B5 Chapter 619: Wyrm, pt. 1

The creature’s description hung like it had been carved into reality by ascendant might. Every syllable brought a weight of dread and trepidation that caught in Kaius’s throat like a shard of swallowed bone.

A wyrm. A dragon.

Rising tall and staring down at them with eyes of imperious red, Kaius felt the weight of its presence. Supremacy and predation, woven into a form of scale and sinew. Magic given life, driven by a purpose both hungry and terrible.

In the single moment it took him to register the creature’s words and read their description, Kaius’s mind raced at a league a minute.

Not even in his most paranoid moments had he expected they would encounter something like this. Who would? They were creatures of myth — chosen of the gods and terrifying in their might. Rare was the dragon who left the forgotten places of the world, and rarer still did people encounter them. Even a juvenile wyvern had been enough to rouse Rieker to personal action.

The rearing azure serpent in front of him was no whelp, but a creature well seated in its own power. The potency of its magic rolled off it in a physical wave, saturating every fibre of its being with a glow that rivaled his glyphs under active use.

Hunting a dragon in truth was no small thing. Bardsong might stretch the truth, but even it was still clear on the matter. Rez’nak the Hydra; the Razing of Drolmont; The Saga of Gregor Steelarm. Ignoring the tales, even the more grounded accounts that could be found in Guild records agreed that they were superlative existences.

The wyrm might have been Silver, and far lower level than them, but Kaius still felt no confidence as he met the creature's eyes. Just over a year ago, they had fought a lesser drake: a psuedo-dragon with the barest drop of true lineage. That had still been one of the hardest creatures to put down for its level that he’d ever encountered. Worse, this was a greater beast.

What sort of classes would it have? Simple right of birth would grant it power unimaginable for most. Would it have Unique? Heroic? More? Xenanra had said that the rarity cap of the first and second tier was simply due to it being the limit of what most beings could bear. A dragon was not most beings.

Every single one of those Stats would reinforce the most physically and magically potent existences that lived under the heavens. It was unfair, a favouritism of the very world itself.

Dread resolve hardened within him as Kaius’s moment of shock passed. Porkchop was right, this was not a creature they could clash with thoughtlessly. Unfortunately, he saw no shine of mercy or warmth in the creature’s viciously intelligent eyes. Only an arrogance that would break the backs of empires, and a curiosity that was as novel as it was hungry.

Kaius readied himself for burning violence right as Porkchop’s voice spilled through his and the rest of their companion’s minds.

“We need to be ready to run. No matter how much this thing plays at diplomat, do not trust it for a second. My Matriarchs speak of the things that dragons care for, and they number only two: their hoard, and themselves.”

“We still need to try!” Ianmus insisted. “Kanmost is with us. If this comes to battle, a stray blow could kill him.”

Kaius grit his teeth. Of all the many stories he had heard of dragons, none spoke of mercy, and all spoke of avarice and fury.

Enchanted waters sloshed as the wyrm slithered further out of the wellspring. Strides of scales ground over the cavern floor, each movement rumbling through Kaius’s legs. More fins covered its back, and its tail flattened into a broad oar — almost like an eel. Where in the hells had it come from? There was no way it had broken into the Wellspring from the Crater. The entrance puzzle had been unsolved, and they would have seen the signs of forced entry if it existed. There was no way it could have been here for untold aeons either — it would be far stronger than Silver if that was the case.

That left only the spring itself. It was clear the dragon was aquatic, perhaps it had come from some lightless and forgotten ocean in the gullet of the world.

The spines crowning the wyrm's head twitched rhythmically, webbing flaring out as it rose up and watched them closely.

“Now, I must admit that shocked silence is understandable when faced with true magnificence.” the wyrm said. A low, rumbling hiss joined its psychic words, the sound resonating in Kaius’s chest. “It is not often the ones such as you are greeted by one such as I: the great Katarex; Deep Wyrm of the Forgotten Ocean; Bane of the Thousand Year Leviathan; Scourge of the Crevasse Settlements; Grandmaster of all Magics Most Resplendent; Hunter-Prime of the Darkness Beneath, and Lord of this Wellspring—”

On and on it went, a seemingly unending litany of titles that Kaius sincerely suspected were self-bestowed. Draconic arrogance, it seemed, was not just a matter of mere fable. Regardless, if the beast deigned to give them more time, Kaius intended to use it.

