MasterEnvi This is the AN back from when I wrote this a few months ago: AN: Wrote two pretty emotionally heavy and taxing chapters both, I think, from the readers perspective and a writer’s one. As such I’d like to take a quick moment and write something a little more light on the doom and gloom. Maybe not quite uplifting, but something that I think might be enjoyable.
Therein the Pale Castle
Lies He with a Heart of Stone
The Crimson Prince Borne of a Golden Crown
With The Shield Named Valor
And The Sword of The Righteous
He Cleansed the Way
Through the Broken Streams.
-Excerpt from the passage of Falenor The Crimson Lord and his Crusade of Broken Dreams
Written 1195 EN
***
3 Years Before Alex Arrives In Vinwood
“Well if we’re going to form a group together we should have a cool name I think,” Garrus said.
George nodded emphatically from his seat next to him.
“Hmmm… Well, there’s a number of historical names we could pick from that have some good connotations I think?” Karif offered, although he sounded unsure of himself.
“Maybe…” Garrus said, tapping his chin thoughtfully.
“The problem is that I don’t want some run-of-the-mill name. No ‘Flame Swords’ or ‘Golden Flight’ flashy kind of names. We need something grounded, something that says we’re here to take this seriously, but not that we’re here to be arrogant show-offs.”
George once again nodded his head fully agreeing with what Garrus said. Not that Karif disagreed either.
Penny had to admit there was definitely something that resonated there with her.
“There are a number of crusading kings, maybe a rare artifact that they had? Potentially we could just come up with our own based off of a concept. Really I guess it just comes down to what kind of name do you wish to embody.” Karif said.
“See that’s the problem, I’m not sure. That’s why I was hoping you three might have some ideas as well.”
The four of them sat silently in the booth they were in as a waitress brought them their food. They thanked her quietly before silently biting into their individual meals.
“I have a name,” Penny said, surprising them slightly after the long silence.
“Alright then,” Garrus replied, “Let’s hear it.”
Penny nodded slowly, “To tell you the name and the significance it represents, you need to know the story that goes with it.”
Garrus frowned slightly and looked at Karif and George who both shrugged before turning back to Penny.
“Well, I guess we have time to hear it. So long as it’s not going to take all day.”
Penny nodded.
***
Many years prior in the land of Palmwren, there was a king. That king ruled a country that was forever locked in a land of strife, dragons ruled the skies and the lands and viewed humans as nothing more than slaves or cattle to be eaten or controlled.
But this king stood against the dragons and became a bastion for mankind, his kingdom grew and grew until it finally grew enough to fight back. And so they did.
For the first time in history, the humans fought back against their would-be tyrants and sought to be masters of their own fate.
And serving that king was a great hero. A hero who gave all he had to protect the human race, standing against an impossible foe. A hero who gave all he had to succeed against the odds that were stacked against him.
His name was Lyne.
***
“Lyne, hurry up!” Apphia yelled at him.
“Not everyone is as fast as you,” Lyne retorted, before grumbling under his breath, “Damn Sylph thinks everyone knows how to fly and travel at ridiculously high speeds. Absurd.”
“The more time you spend grumbling, the more people end up dying, you know.”
Lyne picked up the pace, doing his best to keep up with the little spirit of air floating around. It was extremely difficult, but he wasn’t the veteran of many battles for nothing.
Lyne had slowly become more and more feared by the dragons, the longer this altercation went on. Simply because he kept winning.
Dragons were arrogant and prideful, but they weren’t stupid. Well, some of the time anyway.
Since Lyne had first killed a dragon in combat 325 years ago, he’d since slain over 1500 different dragons, either in single combat or in groups.
That was a group of dragons facing him. Not the other way around.
This time would be no different.
[Fortification]
[Repel]
[Earth Stride]
[Mountainous Visage]
[Steel Bones]
[Bloodfury]
Lyne activated a number of buffs before launching himself forward, the ground crumbling away beneath him as he accelerated.
He saw the battle before he heard it, but there wasn’t much of a delay between the two.
An enormous explosion took up much of his view in front of him, shortly after the sounds and shockwave reached him but barely doing more than buffeting his armor. Lyne pressed forward, he needed to get there as soon as possible.
His companions were already fighting, he had been waylaid by a group of dragons intent on delaying him for as long as possible. If they split Lyne from his party, it was possible they’d eventually be able to defeat him, simply by virtue of wearing him down over time. With his party assisting him, that had been a losing fight for the dragons.
So they had tried something new.
They had almost killed him outright, but like always he pulled through, with a little bit of help from Apphia.
Eventually, the field of battle came into view, the field was littered with corpses of the army of Palmwren, and very few were left standing.
The enormous bodies of the dragons rested in various places over the field as well, from where they had been struck down. Lyne knew he could trust his comrades to do their best. There were at least 50 dragons here, this had to be the last of their major forces. Kril’koth couldn’t have many left at this point.
