by Erik Weir
“It’s a weak healing potion. We will need a few more to heal you completely,” Dawn said softly.
“I have a friend that can help us…” Victor trailed off when a big body slammed into a nearby wall and slumped to the floor.
Blade and Elf turned their eyes to see a woman with black hair saunter over with a staff in her hand and a fury in her eyes. Dawn drew her dagger when Victor touched her arm. The elf stayed at his side, dagger still out as the woman stood over them, a disapproving look in her purple eyes.
“I told you to stay by me,” Lily said with a dark, annoyed tone.
“Sorry,” Victor said simply.
Lily’s eyes shifted to the elf at Victor’s side. “An acolyte,” the demoness said with a small smile.
Dawn said nothing as she looked up to Lily.
“Dawn, this is my friend, Lily. Lily, this is Dawn,” Victor managed through the small flare up of pain.
Lily knelt down, purple eyes on the small wounds along Victor’s ribs. “Dawn, leave now while I help him.”
Dawn shook her head, remaining silent. The sounds of fighting rose up again in the distance.
“The library is filled with War Wolves in disguise,” Victor winced.
Lily nodded. “I know. Spell casters are fighting them back and it won’t be long before the Mage Authority shows up to stop them. We have to get out of here before we are detained. If they know followers of Vala are here, they might not let us go.”
“Is it really that bad if we are here,” Victor said through gritted teeth, the pain growing again.
Lily ignored him, reached down and placed her hand against the wounds. Golden energy bloomed, sinking into the wounds with a healing light. Muscle and flesh stitched back together until they closed up. Victor looked down in amazement as his skin returned to normal, the torn and bloody stained shirt the only indication he was ever harmed.
Lily turned to Dawn, “If you won’t leave, stay close to us until we are out of the city. We don’t want the Authority detaining you either.”
Victor leapt up to his feet, new vitality filling him. The sounds of fighting and strange flashes of light quickly brought him back to the moment. Dawn quickly rose to her feet, eyes switching from Lily to Victor. Cries, shouts, and howls filled the air as the library became a battleground.
“Weren’t we supposed to do something here,” Victor said as his sword flashed out into his hand.
Lily walked over to the edge of a bookshelf and peered out. In the distance, a spell caster unleashed lightning bolts as a charging War Wolf took each strike but didn’t slow down. The young caster cried out as claws slashed down and sank into flesh, his cries quickly dying out.
Lily turned back to Victor and Dawn, “I received information another acolyte had been visiting the library but we may have to come back another time. The War Wolves are trying to kill everyone and the acolyte might have already fled.”
“Dawn is an acolyte,” Victor stated.
Lily nodded. “She is, but not the one we are looking for. What’s important is we get out of here before the War Wolves attack us en masse. The caster’s here are having a hard time fighting them off. Stick to my side and we might be able to get out of here in one piece.”
Lily peered around the side of the bookshelf again, watching until the War Wolf was gone and the way was clear. Lifting up a hand, she beckoned Victor and Dawn to follow before stepping out, staff at the ready. The Blade and elf followed, screams echoing off ancient walls.
Magical bolts blasted out as monstrous wolves rampaged. Shelves toppled and howls sent a chill through any ears listening. Amid the chaos, three figures moved slowly, darting behind shelves when hulking War Wolves moved about, sniffing at the air. The screams began to die down as Victor held his sword at the ready. Dawn was right at his side, glancing to him as she looked around.
The library smelled of burnt hair. Victor looked down as they moved from one set of bookcases to the next. Pools of blood and cooling bodies littered the floor as roars vibrated through the air. Thinking back to his abilities, using up his strength hampered his ability to continue fighting. A ghostly image of his stats floated in his mind’s eye, the Blade wondering how he could use his other spheres of influence to gain an advantage.
A War Wolf leapt onto a thick table, staying on all fours. It sniffed at the air as Lily, Victor, and Dawn slipped behind a bookshelf. Red glowing eyes searched. Lily readied herself when the War Wolf’s head snapped in the other direction. With a heated growl, it leapt into the air. A thin stream of fire blasted out, striking the War Wolf in its massive chest, burning through and exploding out its back. Lily watched with intense eyes as the War Wolf fell to the floor with a ‘thud’ and a woman stepped out from behind another bookcase.
