Hey hey, guys, gals, and in between pals! Glad I could finally get this chapter written in a way that I felt good showing to others. Combat isn’t my forte, so I’m never very confident in what I’m writing. This chapter is rather combat-heavy, but it’s necessary for the story. This chapter officially marks the end of the first act of our novel. Hope you’re ready for next week when we dive right into the second act. I expect the next one to be a bit slower and more character-driven than this one which is more event-based.

Hope you enjoy the show!

~ Chance/Synth

PS: Please note that I have changed “Kobold” into “Zalyk”. They are similar creatures, but not the same. I have also changed the Zalyk character from blue and black scales to red and black scales.

CW: Violence, excessive blood, strong language, burn wounds, fire, death, highly graphic description of an off-screen death, death threats, abandonment

I stalked up the hill toward the people who had stolen my kill, my broken body fueled by rage alone. My body was dangerously hot, my steps leaving burned earth in my wake. Everything was agony and anger. 

The red and black Zalyk hopped off the creature’s back, daggers drawn and teeth bared. “I’d stop there, pal. Come any closer and you’re in a world of hurt.”

A tall, slender Ursan in metal and leather armor with Sigil of Life on her chest stepped in front of the Zalyk, giving him a warning look. “Forgive my friend. He speaks rashly. I would like to discuss your grievances before anyone but this creature loses their heads.” The pads of her handset off a gentle white glow. Their friendly, confident smile faded when I continued forward with just as much rage in my glowing, bright green eyes. 

A short, stocky Gueldon with long pointed ears and copper-toned skin crossed their muscular arms over their bare chest. “Thought those new Social Powers were supposed to work, Wy. Seems like I’ll have to handle this with my fists. As usual.” They hopped on top of MY kill and shook out their shoulders, grinning down at me as their eyes burned crimson. “You shoulda listened when my friends said stop.” 

Fire engulfed their hands and the fact that their skin wasn’t burned somehow made me more furious. Why could they wield their Powers without damaging themself? Why was I cursed? What made them so special?

Nothing.

The squat Gueldon leaped at me, crimson slashes glowing on their flesh. I stopped my forward motion and tilted my head at my descending opponent, time seeming to slow down as they got closer. My eyes were drawn to two sigils burning above their head, one the Sigil of Fire, the other the Sigil of Destruction. 

Gueldon Barbarian. Dodge and strike fast.

I rolled out of the way and back onto my feet just before the Gueldon slammed into the ground, leaving a crater around them. When they turned to glare at me, teeth bared, I struck them in the mouth with my boot heel. 

Behind you.

I whipped around and landed an uppercut to a pink and purple scaled Drakyn wearing simple white and brown robes as they attempted to sneak up on me. My hit lifted them off their feet and sent them flying several feet.

Look up.

I raised my eyes to the sky and rolled away from a missile of silver light. Just like the one that had taken my killing blow. Though I had begun to feel worn, my anger was stoked again by this perceived insult.

“Fuck.” A rather slight Lupine with silver and brown fur and panicked magenta eyes attempted to hide beyond the crest of the hill, but it was too late for them.

I sprinted up the hill and tackled the cowardly wolfman, holding him by his throat and slowly increasing my pressure. He clawed at my burned skin, tearing it apart like paper and covering us both in my blood. I didn’t care though. I had resigned myself to dying by the end of this fight. There was no way I was going to win.

Not with that attitude.

I was thrown from my place when an arrow buried itself in my shoulder. I snapped the end from it so the part within my body would act as a stopper for even more blood loss. I was growing dizzy from expending so much Magic and losing such a large quantity of blood. I pulled myself up to a sitting position and only barely held myself upright. I watched the blurred image of a black and silver furred Heikin approach with her bow held by their side.

She shook her head and slung their bow over their shoulder, pulling a hunting knife from her belt. “It’s really a shame things have to end this way, kid. You seem like you have a lot of potential. May Palec be kind in your passage.”

The Lupine let out a choked warning and pointed skyward. “Timurow, look out!”

Timurow only had time to look up before being lifted off her feet and hurled at the Ursan who had tried to reason with me, Samriel landing near me with his wings, arms, and chest engulfed in flames. His veins were black from the Corruption running through the Demon. 

He looked down at me, his eyes burning embers in a sea of darkness.  “Stay awake for me, okay? I have some trash to take care of.” He stalked toward the three party members who stood on the hill with us, spreading his wings as molten amber rained down from them.

