Capítulo 17: Vaneel’s Corruption

Ulmir's Domain: Four Seasons, Second Day of the Hunt. Minutes Before the Torrential Rain.

"Cane! Get up!" Zedd shouted while he drove the Mobeel away from the angry wyvern. The large monster was covered in clay scales. It would seem easy to dispose of at first, but imagine trying to drill holes in tough a ground that regenerated constantly.

No matter how many times you hit it, break it, put holes in it, you'll never reach the bottom. In order to do so, you'll need to change its structure. Zedd needed at least another fighter alongside him to dispose of the beast called Drake.

"Stalwart!" The beast's voice reached Black Eyes' head. "I'll devour you whole and take that fragment off of you!"

Drake had long scaly legs. Each scale was covered with heavy layers of clay. With each leap the beast took, it would rain clay rocks. The beast would land and make the earth tremble, then leap again. The hunters that clung to the wyvern were flung aside long ago.

The moment Drake fired at Zedd the first time, all other champions attacked. They were adamant on bringing the beast down. That distraction bought Zedd enough time to turn the Mobeel around and run. Drake was bad news. He knew the beast would deal with the champions in a matter of seconds then come for him.

Rimbaldi's vehicle had taken the blast head on but didn't get heavily damaged. It had a strong protective barrier. 'One more hit from that thing and we'll burn to ashes,' Zedd thought as he guided the rolling sphere through the forest. 'Silver, how long until we reach the edge of the forest?' he asked his Alfa Faery. A mental picture reached him of an eagle view above the forest. He had about twenty miles to reach the edge.

The Mobeel was fast. And with Zedd's Essence to support it, it could go even faster. Despite all that, he couldn't get away from the running wyvern. The beast had caught his imprint and ran after him.

"What is it?" a drowsy Cane asked.

"Get your shit together buddy. We've got a real problem after us!" Zedd shouted as he took a sharp turn, through the thickening trees.

Cane unstrapped the belts then got up with great difficulty. "Where are we?" he asked.

"Look behind you, you'll understand," Zedd told him as he willed the machine to turn again. He was trying to slow the beast's movements by getting between the trees. Drake had caught up to them. The clay covered wyvern was running after them, smashing the trees on its way with its sharp claws.

"Look in that drawer beneath the bench," Zedd told the big bear. "You'll find the imperials' medicine."

"Imperials?" Cane asked.

"We've no time," Zedd interjected. "Take that medicine and get ready to fight."

Cane obeyed. Beneath the bench there was a wooden case with a snake engraved on top. It was the Highly Intelligent Scientific Community's emblem (HISC). "I've opened the case," Cane said.

"Look for green vials," Zedd instructed him. "Take one and inject it in your bloodstream."

Cane did as he was told. The green liquid spread through his body, invigorating him. All the energy he'd wasted during his fight against Gedel and Kandisha was restored. The big bear walked towards Black Eyes at the piloting station. "What do I do?" he asked.

"I'll activate manual aim for the cannon. You sit there," Zedd motioned to a lone chair behind them. "That beast is weak to water. You'll find some Water Cruces in their ammunition case. I don't know how many they have. But shoot them all at the beast's legs and head. It'll weaken him a bit."

Cane sat on the chair. Zedd placed his hand on a round button on his piloting station then activated manual aim. The cannon, which was mounted above Zedd's head, moved to the back. The chair got elevated to the cannon's level. "Ready!" Cane shouted as he held the mounted cannon by its triggers, each on one hand.

"I'll try to keep it steady," Zedd shouted. "How many water Cruces you found?"

"What do they look like?" Cane shot back.

Zedd sighed heavily then instructed Cane on how to find the Cruces.

"There're ten of them!" Cane said.

"Make the best of it!" Zedd shouted as he sped off, ahead of the monster chasing them.

"You'll pay for what you did!" Drake's voice reached Zedd again.

"Incoming!" Zedd shouted. 'Of all the places he could be sent to, he landed here?' he thought as he tried his best to stay clear of the beast's fireballs.

The beast was following Zedd's imprint. It could pinpoint his location and chase him for eternity. Long ago, Zedd had teamed up with a group of mages to banish the old wyvern to a different world. Little did he know, the beast was sent to Ulmir's Domain.

