The Hero’s Right Hand

My head ached when I finally awoke. Water rushed nearby and the ground shook beneath me. I believed that I was still on the boat until I felt the dirt I was laying on. Bruises covered my body but thankfully there were no lacerations. A rhythmic pressure pushed on my arm and I saw Avant lightly nudging me. Soft whines escaped his beak. I lightly patted his head and he chirped happily. Holding him close, I checked for wounds. He had a small cut on his side but was relatively unscathed.

To one side of me was a cliff overlooking the ocean. The other was a dense forest with foliage easily eclipsing Avant in size. Birds chirped overhead and the sound of animals hunting echoed through the trees. Aside from Avant, I didn’t see anyone from the ship. I rose to my feet and felt a shock travel up my body. A floating hand flashed into existence in front of me and vanished just as quickly. Avant looked at me curiously and I shook my head.

“Not the time,” I muttered. “We have to find the others.”

I tucked the owlbear under my arm and trekked inland. Even with the trees to aid us, walking through the plants proved difficult. But something was odd about them. Much like the sky above the marine ship, the plants shifted peculiarly. Branches appeared to tangle together to obscure paths but upon examination didn’t actually exist. My eyesight was unreliable and the sounds of the forest changed randomly. At moments animals would sound close but when I prepared for an attack, they were nowhere to be seen. I couldn’t tell if the forest was to blame or my concussion.

“You’ve got better ears than me, right?” I asked Avant.

He grunted an affirmative.

“Do you think we’re going the right way?”

Avant pushed me towards the right and I followed. 

The further we walked, the harder it became to identify the forest’s tricks. My eyes were completely useless so I relied on Avant. If he ever moved urgently, I knew to turn. As I followed his directions, the sounds grew more distinct. Figures moved quickly in the distance. It was obvious they were in combat. I crept close and signaled Avant to stay quiet.

Sariel leapt from branches as she fired arrows at a large panther. It roared and lunged towards her. Before the beast could connect, Sariel dodged. Even with her swift movements, I could see she was struggling. Large wounds on her legs and torso hindered her. Exhausted breaths accompanied fired arrows. I noticed the forest clearing wasn’t shifting. My dizziness lessened and I focused on the panther. There was no way my wounded body could handle taking the beast’s attacks head on. I looked at my hand and made a tight fist. I pulled back like I’d throw a punch. Focused on the panther, I launched my fist forward.

A flaming fist appeared in the clearing and slammed into the beast. It stumbled and I swung my fist again, this time I aiming downward hoping to push the panther to the ground. The fist flew upward then back down to connect with the creature’s spine. I could feel the its sturdiness against my weary knuckles. 

Avant let out a soft hoot and I was surrounded in a faint blue glow. Across the clearing, Sariel also glowed. She smirked and shot three arrows from her bow. They pierced the panther’s eyes and a leg. It couldn’t fight back against the burning fist that set its fur ablaze. I pushed with any strength I could muster and heard bones crack as blood spurted from the beast’s mouth. I let out an exhausted breath as the beast collapsed. The astral hand vanished when I could no longer focus on it. 

Sariel dropped from the tree and approached me.

“You’re alive,” she said and awkwardly ruffled the tuft of fur on Avant’s head. “Both of you. I’m glad.”

It was the kindest tone I’d ever heard from Sariel. I didn’t want to bring attention to it and simply replied, “Me too. Though it looks like we’re all a little worse for wear.”

Sariel noted my wounds and sighed. “Do you know where we are?”

“I thought we would die when the leviathan ate us but clearly that’s not the case. I think its mouth was a portal,” I answered. “That’s my theory at least.”

“So, Aisha isn’t the only one capable of deduction between you two,” Sariel scoffed. “Have you thought of a way to find her?”

“I planned to do the same thing that led me to you. Avant listened for sounds and I followed his lead.”

Sariel stared at our furry compatriot relaxing in my grasp.

“Enterprising.”

She gestured for me to lead the way. Avant must have understood as he started wiggling and pushing for me to go left.

The branches around us once again twisted in maddening patterns. Illusory tree trunks made it impossible to chart a path without assistance. Monks of my monastery were known to handle themselves without the use of their eyes. Once again, it dawned on me how lacking my training was. I silently followed Avant’s directions and tried to keep a focused mind.

