A Hero's Journey: Fear

     “Is that…” A Green Eyrie squinted at the figure and gasped. “It is!”

     “By Coltzan the First, we found her!” a Red Techo cried, pointing with his staff. “Queen Fyora!”

     “Can she even hear us, Velm?” the Eyrie wondered. “She’s not moving…”

     “Lyra said the queen was struck by a powerful immobilizing spell,” said a blue Acara in a silvery robe and wizard’s cap. “Ancient magic, from way beyond our time. Hmm, how do we break it…”

     “Wait!” Velm exclaimed, reaching out to grab Mipsy’s wrist as she prepared to flick her wand. “Look for traces of the magic around the tower. Then we’ll figure out what to do next!”

     “I guess I’ll leave that up to you two, but is there anything I can do to help?” a White Blumaroo said.

     The Techo stroked his chin and answered, “Hmm, maybe look for anything that seems really out of pla – “

     The tower began to rumble and shake, and bits of plaster, ash, and wood began raining down as cracks fanned out on the ceiling. Everyone – except Fyora, who was still standing in one spot – backed away and could only watch and shield their faces and heads from debris as something huge dropped into the chamber between them and Fyora. Or rather, it was someone, with wide leathery wings, four arms, ruby-red scales, sharp claws, and eyes that burned with flames of rage.

     Talinia flew into the air, an arrow already nocked to her bow. After drawing his sword, Rohane stepped in front of Mipsy and Velm.

     “What – what is – “ The Acara tripped all over her words as her wand lit up. Velm gabbled an incantation that bathed him and his companions in a shimmering shield of light.

     “No,” whispered Rohane in disbelief, gripping the hilt of his blade tightly and hoping the gold-washed gauntlets over his hands kept anyone from seeing his fingers tremble. “You’re…you can’t be…”

     “But I am,” the giant Draik hissed, baring his terrible fangs. He flapped his wings once, resulting in a harsh, warm breeze that rolled over the four adventurers. “You thought you saw the last of me, but you can’t destroy me!” Breathing in, he let out a loud, furious roar that caused the airborne Talinia to overbalance and just barely avoid falling on top of Velm. Meanwhile, Rohane, Mipsy and Velm were all knocked to the floor, unable to take their eyes off the monstrous sight before them. “Now, witness the real power of King Terask – as I burn you all to ash!”

     The Draik reared up and breathed out plumes of fire over his opponents. Most of the heat and flame rolled off the shields Velm maintained with an upraised staff, but he eventually dropped onto one knee, the ethereal glow flickering and dissipating like steam from a kettle as he and his companions scrambled aside to avoid the rest of the fiery blast.

     “Ow, ow, ow!” the Techo wailed, tossing his staff from one hand to another. “I can feel that through my gauntlets!”

     “What’s the plan?” Talinia asked, already shooting several arrows at Terask’s face. However, they either crumbled into cinders, or glanced off his scales. “Rohane, what’s the plan?”

     Rohane, who had gone silent, blinked as he grasped the sword on the floor next to him. “Right, right! Create a distraction, Mipsy and I will attack his fl – “

     His voice trailed off at the sound of a scream. An overlarge claw had smacked Mipsy into the floor, and she skidded next to the motionless Fyora, her robes torn, and her hat fallen.

     “Mipsy!”

     “Renew!” Velm cried, his staff in a viselike grip as he aimed it at Mipsy. He only just saw the Acara raise her head, Talinia already at her side, when Terask whipped around, his spiked tail swishing toward him. Rohane flung himself at Velm in time, the two of them barreling into a half-charred table and chair in a tangle of weapons, armor and helmets.

     “Insolent fools!” the Red Draik shrieked. He bore down on them, smoke rising from his nostrils, fire building between his fangs…

     * * *

     “It’s not a spell I encountered before. Not at the Temple of King Coltzan I, or anywhere.” Velm shook his head as he mixed a strong-smelling, greenish-brown liquid in a bowl, tipping the entire contents of a small vial with what looked like runny purple jelly into it. “But I can say one thing: it’s linked with Terask. For as long as he lives, no one can break the spell over Queen Fyora.”

