The Hero’s Right Hand

Returning to Gromsev was uneventful but not because monsters suddenly left us alone. Sariel was reinvigorated and hyper aware of her surroundings. It may be more accurate to say she knew the correct way to avoid confrontation on Mount Ikrali. Wild beasts roamed the snowy landscape, hunting for their next meal. With little effort Sariel and Avant deduced the creatures’ paths and guided us around. I presumed it would slow our descent but the detours only added as much time as a fight would. Within a week we were back in the dragonborn village none the worse for wear.

Vofric was accustomed to returning to a settlement after a quest and prepared us for what to expect.

“Keep your answers vague. Do not tell them anything they do not need to know. We needn’t spread panic relating to any dragons. Both for Sariel and Edthecridadlyrth’s privacy as well as the villagers' fear,” he explained.

“You say that like anyone other than Elder Zhusthum will care about what we’ve been doing,” I replied.

“With good reason,” Vofric said and pointed towards the village entrance.

To my surprise, a few villagers awaited us with the elder. All shared similar looks of disbelief at our unscathed bodies. I wasn’t sure what she’d told them but clearly they expected us to incur some kind of loss. Elder Zhusthum approached us warily, examining each of us with a sharp eye.

“You are unhurt. Was one of our ancestors atop Mount Ikrali?” she asked.

“We achieved clarity atop the mountain,” Aisha said. It was barely an answer but the elder seemed satisfied.

She looked towards the group of villagers and held her arms out. “Behold the chosen one has been guided by our ancestors,” she announced boisterously.

I wasn’t sure how she reached that conclusion but the villagers didn’t care. Murmurs of awe and amazement passed through the small crowd. They had seen few outsiders, let alone ones who returned from the summit. As they grew louder it was clear they wanted to talk to Aisha. I couldn’t help but feel like we hadn’t done anything of note. While climbing a mountain was a difficult endeavor it was nothing compared to what we faced in Dawncaster or Balur.

“Right…” Aisha replied. “Elder Zhusthum, we won’t be staying. There’s plenty of daylight left and the snow’s melting so we can get pretty far down Mount Ikrali today.”

“Of course, Hero. Is there any way we can be of assistance as you depart?”

Aisha turned to our party and shrugged. Our stock of camping supplies was going strong. We could hunt for food and agreed not to take offerings from unfamiliar places. Avant’s constitution could handle most anything but that wasn’t the case for the rest of us. However, it would be rude not to request anything as the villagers were eager to help us.

“Is there a courier here? Or someone who can reach Neves?” I asked.

“We do not have one but the garage holds mail. It is picked up by traveling couriers as they pass through Gromsev,” a villager said.

Aisha looked at me quizzically but didn’t push the topic. Instead she turned back to the villagers then said, “I guess that’s everything. Thank you for the hospitality but we should be going.”

“Understood,” Elder Zhusthum said. “I will guide you.”

For all the praise the elder gave her people, they dispersed as soon as possible. She seemed disappointed but remained composed while leading us back to the garage. The owner was as unenthused as ever to see us approach. While we entered the building he broke the seal surrounding our carriage.

“I was told you hold mail for traveling couriers,” I said.

He grunted affirmatively and held out his hand. I fished a rolled scroll out of my pocket and passed it over. My parents’ names and our village were scrawled on the outside. The garage owner double checked while the rest of the party piled into our carriage. Sariel was still a little listless and rested in the wagon with Aisha and Avant. Vofric started the engine and rolled out as I hopped on.

The road that brought us to Gromsev led to another path which crossed the mountain range. Vofric always drove faster than Sariel even with his lack of experience. Though knowledge of our destination weighed heavily on him, he couldn’t hide the joy of piloting our vehicle. I left him alone and stepped into the wagon. The moment I got settled I knew it was time for questions.

Sariel sat with her head against the wagon wall. With it tilted towards me she grunted. “Who are Velana and Zigon?”

