The screech from the wyvern brought chaos to the streets of Killic. Townsfolk immediately ran for cover and got indoors as quickly as they could. It had struck in three places, and the orc who had received its initial strike had unfortunately succumbed to his wounds with no healers nearby. It stood on the roof of one of the buildings, screeching, its talons digging deeply into the thatch.
“SJ,” Dave screamed.
SJ slowly came to. Two of the town had grabbed her and was now lying on her back in the hall of someone’s home. Panic and cries could be heard, and as she slowly began to regain her thoughts and lose the dizziness she was feeling, she sat up.
“Thank the gods,” Dave said.
Looking around, she knew none of the beings in front of her well. She had seen them around the town but never spoken to them. A large bugbear knelt at her side.
“You, ok? That was a nasty hit you took. Absolute stupidity I might add,” he said smiling at her.
“I think I will be,” she replied wincing at the pain from the talons strike, her dress was covered in blood where she had been pierced in her abdomen as the force of the impact had thrown her backwards and her head pounded. She placed her hand on her head and felt the matted hair from the cut she must have received after hitting the wall with such force. Her head felt like cotton wool, and her health was reduced by three-quarters from the one strike. Her dress was slowly repairing itself, and the tears from the talons and the blood were beginning to disappear. The bugbear looked in amazement as it self-repaired.
“Neat trick,” he said.
“Did the gnoll survive?”
“He ran into a house on the far side of the street. Thanks to you for saving him. He owes you a drink.”
“Ha.” SJ winced again, her head throbbing. “I need a health potion. I don’t suppose you have any?”
“No, sorry.”
Grunting, she got to her feet. She was not in active combat and knew that her dragon blood would boost her healing process, but damn did it hurt. Standing, she approached the front door and peered out of the open doorway. Glancing up and down the street, she could not see the wyvern. “Do you know where it went?”
“No. I am not sure where it is now.”
“I need to get to the barracks. We need guards to take this thing out.”
“I am sure they will already be doing what they can.”
“Thank you for dragging me from the street,” SJ said, turning to look at the bugbear.
He didn’t reply. He just nodded in response.
Glancing back onto the street, SJ could hear the wyvern screech. Thankfully, it didn’t sound too close. Taking a chance, she stepped outside and looked up at the sky. Looking around, she could not see the beast. She went to shrink to her miniature form, and pain flashed across her abdomen where she had been struck. She stopped the process and remained her larger size.
“I am going to the barracks. Thanks,” she said as she darted from the building. She held her hand across her stomach as she moved, her abdomen tender. She could still feel the dampness of blood caused by her movement as the wounds still hadn’t closed fully.
“Any ideas?” she said as soon as she was outside.
“It’s two streets over on a rooftop. Just sitting there screeching,” Dave replied. Having Dave’s vision was proving invaluable.
Staying close to the building sides, SJ hurried along the street. The barracks were on the other side of town from where she was now. The streets were empty, and SJ saw several faces peering out of windows or doorways, looking skyward. “Did you get its level?” SJ asked.
“It is 31,” Dave replied.
“There is no way we can fight something so strong. I can’t do anything against something like that.”
“Unlikely. The mages may affect it, but really, you need archers and rangers. Even if they can’t kill it, it should eventually leave if they can hit it enough. They are not known for liking to receive damage.”
if anything, can even damage it.”
It took SJ several minutes to work through the streets, hearing the wyvern screech but not seeing any sight of it.
“What is it doing?” she asked.
“It’s just sitting there, doing nothing. It is probably just waiting for someone stupid enough to go outside—a little like yourself,” Dave chuckled nervously. “Oh, hang on, it’s airborne again.”
SJ stopped and moved to the side of the building she had been passing, standing under a small lean-to where an owner kept chopped firewood. Peering into the sky, she spotted the beast circling the town again. It was miniature compared to Bob’s humungous form but still large enough to strike fear, its wingspan must have been almost thirty feet, it’s body slighter and more snake-like. It also didn’t have forelegs like a dragon. SJ couldn’t be sure, but she thought it was greenish. SJ knew that with her identification skills, being able to work 20 levels higher than her own, she should be able to get more details on the creature. Unsure it would work at the distance she was from it, she gave it a go. It didn’t work initially, and she watched the timer cool down before trying again as it swooped lower over the town.
Mottled Wyvern
Level: 31
Hit points: 415
Mana points: 0
Armour Class: 42
Attacks: Talons/Bite
Special: Acid
“That thing is untouchable,” SJ let out a low whistle as she read the details. “What does its acid special mean?”
“They have various special attacks depending upon the variant, like Dragons and their abilities, but on a much lesser scale. Mottled wyverns are the commonest of their species. They are susceptible to fire damage, which plays havoc with their acidic blood.”
