The Mage's Stand

Part One

The fall and the pain have caused me to lose concentration, so my magic is gone completely. Panic strangles me as I realise: I am not holding my sword. Pressing my hand to my bleeding head, I search around in the dirt and find nothing. The monster is still stalking towards me, and his gnarled mouth is twisted up in a toothy grin. It glances behind at the dawn light rising ever higher and then fixes its gaze on me again. The beast knows the sun will not rise over the horizon just yet. Knows there is still time to rip me apart and devour me before it must seek the darkness of the trees. I back away as the troll advances, looking around franticly for my weapon, any weapon to defend myself. I feel for any tendril of magic left inside me that I can use to cast a spell but there is nothing but hollowness. Hands reach towards me and I back away from their grasp, the sudden movement causing stabbing pain across my chest. Blood is pouring from the wound in my head, down my face, into my eyes. I furiously wipe my face while staggering backwards, but my heel clips a chunk of stone, causing me to fall.

My back meets the dirt and I feel the shocking pain from my broken ribs shudder through my body. Reaching my arms behind me I claw at the dirt, dragging myself backwards, panting and shaking, with the last of my energy. It is not enough. The hulking grey troll stands above me, black blood pouring from the gaping split in its belly, but it seems unbothered. My end is here - this is it. I have no magic to use, and no energy left to move. Dark clouds have blackened the sky, dawn will not save me this day. No, it will feast on me before moving onto the next village to murder and destroy once again. Even in my last moments I cannot stop shame from washing over me, I have failed. Failed as a mage and a protector of the people. I did not slay the beast and make the lives of so many who had suffered, and would suffer easier to bare.

A huge fist wraps around my leg and lifts me off the ground with the ease of someone picking up a feather. It raises its arm until I am face to face with the wretched swine. The reek of rotten flesh is pungent and brings tears to my eyes. Its mouth widens, and I think I am about to be devoured but a booming sound escapes instead. Laughter. This creature is laughing at me, at how weak I am. The trolls' belly shakes; causing blood and viscera to leak from the wound; as more laughter echoes in the air. A sudden wash of rage comes over me and I swing my free leg with all the strength I have left. My boot connects with a satisfying crunch, and I smirk as I see a tooth go flying from the troll's mouth. My mirth is short-lived, however. The beasts' face contorts with fury and roars in my face, stink and spittle washing over me, I gag from the putrid smell. I had hoped the shock of the blow would cause him to drop me but his grip on my leg is firm, bone breaking. I am raised higher in the air, towards the terrible maw of the awful creature. Soon to be devoured, I can only pray for a quick death as I am slowly lowered to its waiting mouth. Flailing I try with the remnants of my strength to break free, but it is useless. Just before my head is dipped into the reeking mess of tongue and teeth, there is a flicker of movement behind the troll. The same thing I saw earlier that caused me to lose concentration and end up in this mess. A cloaked figure stands atop the ruins of the church. The stranger raises their arms, knocking an arrow ready to release. In an instant I see the arrow fly and hear an audible thud as it hits its target.

The trolls face goes slack, its eyes becoming dim and lifeless. The grip on my leg begins to loosen as the creature topples forward. The body of the troll smashes to the earth, the impact reverberating through my body as I roll away from the carcass, narrowly avoiding being crushed beneath its hulking form. My breath comes in gasping gulps, each one a burning punishment, my broken ribs protesting viciously. I manage to shakily get to my feet, using the body as leverage and regretting it at once, as a stench is already emitting from the carcass. Glancing down I see an arrow embedded in the back of the trolls' head, the only part visible is an inch of black wood tipped with black and white fletching feathers. Narrowing my eyes, I turn my gaze towards where the archer still stands at the top of the ruined church. Seeing my glare, they ease down the hood of their cloak and sling the bow across their back. With the hood down I can see who my saviour finally is. A half-elf male stares down at me, black hair braided, ears ending in delicate points. He steps off the edge of the ruins and lands effortlessly, not halting, and begins walking slowly towards me. As he strolls over to me, I get a better look at him. He has the ethereal beauty of an elf: high cheekbones, thin, straight nose, sharp and observant eyes. As he gets closer it is easy to see he is not ageless in his beauty: lines around the eyes, a crease between his brows: he scowls a great deal. As he stops two feet in front of me, I notice he has a scar running from his chin, through the left side of his lip and ending just above it. A warrior like me.

The archer stares at me, grey eyes darting here and there, stopping above my eyeline. The wound on my head is still trickling blood, slower now. Resting those eyes back on me he holds his arm out, my sword in his hand. It must have been thrown wide in my fall. I am surprised he is offering it back to me rather than sell it to the nearest merchant for a hefty price. Scowling at him I grab and inspect it for damage, luckily it is intact and I re-sheath it. The archer has taken a step back and is holding his hands out, to show he means me no harm. To further this gesture, he reaches into his cloak and produces a white handkerchief, holding it out to me. I accept the piece of fabric, and his mouth quirks into a half smile as I press it to my injured head. With the battle done I am beginning to feel heavy with exhaustion, my body is screaming and my head aching. I know there is a small village nearby that I can rest at and buy a salve for my head wound. My broken ribs will need something stronger to mend but I have suffered worse injuries and continued before.

The archer is shifting on his feet, and I glance at him.

"I hear there's a dragon in the next town, two days travel from here," he looks me up and down, "if you can manage that."

I scoff at him, "Don't get bold elf, I've dealt with far worse with a lot less." A slow smile spreads across his face,

"A dragon would be a far better bounty than that beast," he nods behind me at the fallen troll. Suddenly remembering, I turn and walk over to the body of the troll; I need proof of the kill before I can get my payment from the guild. I quickly pull my sword from its sheath and swing down slicing through four fat fingers. Picking two up I walk back to my unlikely saviour and reluctantly hold a finger out to him.

"It seems only right that you collect half of my bounty for felling the creature," he hesitates before taking the finger and tucking it into his cloak.

"You fought brilliantly, I only took action so you wouldn't die, it would have been a waste of a perfectly good mage," he chuckles softly. Before I can respond he claps his hands together, "So dragon? What do you say?" Tucking the finger into my pocket I contemplate my options.

I am tremendously exhausted and would like nothing more than to sleep for a solid week. However, the prospect of slaying a dragon and helping the people of another village wins in my mind. If I can simply rest for a few hours and obtain a salve or two for my wounds I know my strength will return. My reservoir of magic is still depleted from the battle, but rest and a satisfying meal can do wonders for the soul and my mana will soon return. I do not have the energy for words anymore, so I simply look at the elf and nod, smiling faintly. He grins so widely it stretches across his face and his eyes light up,

"Come, there's no time to waste." He takes my arm and spins me towards the road. "We have a dragon to slay!" he exclaims, almost excited at the prospect. I cannot help but laugh a little as we walk towards the road, an adventure awaiting our newly formed alliance.