#tourthun

“I am guided by the philosophies my father taught me. There is much you may find strange about me. I shun a traditional...lifestyle. I do not prey on your cattle, or gather a hoard, or have servants...my abode is humble. It is why I was not sought out by the beasts of Palethorn before the accursed demons arrived. I did not bother them, and I had no treasure for would-be heroes and thieves to steal. Why slay a dragon if you have nothing to gain? Unless you are Salign, of course...”

Born to a mother and father in the wilds of Geralthin, Tourthun has little to no memory of his mother. She was killed by another dragon shortly after his birth. His father, Tamis, had to provide for and raise the hatchling by himself. Tamis the Placid, as he was called by other dragons, had shunned his kin after his mate’s death. He lived in isolation in the wilderness, with only his child. He didn’t gather treasure, as he felt he had no use for it. He refused to take minions, as it made him feel like a slavemaster, something he saw the other dragons as. For Tourthun’s early childhood, he saw almost no other life as he lived in the mountaintop cave his father moved to after the death of his mate.

Tourthun didn’t spend a long time with his father, but the time he did is cherished dearly by the dragon. The two of them flew the skies together, ate together, spoke about life and myth all day...they only had each other, after all.

Tamis began encouraging his son to follow a certain lifestyle at a very young age. He drilled the child on the importance of kindness, humility, temperance, and peace, imploring his son to treat the smaller creatures of the world with respect. He also spoke poorly of other dragons to Tourthun, calling them bloodthirsty and cruel, something that would deeply affect the child’s worldview for ages to come.

After several years in isolation, disaster struck once again. Another dragon attacked the two in their cave. He had apparently heard of the father’s softness and decided he would make an easy first kill. Many dragons tried to assert their power and importance by testing their might against other dragons. This young, inexperienced dragon wanted to boast of killing another dragon without taking much risk, which led him to choosing Tamis as his opponent.

Sensing the end drawing near, Tamis cried out for his son to flee to the wilds right away, and not to stop. Tourthun was hesitant to leave his father, but when he saw the other dragon cut him down, Tourthun knew he had no choice.

He flew as far as he could, convinced the other dragon would come for him next. His luck turned around somewhat, as the other dragon either lost him or simply had no interest in boasting over killing children. He began aimlessly wandering the wilds, hysterical over his father’s death. With nowhere to go, and no one to go to, the child hid out near a human town, seeing it as the safest bet. Humans were skilled monster slayers, so nothing would come for him here.

He was still reeling from his father’s sudden death however, and struggled to provide for himself. He had never hunted, and he didn’t want to. Initially fleeing when spotted by the humans, his ravenous hunger had finally made him desperate enough to seek them out. He could only hope they were as kind as his father made them out to be.

Luckily, the townspeople were amused by the small dragon. After landing in the crop fields, instead of demanding tribute or scorching them like they thought he would, he begged for their help. The people of the town agreed to help the child, and set him up with a daily offering of plants and berries to munch on.

The people of the town of Havel were generally amused and cheery about the situation, jokingly claiming that they had “adopted” the dragon. They called him “the mascot of Havel”. Tourthun slowly warmed up to this role, entertaining people who wandered into his cave a short trip from Havel and regularly speaking with the townspeople.

Years passed, and the dragon grew and grew, now an adolescent. The town of Havel began struggling to provide for the growing dragon, and so Tourthun learned how to make his own meals. Despite his newfound self-reliance, his bond with the town grew. People still came every now and then to talk, wayfarers stopped by to witness the Dragon of Havel themselves, and the children of the town snuck into the cave to see the mythical beast, awestruck.

A small tribe of kobolds made themselves known to Tourthun. Seeking a dragon to claim as their guardian, the creatures began sneaking into his cave to offer him tribute. He turned them away each time, but they persisted. He slowly grew to accept this, though he barked at them to leave the people of Havel in peace each time they visited.

One day, the tribute stopped. Curious, Tourthun took a short trip to their lair to see what happened for himself. The entire tribe was dead, apparently having drawn the ire of the nearby human settlements, after one heist too many. Tourthun was upset over the loss of life, but he soon wandered back to Havel. He felt small pangs of guilt, thinking that perhaps if he had taken them under his wing, he could have steered them onto a better path, preventing their deaths.

Upon reaching adulthood, Tourthun began to think about where his life was headed. Should he strike out on his own and travel the world, to gather knowledge and become wiser? Should he declare himself the Guardian of Havel? Or perhaps he should track down that horrible dragon, and avenge his family...

His path was decided for him, however, when the Exile began. All non-humans were to be exiled to Palethorn, effective immediately. A massive contingent of dragonslayers arrived to deliver Tourthun an ultimatum; come to Palethorn, or be hunted. The townspeople of Havel gathered in an angry mob to resist the dragonslayers, screaming and pelting them with rocks. Seeing a massacre in the making, Tourthun hurriedly pledged to join the exile in Palethorn, to protect the people of Havel from the kingdom’s wrath.

Many tears were shed, but Tourthun angrily went along with the exile. He had now been forced from his home twice, everyone he cared about was gone. He was furious, hurt deeply and craving vengeance...but memories of his father tempered his wrath. He had to live up to the morals his father pleaded with him to follow. He couldn’t bring him back, but he could honor his wishes, at least.

Tourthun set up his lair in a mountainous cliffside near Palethorn. When he first arrived, Tourthun was met by another dragon, who was seeking friends among exiles. Although seeming friendly and innocent, Tourthun refused him. He had never forgotten what his father told him, and witnessing his death firsthand solidified his perspective. He demanded the dragon leave, to never return. The dragon seemed upset, but relented, reminding Tourthun that he and his family would be in the city’s natural caverns if he ever needed anything.