“That’s good to know. I still need to reach the barracks.” Watching the path of the wyvern, SJ continued her movements, darting from one piece of cover to the next as she continued. The wyvern suddenly screeched again, and SJ glanced, seeing it disappear down another street to her left. Taking advantage, she began to sprint the final distance. Her wounds were healing well, the tenderness in her abdomen easing, and her dress had been repaired and cleaned. At least she no longer felt like the torn piece of meat she had done.
She did not slow as she approached the barracks entrance, ploughing through the door. The guard standing on the other side shouted in shock and surprise.
Captain Broadaxe stood in the main area, shouting orders to guards filing down towards the armoury. Lorna was busy talking to two other guard who were holding very long pikes, they must have been nearly twenty feet in length.
SJ hurried over to the Captain.
He noticed her coming, finished shouting his last instruction and turned to her. “SJ. What are you doing here?”
“I am here to help if I can. I know it’s a level 31 Mottled Wyvern and is susceptible to fire damage.”
“You know it’s weakness? I didn’t realise your identification skill was so high,” Ballentine replied, surprised.
The main area had nearly twenty guards, most equipped now with crossbows or bows. “Get me cloth swabs and oil now,” Ballentine shouted to one of the attendants who would normally be sitting at a desk doing his daily work. The kobold jumped at being addressed by Ballentine and sprung to his feet, running towards the armoury, sending one of the guards flying, who was just heading back up the corridor with a bow and quiver in hand.
“Have you fought these before?” SJ asked.
“Never,” Ballentine replied. “I have fought hatchling red dragons but never a wyvern.”
“They also spit acid, so the guards need to be aware.”
Ballentine hurried the guard to sort themselves out, and they began to move towards the entrance. The double doors were opened, and he stood looking outside up to the sky. The screech of the wyvern carried easily over the quiet streets of the town, with everyone indoors.
“Ok. We fan out and line up on the street sides. It can’t swoop to attack if we are against the walls.”
“Here,” the attendant whom Ballentine had ordered panted as he ran forward carrying a bucket of oil and a cloth roll under his arm.
“Before you go out, those with bows must make burners.”
Only half a dozen had bows, and one of them started to move forward to take the cloth. SJ watched as he removed a knife from his belt and started to cut the cloth into strips that could be soaked in oil.
“Here,” SJ said as she equipped her claws. “Hold it, taught.” The guard and attendant held the cloth stretched between them as SJ pierced the material and cut it into strips much faster than a single knife blade could.
“Thanks,” the guard replied.
Taking the cloth strips, the other archers began to remove arrows and wrap the cloth tightly around the ends before soaking them in the oil from the bucket.
“Ready?” Ballentine asked.
“Sir,” came the reply from several guards.
“On my order, we move out and line the street sides. Ready, move.”
The guards streamed from the barracks entrance and split to both sides of the approaching street. The wyvern was not visible now, and as they reached their positions, SJ watched from the barracks doorway as two crossbow wielders took flint and steel and began striking them to support the archers, setting their wrapped arrows alight.
The whole town appeared silent apart from the wyvern’s screech and the sound of flint and steel being struck. Nothing was making a sound.
“You need bait,” Dave said. “Wyverns are not the most intelligent of beings, and if you can draw it to attack, it will allow the archers to strike.”
SJ groaned, knowing exactly what Dave meant. She shrunk to her miniature form, not receiving the same pain she had previously when she had tried and flew out of the barracks door. She turned up immediately and headed towards the roof of the three-storey building. As she flew past a window, she saw the wide-eyed face of the Gnome who worked in the miniature town staring out at her.
Reaching the roof, she quickly landed and scanned the sky. The wyvern circled above the far side of the town, where SJ thought she remembered there being livestock. It suddenly dove out of sight and moments later reappeared, this time with a cow in its talons. SJ could hear the panicked mooing sound of terror as the beast was taken. Carrying it upwards, beating its wings before releasing it. The bovine cried as it plummeted back towards the ground, smashing into and through the roof of a building.
“I need to get its attention somehow,” SJ said. She took off again and began to fly straight towards it, diving low down to the roofs of the buildings. “Of all the stupid things to be doing, Flying towards something that could eat me for lunch,” she sighed as she continued.
Compared to her miniature 6-inch form, it looked like a mountain, its huge leathery wings accentuating its body size dramatically. As close as she was getting now, its skin reminded her of that of a python with its mottled colouring and green-brown tones. It had not noticed her yet, and she was only a few streets away from it now.
“Don’t get to close, they are fast when they want to be. You need lead time to keep away from it,” Dave warned.
“It’s not paying attention, though.”
“Land, grow and then get ready to run like your life depends on it. Which it will,” Dave added unhelpfully.
Dropping to the nearest rooftop, she checked her footing on the thatch and then grew, not taking her eyes from the direction the wyvern was in. It had circled away again, heading out of the town area slightly as it did. “It seems to be moving away,” SJ said.
“It won’t go far, if anywhere. Once they have found an area to hunt, they are quite persistent unless driven off or killed,” Dave said.