“Kargon’s parents,” Aisha answered while petting Avant. “Why’d you contact them?”

“It is possible he misses them,” Vofric said.

“No,” I replied. “Well, yes. But that’s not why I mailed them. It’s been bothering me how the Dicoris’ and Victor mentioned that I’m immune to fire. I thought it was just something weird about me. But after seeing Sariel and Edthec— her father together I realized how similar their magic is. It made me remember when I first told my parents I was immune to fire. They weren’t surprised. So, now I think they know why.”

Aisha nodded. “I don’t know how neither of us thought of that. Any ideas what the cause might be?”

“Yeah, but it’s that thing I’d complain about when we were younger,” I groaned.

“You can’t be serious.”

“It makes sense!”

Aisha huffed, “Kargon, you’re half elf, half human. It’s obvious.”

“Humans aren’t immune to fire!” I argued.

“To be fair, few creatures are. None of which would breed with an elf,” Sariel said.

Vofric chimed in with, “It is possible that Kargon comes from such a monster. He is rather unique.”

“No way, Zigon is very… average? But even more so. His most unique feature is the red hair so obviously Kargon got that,” Aisha said.

“I have to agree. Dad is incredibly normal. But that’s who he is now,” I said. “I’m different from who I was last year. He may have been different in the past.”

“Why don’t you believe you are half-human?” Sariel asked.

“Because of how obvious other half-elves’ features are. Aisha has Tiefling horns. Some people have fangs, wings, or a tail. I have fire immunity. That seems to be all I have other than my hair. So my father has to be hiding what he really is.”

Vofric chuckled. “As silly as it sounds, I believe Kargon is correct. All we can do is wait for an answer. Though it will take a long time for a courier to find us by following our trail.”

“I hadn’t thought of that…” I admitted.

Aisha chuckled. “You’re an idiot.”

“We will receive the information when it is most pertinent,” Sariel said with her eyes shut.

Avant chirped affirmatively. I ruffled his head and sat next to him. AIsha rested her head on my shoulder and quickly dozed off. I rested my head against the wagon. The smooth vibrations assisted me in meditating and warming the wagon through heat emission.

The lower half of Mount Ikrali was no longer covered in snow. The rattling of wooden wheels on stone created a soothing rhythm. Soft humming from the engine accompanied the sound. There was no denying that Vofric operated the carriage more smoothly than Sariel. It was an extension of the dwarf. He knew exactly how to move on the rough terrain to minimize its effect on the passengers. Bumps in the road felt nonexistent. Our speed barely fluctuated as we steadily traversed the mountain. I don’t know when I fell asleep but I was awoken by the familiar feeling of ascending Mount Ikrali.

“Vofric, are we still trying to reach Spirefell?” Sariel scoffed.

“This portion of the path rises and then falls. We will have no more flat roads until we leave the mountain,” Vofric explained.

Aisha groaned as she awoke. “How much longer until we reach the bottom?”

“I have only traversed here on foot. With the carriage I assume we will reach the bottom before nightfall.”

That was still hours away. Vofric was about to say something else but trailed off. The sound of another engine climbing the mountain passed us. Shortly after there was another. As we traveled upward, more artificed vehicles made their presence known. At the top of the ascent was a large area that was completely flat. It was less of a path and more like the central square of a city. Dozens of modified carriages lined either side of the road with individuals chatting about their accomplishments.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Let’s find out,” Aisha said. “Vofric, pull off to the side.”

Vofric grunted affirmatively and parked near the group on the right. We stepped off and saw there was no way to cross the area. Two carriages blocked the road ahead. Their engines roared as the drivers unloaded mana to increase the output. A woman stood between both vehicles and screamed for them to get ready. She nodded to each driver before signaling the start of a race. The drivers tore out of the starting position and off the edge of the platform. They vanished from view instantly. Only their engines could be heard descending the mountain.