Victor peered over the side with Lily, both watching the woman with leathery red wings step out into the open. Slitted crimson eyes searched while dragon scales covered her forearms, hands, shins, and taloned feet. Curved red horns rose up from the sides of her head as long, lustrous red hair flowed down past her shoulders. An armored tail snaked behind her as wings flexed. She wore a black robe, but the sleeves were folded back to show her armored arms and claws. The robe barely reached down past her knees and the belt at her waist made it look like a thick dress.
Victor didn’t blink, seeing her humanoid body moving with power as she made her way down the main hall. Warmth touched his senses as he eyed her. Lily looked to Victor with knowing eyes.
“I feel her too,” the demoness in human skin whispered.
“We need to stop her before she runs into any more wolves,” Victor whispered back.
“It won’t be easy. She may think we are one of them and I’ve never fought a dragon before,” Lily said in a hushed tone.
“If she senses us, she might not attack,” Victor said as he readied himself. The sounds of fighting grew louder further down the main hall.
“That’s a real big if,” Lily shook her head.
Victor called up his stats.
Victor Hobbs
Acolytes Unlocked- 1/77
Divine Orbs- 1
Spheres of Influence
Str (Gaia)- 0/1
Con (Nano)- 1
Int (Abyss)- 1
Will (Holy)- 1
Wis (Mind)- 1
Cha (Shadow)- 1
Swords
Iron Sword
Sphere Abilities/Powers
Mind
Gaia
Nano
Shadow
Holy
Abyss
The Blade knew the spheres would influence anything he tried to do. A daring plan formed as he darted out from behind the bookcase. Lily reached out, missing him by inches as the young man stormed out into the open to the dragon woman.
“Hey,” Victor shouted loudly.
The dragon woman stopped in her tracks, upper body turning and fire leaking from her open mouth. Eyes took on a beastly shine as they spotted Victor standing in the middle of the hall, sword in hand. Fire curled and fell as she took a deep breath.
The library was chaotic, no one knowing who was friend of foe. Lily and Dawn rushed out from behind the bookcase as Victor mustered his best smile, spending a point from his Charisma. Heat flared as the dragon woman prepared to spit out a stream of flames. Victor walked toward her, a new feeling of inviting warmth and curiosity filling his entire body.
The dragon woman’s eyes widened as she gulped down the flames in her throat. Stunned, she simply watched as Victor stepped closer, his eyes and body language calm as a spring lake. Wings flexed as her body seemed to relax the closer Victor was. The Blade felt he had managed to subdue her defenses when two large brutish bodies launched into the air, claws gleaming. Their attack was so swift and silent, the dragon woman didn’t hear them, her senses all trained on the man walking toward her with a sword in his hand.
Victor burst forward and jumped. The Blade’s body soared past the dragon woman as she watched him in stunned silence.
A War Wolf aimed for the dragon’s neck when it whined in pain. Victor’s sword stabbed into the monster’s chest, cutting through thick muscle like butter. The War Wolf grabbed the young man and they both spun, crashing down onto a table before sliding off and hitting the floor.
The dragon woman’s hand lashed out, grabbing the second War Wolf by the throat. Holding the struggling monster, she squeezed his neck until its red eyes popped out. The wolf monster clawed at her armored arms, sparks flying but causing no damage. Neck bones cracked and then shattered, before the dragon woman threw the dead War Wolf to the side like a sack of refuse.
Lily took a step to aid Victor but a whimper touched her ears. Glancing down, she saw Dawn fall to her knees, blood leaking from her wounds. Without thinking, the demoness knelt down beside her and touched the wound with a glowing hand. The elf looked up to the Lily with a hard gaze. The demoness ignored her stare, making sure to heal the elf.
