The dim darkness of the lower chambers echoed with the sound of battle. The Shadow Golems snarled and roared, lashing out with their claws and charging clumsily about the room. Fable’s movents were growing impatient, the wolf continually throwing agitated looks over his shoulder, helpless to interfere as Vithrass continued his assault on the Blade Ward.
He wasn’t the only one feeling tense, either. I flinched with every harsh clang, sweat trickled down the side of my face, my tail twisting in agitation. I clutched Ror in my arms, holding the small foxkin close, counting down the seconds until my mana failed.
"It must be frustrating," Vithrass said, "To have so much power and skill, yet unable to do a thing. Your gifts are wasted, Starlight, made worthless simply by belonging to you. Just surrender to , and I can give them purpose. Together, we can find Joys no one else in the circle has even dread of achieving."
My face fell, and I squeezed Ror tightly, tears gathering in the corners of my eyes. Never before had I felt so helpless. If I could just cast a single combat spell, this fight would be over. I knew dozens of them, morized from books and observed in battle, yet they swirled in my head as aningless as a bow without arrows, a sword with no wielder.
One of the Shadow Golems scread, flying into a wall with enough force to shake the complex. Dust rained down from the ceiling, long cracks splitting the stone apart, but the supports held strong. The monster’s eyes dulled, and its body fell limp, the great slashes across its throat finally claiming its life.
Fable’s fight turned desperate as he sensed my panic, realizing just how little mana I had left. He snapped and tore at the remaining golems, succeeding in felling once more, but, as he turned to leap at Vithrass, the final one hit him with a tackle, sending them both crashing to the floor.
Vithrass laughed as the Blade Ward wavered, stepping back and charging up a powerful magical technique. "You knew you couldn’t do this alone, yet still you ca. Ah, it must be infuriating. How many had to die for you to reach this point? They had lives, families, that you stole from them! And for what? Do you think this selfish little quest was worth more than them? That you are worth more than them?"
His words struck hard, dropping to my knees. The demonkin dug deep into the wounds of my heart, the true reason I faltered at every death. I was cold and numb to killing, yet the thought of taking sothing from these people I didn’t deserve myself rent my heart. Even if they were slavers, I was just...just...
Vithrass brought his sword down in a vicious arc as wide as his smile. With the sound of shattering glass, the Blade Ward exploded into shards of golden light that dissipated into the air. My soul ached, bone dry, and I stared at the ground, barely even registering his boots that appeared before .
Pain shot through my skull as the demonkin grabbed one of my horns, dragging up until we were eye to eye. His gaze was srizing, a veritable storm of triumph, anger, and lust. My feet dangled a few inches off the ground, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. We had tried with everything we had, but it just wasn’t enough.
Fable growled, stalking closer until Vithrass paid his blade against the soft, pale skin of my throat. I bit my lip, holding back a whimper, as the point dug into my flesh, letting out a hot bead of blood that dripped down my neck.
"Not another step, mutt," he growled.
Behind the wolf, I could make out the broken form of the final shadow golem dissolving into shadows. Five seconds. If I had just held out five more seconds then...then...
It wouldn’t have mattered. No matter how desperately I tried to change, or escape, this was ant to be. I had pushed anyone away who would help , too scared to trust them, and was now alone.
I had just closed my eyes, surrendering myself to whatever followed, when a familiar, cold voice cut through the room. "Well, this is interesting. Looks like I’m a little late to the party though."
Vithrass’ head jerked as he stared over my shoulder at the speaker. My back was to him, but the voice was unmistakable.
"Damned human," the demonkin muttered. "And why, exactly, are you here? Co to save your precious little hero?"
Rasce barked a dark, humorless chuckle. "Save her? After what she’s done? I’m tired of her lies, Filthblood, and thought I’d slip in for a bit of revenge. You don’t mind sharing, do you? Or should I wait in line?"
Vithrass’ eyes narrowed. "Skip the bullshit. Where’s the rest of your party? Waiting just out of sight, I imagine?"
"As if," Rasce spat, turning to the side and revealing an empty hallway behind him. "They’re all weak, had no stomach for doing what needs to be done. There’s ten thousand gold on the line here, yet they wanted to just forget it."
"Ah, an opportunist," Vithrass said knowingly. "However, I’m afraid I can’t part with this particular asset. Her worth is far greater than ten thousand in the right hands. My hands."
Rasce drew his bow and Vithrass tensed, his sword jabbing my throat, but the ranger only leaned on it, pursuing his lips thoughtfully. "So, how long do you need her for? I’ll wait, though not for too long, what with the demons marching on Brithlite in a month or two. I’m just waiting for the cash before I clear the hell out of this region. I’ll even split it with you fifty-fifty."
