x
I COULDN’T QUITE COMPREHEND quite what I was looking at. Barcius couldn’t be alive, he couldn’t be of this realm, we all watched him perish under the watchful gaze of the knowing maiden, Ioun. Ser Raexius must have brought him here to make fools of us. This was nothing more than a cruel trick sent to test us. To test me.
My knees buckled beneath my weight. I fell to the ground with a thud, gaining the attention of our fallen friend. The hunger in his crimson orbs glared at me, his lips salivating as he dropped his latest victim. The helpless fey dropped to the stone, its lifeless body a mirror of what mine was to become, should I let myself get too close.
Tarasque stood between us in an instance, her famed blade poised across her body. ‘Not another step fiend,’ she bellowed, igniting her tresses as a warning.
Mitztail was at my side, gentle paws attempted to help me back onto my hooves. ‘I know what mew must be thinking, but please don’t entertain the notion,’ he pleaded.
I returned to my hooves, my body still paralysed, yet my mind was going wild with possibilities. I knew it was too good to be true for Barcius to be with us in this realm, he probably wasn’t in his own mind but I didn’t want to give up on my friend.
The fiend’s claws crashed against the greatsword, ear-piercing shrieks erupted from the steel. When I glanced at Tarasque, it seemed even she was struggling to hold the beast back. Her stoic form barely held out against him.
‘Stop,’ I begged, tears clustered in the corners of my eyes. ‘Perhaps I could reason with him?’
‘There is nothing you can do for him, Saria,’ Tarasque roared through gritted teeth. She dug her foot deeper into the ground, cementing herself in place.
‘At least let me try, I owe him that much.’
Tarasque scoffed, but gave into my foolish request. She used all her might and shoved the shadow fiend back to where we found him, before driving her greatsword into the ground and fixing her posture. ‘You have a few minutes, nothing more.’
I hurried to my fallen friend's side, the beast cowered before me. I sensed a genuine fear in his eyes, and for the first time since our departure from the previous trial I saw a glimpse of him within the beast.
‘Barcius, please,’ I cooed softly, resting a gentle hand on his fur. ‘This isn’t you.’
His breathing grew shallow, like he might’ve understood my words, but those crimson eyes didn’t yield. They stayed transfixed, flicking between the stoic fire genasi and myself. I could only sympathise with the turmoil he must have felt seeing us again.
‘It’s truly us, friend.’
The beast was silent for a moment, his gaze now focused on me only. His claws reached out but stopped inches away from my cheek. ‘S-s,’ he stuttered, a voice of the man I once knew fought to be heard. ‘Saria…’
I couldn’t hold my tears back for a moment longer, I allowed them to fall, giving into the sadness I felt for my fallen comrade. ‘We thought you were lost to us,’ I sobbed, my gentle touch now a firm grip on his forearm.
‘Saria, get back now,’ Tarasque’s stern voice cut through my happiness.
As I glanced back, I witnessed her greatsword emerge from the ground and her tresses aflame. When I turned back to the shadow fiend, I no longer saw my friend. His mouth hung open, his fangs dripping with saliva and his crimson eyes showed no sign of compassion.
‘Barcius,’ I said, my words coming out hoarse. ‘Fight this please.’
No sooner had my plea left my lips, did his claws find purchase with my bare shoulder. Wicked talon ripped through flesh, tears split down my arm, but despite my injury I was still rooted in place. My eyes transfixed on the promise of aiding my fallen friend.
‘Mitztail!’ Tarasque bellowed for backup, as she readied her blade.
In the next moment I was scooped up by his magic hand, hauling me back to safety. I cursed my selfish behaviour under my breath and willed my skin to repair itself. I watched the fire genasi stand before me once more.
‘If the Goddess couldn’t hold him, what hope do we have?’ she asked ‘We should make a tactical retreat. On my signal.’
But before she could count us down, Mitztail stood before her. His hardee tipped forward until it touched his nose, and his newly acquired lyre in his paws.
‘Mew two go, I will hold him off,’ he said with a smile on his lips.
Tarasque scowled, ‘You can’t be serious. You’re a showman, not a fighter.’
‘Exactly, now go. I won’t ask twice.’
The fire genasi helped me back onto my hooves, my wound almost healed. She held onto my wrist tightly as she sheathed her greatsword, with a single nod I knew she meant to honour his wishes but I shook my head. I didn’t want to leave another one of my friends behind, not like this.
‘We can’t leave him,’ I said, but Tarasque refused to meet my gaze. Instead she hauled me off, and as we left I turned back to see the tabaxi standing before the shadow beast, with his back to his old friend and his instrument in paw.
‘It’s been fun ladies, I only hope to see you in the next realm,’ Mitztail tipped his hardee to us as he spoke, then strummed against the lyres strings as tears fell from his eyes, ‘I’ll never forget mew, my friends.’
One moment I was staring at the greatest bard we’d met, the next, the room erupted into a fountain of wispy purple smoke. A symphony of snarling and hissing followed the gentle chords, but still we kept running until the noise was nothing more than a distant echo. Then I heard the one noise I hoped never to hear. The yowl of defeat.