Tourthun stewed in bitter dejection in his new home, isolated and angry at the people of Geralthin for separating him from everything he cared about. Anyone curious enough to brave the mountain and enter the cave was sent running with angry demands to never return. Tourthun was still soft-hearted, and wouldn’t harm any interlopers. He did however, feel betrayed, wanting nothing more than to be left alone.

A lengthy stay in the cave made him slowly lose this mindset. After scaring off the first few explorers, no one else dared enter. He spent his days foraging and sitting around in his cave, nothing to occupy him but his thoughts. This slowly took its toll on him, driving him into grief with loneliness. After a lifetime spent close with others, this self-imposed isolation was too much for him to handle.

Just as he felt he might go mad, and considered going to investigate the dragon that tried to befriend him, the attack happened. Tourthun awoke to panicked screams, and the scent of smoke and death. Demons had invaded the world, and they chose Palethorn as their starting point. It looked as though he would be forced away from his home once more.

No.

Every time he fled, he lost everything. He wouldn’t be driven away again. He wouldn’t stand by while his life was decided for him. He wouldn’t let yet another act of evil stand unopposed by him.

This time, he would fight.

Tagging list: @thereisnothingwrongwithbeingmad, @paper-shield-and-wooden-sword

(A very dialogue heavy chapter! Not used to writing like this, but I think I did a pretty good job. Here we see the monsters of Palethorn attempt to heal Tourthun.)

Alexander made his way through the camp, mind racing. So many people’s lives were at stake. Whatever happened with the dragon would...well, it would happen, and Alexander would have to deal with it. If the dragon couldn’t help, so be it. The knight would find a way. He would be strong, and brave, and stalwart. He would destroy the Blackheart, even if it meant his own demise. He couldn’t let the rest of the world turn into this.

The knight marched towards the center of the camp. Monsters of all kinds lined the tiny settlement, though no one was moving. This appeared to be one of the rare instances in between surface expeditions, when most of the people had little to occupy themselves with.

Moving past tents and shacks, Alexander reached the center. As always, dim light shone down from the surface. Tourthun was lying on his side, eyes closed. A group of kobolds were standing around the dragon, chattering. Wurie was at the edge of the crowd. Spotting Alexander, he glanced over at the knight and offered a nod.

“Hey, pretty busy day, huh?” The wolfman captain crossed his arms and smiled. Alexander shrugged.

“Good luck with the kid,” Wurie offered, a sly grin on his muzzle. Alexander grimaced. Even he was joking about this?!

Lexius sighed and wiped his forehead. The priest was panting and heaving.

“Ah...t-thank you…”

Senci smiled. “Don’t worry about it! We’ve got your back!” Leianna nodded and gave the priest a thumbs up.

Alexander turned to face Tourthun. The dragon was wiping his hand on the ground, leaving streaks of blood along the stone street. He wore a displeased grimace.

“Thank you. I wasn’t expecting that many.” Tourthun looked up at the knight and quickly cast his gaze back down.

“Ah, well, neither was I. I suppose that was my bad. I should have foreseen the market square to be an...especially populated area.” The dragon absentmindedly clawed at the ground.

“No matter. We’re all here now. What’s next?”

“Next, my friend, I shall take to the skies.” Tourthun turned to look behind him. “I flew through the city once and a demon followed me to my sanctuary. Who knows what they have planned now that I have escaped? I have to...survey. If they have some kind of trap set for me, you would surely fall to your death riding me.”

“And that is why you didn’t want to ride to the Blackheart.” Alexander said knowingly.

“Correct. At least partially so. We still do not know what we have to do to destroy that portal. I would assume it is immune to physical harm. If we went there we would be swarmed by all of Hell itself while we tried to work out what to do. We must track that sorcerer.”

“How do we know who to look for?” Senci quipped nervously.

“He’s right. What did the sorcerer look like? Any glaring traits at all?” Alexander crossed his arms, eager for some information on who they were tracking. Tourthun tapped his claws on the ground as his face scrunched up in thought.

“Hmm...well, it was definitely a sorcerer, no mistaking that. I think human. Had pale skin, no fur or scales or anything of the sort. Probably from outside the city. Purple robes with a hood.”

“You said ‘her’ before, correct?” Tourthun nodded.

“I got a brief glance at the sorcerer’s face before she teleported. It was feminine. I think. I had only a second’s glance from the skies. I apologize, but by the time I realized what was happening she was already vanishing into thin air.”

“Wow, pretty lucky you got a look at her face at all,” Leianna said, arms folded.

“Ah, well...that was because she looked at me.”

“Looked at you?” Tourthun nodded at the knight.

“Mhm, that is right. Right before she vanished she turned around and looked right at me. Her eyes, they were...well, I felt as though she was staring into my very soul.”

“Ominous,” Leianna said, frowning. The dragon merely grunted in response. He looked more than a little worried after recounting his meeting with the mysterious woman.

The dragon eventually shook his head. “Regardless, I need to check that our surroundings are safe before I can take you further into the city. I shall return in a moment.”

Alexander shrugged. “Sure, we’ll wait here. Be safe.”

“You, too.”

Tourthun launched himself into the air and took off, wings flapping. The dragon ascended higher and higher, eventually settling into place high up in the sky.

The group stared at Tourthun as he began to slowly move around, looking back and forth at the streets below. It looked like he was searching for something.

But what? Alexander asked himself. Just what is he so afraid of?

