Disposable Hero Ch. 02 Pt. 06

I would like to thank my new editor Anubismark for his hard work on 2.6. From the feedback I will be adding 2.7 and maybe 2.8 in the coming weeks.

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Disposable Hero 2.6

The Gathering

Escape

The following week Henri fought two armed Orcs, he was allowed his Katana. The two Orcs fought with bastard swords that to Henri looked like something he had seen on a trip to France when he was a boy. Due to Henri's fame both Orcs wanted to be the one to kill him and didn't fight together, even fighting with each other at times. It was one of those fights that allowed Henri to win as their swords clashed Henri snuck behind the bigger of the two and thrust his sword through the back of the one. Being a curved blade it exited the front and by sheer happenstance pierced the other Orc's heart. The move made it look like he had won the fight easily, which thrilled his growing throngs of fans.

Ever since his first fight Henri couldn't feel the power of the Katana flowing into his body any more and wondered what exactly that was. As he handed the Katana to Zilvra, he and even asked if she could feel any magic flowing from the sword to which she just nodded in the negative and added that she hadn't felt any since she had unsheathed his sword that one time.

Walking back to the cart that was going to take him back, when he noticed two women watching them, this was nothing new in the weeks following his first victory. However, something didn't feel right about the two Drowesses watching them from a distance and that made him nervous, they gave him a bad case of the heebie-jeebies this was compounded when they disappeared into the shadows quickly.

They gave him a feeling like somebody was walking over his grave and this new feeling had him in a tizzy.

Henri leaned over to Zilvra and said his voice stressing the importance of what he was saying, "Something is wrong and I mean very wrong, I feel like we are walking into a trap."

She shook her head and said mirthfully, "Finally you're becoming a Drow, and seeing ambushes everywhere."

He reiterated wanting to her to understand that something wasn't normal, "I'm telling you something is wrong, very wrong."

They decided to walk back at least part of the way so they could talk this was nothing new for either if them. Zilvra seemed to play everything close to the vest well closer to the vest than your regular Drow.

Henri wondered what would have happened if she hadn't met him and asked, "Zilvra what would have happened if you had never met me?"

Smirking at the pain of owing her life to any one let alone a male and to make matters worse him said, "I was on my way to the surface for training in scouting that is what I will be once I am done with all my training. I would then be able to leave here and scout for caravans keeping them out of danger. I would have finally been free of all of this crap.

We waste so much energy fighting against ourselves and making dangerous enemies when reason would say that we make a friend or two, my sisters are just as stupid for following this madness. One day our enemies will come to our homes and get revenge and the slaves we have treated so badly will have their revenge, I plan on not being here when that happens."

Part of him felt bad she was finally going to leave and he stopped that.

He said knowing it was wrong to show such weakness, "I am truly sorry for ruining your plan on going to the surface, hell I'll teach you a few things about the plants and animals up there, if I ever get out of here that is."

Zilvra hated her family, from her mother who wanted her to play the boring political games in the court, to her sisters nonstop abuse, she had no love for the goddess and after failing to show any skill with magic she saw no need to worship her, especially considering that her own sisters had abused her like they had done to Henri before they had that dream about him being protected.

They walked back to the compound stopping here and there for the common Drow who wanted to offer the heartless human a drink or food. Henri was becoming their hero, those he had attacked in the pit the first time were from established houses and loathed by the common Drow. Walking through the gate with full bellies Zilvra led Henri back to his room and saw Shynta waiting for him, sighing in disgust that he would do anything with her crazy sister, put his sword back in the storage room which was where the rest of his things had been moved to.

Watching Henri's ass was tiring, after a bath Zilvra fell quickly asleep and once a sleep she began to dream. She saw a Drow woman with glossy skin and silver hair calling to her, this Drowess was stunning, Zilvra had never seen a Drow with silver hair and had to admit that it looked good.

Zilvra approached and heard her say on a tone she had never heard in her life, "Child the time has come that you must choose where your loyalty lies."

As her dream woman holds out her hand and says, "If you take my hand then you shall see that which your heart wants most.