     Mipsy winced as a dark faerie applied a poultice to her bruised, grazed face while in bed. “In short, we have to destroy him.”

     “He’s gone mad with power,” the faerie whispered. “The Darkest Blessing…the power the Wingshadow clan has granted him. There’s no known spell that can reverse it or stop it from affecting your mind. It will grant immeasurable strength, speed, even magic, and seal away anything that holds you back.”

     “The weapons Aethia gave us are able to hurt him, but just barely,” Talinia pointed out from where she sat up in her bed, which was next to Mipsy’s, examining the Bow of Destiny with her arm that wasn’t in a sling. “It’s as if his scales really became his armor.”

     “Then, it will be a battle of attrition.”

     Velm looked up, his vial clutched in bandaged hands, and looked at Rohane propped up with pillows and holding a pen and clipboard. The White Blumaroo’s expression was pained as he ripped a sheet of paper from his clipboard, balled it up and tried to toss it into the nearest trash bin – and missed. Mipsy reached for her wand and flicked it, furrowing her brow in concentration as she levitated the crumpled paper into the bin.

     “Yes, it will,” said Talinia in somber agreement as Rohane resumed writing on the clipboard. She put away the bow and extended a hand toward him. “Here, maybe I can think of something…”

     “No, you focus on recovering,” Rohane answered, shaking his head.

     Velm whispered to himself, “Look who’s talking.”

     * * *

     “P-Protection! Of Infinity!”

     Velm grabbed his staff and gabbled out the spell, a sheer, silvery curtain draping itself over him and Rohane. They felt the heat of Terask’s blast of flames, and they immediately scrambled aside to hide behind the damaged table, which was reduced to cinders.

     As Terask reared up, he shrieked and whirled around to find Mipsy hurling bolt after bolt of sizzling, sparkling magic at his back. She pointed the Wand of Reality at Talinia’s arrow, which glowed and crackled as it was loosed from the bow. The arrow found its mark, and Terask shrieked again.

     “Now! Now!” Rohane cried.

     “Now, what?” Velm asked, and watched the White Blumaroo swing his sword in a wide arc toward Terask’s belly before whipping out his staff. “Oh! Right!”

     The Techo spoke several arcane words that were uncomfortably warm on his lips and on the ears of anyone who heard. A mist emanated from his staff and settled over Terask, so he could not see the others hitting him, blasting him, firing arrows at him.

     And then suddenly, with another roar, he dispelled the mist with his claws as though pulling open curtains.

     “Now, eh? What a good idea,” said Terask, breathing hard. Smoke rose from his nostrils and mouth, and he cracked a terrible smile. He raised his colossal claws, and a strong, harsh wind began to blow within the chamber. It sucked up debris and furniture, and swept four unfortunate adventurers into its grasp, blinding them with flashes of light emanating from within the storm as Fyora stood unmoving and unaffected.

     “No! Not the Astral Maelstrom!” Mipsy wailed. She collided painfully with a tower post, slid down it, and sprawled onto the floor.

     Meanwhile, Rohane had buried his sword point into a convenient gap in the wall, and was barely hanging on to it, spots dancing in his vision from the magical lightning.

     His hands were trembling again and he knew it wasn’t just because of the effort to keep from being swept away.

          * * *

     Rohane came awake, groaning as he jarred healing ribs and a wounded arm. He was seated at a table – an intact one – with several sheets of paper and a clipboard, an open inkwell, and a Weewoo feather quill in his grazed, scarred, callused hand. The lamp burned low, its wick on its final hour. Breathing hard, he glanced around the room.

     A single window opened to a view of Faerieland’s night sky. Three beds were occupied, with a fourth empty, two swords slung onto one of its posts. Knapsacks and bags were in a corner, next to a closet. There was a second table, with a water jug and plates, bowls and silverware all cleaned up. There were two doors: one that led to the bathroom, and the other, outside to the rest of the network of rooms at the bottom of the Southwest Tower of Faerie Palace.

     He turned back to the papers spread before him, his foot brushing up against a trash bin under the desk. The White Blumaroo picked up one sheet that had a rough sketch of a plan to surround Terask, took one look at it, balled it up, and tossed it into the bin.