“Nice ride you’ve got there. Custom made, I take it,” a person said while examining our carriage. They knelt close to the tires and eyed them closely before moving on to the wagon.

“Yes. Handmade, in fact.” Sariel replied.

The enthusiast approached our group and looked at the engine next to us.

“It’s a solid piece of work. Ever thought of seeing how it’d do against other modified carts?” they asked.

Sariel scoffed. “It is meant for travel.”

“So, you’re saying you’re not good enough to race with it.”

“Excuse me?” Sariel grunted. “Who are you to judge our carriage? I built this with my own hands. It can handle anything.”

The racer laughed while walking to the carriage parked nearest to us. “The name’s Taze Fehlam. And I didn’t say the carriage was an issue. It’s probably your driving. You seemed mighty concerned about getting up here smoothly. Didn’t even pick up speed when the road was clear.”

“We don’t have the luxury of playing around with no responsibilities.” Sariel said.

“I’ve got plenty of responsibilities,” Taze said and slapped the side of the white carriage next to them. Etched on the side were the words, Fehlam Delivery Services. “I just know how to take a break. Ease my mind with a distraction.”

“Apologies, young one.” Vofric interjected. “We are simply trying to reach Khergrin. Is there a path we can take that will not obstruct you and your compatriots?”

“I think you mean Spirefell,” Taze scoffed. “Cuz, you know, the spires fell.”

Aisha interjected. “Sorry about that, we’re not familiar with the area.”

“Right, whatever.” Taze replied nonchalantly. “Go past these carts on the right and there’s a road down. You’ll reach the bottom in a few hours.”

“Thank you,” Vofric said.

Taze glared at the dwarf. “My mistake, really. No reason to challenge a Starcaller disciple.”

Something in Vofric’s demeanor shifted. Regret and shame mixed into one attack and hit him squarely in the chest.

“I’m sorry. Do you know me?” he asked.

“I know your kind. Cowards. You’re all worthless. No reason to bother challenging a party that keeps one of you around,” Taze spat.

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“He must not have told you. 200 years ago a party of Starcaller disciples came to what used to be Khergrin. During an orc raid they left the city to fend for themselves. The guards fell. Our people died. The spires crumbled and by the time the orcs were finally killed only a fraction of the citizens were left. A dwarf was the only one who returned, spouting nonsense about taking out the orc leader. My ancestors were some of the last survivors who rebuilt Khergrin into the villages of Spirefell.” Taze nodded at Vofric and reiterated. “No one in that village would expect anything but a cowards attitude from a Starcaller disciple. I should’ve known better with that sigil on your chest.”

I couldn’t help but look at the dwarf’s defeated look as admittance. Sariel shook her head somberly. It was more in mourning for the lost lives than disappointment. Avant seemed to understand what was being said and opted to comfort the dwarf.

Aisha sighed and said, “If we race you it’s a distraction from our duty. But if we deny you, we’re cowards. It seems there is no winning for my friend or party here.”

Taze perked up and replied, “It would prove me wrong about Starcaller disciples. I’d definitely make sure Spirefell knew about it. Not to mention, it might ease that tension your friend is feeling.”

“The way you challenge people is infuriating,” I said.

“I’m aware. So, what do you say?” The racer was clearly addressing Vofric.

Vofric contemplated his response briefly then said, “We must reach Spirefell as quickly as possible.”

“It’ll still take months to get there but the race track gets down the mountain in a few minutes compared to the hours long road down the side.”

“How?”

Taze smiled coyly. “Only a handful of turns and we shoot down the mountain at max speed.”

“That cannot be safe,” Vofric replied. He twitched at the thought of driving at full throttle.

Aisha patted the dwarf’s back and looked him in the eye. They both knew what needed to happen but Vofric needed to be the one to accept. He stepped forward and put out his hand. 

“We accept,” the dwarf said.

