The Forsaken Hero

The sun peeked just above the tops of the walls, casting long shadows throughout the city. The air hummed with tension as we snuck through the streets, hiding our identities with cloaks. I wore the cloak gifted me by Viriden, taking extra care to conceal my horns and tail.

Dyson scouted ahead and behind us, moving with uncanny silence. His shadowed form barely registered to my vision, and it was only by the power of the Eyes of Fate I noticed whenever he dropped in to report.

”Truly a thief,” I murmured, more to myself than anyone. He was charming and cheerful, which made it easy to forget his dexterous abilities and skillful maneuvering in the dark.

Our target was a warehouse on the edge of the city, appearing much the same as every other facility in the district. Regular squads of guards patrolled the streets, but we evaded them thanks to Dyson’s timely warnings.

By the time we arrived, the sun had fully dropped behind the walls, plunging the city into darkness. It mattered not to my eyes, but the rest of the Glory Chasers shifted uncomfortably, jumping at shadows and keeping their weapons held tightly in their grips.

”Would you like me to cast a light?” I asked softly.

Sorrin shook his head. ”That’ll only expose us. It’s not the first time we’ve had to deal with night or darkness, so I expect we’ll manage.”

The warehouse loomed out of the dark, a massive, foreboding mass of shadows. There were no windows on the ground story, and those above were barred and tightly shuttered. Several loading bays rested on raised ramps, their doors sealed from the inside. Light escaped the slits beneath the doors, occasionally crossed by shadows, as though people were moving about inside.

Sorrin hissed, and we gathered together, a lump of cloaks in a nearby alley.

”According to the guild master, there are several dozen slaves kept on the bottom floors. The Circle will have posted sentries all over the place, and there’s no guarantee they won’t be prepared for us. Our mission is of the utmost importance, so even if we’re fighting other people, we can’t afford to show mercy.”

Everyone glanced at me, but then turned to stare at Dyson as he let out a low, mirthless chuckle.

”It’s not Starlight I’m worried about,” was all he said.

Sorrin gazed at him curiously, his ears twitching, but ended up shaking his head. ”We’ll go in like we normally do. I’ll take point, with Dyson and Rasce on the flanks. Tana, you and Starlight remain in the rear and support where needed.”

”Starlight’s far stronger at support magic, so I’ll focus on the attack,” the half-elf commented.

Everyone nodded, and was about to break, when I timidly raised my hand.

”I...already told Tana, but I can see magic. Runes, mana, and even lingering effects and enchantments. I’ll try and tell you if something’s happening.”

”Thank you,” Sorrin said, smiling gently. ”We’ll be in your care.”

Everyone else nodded and began checking their weapons, oblivious to my surprise. I hadn’t expected them to trust me that easily, but the simple expression of faith sent a warm tingle through my entire body.

Giving myself a shake, I looked down, a red tinge overtaking my cheeks. Now was no time to be thinking about this.

”Fable,” I said, crouching beside my wolf. ”Are you able to fight in this form?”

He tossed his head, sending a wave through his glossy pelt. A faint sense of amusement came through the bond, followed by a sense of affirmation.

I scratched his cheek. ”Wait until it’s necessary to take your true form. Rumors would spread, and, well, I don’t want to be a burden to them.”

He glanced at me, and I quickly stammered, ”Not that you’re a burden! It’s just with your size and all...”

”Starlight, are you ready?”

I quickly stood and nodded, pulling my cowl lower. As the party made to move, I summoned my staff and silently cast an Aegis on them all. The golden shield glimmered, giving away our position, but the time for subtly had passed. Tana pointed her own staff at one of the loading bays, rapidly chanting. Four magic circles blossomed in the air, radiating intense heat.

”Explosive Strike!”

Fire condensed at the tip of her staff, expanding outward then condensing again, repeating until the stone underfoot blackened and cracked from unbearable heat. I shielded my eyes against the glare, almost missing the moment she released it.

The small, compressed ball flew across the street in an instant and collided with the door. The ensuing explosion rocked the ground, throwing fragments of stone and wood in all directions. Shouts and screams cut through the billowing clouds of fire and smoke.

I blinked, dazzled by the light, as Sorrin charged forward. The flames died, revealing a gaping hole where the doors used to be. Smoke curled from the charred, jagged edges, seeping out of the warehouse, which had contained much of the blast. Fires raged within, slowly creeping over the walls and ceiling.

The Wolfkin rushed through the door, followed quickly by Dyson and then Rasce. I took a final glance behind us before following them through with Tana. The guard would be coming soon, which left us short on time.

