Bayacrux Chapter 6

The remaining people at the campfire waited paitently as the sun set, burning pastel hues into the horizon.
"They've been gone for a while", Ladi said, tapping her foot to the duet that Drake and PP were playing on their instruments.
"Think someone should go look for them?", Drake asked Shed, taking his mouth off of his ocarina.
"Yeah-" Shed started, but was stopped by Pyre gving him a dirty look. He remembered his promise.
Anything you desire, so long as it does not upset the balance of the Octogon, he had written formally on paper. He had a great respect for nature. Pyre was an impaitent person, and would do whatever it took to capture the Prism Wyrm. Hopefully, simply capturing the Wyrm would do nothing. He remembered what he had read about it:
The Prysm Wyrm gives live birth, and can have several young per litter, but only one will grow up to be the reigning Prism Wyrm. Usually it is the one that is born first, but in the case of two Wyrms being born as twins, they will compete for the title by trying to kill as many humans as they can.
Nobody has ever capture the Prism Wyrm, but it is said that they can be tamed by showing a considerable amount of power in battle.
"So I guess we might stand a chance", Shed said to himself.

*****

"Stand back!" Fre said, drawing a large sword from his sheath and setting Tereya gently on the ground. He turned aorund to see Phizz grab his staff and MM take two swords that were strapped to her back. They were different form the ones she used in the cave, they looked like large but hollow butcher's knives on long handles. The handles had the same twisting snakes as the other, smaller swords. These were obviously meant for power rather than speed, but they looked like they were made out of a light enough material to be able to wield two.
The man on the throne seemed startled, but took out a bow from a box by his seat. He stood up and stringed and arrow on it, with the same 5-leaf design at the end.
The arrow flew past Fre as he ran off to the side, trying to get a clear aim at the black-haired Creature Master. He slashed his sword, but a large green mouse-like creature ran in front of him as a sacrificial lamb. When the creature fell, more ran to take it's place. Over to his right, similar creatures were causing a problem for MM, even though she was faster than him. Phizzle was having trouble with a few fish-like creatures that cast magical barriers around him.
In the midst of battle, nobody noticed the Creature Master take out a saxaphone and begin to play. Rising up from the ground, a creature that looked like a Kidrell took a place by his side. It appeared to be a normal species of the monster, but instead of the swirling snail-shell design at the end of one of it's tentacles, it had the five-leaf emblem.
"Creature combo, triple arrow!", the Creature Master called. Three creatures that looked like smaller versions of the mice took places on his shoulders. As he loaded his bow with three arrows at once, they jumped on. The Kidrell propelled the arrows with water as the Creature Master shot them, the small mice steering. Fre jumped just in time to have the arrow whiz past them, and the second one made a rip in a lose part of Phizz's robe. the third one lay embedded in MM's shoulder. She pulled it out and continued hacking away at the mice, blood staining her white coat.
Distracted by the attack, the monsters by Phizzle turned around. He broke the magic barrier with a simple spell and aimed his staff toward the Creature Master.
"Don't move"
The Creature Master lowered his weapon, staring at Phizzle. "Why are you here? why are you fighting me?"
"Well... we thought you were dangerous", MM said.
"Well, I can be. My name's Ilex", he said, shaking each person's hand in turn. "I can take you to rooms to help heal your wounds and take care of your friend there", he said, pointing at the still-unconcious Tereya.
"Sorry about the... misunderstanding", Fre said, scratching the back of his neck in embarassment.
"No problem"

*****

Shed was awoken by Pyre shaking him. He realized it was morning. The others were awake already, yawning and stretching.
"Come on Shed, Drake said he saw the Prism Wyrm"
"He did?"
"Follow me", Drake said, turning north.
After a few hours of walking, the party finally made it to a cave.
"This is the one", Drake said. "I'll go in first"
The cave seemed to radiate with a sort of blood-like glow, probably because the walls were splattered with it. The party followed Drake, marveling at the high ceilings covered in stalactites.
"I'll go ahead, who knows what might be in here"
The party waited nervously for Drake to return. suddenly, they heard a blood-curdling scream echoing through the cave.
"Hurry! Follow me!", Shed screamed. He ran through the blood-spattered tunnels until he found a cave where a monsterous dragon towered over them.
It's scales were like a prism held up to sunlight, reflecting rainbows onto the ground. It had wings for arms and feet, and the leathery inside of the wings was a tye-dye rainbow. It stared at the party, eyes blood-red, full of anger. Drake was nowhere to be seen.
"This must mean... Drake is working for the Prism Wyrm!", Shed said as he though of how twins competed for kills. Drake must lure humans to the cave and the Wyrm kills them, he thought.
The Wyrm shot a blast of light the same color as it's scales at the party. They all dodged it, running away at top speed. Everyone got ready to quickly summon their monsters.
"We'll cover one another and take turns summoning", Shed said to the others. "I'll start", he said, taking out his flute and beggining a song. the ground started to shake, heralding the appearance of Vemekross, the mechanical dinosaur who was Shed's most powerful monster.
Ladi pulled out a gun and shot at the Wyrm, but because of it's tough hide the bullets did little damage. Julie took a few greandes form her belt and tossed them up as high as she could, hoping the lime juice would blind it. Pyre continued to dodge the blasts of light coming from the monster's mouth, useless without a creature of his own.
When Vemekross had finally been summoned, Shed went back up to the front lines and fought with Earth spells. Vemekross joined in, making stalactites rain down from the ceiling.
"Me next", Pyre said, pushing past PP and Ladi out of the way and playing his guitar. The same red and black creature from before appeared in a swirling pillar of flame. Then Pyre smiled. "Watch this"
He began to play another tune, this one faster than the first. A pillar of flame began to form around him and his monster, but he was still visible. Suddenly the monster dissapeared, and Pyre began to grow horns out of his pale skin and blonde hair. His skin turned a fiery red, and he grew to the size of the Prism Wyrm itself. His hands grew claws. With a movement of his mighty arm, he gripped his hand around the monster's neck. With his muscles rippling, he slammed the Prism Wyrm against a wall of the cave. It slid down to the floor, bleeding form the claw marks on it's neck.
"PYRE!", Shed shouted. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
Pyre returned to his normal size and appearence, and fell on the floor laughing. The Prism Wyrm didn't move.
Shed remembered the final part of the book he had read.
The Prism Wyrm can also be defeated by a Creature Merge, a Mayao merging with one of their creatures of the same gender. It is only accomplished through Mayao who have a great bond with that creature, and it takes much energy out of the Mayao and de-summons the monster.
If the Prism Wyrm is killed, the other 7 territories, which each have a monster of their own like the Wyrm, will go into chaos until another Prism Wyrm takes the throne.
"Pyre... what have you done?"
Pyre did not speak, but the Wyrm started to mumble with his last breath, a horrible-sounding death rattle in his voice.
"Couldn't... my brother... I said I would killl more... disguised... lure them here..."
"Drake", PP said, running over to the Wyrm. She reached out her hand to offer comfort, but he snapped at her.
"I don't need your help", he said, with a new strength in his voice. "Orpheus will take the throne. I have no regret for what I've done" His anger-filled eyes closed for the last time.
Pyre stood up. "Wasn't that cool, what I did back there?" He still seemed woozy form his Merge.
"You broke your promise", Shed mumbled. He picked up a piece of sharp stone from the blood-soakd floor of the cave, and stabbed it through Pyre's heart.
I have no regret for what I've done...