A beautiful snake covered in flowing streams of lava. With shimmering black obsidian scales slithered across th ground.
As it do this the grass underneath was sizzled into a crisp. Leaving a trail of black ashes in its wake.
The group of survivors had already noticed and began to panic like usual. Alex on the other hand was shocked by its majestic appearance.
Caring not about the dangers it might bring, but the rewards that could stem from it. Alex's expression became that of greed.
While Xavier and Lyra had already summoned their weapons. Prepared for a dangerous battle.
None of them had ever seen such a creature. So its potential was limitless. Instead they just had to pray it wasn't to devastating.
Sadly their was only one way to figure this out, while Lyra nor Xavier wanted to duel such a mysterious enemy.
Luckily they didn't have to, as Alex had already summoned his precious whip and was charging toward the glowing red snake.
The snake already heading towards their direction immediately whipped its tail toward Alex at lightning speeds.
Although Alex was wearing armor it was still weak and flimsy in his eyes. So Alex was always prepared to dodge, despite his looks.
Once the attack was sent to Alex he had already reacted and was sticking to the ground.
Due to his low position Alex was able to avoid the tail that flew over him. Except what he was not able to dodge was the immense heat that followed the tail.
With the lava streaming under the snakes scales but never leaving the snakes body were eminating intense heat around them.
Due to this for a split second Alex had felt as if he was in a scorching hot desert, away from any source of chill or humidity.
Despite this Alex recovered quickly, realizing the dangers of the snake. Quickly deciding to retreat.
Alex jumped back running to a nearby tree and masterfully climbing it until he sat far above what the snake could reach as of now.
Lyra and Xavier had been watching this and were shocked by Alex's retreat. Barely ever seeing a creature tha wouldn't get killed instantly by Alex.
Reacting accordingly Lyra and Xavier had summoned useless weapons that they had no use for.
Testing the snakes strength Lyra chucked a rapier at the snake. Expecting the snake to dodge with extreme speed Lyra was shocked by what had really happened.
Lyra had just watched her rapier fling toward the snake. Except as though an invisible force field was protecting the snake the rapier melted into molten lava before colliding with the snake who had not moved.
Utterly shocked by this Lyra was brainstorming every way to get past it's insurmountable protections.
Except she was left with her jaw on the ground when the molten iron started to combine with the snake.
Suddenly thrown into worry Lyra tried to unsummon her ruin to no avail. The snake had somehow stolen her ruin by absorbing it.
Alex and Xavier had watched this in confusion wondering what had left Lyra in extreme shock.
They were also in disbelief from seeing the rapier melt in mid air. Although Alex had felt its destructive surrounding heat he had not been as close as the rapier.
Alex was now sure that there was no way for him or anyone in their group to even injure the snake.
Even if all of their strengths were combined it seemed futile to even approach the death trap shaped as a snake.
Alex was now starting to realize their strengths was utterly weak compared to many horrors they had faced.
Without a talent it seemed as though there was no possible way for them to get out of the continents suffocating grasp.
Xavier who was also shocked and terrified did not feel any feelings of desperation or to flee with his tail behind his legs.
Instead Xavier saw in front of him a huge wall, a wall that he needed to surpass. Except this was not a view solely kept by Xavier.
It was actually a view shared by all three of the powerhouses. This is what separated them form the rest of the people.
They wanted to overcome challenges, they wanted more strength, they were pursuers of knowledge, power, magic, safety, freedom and more.
Lyra although cheerful and chatty while off the battle field acted like a completely different person on the battlefield.
Now she was stern, uncaring, and most of all extremely intelligent. Willing to ignore anyone and shut out everything to concentrate.
Doing this Lyra was able to learn almost everything about her opponent. She had developed this technique long ago.
Sadly with the new powers called talents she was almost oblivious to what a creatures talents could be.
Luckily Lyra shut out from the world was developing a way. A way out of their situation, a way to overcome the insurmountable wall in front of them.
Except she couldn't do it alone, she needed Alex's and Xavier's help to distract the snake while she learned everything about it.
"Guys I'm going to need you to distract that snake for a while!"
Then she turned back to rest of the survivors.
"Go run away about a thousand meters North east!"
Hearing Lyra's command the survivors needed no more command or time to think about it before running away in fear.
They all knew they were useless against a creature that strong. They were also afraid, to afraid to do anything but run.
So that's what they did, they ran, while Alex and Xavier started to distract the serpent by any means.
Alex had ran behind the snake, while Xavier had stayed in front of the snake. This left the snake surrounded and confused.