Lyne kept running forward, each step making the ground quake and crumble away. Over these 300 years, Lyne had become the most powerful human alive, if not in history. And potentially in contending for one of the strongest beings to exist in the planes. At the very least he was the strongest of the mortal races.
All three classes in the eighth tier tended to give one a lot of power. Lyne was no different.
And with his achievements of slaying dragons, he had unlocked some very good ones. Ones he would make use of very soon.
Lyne crossed the last miles to the active combat zone in the blink of an eye and came to witness a tragedy.
“Kril’koth…” Apphia whispered, witnessing the colossal dragon's form.
Lyne had thought that it had been him but hadn’t been sure if it wasn’t his son instead. Looking down farther away several miles, Lyne could pick out a dragon, of a very similar shade lying on the ground, sliced in two. It looked like it had been done by Lionel’s blade.
Lyne identified him just to be sure.
[Kril’koth, Dragon Lord of the Kulvarnst Mountains - Level 34529 / Blasphemer of Divinity - Level 30969 / Herobane - Level 10219]
And before him lay the remains of Lyne’s party. His friends were all dead except one. Lionel who still stood beneath the claw of Kril’koth, pressed him slowly into the ground.
Lyne pushed forward with a burst of speed and slammed his great axe into the underside of Kril’koth with enough force for the earth to rumble for hundreds of miles, and for the airs to swirl violently, uprooting trees all around him.
Lyne kept a firm grip on Lionel to keep him from being blasted away. Kril’koth was not so lucky.
While the blow most certainly wasn’t fatal, it held enough force to push him miles away, giving Lyne time to take care of his friend.
Lyne couldn’t bear to look around him and see the dead faces of his friends, so instead, he focused on Lionel.
“Are you alright?” Lyne asked him quietly.
Lionel just gave him a weak smile, “Now that you’re here? I think I will be. Was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to show up. Thought they’d finally managed to do you in. At least that’s what Kril’koth said. I should’ve known he was lying. If you were dead it would’ve been him that did it, not some underling of his. They wouldn’t be strong enough.”
Lionel let out a sigh before coughing, blood coated his lips, and his injuries were critical. But there was just one problem with that.
“Elsie was beside herself with grief, she couldn’t bear to hear that you were gone and was the first to give in to rash behavior despite me trying to warn her. She was the first. But she didn’t die without striking a critical blow at the very least. And you know that Garland followed right behind her. Just like always, right to the very end.”
Lyne gave him a pained smile, “They always were inseparable weren’t they?”
“Aye that they were. Tyulie let loose her most devastating spells while Kerlin and I protected her. But I think we both know that, despite the overwhelming power of lightning, Kril’koth is essentially immune to most base elemental forms of damage. So they didn’t do much. Kerlin died trying to take a blow for her. Unfortunately, Kril’koth was hoping for that and managed to get both at the same time.”
The problem was that neither Lyne nor Apphia had any way to heal beyond themselves. Lionel knew that as well.
Apphia sat herself on Lionel's shoulder with a somber expression. Who knew what was going through the Sylph’s mind? She was an immortal, she experienced time in a much different fashion than normal people did. She had probably had countless goodbyes amongst the mortal races, and she would have countless more before her time came. Whether that was her ascension or her death at the hands of someone else, no one would know until the time came.
She gently rested her hand on his cheek but didn’t say anything as he continued talking.
“I forgive you, Lyne.”
Lyne tilted his head slightly, “For what? Being too weak to save you? Not being here when you needed me?”
Lionel laughed weakly, “Not that, you doofus. I used to be angry with you for the longest time after that day. How long ago was that now? 360 years ago now and counting? I tried to kill myself after I lost everything and you stopped me. I never forgave you for giving me a reason to live again. All the hardships we endured trying to chase after you, barely able to keep up.”
Lionel sighed, “No, I forgive you for being the greatest brother a man could have. So because you gave me the horrible fate of having to enjoy my life after I’d given up, you’re gonna have to forgive me if I go on before you. Alright?”
Lyne nodded slowly, “Alright. I think I can do that. Lionel.”
“Hah. Good, 'cause I’m not really giving you a choice.”
Lionel reached out an arm.
Lyne grasped his forearm as Lionel grasped his.
“Promise me you’ll win?”
“I won’t promise,” Lyne whispered.
Lionel looked at him silently. Waiting for Lyne’s next words.
“I’ll [Swear] it. On my name, this day. As Bane of Dragons, Lyne. I will win. I will win, in the name of hope. For a humanity that’s lived in oppression for far too long. I will win. In the name of freedom, that all races deserve to obtain. I will win. In the name of brotherhood, that’s given me my reason and strength to fight all these years. I will win. I [Swear].”
Lionel grinned at him.
“You always were over dramatic about these things, Lyne. Go get him.”
Lyne nodded and stood up from where he had been standing and turned to face his opponent.
