The Forsaken Hero

The ground continued to shake as the spire split apart, trembling with the force of multiple Ninth-level auras. Above it all, a billowing cloud of smoke rose above the shattered top of the spire, as dark and endless as the sea dividing the contents. Bursts of fire lit the inside, revealing glimpses of two monstrous forms. The silhouette showed long, sinewy necks, wings of burning fire, and a body hundreds of yards long.

A thunderous roar shook the city as one of the dragons flapped their wings, sending a surge of raw fire mana sweeping outward. The wave was invisible to normal eyes, but everything–from stone to timber–burst into flames or melted in its wake. I hugged R’lissea as it rolled over us, but Adaptive Resistance soaked up its power, registering it near the peak of the seventh level.

The screams of the survivors of the keep sent chills down my tail. A fifth-level soldier staggered by us, literally disintegrating into ash as we watched. He collapsed as his knee burned away, his body crumbling to ash before it hit the ground.

”No...” R’lissea whispered, letting a half-formed Life spell fizzle away, its intended target already gone.

I shared her horror. This kind of power was beyond anything I’d witnessed, save once when the Ally of Fate dropped a Starfall on High Valley. It wasn’t something you could interfere with, and certainly not fight. There was only one hope in the face of a Ninth-level being: another Ninth-level being.

”We’re out of time,” I said, my tail going limp. ”They’re already free.”

As the fire wave was about to drop into the main city below, Avant’s voice rose above the roar.

”Tranquil Sea!”

It was an unassuming name, but the power that surged as his spell completed left nothing to be desired. He was a dozen yards away, but the sudden surge of mana nearly shattered Adaptive Resistance. Whatever nearby buildings happened to survive the firestorm collapsed immediately, swirling around us like debris in a hurricane.

At the same time, gold light burst from the magic circles beneath Avant, spreading outward in an infinitely thin sheet of mana. The shield extended in a flat plane, passing seamlessly through the spire, expanding a mile in every direction. It divided the top of the spire from the city proper below.

The wave of fire mana crashed against the shimmering ward and washed outward, flowing along the massive shield. The tide slowed, dissipating by the time it reached the edge.

”A defensive spell?” R’lissea’s voice was barely a whisper. ”But why? Why didn’t he just kill them?”

I shook my head. ”R’lissea...he couldn’t.”

”But why? That’s a Ninth-level spell!”

”And those are Ninth-level dragons. And dragons are...well, something like this could never be decided with a single spell.”

She went white. ”Ninth? And there are two of them?”

”Even if he attacked them, have you ever seen a Ninth-level spell?” I asked.

She shook her head, staring at the thick fog of fire and dust obscuring the top of the mountain.

”It’s terrible, and...beautiful. This shield,” I said, gesturing to the titanic barrier, ”could stop a hundred eighth-level spells but only a handful of Ninth. If he had actually cast an offensive spell, the dragons would survive, but the city...?”

”But it’s a mile beneath us!” she gasped.

”A mile too close. In High Valley, the crater alone was a mile wide. The shockwave devastated over half the kingdom, killing crops, flattening structures, and killing thousands a hundred miles away.”

She went silent, lips pressed in a thin, white line. After a moment, she looked at me and sighed.

”Then, uh, we’re on the wrong side of the barrier, aren’t we?”

”Yeah.”

A figure rocketed from the pillar of ash and smoke, followed closely by a tremendous Shockwave. I braced myself against Fable, letting the power smash against this silver fur. He whined softly and ducked his head, tail curling protectively around R’lissea and me.

The figure struck the ground near us with the force of a meteor, creating a long scar in the ground. Elaine staggered out of the crater, blood tricking from the corner of her lips.

She staggered to us, collapsing against Fable’s flank and panting. Her eyes were closed but fluttering.

”Elaine, what happened?” R’lissea asked, taking her hand.

Green life magic flowed from the elf into the warrior, and Elaine’s complexion lightened.

”I barely scratched its cheek, and it swatted me away like a fly,” she mumbled, scrubbing the blood from her face. ”Were they really so strong back then?”

”They?” I asked.

She nodded and rose to her feet, reaching out her hand. Her sword materialized in her grip.