Taze smiled and shook hands fervently. The other participants cleared the starting line while the Fehlman delivery driver took their place. Our party piled into our carriage and parked parallel to the white cart. Even in the wagon I could feel the electricity in the air. Drumming heartbeats drowned out the excited cheers of the onlookers. Vofric tightly gripped the wheel and slowly inhaled. Something was still eating away at him but he did his best to concentrate.

A woman sauntered between the vehicles and nodded to each driver. Taze energetically declared their readiness. Vofric was gruff with a short one word response.

“Ready.”

Both engines started as the drivers steadily poured mana into them. Roars shook the ground with each rev of the machines. The crowd shouted as the woman from the starting line pointed to the side.

“Three!”

Another gesture to the other side of the crowd.

“Two!”

Both arms to the air lifted the spirits of every person on the starting platform.

“One!”

A hefty swing downward started the race and we launched. It was foolish not to have looked at the track beforehand. We drove at a sharp angle and barreled down the mountain at unprecedented speed. I couldn’t make out a single thing in the landscape. Even Aisha was having trouble tracking what was happening. Avant pushed himself against the wall to remain steady. Only Sariel’s eyes could see anything and based on her reaction it didn’t seem good.

According to her, Taze was telling the truth. We just hadn’t understood the implications. A large section of the mountain was flattened by something long forgotten. Now it was completely smooth save for a few turning points. At our speed they would be highly dangerous to approach.

“We needn’t win,” Vofric said. “Reaching the bottom of Mount Ikrali is our main goal.”

“But, you want to win right?” I asked.

“Not by risking your lives.”

Vofric slowed down even though we weren’t near a turn. Taze was already in front of us but the gap was widening quickly.

I crawled to the front of the wagon and rested my hand on Vofric’s shoulder. “What happened in Khergrin?”

“We chose the incorrect option,” Vofric grunted. “It wasn’t like Dawncaster where Elmud needed to be stopped in order to halt the attack. The orcs should have been beaten before my party faced their leader. Instead we left the city to fend for itself. Leaving a large number of monsters alive caused us to get outnumbered at their camp. By the time they were defeated, we were on our last legs. The orc chief was powerful. More so than we anticipated. Killing him cost the rest of my party their lives.”

“But that wouldn’t stop the other orcs,” Aisha said sadly.

Vofric nodded. “I was young and foolish. How monsters operated was beyond me yet I acted like it was obvious. We sought glory like my grandmother without truly understanding her lessons. She deserved it while we did not. I cannot blame Spirefell for seeing Starcaller disciples as cowards.”

“But by not trying in this race, aren’t you just doing the same thing?” I asked. “I’m not saying we’ll win but putting in the effort matters. Show Taze— Show yourself that you’re different than before. Don’t worry about us. We’re sturdier than we look. You know that.”

Vofric stared blankly at the cart peeling away from us. At our current pace it was possible to see our surroundings. Far in the distance were miniscule remnants of spires that stood tall long ago. The desert was familiar to some and obvious to the rest of us. Aisha huffed and joined me at the front of the wagon. She wound back and slapped Vofric’s back as hard as possible.

“Heroes aren’t perfect. What matters is owning up to your mistakes and being better,” she said. “Are you better?” When Vofric hesitated she asked, “Are we going to just coast through this journey?”

A light burned in Vofric’s eyes. Not fire but a golden aura that calmed his nerves. The memories would never go away. The pain caused by failure would persist. But this was a step towards fixing it.

“Brace,” he commanded.

“Aisha, keep a hand on the lever and release mana into it,” Sariel said. “You have the capacity to use up a little bit, yes?”

The Hero simply nodded and placed her hand next to Vofric’s on the metal rod at his side. Golden light fused with purple lightning as they wreathed around the lever. It flowed into a conduit under the seat and connected to the engine. New life roared into the machine. Within seconds the world vanished around us. I was only aware of the race due to the sensation of rumbling wheels beneath us. Even Aisha shut her eyes to avoid motion sickness. The speed was similar to her own but it felt different when riding a carriage versus being on foot.