Just as the knight started thinking of the possibilities, a thunderous explosion made him reflexively cover his ears. Looking up at the sky, Alexander’s eyes widened as a massive beam of magic tore through the skies. The beam was coming from somewhere else in the city, and was a dark grey color. From his limited knowledge on magic, it looked like it was something from the School of Death.

The beam of energy shot straight through Tourthun, clearly intended for him. The dragon roared as the beam sent him flying backwards with terrible force. The group of survivors could only watch in horror as Tourthun came barrelling towards the earth, not showing any signs of life.

The dragon flew down towards the city like a rock from a trebuchet, not resisting the descent in the slightest. Alexander’s heart almost stopped as it seemed like he was going to land right on top of him, but the dragon rocketed past him, going back towards where they came from.

A loud crash shook the very earth as Tourthun crashed to the ground.

“After him!” Alexander ran towards where the dragon had crashed, gesturing for the rest of the group to follow him, who were still staring silently, mouths agape.

The knight sprinted as quickly as his gear would let him, hearing the telltale sounds of metal clanging behind him. Good, the others were coming along.

Coming into one of the side streets, Alexander stopped short as he saw Tourthun.

The dragon was halfway through a house, having completely leveled it from slamming into it. He lay on his side, eyes closed, motionless.

What really stole the knight’s attention however, was the dragon’s stomach. A gaping hole made the giant beast’s insides easily visible. Blood was steadily pouring out of the wound, but the worst part was the wound itself. The skin and scales around the hole the magic tore open was blackened. The area just surrounding the wound looked like it was dissolving, the skin simply fading away as the blackness around the wound slowly spread.

“Oh my God!” Lexius sprinted to the dragon’s side, quickly kneeling and examining the injury.

Senci screamed in terror, nearly tripping over his own feet as he rushed over. He tried to shake the dragon’s head, tears in his eyes.

“Tourthun! Come on, wake up! Tourthun! Wake up!” The kobold was sobbing now, on his knees as Alexander came over and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Please…”

Leianna moved to help Lexius with his examination, quickly crouching beside him. Alexander pulled Senci into a hug. The kobold continued crying, but didn’t resist.

“How’s it looking back there?” Alexander glanced over his shoulder.

“Bad,” Leianna stated bluntly, “This is, bar none, the worst injury I’ve ever seen.”

“And yet he lives still,” Lexius muttered, “I’m surprised honestly. I thought he was dead on impact. This is a horrific wound.”

“See, Senci?” Alexander patted the kobold on the back. “He’s okay, we just have to patch him up.”

Lenianna grimaced. “Uhh...I don’t think it’s going to be that simple.”

“Why not?” Alexander squinted at the healers.

“Negative energy,” Lexius answered, “Magic from the School of Death. This was a necrosis beam.”

“N-Necrosis?” Senci looked up questioningly, sniffling.

“Necrosis, the skin and organs being eaten away at.” Lexius said with some trepidation. “This foul magic utilizes it to quite a frightening extent. His body is being slowly consumed by the dark magic.”

“You healed Senci’s wounds. Can you save him?” Alexander looked at the two holy warriors, resolute. Leianna bit her lip.

“This is no sword cut...” Leianna said warily.

“That’s not what I asked.”

“You have to understand, healing magic isn’t just something you can use. You must offer your-”

“Can. You. Save him?” Alexander’s voice was stern and unwavering.

Lexius looked at Leianna sorrowfully, nodding in stoic acceptance.

“It is our duty, sister.” Leianna frowned at the priest, slowly lowering her head and sighing.

“We can only try,” Leianna offered. Alexander nodded.

“Do it.”

The cleric looked at Tourthun’s chest, very slowly rising and falling. The two seemed to have reservations with saving this dragon.

“Please, Tourthun, you have to pull through. Don’t let this go to waste. Do it for us, okay?”

“What is going on?” Alexander asked, frustrated. “Why are you acting like this is some big ask?”

“Because it is.”

With those words, Lexius put his hands over the gaping hole and began chanting in prayer. Leianna quickly joined in, moving her hands over the left side of the injury.

Alexander patted Senci’s back. “See, Senci? They’re gonna help him. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“R-Really…?”

Alexander smiled. “Sure. You’ll see.”

The knight nodded. “Okay, okay...maybe I was wrong about you...but Senci! It’s time. Let’s see what you’re made of.” Senci smiled, appearing anxious.

“Err, alright. I suppose it couldn’t hurt…”

The two quickly grabbed the dull swords from Greenbranch and moved back from each other, the rest of the denizens of the Citadel backing away to form a large circle around the two. Alexander noted the previously snoozing Tourthun was watching with rapped interest.

Senci looked visibly nervous as he got into a fighting stance. “Sir Alexander, I don’t think I’ll be able to offer you an even fight.”

Alexander shrugged. “I never said I wanted one. This is only a test. Just do your best, and everything will be fine.”

The knight pointed his sword at Senci, lips curling into a knowing smile. “Now...let’s see if this paladin is any good at teaching. Show me what you’ve got, Senci!”

Alexander quickly charged the kobold, who threw himself to the side just as the knight slammed his sword into the ground. He quickly raised his weapon and parried a swing Senci made with his sword.

Backing up, Alexander waited for an attack, not wanting to overwhelm the poor lizard so quickly. Senci seemed hesitant, wanting to stay on the defensive.

The knight smirked and beckoned Senci over. “Can’t let your enemies control the momentum, Senci! Come on!”

