The Forsaken Hero

Luke and Soltair fought with fury, but whenever they clashed, it was light that prevailed over the dark. What I had seen when I’d interfered with their fight was even more obvious now that I knew what to look for. Every second the battle dragged on, Soltair grew stronger. I didn’t know why, only that it was tied to the dragon he rode. A shining thread wove their souls together, drawing mana between them with ever-increasing intensity.

It was that power that had threatened Luke, that power which Fable sacrificed himself to reset. It was like a Blood Reckoning that didn’t require power, just time spent together. Who knew how long Soltair had been building it over the clouds above, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And Luke had just bided his time, unaware that the opponent he was waiting to fight was doing far more than he.

It was that power, all released in a single strike, that would have destroyed Luke. Caught off guard, there was no way he could have used a powerful enough defensive art before it hit him. I’d seen that time and time again. If the two had met, only Soltair would have flown away.

That reliance on magic arts to compete at the highest level had always been the greatest weakness of humanoid beings. It was how a few fourth-level cultists had managed to kill the ninth-level Slivera at Western University. It was also the reason Elaine, Avant, and I had struggled so much to fight the lava dragons. Because monsters had no such weakness. Their bodies evolved at a much greater rate than humans, keeping pace with their level. Luke, as a ninth-level, only had passive strength and durability as much as a sixth-level exerting their mana. Fable, on the other hand...

When we had faced the lava dragons, Fable was only in the beginning stages of the eighth level, yet he had survived dozens of full-powered attacks. Now, he stood at the peak, and when he took his true form, that strength was more than doubled. After all, no matter how powerful a sword is, it’s only so long.

But even then, Fable barely survived baiting out Soltair’s attack. If he hadn’t been knocked away from the fight, he might not have at all. He was still regenerating, with a cut deeper than my arm was long laced across his shoulder.

Fighting Soltair himself would be impossible. He’d already proven capable of piercing the Oracle of Eternity, and Fable just didn’t have the speed or strength to break his defenses. That left the dragon. If we could separate the two, it would return Soltair to his normal strength and give Luke the fighting chance he needed.

Fable soared across the sky, rapidly gaining on the fight. Luke had already suffered a cut across his side and was pale-faced and haggard. Soltair had a languid air about him, letting the dragon do most of the work. Occasionally, when its claws forced Luke into an awkward position, he’d strike with absurd speed and power, forcing the apostle back. It was obvious he was in no rush, content to build power while the apostle exhausted himself.

Seeing Luke so helpless made my tail lash and my grip on my staff tighten. I hated it. He was stronger than this.

”Alright, I’m ready,” I whispered to Fable as we drew near.

Fable expanded, swelling beneath me into his true form. I scrambled over his back, running on unsteady legs between his horns. I laid a hand on one to steady myself and pointed my staff with the other. The rough texture bit into my hand.

Fable lunged forward with a burst of speed. His art from before lingered, extending the reach of his claws by ten feet. The dragon roared and twisted to meet us, its jaws snapping. Fable patted its head away with a paw, scoring deep grooves across its sinewy neck, and slapped at Soltair himself.

Soltair frowned slightly and raised his hand. Sunlight gathered around them, forming a shimmering sphere.

But as the defensive technique resolved, I released my spell. ”Pyreforge!”

A torrent of fire mana washed across the sky, hunting sun, fate, and curse magic. My wards were struck first. Flames crackled around the outside, feeding on my mana. But they quickly stabilized, reinforced by Adaptive Resistance. Soltair wasn’t so fortunate, and his eyes widened as his mana combusted, converting to fire mana. The semi-formed shield dissolved in a puff of cinders, and Fable’s paw scattered it, striking Soltair head-on.

The Sun Hero flew from the dragon’s back, spiraling in the air. He recovered almost instantly, sprouting a pair of wings. The spell came from a shining amulet hanging around his neck, a sixth-level spell akin to the one I’d placed on Fable. He soared toward us, his sword bursting with light, but Luke met him mid-way, stalling his charge.