‘Don’t,’ Tarasque’s tone was a warning.
She knew what I was thinking before I even knew myself, yet I couldn’t summon even find the motivation to move my body forward. We’d lost Barcius, and now we’d lost Mitztail too.
‘What hope do we have continuing on?’ I asked.
The fire genasi stopped dead in her tracks, ‘What hope?’ she repeated my words back to me, ‘Our comrades sacrificed themselves so we might live to see a brighter tomorrow. Don’t let that sacrifice be in vain. Now move your hooves onward.’
I kept my head trained to the ground, unwilling to let my remaining comrade watch me as I crumbled. I couldn’t contain myself, tears streamed down my cheeks, I sniffed thinking of them both, the ones we had to leave behind.
‘For a brighter tomorrow,’ I repeated her words back to her, as I wiped my tears away with the back of my hand. ‘Onward.’
Tarasque didn’t press me anymore, instead she took the lead, like I was accustomed to and I trailed alongside her. Together we walked down many corridors, passed several larger rooms and yet it didn’t feel like we were getting any closer to our goal.
My comrade pushed on, her anger heard in the heaviness of her steps at each dead end we came too. I sensed her frustration, I felt it too. Our goals aligned. She wanted to escape this labyrinth as much as I did.
We reached another open space, dimly lit once more with dwindling sconces. Another horde of crimson coated skeletons greeted us.
Once more did Tarasque summon her fire spirit. He tore through the bones like they were twigs, snapping them beneath his fiery talons. When he disappeared I watched my comrade’s form wither. She'd protected me at the cost of her own body. Her own life force. All because I was still struggling to defend myself? I couldn't help but wonder if I'd learnt anything from my own trial.
Tarasque continued to lead me down corridor after corridor, each one darker than the previous one. A subtle sign that we may have been closer to our goal than we thought. There was the hope we'd make it out of here alive.
We reached another dead end, thanks to a narrow corridor that led us here. A sickly scent of death caused bile to rise up in my throat. In the dim light I saw a large translucent ooze, I could just make out the form of a cube. Suspended inside the goo, broken bones and miscellaneous weapons poised to harm us.
I gripped onto my crook, summoning the earth's energy into my body. An arm across my torso prevented any further moments.
Tarasque had interrupted my spellcasting, 'It's unwise to fight this creature,' she said, her voice barely a whisper.
'Why?' I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me once more.
'The gelatinous substance that makes up its cubic structure is poisonous to the touch,' she explained, forcing me to take baby steps backwards. 'But a much worse fate is being trapped inside its being for all eternity.'
I glanced back at the creature, the ooze block seemed so docile but the items suspended in its body suggested I should trust my comrade’s claims. I followed her instinct to back up, creating distance between ourselves and the gelatinous cube. But as we edged away, the creature mimicked our steps, shuffling towards us on its own ooze.
‘Run, it’s on to us,’ Tarasque whispered in my ear. She turned tail and darted down the narrow corridor leaving me to fend against the creature.
The gelatinous cube picked up speed, hungry for a new victim. But this was not my day to become fodder. I followed my comrade’s movements and ran as fast as my hooves would carry me. In the previous corridor, I rejoined Tarasque and together we continued to run from the creature.
‘I have a theory,’ I said, my words coming out disjointed as we ran. ‘Surely the increase in the fiends has to suggest we’re close to the exit?’ I thought back to when we first entered the labyrinth, how little the hordes seemed compared to the foes we’d face the further into the maze we ventured. Surely there had to be a connection.
Tarasque glanced back, then her pace slowed. ‘We don’t appear to have been followed, let us rest for a moment,’ she replied, seemingly ignoring my suggestion. She lent against the opposite wall and folded her arms across her chest, yet she didn’t look in my direction. ‘I’m inclined to believe you, judging our entrance till now, perhaps you’re correct. The Sorcerer must’ve got his minions to guard the exit.’ The fire genasi kicked herself off the wall and placed a hand on my shoulder. ‘Are you sure you’re ready for this adventure to end?’
I gave a single nod to agree, ‘I’ve had more adventure with you three than I’ve had my entire life,’ I said, a smile graced my lips. ‘I wouldn’t trade that for the world.’
Tarasque returned my smile, seemingly satisfied with my admission, ‘Then let us locate this exit, so we can return to our realm safely,’ she suggested. ‘Though moving forward, if I ask you to leave me behind so that you might live on, grant me that as a final wish.’
I couldn’t bear to meet her gaze, I didn’t want to think about losing any more friends.
‘Promise me,’ she said again, her tone slightly harsher.
‘Yes, of course, I promise.’
But even as the words left my lips I wasn’t sure I truly meant them. My comrade was asking me to do the impossible, to leave behind yet another friend. I’d broken my heart leaving Barcius in the previous trial, and Mitztail moments earlier.
‘Now it just leaves the matter of the exit’s location,’ Tarasque said, glancing around at the cross section we’d found ourselves in. ‘Is it possible for you to communicate with this realm?’
