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I had bought myself some time by using my instinctive magic to shock the big lizard as I tumbled into the snow shortly after Thryz tripped face-first onto the ground. This allowed my more nimble body to get to my feet faster and started bombarding Thryz with spells.
I started with another instinctive magic lightning strike to make Thryz seize up, giving me time to weave and conjure the more common magics, for as much as I like the speed and convenience of instinctive magic, it takes more effort and will to cast.
Soon, I was bombarding Thryz with fire and lightning spells, scorching his light blue-tinted scales. As he was peppered by my spells, Thryz was getting to his feet while turning his body to try to protect his head and wings.
When he finally got all four feet firmly on the ground, he roared [Enough!] while flaring his mana for the first time, and all I could say was that I was disappointed. Not by the quantity or quality of the mana, mind you, Thryz dwarfs me in both aspects, but the undisciplined flow of its release. I have seen beginner mages in the Royal Academy with better mana control than him.
[You have fought well, warrior, but it ends now! Behold the power of the dragons! [Let The World Freeze!]] Thryz roared at me and to the world, and I felt him will his mana into his last four words.
As I felt the magic of his Dragon Tounge attempt to twist reality to his will, I felt the first three words lose their grip due to either poor mana manipulation, poor concentration of will, or both. The only word that took hold was [Freeze].
The moment the last word left his mouth, I felt the temperature drastically drop. It felt like his breath attack was released near me, but I know it was just the word [Freeze] and Thryz envisioning everything in the surrounding to freeze over.
Since he started using Dragon Tongue, I guess it is time to step things up and reveal that I can do the same.
I could do the opposite of Thryz's [Let The World Freeze], which would be something like me saying [World on Fire], but that is three whole words, each word would take a bigger chunk of mana than the last, which was a huge waste of mana.
Instead, I whispered [Fire] and let my mana and will carry my word on the wind and spin it into existence. It started with a wisp of flame, and by feeding it a trickle of mana, I fueled it into a huge fireball that started floating up above me, higher and higher. The fireball acted as a second sun and banished the cold.
***
Thryz focused his mana and tried to circulate and control it as his mother had taught him, calling upon his race's magic. [You have fought well, warrior, but it ends now! Behold the power of the dragons! [Let The World Freeze!]]
As he injected his will into his words, he lost control of the mana he was manipulating, which caused him to fumble his will's hold on the words. In the end, he only managed to hold and manifest the word [Freeze], but that would be more than enough to put down this warrior.
Now all Thryz needed to do was wait while maintaining [Freeze]. If he had not fumbled the first three words, everything in the area would have been flash-frozen. Now, he just had to keep his distance and let the cold take the warrior.
What Thryz did not expect was hearing Dragon Tongue and feeling the fabric of reality being twisted to obey that word.
[Fire]
Thryz swiveled his head to find the wyrm who had most likely observed his disgraceful performance. Maybe he could trade a favor to keep his disgrace silent from other wyrms… especially his mother.
His attention was once again brought back toward the warrior as he not only sensed the mana affecting the word of power, but the light and heat of the ball of fire rising into the air.
[It cannot be.] Thryz muttered in disbelief as his mind ran at full speed, trying to comprehend what he was seeing and sensing. Then it clicked. This warrior was not a human! It was so obvious now! The warrior beat him like a wyrmling fresh out of the shell, used instinctive magic as easily as his mother did, and was capable of Dragon Tounge. That only meant one thing.
The warrior before him was an Elder Wyrm in disguise!
As he saw the fireball in the sky get bigger and bigger, his brain was shouting that he was in danger. So he did the only thing he could do when facing an Elder Wyrm.
Thryz bashed his head into the snow while shouting [Thryz, son of Elder Frost Dragon, Vruulkthaz Skraeghrimm, Greets the Elder Wyrm and begs forgiveness for not recognizing you!]
***
Vruulkthaz's half-empty whisky barrel smashed against the frozen orb, showing her son with his head in the snow, begging for forgiveness, all while Sgaer'khathz was rolling on the ground, wheezing out her laughter when she ran out of breath to roar it out.
"He thinks Luke is an Elder Wyrm!" Sgaer'khathz wheezed as she pounded the ground with an arm to get the laughs out of her system. [How did he even come to that conclusion? Sure, he can use Dragon Tongue, but did he even take into account that Luke smells like a human, or that sense that his mana is nothing like any wyrm around? Vruulkthaz, please tell me that this is recorded!]
"Shut it!" Vruulkthaz snapped. "This Luke, you said he was human! What human is capable of Dragon Tongue! This is already embracing enough as it is for my son. I do not need another Elder Wyrm butting in to see his shame! Now, if you would excuse me, I need to go and either bribe or beat this unknown wyrm into the dirt." she said as she started making her way out of the cave, only for Sgaer'khathz to grab her tail to stop her.
As Vruulkthaz snapped her head back at Sgaer'khathz, ready to tear her a new one, Sgaer'khathz said placatingly, "Calm down, Vruulkthaz. I give you my word that my champion is human and capable of speaking and using Dragon Tongue magic. All would be explained later. Come, lie down and relax." she said as she popped open another whisky barrel and put it in Vruulkthaz's hand.