Episode 69: The Oathbound and a Temporary Alliance
In the darkness, Elahar and his companions clashed fiercely with the Oathbound. The paladins cried out their "Bond of Light" and pressed forward, their shields sharpened into weapons of slaughter. Brakka swung his axe with all his might, trying to shatter their defense, but their united formation refused to break so easily.
Brakka ground his teeth. "These bastards never stop coming. Whatever they want, it looks like war with us is inevitable."
Caron held back the black magi with layers of wards, his voice calm but strained. "They're hunting us. If the Oathbound see us as prey, then it only means one thing—we've become strong enough to be worth killing."
Elahar deflected a strike and lifted his gaze. Beyond the darkness, the clash of another battle echoed. He turned and saw Rian and his party locked in combat with the same enemy, fighting desperately against the Oathbound.
He hesitated only briefly. Rian… this time, our goals align.
With a flash of teleportation, Elahar cut down a pair of paladins and advanced. Rian stiffened at the sight, his grip tightening on his greatsword.
"Elahar?" His voice was edged with suspicion.
Elahar's lips curled faintly. "Never thought we'd meet again so soon. But it seems we're facing the same enemy."
Rian kept his guard high. "You're not here to fight us, are you?"
Brakka rested his axe on his shoulder, smirking. "If it were a fight, I'd welcome it. But right now these zealots are making life hard for us, too."
Caron added with a wry smile, "At the moment, they're far more entertaining than you are."
Rian hesitated. But he knew—the Oathbound were the greater threat.
"They're trying to capture Aranuk, the ancient spirit of the earth. If they succeed, it will endanger everything. We can't let them."
Elahar nodded, interest flickering in his eyes. "So they're after something bigger. Very well—let's bring them down together."
Brakka laughed, hefting his axe. "Now that, I can get behind."
Serin stepped closer to Rian, whispering anxiously. "Can we really trust them? Their path isn't ours."
Rian's eyes hardened. "We need allies, even if only for tonight. Stopping the Oathbound comes first."
The battle reignited. Together, the two groups drove into the paladins' ranks. Elahar blinked through their defenses, striking from the flanks with surgical precision. Rian's greatsword carved like a living thing, forcing gaps through shields and armor. Serin's water magic flowed over her allies, knitting wounds and shielding them from fatal blows. Brakka crushed through their front line with brute strength, while Caron's sorcery tangled the black magi in webs of counterspells.
Elahar studied Rian's swordplay with grudging respect. "His blade… sharper than before. He's grown into a real contender."
Brakka barked a laugh mid-swing. "The boy's tougher than last time, I'll give him that!"
Even Caron allowed himself a smile at Serin's precise spellwork.
At the front, Paladin Duran rallied his order, shouting, "Those who defy the will of the Light must be purged!" He charged, his shield flashing like a blade.
Elahar parried and murmured coldly, "Light does not make you strong. It only binds you tighter."
Rian came alongside him, striking in tandem. Together their blades overwhelmed Duran, shattering his shield and breaking the Oathbound's bond. Serin's magic bolstered them, Brakka's axe crushed the faltering line, and Caron's spells scattered the black magi.
When the dust settled, the Oathbound lay defeated.
Elahar approached Rian. "You fought well. Stronger than I expected."
Rian inclined his head, wary but acknowledging. "We couldn't have managed without you."
"This is nothing more than a temporary alliance," Elahar replied with a faint smile. "But for tonight, we share a victory. That's enough."
Brakka chuckled. "Next time might be different. But for now, I'll drink to that."
The two groups parted, still cautious, yet carrying the faintest glimmer of trust.
**
Episode 70: The Relentless Pursuit, Fading Potions, and the Children
The Oathbound's pursuit was relentless. Paladins, black magi, even common soldiers pressed them without rest. With no healer among them and their stock of potions nearly gone, Elahar's party moved like hunted beasts, their strength fraying with every clash.
Through the forest they crept, avoiding open battle whenever possible. But then they saw it—the Oathbound gathering to awaken Aranuk, the ancient spirit buried in the earth.
Brakka's voice was tight. "They're waking him. What the hell are they planning?"
Caron's eyes narrowed. "We're in no shape to intervene. One more battle like this, and we won't survive."
Elahar's gaze shifted. Near the ritual site lay a small village. Only children played in the streets, unaware of the danger closing in.
Brakka read his expression and stepped in front of him. "Don't. We can't afford this, Elahar. Not now."
Caron added, "Think of survival. We don't have the strength to protect anyone else."
But Elahar's voice was firm, unshakable. "Those children… I see my own child in them. I won't turn away."
For once, raw emotion broke through his cold mask. Brakka and Caron exchanged startled glances—Elahar had never spoken so personally before.
Brakka sighed and raised his axe. "Fine. Then we protect them. It's madness, but your will is our path."