The kobold took a deep breath and charged, closing the distance shockingly quickly. Alexander just barely had enough time to raise his sword and block his attack. Senci, apparently taking the knight’s words to heart, proceeded to relentlessly strike at Alexander, the knight struggling to block each attack.

Alexander was hard pressed to defend against such a rapid, unending assault. Senci eventually swung lower than Alexander had anticipated, slicing the knight’s foot and earning a sharp intake of breath from his opponent.

Alexander lowered his guard in response to the pain. Senci suddenly stopped attacking, looking concerned. Alexander shook his head. “Not yet, keep fighting!” Senci’s eyes widened as Alexander stabbed at the kobold, grazing his arm.

“Yow! Hey, how was I supposed to know we were still fighting?!”

Alexander’s voice rang out as he continued attacking, Senci dodging and parrying furiously. “We stop fighting when I say so! Don’t let your guard down!”’

The two continued their swordfight, occasionally landing grazes and minor cuts on each other. The rest of the Citadel watched quietly, the silence broken only by the clanging of steel. No cheering, yelling, not even a single taunt or encouragement, from the crowd or the fighters.

It slowly became apparent that Alexander was gaining the advantage. While the knight was quite reserved and purposeful in his attacks, Senci was putting his all into the fight. It allowed him to overwhelm Alexander’s defense and hit him a few times, but he was also starting to pant from exhaustion. It would be easy for Alexander to force his way through his opponent’s defenses soon enough.

After a few minutes of deflecting Senci’s attacks, Alexander parried yet another sloppy swing. This time however, he decided it was time to end it. Instead of staying on the defensive, Alexander threw himself at the kobold with an onslaught of wild sword swings.

Senci hurriedly moved to block as many attacks as he could, but he couldn’t keep up anymore. Alexander sliced across his stomach, sending the kobold collapsing to the ground, hand grasping the wound.

The knight spun his sword before sliding it back into its sheath. “And that...is the end of it.”

Senci looked up at Alexander, pain and shame both apparent in his eyes. “Aah...I failed…” Alexander sighed and shook his head, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

“Failed? Senci...that was fantastic!”

Senci tilted his head. “W-What…?”

“What did I tell you, Senci? I said I wanted to test you. You held out against me for a very long time, much longer then I had anticipated. You even gave me some cuts and bruises!”

“That really was a spirited show, little one. You show much promise.”

Senci smiled. “Tourthun…”

“The dragon is correct!” Greenbranch interjected, “You are an excellent warrior!”

Alexander nodded. “You’re not bad at all, Senci. You don’t have to be the best. There will always be someone stronger than you. Don’t let that fact take away from your prowess.”

Senci laughed nervously. “Wow...thank you all. I suppose...I suppose I undersold myself...I guess.”

Alexander shrugged, the knight appearing quite happy. “You’re good. You weren’t lying about your mentor...that paladin knows his stuff!”

The kobold nodded excitedly. “He sure does! Master is wise and skilled indeed!” His praises were cut short as he attempted to climb back to his feet.

“A-Aaaah! Oh goodness!”

Alexander grabbed Senci’s arm and pulled the warrior to his feet. “Easy, Senci. Just take it easy.” Alexander waved to the humans in the crowd. “Hey, Leianna! Lexius!” The two quickly hurried over.

“You two know any healing?”

Lexius nodded.

“Yup!” Leianna said, smiling.

The cleric moved her hand over the kobold’s bloodied stomach as Lexius put his hand on Senci’s shoulder. Leianna began murmuring some sort of prayer to herself, a common occurrence when someone was channeling holy magic.

Suddenly, a bright flash erupted from Leianna’s hand. Senci’s wounds began closing seemingly on their own. The young warrior’s eyes widened as he clenched his fists.

“W-Whoooa!”

“Everything alright?” Lexius appeared puzzled.

Senci nodded at the priest. “Better than alright! I feel...amazing!”

“Well,” Leianna stopped her chant and stood back up. “That oughta do it.”

“Thank you, madam! I feel great!”

Leianna laughed. “Not a problem, lizard. Healing tends to make you feel good. Energetic, too.

Alexander crossed his arms. “Now a paladin raised you, correct? You of all people should be used to healing magic.” Senci shrugged.

“Master taught me the value of willpower. I didn’t get hurt much, but when I did he said holy magic is too important to waste on little things like cuts and stubbed toes. He said I needed to be able to endure pain if I ever hoped to become a great warrior one day.”

“A fair point,” Alexander replied, “I can see reliance on avoiding pain making you soft...speaking of which…” The knight clasped his hand on the Senci’s shoulder. “Welcome to the crew. You’ve proven yourself capable.” The kobold’s eyes lit up as he broke into a jubilant smile.

“Oh, thank you, Sir Alexander! I won’t let you down!”

Lexius smiled. “Your mentor may have taught you austerity, but don’t hesitate to come to me or Lady Leianna for help. We need to look out for each other on the streets above.” Senci nodded excitedly.

“Yes, of course! Thank you!”

Alexander sighed and sat down. “Let’s just rest for a moment...it’s never a good idea to go into battle winded. Just for a moment, and then we’ll be off.” Senci nodded and sat down next to the knight.

Tourthun smiled at Alexander. “Perhaps there is hope for Palethorn. Together, I am certain we can strike down those demons once and for all!”

“Here here!” Leianna cried.

Alexander laughed. “It’s great to see everyone in high spirits, despite the situation. Yes indeed, hope never dies…”

“We have to go,” Alexander looked down at the dragon, “Can you move?”

Tourthun looked confused. “Go where? Like this? I cannot even see!”

“It’s very important, trust me. Can you get up?”