Kril’koth hovered in the air, despite his enormous wingspan of over six hundred feet, his wings were silent as they flapped in the air.
“You really did a number on my party, Kril’koth. Don’t think I’ll let you leave here alive.”
As always the dragon refused to speak with him, there was no doubt he knew the tongues of men, but he refused to speak it, likely viewing mortal races as beneath his attention. That would be his downfall. If he had been willing to communicate with the mortal races, this might’ve played out differently for him. But his pride would be his undoing. Lyne would make sure of that.
Lyne moved so quickly that it seemed like he had disappeared. Compared to someone like Apphia, Lyne was slow. Apphia was at the height of the ninth tier herself, getting close to her ascension to the tenth. This, combined with her small stature, lent herself to being a speed-based build rather than a strength one. Focusing purely on mana and speed, she had overwhelming power and destruction as a mage.
But she would not be helping Lyne here. The sylphs were neutral in this war. As they had been in every war that didn’t threaten the very existence of the fabric of realities. It took much to prompt them into action, along with many of the other reclusive immortal races. The enslavement of humanity was not one such event that spurred them to act after millennia of hiding.
Despite this, however, and despite Apphia’s overwhelming speed compared to Lyne.
Lyne was not slow. Lyne moved so quickly the very air ignited behind him, Kril’koth focusing more on brute control of mana and destructive capability, didn’t have the speed for dealing with Lyne. And given that there was no longer any fear of collateral.
Lyne held a very blatant advantage against the dragon lord. One he fully intended to utilize.
Lyne, to anyone else’s senses, appeared behind Kril’koth already swinging. His great axe cut straight through a wing, causing as much damage and pain as possible.
Lyne’s face twisted into an ugly rictus of fury and hatred. But he said nothing as the dragonlord roared out in pain, unleashing his magic all around him and forcing Lyne to retreat a safe distance roughly a mile away.
Three of the four major base elements swirled around Kril’koth, along with a lot of their composites. Air, water, and fire. Lightning, blizzard, inferno, storm, and a multitude of other elemental magic attacks devastated the ground.
Kril’koth turned to look at the not-so-insignificant human opposing him. He then began charging up a lot of mana, preparing to unleash a large attack. Lyne smiled.
This was a moment he had been waiting for. Reaching under his plate formed purely of a special stone hardened by his mana, Lyne pulled out a necklace that had a small chip of a dragon's tooth on it.
Lyne grasped it. Then crushed it, activating a skill that was racial to dragons, that Lyne was able to utilize because of his dragonslayer class.
Dragons had a minor nullification ability to most elemental magics. The nullification amount varied depending on the strength of the dragon. A baseline dragon nullified a very small amount, whereas Kril’koth nullified nearly 90% of the damage dealt.
There was one school of magic that it didn’t nullify though. The very magic that was the antithesis of flying creatures everywhere. And it was also the reason why dragons spent the majority of their lives flying high above the clouds instead.
One that Lyne excelled in and had focused all his classes into at the expense of being weaker if facing anything outside of his chosen enemies.
Earth magic.
The tooth was crushed and Lyne roared out the skill.
“[MAGIC NULL]”
The tooth that Lyne had was one he had obtained from Kril’koth himself many years ago in one of their few skirmishes that they had.
The world erupted as magic exploded with atomic force, the ground vaporizing and the air superheating to degrees that metal melted around Lyne. The atmosphere rumbled as it was supercharged with lightning, and the earth split apart as fire and magma spurted up from below.
This was definitely a skill combination. One that was the pinnacle of the draconic vision, a world pushed to its knees, presenting as supplicant to its overlord.
And it was everything Lyne stood against.
Lyne planted a single foot into the ground in front of him, counteracting with his own skill combination. One that was the apex of everything he embodied. Foundation and solidity.
Lyne was a stone. And he would not be moved.
[Skill Combination: Hero’s Burden]
Lyne’s skill kept the earth from falling apart beneath his feet, but it did nothing to stop the other things that happened. That’s where [Magic Null] came in. It would protect him as he moved forward to get in range of the dragonlord.
Lyne rushed forward once again and swung his great axe with all his might against Kril’koth. But the dragonlord was prepared this time and moved out of the way with a single flap of his wings. Lyne followed, chasing closely behind, and rained down blow after blow upon the dragonlord, refusing to give him even a moment’s rest.
With a mighty overhead swing, Lyne slammed the dragonlord into the ground.
Lyne’s skill did more than just level the playing field. Lyne had been bearing the hopes of humanity for centuries. As such he had a burden and a responsibility to see this fight to its end. To win. Even if it cost him his life.
Lyne was very willing to give it for such a cause.
And so he did.
Lyne was powerful, but not nearly strong enough to deal a fatal blow against one as powerful as Kril’koth. Even with all his skills and preparations, even with all his abilities designed for slaying dragons, the dragonlord was just too powerful.
