The wyvern staggered against the blow. Lady dodged right, and swung around, Sir Violet lashing out in a long arc. The wyvern turned, and its tail lashed out in response. Lady Violet crashed against the tail and was flung to the ground. She cried out, the breath knocked from her body.
Darkling screeched, flying up. The wyvern roared in defiance, and shot lightning at her. She ducked one way, and came too close.
“No!”
The tail was merciless. I heard a puncture, and blood flew. Darkling was skewered on a tail spike, dangling in the air.
With careless grace, the wyvern flicked its tail. Darkling… Lana… went flying. I screamed, reaching out. Any spell, anything, just save her!
A flash of pink, and a crow caught her. It squawked, and flew off into the distance.
The wyvern screamed in rage, its prey denied from it. It flapped its wings, readying to attack.
“No!” I cast fire, and ice, and fire again. The wyvern roared, and looked back at me.
“You look at me, you dead thing,” I glowered up at it. “When I kill you, you look me in the eye.”
It dove at me, claws outstretched. I cast out with force, pointing it straight up. The beast slammed into the blow, and crashed to the ground, stunned. Lady Violet charged forward, and Sir Violet was more than enough for the right wing. In two swings, the wyvern was grounded.
The tail came at her. Lady Violet blurred, and was elsewhere. She danced one way and another, always where the tail and feet weren’t. she hacked and cut at the beast, tearing through everything she came into contact with.
First, the second wing was gone. Then the belly was opened. The legs were hamstrung, the tail lacerated. Its struggling started to slow. Black blood flecked with gold pooled around the beast.
“Stop.”
Lady Violet stopped, and stepped back. The wyvern gasped, trying to rise. It stretched in vain, unable to support it’s own weight on the hamstrung legs. The wings, the tail, all hung like a butcher shop. This wasn’t a battle anymore, but an execution.
I stood just out of reach of the head. The eyes glared at me, daring me to come any closer. It had been defeated, but it was not going quietly.
“I’m sorry.” I said. “You’re not evil. You’re just defending what you think is yours. But you killed people, and would not leave. I had no choice.”
It shot one last bolt of lightning at me. It was weaker. The staff could take it. I laid the shaking end of the staff on its head, and returned the blow. The bolt knocked it dead in seconds.
I sighed, and collapsed. That was more magic than I had ever cast in one fight. Lady Violet sat down next to me, and nodded.
We won. Somehow, we won.
“Sela?”
“Yeah, Mel?”
“How are we getting down?”
Sela motioned to the other side of the ruined roof. Underneath a piece of rubble, I could see stairs.
“Oh. Good.”
copyright 2018 Jack Holder