A fireball landed near the Mobeel then exploded. The resulting shockwave pushed the machine sideways. "I can't shoot if we keep moving like this!" Cane shouted.

"I know!" Zedd shot back. "Just aim at that fucker. I'll create an opening."

Zedd stabilized the Mobeel then kept driving it in a single line. "Now!" he shouted after the beast appeared behind them, mouth agape. Cane pulled the trigger and a Crux, filled with water element, was shot at the beast's head. As soon as the transparent crystal sphere touched the monster's horn, it exploded.

The hard clay got wet then started falling off. "Again!" Zedd urged. Cane shot once more and more water covered the wyvern. The beast abruptly stopped then started shaking its head. "Don't stop shooting!" Zedd shouted at Cane.

The big bear shot once, twice, thrice. The beast roared. All the monsters in the forest, big and small, stopped whatever they were doing then looked at the direction of the sound. It was an ancient roar, calling its kin for support. Luckily for Black Eyes, there were no other clay covered wyverns in the area.

"The storm will soon reach us!" Zedd announced. "I'm almost out of the woods. Once we're in the open, we'll engage the monster head on!"

Cane turned around and nodded. Zedd injected more Essence in the Mobeel, urging it to move faster. 'Rimbaldi's a genius!' he thought as he drove away from the angry Drake. The wyvern had stopped. Clay had gotten into its eyes. After shaking everything off, the beast started running after Zedd's imprint.

"Listen Cane!" Zedd started. "This beast's after me. Long ago, I couldn't beat it. But with your help we'll be able to offer it to Ulmir!"

"What about the Watchdog?" Cane asked.

"For all we know, the Watchdog might not even exist. We have a good opportunity here. Let's make the best of it."

Cane nodded then turned towards the approaching monster. "I only have four Cruces left!" he announced.

"We're almost out. Just hit its legs. It'll slow him down some."

Cane obeyed then aimed for the wyvern's long legs, two Cruces for each front leg. Mud formed and Drake slid then fell down, face first.

"Hah! Take that!" the big bear shouted. "It's down Zedd, let's finish it off!"

"Not yet friend, this one's on a different level. We'll have a better chance when it rains."

Zedd kept going through the forest. Silver was flying above them, guiding the man with Black Eyes towards the nearest exit. Drake needed only a minute to recover. His clay hardened once more then he started running after his sworn enemy. "There's nowhere to run Black Eyes," the wyvern's ancient voice reached Zedd's head. "I can sense your imprint through the realms. Just give me that fragment and be done with it."

Zedd cursed under his breath. He was close to the forest's exit. "Cane," he called. "Once we're out, we spread out. Beware of that wyvern's tail. One hit and you're dead, you hear?"

As soon as the Mobeel was out of the woods, Zedd turned towards a hill large enough to accommodate them. The clouds above were dark. Lightning illuminated the sky while thunder emitted its terrible rumbles and roars. Black Eyes stopped the Mobeel atop the hill then exited the vehicle.

"I'll draw the wyvern away from the Mobeel," Zedd told Cane. "You run the opposite side. I'll probably be its primary prey, that thing hates me. So you run. Then when I start fighting, you come back to the Mobeel and provide support. Shoot it with everything you've got."

Cane nodded then made to run away from the Mobeel. "Where's my sword?" he asked. "Zedd took the golden sword he took from Vaneel's corpse then handed it to Cane.

"This one'll be more efficient!"

Cane took the sword then ran. Zedd ran the opposite side, just as the wyvern appeared. "That vehicle could only take you this far eh?" Drake's voice told Black Eyes. "Let's see what the Stalwart's learned over the years."

Drake jumped then landed on all fours in front of Zedd. It bared its sharp teeth at him. It mouth was gigantic, Zedd felt like an ant in front of the beast. Its gaping mouth looked like a cave, its numerous rows of teeth looked like stalagmite. One bite and Zedd would be reduced to minced meat.

From the depth of the gaping maw, a bright light appeared. "Screen!" Zedd shouted. The support Fairies surrounded him then cast a light screen around him. Drake shot a blazing fireball at his opponent. An explosion, loud enough to alert even the champions in the Garden, was heard.

'Shit!' Zedd thought as half the Fairies that cast the protection spell were burnt to ashes. 'That Mobeel had more protection than my Fairies!'