“Do you hear that?” Sariel asked.

While I didn’t, it was obvious Avant knew what the elf spoke of. They directed me forward and within minutes I heard people talking to each other. 

Figures moved slowly in the brush towards an unknown goal. Upon further inspection, I recognized the marines falling over each other while trying to navigate the forest. Tensions were high as they accused each other of lying about the path.

“You said there was a path!” one yelled.

“I did! I don’t know where it went!” the other replied.

“Ain’t no wonder the captain kept y’all from navigatin’,” a third said.

Officer Lakelet walked silently among them with a mixture of shame and rage written clearly on her face.

Vofric let out a low growl and barked, “Enough! Is this how Vethyean marines conduct themselves in an emergency? Have you lost all professionalism now that we’re stranded on land and not at sea?”

“Vofric!” I yelled excitedly and hesitated. “Avant, is it safe to head that way?”

Sariel scoffed and walked forward. I followed and gave Vofric a hug.

He sighed and petted Avant’s head. “It’s good to see you three. Did you land together?”

“It seems Kargon and Avant did,” Sariel answered. “Have you encountered Aisha?”

The dwarf shook his head. “I’ve only found a few marines. We were making our way towards that beacon.”

He pointed at a light shining into the sky. Its base was out of view but we saw blue light that swirled into a single beam. The trees parted to provide a clear view. There was no reason I shouldn’t have seen it prior to Vofric pointing it out. Even from the ship, it should’ve been visible. The island should have been, as well.

“Wait, did anyone see this island when we were on the ship?” I inquired.

“I was distracted by the giant sea serpent ripping our boat apart!” a marine said while staring daggers at me.

“Right, sorry.”

Sariel grunted. “Wait, Kargon is right. This island wasn’t visible from the ship. It’s likely enchanted by Balur.”

A collective sigh of disdain passed through everyone’s lips. They had grown tired of Balur and the magic it employed. The swirling patterns seemed to speed up as we remained still. A psychological attack from a landmass wasn’t something I’d ever expected to encounter. I shut my eyes and tried to focus. My head throbbed and the dull pain of my wounds was compounding. Avant wriggled under my arm and I came back to my senses; whatever good that was.

“We need to move,” I commanded.

“Where exactly?” someone groaned. I was too confused to discern their identity in the group.

“Away from here. This place is messing with our senses and I’d rather not stay still.”

Without another word I walked out of the opening. Even with their complaints, no one stayed behind. It was apparent I didn’t need to blindly follow Avant's lead. Within minutes I had some idea of where we were going. Not because of the beacon; obviously that was our ultimate goal. What allowed me to discern our path was an obvious break in the pattern of the trees. It was being forcefully disabled. Powerful magic was countering the enchantments affecting the island. I deviated from Avant’s path but he didn’t challenge me. It seemed the others also saw what caught my attention.

It wasn’t long before we had a guess as to what caused the disturbance. The air itself molded around Valefor. It was held to the skies by a wounded Aisha. Slight movements from the blade caused reality to twist around it. Interlocked vines revealed themselves to be a path deeper into the forest.

“Aisha!” I ran to her and hugged her tightly. She gasped from the pain but smiled softly.

“You’re crushing Avant,” she replied.

I pulled away and apologized. “Where did you land? Are you alone?”

Aisha looked around with a furrowed brow. “It’s difficult to say where I landed since I’ve been walking for a while. But you’re the first people I’ve seen. I thought we’d regroup at that light.”

“It’s a good thing our plans aligned,” Vofric said. “I was waiting to do this. Everyone, please come close.” He made a fist with his right hand and held it in front of him. With his left palm placed firmly on top he prayed. “By the grace of Yuna.”

A warm glow surrounded everyone as their wounds healed. I’d never experienced the rapid effects of such a spell. It was more uncomfortable than I imagined but it was necessary that I grow accustomed to it.

“Why did you wait to do that?” Sariel asked.

“I’ve been low on mana since we left the ship. I wanted to heal as many people as possible with a single spell,” Vofric explained.

Sariel snorted. “And wanted to make sure our party was part of it. I appreciate that.”