If you don't then you will awaken with no memory of this night, choose carefully, but choose now."

Zilvra thought for a moment about her choice and wondered exactly her heart wanted most, only one thought came to mind.

Being free from her house, as the sixth daughter of her house she didn't have to worry about anything else.

She walked to the strange Drowess and took her hand the woman with the silver hair smiled at her.

Upon taking her hand she saw her house under attack the deaths of her entire family.

The Drowess said, "Go to the human and free him for he will help you protect your house. Wake up now and go to him, for time is not your friend."

***********

Zilvra awoke and grabbed her leathers, dressing in a heartbeat as she headed to Henri, she saw two guards drop to the ground dead, with bolts in their chests. Fuck, she muttered under her breath, time was up indeed, as she moved slowly and quietly to the stables and the storage room that held his things. As she opened the door she quickly grabbed his sword and those strange things he carried, she headed to his room as she got to the door and saw a deep blue light from under the door.

***********

Henri felt drained after having had his fun with Shynta and fell asleep quickly.

He started to dream, he saw a Drowess standing before him with beautiful silver hair down to her ankles. Her voice was like honey to him.

She said sounding nothing like the other Drow he had known down here, "Henri it is time for you to be free, on this night you and my children are free of my mother's rule, bring them to me."

Henri asked lost in the vision of beauty before him, "Who are you and who are your children?"

"I am Eilistraee goddess of love and beauty. I beg you please save my children; will you help them and me?" Eilistraee pleaded with him.

Henri knew he couldn't say no to anybody who asked for his help, let alone somebody as beautiful as she was, he thought 'goddess of beauty is a perfect title.' Knowing he would probably regret this he just hung his head and nodded.

"Wake up guardian and prepare for your new life, one of my children is coming." She said smiling as her vision faded before his eyes.

***********

Zilvra unlocked and opened the door she saw the blue light fade from his chest as he rose and looked at her. Getting closer, she noticed ruin on his chest and could feel the magic emanating from it, from the grimace on his face she knew it hurt.

As she entered and got closer, Henri saw a Drowess pointing a crossbow at her, he held out his left hand and watched in shock as five bursts of energy flew out of his hands and hit the woman as she fired the bolt missing Zilvra.

Zilvra saw five balls of energy fly out of his hands and miss her completely. She saw another ruin appear on his body it glowed a bright blue and then faded away.

As she reached Henri, and asked, "What in the abyss are you?" as he ran out the now open door.

With the door open, he grabbed his Katana, charged the stunned Drowess he had hit with that strange energy, and quickly disemboweled her.

Henri turned to Zilvra and said, "Honestly I don't know, it just happened. Let worry about that later if were still alive. Where is your mother? I'm sure they are after her, hell my money is on this entire house and that includes us. Unless you want to fight all of them by ourselves."

Once outside his room, he took his things and took three pistols sliding two behind him and checking the chamber on the third, as loaded a round into the chamber and took the safety off. He slid the rope that held the Katana in place across his back so it wouldn't interfere with his pistols.

They made their way to the main house searching for Zilvra's mother and family. Upon entering the main floor, they saw the carnage and bodies everywhere leading in one direction. Zilvra took off down the hall in the direction of the bodies and in all likely hood her mother's room, with Henri close behind.

They burst into the huge master bedroom, he saw a huge battle raging in the matron's room. Henri looked down, he saw his symbols glowing brightly.

He saw Mica pulling a dagger out of Shynta's back, she had a whip of snakes tied around her wrist and was chanting and making hand gestures, from the direction she was looking Henri was certain that Belar was her target.

He charged in her direction and felt a buildup of energy in his body, he pointed his sword in her direction and saw a bolt of black lightning shoot forth from his sword and arc towards her as little bolts of black lightning hit those on the way to her, killing several people fighting, but when it hit her it didn't do anything to her.

He continued to charge ignoring the pain coming from his arm and sheathed his sword. He drew his 9mm as the deafening roar dispatched those in his way. Those closest to him were deaf from the sound of the 9mm.