"Discord!" Zedd shouted as he horizontally swung his sword. A dark shockwave emanated from the sword then hit the large wyvern head on.

"You've got some new toys Stalwart!" Drake said. "But not strong enough!"

The dark energy Zedd's sword emitted had cut deep. Zedd could see the monster's muscle tissue. Drake's scales were cut. Even the monster's tough skin was opened by the attack called 'Discord'. But the blow wasn't strong enough to slice Drake in two. The monster's muscle tissue regenerated and the clay scales reappeared.

The beast shot another fireball. Zedd had enough time to avoid the attack though. He jumped to the side as the fireball landed in the ground with a large boom. Black Eyes didn't waste time looking at the aftermath of the impact. He knew it'd create a hole large enough to create a pond.

Black Eyes ran behind the beast, towards its dangerous tail. It was nine feet long. Its cut was as sharp and effective as a diamond's. Zedd couldn't risk getting hit. His Fairies wouldn't be able to protect him from it either. His only aim was to get the beast to turn around, away from the Mobeel.

The beast slowly turned, following Zedd's movements. It hurled its fireballs at him, continuously. If it weren't for his abnormal speed, Zedd would have been turned to ashes long ago. He dodged another fireball then jumped forward, trying to get closer to the wyvern. Silver had notified him that Cane was back at the Mobeel.

As Drake was about to strike Black Eyes with its sharp claws, a Crux hit him in the right hind leg. Cane used explosive Cruces. That small distraction was enough for Zedd to jump at the wyvern's face. He swung his sword as he shouted "Discord!"

This time, Zedd made sure his sword made contact with the beast's horns. The moment the hit connected, the horns were cut off clean. 'That takes care of that!" Zedd thought as he landed then avoided the wyvern's retaliation.

'I'll have to rely on other elements,' he mentally noted. The diamond in which he stored Life Force was empty. He'd exhausted all the energy he absorbed from the Faeries. He could no longer use Discord.

Cane shot the beast once more in its hind legs.

"Silver, get him out of there!" Zedd mentally ordered his Familiar. The butterfly-like creature summoned all the remaining support Fairies then pulled the Mobeel to the side, right before Drake's Fireball landed.

Zedd took one of the fallen horns then hurled it with all his strength at Drake's front leg. The pointy horn broke through clay and hard skin. Blood showered the ground as the wyvern roared in pain. "You've learned some new tricks Stalwart!" the beast told him. "I don't recognize that body of yours!"

"It was bound to happen Drake," Zedd told the wyvern. "I'm not the Stalwart you knew. I've also learned to use the environment to my advantage." Thunder rumbled. Then water drops started falling on the open field. "What an Idea!" the wyvern exclaimed. Its hoarse, ancient voice started vibrating in Zedd's mind. The wyvern extended its mouth horizontally. Its fangs and teeth were placed against each other, making for a terrifying sight. 'Is he smiling?!" the thought crossed Zedd's mind.

"What's so funny Drake?" Black Eyes asked.

"You've grown strong Stalwart, evolved!" the beast answered. "But you're not the only one to do so. You've kept me here, trapped for nearly a century. I've longed for this moment. I'll show you what terror really looks like!"

Then is rained. Water started washing away all the clay that covered the wyvern's body. "Shoot, now!" Zedd shouted at the top of his lungs. Cane obeyed then shot all the Cruces stored in the Mobeel in rapid succession.

Lightning, fire, and shockwaves that could cut a mountain in half covered the wyvern. Zedd used vanish to teleport near the Mobeel. "Cane," he called. "Silver has my magic imprint. She'll take you to the Garden."

"Wut?!" the big bear angrily barked.

"The fight isn't over. We gave it everything we've got but that damned thing's evolving."

"What'll you do?" Cane asked.

"It's an old grudge that has to be settled. I'll take care of this monster by myself."

"No!" Cane shouted. "I'm here to fight, even if it kills me."

"This is for your own good friend," Zedd retorted. His eyes were fixed on the cavity they left on the ground. "If lightning, fire and even that slicing Crux Rimbaldi made can't kill him, then it's best you leave. Things will get hairy."

"I'm not leaving Black Eyes!" Cane protested. "You can't force me!"