Some of the marines muttered complaints but no one dared challenge Vofric’s choice. The deed was done and they were better off than before. Aisha slowly looked herself over and began walking away. She stopped and shook her head like she’d forgotten something.

“With me.”

We readily followed her but something felt off. The Hero’s demeanor was lacking her usual radiance. I was used to Aisha being quiet but this was different. But there was no time to focus on such concerns. 

The forest was still teeming with danger. With Valefor creating a bubble of normalcy, I was able to use my senses again. It was like the magic of the island paid respect to Aisha. It was obvious some spell on the sword deterred the creatures in the shadows. They still hunted each other but ignored us.

Until we finally reached the beacon. It stemmed from a massive obelisk resting at the center of a decrepit courtyard. Husks of old constructs surrounded the single intact feature. The hypnotic enchantment around the island was nonexistent here. Aisha sheathed her weapon and slowly crossed the threshold.

Magic circles were known to create a soft hum when activated. I’d only heard it a few times when working as a guard. Spellcasters often used them for large scale protection or to bolster our numbers. I never knew the sound could grow to a volume that would shake the very ground it emanated from. The beacon split into five lines that arched downward. Each beam moved along etched patterns in the courtyard, unimpeded by debris. We scrambled to find a way to stop it but to no avail. The circle was completed too quickly for us to act. The hum drowned out any other sound then vanished. 

The debris moved slowly, rising from the ground to reveal humanoid and bestial forms. I was more surprised by their size than their presence. The tallest of the five golems was shorter than Sariel. Past the golems was something far more interesting. The base of the obelisk opened to reveal a portal. Beyond it was a glowing city built into giant plants. Legends of Balur described it as a treescape paradise.

“We need to get through the portal,” I said while placing Avant on the ground. “Get ready for a fight.”

I wasn’t confident enough to summon my astral arms but still ignited my fists. Vofric drew his warhammer and Sariel summoned her bow. Even Avant let out a growl as his fur stood on end. Aisha didn’t draw her blade but stepped in front of us. A hand held outward to her side told us to stay back. She slowly reached to the heavens while muttering to herself. For the first time since we stepped on the marine ship did I see a change in weather. Not the entrance of the leviathan nor the hypnotic forest had altered the clear skies. But whatever Aisha was doing caused dark clouds to roll over the island. Thunder clapped as Aisha closed her hand one finger at a time. With each, the weather grew more violent. The Hero pulled her fist down to her chest and summoned a group of lightning bolts. They jolted through the air before colliding with each golem. I didn’t anticipate the sound of stone breaking to be so guttural.

After the final lightning strike, the skies cleared once again. One tattered golem tried to remain standing but met its end by Aisha’s blade. She kept a straight face but flared nostrils and shut eyes told me she was exhausted. A long breath exhaled from her barely open lips. I’m sure no one noticed except me. Vofric and Sariel gave me a look of confusion but I shook my head.

I brushed aside my concern and cheerfully said, “Nice one, dude!”

Aisha snapped out of her trance and replied, “I’m glad I still had the mana for that.”

“I think—” Sariel began to speak and I stared at her hoping she wouldn’t say something to bring attention to whatever Aisha was doing. “I think we should go through the portal,” she continued. “It’s about time we get some answers. Regarding both your quest and mine.”

Aisha nodded and led us through the portal. I waited for the last of the marines before exiting the hellish island.

On the other side was a completely different world — as though detached from our home realm. Tropical birds and beasts perched on branches that were the same verdant green as the leaves sprouting from them. Decoratively molded paths connected large platforms holding buildings of various sizes. Thick stalks weaved along the roads for alternate means of travel. The enclave had far more buildings than a normal city but many were obscured by its vertical construction. Massive trees stretched from a deep abyss upwards past the visible skyline. Even the mysterious fog that obscured the lower parts of the city felt inviting.

I heard footsteps approaching and finally looked at the elf clad in shining garments in front of our group. He carried himself with a regal air that was oft unseen. He asked each marine to kindly step aside and gestured for Aisha to step forward.

“You have done well to overcome the tests in your path, young hero,” he announced. Though he spoke softly, his voice carried on the air and pulled the attention of surrounding elves. “It is with great honor that I, Hastios, welcome you to Balur.”