"I’m afraid I’m unable to part with her in so short a ti. There are many...experiences we have yet to share."
I shuddered as Vithrass’ fingers touched my hip, crawling up my side and over my chest, coming to rest on my chin, forcing to et his eyes. He shifted slightly, allowing a better look at Rasce. The man’s expression was cool, his brow slightly creased, though not with any concern for . If anything, his lip curled in disgust as our eyes t, and whatever hope I’d rekindled died in my chest.
Sensing my despair, Fable whined, his tail and ears drooping. His silver coat, splattered with black, dissolving blood, was torn and matted, and his golden eyes glimred forlornly. The noise drew Vithrass’ attention back to him, a cruel smile spreading across the demonkin’s face.
"I’ll tell you what. Kill that mutt and I’ll consider a deal. Otherwise, don’t bla for losing my patience. You’re trespassing in my territory, in case you’ve forgotten."
My heart skipped a beat, my eyes flying to Rasce’s impassive face. "No, please!" I whispered.
"And why shouldn’t I?" the ranger snapped, his temper flaring, "you’ve done nothing but lie and deceive us, dragging us all into your problems. You deserve a thousand deaths for what you’ve done to this world, for the lives you’ve ruined. Who didn’t know soone that went to Western University, but is now dead or crippled? I’m sure if word got out that the Fate Hero was here, there’d be a line for revenge stretching from here to Brithlite. We trusted you, Starlight, but you....you...do you trust ?"
His bitter words stabbed at my heart, growing into jagged tendrils of pain and guilt. They had trusted , giving a ho and friends who had talked and loved . Why hadn’t I trusted them too? If I just had one more chance, then maybe I could have...suddenly, his words truly registered in my mind. Do you trust , not did.
"Of course she never trusted you!" Vithrass crowed, "How could she? She’s nothing but a worthless slave ant for nothing more than enslavent, offering pleasure to her master. It’s only natural she rejects those who fail to provide that opportunity to her."
I swayed, jostled in the air as Vithrass broke out laughing. I cried out, feeling as though he was about to rip my horn out of my head, but froze as I t Rasce’s eyes. Gone was his cavalier expression, replaced by one of sheer concentration.
In the split second Vithrass was distracted, Rasce’s bow ca up, aid directly at my chest. I gasped, despair crashing down on . I had misread everything. He wasn’t here to claim for the bounty, but to get a full act of vengeance. Closing my eyes, I let out a final breath. Perhaps it was better this way. At least the secrets of the Heart Crest would die with .
The heavy thrum of a bowstring, followed by the magical hum of one of the ranger’s magical techniques, filled the air. Vithrass’ eyes flashed open at the sound, and he reached for his sword, but it was too late. I held my breath, waiting for the impact to co, for the burning pain to appear in my chest, but it never did. Vithrass’ hand loosened on my horn, and I slipped from his grasp, tumbling weakly onto the floor.
The demonkin stumbled back, clutching at his throat, his scream little more than a wet gurgle. I stared, unable to tear my gaze away, as blood spurted from a gaping hole in his neck, and the glowing arrow quivering in the wall behind him. Had Rasce missed?
Just before Vithrass fell over, he clutched at a ring on his finger, which flashed with brilliant light. Imdiately, a magic circle appeared beneath his feet, the very sa as had allowed him to escape before.
"Damn it," Rasce swore, reaching for another arrow.
But his previous attack had taken almost everything he had, and his fingers moved clumsily, fumbling the fletching on his string. Growing pale from loss of blood, Vithrass dropped to one knee. He groped about in his robes, finally retrieving a glowing vial of Life Magic. A potion!
"Curse you to hell!" he gasped breathlessly, pouring it on his wounds.
His wounds were grievous, hardly able to be dressed by so simple a magic, yet it took the edge off, allowing him to survive while his teleportation circle resolved.
"Fable," I cried without thinking, stretching out my hand.
In less than a heartbeat, he was there, standing before protectively, fur brushing up against my fingers. He was weak and exhausted after his battle with three monsters of his sa level, but he held nothing back, allowing what little mana remained to flow into my soul. I gasped at the sudden influx of power, but wasted no ti, casting my own spell almost wholly by instinct.
"Dispel Magic!"
The room turned white as mana erupted from my hand, the sa ti the other demonkin’s circle flashed. I had done everything I could, but was it still too late? Dread curled around my heart as the last thing to disappear in the consuming light was Vithrass’ triumphant smile, leering at from across the room.
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