The Alpha Fangwyrm moved first
Its wings snapped open with a violent rush of air, scattering dust and leaves across the clearing as the massive creature lunged toward the cave entrance
"Move!" Draven shouted
Flames erupted instantly from his hand as he stepped forward, hurling a concentrated fireball toward the charging monster. The blast struck the creature's chest and exploded in a burst of orange light, forcing the Fangwyrm to recoil mid-air with a furious screech
Korr reacted just as quickly
Electricity burst from his hands in bright white arcs that lashed through the air and slammed into the monster's wings. The lightning crackled violently across its body before the creature slammed into the ground outside the cave
The impact shook the stone beneath their feet
"Stay behind me!" Draven barked
He grabbed the chain connecting Soren's restraints and yanked him further back into the cave while another fireball began forming in his palm
Outside, the Fangwyrm shrieked again
Up close the creature was even larger than it had appeared before. Its wings scraped against the ground as it pulled itself upright, claws digging deep into the dirt. Rows of jagged teeth filled its mouth, each one glinting faintly in the dim light
Its glowing eyes locked onto them
Then it lunged again
Draven's second fireball slammed into its face, exploding into flames that forced the monster to veer sideways
"Out of the cave!" Thalen snapped
"If it collapses the entrance we're trapped!"
The three hunters moved immediately
Draven grabbed Soren again, dragging him along as they rushed out into the clearing while Korr and Thalen spread out to either side
The Fangwyrm screeched overhead, circling once before diving toward them again with terrifying speed
Korr raised both hands
"Come here then!"
Lightning burst from his palms, splitting into branching strikes that ripped through the air and slammed into the creature's wing. The blast forced the Fangwyrm sideways before it crashed through a cluster of trees
The jungle shook from the impact
Soren stumbled as Draven pulled him further back
The chains around his wrists clinked loudly as he struggled to keep his balance
Powerless
The word settled clearly in his mind as he watched the fight unfolding around him
Draven hurled another blast of fire while Thalen moved swiftly along the edge of the clearing, already pulling several small vials from the belt at his waist
Green mist began swirling faintly around his arms
The Fangwyrm burst from the trees again
This time it came straight for Thalen
"Left!" Draven shouted
Thalen reacted instantly
He flung one of the vials forward, shattering it against the creature's chest. A cloud of toxic green vapor exploded outward on impact, coating the Fangwyrm's body as it shrieked in fury
The poison began burning through parts of its flesh almost immediately
But the monster didn't stop
Its massive wing slammed toward Thalen like a wall of muscle and bone.
Thalen twisted sideways at the last moment, avoiding the full force of the strike, but the edge of the wing still caught him hard
The impact sent him flying
His body slammed into a tree trunk before dropping to the ground and several glass vials scattered from his belt and rolled across the dirt
"Thalen!" Draven shouted
Korr unleashed another surge of lightning that tore into the Fangwyrm's side, forcing the creature to pull back with another enraged shriek
Soren watched everything unfold
His eyes flicked briefly to the restraints around his wrists
'If I explode my hands like I did before in the castle I can get these cuffs off. This situation is getting to dangerous now. I can't trust these people to keep me alive long enough'
For a moment he considered it seriously
Once the cuffs were gone he could use magic again
'I could escape'
Then the rest of the situation forced its way into his thoughts
Three mages
All still alive
'Even if I break these restraints I would immediately be fighting all three of them and that monster' and we're still deep in monster territory so even if I manage to somehow escape I will have to watch out for others'
'That would be suicide'
Soren let the idea fade
'Better to stay helpless'
'Better to wait'
Across the clearing Thalen had already pushed himself back to his feet. The poison mage didn't look seriously injured despite the blow that had sent him flying moments earlier. Dirt clung to the side of his cloak and one sleeve was torn where it had scraped against the tree, but his movements were steady again as he pulled another vial from the belt at his waist
He hurled it forward
The glass shattered against the Alpha Fangwyrm's chest and a thick green cloud erupted outward, spreading across its body. The monster shrieked violently as the poison began eating into its flesh, thin trails of smoke rising from where the toxin burned into its wings
Draven followed immediately
A fireball erupted from his hand and slammed into the creature's side, exploding in a violent burst of flame that lit the entire clearing. At the same time Korr unleashed another surge of electricity that cracked across the jungle air and tore through the Fangwyrm's wing
The battlefield dissolved into chaos
Fire exploded against the trees. Lightning tore through the air in blinding flashes. Poison clouds drifted across the clearing as the Alpha Fangwyrm thrashed violently against the combined attacks. Its massive wings slammed against the ground, snapping branches and tearing chunks of earth free as it struggled to regain control of the fight
The creature's shrieks echoed through the jungle