     Stupid. If he swings that tail, that falls apart in an instant.

     Dipping his quill into the inkwell, he started writing over a half-finished plan, his normally legible penmanship getting more and more erratic with each word.

     I was wrong. This isn’t a battle of attrition. Terask will exhaust all of us first.

     Several words later, the half-finished plan was rumpled and thrown away as well. He stood up, shoving his chair aside, and looking over at his bed…and the sheathed swords next to it. One sword was encased in a golden scabbard and had a jeweled hilt; he was told it had been forged from the heart of a star, shaped by the Faerie Artificer herself, reinforced with Faeryllium, finished with silver, gold and steel.

     A sword created for Faerieland’s darkest hours, to bring untold destruction upon those who wished destruction upon Faerieland, said to be one of the most powerful swords ever created.

     Next to the sword was an old, battered, regulation blade, of the type issued to Meridell knights. It was this sword that Rohane picked up and gripped tightly in both his hands, ignoring the pain radiating in his fingers.

     If only you were here, Father…maybe you’d have some advice for me.

     * * *

     Terask laughed. He laughed, a horrible, grating, cackling sound.

     “See? You are no match for me!”

     Hobbling, with one of her wings draped uselessly against her body, Talinia raised her bow to shoot the giant Red Draik in the face. But before she could fire, or dodge, he clawed at her, tearing through her tunic and knocking her down. When he brought his claw down for a second strike, it connected with ringing steel, melded with a meteorite, fortified by Faeryllium.

     “No,” said Rohane hoarsely as he blocked Terask. His legs were shaking, his armor was scratched and burned and dirty and dented in several places, his helmet was gone, and his face was battered. Still, he stared defiantly at his enemy, even though the light in his glare had begun to flicker.

     “You still defy me?” Terask asked in amazement. He summoned a blast of wind from his other claw and slammed it into Mipsy and Velm, who had been trying to escape, and smirked, baring his fangs. “But you won’t defy me for long!”

     He pushed against the sword, and Rohane was driven to his knees. Then the Draik opened his enormous maw, revealing all his jagged teeth…

     * * *

     “Rohane? Hey, are you okay?” Talinia slowly reached out and waved her hand in front of his pale face.

     “Huh? Oh…uh, I’m sorry,” he said, slumping in his seat. The four of them were seated on one of the few tables in the lower level of the second level of the Southwest Tower, or one level below Fyora’s prison while Lyra, the dark faerie, rearranged several potions on a shelf. Their lunch was a meager affair of porridge, vegetables, and bacon. “What were we talking about?”

     “That we should be receiving more supplies from Vitrini tomorrow,” Mipsy answered as she mixed some artichokes into her porridge.

     “No, after that.”

     “What’s the plan now?” Velm asked, pouring himself some juice.

     “The plan? For what?” Rohane slumped more deeply into his seat.

     Mipsy rolled her eyes. “To beat Terask, duh! Lyra said he had a super blessing from his faerie allies, but he’s not totally invincible. But he’s both strong and magic, so…”

     “I’m still working on it,” the Blumaroo interrupted, taking a sip of his cup of water and setting it down with a bit more force than was necessary. “Terask isn’t just any monster. He’s smart, he still knows all his spells, and…and…” His voice caught in his throat, which felt like it had turned to ice. He could hear a ringing, roaring sound in his ears, muting the clatter of Lyra’s housekeeping. And his heart began to hammer a rhythm of doom as he glanced this way and that, and up.

     Queen Fyora is just upstairs. What if Terask decides to just break through here and finish all of us off? Even if Lyra said he wouldn’t be able to fit in these rooms, he’d think of something.

     He always thinks of something.

     I…I can’t. I can’t think of everything.

     He pushed himself away from the table and tried to put his head between his knees as his vision began to darken. When he closed his eyes, he saw the red of Terask’s scales, the blazing color of the Draik’s magical fire, Mipsy and Talinia and Velm sprawled on the floor, bruised and beaten and…

     “Are you sure you’re okay?” Talinia asked, her brow furrowed. “Do you need anything?”

