The Forsaken Hero

I leaned heavily on my staff and kept close to the walls, using them for support. Walking was slow at first, but my feet became more sure with every step, my legs trembling a bit less. Whenever I came between gaps in buildings, I slowed to a crawl, taking it slow and steady and always keeping an eye above me. The building’s eaves provided some protection from the sky, but out in the open, I would be visible to anyone flying by. I doubted I’d actually be able to see the skyships, but the glow of the mana cannons might be visible against the darkened sky.

A sharp voice sliced through the muddled silence, freezing me mid-step. The words were indistinct and hazy, but the tone alone sent chills down my spine. I pressed myself against the rough stone, holding my breath. One of my hands pressed against the gritty stone, but the other groped empty air. Feeling about, I found a vertical opening stretching over my head. A doorway?

More voices rose behind me, and I stumbled through the gap, shielding my face with my hands. Almost no light filtered through the doorway into the street, reducing the entire building interior to a dark blur. My demonkin eyes were no more help in complete darkness than they were in the twilight outside, but I pushed on into the unknown.

The shouting grew louder, drawing me forward. I tripped over something solid, sprawling onto my hands and knees. My staff clattered across the floor before dissipating in a mist of stars. Pain shot up my arms as my scraped palms pressed into the hardwood, but it was eclipsed as my tail lashed out, striking a wooden pillar. A wave of fire erupted up my spine, and I covered my mouth, barely holding back a scream. The pain was hot and intense, scattering my thoughts and threatening my mind with darkness.

Another shout drove me forward, crawling over the floor with reckless abandon. Light flashed in the corner of my vision, piercing what seemed to be a window and illuminating half the room. It was all blurry, but I could make out what looked like a table. A few chairs were scattered on their side, one of which I had tripped over.

Heading for the darkness, My hands brushed against soft fabric, and I pushed forward, pulling myself onto a bed. The rough sheets scraped against my wounds, but I burrowed beneath them, curling up, clutching my aching tail. It throbbed against my chest, a small trickle of blood wetting my hands. The impact had shaken a bandage loose and cracked the scabs open.

The muted thumps of footsteps surrounded me, and a few shafts of light penetrated the blankets. I whimpered, clutching my tail until it ached, and held my breath until the lights and voices moved on.

I huddled under the blankets long after their voices faded, weeping silently in the suffocating darkness. My hand reached for my staff, then fell limp. I’d dropped it somewhere in my desperate flight, but perhaps that was for the best. Its soft glow might have betrayed me, and there was no way I’d be able to hide it underneath the blankets with me.

Another sob built in my throat, slipping loose amid another wave of tears. It had been my only companion, and now I couldn’t risk summoning it back. I was alone again.