SJ stood on the roof and began to shout and wave her arms, in her green dress she hoped to draw its attention at least. It flew out over the fields and began to turn as it neared the windmill. SJ saw a flash of blue streak into the sky, followed by another of red. “It looks like it found the mage academy,” SJ said.
The wyvern let out another screech, which, even in the distance, still made SJ’s ears ring as it headed back towards town. That is when it saw her. SJ began to run as she saw the creature’s gaze fall on her. Throwing herself off the side of the building as she finished shrinking, her brilliant green form flew as fast as it could towards the barracks and where the guards lay in wait.
“Faster. It’s gaining on you,” Dave shouted.
Glancing over her shoulder, SJ could see the speed at which the beast moved. Its wings were tucked in like that of a diving bird. It had been higher than the rooftops, so it had approached her at a slight decline, increasing its speed as it did. SJ gritted her teeth and flew as fast as she possibly could, zipping over the building tops until she reached the street of the barracks before diving down and skimming the street’s surface.
“Get ready,” she screamed as loud as she could in her small form. Ballentine and the other guards suddenly saw the bright green missile of SJ fly down the centre of the street, which was immediately followed by the snake-like head of the wyvern, following her path. The guards were a little slow on the uptake, and several didn’t even manage to react before the wyvern passed their location. Others further down the street had time, and missiles began to get fired towards it. SJ watched the flash of bolts soar by her as at least three burning arrows also did so. She didn’t know how many had fired, but the sudden draught she felt behind her as the wyvern adjusted its flight path and began to rise again into the air told her that it was getting out of their way. She reached the main barracks entrance door and flew straight inside before stopping under the shelter of the building.
Panting from the exertion, she turned and looked back outside. At least four of the projectiles had struck the beast, one of them a burning arrow. It shrieked as it circled upwards out of range of the archers, SJ watching them attempt to fire at it, their arrows falling short and back down to the ground.
“That didn’t work as well as I hoped,” SJ said.
“Maybe we should have informed them what the plan was first,” Dave said, chuckling nervously.
“Grrrrrrr,” SJ replied, annoyed at her stupidity for not even letting them know. She had been so caught up in getting its attention that she hadn’t even informed anyone what she was going to do. That was why so many were not ready for its appearance. I doubt it will work a second time.”
“They are pretty stupid beasts. If you attract its attention again, it will likely attack,” Dave said.
SJ flew back outside again and straight over to where Ballentine stood with a heavy crossbow. He had just finished reloading it.
“Sorry. I should have said what I was going to do,” SJ said as she approached.
“No problem. I just wish we had more archers and rangers available. As fighters, we are not skilled in archery, and these crossbows do not reload fast enough to allow for successive attacks.”
The wyvern screeched again as it now hovered high above the street. She noticed it suddenly draw its head back and then throw it forward as though spitting.
“Duck,” Dave shouted as the green ball of acid came hurtling downwards towards where she and Ballentine stood. She flew sideways, screaming at Ballentine to move. He dove out of the way at the last second as the ball of acid struck the wooden door that he had been standing in front of. Its acid sizzled against the surface, charring the wood. She turned and looked again as it spat towards another position where guards stood by the wall. One of the guards did not react quickly enough to dive out of the way in time as the ball of acid struck him in his leg. Screaming in pain, he fell to the floor. Another guard grabbed him and dragged him back towards the wall edge. A door opened from one of the homes they were stood by, and the guard was immediately dragged inside.
“We need more than this,” Ballentine said.
That was when a blazing arrow suddenly hurtled towards the wyvern. It screeched in response and tried to jink out of the way, but this arrow flew with unnatural precision and speed. It lodged itself in the beast’s wing arm. The wyvern wailed in frustration as the flame from the arrow slowly began to spread onto its wing. The wyvern reacted by diving downwards, the draft caused by its sudden descent, making the flames flicker and dim as the draft extinguished them.
That was when SJ saw him. Standing in the doorway to the jail was the half-elf who had managed to blow the Inn up. He held a glowing short bow in his hands and again took aim at the wyvern. The arrow tip on the bow began to glow a blue colour, and he released it as the wyvern neared. The wyvern had no chance to react, moving down quickly, and the arrow struck it in its elongated neck. That was when the effect took hold. The scene reminded SJ of people she had seen tasered on Earth as a flash of blue lightning erupted across the surface of the wyvern, making it spasm and lose control. It hurtled towards the roof of a building and crashed into the roof, disappearing into its interior.
SJ heard screams from the building as the wyvern’s head reappeared above the remaining wall. With effort, it jumped and flapped from the debris until it could jump again into the air and fly. Another flaming arrow again sped towards it, successfully striking it from the half-elf. SJ noticed Zigferd stood in the jail entrance behind the half-elf. The wyvern cried again as it flapped its wings, cascading dust and debris from the building across the street, and took off, gaining height.
They watched as the beast moved away from the town area and towards the mountains to the north.
