The wyrm let out a grating cry. It lunged forward, its long neck extending as it snapped at Arek with jagged teeth.

The orc dodged to the side, twisting and bringing his large weapon crashing down on the creature’s neck. A loud chime ran through the forest. A tremor ran down Arek’s hands as the force of the strike nearly shook the guandao out of his grip.

He hopped back, adjusting his stance to hold the weapon above his head with both hands and lowering his center of mass.

“The wyrm’s armor is incredibly hard,” Arek warned. “We’ll need to aim for weak spots.”

“Understood,” Malissa said, dashing past him and sending a dagger spinning for the creature’s eye.

The wyrm jerked its head back and swiped at the woman with a large, clawed hand. She leapt over the strike, Belmont’s shield flickering into being for an instant in case the attack had hit her, and thrust her weapon towards its head.

Arek stepped forward as well, swinging the guandao in a slow strike at the wyrm’s flank to split its attention. It hissed, stepping forward unexpectedly and whipping its scaled head against Malissa like a club. Arek’s own attack slammed against the wyrm’s armor, forcing the creature to stagger but failing to break through its scales.

Belmont’s shield absorbed most of the impact, but Malissa was still sent flying back to the ground. She put the momentum into a roll, hopping back to her feet as a bolt of pure magic sailed past their heads and struck the creature in its chest.

The energy crackled and sparked, leaving a small, blackened patch on the monster’s scales. The wyrm let out a hissing laugh. It lashed out at Malissa with its tail, forcing the woman to hop back again.

Arek raised his guandao into the air and brought it down in a violent overhead strike on top of the creature’s back. It tried to tear him apart with a claw, but the long shaft of Arek’s weapon gave him an advantage in range.

The wyrm screeched as the attack thundered into it. The blow failed to pierce its scales once more, but the blunt force was enough to draw a spark of anger to the monster’s eyes.

“Get down!” Ming yelled.

Arek and Malissa didn’t hesitate. They both threw themselves to the side as a series of glowing blue pinpricks flashed across the forest, making a starry trail between Ming’s staff and the wyrm.

An instant later, a series of violent explosions tore through the air. A brilliant flash of light lit up the forest as the wyrm let out a screech of pain and slammed against a tree.

A large patch of scales at its side had been seriously blackened. Arek leapt back to his feet and charged the monster, thrusting the point of his guandao towards the area that Ming’s attack had hit.

The wyrm lowered its head and met the orc’s charge, hoping to impale him on its horns. An instant before they connected, Arek dropped his weapon and grabbed the monster’s horns with both of his hands.

He jerked downwards with all of his strength. The unexpected motion was enough to force the wyrm’s head to the ground.

Malissa slipped past Arek and leapt onto the creature’s back before bringing a dagger into the blackened scales with both of her hands. She and the wyrm let out a cry as the scales shattered and the blade pierced into its shoulder.

She leapt free and tumbled to the side, avoiding the wyrm as it shook Arek free and threw its body against a tree in an attempt to dislodge Malissa.

Arek kicked his guandao off the ground and into his hands before thrusting it towards the creature’s mouth which was opening to let out another cry.

The wyrm realized its mistake too late. The blade went through its teeth and bit deep into the back of the monster’s throat. Arek twisted the blade, stepping forward to keep it from escaping.

Malissa vaulted over Arek’s back, twisting midair and bringing two daggers down into each of the wyrm’s eyes before she’d even landed on its back.

The wyrm’s mouth snapped shut and it threw its body into a roll, trying to crush Malissa beneath it and disarm Arek. Belmont summoned a shield around Malissa moments before she was slammed into a tree.

Another bolt of pure magic screamed through the air and blasted into the wyrm’s already injured shoulder. With Arek’s weapon in its throat, the creature couldn’t even scream. Malissa leapt back onto it, grabbing the daggers that were already lodged within its eyes and forcing them deeper into its brain.

The wyrm shuddered, one last huff of air escaping its scaled nostrils before it collapsed, motionless. The Happy Sunflowers watched it warily for several moments, but it did not move again.

Arek’s weapon and armor faded away as the battle rage left him. Malissa jumped off the wyrm’s back and gave the others a nod.

“Good job, everyone,” Malissa said.

“My new spell is awesome!” Ming said happily. “I have to be a bit careful, though. I don’t want to blow you guys up on accident.”

“I prefer myself not blown up as well,” Belmont said, failing to hide his pleased grin. Not a single blow had gotten through his shields throughout the entire fight.

Arek knelt beside the dead wyrm. He removed Malissa’s daggers and handed them back to her.

“That was well done, everybody,” Arek said, but lines of worry creased his face. “I haven’t seen a wyrm in a long time. They’re rather nasty creatures, and they absolutely adore magic. Normally, they’d be inside a dungeon. If it’s roaming around here…”

“The dungeon might not be getting cleared,” Belmont said with a grim frown. “We need to get to Red Mount.”

“I agree,” Arek said, pulling his cleaver free from his bag. “But we need to be prepared. Wyrm scales are quite tough and will make good armor. We shouldn’t leave them behind.”

He wedged the weapon into the monster’s shoulder, where Ming had blasted it with pure magic, and started prying the scales free.

“Don’t just stand around and watch me,” Arek griped. “Time is of the essence, remember?”