Victor pulled his blade free as he struggled to get back to his feet. The War Wolf snarled as it slashed at him, claws ringing off iron as Victor parried with his sword. The Blade swung the sword around, grasped with both hands and drove it down. The point penetrated the War Wolf’s chest again, this time stabbing into its heart. The monster thrashed for a moment before its limbs fell to the floor and it stared out at nothingness.
Victor pulled his sword from the corpse, breath heavy and a sliver of weakness in his own limbs. The fighting was taking a lot of him but he kept the internal fire going, knowing they had to get out of there in one piece. The Blade turned and the dragon woman was at his side, hands out and helping him stand up straight.
“Only a true follower could have influenced me,” the dragon woman said with a small smile.
“We came looking for you,” Victor smiled back. “We have to get out of here before more of those War Wolves show up.”
Lily and Dawn darted to the dragon woman and Victor.
The dragon woman looked to the two newcomers, her crimson eyes widening, “You…you all follow her ways.”
“We have to go,” Lily said sternly as the noise of fighting grew once again down the main hall.
The dragon woman’s eyes returned to normal as she began walking. “I know a side stairwell to an exit. Follow me, quickly.”
Victor, Lily and Dawn followed the dragon as she led the way. Turning past a clawed-up shelf, the four made their way to a small spiral stairwell. The dragon woman went down first, Victor behind her with Lily and Dawn following. When they reached the bottom, lightning and spells flashed in the distance. Mad howls filled the air and the fighting sounded like it had reached a fevered pitch.
The dragon woman moved along like she knew every inch of the library. Reaching a small single door, her scaled hand took hold and opened it. Victor, Lily, and Dawn slipped out into the bright sunlight. The dragon woman stepped out, closed the door and twisted the metal handle, breaking the simple mechanism and locking the door permanently.
Dawn grabbed Victor’s hand and burst into a run. Lily and the dragon woman turned to see the elf pulling Victor with her. They darted forward, reaching the fleeing elf and Blade. Victor didn’t understand what was happening as they ran into an alley. Running at full tilt, they turned corners and ran down thin alleyways.
“Dawn,” Victor said while breathing heavy from the running.
The elf said nothing as she pulled him along. Victor looked to the streets as they ran, people running and chaos bleeding everywhere. The group emerged from an alley and Victor could see they were by the city wall. A city entrance stood, empty of guards as screams touched the air. Dawn darted toward the open gate, the rest of the group following.
Energy flared around the doors and they began to close. Dawn rushed past the closing doors and beyond the city walls.
A voice boomed through the air, “Loress is under attack! Stay safe! The Authority will stop the invaders!”
Victor realized what was happening and pumped his legs. The city was going into lock down. Dawn knew this would happen and rushed them along before it was too late. Lily and the dragon woman kept up. Lily looked over her shoulder at the smoke and flames spiraling up from the library in the distance.
Victor, Lily, and the dragon woman charged past the closing city entrance. Victor and Lily nearly stumbled out as the dragon woman turned her body to the side and jumped. The doors just closed, missing the tip of her tail by an inch. The dragon woman landed on her taloned feet and slid to halt.
All four turned and looked to the magical city as the doors shut and a glowing aura encircled it.
“We won’t be getting back in there anytime soon,” Lily stated.
Victor stepped to the dragon woman, “Are you okay?”
The woman nodded. “Yes, thank you for your help.”
The Blade smiled. “My name is Victor.”
The dragon woman returned his smile with her own, “Shyryth Redgem”
Shyryth held out her hand. Victor couldn’t help himself as he took it and kissed the back of her scaled hand.
“Charmed,” Shyryth said with razor toothed smile and pink touching her cheeks.
Seven
The sun dipped low in the afternoon sky. Victor and Lily stood about fifty feet from the Shyryth and Dawn. A small breeze touched the Shield and Blade as they watched the unusual pair mull about silently. Victor had a difficult time not staring at the dragon woman. Her sensual but powerful body seemed to sing to his spirit. Shyryth seemed to feel the same because every few moments she glanced in his direction and gave him a warm smile.
“Victor, you have to focus,” Lily said with a hard edge.
