The Forsaken Hero

The battle continued to rage above us. While Gathrin freed himself from the broken island’s clutches, Jasrin stalked the dragon in a game of cat and mouse. His arrows successfully struck the incorporeal dragon, but lacked the raw power and flashy explosions as before. They seemed more like bee stings, doing little more than enraging the already furious dragon.

After several close calls, Jasrin stopped shooting and focused entirely on evading. It had always been a mystery on how the remnants’ movement worked. They just seemed to drift aimlessly, like a cloud on a breezy day.

If that were so, then right now, Jasrin was a hurricane. He flew around like a hummingbird, flipping and gliding on breezes only he could see. The dragon’s attacks filled regions bigger than castle walls, but they were always a touch behind. No matter how quickly or fiercely it struck, the ranger was a step ahead.

At last, Gathrin emerged from the dense debris field the island had become. He soared toward the monstrous dragon, summoning shield and sword to hand. He wielded his two-handed broadsword effortlessly in one hand. Treating it no differently than a stick.

”About time. Tank this guy already!” Jasrin cried.

The ranger remnant summoned his bow and launched a salvo of arrows at the dragon’s face, pin cushioning its eye. As it roared in fury, he took off in Gathrin’s direction, laughing giddily.

Gathrin unleashed his aura, sending a blast of pressure that caught the dragon off guard. It reacted instinctively, applying its own pressure and unleashing a blast of fire. It lunged after the retreating wall of fire, using it as cover to hide its approach.

Jasrin ducked behind Gathrin, hiding from my view. The armored remnant raised his shield, sword raised behind him. Fire streamed from the dragon’s body as it struck, a ninth-level magical technique channeled into the tip of its claw.

Claw met shield in a fiery explosion so bright it turned eternal night to day. Haven held out his hand, and the distortion in space widened, muting the shockwave a millisecond before it struck us.

Less than a heartbeat later, a second explosion tore through the first, colored gold amidst the orange flames. It filled the space, consuming both the dragon and the remnants. It struck Haven’s ward with enough force to shake the realm. Small, spatial fissures appeared in the air, the dimensional barrier failing to contain the sheer volume of mana.

I squeaked as my ears popped, ringing with the sound of distant thunder. Haven patted my head soothingly.

”Stronger than I anticipated,” he muttered. ”That fold should have given us three or four miles of extra distance.”

”They better not have killed it,” Emlica muttered, folding her arms.

”What was that second one?” I whispered. ”It was almost as strong as Starfall!”

”Starfall?” The mage raised an eyebrow. ”I’m unfamiliar with that spell, but the golden light came from Jasrin’s Divine Weapon’s ability.

The sea of light ruptured as a colossal form crashed from the sky. The dragon landed on a long, narrow island, creating several craters where its coils came into contact with the ground. Its mana gradually calmed, and its scales regained the rugged back texture of a corporeal form. Molten blood splashed from countless wounds, giving it the appearance of a volcano in the shape of a serpent.

Jasrin alighted beside us, bow slung across his back. His eyes glowed with wisps of fading starlight, his soul shaking from exertion.

”That hit the spot,” he sighed contentedly.

”You almost killed it,” Emlica said, glaring.

He up a finger. ”But we didn’t.”

Gathrin followed after the ranger, holding his sword and shield. I eyed the star-spangled shield curiously, searching for the scars and marks that the dragon’s claws had left behind. It shone bright as a mirror, smooth and polished as an undisturbed pond.

”It regenerates itself,” he said, tapping it with a knowing smile.

”Really? Like regeneration?” I asked.

”Sort of. It sucks in ambient mana in the environment and uses it to restore any damage. The process is rather quick, giving it close to infinite durability.”

”And it can fight ghosts,” I said.

”And, uh, dragons,” he said, scratching his cheek.

”Did you really defeat it?” I asked Jasrin.

The ranger grinned. ”Look again. It hasn’t gotten up yet.”

I flushed slightly, the tip of my tail twitching. It didn’t seem possible, but he was right. The dragon lay sprawled across a small mountain range, broken and bleeding. Its soul flickered dimly, mana exhausted.

”It’s really done,” I whispered, letting myself sink back against Haven’s chest. After everything we’d gone through, after countless visions, battles, and deaths, the dragon was down.