Zilvra saw not only another spell go off but also the speed with which he fought. She couldn't help but admired how quickly and fiercely he fought he wasted not a single movement and the effect of his pistols made it certain she never wanted to be on the other end of them, but liked that his strange weapons made it impossible to cast spells. She saw no gestures or words for the spell yet it happened, she wondered why he would drop such a powerful weapon but made nothing of it when she saw him pull out another.

Zilvra was fighting at her mother's side, and saw a male Drow wearing the colors and symbols of the priestesses, he was about to hit her mother as she put her short sword in his back and twisted, she looked at her mother and smirked. She felt someone bump into her and spun thrusting her short sword at the offender, she saw a scimitar parry her strike and saw Belar look her in the eye.

They looked all on in shock as they saw him shoot Micarylafay in the head and hit another priestess nearby with the deafening pop, all of them including her mother winced at the noise those things made. With the death of Mica and the effect Henri's pistols were having on the moral, the remaining forces with drew.

With the fight, dying out he picked up the other pistols he had drooped during the fight and walked over to Zilvra and Belar's mother, who saw the deep blue glow from his third ruin on body die out. For a brief moment she feared he was going to use those deafening sticks on her.

Henri walked up to Zilvra and Belar's mother, he knelt down on both knees and offer her, his sword with his head bowed. Zilvra and Belar's mother wanted to move away from the blade as he held it towards her, thinking it was a trap.

Henri knew staying was futile and hopped this would work as he said, "I fought today for your house and ask that I go free in exchange.

If you still won't then I ask that you take my head with my sword for I will not help you again."

Lady Hla'ath said hoping to calm the situation, "You did well, but they will not attack again." She paused not wanting to lose a good fighter, but also couldn't let a male not to mention a male slave tell her what to do.

She said, "If you wish to die then so be it. I will give you the honor of taking your head with my own hands."

Against her better judgment Lady Hla'ath reached for the Katana, feeling like she would vomit as her hand got closer.

Zilvra grabbed the Katana from his hands and yelled, "He saved your life and he has saved mine twice now. I won't let you kill him, this is not over and we both know he can fight. If you will not free him then I will."

In truth Zilvra's mother was relieved that her child had stopped her, because she knew that they would still need him.

Coming down from the heat of the battle Zilvra turned to him and said, "Why did you help us? They weren't targeting you until you started attacking them."

Henri said flatly and still riding the high of combat, "Because the silver haired Drowess begged me too save her children."

Zilvra looked at him in total disbelief and said, "A Drowess with glossy skin and silver hair begged you. Did she say her name?"

He said bluntly no knowing how important his words would be, "Yes, she said that her name was Eilistraee or something like that and told me that one of her children was coming to get me that was when I woke up and saw you open the door."

Zilvra and her mother looked at each other and said the same word Eilistraee. They couldn't understand why she would save them.

Zilvra asked him "Did she say anything else?"

He asked wondering why such a warm goddess wasn't talked about by them, "She said that I am free now and that I should bring you to her. By the way where is she?"

"The surface, she wants us to go to the surface." Was her reply and for the first time since Henri had saved her she was hopeful.

Zilvra and her mother were both shocked at the thought of living on the surface, though Zilvra was also excited at the prospect.

Henri looked at Zilvra and asked the one thing the kept nagging at him, "How did you know what she looked like?"

Everybody looked at Zilvra waiting to hear her answer even Zilvra's own mother looked at her wanting to know the answer to this one.

She shrunk and answer in a small voice sounding more like a little girl than a grown woman and hoping no one heard her and said, "I had a dream of her tonight and she told me go and get you."

Her mother was shocked and said, "Zilvra have the gods, or goddesses ever come to you before in your dreams?"

Her mother thought, 'is my daughter a heretic or is she becoming a sage?'

"No mother never before tonight" she answered in fear of what her mother might do or think, she knew she would be dead if her mother ever found out about her ability.

