The Hero’s Right Hand

Leather crunched as Aisha’s left grip tightened around Valefor’s hilt. Electricity fought to erupt from her free hand. The violent crackling frightened unprepared guards and they made an opening. Before a single undead could step through, the Hero fired a lightning chain. It eviscerated dozens of creatures. I couldn’t imagine how much control it took to avoid hurting our allies.

“With me,” she commanded.

The spell dissipated and we rushed into the center of the monsters. They immediately began collapsing on us but stood no chance. Aisha cut them down instantly while pressing forward. Though she wanted me to focus on Elmud, I refused to stand by. It was possible to defeat the undead without igniting. When one reached us, I threw it in front of the Hero. It was simply another mass in the path of her swift blade.

I didn’t dare look back as we pressed through the horde. By now, all our allies were in one of two locations. Many guards fought from the city walls and aimed to thin the mob before it got close. An unfortunate result of the powerful ballista was collateral damage. Structural beams and walls cracked from the explosions. Allies had to defend themselves from oncoming shrapnel and monsters. But a few hardships meant nothing as long as the city survived.

Our other allies gathered by the castle. Some were behind the row of guards and others in the massive courtyard and street that wrapped around it. The royal family stood their ground while Prince Makani continued to channel the Lightbringer. Everyone else was indistinguishable as groups moved against the undead. Paths opened and closed as the monsters’ numbers thinned and rose.

Aisha and I got the worst of it. The undead first entered from outside the gate and clambered over each other to enter the city. But the Hero wasn’t like anyone else. One empowered slice from her sword killed five targets. Though more took their place, we had enough time to move forward. I could no longer let her fight alone but kept my word and remained unignited. Furious punches shattered brittle bones. Devastating kicks tore through the decrepit bodies. The most difficult opponents were fresh corpses turned monstrous. Thankfully, Aisha handled those with ease. However, the waves of undead didn’t cease and only grew more restless as we got closer to the gate. Elmud hovered nearby and made sure I knew it.

“You don’t seem like an assassin!” they yelled.

“You don’t seem like a guard!” I replied without losing stride.

Unlike them I couldn’t stop fighting to talk. The undead had truly become a wall that collapsed in on itself while trying to advance. Rotted extremities came from every direction in hopes of tearing us apart. There was no more nonchalance in Aisha’s combat. Focused attacks collided with crucial supports in the crowd. As they crumbled, lightning pierced through them into distant targets. The few that remained were meant for me. My fighting stance had completely devolved yet felt more effective. After punching an opponent I kicked another before grabbing the head of one more and crushing it in my grasp. I’m sure it looked like wild flailing but I was fully aware of every action.

“You’re doing good but I don’t think I’ll be coming down before you collapse,” Elmud taunted.

“Bold of you to assume I won’t bring you down,” Aisha replied through grit teeth.

The dragonborn scoffed while looking at me. “Are you so unreliable that the chosen one must do everything?”

I raised my hand and ignited it. With a swift chop I burned through the collar of a monster near me. Simultaneously, an astral arm appeared above Elmud. They didn’t see before it slammed into their shoulder blade. While the attack didn’t cut through them, it brought the dragonborn to the ground with great force. I was correct in not underestimating Elmud as they landed heavily on their feet. With a roll of their shoulders the wings folded inward and vanished from sight.

“Aisha won’t be wasting time with you,” I said with as intimidating a voice as I could muster.

My mouth felt warm. There was a distinct lack of liquid and I knew it couldn’t be blood. With a slow breath smoke billowed from my mouth. The feeling of flames on my tongue was awkward. An ever moving plasma danced with every word. What I thought was pain was the most defenseless part of my body becoming familiar with my flame. This must have been what it felt like to burn.

“Looks like I hit a nerve,” Elmud smirked. “Now, tell me how will you fight me while my army is on you?”

The undead shambled around their master while piling onto us. Between my opponent and I were half a dozen focused on me. Even if I took them down, more would interfere with my fight. Elmud could win while hiding like a coward.

“I won’t deal with you but I’ll be damned if you won’t offer a fair fight,” Aisha grunted as she mowed through the crowd.

A marble of lightning launched from her finger tip and flew between Elmud and I. When it erupted against one of the undead a ring of electricity expanded outward. It stretched farther than I expected, requiring me to jump over it. Elmud dodged similarly. The undead weren’t smart enough to do so and disintegrated as the attack continued to expand. After a few seconds, the ring stayed still. Electricity crackled continuously and provided an empty arena for Elmud and I. Undead continuously ran at it but died on contact. Aisha continued to fight outside the ring but I knew she couldn’t go forever.

“She’s needed after—”

Elmud tried to speak but I stopped them with a swift kick to the jaw. They didn’t bother trying to dodge. Being underestimated was customary when battling someone who only saw Aisha. I couldn’t be surprised since I similarly downplayed my abilities. The attack cracked a scale on Elmud’s lower muzzle. The dragonborn jolted back. They slowly touched their bleeding maw. A slow breath calmed them down. I lunged again and they retaliated with a swipe of their claw. My fist met their palm, canceling both our attacks.

“You really are no assassin,” Elmud scoffed. “And you’re not the only one proficient in hand-to-hand combat.”

“I don’t see anyone else here who is,” I replied and dashed forward.