One dragon. One of two.

”Haven, please take me back to the gate,” I said.

Emlica frowned, putting her hands on her hips. ”Don’t be absurd, child. You’ve tempted fate long enough, and I won’t have you endangering yourself further.”

”Haven,” I said, staring up at the spirit’s stony features. ”Please.”

”Don’t you dare, spirit,” Emlica said, summoning her staff to hand.

”Emlica, dear, she’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. If the child wants to leave, let her,” Jasrin said.

”Dear?” Emlica rounded on him, staff glowing ominously. Since when did I permit you to refer to me in such a manner?

Jasrin shot me a wink, slowly backing away from us. ”Would you prefer the term ’hag?’”

The temperature plummeted, causing goosebumps to erupt all along my arms.

”You wouldn’t dare,” the librarian hissed.

”Don’t I? Given your age, if you’re not a hag, who is?”

As he spoke, Jasrin continued backing away, leading the librarian’s gaze away from us. It was a trivial gesture, almost childish by a ninth-level being’s perception, but it worked. Jasrin grinned at that, yet his eyes flitted anxiously.

”Haven?” I whispered, gripping his arm with both hands.

The spirit gazed at me a moment longer, then a smile flickered across his face.

”I assume there’s no dissuading you. Leaving this realm might even be for the best. I have a feeling it’s going to get very exciting here in a few seconds.”

Gathrin chuckled and reached over, ruffling my hair. ”Return soon, child. I’ll check in with Villie and ensure your friend and wolf are safe.”

I nodded my thanks, and Haven darted away. Behind us, Emlica’s aura surged, and Jasrin disappeared in a flash.

The entrance island was untouched by the battle. The gate simmered faintly, the connection feeling tenuous.

”It’s fine,” Haven said, noticing my worried look. ”You stressed the gate by forcing it open too wide, but the pathway remains stable. Please ensure that you close it as soon as possible. There’s no saying what might come through if something happens to you. The other dragon might–

”It’s fine. Elaine must have defeated it,” I said.

He raised an eyebrow. ”How can you be so certain?”

”The dragons were drawn to Haven, for some reason. It’s been long enough; it would have followed me if it had defeated the others.

”I hope you’re right. Safe travels, my Lady.”

The journey back to Enusia was sharp and cold, jarring as the entrance had been. I dropped to my knees the moment my feet touched the ground, gasping for breath. The air was stifling hot and dry, making my eyes and throat itch.

I closed the gate without a second thought, breathing a relieved sigh as the subtle drain on my mana dissipated. Rubbing some moisture back in my eyes, I looked around.

The air was choked by ash and smoke, forcing me to squint as I searched for any sign of the dragon or my companions. The spire had transformed beyond the destruction of any of my visions. Streams of lava poured from rocky crags, and fire licked at the ruins of buildings scorched black with soot. The magical residue was suffocatingly thick, making my horns and tail tingle. Eddies of fire mana wafted on the wind, chased by flickering flames.

A few scattered lava elementals wandered aimlessly across the hellscape. I watched one nervously, tail twitching, as it drifted toward me. It was vaguely bipedal, leaving glowing red footprints of slag in the ground. It walked right by me without turning, pushing through a mound of rubble instead of going over or around it.

”Fyren! Elaine!”

I cried until my voice was hoarse, and I tasted blood in my throat, but my voice never rose above the crackling fires. The terrain was rough and difficult, with scattered ravines belching smoke and fire. Vast swathes of molten blood pooled in cracks and gullies, gradually hardening into glassy obsidian.

At last, I stumbled to the edge of a massive crater, easily a mile wide. It wasn’t smooth or regular but filled with countless ridges, chasms, and gaping holes leading into the depths of the spire. The lava elementals were thick here, climbing up and down the cliffs or wandering into the many tunnels that pockmarked the chasms. I had reached the center, where the palace had once stood and the dragons emerged.

An aura approached from behind, moving quickly. I whirled, my soul tingling with the familiar touch of infernal mana. A silhouette loomed in the smoke, and my heart skipped a beat.

”Fyren?” I asked, holding my staff tightly.

The smoke swirled apart, and Fyren strode out, sword in hand. He froze upon seeing me, and his face broke into a mask of relief.

”Xiviyah? You’re alive.”