TRC - Last Name Pt. 01

The cleric and mage were also busy, but their options were limited by staying in front of the beast. Sifid only had the one spell where he sent tiny missiles of purple energy at it since he could make them arc up and over the two fighters before coming down on the bear's back. Naro got the chance to blast it with a ray of scorching heat when it reared up on its hind legs to bat at the fighters. Both attacks hardly phased the creature even though Naro left its chest smoldering.

Unable to help, since flanking the bear was out of the question and the area was too open for her to use most of her skills, Maris stayed back and kept an eye out in case the lieutenant returned.

The beast snapped at them, and Devlin barely managed to dodge out of the way. Though the angle was awkward, the fighter swung his hammer down on its muzzle. With a mental command from its wielder, tiny arcs of electricity danced across the head of the war hammer as it struck right behind the creature's horn. Instead of a devastating bolt of lightning shooting through its muzzle, the creature's horn absorbed the energy of the strike. Glowing bright white for a moment, the horn emitted a high-pitched whine before shattering like crystal in a blinding flash.

Devlin jumped back with his eyes closed a moment before the explosion, but Brek instead dropped down behind her shield. A giant paw came from her right, crashing into her guard and lifting her off the ground.

Devlin opened his eyes to see the lizard girl flying through the air, her tail spinning as she twisted around to keep the shield between her and the beast. One of the tendrils shot out from the creature's side. Instead of wrapping around her, the tentacle aimed just above her as a ripple ran down its length. When it reached the narrower end, it acted like a bullwhip, the wrist-thick end snapping down on Brek's shield with a deafening crack. The lizard girl shot into the ground like an arrow from a bow. Brek bounced off the ground, her sword and destroyed shield spinning away as she came to rest a short distance from the forest edge. The tip of the tendril landed nearby, torn free from the force of its own attack.

"Naro! No!" Sifid called out as Devlin's hammer struck the animal's leg with a satisfying crunch. Out the corner of his eye, he saw the cleric running toward Brek and quietly prayed to any god listening that Naro could save the woman after such a hit.

The sting of the fighter's last blow made the creature shy away from attacking him again. The man in robes running away looked like a much easier target.

Devlin threw himself to the ground when the beast turned, the black tentacle on the side of the creature whipping over his head. Another bolt of fire from the mage struck the bear's side as it lunged forward, its claws catching the near side of Naro's back and sending him spinning to land near the lizard girl. The cleric's healing spell was glowing in front of his hand before he came to rest, but Devlin could already tell the wounds were bad.

"Sifid! Maris! Potion!" called Devlin as he jumped up and ran toward the beast. Throwing himself into a diving somersault as the tendril whipped over top of him again, he rolled back to his feet and took his hammer in both hands before bringing it down on the creature's hip. The loud crack that followed and seeing the leg collapse brought a tiny smile to his face. After hurting his people, this bastard deserved to suffer.

Enraged, the beast spun around, dragging the ruined leg along. The fighter was now a threat instead of an annoyance.

Following Devlin's lead, Sifid threw himself to the ground as the bear turned and another loud crack sounded above his head. Another piece of the beast's tendril came to rest near Naden's feet and the bard kicked the wriggling, severed appendage away.

"Tun, give a healing potion to Maris," said Sifid. A speck of light flew out of the bag in one of his robe's pockets and flew toward the forest edge where Maris was running toward Naro and Brek. Still on the ground, he began drawing another spell with the crystal in his hand. Though the creature's side was toward him as it fought Devlin, it hadn't attacked again. He guessed the animal assumed he was dead since he was on the ground and decided to stay there as long as possible.

A shimmer on the end of the bear's muzzle caught Devlin's attention. Where the horn had been was now glowing. Within a couple of seconds, he could see part of the horn's base emerging from where it had shattered.

"Sifid! It's growing its horn back, and I can't use the hammer again. I need help!" the fighter called out.

"I—I don't have anything that strong!" the mage yelled back.

"Well, figure something out, or I'm going to be in a world of hurt in a few seconds!"

A look of worry crossed Maris's face hearing the men's conversation. Seeing the speck of light that would be Naro's potion out the corner of her eye, she shifted to human limbs and held out a hand. A small, glowing, bright blue bottle appeared as the mote touched her palm. A moment later, she angled away from the wood line toward the cleric and lizard-girl.

