The Forsaken Hero

A wide cavern yawned from the depths of the rocky cairn, an inky blackness so thick with curse magic my eyes couldn’t pierce it. Dust billowed from the entrance as another frightening roar shook the air, accompanied by the frenzied scrape of scale on stone. Soltair summoned a brilliant aura of light, and Trithe’s swords burst into flame, both crouched and ready for the monster to appear.

As a scaly head snaked its way out of the darkness, we all tensed. The serpentine head was as long as was tall, with malevolent eyes and a jagged maw. Its flesh was a filthy brown, with pulsing green lines shining from just under the scales. A hulking body squeezed through the cave and into the sunlight, its six reptilian legs ending in clawed toes. I wave of pressure swept out from the monster as it reared its head, towering almost twenty feet in the air. The green veins along its throat shone brightly, and waves of mana gathered in its jaws.

”Get down!” I cried, casting a fourth-circle spell.

As virulent streams of gunk burst from its mouth, a roaring wall of flame erupted from my staff, colliding in a hiss of noxious fumes. I gagged as the airborne toxins rolled out in a green fog, covering my face as it stung every exposed surface. Through the haze, Soltair’s light cut a path to the basilisk, which roared and swung a clawed hand to meet him. He shouted, bringing his sword down with both hands and severing one of its claws.

At the same time, Trithe took advantage of the smokescreen to slip behind it. The Firewall had met it just before it fully exited the cave, trapping its lower half within the earth and leaving its flank exposed. Her swords plunged into its hind leg, severing muscle, bone, and tendons with ease. A foul stench filled the air, overpowering the deadly poison of its breath, as her flames scorched its flesh, raging within its wounds even after her blades withdrew.

Hissing in pain, the basilisk forced forward, braving the flames to get clear of the cave. Both Soltair and Trithe struck it freely, but their blows glanced off as its scales took on an unfamiliar sheen.

I stepped back as the creature ignored them, charging directly at me. Its maw stretched open wide enough to swallow me whole. A sickly green fluid dripped from its teeth; even the smallest among them was larger than my forearm. Its malevolent eyes glowered hatefully, never leaving my face as it lunged forward, closing the gap between us in a heartbeat.

Stunned by its terrifying appearance, I reacted too late, and could only scream as its teeth scythed downward in vicious arcs. The Aegis cracked against its might but somehow held as its jaws snapped against the shield. Its gullet sucked at me hungrily, tongue slapped against the golden glow, and for a moment, it seemed like it would swallow me, Aegis and all.

”Xiviyah!” Soltair’s cry floated between its haws, and I looked up in hope as sunlight filtered through its teeth. The dark reds of its inner mouth fled as the creature roared, rearing away and lashing at the Sun Hero, whose sword had somehow penetrated its soft underbelly.

Trithe chain jumped from its leg to its back and began slashing wildly at its neck. Despite the cruel mane of spines jutting from its skull, her swords struck true, filling the air with the nauseous scent of scorched flesh.

Writhing between the assault of the two, the basilisk’s tail swung out behind it, connecting with Soltair. A pained grunt escaped his lips as he was sent flying, crashing into the ground almost thirty feet away.

Ignoring the fiery attacks of Trithe, it once again turned its glowing gaze on me. Black tendrils of mana gathered behind its eyes, and I braced myself for its magic. With hardly a second to prepare, inky blackness flooded its pupils, and strands of runes shot out from its eyes. I flinched, drawing on my mana as the thin tendrils tangled around my soul, weaving a knotted net many times more complex than the ones upon the villagers.

The tips of my tail, fingers, and toes stiffened, and I could feel the oily power working against me. Yet, the futility of its struggle soon became apparent, as even the strongest strands failed to penetrate the soft warmth infusing my soul. I’d felt traces of this feeling before, which was oddly reminiscent of the Eyes of Fate, yet I now understood it clearly. Armed with this knowledge, I was able to channel my mana directly into my second ability: Adaptive Resistance.

An audible crack filled the air as the curse broke, fleeing my soul like a defeated animal. Blood leaked behind the basilisk’s eyes as the magic recoiled and the pain drove it back.

As the monstrous creature stumbled away, Trithe raised a sword, five magic circles above her. ”Pheonix Wing!” She cried, completing the chant.

A magic circle appeared over the scaly torso of the basilisk, sending forth a wave of scorching heat. I covered my face, bracing myself as the fiery tide overran me. But even as the grass burst into flames and the very rock itself melted at my feet, naught but the summer’s breeze caressed my skin. Bewildered, I looked up to find a large blade, shaped like a bird’s wing, plunge downward from the magic circle, impaling the basilisk. Gouts of blood and fire painted the sky as an agonized screech tore from its throat. Trithe lept from its back as the blade vanished, leaving a gaping wound penetrating the beast to its core.

She landed lightly, a smile playing across her lips, but her eyes widened nervously at something behind me. Before I could turn, she dashed forward and grabbed me, kicking off the ground and launching us both back. I screamed, body protesting at the sudden acceleration, but my voice died my eyes fell on the basilisk.

I pillar of light descended from the sky, lancing doward into the wound Trithe opened up. As it expanded, the light consumed everything in its wake, rushing outward until the entire silhouette of the basilisk vanished. My Aegis shattered as the shockwave hit us, and I immediately blistered all over, coughing blood as the force shook my lungs.

Everything turned white for an instant as we landed and I choked as the impact drove the air from my lungs. As we skipped accross the ground, Trithe shielded me as best she could, but her slender body was only slightly larger than my own. Fortunately, she’d managed to move in a direction that didn’t put us over the edge, yet I groaned each time we smashed against the unyielding rocks and shattered landscape.