Which was why Lyne had gone to find an artifact. An artifact said to belong to the elves at one point, one they used to subjugate the dragons in a crusade long past. He had found it, and while it wasn’t quite what he had been hoping for. At this moment it would have to do.
With the dragonlord grounded, Lyne reached under his stoneplate one last time and pulled out another necklace. This one held a small silvery ball. Lyne began pouring mana into it, sending it into an overloaded frenzy.
Kril’koth realized what was happening, he had seen it used before and tried to run.
Lyne didn’t let him.
He blasted forward once more and cleaved through one of his front claws, forcing Kril’koth back to the ground to face him in a doomed duel.
Kril’koth stopped holding back at that moment, and the world cried out in pain as reality itself was starting to be torn apart. Kril’koth had been careful up to this moment as his power, like all high tiers, was enough to destroy this plane with enough effort.
But with his life on the line he stopped caring about destroying reality, if he was going to die he would bring the entire plane of existence with him!
Immediately following the deluge of mana and chaos, the entire world went still.
Apphia slowly rose from where she had been watching and spoke.
“Do not mistake inaction for complacency, Dragonlord. As Sylph, I am sworn to uphold the balance of nature. If such a thing culminated in the death of the humans I would’ve abided by it, even if it was at your hand. So do not think you are above the rules just because no one ever stopped you before. This moment, the end of your journey here, is the fruits that you have sown. You could have lived in peace, but instead, you lived by blood and claw. And so that is how you shall die. Accept your death with pride, Dragonlord.”
Impossible amounts of mana flowed off the tiny form completely encapsulating the forms of Lyne and the dragonlord shortly before an enormous eruption emanated from Lyne’s body. It consumed both of them and was barely contained in the massive shield of mana that Apphia had made surrounding them.
When the fires died down, there was nothing left inside the shield. Nothing for Apphia to take back, not for humanity. And not for herself.
“Rest well, Lyne. Hero of humanity, bane of dragons, slayer of Kril’koth. I’ll make sure that history remembers the name of Lyne, The Earth Raider.”
***
The table sat silently.
“Penny. That was a horribly depressing story.” Karif said, looking mortified.
“The entire hero’s party died, and most of humanity with it.” Garrus added, “Not exactly a great message to convey.
“You think so?” Penny said frowning, “To me, that story was one of hope.”
Garrus and Karif frowned while looking at each other. George sat there silently, thinking.
“What that story says to me, is that no matter the odds, no matter how impossible the situation might seem. Humanity will always win. Lyne was someone who did the right thing, even when it was hard. Lyne probably could’ve run away and hid in another realm, he could’ve let anyone else take the mantle. He even said as much during his life at some points. But he also said he would never have been able to live with himself for abandoning his kin to their fate. I want to be like that. I want to be able to look at impossible odds in the face and not back down, even if it would cost me my life. To always do what’s best in the eyes of humanity. That’s the kind of message Lyne passed down to us, one that says we should fight for freedom and justice. One of brotherhood and friendship. Is that not a good message to convey?”
Garrus hummed thoughtfully, while Karif crossed his arms shaking his head lightly.
George was the first to break the silence, signing his words to the party.
“I like it. Heroism, bravery, brotherhood, honor. These are things we should stand for. They are ideals all of us should aim for, and while we won’t always succeed, we should still try our best. There will be times we stumble and we do the wrong thing because we’re afraid. But that’s all the process of learning. I vote for Penny’s name.”
Garrus looked surprised at George. He had hardly been so outspoken with the group to this point.
Eventually, Garrus started laughing, startling everyone else, “Hah! I guess you’re right. As usual George. It’s the same reason why I joined the army as well, I wanted to help those around me. Especially after I lost my home. Penny and George are right, this name is a perfect fit for us. Although one slight change will need to be made.”
“Oh?” Penny said, raising an eyebrow.
“Aye. After all, there’s more than one of us.”
***
Thus was the founding of The Earth Raiders.
MasterEnvi
I hope you enjoyed that. I needed a slight break from the horrible writing and shit happening in the current story. Wreaks havoc on my mind having to write shit like that, it’ll all be worth it though.
I’ve always particularly liked heroic tragedies. A story where the hero gives his life fighting for a just cause. Maybe it’s a little corny, but it resonates with something inside of me. The indomitable human spirit perhaps. The desire to stand for something worthwhile. It feels like there are very few things that are worth fighting for to that degree these days. Anyway, I’ll be back with more of the main story tomorrow. Hopefully, the wait isn’t overwhelming. I don’t think it was a particularly large cliff-hanger, we got through all the biggest stuff in the writing and he’s going back to rest and recuperate from his bad time with Lurks, so it’s gonna be kind of a down chapter as he tries to come to terms with everything and understand it.
It’ll be interesting to see how that goes. Anyway, thanks for reading!