"I can," Zedd nonchalantly said. "But I won't. I can't teach you anything by sending you away from tough fights. But remember this friend." Zedd turned around then looked at his friend with his black eyes. "I will go all out in this fight. Don't get in my way or you'll get hurt!"

Cane nodded, drew the golden sword Zedd had given him and got in stance.

"Here he comes," Black Eyes announced.

From the deep hole, evolved Drake came. He was flying without wings, his terrible true form revealed to the world. It didn't have any skin or hide. Red muscles could be seen covering the monster's bones. His torso was covered in vermillion, meaty muscles. His pectoral muscles extended outwards. His Apollo's belt pointed downwards in a V shape. It stood on its hind legs. Its front legs transformed into arms. Drake's new hands didn't have any claws. Instead, the beast had long bones protruding from its elbows.

The monster had a skeletal face. It had but one eye in the middle of its forehead. There was no cavity that indicated the presence of a nose. Its mouth was wide open. It didn't have any teeth, just four long fangs. It towered above its opponents. Zedd estimated the beast was at least ten feet tall. On its back, long pointy bones protruded in all direction. He looked like a flayed hedgehog with a ghastly face.

The beast extended its right arm forward then shot an invisible shockwave at Zedd. Black Eyes willed his support Fairies to create a protection screen. "Cane, don't do anything stupid!" he warned as he dashed towards the evolved Drake.

The shockwave hit as Zedd was about to reach the skeletal chunk of meat. The support Fairies all fell to the ground, and Zedd was pushed backwards. Blood trickled from his forehead. 'Shit! How strong can he become?' he thought.

In an instant, Drake appeared behind Cane. "You're the one who cost me my horns!" the beast shouted. Its voice had a metallic ring to it. The beast went for a punch. Cane instinctively turned and blocked the attack with Vaneel's sword. Bone hit gold and the two remained interlocked for a second.

Realizing his opponent's strength, Cane moved his legs to the side then pushed. The punch was deflected to the side. As it landed on the ground, Cane jumped backwards. The resulting impact created a large hole on the ground. "You killed Vaneel?" the beast asked. "Impressive! Perhaps you'll entertain me a bit longer!"

Drake followed Cane then struck with the bones in his elbows. The white bones turned pitch black then clashed against Zedd's sword. Zedd had jumped to intervene. The attack was so fast that Cane didn't even see it coming. "Your quarrel's with me Drake!" Zedd barked at the meaty skeleton.

"You're the one who killed Vaneel then?"

Zedd smiled then pushed the monster away. "Zeus!" he shouted as he brought his sword downwards. A lightning arrow was shot from the sword, towards Drake. The skeletal beast raised its left arm then caught the bolt midair.

"Your Familiars died Black Eyes. Try to block this." Drake, bolt still in hand, released his Essence. Electricity crackled and the bolt got larger. From an arrow shaped lightning strike, it evolved into a lance as the beast hurled it at Black Eyes.

"Electricity travels through water, does it not?" Drake asked as the bolt left his hand. "I wonder what'll happen to your friend once he's hit!"

Zedd jumped at the electric lance and deflected it. His left arm felt numb as his sword hit the powerful lightning spell Drake hurled at them. In the meantime, the skeletal beast flew behind Cane and got ready to attack.

Little did the beast know, Cane was a stubborn fighter. He was like a rare metal. It only shone bright under constant pressure. With keen eyes and fast reflexes, Cane learned to fight the odds and come out victorious.

The moment the big bear saw Zedd deflecting the lightning spear, he turned around and thrust his sword blindly. The golden weapon was driven through the skeletal beast's leg.

"Let go of the sword!" Zedd shouted at Cane.

The big bear obeyed just in time. The sword's bright gold color changed into dark purple. Zedd jumped next to his friend then pulled him out just in time. Drake had swung his closed fists at the big bear. That attack almost flattened him.

"Vaneel's corruption!" Drake said as he pulled the sword away. The beast's muscle tissue started changing color. The wound caused by the sword inflicted Vaneel's corruption, a poison that eats away at one's Life Force, much like the lances he created.

"You took away his abnormal speed friend," Zedd told Cane. "It's time to strike back now!"

"You should've aimed for the head!" Drake said as he cut off his leg.

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