings.
"And you?" Artair inquired, examining the wounds on Colla’s body.
"Just used up too much incantations... that’s all." Colla replied, his voice weary and strained.
The battle's roar faded into silence as the last echoes of Ewald's anguished cries disappeared into the smoky haze. Colla and Artair, both battered and exhausted, surveyed the devastation around them.
Artair, still wincing from the pain, staggered to his feet. "Alright, enough of the theatrics." He said, rubbing his aching stomach. "We need to focus. What’s our next move?"
Colla, catching his breath, glanced over at Ewald, who was now securely bound by the seal’s chains. The slaver's struggles were growing weaker, his once menacing facade now a picture of frustration.
"Let’s interrogate him... He might know something useful." Colla said, standing up and walking towards Ewald.
"Ha! As if I’d tell you anything useful— " The man began, but was interrupted by a fresh wave of pain.
"You mentioned something about the goddess Rosmerta..." Colla said, drawing closer to Ewald.
"What!?" Artair asked, his curiosity piqued. "About Rosmerta?!"
"Ha, I’ll tell you nothing!" Ewald shouted defiantly.
"Spill what you know!" Artair grabbed Ewald by the collar, his grip firm and unyielding.
Colla and Artair towered over Ewald, who struggled against the magical chains binding him.
"Start talking!" Artair demanded, tightening his grip on Ewald's collar.
"Never!" The man shouted. "The boss would kill me!"
"The boss?" Professor Artair asked, furrowing his brow.
"Heh... Emmerich, of course." The man smirked, wincing in pain.
"Emmerich?" Artair pressed. "Who is she, what is she planning?"
"I’m not telling you anything!" The man growled. "She’s already got plans to unleash chaos across the lands."
"And how is she supposed to do that?" Colla taunted.
"You really don’t get it, do you?" The man sneered, his eyes glinting with malevolent amusement. "Here’s a hint: the Guardian’s Core."
Artair froze, his face going ashen as he processed the words.
"You can’t be talking about..." He began, but Ewald cut him off.
"The Feast of Blossoms isn’t for another few days..." Ewald taunted, his voice dripping with mockery.
"What’s going on, professor?!" Colla asked, bewildered by the situation.
"Damn it!" Artair shouted, grabbing his staff from the ground and sprinting across the burning earth with all his strength. "They’re going to kill her!"
As Artair dashed off, Colla’s heart raced. The threat was real, Rosmerta’s fate, and possibly the continent's hung in the balance.