MasterEnvi This is the AN back from when I wrote this a few months ago: AN: Wrote two pretty emotionally heavy and taxing chapters both, I think, from the readers perspective and a writer’s one. As such I’d like to take a quick moment and write something a little more light on the doom and gloom. Maybe not quite uplifting, but something that I think might be enjoyable.
Therein the Pale Castle
Lies He with a Heart of Stone
The Crimson Prince Borne of a Golden Crown
With The Shield Named Valor
And The Sword of The Righteous
He Cleansed the Way
Through the Broken Streams.
-Excerpt from the passage of Falenor The Crimson Lord and his Crusade of Broken Dreams
Written 1195 EN
***
3 Years Before Alex Arrives In Vinwood
“Well if we’re going to form a group together we should have a cool name I think,” Garrus said.
George nodded emphatically from his seat next to him.
“Hmmm… Well, there’s a number of historical names we could pick from that have some good connotations I think?” Karif offered, although he sounded unsure of himself.
“Maybe…” Garrus said, tapping his chin thoughtfully.
“The problem is that I don’t want some run-of-the-mill name. No ‘Flame Swords’ or ‘Golden Flight’ flashy kind of names. We need something grounded, something that says we’re here to take this seriously, but not that we’re here to be arrogant show-offs.”
George once again nodded his head fully agreeing with what Garrus said. Not that Karif disagreed either.
Penny had to admit there was definitely something that resonated there with her.
“There are a number of crusading kings, maybe a rare artifact that they had? Potentially we could just come up with our own based off of a concept. Really I guess it just comes down to what kind of name do you wish to embody.” Karif said.
“See that’s the problem, I’m not sure. That’s why I was hoping you three might have some ideas as well.”
The four of them sat silently in the booth they were in as a waitress brought them their food. They thanked her quietly before silently biting into their individual meals.
“I have a name,” Penny said, surprising them slightly after the long silence.
“Alright then,” Garrus replied, “Let’s hear it.”
Penny nodded slowly, “To tell you the name and the significance it represents, you need to know the story that goes with it.”
Garrus frowned slightly and looked at Karif and George who both shrugged before turning back to Penny.
“Well, I guess we have time to hear it. So long as it’s not going to take all day.”
Penny nodded.
***
Many years prior in the land of Palmwren, there was a king. That king ruled a country that was forever locked in a land of strife, dragons ruled the skies and the lands and viewed humans as nothing more than slaves or cattle to be eaten or controlled.
But this king stood against the dragons and became a bastion for mankind, his kingdom grew and grew until it finally grew enough to fight back. And so they did.
For the first time in history, the humans fought back against their would-be tyrants and sought to be masters of their own fate.
And serving that king was a great hero. A hero who gave all he had to protect the human race, standing against an impossible foe. A hero who gave all he had to succeed against the odds that were stacked against him.
His name was Lyne.
***
“Lyne, hurry up!” Apphia yelled at him.
“Not everyone is as fast as you,” Lyne retorted, before grumbling under his breath, “Damn Sylph thinks everyone knows how to fly and travel at ridiculously high speeds. Absurd.”
“The more time you spend grumbling, the more people end up dying, you know.”
Lyne picked up the pace, doing his best to keep up with the little spirit of air floating around. It was extremely difficult, but he wasn’t the veteran of many battles for nothing.
Lyne had slowly become more and more feared by the dragons, the longer this altercation went on. Simply because he kept winning.
Dragons were arrogant and prideful, but they weren’t stupid. Well, some of the time anyway.
Since Lyne had first killed a dragon in combat 325 years ago, he’d since slain over 1500 different dragons, either in single combat or in groups.
That was a group of dragons facing him. Not the other way around.
This time would be no different.
[Fortification]
[Repel]
[Earth Stride]
[Mountainous Visage]
[Steel Bones]
[Bloodfury]
Lyne activated a number of buffs before launching himself forward, the ground crumbling away beneath him as he accelerated.
He saw the battle before he heard it, but there wasn’t much of a delay between the two.
An enormous explosion took up much of his view in front of him, shortly after the sounds and shockwave reached him but barely doing more than buffeting his armor. Lyne pressed forward, he needed to get there as soon as possible.
His companions were already fighting, he had been waylaid by a group of dragons intent on delaying him for as long as possible. If they split Lyne from his party, it was possible they’d eventually be able to defeat him, simply by virtue of wearing him down over time. With his party assisting him, that had been a losing fight for the dragons.
So they had tried something new.
They had almost killed him outright, but like always he pulled through, with a little bit of help from Apphia.
Eventually, the field of battle came into view, the field was littered with corpses of the army of Palmwren, and very few were left standing.
The enormous bodies of the dragons rested in various places over the field as well, from where they had been struck down. Lyne knew he could trust his comrades to do their best. There were at least 50 dragons here, this had to be the last of their major forces. Kril’koth couldn’t have many left at this point.
