A wyvern. A damned wyvern. Oh, Moon Maidens, what had we done to deserve such rotten luck? Had we somehow drawn the attention of The Lady of the New Moon, The Chained Maiden, The Devourer, upon ourselves that one of her creatures was upon us now? Or was it the other Maidens that were challenging us? Were they putting us to the test? I had no clue. Right now it didn't really matter either. What mattered right now was the question if it would attack us or if it was after a different, more worthy prey. The answer might mean the difference between live and death.

The monster had seen us for sure. There was no doubt about that. A wyvern might not be a real dragon, but their eyes still were terribly keen. They were foes to be feared for sure. Khuzan had already hopped down from his exposed perch and Eld'tide had disappeared altogether. Invisibility. Of course. I hadn't even noticed her casting the spell. It was only sensible though. I for my part ignored my scale mail. Putting it on properly would take to long and it wouldn't offer me any protection worth mentioning anyway. This monsters claws or teeth could tear me apart even if I wore it.

I went straight for my weapon instead. If the beast attacked us it might as well be the only thing standing between me and a gruesome death. Then my eyes settle on my sister. Her eyes were wide. She was scared. Well, who wouldn't be. Still, she had to get over it. She had to get going. “Move! Defensive spells!” I screamed at her at the top of my lungs. I promptly followed my own advice. I cast Cat's Grace first. By now casting the spell barely took any conscious effort anymore. Things were different with Blur. I had to actually concentrate to build that spell's matrix. I did it anyway.

I would need any advantage I could get. We all would. This was not time for half measures. A second screech rang out, this time from much closer. Actually it was entirely too close for comfort. I looked up again as the monster's shadow fell across us. I looked up just in time to see an incarnation of death crash down a midst us. Water splashed everywhere. Sand and gravel went flying. Trees were knocked over as the scaled monster swung around, sending its tail crashing into the treeline. In the blink of an eye our quite little bathing spot had turned into a picture book example of a chaotic battlefield.

I might have peed myself a little right then and there. Who wouldn't have though? The thing towered above me and I was by far the tallest of our group. Its claws were long as daggers and its teeth weren't far behind either. The stinger at the tip of its tail dripped some kind of poison. Wherever the stuff landed plants started to wilt almost right away. Apparently the chaos created by its landing disoriented the wyvern itself as well though. Right now that might have been the only thing going in our favor. I certainly couldn't think of anything else. It was hard to think at all.

Thinking got even harder as its head turned my way. It must have decided that I was the tastiest morsel. I would have liked to coordinate our efforts but I never got the chance. The very next moment Cat's Grace saved my ass as I had to dodge a bite. The creature's head snapped forward on its long sinuous neck. And its jaws crushed closed with a sound couldn't even begin to describe where I had just been standing. Had I been any slower, it would have bitten me in half. My heart was beating fast. My heartbeat sounding like thunder in my ears.

I kept dodging as the beast didn't ease up on its attack. The next moment its stinger dug deep into the gravel next to me, passing through a blurring afterimage of me as it did so. I kept moving, grateful that Cat's Grace provided me with sure footing on the slippery terrain. Before the monster could follow through with a third attack, Khuzan managed to get its attention, by banging his sword against his shield and shouting insults the ravenous beast probably didn't understand anyway. Its stinger swung back around towards my comrade and for a moment I feared that it would end him. Then it bounced off an invisible, magical shield though.

I decided to take make the best of this chance and counterattacked. I thrust with my glaive, aiming for its side, hoping that I might be able to drive the weapon deep into its flesh in between its ribs. It turned out I was a bit too optimistic. I had put plenty of momentum and all of my weight into the thrust, but it wasn't enough. My weapon glanced off the beast's scales, barely scratching them in the process. Maybe I would have fared better with a steel weapon, but fact was, I didn't have one. I would have to make do. I would have to aim for a weak spot of one kind or another.

I couldn't even begin to look for any such weak spots though, since I was busy dodging again. At least I could give the others a chance to strike at the monster like this. Well, mostly at least. Khuzan was still busy deflecting attacks made with the stinger. Damn, my heart sank a little as I saw it deal with two of us with such apparent ease. That was the moment Kaele finally joined the fray. She had retreated a little to put some distance between herself and this creature of The Devourer. That was only sensible. She was no fighter after all. There was no reason for her to go toe to toe with our foe.