When the spinning finally stopped, everything hurt. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth, but I didn’t dare move my arms to wipe it away. Several long gashes tore my skin in various places of my body, some deep enough to expose the bone. Several ribs had shattered on a particularly rough hit, and my tail was broken in several places. Fortunately, my horns had protected my head from the worst of my injuries, yet their roots were nearly torn from my skull in the process. As serious as the injuries were, what hurt more was the Sun Magic, which ravaged my body from the inside out, muddling my mind and tearing at my soul.

”Xiviyah!” Trithe cried, scrambling over to lift my head. I coughed, releasing another discharge of blood, but couldn’t get my eyes to focus on her face.

I tried stretching out my hand, but the most I managed were twitching fingers. Still, it was enough, and my staff appeared in my grip. Nearly blacking out with the effort, I drew just enough mana to summon a single magic circle, which rotated slowly above my head. Relief was instant the moment Life Dew plopped into my chest, seeping through my veins and stabilizing any life-threatening injuries. The power of a first circle spell was far from sufficient to do more than take the edge off, but it restored my ability to think clearly.

”Hold on. Soltair’s coming,” Trithe said, squeezing my free hand. ”You’ll be okay.”

I tried to nod, but my head fell limply into her arms. Tears leaked from my eyes as another bloody cough tore up from my chest, and I gripped my staff tightly. Another Life Dew, and then another.

When Soltair’s shadow blotted out the noonday sun, I had recovered enough squeeze words between my lips. As painful as it was, it was enough, and I forced out the chant to a spell. Fortunately, the damage to my soul wasn’t too severe and allowed me the necessary mana to use four magic circles.

”Restoration!”

The magic circles compounded together, descending slowly until they settled on my chest. A soft green glow emanated outward, and my body mended in real-time. Bones knit together and clean, new skin flowed out over burns and bruises. I winced as my tail writhed beneath me, and straightening out and returning to its normal shape.

After the spell finished, I remained lying with my head in Trithe’s lap for some time, eyes closed as I inwardly purged the invading magic out of my soul. Although I was normally powerless against such powerful Sun Magic, Adaptive Resistance made it possible. I could feel the ability to stretch and grow as it absorbed the pain and mana. After several minutes, I opened my eyes, staring into the anxious gazes of my companions.

”Are you alright?” Soltair added hesitantly. ”I’m sorry, I didn’t think it’d get that big.”

I drew a long, shuddering breath. Restoration was the most powerful Life magic I knew, yet it still failed to remove the full extent of the damage. A few pale scars stretched across my skin, and a rather large spot of scar tissue colored my shoulder, where the Solar Flare had first struck me. ”I think so. I wouldn’t have made it without Trithe.”

Groaning, I raised my head, redoubling that sentiment as I saw how far we had come. A crater several dozen feet across bit into the ridge, but that was almost three hundred feet away. Despite our speed and distance, the mere shockwave from the blast had nearly killed me.

Soltair’s eyes fell, his voice filled with remorse. I realized for the first time he was injured too, with several trails of dried blood descending from his hairline. ”I didn’t think. After Trithe opened him up, I knew we couldn’t risk extending the battle any longer so I used the most powerful spell I had.”

Trithe scowled at him, yet her hands never stopped stroking my hair comfortingly. ”And you nearly killed both of us along with it. Forget Xiviuah, even I wouldn’t have survived being hit by that thing up close.”

He dipped his head, shoulders slumped shamefully. ”I’m sorry.”

”You’d better be,” she grumbled, and her face slowly relaxed. ”At least we’re all alive. I had no idea basilisk’s were so tough.”

”I think that one was something of an anomaly,” Soltair admitted. ”But I can’t figure out why it targeted you, Xiviyah. It swatted us away like flies.”

”I think it knew I was the one who broke its curses. I’m glad you both killed it when you did because I don’t know if I could handle it at its peak. That final curse it used on me was nearing sixth-level and almost overcame my ability. If it had targeted you, I doubt I could have stopped it.”

Trithe nodded thoughtfully. ”Honestly, it might have been a little too desperate. If it hadn’t committed everything to that attack, I wouldn’t have been able to get away with casting a spell with such a long chant. As harsh as it might be, you make pretty good bait. Oh, and when you’re feeling up to it, I wouldn’t mind a healing spell myself.”

I nodded weakly and lifted myself to my knees. ”I can do it now, if you’re ready.”

”Thanks.” She turned, showing me her back. Although she’d seemed fine from the front, I gasped as she revealed the blackened flesh coloring her back.

”Perhaps if you didn’t wear such revealing clothes,” I muttered, laying a gentle hand on her exposed shoulders. Her body tensed as the light of Restoration covered her, the blisters and burns fading away as her skin returned to its natural unblemished state.

”Me too?” Soltair asked tentatively.

”What are you, shameless?” Trithe asked. ”You deserve every bump and scrape you got.”

”But, I-”

She shook her head fiercely, laying her hands on my shoulders to move me away from him. ”Nope. At least you got those from the Basilisk. Think of them as battle wounds.”

I started to protest, feeling concerned about his head injury, but Trithe leaned over and whispered, ”he’s already recovered. I guess that’s a perk of being the Sun Hero.”

Wait, then why was he asking for healing? Soltair’s somber look split into a grin as we noticed his deception, but he quickly turned before Trithe could call him on it. ”I’m going to go search that monster slayer. Maybe it left us some good loot.”

Trithe rolled her eyes. ”Is this one of the RPG things you were telling me about?”

”Of course. Every boss monster has its treasure. You coming?”

I stared blankly between them, totally lost. RPG? Like, a game? Shaking my head in disbelief, I gripped my staff tightly and followed them into the basilisk’s lair. At long last, our first real battle was over.