In her peripheral vision, she saw something black coming toward her. Springing into the air, Maris hoped to get above the tendril. The ripple running up its length reached the end, and it whipped around with the speed and sound of a lightning bolt. Catching her in the upper thigh as the cat-girl jumped, the tentacle sliced through muscle and bone as though it were paper and sent the rest of her leg spinning off into the forest. The potion bottle bounced along the ground, coming to rest against Naro as she tumbled to a stop. Grabbing her remaining leg, Maris squeezed as hard as she could, trying to stop the blood pouring out as her body shivered with the shock of what just happened.

A hand pulled her head back and poured blue, glowing liquid into her mouth. Sputtering for a moment, Maris began drinking the healing potion, her eyes full of questions as she looked up at Naro.

When the potion was gone, he tossed the bottle away. A healing spell appeared in front of his hand, and Maris felt its gentle warmth as it went to work. The cleric's smile was soft and resigned, "My wounds aren't healing, no matter what spell I use. I don't think a demon would risk her life to try to save me. I'm sorry."

Unable to speak, the cat-girl just looked up and nodded.

!!!!!!

"Sifid, do you have anything?!" yelled Devlin. He kept himself fit, but he could feel his body beginning to slow after so much exertion. The creature's horn was nearly rebuilt, and he had a feeling his chances of surviving were slim once it was complete.

The mage had watched as Naro crawled over and poured the potion meant for him into Maris's mouth, then used his magic to heal the woman. He now watched as Naro's spell faded and he slumped to the ground.

He looked to where Devlin was fending off the creature single-handedly. The man was dripping with sweat and wouldn't last much longer.

"Turn it to face me!" Sifid yelled back.

"Oh, thank goodness," muttered the fighter, caught slightly off guard by the unusual strength in the mage's voice. If they could keep the horn from growing back, he and Sifid might be able to take this thing down. Devlin slowly turned the creature until he was between the bear and the mage. Retreating a few steps, he called over his shoulder, "Now what?".

"We wait," said Sifid, from right behind him.

"What?!" Devlin glanced at the man. The mage's face was as calm and severe as he had ever seen it. A high-pitched tone drew his eyes back to the beast, and they watched as the glow came to a point, finishing the horn. The creature paused, the red glow of its eyes becoming brighter as the back leg Devlin smashed began to pop back into place as it regenerated.

"Naro said his goddess would forgive me," said Sifid. He pressed a plain-looking leather bag into Devlin's chest, "Take care of Tun for me."

"No," Devlin whispered as the man walked toward the creature. Both of Sifid's hands lit up with the telltale glow of mana crystals.

The bear watched the human approaching it for a moment before opening its mouth impossibly wide and snatching the man from the ground. Devlin heard a muffled scream as the creature's teeth crushed the mage's legs.

Devlin turned and ran, looking over his shoulder as the glow of mana crystals brightened, leaking out through the bear's teeth. The horn once again glowed bright white and shattered. Devlin barely opened his eyes from the blinding flash when the front half of the creature erupted, sending blood and chunks of bear meat raining down around it. The fighter didn't want to think about how it wasn't all bear meat. The back half of the beast collapsed, and whatever had turned the bear black ran off its body like oil, pooling around the corpse. The pools began to shrink as the black substance bubbled and rose into the air like dark wisps of steam before disappearing.

"Devlin," the bard called out as his song came to an end. "Maris," he said, pointing toward the cat-girl. The fighter looked over to see the woman missing a leg and leaning over Naro's body, sobbing. Dropping his hammer into its holster, he made went to check on the rest of his party.

!!!!!!

"The man killed our horses," reported Naden coming back out onto the field. "He seemed to have more confidence in our ability to kill that thing than you did."

Devlin glared at him, "There's only three of us left. Who do you think was right?" he snapped, pointing at the pyre with Brek and Naro's bodies on it along with a few shreds of Sifid's robes. Brek was dead as soon as she hit the ground, assuming the whip from the tentacle didn't kill her outright. Maris described Naro's last moments as he made her drink the potion then healed her until he finally succumbed to his wounds.