Tourthun’s face contorted into one of fear and confusion as his body writhed. He gasped, eyes wide.

“I...cannot feel anything! Father, what is happening to me?”

Alexander grimaced. “Medicine is fast acting, I suppose.” The knight turned to Senci, who was watching with wide eyes, rapt. “We have to go, but Tourthun is in no condition to move! Do you have any ideas, Senci?”

“Huh? Did you bring friends over, father? You want to go somewhere with them? Please, I do not wish to be a burden. Go without me. I will just be here, resting. I will be okay, do not worry yourself about me...”

Senci shrugged. “I-I don’t know, sir knight! We can’t just carry everyone else! You’re the smart one, not me!” He looked guilty and embarrassed, like he had let everyone down by not knowing what to do.

“Here.” The raspy whisper of Leianna caught Alexander’s attention. He walked over to find the cleric holding up a scroll of paper. Picking it up, the knight found it was a magic scroll. It had runes on it, which would activate the spell if said out loud. He looked down at Leianna questioningly.

“Teleportation...reader...and anyone connected...linked it to the Citadel.”

Alexander felt like the weight of the world had just been lifted from his shoulders. He had seen these in use a few times. The reader and anyone touching them would be teleported to the “set” destination. This included anyone touching people that were touching the reader. In theory, you could move entire armies like this.

“This is perfect. Senci! Hold on to me and Tourthun.” The kobold nodded, Touching the dragon with one hand while clinging to Alexander’s leg with the other.

“Okay, Leianna, me and Lexius.” The cleric fumbled for Lexius before grabbing the unconscious priest’s hand, while holding her other hand out for Alexander.

The knight quickly grabbed her hand and raised the scroll to eye level.

“Alright, everyone’s connected. Now…” Alexander cleared his throat. “...Valiance...Wisdom...Foresight...Protection!”

Reality distorted as a magical aura filled the air. The city faded away, surroundings turning into nothingness. After a few moments in what could only be described as a magical whirlwind, the world slowly returned. Tents and monsters came into being, as Alexander found himself back in the Citadel. Suddenly, alarmed shouts and cries. Monsters around him panicking.

Alexander glanced to his sides. Lexius and Leianna were sprawled out on the ground. Senci was next to him, looking around in confusion. Tourthun was lying behind him.

Good. Everyone made it.

“H-Huh? Father, where are we?” Tourthun looked bewildered. Alexander placed a hand on his snout.

“It’s okay, everything’s okay. Just rest. You’ll feel better when you wake up.”

The dragon squinted, as if he was realized something was wrong. After a moment of staring blankly, his eyes shut. He had given up on working out why this wasn’t right.

“Well...okay. If you say so.” Tourthun’s head lowered to the ground as his breathing slowed, trying to relax.

“Alexander!” The knight turned to see a familiar wolfman in armor, looking as shocked as usually did when the knight returned. Alexander laughed to himself.

“We’ve really gotta stop meeting like this.”

A few minutes later, and things were improving. Alexander had caught the captain up to speed on what had happened. Leianna and Lexius were both unarmored and resting in a medical tent. Senci was still as energetic as ever, running back and forth between Alexander and the others to see if there was anything he could do to help.

It had turned out that Lexius and Leianna were okay. Holy magic draws on the body, and thus overusing it could lead to exhaustion. This is normally not a problem, as a skilled healer only needs a bit of energy to heal injuries. The massive, gaping hole larger than a person, and covered in dark energy eating away at the flesh however, was another story.

Lexius and Leianna had given all the energy they had to heal Tourthun’s mutilated body. Lexius had nearly died of exhaustion, his body weak and feeble after using every last bit of his reserves. Leianna was slightly better off, having worked herself into extreme fatigue.

Even so, all that energy still wasn’t enough to completely heal the massive, magical wound. They had stabilized the dragon, but his body still had some healing of its own to do. Tourthun, Lexius, and Leianna would be out of commission for a while, but they would recover, in time. In addition, it seemed the dragon had come down with a fever at some point during the chaos, which was likely why he was acting so delirious.

“What a fix…” Wurie shook his head, the captain looking forlorn. “I can’t believe our luck.”

“That’s just how it is,” Alexander said, shrugging, “We’ll have to find some other way.”

The captain sat down on a large crate and put a hand on his forehead. The wolf let out a nervous laugh. “Ohohoho...what a damned mess. They can kill dragons. In a single blow. We, my friend, have had it.”

Alexander walked up and patted Wurie on the shoulder, smiling. “Hey, don’t worry about it. Everyone’s safe, and I’m not stopping. I’ll walk all the way to the Blackheart myself, if I have to.”

Wurie looked up. His frown slowly curled into a grin. “You’re something else, you know that? The moment the demons struck down a dragon without effort, most would walk away...and yet you persist. You saved him, brought him to safety, and you STILL haven’t stopped and thought ‘you know, I think I’ve done enough for now’. What drives you, Sir Alexander?”

The knight frowned. “The fog is spreading. If we don’t close the Blackheart...this will be all we have left. Alcoves of survivors hiding away, and death, corruption and terror above. All across the world. I can’t let that happen.”

Wurie’s eyes widened. “It spreads?! Oh dear God, by the saints, I did not know…” Alexander nodded. “Oh dear...I understand your resolve, sir knight. God bless you.” The wolf bowed his head.

Alexander smiled. He wasn’t feeling too worried. Sure, the magic that struck Tourthun down could probably vaporize him, but he had the creeping suspicion that it took a lot of time and effort to set that spell up.

