As Lassim channeled his mana, the atmosphere around him plummeted to freezing temperatures. A frost formed rapidly on the ground. His focus intensified, and the air shimmered with the gathering energy of water and ice elemental mana; a cataclysmic blizzard swirled around the area.
From the depths of his inner-heart world, a colossal presence stirred from the statue that resided in the center of the space, next to where the eggs once were. The soul fragment of Aegrasian, the ancient Ice Dragon, awakened and responded to his call.
The ground in the real world trembled as a massive form began to take shape, coalescing from the ice-cold, frozen flakes into a towering figure of awe-inspiring majesty. The dragon’s manifestation was the embodiment of icy domination. Its scales glistened like a thousand diamonds underneath the tumultuous storm-filled sky of the elemental plane.
Flashes of lightning illuminating them, sending disco-ball like flashes outwards.
A roar echoed across the land, shaking the very essence of the plane. Aegrasian materialized fully.
The dragon stood tall and imposing with its eyes glowing with intelligence and ancient wisdom. Ice crystallized in the air before it’s massive body. It formed into a colossal dome that appeared overhead of all of the first-years, encasing them in a fortress of ice.
The [Grand Aegis] technique was now fully activated. The dome’s surface was a labyrinth of intricate frost patterns and runes, pulsing with the life force of the dragon’s soul fragment. Thankfully, in the nick of time.
The beholder’s dark beam collided with the dome. The impact was like the clash of titanic forces. A spectacular explosion of light blue mana and dark red encased shadow energy ensued. Shards of ice, each the size of boulders, were propelled outward from the icy dome’s exterior, creating a blizzard of razor-sharp missiles.
The dragon tried controlling the shards to reflect back towards the beholder, but without much luck.
Inside the dome, the students could only gaze in silence and fear at the spectacle unfolding before them. The barrier vibrated with the collision’s force, but under Aegrasian’s guardianship, it remained a bulwark against the demonic creature.
Releasing it’s draconic strength, Aegrasian let out a thunderous roar, "[Tharl Oom Khash]," speaking in the ancient tongue of the dragons. The runes on the dome responded, creating elongated and sharpened ice spikes along the exterior.
With a mighty thrust forward of the dragon’s icy wings, the deadly and glacial spikes launched from the dome towards the beholder like guided missiles. Trailing cold mist and frost left in their wake.
The beholder, caught off guard by the suddenness and magnitude of the counterattack, dodged frantically. Yet, one spike impaled its floating tentacles on it’s left side, severing them with a clean, chilling slice. The severed appendages plummeted, steaming and oozing, to the ground. Their vile ichor freezing upon contact with the ice.
The beholder’s body was also starting to slightly freeze on the place where the appendages were severed, a spreading frostbite began on it’s figure.
Lassim, meanwhile, felt the enormous drain of creating such a powerful defense. His mana reserves were nearly depleted. Exhausted from the monumental effort of summoning the [Grand Aegis], Lassim’s knees buckled; his body on the brink of collapse.
Zaphyrella, quick to react, darted next to him, her large body providing the support he desperately needed to remain upright. Even in his weakened state, Lassim’s consciousness held command over the technique. It was enough to keep it active for the time being.
Weakly he compelled the remaining students to flee to safety, "Go! I don’t know how long I can protect you! Go!"
One by one, the students activated their jade bracelets, their forms blurring before vanishing in flashes of light, teleporting to safety.
Sirium and Lustria lingered, however. Their expressions were torn, wanting to stay and fight too.
"We can help—" Sirium began, but Lassim cut him off.
"I can’t protect you and kill that thing! If I have to worry about both, we will all probably die! I can’t risk your safety again!" Lassim’s voice was sharp, more commanding than ever before. The weight of responsibility for their safety was heavy on his shoulders.
"P-plea—" Lustria tried to plead with Lassim, but he returned her and Sirium’s efforts with a stern glare.
"Go! I don’t know how much longer I can hold on! I won’t allow either of you to get hurt again!" Lassim shouting at them both.
With a final, glance back at him, tears of frustration brimming in their eyes, Sirium and Lustria activated their bracelets.
"Stay safe! We’ll tell the Elders what’s happening as soon as we’re outside!" Lustria got out just before the light enveloped them, and they too disappeared from the battlefield; leaving Lassim and his elemental spirits to face the beholder alone.
The beholder, now focusing its malevolent gaze solely on Lassim, came to a halt in it’s attack. It was frustrated most of the humans had escaped, but at least the one it saw as most important was still here.