The cat-girl was now sitting next to a tiny campfire, poking at it with a stick. Every so often, Maris would look down at her legs and sob before going back to poking the fire.

"Never mind that," said the fighter, "I had Tun collect everything in the cave except for the shell of an egg the same oily black as whatever we just fought. It looked to be the home of a family of dire bears. Their skeletons are inside along with a lot of human bones."

The bard pointed at the bag of holding, "Did you ask her?"

"Yes, I did, and no, they weren't. Naro and Sifid cared about each other very deeply, but they weren't lovers. Not that it would have been any of our business anyway."

Stepping back, Naden held up his hands to ward off the party leader, "Easy, Devlin, I was just curious. I've never loved another man enough to think I couldn't go on living without them. Hell, I don't think I've ever loved a woman that much."

"From experience, I can say that you may be luckier for it," the fighter replied, his tone somber.

"Is there anything else?" asked the bard.

Devlin shook his head. Stepping over to Maris, he knelt down, "It's time to go. I think you should do the honors."

The cat-girl silently nodded and pulled six small burning sticks from the fire. The fighter gently picked Maris up and walked around the pyre as she tossed the firebrands onto the loose tinder around the bottom.

Naden joined them as Devlin carried Maris to the edge of the field and the path back to civilization. The only noise besides the popping and crackling as the fire climbed up the sides of the pyre was the cat-girl's quiet crying.

It was going to be a long trip back.

!!!!!!

After a few days of traveling by foot, Naden spotted a farm in the distance as they crested a hill. The farm pointed them to a village where they could purchase horses and tack for the rest of the trip back to the kingdom of Teremin. Devlin also asked the local herbalist and apothecary if they had anything for Maris. The cat-girl hadn't spoken in days and was beginning to feel feverish to the touch

From the look of where she lost her leg, the wound hadn't fully healed before Naro passed away and was getting infected. Even worse, healing potions weren't helping. After hearing of Naro's last words, the fighter was worried wounds from the creature just wouldn't heal. The apothecary gave him a poultice to cover it and keep it clean but said that seeing a cleric in Teremin would be best.

Standing atop a hill, they got their first look at the kingdom they left weeks ago.

"I'm leaving Devlin," said Naden.

The fighter cringed, "Why?"

"My reputation is a big part of my life. After this, I can't afford to be associated with you anymore. Maybe if you survive your report to Lermin, make another party, and build up your standing again, I may think of returning. But I can't stay just out of friendship."

"We still killed the thing. Surely that's worth a reward."

Naden shook his head, "It isn't worth it if I can't find work again afterward. Goodbye, Devlin." He was about to say something to Maris, but the cat-girl's eyes were closed as she shivered inside the blanket Devlin tied around them to hold her in place. Shaking his head, Naden turned his horse and started back towards the last crossroads.

The guards at the gate waved Devlin through when he told them he was taking the woman in the blanket to see the clerics. No one in their right mind would take a monster girl to see a cleric, and they didn't even peek inside the shuddering blanket for fear the woman's sickness might be contagious.

He found a seedy inn on the poorer end of town and purchased a room on the bottom floor. Returning to the alley where he left Maris, Devlin chased off a beggar who was trying to take her blanket and carried her around the back of the inn. Opening the window he left unlocked, he gingerly set the feverish woman inside before coming back around the building and entering the normal way.

Knowing that healing potions were ineffective, he skipped speaking with the church and began asking around for a medicine woman. Their remedies were often passed down from Fae creatures and worked differently from the church's healing spells and potions. The innkeeper directed him to an old midwife known in this area of town for her remedies. She came back to the inn with him despite knowing that her patient was a cat-girl.