From the discussion he had with the monsters earlier, it seems no one had ever heard of or seen that spell before. Just as Leianna and Lexius had to recover from using their magic, Alexander assumed whichever demon responsible for that spell needed time to prepare such a terrifying amount of power again.

The knight held his hand out to Wurie. The wolf took it, and the two shook.

“May God bless you too, my friend.”

Alexander watched the two intently. The priest and the cleric both were in some kind of trance, tuned out to anything but the necrotic waste eating away at Tourthun. The knight watched, fascinated, as the holy magic battled the death magic for control of Tourthun’s life, skin and scales disappearing and reappearing as the priest and cleric fought the necrosis.

After a while, the wound began to slowly close, ruined organs inside the dragon springing back to life. Alexander noticed Lexius and Leianna didn’t look well. They were slouched over, eyes fluttering, gasping.

“Hey, are you okay? What’s happening?” Leianna merely held a hand up at the knight, signaling him to wait.

“Leianna...I...I can’t keep going.”

“Just...a little more.”

“I can’t-”

“Don’t...you dare...I can’t finish this...alone.”

Senci gazed at the two fearfully. “Sir Alexander? What’s wrong with them?”

“I don’t know, just give them a minute.”

Alexander and Senci kept watching, and it seemed the healers got worse the longer it went on. The knight considered trying to get them to explain themselves, but Tourthun’s life was on the line.

“G-Gaah...I can’t...go on.” Lexius collapsed, thudding unceremoniously to the ground.

“Lexius!” Alexander and Senci shouted in unison.

“Ah...damn it…” Leianna continued healing the dragon, looking like someone who hadn’t slept in days. Sweat was pouring down her face. Her eyes were sunken and her mouth was agape as she let in haggard breaths.

“Leianna, stop! You look like death!” The cleric ignored Alexander, continuing. To her credit, the injury was looking much better. Still, Tourthun’s chest was open, but the hole was much smaller, and the necrosis looked nearly gone.

Alexander got up and began walking towards Leianna when she suddenly stopped. The knight froze as she nodded to herself.

“There...necrosis...is...gone.” The cleric fell to the ground beside Lexius. While the priest looked to be unconscious, Leianna was still awake, gasping for breath.

A sudden, shockingly loud gasp from behind Alexander nearly gave him a heart attack. He whirled around and saw Tourthun, eyes wide open, sucking in lungfuls of air as if he were drowning.

“Tourthun?” The knight looked at the gasping dragon questioningly.

“Tourthun!” Senci cried, rushing over to be face to face with the dragon.

“Ah...aaaaahhhh...oh, God…father...”

“Are you all right?”

Tourthun didn’t even move his gaze to look at the knight as he continued breathing deeply.

“Ooooooh...oh heavens above...there is...so much pain.”

This was bad. The dragon stared blankly up at the sky, tounge out as he hyperventilated. He looked delirious. Alexander wasn’t sure what to do. He was no priest, and he was no doctor. Was Tourthun going to live? If he did would he even ever recover from this?

“Satchel.”

The word was a low murmur. Alexander himself nearly missed it. He turned back to the two fallen holy warriors. Leianna was looking up from the floor at Alexander, straining to focus on him.

The satchel!

Might as well do it while we still have the supplies. I’ve got potions, medicine, and some repair kits. So, uh...if the dragon turns out to be hostile…

Leianna’s voice echoed in the back of Alexander’s head. Leianna’s satchel. She had medical supplies!

The knight rushed over to her, unbuttoning the satchel and looking inside. There were a lot of different potion mixtures, pills, powder…

“The leaves.”

Alexander looked through the supplies. There were indeed a large batch of leaves, at least that’s what they looked like. Alexander couldn’t tell what they were supposed to be.

“Numbs pain...feed him.”

“Right.”

The knight grabbed the leaves and came back to Tourthun. The dragon’s face was scrunched up in pain. He didn’t look at Alexander, instead staring blankly ahead, as if no one else was there.

“Open up. I’ve got medicine.”

“B-But I am fine, father. I do not need it, I promise.”

Father? Is he losing it?

“This will dull the pain, I promise you will feel better.”

“I do not want to take medicine!” The dragon whined.

Alexander scratched his cheek, confused. He sounds like a child. Is he having some kind of flashback?

The knight shook his head. Tourthun had to eat this. Perhaps if he played along...

“If you take this medicine...I’ll never make you take any medicine ever again.”

The dragon let out a confused growl.

“Do you...promise?”

“Of course.”

“Well...I suppose…”

Alexander offered Tourthun the leaves. The dragon hesitated before opening his mouth. Standing directly in front of the massive, open maw of a dragon, full of razor sharp teeth made Alexander shudder just a little. He placed the leaves in the great beast’s mouth, who closed it, chewed, and swallowed the leaves.

Alexander put his hands on his hips. He realized something. Whoever shot Tourthun down...they were obviously with the demons...what if they came to check on their handiwork? What if they planned to corrupt or reanimate the dragon? There could be demons on the way right now!

“Now, Senci, yes?” The dragon returned his gaze to the kobold once again. “How old are you, little one? Did you live in the kingdom before the exile?”

Senci nodded. “I was but a hatchling when I was...rescued. I lived with the humans for most of my life. I was barely even grown up when they made us all leave.” The dragon cocked his head.

“Rescued?”

“I...used to live with a tribe of kobolds, but when we were eliminated by a paladin, he spared me and took me back to his village.” Senci’s gaze lowered as he continued. “I lived with the humans while my master taught me to speak, read, write and fight. I developed a kinship with them, and...and I’m certain what happened was for the best.”