Henri said coldly as he realized that they were wasting time that could be used to escape, "Listen, I don't care about any of this but you have hurt people here and you had better get ready to fight again, unless you want to leave her and go find this woman like I promised."

He looked at the lifeless body of Shynta and felt remorse at her death, she had become a welcome distraction for him and her loyalty surprised him, he knelt down and closed her eyes and even kissed her good bye before standing and walking towards the door.

"Will you help us fight," asked Zilvra and Belar's mother.

He looked around and said,"No, Dirzune who came and saw me last week sent them look at all the priestesses that came."

He pointed to Zilvra but was really speaking to all of them as he said, "She wants you and me dead.

You won't give me, my freedom and I'm done helping those who will keep me in chains.

What more do I have to do, I saved your daughter's life twice."

Zilvra said calmly as she handed the Katana back to him, "Yes, you did and I agree with you we need to leave, but I don't know how to get the surface."

"What do think you are doing? Zilvra he is a slave and you are not the matron of this family." Her mother said angrily, not wanting to give up her power, she was also feeling the effects of the Mind Flayer near by trying to control her.

Zilvra could feel something off about her mothers actions looked around and said, "Mother today our house died. Look, you lost four of your six daughters and still you want to stay and die.

I'm going to the surface with the one person I know wants to get away from our certain destruction and look at the power he wielded in battle. I couldn't ask for a better person to be at my side and if I must side with a slave in order to live then I will."

Fed up with her mother's foolishness and deep down excited to finally leave this place behind, even if it was in ruins. Her anger at her mother had caused her powers to activate and shield her remaining family from the Mind Flayer. Had the Mind Flayer been closer it could have over powered her protection and take back control.

Her mother looked at the bodies of her children and looked at her remaining daughters, her eyes glowing red. She knew Zilvra was right but she wanted revenge or to die with her children she but she knew she had lost the day and wanted to live to fight another.

'A mother's instinct' she thought and in the back of her mind pondered how foolish such feelings truly were. The fact was the Mind Flayer was trying to get them to stay until Dark Sister were in place.

Akordia finally spoke with the conviction of having made up her mind and said, "Henri as of today we are going to the surface, and when we get there you are free to do what you want.

Now we need to find my daughters sire, he knows how to get to the surface."

"Let me get my things. We need to stay together who knows if an assassin is still around waiting for the chance, matron you and Belar stay together and have everybody look for your mate in groups of four so everybody has somebody to watch their backs. Zilvra and I will get my things.

Let's meet at the stables in one hour and if we haven't found him, we'll just have to get going without him. Agreed?" He said ignoring the looks of disgust as a lowly male slave gave orders.

After Zilvra and Henri got the rest of his things they found Alak hiding in Henri's old storage room next to the cell.

Walking up to her father she said, "We are going to the surface. Can you get us there?"

He cautiously said, "I can and who is we?"

"Me, mother, Belarbreena, Henri, and you a few servants as well" said Zilvra.

Henri dressed in his combat fatigues and grabbed all his gear and headed back to the rally point as the others joined them. When they got together, they tried to figure out what they would need to bring. Any remaining servants were loading the wagons and hitching the lizzards.

He offered, "Just bring clothes and money you can buy anything you need on the surface."

Alak being the most knowledgeable about the surface replied, "They won't trust us, we are one of the most hated enemies on the surface so nobody will sell to us."

Henri hung his head and said, "I'll help you till you are on your feet. I shouldn't have any problems with them, right?"

Alak thought for a second, smiled and said, "Yes, you will be able to get very good things from anybody humans, elves and even dwarves would welcome you into their villages."

He stopped and thought some more before saying, "We should bring some goods with us, we, I mean you will get a great price for them on the surface."

Akordia said in disbelief, "Alak are you saying we should trust this human with our business."

He was getting tired of the arguing hollered, "Let's take them, but we need to go now before the next attack comes."

They all agreed and headed off for the surface although none of them were pleased, except for Zilvra who was looking forward to it. They left in two wagons Alak driving the one and a servant driving the other while they rode in the back.