The Forsaken Hero

Barron’s eyes bulged as the ice spirit effortlessly dispatched the mage. An unfamiliar sense of dread settled in the pit of my stomach as the creature turned its gaze on us, its eyes glowing with an eerie blue light. It was like staring into the heart of a blizzard, reawakening the uncertainty that had ever plagued me about the existence of this creature. It had just killed a sixth-level mage like it was nothing, cleaving through his wards and body with ease. If it decided to act against me, would I really fare any different? Barron and the hulking warrior exchanged uneasy glances, their bravado faltering in the face of this new threat. The scarred man’s hand trembled as he tightened his grip on his mace, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple. Even Barron seemed to hesitate, his usual arrogance momentarily forgotten.

"Damn it, Gray!" he muttered, his voice barely audible above the swirling snow. His eyes fixed on me next, sending a shudder down my tail. "You’ll pay for his death."

I shook my head, holding my staff tightly with both hands. "K-kill them...please," I whispered.

Though my voice shook, the ice spirit nodded. "As you command, Star Mother."

Barron and the other warrior both tensed as the spirit streaked toward them. Its sword flashed three times before I knew it had struck once, but Barron managed to parry them. Unlike the unsuspecting mage, he was a warrior tuned through countless battles and conflicts, with a reaction speed similar to the elemental. His mana and aura raged around him, strengthening his sword and protecting him from the frosty techniques of the elemental.

My heart sank as the battle continued past a few seconds, neither landing anything close to a decisive blow. It was incredible that a mere summoned spirit could compete with the commander of an elite military unit, but he wasn’t alone. It wouldn’t take much effort at all for the hulking warrior to flank the spirit and slowly wear it down.

However, instead of dealing with the spirit, the warrior turned a cold hard stare at me. I shivered as his lips curved up in a grin and took an instinctive step back, bumping up against the shard. My heart pounding painfully as he approached, casually swinging his mace through the air. The weapon hummed with power, vibrating with the strength of a sixth-level magical technique.

"First one gets to use ya, eh? You’re a filthblood...never had one of those before," he muttered to himself. His eyes brightened. "First time for everything. I hope ya scream a bit, too. I hate em quiet."