”My master and his companions. They sealed these damned dragons a hundred years before I broke into Ninth.”

”So they can be beaten!” R’lissea said.

Elaine let out a hollow chuckle, knuckles whitening. ”Maybe if there were eight of us like there were back then. I was only an eighth level when they defeated them, just strong enough to witness the battle first-hand. My master was twice as strong as I am now, but the battle went on for almost a week. One of them...didn’t make it to the end.”

”That strong? But that’s...”

”Eight Ninth-level beings we’re talking about?” Elaine sighed. ”If only that meant something. But these are dragons, a species that ranks far above a simple level comparison.”

Avant, standing some hundred yards away, finished an eighth-circle spell. Comets of ice and shadow erupted from his magic circles streaking into the fire that shrouded the waking dragons.

A second after they disappeared, another roar shook the spire. A bright orange light lit the inside of the smoke, so brilliant it overshadowed the evening sun. The silhouette of a dragon flickered in the smoke, disappearing as a stream of fire burst forth, consuming almost half the mountain in molten heat. The roar of the fire was deafening, drowning out my scream as the flames rolled over us. They licked at my flesh, but I only felt a slight tingle.

When it receded, anything that remained was glowing bright orange, the rock itself melting into puddles. Avant stood with his hands outstretched, maintaining a small personal barrier. Sweat beaded his forehead, and his hands shook slightly.

”Too fast,” R’lissea mumbled. ”How could it muster that much power in a single breath?”

”It’s a dragon, obviously,” Elaine said, staring at us. ”The real question is, how are you alive? That was an eighth-level attack, and you don’t even have proper wards set up!”

I rose, keeping a hand on Fable’s back for balance. My strength was returning, but I still didn’t dare stand on my own. Celestial Grace had worked wonders for getting me this far, but it had limits.

”R’lissea, we can’t stay here,” I said, offering her a hand.

She took it, smiling faintly. When I tried to pull her up, I barely felt anything and blushed.

”S-sorry, I know you’re stronger, I just–”

She squeezed my hand before letting go. ”Everyone needs a hand sometimes, right?”

She glanced at Elaine, who shook her head, rising to stand beside us.

”I don’t see why you’re not running,” she muttered. ”How can you smile at a time like this?”

I tilted my head. ”It’s like R’lissea said, there’s only a few dragons. She even killed one before.”

R’lissea stiffened. ”I didn’t mean–wait, are you teasing me? Now? You don’t even tease me–you know what? Never mind. I know that look. Just tell me your plan.”

My flush darkened, but I smiled a little. At least she wasn’t trembling anymore.

”Actually, R’lissea, you can’t be here. You won’t be able to help at all. The dragons naturally counter your magic,” I said.

Her expression darkened. ”What? But I’m not going to leave you–”

”You’re needed elsewhere. I don’t know exactly what’s happening, but there’s something going on in the city. I caught a glimpse of people running and screaming, and a dark shadowy mist,” I explained.

She stiffened, eyes narrowing. ”Connor.”

”The Undead Hero? What the hell is going on?” Elaine asked.

I shook my head, glaring at the charred remains of an inquisitor a few feet away. ”It’s the church. I warned you they wouldn’t take this lightly, and now they’ve elected to make good on their threats.”

”They released the seal?”

”And more. If we don’t stop the dragons here, they’re going to burn the entire northern continent to the ground. And never mind a demon offensive. There would be a soul left for them to claim.”

”Ruthless,” Elaine muttered. ”I didn’t think they’d go so far. Death to the demons, or death to the Divine. We never had much of a choice to begin with.”

”Elaine...”

R’lissea hesitated, looking between me and the swordswoman. I gave her a nod, and her face firmed.

”I’ll leave it up to you, then. Good luck, and...be safe.”

She hugged me quickly, then waved her staff, soul casting a sixth-level spell. A gate of leaves and vines opened between the magic circles, allowing a beautiful bird the size of a carriage to fly through. It was formed of bark and twisting branches, with beautiful autumn leaves for feathers. She hopped on its back, and they streaked away, heading for the rim of the Tranquil Sea.