The sound of another machine got closer. I could see Taze by our side. They never lost speed and smiled wildly as we caught up.

“Might wanna slow down on the turns!” they screamed over the engines. “Otherwise, you’ll blow right through them and crash!”

Vofric remained silent. He slowed just enough to safely take the upcoming turn. Taze, on the other hand, didn’t take their own advice. They cranked the lever and initiated brakes before turning outward. Another crank and acceleration pulled them into the turn sideways. I’d never seen something like it. Horse-drawn carriages couldn’t hope to do it. It didn’t seem possible for us either. I’m sure the others agreed. Except for Vofric.

He followed the road slowly before speeding up again. Turns were becoming more frequent and Taze continued to drift through them. Vofric immediately imitated the experienced racer. I could barely make out the surroundings but the dwarf assessed everything with ease. Rough terrain was always an inch away from our tires. One wrong move would send up off course. None of that hindered our driver. His speed remained high going into turns. With each one we drew closer to our opponent. I felt the same tension as the fights we’d been through. Taze was serious now, not wanting to give up their lead. But Vofric refused to let up.

“Slow down for real this time! Or your cart’s done for!” Taze commanded as they finally slowed down.

A sharp turn fast approached. Vofric refused to let up.

“All of you, to the left of the wagon,” he said.

We didn’t bother arguing or asking why. He turned left and the right set of tires lifted off the ground. It was overkill for the slightly curved road and unwise for the upcoming turn. The carriage was precariously balanced as the turn got closer. I held onto Avant to help him stay upright on the corner of the wagon.

“Jump to the right side… now!” Vofric commanded.

As our feet landed on the opposite side of the carriage, he turned hard. It felt like the world momentarily slowed down. Our speed hadn’t dropped at all as we ripped through the sharp turn. Simple turns and straight roads were all that remained ahead of us. Taze couldn’t catch up without a miracle. With Vofric’s driving and Aisha’s mana output, we were unbeatable.

“Moving forward you are our driver!” Sariel yelled joyfully. “Don’t expect me behind the wheel except under the stars!”

Vofric let out a long breath as he slowed the carriage to a stop at the bottom of the mountain. A large crowd and more carts waited at the bottom and cheered for the victor even though they didn’t recognize him. Looking back at the track, my brain couldn’t comprehend how far we’d traveled in a matter of minutes. It was possible teleportation felt similar but I guaranteed this was far more exciting.

Taze skidded to a stop nearby and jumped off their vehicle. I thought we’d be attacked until I noticed their excited smile.

“That was amazing! How did you turn like that? You were on two wheels!” they said.

“My party trusted me and lent their aid,” Vofric said.

Taze nodded. “For them to trust you with something like that, you must’ve done plenty of wild stuff already.” They put out a hand and continued, “I’m sorry for antagonizing you earlier. I can’t say some Spirefell folks won’t react similarly but you’ve proven me wrong. I’ll spread the word and try to get them to ease up. What’s your name?”

“Vofric Starc,” the dwarf said while shaking our new acquaintance's hand.

“A gift for the Ikrali Drifter,” Taze said and passed a coin to Vofric. “It ain’t much but crack that and toss it, you’ll send out a flare. One of a kind and I’ll come to you. I’ll be in Spirefell soon so I hope to see you again.”

“We appreciate your help,” Aisha said. “And the challenge. We didn’t know Vofric was capable of that.”

I chuckled. “Don’t think he was either.”

Sariel nodded. Avant growled affirmatively.

“It will be an indispensable tool. Thank you,” Vofric said before returning to the carriage.

The crowd pushed for us to stay but a single race was enough distraction. We were ahead of schedule by at least a day. It wouldn’t be wise to squander it. The hunt for Elmud continued.