Lyne kept running forward, each step making the ground quake and crumble away. Over these 300 years, Lyne had become the most powerful human alive, if not in history. And potentially in contending for one of the strongest beings to exist in the planes. At the very least he was the strongest of the mortal races.
All three classes in the eighth tier tended to give one a lot of power. Lyne was no different.
And with his achievements of slaying dragons, he had unlocked some very good ones. Ones he would make use of very soon.
Lyne crossed the last miles to the active combat zone in the blink of an eye and came to witness a tragedy.
“Kril’koth…” Apphia whispered, witnessing the colossal dragon's form.
Lyne had thought that it had been him but hadn’t been sure if it wasn’t his son instead. Looking down farther away several miles, Lyne could pick out a dragon, of a very similar shade lying on the ground, sliced in two. It looked like it had been done by Lionel’s blade.
Lyne identified him just to be sure.
[Kril’koth, Dragon Lord of the Kulvarnst Mountains - Level 34529 / Blasphemer of Divinity - Level 30969 / Herobane - Level 10219]
And before him lay the remains of Lyne’s party. His friends were all dead except one. Lionel who still stood beneath the claw of Kril’koth, pressed him slowly into the ground.
Lyne pushed forward with a burst of speed and slammed his great axe into the underside of Kril’koth with enough force for the earth to rumble for hundreds of miles, and for the airs to swirl violently, uprooting trees all around him.
Lyne kept a firm grip on Lionel to keep him from being blasted away. Kril’koth was not so lucky.
While the blow most certainly wasn’t fatal, it held enough force to push him miles away, giving Lyne time to take care of his friend.
Lyne couldn’t bear to look around him and see the dead faces of his friends, so instead, he focused on Lionel.
“Are you alright?” Lyne asked him quietly.
Lionel just gave him a weak smile, “Now that you’re here? I think I will be. Was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to show up. Thought they’d finally managed to do you in. At least that’s what Kril’koth said. I should’ve known he was lying. If you were dead it would’ve been him that did it, not some underling of his. They wouldn’t be strong enough.”
Lionel let out a sigh before coughing, blood coated his lips, and his injuries were critical. But there was just one problem with that.
“Elsie was beside herself with grief, she couldn’t bear to hear that you were gone and was the first to give in to rash behavior despite me trying to warn her. She was the first. But she didn’t die without striking a critical blow at the very least. And you know that Garland followed right behind her. Just like always, right to the very end.”
Lyne gave him a pained smile, “They always were inseparable weren’t they?”
“Aye that they were. Tyulie let loose her most devastating spells while Kerlin and I protected her. But I think we both know that, despite the overwhelming power of lightning, Kril’koth is essentially immune to most base elemental forms of damage. So they didn’t do much. Kerlin died trying to take a blow for her. Unfortunately, Kril’koth was hoping for that and managed to get both at the same time.”
The problem was that neither Lyne nor Apphia had any way to heal beyond themselves. Lionel knew that as well.
Apphia sat herself on Lionel's shoulder with a somber expression. Who knew what was going through the Sylph’s mind? She was an immortal, she experienced time in a much different fashion than normal people did. She had probably had countless goodbyes amongst the mortal races, and she would have countless more before her time came. Whether that was her ascension or her death at the hands of someone else, no one would know until the time came.
She gently rested her hand on his cheek but didn’t say anything as he continued talking.
“I forgive you, Lyne.”
Lyne tilted his head slightly, “For what? Being too weak to save you? Not being here when you needed me?”
Lionel laughed weakly, “Not that, you doofus. I used to be angry with you for the longest time after that day. How long ago was that now? 360 years ago now and counting? I tried to kill myself after I lost everything and you stopped me. I never forgave you for giving me a reason to live again. All the hardships we endured trying to chase after you, barely able to keep up.”
Lionel sighed, “No, I forgive you for being the greatest brother a man could have. So because you gave me the horrible fate of having to enjoy my life after I’d given up, you’re gonna have to forgive me if I go on before you. Alright?”
Lyne nodded slowly, “Alright. I think I can do that. Lionel.”
“Hah. Good, 'cause I’m not really giving you a choice.”
Lionel reached out an arm.
Lyne grasped his forearm as Lionel grasped his.
“Promise me you’ll win?”
“I won’t promise,” Lyne whispered.
Lionel looked at him silently. Waiting for Lyne’s next words.
“I’ll [Swear] it. On my name, this day. As Bane of Dragons, Lyne. I will win. I will win, in the name of hope. For a humanity that’s lived in oppression for far too long. I will win. In the name of freedom, that all races deserve to obtain. I will win. In the name of brotherhood, that’s given me my reason and strength to fight all these years. I will win. I [Swear].”
Lionel grinned at him.
“You always were over dramatic about these things, Lyne. Go get him.”
Lyne nodded and stood up from where he had been standing and turned to face his opponent.
