Alex was amazed to see the worm flying into the air. He was also terrified to see the snake flying directly at him.
Seeing the snakes trajectory Alex quickly dodged to the side. The snake unable to change its path dived back into the ground.
This time Alex and Xavier stayed on the surface. Except they were not stationary.
Instead they were constantly moveing in random directions. Making sure not to be so predictable the snake could jump out of the ground on top of them.
The snake kept jumping out of the ground and diving back in. This kept happening over and over, as though the fight was going no where.
Alex was beginning to grow worried, but also fatigued. As though the snake was just patiently playing the waiting game.
It left Alex with several disadvantages against the blazing snake. Each of these disadvantages were life threatening, except he was juggling many at once while facing his strongest opponent yet.
Alex's disadvantages were that he was still just a kid, he was still developing his stamina and strength, yet he was pushing his body way past his own limits.
His next disadvantage was that eventually one of the snakes attack would land, just a single hit would leave Alex dead instantaneously.
He still had another disadvantage, it was his job to distract the snake. He was absolutely not allowed to lead the snake away form Lyra's gaze.
He trusted her, he was hopeful on her new growth. So he put his faith in her, so that she would figure out everything about the snake.
Until then Alex needed a way to keep the snake distracted. A way for Lyra to get a long and informative stare at the snake.
Damnit I can't keep up like this!
Alex was reaching his limit, he was still a kid and could only run for so long. He needed an idea quick, one that would decisively work.
Lyra on the other hand was almost at a breakthrough. She had almost figured out the way to tell a ability just from a stare.
Through her study she had already skimmed through all the creatures abilities that she had encountered so far.
This lead her towards an understanding of the reflection of an ability has on a person. She had also delve into the research on how abilities would affect their bodies and mind.
The snake then jumped out of the ground tens of yards away from Lyra. This was by far the closest view of the snake she had gotten.
She started analyzing every part of the snakes body. Until her gaze landed on a single clump of obsidian.
With her mind acting like a supercomputer this one small detail solved all her questions. As her mind was filled with thoughts and ideas.
She had just now reached a breakthrough in her greatest skill, that until now was a secret. She had just evolved.
Unlike before she understood everything, how abilities unionized with the mind and body, how the affected daily life.
Every thing had clicked together like a puzzle, and she was now overflowing with knowledge, powerful knowledge that could be shed as a weapon.
Alex still dodging attacks from the devilish snake was stunned when he heard a maniacal sound. Xavier was just as stunned as he heard a devious laugh erupt in the forest.
It was Lyra, and she was now completely laughing like a mad man. Both Alex and Xavier had though she lost it.
Except she was not mad, instead she was something much more dangerous then a mad man, she was a genius.
A genius who had figured out that a small abnormal clump of obsidian was the main weakness of the beast.
A genius that from this realized a ability or talent was directly meant to destroy weaknesses and synchronize with their host to fill in any gap of their skills.
A genius who had realized the small dents and scrapes on the cluster of obsidian revealed its ability, ability count, and ability stages.
The one small detail had revealed to Lyra that the small scrapes were undoubtedly from diving through the rough ground.
Yet if what she observed was correct then the snake shouldn't have a scrape on it, nor should it be able to re-surface.
She had watched it dive through the ground without resistance. Understanding the snake was just melting the ground underneath it.
Yet she did not know how it would be able to change directions like that and even head to the surface.
The location of the lump of obsidian revealed it though. As the lump was located extremely close to the snakes tail.
The had meant the snake was able to control the ground around it. This had competed the puzzle on the snakes movements.
As if it was Able to control the dirt around it would be able. Change its direction and close the hole being if to propel it forward.
This closing action was the reason the clump of obsidian had scratch marks and dents. The final realization that the clump brought was the snakes weakness.
Just the existence of the clump made Lyra realize that if tye molten lava flowing across the snakes body was cooled down it'd turn into a lump of obsidian.
It was also extremely obvious that if it was encased in obsidian it would not eb able to move.
So their goal was obvious now, find a way to cool the snake down so much it solidifies and is immobilized.
Finally Lyra had done it, she had broken through the wall in front of her. Now it was time to break through the goat one that took form into a snake.
After organizing her recent thoughts Lyra now knew the abilities of the snake: First was its molten encasing.
The molten encasing was most likely its first ability and gave it a molten body. She had figured this out as the flowing lava was under the obsidian layer.
Except the lava never really flowed, instead it just seemed to shift around like a bigger mass was under it.
This made Lyra understand the snake was jus a mass of lava, while its shell was able to offer protection to its main body.
Except one thought had nagged at Lyra's mind, wasn't this just obtainable without a ability.
One thing wasted reason it was an ability, its ability to shift around. As Lyra had momentarily saw the obsidian layer move around into a more arrow dynamic form before diving int the ground.
Its second ability was obviously its ability to move the ground around it, so that it was able seamlessly swim through the earth.
Except both of these abilities weren't really abilities, instead they were the talents unlocked by the creature.
From what she had realized was that talents when a higher stage they'd either get stronger or get a new sub talent.
She assumed its ability to create a high tempature shield around it was just a sub talent to its molten shell.
From a single clump of obsidian she had figured out the snakes three abilities and weakness.
Now it was time for her to share her findings and enter the fight.
"Hey lambs that stupid snake had the ability to change its molten cage, adjust the temperature of its heat shield, and it can control earth. Its weakness is pretty obvious, we just need to cool that m***erf**kers temperature down enough were it turns into an obsidian shell!"
Alex and Xavier were still shocked by Lyra's maniacal laughter. Yet they were now relieved she was still fine.
They also felt many more emotions, like annoyance, joy, pride, fear and more. More then anything they were excited.
It was like being freed from shackles, all three of them felt freedom. As Lyra joined jumped into the fight, prepared to test out her theory.
Unleashed they all charged at the snake, except instead of fruitlessly attacking they ran all in the same direction.
Earlier Lyra had pointed south east, meaning they were going to head in that direction. That had no objections and started their charge as soon as Lyra did.
They were now all running beside eachother, while the snake was left momentarily dazed. Yet it quickly made its decision diving into the ground.
The whole group knew the snake was not running. Instead without a doubt they knew it was chasing them.
After seeing its dive each one of them individually started running around in zigzags so as to not get caught.
Except they were still heading in the same direction, just with a few extra movements. Alex and Xavier were curious to see where Lyra was leading them.
They knew Lyra enough to know that she wouldn't just lead them anywhere for no reason at all. She must've had a plan.
So they once again out their trust in her while they all ran in one direction with a giant snake tailing them.
The snake was not pleased by their 'walk' as it rampaged every time it was unleashed from the comforts of the ground.
As it left a tail of destruction and chaos, while it leaped out of the ground and sometimes int trees disintegrating them.
Alex and his group payed no attention to this as they weaved side to side, occasionally seeing the snake jump beside them.
Luckily none of them got hurt, none of them had gotten close enough to the snake to get burnt alive.
Instead they had made it to Lyra's mysterious destination. As Alex looked at his reflection in a dazzling pool of water.
Lyra had lead them to a lake!