“Get everyone ready to move,” Kaius said hurriedly to Porkchop and his back line. “Regardless of what happens, we need to get Kanmost out of here. If it won’t let us leave, I’ll summon the Pegleg. We’ll only need to keep the creature busy for a moment so that the Pegleg can get back up the stairs and into the tunnel. Hopefully it’ll just let us leave.”

Though his team sent back silent acknowledgement to his words, none of them so much as twitched. The gods knew what would set this creature off, and Kaius really didn’t want it to come down to a fight. Even for him, fighting a dragon while unprepared was abject idiocy, no matter their higher levels. Unfortunately, he felt very little confidence that they would be getting out of here without a fight. He still had to try.

Slowly, the dragon’ slowed its recount of its litany of titles. Self-surity and confidence dripped from every word — but Kaius could work with that. Arrogance gave him an angle.

After calling itself the ‘Bane of the Thousand Year Leviathan’ for the second time, Katarex paused for a low moment, rising higher above the shallow waters. It was as if it was the most natural thing in the world for it to give them a moment to bask in the magnificence of its presence.

A moment later, its dense presence returned to his mind.

“Regardless of your shock, I must admit that I did not expect visitors! I must insist, how has your group arrived in my chambers?”

Kaius glanced at his group, seeing his own nervous anticipation reflected in their rigid stillness. He swallowed, mouth dry, and stepped forward.

“Appologies, oh great wyrm,” Kaius said, bowing stiffly. It was agonizing to play at deference. The fire in his bones begged for release as he longed to rip his blade from his belt. He could not, so he settled for staring at the wyrm’s reflection in the rippling puddle that covered the cavern floor. He was ready, one way or another. “We did not expect to find this place occupied. The tunnel above connects to an ancient ruin that we were investigating. We’d heard rumours of a special spring located within them.”

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The dragon’s eyes widened, and a rasping purr rolled through its chest. It coiled tighter, drawing just a little closer.

Kaius tensed, oh, so ready to fly into battle with desperate abandon. Yet instead of striking, the creature drew back, and set a loving gaze upon the crashing waters of the Wellspring behind it.

“And what fine waters they are! A grand start to my nest, and a boon that proves my provenance. Imagine my surprise when I was prowling the lightless seas below, exploring the most remote and hidden edges of my domain, when I tasted the Old Magic drifting down from above! Truly I am fortunate — this place makes the Ancestor’s Dream rise so potently.”

Kaius bit back the urge to frown. He’d held out a thin hope that they’d had the poor fortune to simply cross paths with the beast, but it seemed it had claimed this place in truth. While he couldn’t consider himself an expert, he couldn’t remember any stories where dragons had treated trespassers with kindness and patience. Judging by the spike of grim certainty that flowed across his bond with his brother, neither had Porkchop.

“If it's picked this place as its nest, we won't be leaving without a fight.”

“Then ready the others,” Kaius said, even as he reached out through his rings to tie in the rest of their team. “The nobles are mounted, and have strong crossbows. Tell them they should keep their distance and put all that money they spent on fancy ammo to good use. Hopefully they can run a few distractions like they did with Brokenlight.”

“I’ll join them as soon as I get Kanmost into the Pegleg and moving for the exit,” Ianmus said. “I can ride just fine, and staying mobile with them will free Kenva up far more if she doesn’t have to keep me safe.”

The idea loosened up a bit of Kaius’s knotted tension. This creature was a thinking one. If Ianmus had stayed in one place, it wouldn’t have taken the wyrm long to realise he was a softer target compared to the rest of them. Especially since it was a mage itself.

Regardless, he had to answer it. Mental communication was quick, but he couldn’t risk the wyrm thinking they were snubbing it. He bowed again.

“Apologies, great Katarex. We did not know this place had been claimed. By your will, we will make our leave.”

“Nonsense!” the dragon said with a low purr. “It has been too long since I have had a proper conversation — let alone with a greater beast!”

The wyrm's massive head swung through the air as it focused one slitted eye on Porkchop.

“I must say, I have never heard of a ‘greater meles’ before. Is it common for your kind to fraternise with mortal kind?”

Porkchop let out a low growl. “No, but our Matriarchs speak often of encounters with wyverns in the deep forest and mountain peaks of my home. You concern yourself with only strength and dominion, not things as simple as conversation.”

