Sorcerer from Another World

Meredith loomed over. Her close cropped blond hair gleamed in the sunlight.

“Why?” I tried to ask, but blood poured from my mouth instead. 

I tried instinctively to pull the arrow out. I couldn’t affect the metal. It was alien to my magic. 

My dumbest thought was that of the obvious. Oh no. I’m dying.

“It did not have to come to this end, Damian. You should have listened to his advice.” She whispered in my ear.

With a mighty yank she pulled the arrow out through my chest.

I gasped and blood flowed like wine.

“To the Champion, defend the sorcerer with your lives!” cried out a familiar voice.

He charged on the back of a chariot and the enemy broke before him. He leapt off and lunged for Meredith. Galen stood over my body. His sword was locked with Meredith’s blade.

“How could you!” Galen shouted.

Meredith said nothing.

Their blades clashed again. Galen wielding one of my creations sliced through her blade and cut deep into her shoulder. 

She gave out a sobbing cry.

Galen pressed the tip of his sword against her throat, “Surrender!”

Meredith clutched her open wound, she was pale from the blood loss and seethed at the turn of events. She was silent, but drew herself up to her full height. There was defiance in her eyes.

Unseelie forces charged and the duelling pair broke strife and defended themselves.

Galen hewed and hacked off their limbs that flew off spraying blood like rain. But, soon great numbers bore down on Meredith who fended them off with a broken blade. 

An Unseelie dagger was inches from her throat when Galen sliced the Redcap’s arm off and depreciated it. He dashed and slashed two more Redcaps who were about to overwhelm Meredith. He had saved her life. 

In the brief lull of battle she argued. 

“I had to! Better the ally with Rome than to die without honour. Glory is within my grasp; I won’t be stopped by you.” Meredith spat at Galen before in the chaos she fled.

Galen cried out in frustration. Furious he leaped upon a chariot and started riding to and fro beating back the enemy. Against overwhelming odds, Galen and his warriors held the hill I lay on. He single handedly slew a squad of Ogres. 

Most of all, he rallied the warriors. “Hold, hold brave heroes! Cling to life.”

They held by blood and steel and dominated the hill. It looked for a time that despite the betrayal by Meredith we might win the day. I desperately through grit and magic stayed alive and healed my heart too slowly.

Once again, I lay in the dirt dying; I needed their help.  

The resistance was not to last. 

Two ogre twins identical in appearance joined the fray. The cruel creatures were smaller than the norm of Ogres, but their arms were thicker than logs and chest wide as a horse is long. 

Strong they barrelled over the brave warriors, enduring they suffered mighty blows without bending and, relentless they broke through the line heading straight for Galen’s chariot. The cruel creatures filled with foul intent, wore coarse hide and swung pillars of solid stone. 

The cruel creatures who were Tormenters of the feeble.   

Galen did not see the danger coming. He thrust his sword point forward and impaled a Redcap. 

One of the twins swung their heavy stone hammer down upon the horses and chariot. The horses were squished to a pile of guts and flesh; the chariot shattered under the Orge’s hammer. Its twin grabbed Galen and crushed his back. It threw Galen to the ground smashed the pillar down across his chest. Galen spat out blood, heaved, and then gasped a final breath. 

The last of Galen’s warriors Skor and Jorigal charged to avenge their fallen leader, and met his fate. Their fresh blood and guts mixing with their chieftain’s in a macabre final reunion. 

The Ogre Twins gloated and danced over the dead Chief. They picked up his battered body and threw it on top of mine. 

I held him in the dirt. My weak, near lifeless finger taking a good grip of him. He rolled back against my shoulder. Open, still eyes stared into nothing.  

Too tired for tears I croaked, “I’m sorry I can’t pick you up out of the dirt.” 

Galen the Good was dead.

I faded in and out of darkness. The night and the battle continued. I was cold in a pool of my own warm blood. I held onto a dead friend. I tried to heal my heart, but I was too tired. The effort to stay alive was already agonising. 

The weight of Galen was lifted as Tara pulled his body off of mine.

“Please be alive.” She begged. 

I nodded weakly.

I blinked and saw Rebecca’s face. Fresh grief flooded through me. 

“You need to fight, my husband, our leader is dead. Morgana can’t hold on much longer. Sorcerer, you are our only hope.” Rebecca sobbed over me. 

I needed more time. 

Trying to think and not die from a bleeding heart was near impossible. Every inch of healed flesh took great concentration to patch over and regrow. 

I had all the power, skill and knowledge thanks to the broken cheats I had absorbed at the origin of magic. But, me and my limited human brain lacked the memory capacity to run so many intensive processes at once. I could keep myself alive or heal. Trying to do both leds to frequent errors. Ones that if made could do more harm cumulatively. Or one catastrophic mistake could be my final straw. 

I would have to think of a solution for that limitation. How to improve physical memory? But I sisn’t have the time right now. I’m dying. 

I blinked again and saw Umbra. She poured some liquid down my throat. 

“My Lady, Rebecca you need to go.” Tara said.

“I can save him.” Umbra shouted. 

“Come with me.” Rebecca asked of Tara. 

“I swore an oath to protect him. While the sorcerer lives, I will not leave his side. Go!”

Rebecca tearful ran, “Save him, Witch. He is our only hope.” What warriors were left went to escort her. Good. Maybe she could make it out.

“Please, Mester Sorcerer. Morgana and Iris need you. Bomdall took Iris.” Tara said. “My Lady Morgana is overwrought after her encounter with Maradon. She needs rest to recover.”

“He needs time.” Umbra told Tara with a weak croak. 

She placed her hand to her heart, “By oath to my Chieftain, I am his protector. I will fight for him and die for him.” 

“Thank you.” Umbra cried.