While within arm’s reach I sent a flurry of blows towards Elmud’s chest. They grunted and put up their arms to guard. I was too focused on finding an opening and allowed Elmud to capitalize on it. When my arm was extended, they whipped their tail around and slammed it into my elbow. The impact felt like my bone would break. I pulled back and checked my arm. Thankfully it was only cut by the dragonborn’s scales.

“Fewer extremities are a weakness for your kind. Did you fail to wield a weapon and fall back on your fists?’ Elmud asked.

I was unphased. A deep breath steadied me before I rushed my opponent. Attempting to block their tail was foolish. Dodging, however, worked perfectly. The tail moved slowly thanks to its size and position. I could weave around it and continuously attack. The dragonborn slowly gauged my abilities and began to fight back. Brief moments when my body was open were met with savage claw strikes. For each punch that cracked their scales, claws cut through my skin. As our wounds compounded blood and shrapnel sprayed around us.

Flecks of crimson blinded the dragonborn causing their attacks to miss. Projectile shards dug into my skin and slowed my onslaught. But I refused to let up. Bloody knuckles met the very blades tearing through them. Regardless of Elmud’s confidence it was obvious my attacks were stronger. Natural evolution had gone to their head. Untrained claws were painful but not devastating. The impact from my fists visibly shook the dragonborn. I could see in their eyes they were plotting something to retaliate.

Our arms crossed and Elmud skillfully locked them in place. Since they were also bound I knew to expect a tail swipe. However, it slammed on the ground to provide support as a plume of fire erupted from Elmud’s mouth. I let out a sharp breath expecting hellish burns. Instead I felt a warm breeze all around me. My immunity to fire grew beyond what I’d once known. Even I wasn’t sure how but there was no reason to complain.

With Elmud’s undefended muscle showing from broken scales I wondered if they would react similarly. Upon igniting my whole body Elmud snickered. That was until they realized the fire was engulfing them as well. They shrieked and shoved me away. Wild flailing was their initial solution to stopping the flames. It took longer than expected for Elmud to simply extinguish the flames.

They examined a charred wound on their arm. Smoke wafted from their nostrils before the cocky demeanor returned. Before Elmud had a chance to spew their vitriol I rushed at them. It was clear they expected a punch from the quick raised guard. Instead I grabbed their arms and forced them back. In their panic Elmud stumbled near the electric ring. It was time for them to feel the devastating power of Aisha’s spell. While plenty of undead had collided with the outside and disintegrated, none broke through. With the force of two warriors it was bound to break.

Elmud caught on to what I was doing but it was too late. A cacophony of sparks reached for the dragonborn. Like knives, they plunged into my opponent’s spine as they took the brunt of thunderous magic. Unexpectedly, the ring exploded outward as well. The horde around us thinned dramatically. The scream of pain from Elmud rang in my ears as they broke out of my grasp. No longer did they try to appear confident. As expected, the time had come for them to retreat.

As wings appeared on Elmud’s back I leapt forward. It was enough distraction for me to summon astral arms without them noticing. The base of each wing was within my burning reach. The moment Elmud tried to flap their wings, I stopped it. My strength prevailed in overpowering and forcing them to their knees.

“You may stop me, but what of the army?” Elmud scoffed. Rage filled eyes stared hatefully at me. “Do you think this is the only place they were summoned? Our plan is global! You’re not strong enough. Not you or the Hero!”

Aisha backed away from the monsters and approached us. She held her blade to Elmud’s neck.

“Strong enough for what?” she spat.

“To protect any of them. Master is far more powerful than a few adventurers in over their heads. What will the masses do against overwhelming odds?”

We had further questions but the undead encroached on us. I couldn’t move without releasing Elmud. Aisha was focused on interrogating. The sea of darkness only grew closer.

That was until a flash of silver light burst from Dicoris Castle.

From Lightbringer emerged a beam that flew past the clouds. It expanded steadily and engulfed those at its origin. First Makani and his family, then the guards, soon the entire district before completely encompassing the city. The moment it touched an undead creature they burst into nothingness. It stretched past the gates and shattered unseen stones that were endlessly summoning the undead. In the blink of an eye we were no longer surrounded. A howl of victory overwhelmed my senses but I kept my focus on Elmud.

They sighed and stared at the ground. “What is your name?”

This was no longer time to hesitate. The world would learn of what we did here. Knowing a Hero had risen would give them hope. I didn’t need to state the obvious for my friend.

“Aisha. Don’t presume knowing my name makes us equals,” she said.

“Not you, chosen one,” Elmud replied and lifted their head. Daggers stared at me. “You.”

I didn’t have a choice but to respond. “Kargon.”

“Kargon. You may remember me as Elmud,” they said.

Before we could speak they lunged forward. Aisha was unprepared to stop the dragonborn from slitting their own neck. Scales cracked violently as blood poured over them and Elmud’s lifeless body was held up by my astral arms. Once I released my grasp, they disintegrated. There was no way to catch the charred embers as they flew away.

“That’s not normal,” I said.

“A contingency plan. We’ll report it to King Nasim,” Aisha replied and patted me on the back. “You did well.”

It didn’t take long for me to notice the myriad wounds across her body. Exhaustion weighed on her. Aisha hadn’t let up since we discovered the undead army. I must have been staring as she slowly examined herself. She let out a heavy sigh and gestured for me to lend her a shoulder. I obliged and we walked towards Dicoris Castle.

The sky was shining from silver rays intertwined with the morning sun. The nightmare was over but we still had work to do. But that could wait. For now, we could bask in the cheers of Dawncaster.