The nail hit the Wyrm square in the chest. It let out a roar of pain before its furious eyes fixed on Ezra. Suddenly, the nail lodged in its chest began to bend and morph until it glowed bright orange, melting into liquid and sloshing onto the ground in thick puddles, boiling hot.
"Shit..." was all Ezra could say before the Wyrm took another bite out of the volcanic rock and rushed forward. It wrenched its jaws wide and flexed its throat.
Ezra went to dive out of the way, but—
Nothing came out.
The creature veered its head, locking onto Ezra before suddenly spewing.
It had faked him out.
Quickly Rion used Control, forming a water sphere around Ezra's hand and yanking him out of the way. He was getting good at that.
"You okay?" Rion called.
Ezra nodded, then cursed under his breath.
"My nails aren't cutting it."
Rion shook his head.
"No... but let's try this."
He whispered something into Ezra's ear.
Ezra's brow furrowed before he smiled and gave a thumbs-up.
"Maria, slow it down," Rion said.
"Got it."
She began to play.
Ezra looked at Rion.
Rion grinned back.
"Keep up."
Ezra laughed.
The Wyrm had just swallowed another chunk of volcanic rock and was ready to fire.
Rion began the count.
"Three... two... one..."
He exhaled.
"GO!"
Rion and Ezra leaped into action, sprinting straight toward the Wyrm.
The creature hesitated, then pretended to fire again.
They didn't bite.
They kept charging.
Out of options, the Wyrm spewed its lava in a high arc aimed directly at them. Rion and Ezra sidestepped in opposite directions before converging together again.
The creature panicked. It drove an arm into the rock, ripping out a handful of chunks and lava before flinging them at the two.
Instinctively, Rion formed a wall of water in front of them, catching the debris. But he soon lost control, and the wall burst apart, the stones, and cooled pieces of lava clattering harmlessly to the ground.
Rion tensed his hand. A cone of water formed in his palm, and he hurled it forward.
It slammed into the Wyrm's shoulder, kicking up a burst of steam.
When it cleared, that section of its scales looked noticeably duller than the rest of its body.
At the same moment, Ezra tossed a nail into the air and slammed his hammer into it, sending it flying.
The nail burst up and buried itself deep into the Wyrm's shoulder.
It screached in pain.
"Yes!" Ezra cheered.
"Again!" Rion shouted.
This time they circled around to the Wyrm's back.
Rion launched another blast of water squarely between its shoulder blades.
The scales dulled.
Ezra threw another nail, sent it flying and—
"CLANG!"
A sharp ring echoed throughout the cavern.
Ezra, Rion, and Maria blinked in shock.
The nail had been deflected.
The Wyrm had torn Ezra's previous enlarged nail from its shoulder and was now using it as a weapon.
With its free hand, it scooped up another chunk of volcanic rock and swallowed it down. Then it raised the nail to its mouth and, with a low puff of flame, heated the nail until it glowed orange and yellow.
The Wyrm gave the nail a few practice swings.
Then it lunged forward.
Its fighting style had changed completely.
(And thus, Lost Keep's adventure continues…)