Chapter 32: Battle at the Doorstep and the Unsealing

The winged beasts, their eyes glowing with a fierce, predatory light, swooped down upon the heroes with alarming speed. Fina, her wings flapping powerfully, took to the air first. She unleashed a series of powerful gusts of wind, aiming to scatter the approaching beasts. The wind hit the leading beasts, throwing them off - course and causing them to veer to the side.​Aiden, standing beside Elise, who was still focused on the sealed door, chanted a series of arcane words. His hands crackled with energy as he launched bolts of lightning towards the winged beasts. The bolts struck several of the beasts, causing them to let out ear - piercing shrieks. The smell of singed feathers filled the air.​Bumble, not one to be left out, looked around for a weapon. Spotting a large, fallen branch, he picked it up and swung it wildly. "Come on, you feathered fiends!" he shouted. "I'll show you what I'm made of!" His antics, though seemingly comical, managed to distract some of the beasts, drawing their attention away from Elise.​The mountain wyrm, which had been following them, let out a powerful roar. It spread its massive wings and flew towards the attacking beasts. With a sweep of its massive tail, it sent several of the smaller winged beasts crashing to the ground. The wyrm's intervention gave the heroes a much - needed advantage.​Elise, her brow furrowed in concentration, continued to work on the seal of the door. She could feel the ancient magic of the mountains coursing through her, but the seal was complex. It was as if the magic of the seal was fighting against her, trying to prevent her from opening the door.​As the battle raged on, Fina noticed that the winged beasts seemed to be attacking in a coordinated manner. They would swoop in groups, some distracting the heroes while others aimed for a direct attack. "They're more intelligent than they look!" she shouted down to Aiden. "We need to be careful of their formations."​Aiden nodded and quickly adjusted his strategy. He began to cast spells that would disrupt the beasts' coordination. He created a field of magical energy that confused the beasts, making it harder for them to communicate with each other.​Bumble, meanwhile, had managed to hit one of the beasts with his branch. The beast, stunned, landed on the ground near him. Bumble, not missing a beat, jumped on the beast's back and started pulling on its feathers. "Hey, this isn't so bad!" he exclaimed. "I always wanted a pet dragon!"​The heroes' combined efforts were starting to pay off. The number of attacking beasts was dwindling. But just as they thought they had the upper hand, a large, particularly aggressive beast broke through their defenses. It flew straight towards Elise, its claws outstretched.​Aiden, seeing the danger, quickly cast a shield spell around Elise. The beast crashed into the shield, but its impact sent a shockwave through the area. Elise, jolted from her concentration, opened her eyes. "I'm almost there," she said, her voice filled with determination. "Just a little more."​Fina, realizing the urgency, flew down and engaged the large beast in a one - on - one battle. She used her wind magic to create a vortex around the beast, trapping it. The beast struggled to break free, but Fina's magic was too strong.​With the immediate threat of the attacking beasts under control, Elise turned her full attention back to the seal. She closed her eyes again and delved deep into the magic of the door. She could feel the ancient power of the mountains responding to her. Slowly but surely, she began to unlock the secrets of the seal.​Suddenly, there was a loud clicking sound. The runes on the door began to glow brightly, and the door creaked open slightly. Elise opened her eyes, a smile on her face. "I did it," she said, her voice filled with relief.​But before they could celebrate, they heard a strange, hissing sound coming from within the now - open door. A thick, green mist began to seep out, filling the area around them. The heroes, their weapons at the ready, braced themselves for whatever lay beyond the door. The secrets of the hidden library were about to be revealed, but they knew that more challenges awaited them.