Caron exhaled. "So be it. But we focus on evacuation, not a fight."
Together they slipped into the village. Elahar knelt before a wide-eyed boy clutching a toy, his tone steady. "You must leave. Dangerous men are coming."
The children sensed the gravity in his gaze and obeyed. Brakka shielded them with his bulk, Caron wove illusions to mislead pursuers, and Elahar darted through shadows, buying time with feints and flashes of steel.
The paladins entered soon after, shields raised. Elahar appeared behind them in a blink, voice cold. "What you seek is not here. Turn back."
They pressed forward, but he lured their attention, deflecting every blow, never striking to kill—only to delay.
"Brakka! Caron! The children?" he shouted.
"Almost there!" Brakka roared, ushering the terrified group beyond the village edge. Caron's wards flickered, scattering the paladins' senses long enough for the last child to stumble free.
Finally, the children reached safety. Brakka ruffled their hair gently. "You're safe now. Stay here, don't move."
Elahar vanished from the fray and rejoined his companions, the paladins abandoning the chase to return to their ritual over Aranuk.
Caron uncorked their last potion, grimacing. "This is all we have left. We saved them, but our own strength is spent."
Brakka's jaw tightened, but he smiled faintly. "No regrets. Their smiles are worth it."
Elahar steadied his breath, eyes still hard. "It was the right choice. The strong exist to shield the weak. That is why we fight."
Though weary and depleted, they carried forward with renewed resolve. The road ahead was darker than ever, but their conviction burned brighter still.
**
Episode 71: Is This the End…?
Exhausted beyond measure, Elahar and his companions had little strength left to take another step. The relentless pursuit of the Oathbound—day and night—had bled them dry. With healing draughts nearly gone and battle after battle piling on, they were running on fumes. Far off, the dim glow of a large town flickered like their last surviving hope.
Brakka lifted his head and pointed. "There—looks like a decent-sized town. Let's resupply… and rest."
Even Caron, hollow-eyed with fatigue, managed a nod. "We won't last much longer at this pace. We need a break—any break."
Elahar drew a long breath and led them forward. Their legs felt like stone. Still, the lights ahead kept them moving.
They reached the gate—and for a heartbeat, hope returned to their faces. But something was off. The streets were too quiet; almost no sign of life. Elahar's brow creased.
Brakka clenched his jaw. "Strange… Why so silent? Festival over?"
Caron tightened his grip on his staff. "This may not be the haven we hoped for. Stay sharp."
They edged deeper into town. The square was packed with people—faces drained by fear. At its center flew the banner of the Oathbound, paladins standing guard in full arms.
Elahar's eyes narrowed. "Damn… they're here too. Did they anticipate us?"
Brakka's fingers dug into his axe haft. "You've got to be kidding me. Came all this way to rest… and this?"
One paladin was shouting at the townsfolk. "We know a defier of justice hides among you. In the name of the Light, hand them over!"
Caron watched from the shadows. "We could hide and let this pass—but they're about to make innocents pay."
Elahar fell silent. Shields and spears on one side; helpless townsfolk on the other. There was a choice to make—slip away and live, or risk everything to save them. He exhaled and looked back at his companions.
"We're spent. It would be easy to say this is where it ends. But running now… that isn't us."
Brakka bared his teeth and nodded. "So be it. One more fight."
Caron tilted his head, resigned. "Once more, then. We help them—and we find a way to live through it."
Elahar drew his blade. "Let's make them pay."
They slipped toward the square. Elahar ghosted past the paladins and whispered to the nearest townsfolk, "When we move, you run. As far as you can. Don't look back."
Fear still clung to the townspeople, but something in Elahar's eyes steadied them. They nodded.
Elahar burst into the open. "Here I am! If you want me, come take me!"
Brakka and Caron charged beside him. The paladins startled, wheels turning toward the sudden threat. Elahar flowed through their blows, Caron's hexes tangled their feet, and Brakka's axe shattered their formation.
The townsfolk fled through the gap. Elahar caught the sight and knew: they had chosen right.
But the Oathbound pressed hard, shields locked, forcing through Caron's snares. Elahar parried and slipped, buying seconds at a time.
"We do not fall!" he roared.
Brakka smashed another shield apart. "Keep them busy! Most of the townsfolk are clear!"
Caron gathered the last of his power, unleashing a wave that threw the paladins back. At last, the square emptied of civilians.
Breathing raggedly, Elahar lowered his sword. "We lived—and so did they."
Caron shook his head, chest heaving. "But we're out of supplies. Out of potions. This might really be the end…"
Elahar lifted his gaze to the darkling horizon. "No. Not while we're breathing. Endings don't stick to the living. We'll find another path."
They slipped out of the town, bodies spent, resolve unbroken—and took one more step into an unfinished journey.