And in the middle of that chaos, Soren noticed something
The vials Thalen had dropped earlier were still scattered across the ground
Right behind him
Unnoticed
One of them had rolled only a short distance away. The small glass container glinted faintly in the dim light from Draven's flames. Inside it a dark green liquid swirled slowly, thick and heavy
Poison
Thalen hadn't realized it was missing yet
Draven and Korr were too focused on the monster to notice anything else
Soren lowered his gaze slightly
There it is
He took one careful step backward
Then another
The battle behind him grew louder as the Fangwyrm slammed its wings against the ground again, sending another wave of dirt and leaves flying across the clearing
Perfect
Soren deliberately let his foot slip
His body lurched forward and he dropped to one knee with a loud clatter of chains, his bound hands hitting the ground beside the fallen vial
His fingers closed around it instantly
The glass felt cold in his palm
Without hesitation he curled his hand inward and slid the vial into the loose fabric of his pants, pressing it deep enough that it would stay hidden even if someone searched him quickly
Then he pulled his hands away from the ground and struggled back to his feet as if the fall had been genuine
The Alpha Fangwyrm was already weakening
Large patches of its wings were blackened where Draven's fire had struck, and dark streaks spread across its body where Thalen's poison had begun eating into the flesh. One of its wings hung slightly lower than the other now, torn by Korr's lightning
But even injured, the creature was still terrifying
It lunged forward one more time, shrieking as it slashed its claws across the clearing. The force of the attack tore through the ground where Draven had been standing only moments before
Draven raised both hands
A massive wave of fire erupted outward
The flames slammed directly into the Fangwyrm's chest and exploded violently, forcing the creature backward as its wings beat wildly to keep its balance
At the same moment Korr unleashed another burst of lightning that tore across the monster's injured wing
The electricity ripped through the torn membrane and the creature screamed
For a moment it looked like it might charge again
Then the Fangwyrm hesitated
Its glowing red eyes flicked between the three hunters standing before it. Smoke rose from its wounds and its breathing had grown heavier
The fight had turned against it
With one final deafening shriek the Alpha spread its massive wings and launched itself into the air. The powerful gust from the movement sent leaves and dust scattering across the clearing as the creature shot upward through the jungle canopy
Within seconds the dark shape vanished into the night sky
The clearing fell silent again and for a few moments none of them moved
Then Korr let out a long breath
"We can't get a break can we?"
Draven lowered his hands, the flames around them fading as he scanned the sky carefully
"It's leaving''
Thalen wiped dirt from his sleeve as he stepped forward, his sharp eyes still watching the direction the creature had fled
"It took too much damage," he said calmly. "But it's not dead"
Draven nodded slowly
"Which means it could still come back"
Korr grimaced slightly
"Great"
Draven turned toward the others
"Everyone alright?"
Korr rolled one shoulder
"Still breathing"
Thalen gave a small nod
"I'm fine"
Draven's gaze shifted briefly toward Soren, who stood a short distance behind them
"And him?"
Korr snorted
"He spent the whole fight trying not to trip over his own chains"
Soren said nothing
Draven looked back toward the dark jungle surrounding them
"We can't stay here"
Thalen nodded immediately
"That Fangwyrm tracked us through the blood from the swarm earlier"
He gestured toward the scattered stains across their clothing and the ground
"If we leave it like this, it will find us again"
Korr sighed
"So what do we do?"
Thalen pointed toward the deeper jungle
"There should be a stream not far from here. We wash the blood off our clothes and move again''
Draven didn't hesitate
"Alright. Let's go"
They gathered their things quickly. The small fire was stamped out and the supplies packed away within minutes
Draven grabbed the chain connecting Soren's restraints again and pulled him forward
The group moved back into the jungle
The night air had grown colder now and the forest felt darker than before, as if the earlier battle had driven away every living creature nearby
After a short walk they reached a narrow stream cutting quietly through the jungle floor
Without wasting time they stepped into the water
Draven rinsed the blood from his arms and the scorched edges of his robes while Korr scrubbed at the dark stains on his clothes. Thalen carefully washed the poison residue from his sleeves while watching the surrounding trees with cautious attention
Even Soren was forced into the water so the blood splattered across his clothing could be cleaned away
The cold water soaked through the fabric quickly
When they finished, Thalen stepped back onto the bank and scanned the area once more
"That should remove the scent''
Draven nodded
"Good"
He looked deeper into the jungle
"We'll find another place to rest further ahead"
Korr groaned slightly
"You mean more walking"
Draven gave a small shrug
"Better than waking up with that thing above our heads"
No one argued
They began moving again
The four figures disappeared back into the jungle, pushing deeper through the darkness as the night slowly stretched toward morning