The Forsaken Hero

The others were still fifth-level, trailing a little behind.

”Hold up!” Tana cried from the rear, her long brunette hair streaming behind her. She slowed to a jog and clutched her amulet, whispering the chant of a third-circle spell. ”Pitfall!”

A magic circle lit up on the ground behind her, then faded into the pine needles, vanishing from sight. At that moment, the infernal draconian burst from the smoke, coming into view. It was vaguely humanoid, but with oversized forearms, it used to launch itself forward with every stride. Its hide was covered in dull silver scales, the same color as the irregular crown of horns jutting from its skull. There were no wings on its back, but it had a long tail that tapered slowly, tipped with a heavy spike. Infernal mana leaked from its eyes and the cracks in its scales, unaligned with any particular attribute.

”Damn, never seen one that big before,” Luxxa muttered.

”You’ve hunted something like this before?” Sari asked.

”Yeah, but never an infernal one,” Jenna answered. ”Monster take-down quests were pretty standard in the early days of the company. A sixth-level one like this was pretty uncommon, though.”

”I don’t like their odds,” Luxxa said, rubbing her chin. ”Only a single sixth level, and the rest fifth?”

She was right. Monsters scaled differently than humans by virtue of their bloodline and biological advantages. That this one was infernal only meant it was all the stronger.

The monster gained quickly, almost catching them as they reached the base of the hill we stood on. But as its foot fell once more, its claw reaching for Tana, the ground erupted beneath its feet, opening into a yawning chasm. It roared, swinging its claws at the sheer cliffs as it fell, disappearing into a cloud of dust and darkness.

”Did you get it?” the foxkin asked, panting as he slowed.

Tana passed him at a full sprint. ”Keep running! That’ll barely slow it down. We need a plan!”

”We can fight it on the other side,” Sorrin called back, slowing to take up the rear, casting a look back at the Pitfall. ”With any luck, Rasce and Dyson can get a good ambush spot and cripple it. Then we can take it down!”

”And if that doesn’t work?” Rasce asked.

Sorrin gritted his teeth, his pointed canines showing. ”It will. It has to.”

”I’ve seen enough,” I said, clapping lightly.

The hill dissolved into light right as the Glory Chasers reached the top, and the Adventuring Guild office reappeared. Helron sat stunned in his chair, his eyes unfocused and listless. The Star Guard had already experienced it once, but took a few seconds to let the tension settle from their bodies. By that point, I was already casting, the runes whirling around in a blur.

”Gods above,” Helron whispered, finally blinking as he shook his head. ”We’d heard rumors of your power, but...gods.”

”What now?” Luxxa asked.

”Now?” I looked at her, letting a small grin touch my lips. ”Now I’m going to repay a favor. I’ve waited for this for a long time. ”Spatial Rift!”

Helron gasped as the black line appeared, jumping to his feet. The rift widened, revealing the frost-kissed trunks of a dimly lit pine forest. I raised my arm, and Borealis flew through, followed by Luxxa and Kahlen.

”Wait, is that...that’s not possible!” Helron gasped as he realized what we were looking at.

”That’s no longer something I worry about,” I said, giving him a faint smile and stepping through myself.

The cold-stiffened needles and yellowing grass crunched beneath my soft boots, the air sharp against my cheek. The trees were huge, but the ground was clear, their branches only starting ten, maybe fifteen feet overhead. It took me a second to orient, turning to face the direction the ground sloped up at, toward a hill in the distance. Frequent tremors shook the ground, and roars sounded in the distance.

”Right on target,” Gith said, bringing up the rear with Jenna.

I nodded, gripping my staff a little tighter. The rift had opened right where fate had first deposited us. Already, I could sense auras moving in our direction. It was just a taste of mana, but my eyes misted over. How long had it been since I’d felt them? Even with a vision to prepare me, and danger storming toward us, I wasn’t sure I was ready.

”Hurry!” Sorrin’s voice floated over the trees.