The interior of the warehouse was open and spacious, with large access hatches on the floor and framed shelving units stacked high with boxes. Smoke and ash drifted spiraled upwards in thick plumes before settling back down, trapped by the roof.

I coughed, my eyes stinging, and waved my staff. ”Encircling winds.”

The air stirred, wrapping around our party and forming a buffer of wind. The spell was intended to interfere with incoming projectiles but doubled to keep our lungs free of debris.

Men and women stumbled through the smoke and flames, gripping weapons in their hands. They hacked and coughed, their eyes bloodshot, but leaped toward us with fury. Their souls were dull and dim, proving them little more than first-level goons.

Rasce reacted first, skewering the woman in front with a glowing arrow. Her scream petered into a gurgle as the steel arrowhead tore a hole through her chest larger than a man’s fist, filling her lungs with blood.

Sorrin swept his sword forward, releasing a magical technique. An invisible arc leaped from his blade, severing the arms, limbs, and torsos of an entire group. He jumped through the carnage, blade dancing in a storm of violence, slaying several more.

Tana launched a few more spells before lowering her staff. ”Let them handle this. These guys are nothing but fodder.”

I nodded, watching as Dyson dropped to a knee beside one of the basement trap doors. He withdrew a set of slender steel lockpicks and got to work on the padlock. He squinted through flickering smoke, working as best he could in the dim lighting.

”Light.”

Glancing up, he flashed me a smile as I summoned a small ball of floating light before him. ”Thanks.”

I nodded, holding my staff in both hands. ”Somethings not right right here. Please hurry.”

The warehouse was completely devoid of magic. There weren’t even the traditional first and second circle spells to ward off thieves or intruders. Even the goblin cave had some measure of protection and was practically a fortress compared to this. How could they leave one of their bases so vulnerable?

As the final thug dropped to the ground, dead, Sorrin flicked the blood from his blade. He and Rasce gathered with us around Dyson, who finally succeeded in picking the lock.

”Next time I just break it,” the thief muttered. ”It’s not even that good of a lock, or enchanted for that matter.”

Sorrin grabbed the access hatch and grunted, throwing the massive trap door back. The darkness was as thick and pungent as an inkwell, so full of dust it hampered even my demonkin vision.

I waved my hand, and the ball of light flew into the darkness, growing much brighter. The floor was almost twenty feet below, but was completely empty as far as the light illuminated. Sorrin took a deep breath and dropped down, landing easily on the stone floor.

As everyone else moved to join him, I hesitated, looking around. My mana stirred restlessly, sending tingles through my soul. But no matter how hard I looked, there was nothing out of the ordinary. It was just a burning warehouse filled with smoke and corpses.

I pressed an anxious and to my breast, my tail twitching, but I jumped anyway, using the Encircling Winds to cushion my fall. If there was even a chance of slaves being down there, I had to free them.

The basement was dark and cold, filled with swirling dust and shadows. I squinted, peering about, but no matter how I strained my eyes, I couldn’t see past the circle of light. Frowning, I raised the brightness, but the circle refused to expand, trapping us in the same sphere of darkness.

Once again, I felt the soul-tingling warning and gripped my staff tightly. ”I-I can’t see anything.”

The rest of the party looked at me, surprised, and tightened their grip on their weapons. The darkness was oppressive, pushing against the small globe of light as though it were trying to smother us. My chest tightened and I clutched my staff tightly, my breath quick and erratic. Fighting away the panic, I raised my staff and quickly threw out several more light spheres, increasing them to the maximum intensity.

As the globes flew around the room, my breath caught in my throat. It truly was a wall of dust surrounding us, pierced only by the combined light of my spells. Beyond it, I could just make out large, flickering shadows, some towering so high their heads scraped the ceiling. Several large magic circles glowed beyond the wall of debris, keeping it tightly spinning about us.

Without warning, the magic circles disappeared and the dust cleared, revealing the basement to my horrified eyes. The trap door above us slammed closed, and several magic circles suddenly appeared around it, locking it. Within the room, there were no thugs or cages, only a handful of slaves chained to a wall. Two massive Shadow Golems had us surrounded, both larger than any we’d faced before. Their claws alone were as long as my body and their cores shone with peak fourth-level power.

Four other figures followed him, draped in black cloaks and wielding an assortment of weapons. The leader among them raised his head, his cowl obscuring everything but the wide, sadistic grin carved into his pale face.

”Greetings, most foolish children. We’ve been expecting you.”