Stilling for one, long moment, the wyrm’s maw twisted into a hungry mockery of a smile. “Then you must know that your fate is inevitable! But that does not mean there is no room for a little flight of fancy. Come, my hunger has not yet been roused, and I find myself curious of the world above. Is the sky truly as boundless as it appears in my Dream?”

Porkchop snarled, a sound of naked aggression that sent a bolt of shock down Kaius’s neck. What had happened to trying to talk their way out of this?

“Yours will not be the first dragon flesh I have supped on, wretch!”

Kaius’s hand twitched, his blade rising as the wyrm drew back. Feet splashed through the shallow water behind him. No doubt his allies were reacting similarly.

“Hold!” Porkchop yelled in their minds. “Draconic arrogance knows no bounds. It would not even dare to consider we would strike first, and my Matriarchs say they would rather die than leave a taunt unanswered. I will draw out its fury, Kaius will strike when it is distracted. Preferably soon. And be bloody ready for the Fear!”

The wyrm coiled tighter, the spikes of its frilled crown undulating to reveal streaks of acid green webbing. It sneered down at Porkchop, revealing a double row of needle-like fangs.

“You think me similar to some rat of the sky!? I am a wyrm: Lord of the Deep, and Master of the endless caverns and oceans that stretch through the boundless reaches beneath the surface.”

Uncoiling, it slithered closer to them in a slow undulation, every movement sending waves rippling across the shallow waters of the cavern. “You are nothing but a distraction that dared to walk in the presence of a king — now be quiet, before you lose your precious life all the faster.”

Katarex reared up high, towering over them as the rushing waters of the Wellspring lapped up against the wyrm’s side. Staring down at them with imperious disdain, the dragon sucked in a great breath in preparation for what could only be a cowing roar.

The scales on its belly were finer that the rest of its natural armour. Rather than thick diamond plates harder than any steel, they were only as big as Kaius’s fingernail, and shimmered with a soft pearlescence. They looked supple. An illusion, no doubt — dragonscale was legendary for its durability, and Sergeant’s Insight was quite clear that it was still an iron defence. Ultimately, it was as good as it would get.

Kaius almost couldn’t believe it. Porkchop had needled the beast, and it had just bared its bloody stomach like that. Just how young was the creature? It had to be immature, considering it was only a fresh Silver — but the arrogance of it was still astonishing.

Staring at its chest, Kaius burned the magic inscribed on his tongue as he reached for VOS. He dived as shallowly into its depths as he possibly could, narrowing his focus on the great rune until he called on the barest scrap of its power. VOS bucked like a living thing, fighting to overwhelm him — but he was practiced against its protestations. Long had he worked to make use of his most potent ability without crippling or disabling himself.

Losing himself in the great rune would be fatal. He’d only been able to inscribe bar scraps of Redoubt of the Speaker, and he needed his full faculties for the fight to come.

His practice paid off. Altered energy surged through the glyph on his hand, leashed tight to his will.

Ice snapped into being, so blue it verged on the black of the grave. A lance, over a dozen strides long, and wafting a dense fog that froze the very water beneath it. The Spear of Nectus.

His spell screamed forth. Kaius flexed his will, summoning the pegleg behind him as their forces burst into motion. The dragon's eyes widened in shock as it locked onto the tearing spear. It lurched to the side.

The Spear of Nectus slammed into its belly. Supple scales shattered, a sound closer to tortured metal ringing out from the point of impact. Kaius saw blood, and smelt its primal potency in the air.

He split to the right, splashing through the shallow water as his heart pounded in time with his thundering footfalls.

The attack had been perfect. Somehow, the dragon really hadn’t expected it. Yet, to his horror, he watched his deadly missile come to a slow halt. It had barely made it two strides into the creature's flesh. Blood froze at the edge of the wound as Katarex screamed.

A sound of pain and ancient fury, it rocked Kaius like a physical blow.

“Swine!” the wyrm roared, slamming back to the ground. Kaius’s Spear of Nectus shattered, chunks of stygian ice freezing the surrounding waters.

He raced in. Porkchop joined him, striking at a different angle.

“Kanmost is in the Pegleg!” Ianmus roared through their rings.

Kaius willed the landyacht to retreat to the entrance tunnel, his full focus on the raging serpent in front of them.

They had a dragon to kill.