The Ursan was first to her feet and grabbed a mace from her belt, standing in front of her friends with white glowing paws. “This has all been a massive misunderstanding. We can talk about this like civilized beings, right?” The waver in her voice made her attempts useless.

Sam growled at the group with bared fangs. “Things have progressed far past being civilized, Cleric. You have damn near killed my ward and you expect me to be civilized? And I wouldn’t waste your Magic on those Social Powers. I’m delighted to tell you that you cannot use your low-level Power on me. How sad for you, though.”

The Ursan stared at the enraged Demon for half a second before scooping up the Lupine and the Heikin and dashing down the hill toward the other party members. “Time for running!” There was hesitation from the other two, but as soon as Samriel lifted from the ground, they realized the danger they were in and scrambled toward the forest. A wall of flames exploded from the ground in front of the fleeing party.

Samriel quickly descended upon the party and I could hear a vicious fight ensuing below me. I laid down in the burned grass and stared at the nearly dark sky, the only real light coming from Samriel’s flames. There was nothing I could do to help. I could barely keep my eyes open, much less hold my own in further fighting. I lost the fight with my eyelids and desperately tried to cling to consciousness.

My eyes shot open again when I heard a footstep in the singed grass. The black and red Zalyk stood over me with glowing crimson eyes. He glanced over his shoulder as he pulled one of his daggers. “Your friend might destroy us, but you don’t get to live either.” I let out a weak cry of pain, tears running down my burned, bloody face. The Zalyk frowned as he wiped off his dagger and placed it into its sheath. “Don’t do that. It makes me fe-” 

He was cut short by a disc of white light when it hit the Zalyk’s back, which knocked him off of me and left a burning gash where he’d been hit. He scrambled to get to his feet, but Samriel snagged his opponent by his shoulders, flew so high I could barely make out his burning wings, and dropped the screaming Zalyk. He hovered in the air until the red and black scaled man was dangerously close to the ground, and Samriel grabbed his foot just as his short snout touched the earth. 

Sam flipped the much smaller man to hold him by his neck and stare him in the eyes. “You have doomed your entire party. I might have let some of you live, but not now. You’ve condemned them all.”

“S-sam…” I looked up at him with my eyes barely open. “Please. Don’t. Kill them. I started it.”

He stared down at me, analyzing my condition. “It doesn’t matter who started it. Normally, I would be the one finishing this, but you are close enough to Death’s door and I don’t have time for trash mobs.”

The Zalyk clawed at Sam’s hand with little effect. “You’re screwed if you let us go. We’ll just get stronger and find you later. Because we’re the heroes and you’re the villains. We win. You lose. We live. You die. That’s how the world works.”

Sam shook his head with a disgusted look. “That is how they’ve taught you the world works in your little Guilds and Alliances. The whole world has fallen for the biggest lie ever told. Heroes. Villains. It’s about perspective. Swing first, ask questions later seems to be the way of you Adventurers.” His pupils flared white and he tsked. “You have so much potential in you. What a waste it will be to kill you and the others. But I won’t just kill you and them. I will break your necks to paralyze you. I will break your arms. And then your legs. I will tear open your torsos, show you your own entrails, and then wrap them around your throats until your eyes start bulging. I’ll end your suffering by crushing your skulls with my bare hands.”

The terrified scaled man tried to put on a confident grin. “If you’re done monologuing at me, I’d let me go before my friends come back.”

A wicked smile crept across Samriel’s features. “You mean the friends that left as soon as I began describing what your deaths would look like?” Sam turned so my would-be assassin could see the quickly retreating backs of the other party members.

The abandoned Zalyk let out an enraged scream, doubling his effort to escape Samriel’s clutches. “You cowards! A pox on your Fates! I’ll see you in the Pits, traitors!” He glared at Samriel in defiance. “Well. Get on with it. You have laid your Death deal out quite plainly, Dealer.”

Sam looked down at me. “Close your eyes. You don’t need to see this.” I heard him let out a deep sigh when my eyes were shut. “You will have to excuse the sounds.” The next several minutes were filled with the sounds of screaming and breaking bones, the air thick with the coppery scent of blood. I knew it was over when there was a final, gut-wrenching sound of Sam crushing the Zalyk’s head. Sam brought the body down to the crater left by the Barbarian, dug the hole deeper with his claws, and buried the remains. 

He returned to me and picked me up with as much care as possible, all the fire and rage gone. “I can’t help with injuries this bad. We need to get you to an actual Healer.” He took off and held me tight to his chest as he sped through the air. “Just stay with me, Kindred. You’re gonna make it. I promise.”