The dragon nodded solemnly. “I...understand why you may think that. But tell me of your tribe. Do you perhaps remember anything about them. About...the dragon they worshiped?”

Senci rubbed his chin. “They were...they lived in a cave off the coast. We were just west of the town of Havel. And...and…there was a dragon...one they all spoke of. Young, yet lacking the arrogance and foolhardiness that youthful dragons often have...not ambitious...turning away potential minions...no hoard...rich, red scales...” Senci’s gaze widened.

“You...you’re...you were...Vanguard?”

The dragon chuckled. “Yes, I suppose I am. That is what they called me, at least. I remember the little things visiting me from time to time, leaving offerings they, well...most likely pilfered from humans, too terrified to even look at me.”

Tourthun’s eyes narrowed. “You though, you are different. You do not cower or cast your gaze to the floor. You do not throw yourself on your knees begging for mercy. You carry yourself like a human. From how you conduct yourself, I believe you to be strong and determined.”

Senci looked conflicted. “B-but...why? Our tribe worshiped you, no? I thought dragons that took kobolds under their worship were protected from human attacks.” The dragon looked to his side, appearing rather glum.

“Yes, well...I never exactly pledged to be their guardian. Their worship and tribute were an effort to butter me up, I suppose, so I would officially be ‘their’ dragon. Dragons bring your people’s tribes great prestige and glory, you know. Their tribute and worship were not solicited, I assure you. By the time I realized there had been an attack, you and the others were already long gone. I was shocked, really. I did not think the humans killed children. I am glad I was incorrect.”

Senci laughed nervously under the dragon’s kindly gaze. “Me too. What an incredible coincidence! I never thought I’d meet a dragon, less so one I knew from the human realm.”

Alexander crossed his arms. “Excuse me, Tourthun, right? I hate to be rude, but about Senci’s original question…” The dragon looked at the knight and snickered.

“Ah, my apologies, sir knight. It has been so long since I have spoken with anyone. I have lived in isolation ever since I was forced out of Geralthin. I am so eager to banter, I am afraid I will talk your ear off!” After a short laugh, Tourthun continued.

“Anyway, yes. There is a powerful sorcerer I saw, deep in the south of the city. A human, I believe. I only got a glance, but I saw her blast apart the accursed demons with some great magic. She vanished almost as soon as other demons came to investigate. If she made it that close to the Blackheart, and is so powerful, I wager she MUST know something about this invasion.”

Alexander’s eyes widened as he recalled his arrival to the city. The telepath that spoke to him as he traversed the fog...could that woman possibly be the one that was all the way across the city? It seemed too much of a coincidence that such a powerful wizard was here, along with a telepath.

Alexander composed himself, clearing his throat and looking back at the dragon. “I see. Thank you, Tourthun. This information will prove invaluable, I’m sure.”

“It is the least I can do. You DID save me from a live of pain and misery under the demons’ boots, quite frankly.”

Lexius shifted his weight nervously. “So...what happens next?” The holy man seemed unsure of where this was headed.

The dragon looked at the priest curiously. “Next? Well, you are all off on your quest to save the city, I assume. As for me...well, I owe you my livelihood, so...what would you ask of me?”

Leianna grinned. “How about you come back to the Citadel with us?”

Alexander was about to laugh when we remembered the hole at the top of the Citadel. It WAS massive, and higher up than the ground level of the city, likely part of the plumbing project the monsters were working on before the fog. There was a large clearing in the town...he COULD fit…

“Well, I suppose. But...my home…”

Leianna shrugged. “No one’s in shape to raid a mountain lair. Even if they were, there’s no value to stealing goods while we’re stuck here, anymore.”

Tourthun hesitated before sighing. “I suppose you are correct. I just...worry. This is my sanctuary. My home. I have mementos of...some people most dear to me. I will gladly come along if you let me come back and check every now and then.”

Alexander nodded. “Of course.” Tourthun seemed reassured by the knight’s words, breaking into a slight smile.

“Hey, if it wouldn’t be too much of a burden for you…” Leianna stepped forward.

“...would you mind...carrying us there? Hiking all the way up here really exhausted us.”

The dragon smiled. “Certainly! Normally I would scoff at the thought of being used like a common animal, but as I said before, you are the reason I am still here. Come outside, and we will be off.” The group of survivors eagerly followed the dragon out of the cave.

Alexander shook his head and looked up at the cleric. “I’ll be fine. It’s just...demonic beasts are a bit much to take in.” Leianna smiled and patted the knight on the back.

“I had to go through the same thing. All of us did. Monk boy over here even threw up.”

“This is no laughing matter!” The priest shouted back, face contorted into a snarl. Alexander was genuinely taken aback. He had never seen Lexius like this. Granted, he hadn’t known him long, but Leianna looked surprised as well.

“Relax, relax!” the cleric hissed through clenched teeth, “Do you want the whole city coming for us?!” An uncomfortable silence filled the air before Leianna continued, “I was just trying to let him know...it was just as sickening for the rest of us.”

“I’m with Lexius!” Senci crossed his arms. “We shouldn’t joke about this! Look at what they’ve done!”

“Ever heard of gallows humor, Senci?” Alexander took his hands off of his knees and stood up straight. The kobold looked confused.

“What humor?”

“Gallows. Disarming horror and misery with jokes.” Senci looked flustered.

“T-That sounds horrible!”

Alexander shrugged. “I don’t expect you to get it, but it’s a natural reaction to the grim and macabre. To take your mind off of all the terror. Soldiers use it all the time. If they didn’t do it...well, war has a way of breaking even the stoic. Have to cope somehow. Now…” The knight pointed to the road ahead.