Kril’koth hovered in the air, despite his enormous wingspan of over six hundred feet, his wings were silent as they flapped in the air.
“You really did a number on my party, Kril’koth. Don’t think I’ll let you leave here alive.”
As always the dragon refused to speak with him, there was no doubt he knew the tongues of men, but he refused to speak it, likely viewing mortal races as beneath his attention. That would be his downfall. If he had been willing to communicate with the mortal races, this might’ve played out differently for him. But his pride would be his undoing. Lyne would make sure of that.
Lyne moved so quickly that it seemed like he had disappeared. Compared to someone like Apphia, Lyne was slow. Apphia was at the height of the ninth tier herself, getting close to her ascension to the tenth. This, combined with her small stature, lent herself to being a speed-based build rather than a strength one. Focusing purely on mana and speed, she had overwhelming power and destruction as a mage.
But she would not be helping Lyne here. The sylphs were neutral in this war. As they had been in every war that didn’t threaten the very existence of the fabric of realities. It took much to prompt them into action, along with many of the other reclusive immortal races. The enslavement of humanity was not one such event that spurred them to act after millennia of hiding.
Despite this, however, and despite Apphia’s overwhelming speed compared to Lyne.
Lyne was not slow. Lyne moved so quickly the very air ignited behind him, Kril’koth focusing more on brute control of mana and destructive capability, didn’t have the speed for dealing with Lyne. And given that there was no longer any fear of collateral.
Lyne held a very blatant advantage against the dragon lord. One he fully intended to utilize.
Lyne, to anyone else’s senses, appeared behind Kril’koth already swinging. His great axe cut straight through a wing, causing as much damage and pain as possible.
Lyne’s face twisted into an ugly rictus of fury and hatred. But he said nothing as the dragonlord roared out in pain, unleashing his magic all around him and forcing Lyne to retreat a safe distance roughly a mile away.
Three of the four major base elements swirled around Kril’koth, along with a lot of their composites. Air, water, and fire. Lightning, blizzard, inferno, storm, and a multitude of other elemental magic attacks devastated the ground.
Kril’koth turned to look at the not-so-insignificant human opposing him. He then began charging up a lot of mana, preparing to unleash a large attack. Lyne smiled.
This was a moment he had been waiting for. Reaching under his plate formed purely of a special stone hardened by his mana, Lyne pulled out a necklace that had a small chip of a dragon's tooth on it.
Lyne grasped it. Then crushed it, activating a skill that was racial to dragons, that Lyne was able to utilize because of his dragonslayer class.
Dragons had a minor nullification ability to most elemental magics. The nullification amount varied depending on the strength of the dragon. A baseline dragon nullified a very small amount, whereas Kril’koth nullified nearly 90% of the damage dealt.
There was one school of magic that it didn’t nullify though. The very magic that was the antithesis of flying creatures everywhere. And it was also the reason why dragons spent the majority of their lives flying high above the clouds instead.
One that Lyne excelled in and had focused all his classes into at the expense of being weaker if facing anything outside of his chosen enemies.
Earth magic.
The tooth was crushed and Lyne roared out the skill.
“[MAGIC NULL]”
The tooth that Lyne had was one he had obtained from Kril’koth himself many years ago in one of their few skirmishes that they had.
The world erupted as magic exploded with atomic force, the ground vaporizing and the air superheating to degrees that metal melted around Lyne. The atmosphere rumbled as it was supercharged with lightning, and the earth split apart as fire and magma spurted up from below.
This was definitely a skill combination. One that was the pinnacle of the draconic vision, a world pushed to its knees, presenting as supplicant to its overlord.
And it was everything Lyne stood against.
Lyne planted a single foot into the ground in front of him, counteracting with his own skill combination. One that was the apex of everything he embodied. Foundation and solidity.
Lyne was a stone. And he would not be moved.
[Skill Combination: Hero’s Burden]
Lyne’s skill kept the earth from falling apart beneath his feet, but it did nothing to stop the other things that happened. That’s where [Magic Null] came in. It would protect him as he moved forward to get in range of the dragonlord.
Lyne rushed forward once again and swung his great axe with all his might against Kril’koth. But the dragonlord was prepared this time and moved out of the way with a single flap of his wings. Lyne followed, chasing closely behind, and rained down blow after blow upon the dragonlord, refusing to give him even a moment’s rest.
With a mighty overhead swing, Lyne slammed the dragonlord into the ground.
Lyne’s skill did more than just level the playing field. Lyne had been bearing the hopes of humanity for centuries. As such he had a burden and a responsibility to see this fight to its end. To win. Even if it cost him his life.
Lyne was very willing to give it for such a cause.
And so he did.
Lyne was powerful, but not nearly strong enough to deal a fatal blow against one as powerful as Kril’koth. Even with all his skills and preparations, even with all his abilities designed for slaying dragons, the dragonlord was just too powerful.