After Devlin explained how Maris lost her leg, the elderly woman pulled a small knife from her belt and had him fetch the room's washbasin. She made four small incisions around Maris's stump, and a foul-smelling substance began oozing out. The woman then ordered Devlin to remove his belt. Wrapping it further up Maris's thigh, she began squeezing the leg, coaxing out more of the disgusting fluid. Eventually, one of the incisions stopped running, blocked by a small piece of inky black flesh. The woman quickly widened the cut and let the chunk of the bear's tentacle drop into the basin. She extracted three more of the pieces before removing the belt, each of them collapsing into a puddle before evaporating. She then smeared the wounds with ointment that would keep them open and draining for the rest of the night. Before leaving, the old medicine woman instructed Devlin to come by her house tomorrow and pick up a different ointment to apply before wrapping her stump, as well as a slow-acting medicine that would help "clean her blood of infection." Maris didn't wake up at any time during the woman's visit. Her face was pale and breathing shallow, but she was still alive.

The next day Devlin went to see the old lady and got Maris taken care of before making his way to the castle, something he had been dreading ever since they left the dire bear's field.

King Lermin and the young Queen Ressa sat in their thrones on the raised dais at the throne room's far end.

"You dare show your face in here after letting my men be slaughtered and didn't even have the decency to retrieve the horn?" sneered King Lermin.

"Your men did not act under my orders, Your Majesty. If they had, then they would have all returned safe and sound. However, it would have been without the horn all the same. I determined the creature was too much of a risk and told your men to retreat. Your lieutenant went against my orders and got his men slaughtered alongside two of my people. A third gave his life to kill the beast, destroying the horn as well."

"He lies, Your Majesty," said the lieutenant, stepping up beside Devlin and saluting King Lermin. "He ordered us onto the field to engage the demonic bear then sat back with his men and two monster-bitches, watching as it killed your men."

"Mr. Fitt... Mr. Devlin, what do you say to this accusation?" asked the king.

Devlin was secretly happy the monarch couldn't remember his full name. "As I reported, it was the lieutenant here who ordered his men onto the field, not I. As to watching? Yes, that is true. I value the lives of those under my command."

"You said you lost people," the king's vizier pointed out.

"Once all of his men were dead, this coward lured the beast to my party."

"How dare you call me a coward!" shouted the lieutenant.

"And how dare you lie to your king of the events of that day," Devlin shot back. A smile crossed the fighter's face. "Since you have accused me of killing your men, I challenge you to a duel. Whoever wins, their story stands as truth. All we need is the king's approval."

"I refuse!" cried the man, "it is below me to duel a monster-fucker such as you."

"Then you admit my depiction is true and that you have lied to your king."

"Choose your next words carefully, Lieutenant," warned the king's vizier.

"I... accept the challenge," said the man through gritted teeth.

"My Liege?" asked the vizier.

"I'll allow it," said King Lermin, "You will settle this in the training yard."

"Yes, My Liege," said Devlin, bowing low.

"Mister F—Devlin?" called out the king's vizier, "I noticed you didn't deny it when he called you monster-fucker."

"I take on people based upon their skills, not their race. His insult has no more sting than if he had called me and Elf- or Dwarf-fucker," giving the vizier a much smaller bow, the fighter turned and left.

!!!!!!

The grass in the training area had worn away long ago from the many soldiers who used the large courtyard to hone their skills, leaving a large area of hard-packed dirt. In the center, Devlin stood across from the nameless lieutenant. Someone had mentioned it to him, but he didn't care enough to remember. A smattering of rain was beginning to dot the dirt around him as the fighter regarded his opponent.

The makeshift dueling arena consisted of nothing more than a large circle of stakes sunk into the ground. The lieutenant wore a set of half-plate armor, likely one they used for training judging by the number of dents and ill fit on the man. In one hand was a shield with King Lermin's colors on the front, while his other hand held a sword that looked much nicer than the one he used to attack Brek.

Devlin didn't even bother putting on his breastplate and only retrieved his buckler from Tun. His hammer dangled from the seldom-used leather loop hanging from the end of the handle.

Along with his armor, the weapon was his inheritance from the old knight who trained him to wield it. He didn't think there was anything special about the hammer other than its exceptional crafting. That changed when he visited a dwarven kingdom and discovered the stocky little men made it. The master smiths recognized the craftsman's mark and directed him to another dwarven kingdom to learn more about his weapon. Around a year later, his various jobs took him close enough to visit. The son of the war hammer's creator immediately tried to purchase the weapon from him. When Devlin made it clear the hammer was not for sale, the dwarf finally relented, though he demanded a hefty fee for his father's secrets.