Both Alex and Xavier had grabbed rocks or sticks nearby them, throwing them repeatedly again and again at the snake.
Except it was futile, just like last time They were burned the instant they got to close to the snake.
Lyra on the other hand had somehow split her brain into two. She was now trying to find a way to notice a creatures talent.
While simultaneously trying to figure out the snakes habits and weaknesses. She had basically became a supercomputer with super powers.
The snake that had only been standing still allowing the molten to build up finally moved after growing annoyed.
The rocks that had been sthrown at the snake had basically been feeding it. Except the snake did not see it as feeding.
Instead the snake saw it as exactly what it was: hostility. The snake had perceived the intentions of the 'food' coming its way.
It had known from the start, yet it tolerated it for the free meal if received. Sadly for Alex and Xavier the snake had grown tired.
Without a moments notice the snake had already sprung itself into the air. It was a magnificent sight to behold.
As Xavier and Alex watched a glowing sun tainted with block spots hover above them. Except it was a dangerous sun.
One that had brought its tail up to strike, and once close enough that's what it did. The snake had rapidly swung its tail down to where Xavier was.
Although infatuated by the dazzling figure Xavier had sensed the sinister intent that oozed off of the snake.
Sensing the danger Xavier was already moving before the snake had whipped its blazing tail down at the ground.
Even with his early start Xavier had barely avoided the attack. Lying on the ground next to the scorch marks that marked the snakes attack.
Except Xavier saw no tail near him, nor did he see a large patch of scorched grass. Instead what met Xavier's gaze was an empty void of space.
Somehow the tail was not stopped by the ground, instead it had continued forward in its circular motion.
This had not only left Xavier in shock by the snakes ability to perfectly melt down the surroundings, but also to strategize.
"Alex move!!!!"
Hearing this Alex started running before diving to his left. Even he had felt the danger coming from the ground.
As he watched the tail emerge from the ground and fly into the sky just where he had been. Letting out a sigh of relief Alex got up.
Except as he got up he looked at the giant hole in front of him. The snake had somehow melted the grind around it and absorbed it all while its tail was swinging through.
This circular motion and devastating absorption had now left the ground missing a circular part of it.
Alex was not too surprised by its absolute strength, but instead confused on a tiny detail.
This was that if the bodies tail was able to go through the ground with its heat, then why didn't the snake fall through the ground to the earths core.
Lyra with her supercomputer thinking had already figured out the answer merely seconds after she saw the attack.
Realizing that the snake must be able to control its bodies temperature that it emits. She had now already figured out one of the snakes talents or abilities.
Already remembering Alex's past words that higher realms equal higher abilities. Due to the Lyra had not crossed out the ability of the snake only amounting to one.
Except figuring out one of its abilities was not her goal. Her goal was to a much larger, much more broad.
As she planned to make a formula of sorts to figure out a creatures abilities no matter the circumstances, just by pure sight.
The snake on the other hand had already fallen back to the ground. Yet instead of cooling its temperature for its bottom down or even landing on the ground it decided none of that was good enough.
Instead the snake had used the momentum of its swing to spin around and dive head first into the hole it had made.
While Lyra assumed the snake had increased its temperature by extreme margins. This was because everyone had watched the snake fall through the ground digging an extremely deep hole.
The snake was now underground, and the group had no way to figure out where it would attack next.
Alex and Xavier were both already shocked enough by the snakes extreme creativity and use of its ability.
Somehow both Alex and Xavier had the same thought to hide in a tree. As they both ran over and climbed onto nearby trees.
On top of the tree, and away from ground Alex felt comfort. He glanced around his surroundings, looking for any sign of the snake.
Except instead of the snake Alex found Lyra, alone and on the ground still thinking. Alex felt extremely worried for the unprotected girl that they were supposed to be helping.
Alex tried to find a way to distract the snake yet he didn't know how. The snake was underground with no way to target Alex instead of Lyra.
Then it clicked as Alex remembered all the movies and booked with sand crawlers. Remember long that they could feel the vibrations above ground to locate prey.
Alex didn't know if the snake would even be able to sense the vibrations, yet he didn't care. What he did care about was his friends.
Without hesitation in his movements Alex started rapidly banging against the tree. Not a second later Alex felt immense heat stream through his body.
The suffocating heat only grew stronger, and relying purely on instinct Alex jumped off the tree, landing in the ground and running away.
Alex had turned around to watch the tree only to see it burst into flames as a giant snake came out of its top.