The Tale of John and Azira

Chapter 5: The Wyvern

The sun rose from its slumber, the glowing orb being halved by the horizon in front of it, the suns rays shone through the trees, giving the world a peaceful, orange hue. John and Alexander were silent, it had been this way since they woke, they had left Azira behind, they didn't want her getting hurt, if she did, the young babes inside her may die, the fear of such a lost weighed heavily on their hearts. They followed the path, walking for 2 hours before finding the dirt path leading to the Wyverns lair, they stared at the path, it cut through the forest like a blade through flesh, it was clear, but dark, an ominous path leading to an unknown threat. A bubble of doubt grew in Alexander's chest, he glanced over to John, unlike Alexander, he didn't feel doubt, no, he knew that he had to do this, he knew they could win. Alexander sighed, looking back to the path ahead of him, John stared, even though it was early in the morning, the path was still dark, absorbing the light.

"So, this is it, huh? the fight we've all been waiting for... not gonna lie, kinda nervous." Said Alexander.

"Don't be, we're ready for this, trust me." Said John.

He was the first to make a move, stepping onto the dark path, Alexander followed. He adjusted the strap on his waist, shifting the scabbard that held his blade into a more comfortable position, he looked to John's staff, it was a simple wooden stick in his eyes, but the amount of confidence he had in said staff was great, there must be more to it, he felt inclined to ask, but John's silence was almost threatening, as if he knew something, he noticed this last night, when John vanished into the forest, he seemed more... serious. He went for it either way.

"That staff of yours, how powerful is it?" Asked Alexander.

"Can't say." Said John.

"Bullshit, what's the point in hiding it? we're going to fight a fucking Wyvern, I need to know how reliable my comrades are in combat."

"I'm being serious, I can't say anything... its one of its many rules."

Rules? What type of crap is this damn Mage spewing? Alexander couldn't believe that John would be so tight-lipped about the staff, their lives will be in danger, it's best to know every trick up his sleeve before engaging in combat, it's simple combat logic. Alexander huffed, looking at the forest, it was eerily quiet, this didn't help that it was dark too, it was slightly disturbing. John didn't seem to be phased by the dark area, with each stride, he moved with purpose, he didn't want to waste time, he wanted to return to Azira before she woke up, if she woke up and found out they were gone, there was no telling how she would react.

John glanced at his staff, his eyes traced it over, taking in all the details, only now had he realised what he was certain about, the power of his staff, he never revealed this, but every time he grabbed the staff, he'd feel its power, even in its sealed state, if it ever fell into the wrong hands, the destruction that would ensue would be terrible. He shuck the thought out of his mind, the only thing that remained was the battle ahead.

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The duo emerged from the forest, finding themselves in a large clearing, from what they could see, there seemed to be all sorts of camping equipment scattered around, with large tents set up randomly around the area. They looked around, checking in a few of the tents to see if anyone still remained, and from the looks of things, the place was barren, they regrouped in the centre of the campsite.

"Find anything?" Asked John.

"Nah, the place seems empty, do you think it was the hunting party from the other night?" Asked Alexander.

"I believe so, one glance at them and you would be a fool to think that they weren't interested in the bounty."

"I'm guessing they're already fighting the Wyvern."