STORY ARC #4 HERO OF PENDOWN

Up The Shaft

“The Hero is under my protection”

This is a continuation of A Painful Ruse, part of a ‘Choose Your Own’ tale titled The Hero of Pendown. Check out how you can contribute, as well as read other amazing entries here.

You and Eshami take the pathway to the right with weapons at the ready, and Koriya steps along quietly beside you. She seems wary of something, and it’s beginning to damage your calm.

After a moment of walking, your group comes to a metallic device that appears to lift and lower to other levels of the ship.

“This should take us up to the Control Room,” you state with a false confidence that you’ve gotten used to using while on this ship.

Koriya stumbles and falls against the far wall. “Oh!” she cries in what could either be surprise or arousal.

You surmise this is where she will try to spring her trap so you approach, cautious.

“Are you alright?” you ask her with forced concern.

But she truly doesn’t look well, and you lean in to check on her. She’s begun to sweat profusely, and she’s shivering.

“Eshami?” you wave over your healer companion, as she reaches into her bag and withdraws her holy book, old and dog-eared throughout its many worn pages. She thumbs to a specific page and flips it open to show you without saying a word.

You read the words at the top of the page:

Protection from Evil

Is that why Eshami is skulking around? She has cast a spell to suppress her aura, effectively making herself nigh invisible to evil creatures — such as Koriya?

Koriya cries out in pain again, grasping her head in her hands.

You grab the woman with both arms, and she screams — a piercing sound that nearly deafens you. Eshami drops to one knee so she can better focus on her book — the inspiration for her spells. Has she thought of something that you have not?

“Koriya!” you say forcefully. “What’s the matter?”

She looks up, tears in her eyes. “He’s done it. Xash has broken free!”

She stands up, a wave of telekinetic energy forcing you back to the other side of the corridor and sending sparks flying.

“He has awoken. And you must die!”

Her hands ignite in reddish flames, and her eyes follow suit. She wastes no time diving after you, screaming “Your flesh! I must have it!”

You bring your blackened blade to bear, but she appears to be in some kind of frenzy, and allows the blade to penetrate her flesh without notice. She claws at you, trying to grab hold of your face — perhaps to eat you?

She wrestles with you, but you manage to keep her at bay — only just!

“Hold, vile Demon!” comes a voice to your side. You turn your head to see Eshami’s figure — finally out of the shadows — glowing with a magical aura of brilliant light. Her voice booms with divine power. Is she about to lay the smackdown on this woman in your defense?

“My divine gifts have shown to me your true depravity, and I have held my tongue, but no longer. I call upon the powers of my Goddess to smite thee in righteous flame!” At this point, even Koriya turns to regard the audacious priestess as her sword glows with divine magic.

“Your hero is mine to do with as I please!” Koriya hisses at her, pulling herself off of you and stepping back. She now stands between you and the direction you need to go — the strange elevating device.

“You are misinformed, Demoness,” Eshami growls back, “the Hero is under my protection, and by the Divine Light I’ll not let you twist their heart towards darkness!”

The enraged priestess dives toward Koriya in a flurry of radiant fire and swordplay. You watch in awe as your usually timid companion puts it all on the line to defend you.

She is brutal and elegant in her attacks, but Koriya gives as good as she gets, slinging dark energy bolts and flaming orbs. The corridor has erupted in fire and debris, and you struggle to stand thinking you might need to dodge an errant attack any moment!

You bring yourself between the two fighting women, dodging magical blasts, evading Koriya’s sharp talons, and parrying Eshami’s blade. You need to put a stop to this battle before the ship takes any serious damage!

Already the hallway is in shambles and the lights are beginning to flicker erratically. Smoke has started to steam out of a new vent created by an exploding arcane blast.

Eshami strikes with her longsword suddenly, and you only just parry it with your own blade, knocking it harmlessly aside. But you fell for her feint — your combat style must have grown on her — and her other hand was ready with a spear of conjured ice, which plunged deep into Koriya’s chest!

There is pure shock painted across Koriya’s face as she stumbles backward. She screams in what can only be frustration before she falls to her knees.

“Demons be slain,” Eshami whispers in a hushed prayer as Koriya falls down, the fire in the demon’s eyes rapidly departing.

The priestess drops to her knees in a great emotional cry — not entirely unlike Koriya’s in her death throes, you note. You step over to her and crouch down, embracing her in a supportive and caring hug. “I couldn’t risk losing you,” she whimpers almost inaudibly.

“You won’t.” You wipe a tear from her cheek. “We need to get back to the Control Room,” you instruct, grabbing her trembling hand gently.

From her quiet and reserved life in the Pendown cathedral to slaying powerful demons on a prison ark among the stars, the young elf’s bravery has been nothing but admirable. You can’t help but applaud her transformation.

The two of you reach the lift device, and the doors open silently as you approach.

You step in, and an image of Ketal appears on a black panel on the wall as the doors whoosh shut.

“What is your destination?”

You look at Eshami, whose own inner demons rage silently within her.

“Control Room, Ketal.”

It’s time for a rest.

Click to Continue…

This chapter is dedicated to Bradan Writes Stories. Please consider following my Medium account and subscribing to my email list to stay up-to-date. If you ship the Hero & Eshami as much as I do let’s see a ❤ in the comments!

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