Now she was casting though. I could feel her draw upon the flow of the mystical energies even from all the way over here. Her face was contorted in concentration and her eyes were closed. I wanted to scream at her to not do that. Even a caster had to remain aware of the battlefield! The wyvern must have noticed her drawing upon the ambient Mana as well as it swung around to face this new threat. “Magic Missiles!” It turned just in time to get a trio of glowing magical projectiles to the head. They exploded with considerable force, staggering the monster for a moment.

I couldn't tell if they had done any lasting damage though. What I could tell was, that my sister had made the thing really angry. It screeched again. Up this close the sound actually hurt my ears. It probably wasn't any better for the others, especially Khuzan. Still it was him who deflected the bite attack that was aimed at my sister with his shield of magical force. He was just in time as well. Now I had to deal with the tail and the stinger though. The wyvern didn't even bother to make an attempt to skewer me again.

It might have figured that it would just get one of my blurry afterimages again. Instead it swung its tail in a wide arc, attempting to smash me out of the way, after images and all, with a tail slap. Damn, the thing was smarter than I would have liked. Its plan might even have worked. Instead of dodging I decided to step into its reach though as it had just presented me with one of the vulnerable spots I had been looking for. I stepped forward, ducked and turned at the same time, swinging my glaive with both hands and all the strength I could muster at the back of its leg, just above its ankle where one of its massive tendons was clearly visible.

There were no thick scales protecting this spot, only thick leathery skin. The blade of my weapon dug in deep and the beast roared in pain for a change. Despite my best efforts I hadn't been able to severe the tendon though. Still, the thing had felt that. It was limping ever so slightly now. That didn't stop it from kicking me with its good foot though. I rolled out of the way, coming back to my feet a few steps away. I hadn't completely drawn its attention of my sister either, as it snapped for her again, with blood dripping from its snout. Well, her spell had hurt it after all. That was good.

Still, she wouldn't survive for long if the wyvern stayed focused on her. Even Khuzan could only block or deflect so many attacks aimed for my sister before one would manage to slip by his defenses. I had to do something. I had to draw its attention back to me! I grasped the power flowing around me again and gathered it. I kept gathering more as I built the spell matrix I had in mind. Then I poured all the accumulated power into the spell as I shouted the words triggering it. “Lion's ROAR!” And roar I did. That roar probably could still be heard miles away. I could see Khuzan stagger back a step which was not the intended result. I saw the wyvern stagger as well though as it turned to face me again.

Instead of attacking right away it drew a deep breath though. For a brief moment I worried that it might be able to breath fire. The thought was silly though. Only real dragons could do that. The next moment I almost wished it had spat fire at me. Instead it roared at me itself at point blank range. And, oh dear Moon Maidens, did its breath stink! I gagged and staggered a step back. That might have been my end, had not an arrow hit the beast square in its left eye just then. It sunk in deep, almost all the way to the fletching. Not even that was enough to kill this monstrous foe though.

I knew why Eld'tide had held back until now. Her hunting bow and her bronze or flint tipped hunting arrows were ill suited to deal with such a well armored opponent. I hoped that she would get in another good shot or two anyway. From wherever she was. She was still invisible. I could trust her to have enough sense to stay out of melee though. Thus I went on the attack again. I had spied another vulnerable spot after all, as the beast roared at me. The underside of its long sinuous neck wasn't covered in scales either. And on top of that I had seen an artery bulge just a moment ago. It had to be pretty close the surface to be visible like that.

It took me all the courage I could muster to step in close again. Especially as I did so while the monster lunged at me itself. I wasn't trusting in my own strength alone as I aimed for the artery this time. Instead I counted on the beast adding its own momentum to my attack as well. Wooden splinters filled the air around me as a second arrow shattered against the other side of the wyvern's face. Eld'tide must have aimed for the other eye. I couldn't let that distract me though. I had to aim the blade of my weapon just right. And I did. I only let go of the shaft of the polearm as the first gushes of hot blood struck me in the face.

Then a wing hit me in the chest hard enough to send me flying into the treeline. I felt wood splinter against my back and hoped beyond hope that plenty of greenery like that would break my fall before I hit something more substantial. Then I smashed into a tree and the last thing I heard before passing out was my sister calling out for me in alarm. Then there was nothing.