“...we have a date with a dragon.” Leianna snickered.

Lexius rolled his eyes. “No respect for the situation…”

The group continued forward in silence. Alexander occasionally looked over at the rest of the group. Lexius looked quite irritated, looking down with squinted eyes, hands clenched tight against his sword and shield.

Leianna was avoiding eye contact with Lexius, looking just a tad guilty. She caught Alexander staring and offered a small smile and a nod.

Senci seemed anxious and preoccupied with their surroundings, glancing left and right, sword shifting from left to right as he prepared for ambushes that weren’t happening.

The four explorers continued making their way through the alleys of the city, headed towards the meeting spot Tourthun designated. After a short walk the group stepped out of the alleyway and back into the rest of the city.

The market plaza was certainly what would allow Tourthun space to land. It was huge. Unlike the narrow city streets the plaza was a massive open square surrounded by the rest of the city.

However, upon stepping into the square, Alexander’s heart sank.

Beasts. Beasts all around them. Wandering aimlessly, grunting, moaning, hissing and growling. There had to have been at least fifty. Corrupted, all of them, with the dark aura and pure white eyes. Wolfmen, reptilians, insectoids and a few birdmen. Their fur, scales, chitin and feathers all pure black, contrasting their lifeless white eyes.

Alexander stumbled back, waving at everyone behind him to back up. The fallen monsters all still either trudged around aimlessly or stood in place.

It appeared they hadn’t been spotted yet.

The four silently crept back into the alleyway they came from and ducked behind a corner.

“By the Lord!” Lexius hissed.

“Oh, thank God they didn’t spot us,” Alexander murmured, “We managed with one, but dozens?”

“What do we do?” Senci whispered.

“Easy,” Alexander replied quietly, “We wait for Tourthun. Now quiet down. No talking.”

The four of them stayed huddled in the alleyway for several minutes, not daring to peek out at the market square incase one of the demonic beasts saw them. The prospect of going toe-to-toe with a massive mob of beasts with demonic strength and speed was not an appealing one, especially with a dragon on the way.

After some time waiting in silence, Alexander heard the telltale signs of a dragon. Gusts of wind, massive, flapping wings, and a guttural roar.

“He’s here! Let’s go!” Alexander moved into the market as Tourthun descended from the sky. Moving ahead of the human, Tourthun let out a massive roar as he breathed fire down below him.

The inferno engulfed several corrupted monsters in flames, continuing in a line as Tourthun continued flying. The dragon quickly flew back up into the skies, turning around and descending once again as he made a second sweep of the plaza.

All of the monsters caught in the fire simply fell where they stood, charred beyond recognition. Not that there were many defining features to start with in the first place. Regardless, the dragon’s fire indeed seemed far stronger than normal flames. The monsters appeared truly dead and gone.

Tourthun circled around the plaza, spewing flames all throughout the area. He was careful, however, to avoid Alexander and his companions. More and more beasts fell, with only a handful remaining. Those that did began moving away from the dragon, running towards the alleyway the group was in.

Now very close, the beasts screeched and charged forward at the four warriors. Alexander held his shield up and readied himself. There were about ten of them.

“Form a line!” Alexander cried. The rest of the group quickly moved up, taking up the alleyway and blocking the beasts from surrounding them. They may be outnumbered, but at least they had a chokepoint now.

Tourthun landed behind the corrupted beasts, the earth shaking with his hard landing. Quickly, he raised his claw and slammed it down into the group of monsters, crushing them mid-charge.

Only two were far enough away from the dragon to avoid his claw, nearly upon the group of four. A former birdman and a reptilian. Now upon them, the monsters slammed into the defensive line.

The reptilian hit Lexius, knocking him to the ground with the savage force it slammed into him with. The other collided with Alexander, slamming into his shield. In a frenzy, it began banging and clawing at the knight’s shield.

“Get Lexius, I’ve got this one!”

“On it!” Leianna shouted back, in between the screeches of the corrupted reptilian.

The demonic avian acted rabid, banging and clawing relentlessly. It took considerable effort to hold his ground, as the sheer force of the beast threatened to knock the knight over. It appeared all of the corrupted were very strong, likely intended by the demons to make them more capable fighters.

Suddenly Alexander went from pushing to pulling as the birdman stopped banging on his shield. Tourthun had wrapped his hand upon the beast’s legs, and the monster was now clinging to the shield in a desperate bid to stay in place as the dragon pulled him back.

Alexander huffed and growled as he flew forward. Now sliding along the stone floor, the knight swung his sword at the birdman’s arms, not intending to let it bring him along for whatever the dragon had planned.

The longsword swung straight through the birdman’s arm with little resistance. At first Alexander thought he had missed. Then the corrupted fiend suddenly flew backwards, screeching in pain as its arm fell beside the knight.

The knight took a deep breath and stood back up. Tourthun closed his hand around the beast and squeezed.

The sudden cutoff of the birdman’s screams, along with a sickening crunch made Alexander cringe. Thick, black blood started dripping from the dragon’s hand.

Tourthun let go of the birdman, its mangled corpse hitting the ground with a thud. A few jet black feathers fell softly next to the fallen avian’s body, before being covered in a growing pool of corrupted blood.

Alexander turned around to see how the rest of the group was faring. Senci stuck his longsword through the belly of the reptilian, which let out a shriek of pain and crumpled to the ground. It only got to raise its arm up into the air before Leianna’s mace smashed into the back its head.

The monster’s arm fell to the ground. The back of its head caved in. It was finally dead.