“I am. I’m making sure they don’t run away,” the young man smirked.
Lily shook her head. “Vala has brought us here for a reason. Before we start interrogating Shyryth and the elf, we should understand the risks.”
“How am I able to understand Shyryth? Oh, by the way, the elf’s name is Dawn,” Victor said simply.
Lily stepped closer, facing in the same direction as her partner was. “Dragons have the gift of Allspeak. They can speak and understand all languages. It is why we are here. She may be the key to gaining your first power.”
“How come I could hear the alert in Loress?”
“It’s a spell so all will understand when there is trouble.” Lily’s arms crossed under her breasts, “Again, I need you to focus. We have a problem and it is your elf friend.”
Victor turned his attention to Lily, “We helped defend each other when the War Wolves attacked. How is that a problem?”
“She’s a thief. I can see it in her aura. She has no qualms with taking what she wants. She hasn’t said a word since she met me and the dirty looks don’t help either. She knows I can see her for who she truly is.”
“How can you know that? She’s an acolyte and deserves to be given a chance.”
Lily’s hard brow softened, gaze sliding down to the ground. “There are many things you don’t understand. She may be an acolyte, but she still must earn her way into Vala’s embrace. She may have a sliver of enlightenment but that doesn’t mean she won’t sell out us or our cause for the right price.
“Right now, the best thing we can do is send her away so Vala’s power has time to fill her heart and mind.”
Victor’s eyes turned a little dark as he spoke, “I don’t think we can do that. She said Vala heard her prayers. She is in trouble and we should help her. We are after all, Vala’s Blade and Shield.”
Lily’s tone grew harder as she spoke, “And what about us? We just started this crusade and it could end as quickly as it began. One wrong move and Vala could never return.”
Victor looked to the demon in human skin and gave her a warm smile. “We can’t live worrying what bad stuff may happen. We accepted Vala’s ways and we should honor them.”
Lily leaned in close, eyes blazing red. “You don’t even know her teachings. You haven’t read the scriptures or gained knowledge through communion. You’re just a m
an with a sword and a foolish sense of what’s right.”
Victor rubbed his eyes and let out a small yawn. “Maybe, but we were chosen for a reason. I’m willing to bet we can help everyone, not just acolytes. When Vala returns, the realms will be different. You may be looking at the big picture but I’m looking at the bigger and smaller pictures. My gut says we should help them, both of them.”
Lily’s eyes narrowed. “I will not be the one to pull you from the fire when you’re burning.”
Victor’s gaze met Lily’s but his eyes stayed neutral. “That’s fine. Just so we are being clear, I WILL be the guy who pulls you from the fire when you’re burning.”
Lily’s eyes widened a hair as Victor turned from her and began walking toward the elf and dragon. The demoness’s hands formed into tight fists as she watched him go. Teeth grating, she followed, her human form flickering and her deep purple skin appearing for a few moments before blending back to pale skin.
Victor walked with a kind smile. Dawn looked up, her oval eyes softening. Shyryth stepped toward the incoming young man, eyes bright. The breeze picked up, locks of red hair gliding along the small wind. Victor tried not to stare like an enamored teen and failed. The only comfort was Shyryth giving him the same gaze.
Shyryth stood in front of Victor as he slowed to a halt. “I heard everything you said.”
Victor nodded, his eyes the same, “I wasn’t hiding anything.”
Shyryth nodded. “Your spirit is inspiring. It does indeed touch on Vala’s ways. That is why it pains me to ask something of you and your partner.”
Lily stepped to Victor’s side as the red dragon woman continued.
“My dreams spoke of Vala’s return. It was enough for me to research what I could about her. The library was lacking in any direct information so I had to piece it together from different historic tomes. It was lengthy and time consuming but I was able to understand what my heart truly desires.”
Shyryth’s eyes gleamed as she turned her gaze to Victor. “I can feel the connection…between us. I want nothing more than to explore our connection but I must complete something personal first. If you escort me to the Forsaken Lands to the east, I will be sure to reward you.”