Inside the twisted mind of the beholder, a storm of thoughts churned as it hovered menacingly above the battlefield. Its many eyes fixed on Lassim through the translucent ice dome.
Since the onset of the trial, the beholder had been an unseen observer, hiding as a simple imp. Its extra sets of eyes serving as windows to the unfolding trial, with a particular focus on the young warrior who had risen so rapidly in power.
’This mana flesh-sack...,’ the beholder thought, its central eye narrowing with cunning. ’He is an anomaly. His strength has burgeoned at an alarming rate. This one is special... His emergence of not one but two symbiotes under his command is unprecedented. A threat...
a significant threat to the legion...’
The beholder’s many eyes pulsed with a dark intensity as it recalled the moments Lassim’s elemental spirits’ hatching and then bursting forth, changing the tide of battle with their sheer power.
’Such raw mana... such potential... Unchecked... Do I capture him? No, I cannot allow him to grow further. He must be extinguished here...
Now... While I still have the chance... He must be eradicated before he ascends the thousand planes and affects the great-grand master’s plans.’
Despite its frustration at the escape of the others, the beholder recognized a silver lining in the situation. With fewer distractions, it could concentrate its destructive might on Lassim.
’Fortunate. The others are gone. They were inconsequential. Less distractions. This one, this mana sack, must die!’
With a malevolent determination, the beholder began to gather an even more potent surge of dark energy. It’s central eye swirling with abyssal energy emitted a horrifying sound, like the screams on the path to hell, that rang out.
Despite his exhaustion, Lassim steadied his mental focus more, committing more brain power and concentration to defend against whatever the beholder might unleash next.
The Ice Dragon roared defiantly, its form shimmering with icy power, ready to once again provide protection to those weaker than it; as it had it’s entire life. Memories of protecting such tiny and weak creatures that provided it with silly gifts of gold trinkets and occasional food were happy memories luckily held inside the soul fragment that powered the technique.
As the battle intensified, Lassim could only watch, pouring his energy into the technique while leaning heavily against Zaphyrella. Mari also remained steadfast by his side as extra protection underneath the dome together.
The [Grand Aegis] stood as the only barrier between him and the beholder’s wrath. The air crackled with raw power as the beholder launched a relentless assault against the protective ice.
Aegrasian roared, its voice echoing like ancient glaciers colliding, speaking in the draconic tongue again, "Akh Morn!"
With a bellow, an icy pillar of frost shot towards the beholder repeatedly seven times, falling from the overhead storm in the sky. Although the beholder deftly maneuvered out through the barrage, the massive sheets of ice found its target, striking it and ripping several of its writhing tentacles downwards. This elicited a screech of pain and fury from it’s razor-toothed mouth.
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Lassim’s heart raced as he gauged the dwindling reserves of his mana. The [Grand Aegis] was a marvel of defensive ability and prowess, but its demand on his energy was relentless.
Zaphy and Mari, sensing their master’s distress, begun to work fervently to siphon mana from the environment. Lassim held his halberd as he watched their forms shimmer, acting as conduits for the elemental mana that channeled every available speck of energy back to Lassim to keep the technique active.
The beholder, becoming more desperate as it’s injuries grew, intensified its attacks. Eye beams of the corrupt energy bombarded the ice dome. Each strike came with a soul-screeching clash of power against Aegrasian’s icy fortress. Lassim could feel the vibrations growing more immense like an earthquake through the ground as the beholder’s desperation to kill him increased in intensity.
Within his heart world, Lassim felt Aegrasian’s resolve communicated to him emotionally. The ice dragon, fought as a protector of its new kin. Its soul, glacial and deep, locked onto the beholder with a predator’s focus. It was thinking of a way to slay this foe.
Lassim, though physically weakened, was mentally steadfast. "This situation is way too dangerous. Whatever this thing is... we’ve got to kill it," he whispered, more to himself than to his companions.
The battlefield had transformed with the storm of ice and chaotic malevolent energy. It was like a a dance of ancient powers clashing under the watchful eyes of celestial bodies—and unknowingly, watching they were. The Elemental Elder Gods were carefully watching this event unfold from their golden palace.
Lassim, at the heart of this maelstrom, his mana ebbed. Like the beholder, the resolve to end the threat of the other grew into a moment of importance for the sake of the future. The two enemies eyed each other with a fierce death wish for the other.