     Velm peered at him. “Take slow, deep breaths. Why don’t you go – “

     “I don’t need anything!” Rohane cried, standing up so quickly he overturned his chair and caused Lyra to gasp and look up from her work. “I’m fine, just…give me time to figure out a plan, okay? A plan that won’t get us all killed!” Then he ran into their quarters.

     The dark faerie moved away from her shelves, but Mipsy shook her head at her.

     “It’s okay. We’ll handle this.”

     * * *

     Terask howled and swatted something from his mouth – it was a small whittling knife.

     “Thanks, Talinia,” said Rohane thickly, trying to keep his teeth from chattering with fright. Then he looked around. “Talinia?”

     “Come on,” she rasped, lifting Mipsy up and putting the Acara’s arm over her shoulder. “Get Velm. Hurry.”

     “Velm? Oh – oh no.”

     “You little – “ Terask snarled and moved to swat Rohane out of his way, but the White Blumaroo found the adrenaline to dart toward Velm, who was wreathed in a rapidly fizzling golden aura next to the spot where Mipsy had lain. He managed to find the strength to carry the Techo over his shoulder and snatch up the Staff of Righteous Fury, and on his back, he felt the heat from the blast of Terask’s fiery breath.

     Talinia and Rohane, carrying their teammates and their own injuries, hobbled toward the chamber’s only exit without so much as a glance at Fyora, who seemed to watch them flee from the scene.

     * * *

     Talinia, Mipsy and Velm walked into the quarters and found Rohane sitting on his bed, breathing more steadily but still looking distraught.

     “Can we come in?” Talinia asked slowly.

     “If you need anything, let us know,” said Velm.

     “We’re just here for you, okay?” Mipsy insisted.

     At first, they didn’t get a response aside from a long stare. Finally, the White Blumaroo shrugged and nodded, tilting his head toward the empty space next to him.

     “Ugh, I’m sorry you all had to see that. Even Lyra.” Rohane leaned against the headboard of the bed, his arms folded protectively across his chest.

     “Do you want to talk about it?”

     “Only if you promise not to laugh, Velm,” was the acid answer.

     “If you can use that tone with me, I think I can assume you’re feeling better.”

     The corner of Rohane’s mouth twitched. “Ever since we lost to Terask, I’ve been trying to come up with a new plan. But every single one of them didn’t feel right. I just wanted us to not run again, not to get hurt like that again. But I was scared that if I messed up, I’d be sending all of you to your deaths. I almost did, that day.” He shuddered. “Ugh, look at me, maybe it’s a good thing Father is gone so he doesn’t have to see me like this. We’ve faced all sorts of monsters, fought against so many enemies, and now I’m…I’m…scared…”

     “It’s okay,” said Talinia softly, sitting next to him. “All of us are. We’re all scared.”

     “I’m practically shaking in my shoes!” Mipsy exclaimed. “That huge Draik could body slam all of us at once and knock us out cold!”

     “And he did knock you out cold,” Velm reminded her, earning an indignant punch to his arm in response. “Anyway, there would be something wrong with you, if you weren’t scared.”

     “I know it’s okay to feel scared, but it felt like…I don’t know, it was different from all those other times when I felt afraid but went and fought anyway.” Rohane straightened up and looked at each of his friends. “Maybe it’s because we’re so close. Queen Fyora is there, and for us to lose, to lose so painfully at this point…”

     Mipsy raised her hand tentatively. “Can I ask you something?”

     “What?”

     “Do you want a hug? A group hug?”

     “Mipsy, wait.” It was Talinia’s turn to raise a hand. “Maybe Rohane doesn’t – “

     The White Blumaroo managed a sheepish grin and sighed, spreading his arms. “A group hug doesn’t sound so bad, actually. But you’ve been asking me what I need, and I think I know.”

     “What is it?”

     “I need help coming up with the best plan possible to beat Terask, to exploit his weaknesses, to tire him out. I know, I know, I should have asked you earlier, but I felt so guilty about how we lost, I should’ve been a better leader, that I wanted to make up for it. And now I’m thinking…I really need your help. For the plan, for when we prepare to face Terask again, and…”

     “Whatever you need, we’ve got it,” said Velm confidently. “Now come on, bring it in for the group hug. We’ll talk about plans later.”

     The End.