The Glory Chasers crested the hill, running toward us. They were moving with the full power of their souls, checking over their shoulders. It was Rasce who noticed us first, noticing Borealis’s gleam out of the corner of his eye. He turned, and his eyes widened. His foot caught on a root, and he stumbled, agilely rolling and regaining his balance.

”Rasce!” Dyson shouted, turning toward him. His eyes locked with mine, and he, too, tripped as he froze mid-sprint. ”The hell?”

”What are you stopping for?” Tana cried, catching up her stalling companions with Sorrin and Ror.

”Why are there people here? Quick! You have to run!” Ror cried. ”There’s a monster chasing us!”

As if on que, the forest exploded, and the dragon-like monster came crashing over the hilltop. Up close, it was even more fearsome. Blood ran down its limbs from several long, clean gashes. Its hide was riddled with scorch marks, and arrows stuck out of the gaps in its scales.

I looked at it and pursed my lips. Compared to the spike of anxiety I got from seeing the Glory Chasers, I felt nothing at its presence. Just a sixth-level monster? And not even a fully-fledged demon, at that.

”Kahlen?”

The blade demon’s lip curled in a smirk, and he raised his hand. A single silver sword materialized slightly behind him, floating in the air. With a wave of his hand, he launched it forward. The sword turned into a silver blur, leaving an afterimage in its wake, and struck the draconian in the chest. The impact completely broke its momentum and sent a wave of concussive force tearing across the forest, shaking the trees to their roots. The Glory Chasers dove to the ground, their shock forgotten, as it washed over them. My ward flickered as it hit us, barely stirring my hair.

The draconian flew back and slammed into the hillside with a tremendous crash, the impact cracking the ground and knocking trees over like matchsticks. Thick, viscous blood spurted from a gaping hole in its chest that was absurdly disproportionate to the sword that had struck it. It didn’t get up, it didn’t scream, it didn’t even breathe. It was just dead.

”Gods,” Dyson breathed as the shockwave faded, pushing himself up.

Ror was pale, staring at the beast with wide, terrified eyes. ”What...”

”Are you alright?” I asked, moving toward them.

Their eyes gathered on me, on the demons, and the Star Guard at my back. I’d grown used to it, to the fear, but not from them. From my friends. My tail went limp.

”Who are you?” Sorrin stepped in front of the others, the first to recover. He held his sword and shield tightly, his ears slicked back.

The Star Guard moved instinctively, taking defensive postures. Jenna’s staff appeared, and Kahlen summoned several more swords that hovered menacingly. Rasce raised his bow, Dyson readied a knife. Even Tana grasped her amulet.

But as the half-elf drew on her mana, she looked past the soldiers and demons. Her gaze landed on me, and her hand suddenly tightened, her lips parting, but no sound came out.

Feeling a touch self-conscious, I touched my horn, the tip of my tail flicking. At the gesture, her hand dropped, and she took a tentative step forward, and then another.

”Starlight?”

It came as a whisper, a prayer. Something within me crumpled, and I found myself rushing toward her, all else vanishing from my mind. Luxxa’s hand darted out to snag me, but Jenna stopped her.

”Tana!” I cried, stopping just shy of her, suddenly afraid of taking that last step.

”Starlight?” she repeated dumbly. Her hand rose, touching a single flower in her hair. It was a soft white on the inside, with a scarlet taint that darkened at the edges of the petals. The exact same flower as the blossoms woven into the wreath I wore around my horns.

My composure slipped. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I crossed that last, insurmountable gap, throwing my arms around her.

She returned the embrace with all the warmth I remembered, her hands on my back pulling me against her. I pressed my face against her dress, inhaling her scent. She smelled like Sorrin, flowers, and a hint of pine. Just like I remembered.

”Starlight, I...what are you doing here?” she asked, stroking my hair.

”I...I saw you were in danger, and I...I wanted to repay you. For all the times you protected me,” I said, pulling back a little, smiling though my eyes glistened wetly.

”But that’s...we heard you were in the Blacksand Empire. That’s the whole continent away!”