Which was why Lyne had gone to find an artifact. An artifact said to belong to the elves at one point, one they used to subjugate the dragons in a crusade long past. He had found it, and while it wasn’t quite what he had been hoping for. At this moment it would have to do.
With the dragonlord grounded, Lyne reached under his stoneplate one last time and pulled out another necklace. This one held a small silvery ball. Lyne began pouring mana into it, sending it into an overloaded frenzy.
Kril’koth realized what was happening, he had seen it used before and tried to run.
Lyne didn’t let him.
He blasted forward once more and cleaved through one of his front claws, forcing Kril’koth back to the ground to face him in a doomed duel.
Kril’koth stopped holding back at that moment, and the world cried out in pain as reality itself was starting to be torn apart. Kril’koth had been careful up to this moment as his power, like all high tiers, was enough to destroy this plane with enough effort.
But with his life on the line he stopped caring about destroying reality, if he was going to die he would bring the entire plane of existence with him!
Immediately following the deluge of mana and chaos, the entire world went still.
Apphia slowly rose from where she had been watching and spoke.
“Do not mistake inaction for complacency, Dragonlord. As Sylph, I am sworn to uphold the balance of nature. If such a thing culminated in the death of the humans I would’ve abided by it, even if it was at your hand. So do not think you are above the rules just because no one ever stopped you before. This moment, the end of your journey here, is the fruits that you have sown. You could have lived in peace, but instead, you lived by blood and claw. And so that is how you shall die. Accept your death with pride, Dragonlord.”
Impossible amounts of mana flowed off the tiny form completely encapsulating the forms of Lyne and the dragonlord shortly before an enormous eruption emanated from Lyne’s body. It consumed both of them and was barely contained in the massive shield of mana that Apphia had made surrounding them.
When the fires died down, there was nothing left inside the shield. Nothing for Apphia to take back, not for humanity. And not for herself.
“Rest well, Lyne. Hero of humanity, bane of dragons, slayer of Kril’koth. I’ll make sure that history remembers the name of Lyne, The Earth Raider.”
***
The table sat silently.
“Penny. That was a horribly depressing story.” Karif said, looking mortified.
“The entire hero’s party died, and most of humanity with it.” Garrus added, “Not exactly a great message to convey.
“You think so?” Penny said frowning, “To me, that story was one of hope.”
Garrus and Karif frowned while looking at each other. George sat there silently, thinking.
“What that story says to me, is that no matter the odds, no matter how impossible the situation might seem. Humanity will always win. Lyne was someone who did the right thing, even when it was hard. Lyne probably could’ve run away and hid in another realm, he could’ve let anyone else take the mantle. He even said as much during his life at some points. But he also said he would never have been able to live with himself for abandoning his kin to their fate. I want to be like that. I want to be able to look at impossible odds in the face and not back down, even if it would cost me my life. To always do what’s best in the eyes of humanity. That’s the kind of message Lyne passed down to us, one that says we should fight for freedom and justice. One of brotherhood and friendship. Is that not a good message to convey?”
Garrus hummed thoughtfully, while Karif crossed his arms shaking his head lightly.
George was the first to break the silence, signing his words to the party.
“I like it. Heroism, bravery, brotherhood, honor. These are things we should stand for. They are ideals all of us should aim for, and while we won’t always succeed, we should still try our best. There will be times we stumble and we do the wrong thing because we’re afraid. But that’s all the process of learning. I vote for Penny’s name.”
Garrus looked surprised at George. He had hardly been so outspoken with the group to this point.
Eventually, Garrus started laughing, startling everyone else, “Hah! I guess you’re right. As usual George. It’s the same reason why I joined the army as well, I wanted to help those around me. Especially after I lost my home. Penny and George are right, this name is a perfect fit for us. Although one slight change will need to be made.”
“Oh?” Penny said, raising an eyebrow.
“Aye. After all, there’s more than one of us.”
***
Thus was the founding of The Earth Raiders.
MasterEnvi
I hope you enjoyed that. I needed a slight break from the horrible writing and shit happening in the current story. Wreaks havoc on my mind having to write shit like that, it’ll all be worth it though.
I’ve always particularly liked heroic tragedies. A story where the hero gives his life fighting for a just cause. Maybe it’s a little corny, but it resonates with something inside of me. The indomitable human spirit perhaps. The desire to stand for something worthwhile. It feels like there are very few things that are worth fighting for to that degree these days. Anyway, I’ll be back with more of the main story tomorrow. Hopefully, the wait isn’t overwhelming. I don’t think it was a particularly large cliff-hanger, we got through all the biggest stuff in the writing and he’s going back to rest and recuperate from his bad time with Lurks, so it’s gonna be kind of a down chapter as he tries to come to terms with everything and understand it.
It’ll be interesting to see how that goes. Anyway, thanks for reading!