That was just as well, as our target was already beneath us. Fable pounced on the dragon’s back, ripping and clawing at its neck and wings. The dragon screeched in pain as rivers of blood cascaded from its scales, and Soltair shouted in anger.

”Luxaria!” he cried, smashing his sword at Luke in a brutal, two-handed blow.

Luke barely managed to parry it, but Soltair used the momentum to burst past him, racing toward us.

Luke threw out his hand, releasing a blast of curse magic that caught Soltair. He should have burned it away, but in his haste, he’d lost his focus, and the curse penetrated his defenses, stabbing into his soul. His face twisted with pain and discomfort, slowing him just enough for Luke to catch up.

The dragon, straining under Fable’s weight, tumbled through the air in a spiraling trail of blood. I screamed, throwing myself low over Fable’s head as we fell with it. The two monsters kicked and clawed at each other. The dragon’s neck twisted, its jaws snapping at Fable’s shoulder. Blood sprayed as I ripped flesh and fur apart, splashing across my wards. I held on for dear life as Fable lashed out with a claw, catching it across the throat in retaliation.

The dragon’s eyes went wild, and I cried out as we struck the ground, striking the middle of the city. Walls, buildings, and rubble exploded around us, shaking the earth. Fable’s mana flowed around me, protecting me from the impact, but my body was still battered. His fur tore through my fingers, and I was thrown against his horn, knocking the wind out of me. I fell into his fur, coughing blood, and gripping my side.

With much of Fable’s attention on me, the dragon managed to throw him off, sending us spinning through the air. Fable landed on his feet, dropping low on his haunches, growling furiously. The dragon rose and gave itself a shake, scattering blood everywhere. Its wings were broken and torn, with bone jutting out just over one shoulder. But for all its blood and pain, it stared at Fable with cold, draconic rage.

They stared at each other, unwilling to make the first strike as their wounds began to regenerate. I gasped for breath, whispering a healing spell and drawing myself up. Almost immediately, I sagged in relief again. The thread binding Soltair to the dragon had broken. Whatever power he’d managed to gain was all he was getting. Assuming we could hold the dragon here, that is.

”My lady!”

I turned as Luxxa and the other Star Guard finally reached us, landing on Fable’s head. I collapsed into her arms, whimpering slightly as she caught me, looking me over for wounds. My dress was ripped and stained with blood, and everything still ached, but the life magic had just finished sewing together the last of my cuts and scrapes.

”What were you thinking?” she asked, gripping me by both arms, ”You could have killed yourself!”

”I couldn’t let him hurt Luke,” I whispered, lowering my head.

She let out a sigh, gathering me close. ”Well, I suppose you did that. Though now we have another problem on our hands.”

She carried me off, Fable. I stumbled as we hit the broken ground, grabbing onto her again for support. Together, we faced the dragon. Its wings had straightened, and the gaping rifts in its scales from Fable’s claws had closed.

Fable, for his part, returned to his condensed form, licking his wounds. While most of the damage the dragon’s claws inflicted vanished with his transformation, the vicious cut on his shoulder still hadn’t mended fully.

”Should we kill it?” Kahlen asked, licking his metallic lips.

”We can try,” I muttered. ”But Fable already used most of his strength surviving Soltair’s strike. I don’t think he has enough left to take it out.”

”Good,” Luxxa said, releasing me to draw her sword. ”It might be eighth-level, but that’s nothing we’ve not faced before.”

Jenna and Gith nodded. Unlike Luxxa and Kahlen, they were still sixth-level, though they stood at the very peak, ready to break through. If we survived this fight, it might give them just the opportunity they needed.

As we gathered ourselves, the dragon suddenly lit up with dazzling light. I shifted uncomfortably as the radiance washed over me, shielding my eyes. When it faded, and I could see again, the beast was gone. In its place was a girl who looked no older than me. She wore golden armor that left much of her body exposed, revealing a slender waist and generous cleavage. Dragon wings extended from her back, and a tail lashed between her legs. When she looked at us, her flawless face twisted in a pout.

”How dare you attack my master!” she cried, summoning a sword in a flash of sun magic. ”You’ll pay for that with your lives!”