Chapter 88: Shadow Wyrm

As night fell, the plan slowly unfolded.

The soldiers and horses of the three factions in the open field went about their routines, building campfires and settling in as if preparing for a peaceful night.

But beneath this facade of tranquility, tension simmered.

As darkness enveloped the landscape, a multitude of campfires lit up, casting flickering shadows that danced across the ground.

In the midst of this orchestrated chaos, the savage army began to stir, their primal chants rising into the night.

It was all part of the ruse, a performance designed to draw out their prey.

But amidst the frenzied dance of flames and shadows, a subtle dissonance emerged.

The rhythm of the shadows diverged from the pulsing beat of the dance, a subtle shift not lost on the wildlings' keen eyes.

A ripple of unease spread through the ranks as they sensed the impending danger.

In a swift and coordinated move, the wildlings stopped their celebration, their expressions now etched with a mixture of fear and anticipation.

"Sound the alarm!" Skylar's voice broke the tense silence as she quickly ignited an arrow and shot it into the night sky.

Her actions spurred the others into action.

With a chorus of shouts and the hiss of arrows cutting through the air, the savages prepared for battle, their weapons gleaming in the firelight.

Meanwhile, the shadows, enraged by the disturbance, twisted and writhed with malevolent intent.

Amidst the chaos, a serpentine tendril of shadow lashed out, its razor-sharp tip piercing the throats of unsuspecting victims, snuffing out their lives in an instant.

"Scatter! The Shadow is here!" The warning rang out, but for some it was too late.

As the wildlings fell, panic swept through the remaining ranks, sending them scrambling for safety.

But the shadow creature showed no mercy, its amorphous form coalescing into a grotesque creature with writhing tentacles, ready to strike at any moment.

"Light the fire! Let's burn this fiend!" Skylar's voice cut through the clamor, her swift action inspiring courage in the face of danger.

A brave soul, indeed, though her leadership lacked conviction.

But it was Trangal, the burly warrior of the Craw Claw tribe, who emerged as the true hero, wielding a sturdy wooden club as he rallied the terrified wildlings.

"Stand your ground! If any of you run, I'll see to it that your heads are cut off!"

His thunderous roar silenced the chaos, creating a semblance of order amid the turmoil as the wildlings steeled themselves for the battle ahead.

On the other side of the battlefield, Rhaegar sat astride Cannibal's back, patiently awaiting the signal and munching on sour wild fruit to replenish his strength.

Suddenly, a faint flicker of fire streaked across the night sky, instantly drawing Rhaegar's attention.

He lifted his eyes, wondering if his senses had deceived him.

Moments later, a cluster of flames burst into view, confirming his suspicion.

"It's time! Cannibal, let's go!" Rhaegar's voice crackled with determination as he urged his dragon into action.

The impatient Cannibal roared in agreement, wings beating furiously as they descended from the mountain, hurtling toward the source of the fire.

With only a few miles separating them, they quickly closed the gap, Cannibal's powerful wings propelling them forward at incredible speed.

As they approached the clearing, chaotic shouts and the growing flames greeted them from below.

Rhaegar surveyed the scene, noting the shadow creature's ominous growth.

"Cannibal, ignite the surrounding oil," he ordered calmly, sticking to their carefully planned strategy.

Positioning himself at the edge of the clearing, Cannibal unleashed a torrent of dragon flame, engulfing the surrounding area in a fiery inferno.

The moment the emerald dragon flame touched the ground, it ignited the pre-poured oil in a spectacular display.

In an instant, the flames erupted from a single point and spread rapidly in all directions, enveloping the entire clearing in a blaze that illuminated the night sky.

Amidst the flames, the soldiers of all three factions stood in awe and disbelief, their apprehension replaced by a newfound sense of security as they gazed upon the majestic sight of the black dragon hovering above them.

With the formidable creature at their side, their confidence soared, knowing that they had a powerful ally in this battle.

"Roar..." Sensing the attention being directed his way, Cannibal's emerald eyes gleamed with pride as he raised his head and let out a thunderous roar that echoed through the air.

"Cannibal, Dracarys!" Rhaegar's voice echoed with excitement as he gave the command.

Boom...

The emerald dragon flame leapt forth, slicing through the darkened earth and colliding head-on with the writhing shadow creature.

In an instant, the beast was sliced in half by the ferocious blast of dragon breath.

The crowd roared with excitement as they hailed the dragon's might, their cheers echoing across the battlefield.

Thousands of soldiers, stationed separately under the banners of House Brune and House Crabb, rushed forward in response, motivated by the dragon's charge.

Led by a vanguard of torch-wielding cavalrymen, they charged toward the shattered remnants of the Shadow Creature, intent on delivering the final blow.

But just as victory seemed within reach, the situation took a sudden turn.

The severed halves of the shadow creature began to twist and contort, each fragment giving rise to smaller shadows.

A billowing cloud of inky blackness erupted from the twisted mass, enveloping the charging cavalry in its suffocating embrace.

Screams pierced the air as the riders, consumed by the shadowy haze, met a swift end.

"Roar..." The dragon's roar echoed through the chaos, its emerald flames lashing out once more to sever another part of the shadow creature.

But Rhaegar sensed something strange.

The creature had deliberately disemboweled itself, sacrificing part of its body to escape the dragon's flames.

"What a cunning creature, Cannibal, strengthen the Dragon Flame!"

With a primal growl, the Cannibal unleashed a torrent of searing green flames, engulfing the Shadow Creature in fire.

Amidst the billowing black smoke, the shadow creature continued to twist and turn, bursting into fleeting flames before it could touch the ground.

With nowhere to hide from the fire, the creature's form quickly shrank under the onslaught, teetering on the brink of destruction.

"Roar..."

Suddenly, a sinister rumble pierced the air, accompanied by a gust of wind that swept through the open space.

Rhaegar's eyes snapped to the source, his expression taut with unease.

To his horror, the shattered pieces of the Shadow Creature had reassembled into a grotesque, bipedal, two-winged creature - a shadow wyrm.

Its wings, shrouded in an eerie black mist, bore the semblance of terrified faces, while its head, instead of that of a dragon, bore the grotesque visage of a one-eyed goat.

In an instant, the shadow wyrm lashed out at the nearby humans, its head and tail sweeping them aside as it lunged at the Cannibal with a menacing hiss.

The Cannibal, sensing the imitation, bristled with rage as he fixed his gaze on the approaching abomination.

In a twisted mockery of its counterpart, the shadow wyrm scampered to its deformed feet, its wings flapping furiously as it struggled to reach the sky.

Cannibal abandoned his dying prey and unleashed a torrent of dragon flame upon the impostor before him.

Boom!

The fiery blast struck its target with deadly precision, shattering the shadow wyrm's skull and sending its gooey form reeling in a chaotic frenzy that nearly toppled it to the ground.

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