‘I can only try,’ I said, kneeling on the ground. I listened to the earth’s voice, a sinister overtone made it difficult for me to make out the words but I persisted, forcing for my own voice to be heard amongst the fiend.
Let me speak, I pleaded with the voices.
They continued to argue against me, but my resistance urged them to back down. Finally, they gave in, bored of toying with my mind I could only speculate.
I seek to find an end to this labyrinth, can you show me the way? I asked, speaking inside my mind. I waited for a few moments, allowing the earth to consider my question, and after such a time, it willingly gave me a response.
To find which you seek, follow your heart and it shall show you the way.
‘Anything?’ Tarasque asked, cutting through my thoughts.
I got back to my hooves, ‘Perhaps I could lead the way from here on out?’ I answered with my own question.
My comrade was taken aback, but gave a nod to agree with my terms. ‘If there is anything at all I can do to aid you, please do not hesitate,’ she said.
We proceeded onward north, following my instinct, yet still we were led down many winding corridors, through halls filled to the brim of fiends. We avoided as much conflict as we could, concealing ourselves in the shadows. The same monsters were our foes, skeletons, wounded fey and many others we’d seen in our previous trials. Until we entered one final chamber, dimly lit sconces greeted us once more. A single door sat at the north of the room and something in my gut was pulling me to it. I’d a strong suspicion that it was our exit.
But as I inched into the centre of the room, followed closely behind by Tarasque, a beast crashed to the ground. Crimson eyes glared like daggers into my soul. I know this beast, we’d seen him not too long ago, before we lost our tabaxi comrade.
Barcius.
A deep set scar marred his left eye, no doubt a passing gift from Mitztail before his life was cruelly taken away. Blood stained his talons, I realised quickly this had belonged to our shared friend. My body swayed, my knees almost buckling under my weight, but I steadied myself with my crook.
Tarasque came close to my side, knocking me off my hooves and skidding off to one side, ‘Saria, stand back,’ she bellowed, her greatsword already positioned across her body. ‘Allow me.’
I sat myself up, watching my comrade fight the shadow beast, talons scraped against metal, an ear-piercing shriek with each blow, but still the fire genasi’s resolve never wavered. I reached for my crook, summoning the energy around me to assist my comrade in her flight. I slammed my hand on the ground, causing stone spikes to erupt from the ground. Most of them missed my target, but a single one managed to skewer the beast by the tail.
The shadow beast writhed in agony, flailing himself about and smacking Tarasque to the ground. I watched as she stood, her arm dripping with crimson tears yet still she readied herself to continue her fight.
‘By my sword, I shall end your suffering,’ she said, her tresses igniting.
The fiend charged at her, but Tarasque drove her greatsword into the ground. Her position absorbed the impact, but I still heard her cries. Her body had sustained significant damage, but she still was willing to continue on.
‘Saria, don’t forget your promise,’ she bellowed, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
My promise.
Tarasque understood that she would fall against the fiend in this battle and needed me to fulfil my end of the promise. As much as it pained me, I stood and by the cover of shadows, edged towards the northern door.
‘Over here brute,’ the fire genasi bellowed, using what little energy she’d left to leap from the stone spikes, goading the beast away from my presence.
The mindless beast followed her command, roaring as he charged towards her again. Her form was heroic, and I watched in awe as she fended against the beast the same way she’d done in every trial, with courage.
I reached the door, but as I tried the handle the thing wouldn’t budge. It was locked tightly. Even if Tarasque could distract the beast long enough for my escape, there was no hope of me leaving.
Only one may leave, a small voice inside my head reminded me. This means my comrade had to die in order for me to leave. Cruel, heartless tricks.
I kicked the door, alerting the shadow beast to my presence. I cursed myself. How dumb could one fawn be? I noticed the fiend edging towards me and slammed my hands onto the ground, a stone barrier formed a shield around me.
Just as the beast attempted to destroy my shield, it crumpled. Tarasque was in front of me, her Tempest’s shield up. Translucent golden wings spread out from the crest, as she tousled with the fiend. Greatsword in her other hand, she pierced his chest with the tip.
But the beast didn’t go down quite so easily, he flailed about, his wicked talons catching the fire genasi in her chest. Tarasque screamed, a primordial bellow that could awake the dead. Her body hunched over, she edged herself further onto his claws, until I could see them poking out of her spine.
‘Go now,’ she choked on her own blood. ‘Fulfil your promise.’
The light of Tarasque’s shield dimmed and with both hands she drove her greatsword into the heart of the fiend. Together, they perished in a pool of crimson, just as they’d hoped.
In the moment they took their last breaths, the door behind me unbolted. I couldn’t bear to look upon the scene, instead I entered the open doorway and fulfilled my promise to my final comrade. The door slammed behind me, and I collapsed to the floor, hugging my legs tightly into my chest as I allowed myself a moment to cry for my fallen friends.
Together we fight, together we die. That’s what our group motto should’ve been. At least we’d be together, even in death. But they were already in the afterlife, leaving me behind to see our mission through to the end. I’d only thought in my mind.
Don’t let their sacrifices be in vain.
189Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLYfGdC8sa
