“Durak, Brute, are you okay?” The elf staggered to the two who were on the ground. Brute laid atop of the dwarf, covering his entire body with his frame. Don’t die on me, she thought.

A voice came from under Brute. “Get him off me, women, we need to heal him.”

Now that she was nearer, she saw the arm of the dwarf, trying to press Brute off him. “I’m here.” She grabbed the side of Brute, pushing him off the dwarf. As she turned his body, she saw blue marks covering his throat from when the demon suffocated him. “He’s not breathing…” A bitter expression covered her face. It’s all my fault. I told them to get inside here. As she lamented the loss of one of her party members a hand touched her shoulder, pushing her aside.

“Damn, do you know nothing? What did you learn inside your forest?” Durak crashed onto his knees as he sat down next to Brute. “Damn metal, just use your muscle as an armor like a real man.” The elf looked on in shock as the dwarf took out a dagger to cut though the leather strings holding his breastplate in position. Cutting through the last piece he gripped the plate, threw it aside, and started hammering at his chest.

“What are you doing?” The elf looked at the dwarf in shock, never had she seen such an outburst from him. “He’s already…” she started to cough, as the fire neared their position, filling the air with smoke.

“If you don’t know what to do at least make us some breathable air!” Durak shouted after which he stopped hammering Brute’s chest. Instead he grabbed his head, pinched his noise, and pressed his lips on Brutes’.

Seeing the dwarf trying to do something the elf started to chant. “Spirits, grant us relief in these darkening hours.” A will-o’-the-wisp appeared, light green, nearly translucent in color appeared. It flew around them, pushing the smoke outside, leaving a clear area inside the raging atmosphere of the city. She looked back at the dwarf, who once again stopped hammering down on Brute’s chest to lock his lips with Brutes’. Looking closer she saw Brute’s chest bulging as the marks on his throat turned into a deeper shape of color.

As Durak let go of Brute’s head to once again start pressing down of his chest Brute started to cough, shacking his body back and forth. Durak’s hand slipped behind Brute’s back and lifted his upper body. “Easy there, buddy, calm down first.”

“What was that?” The elf looked at the two, eyes trembling, thankful that both are still alive.

Durak turned his head, his body still supporting Brute as he calmed down. “Reanimation. It’s something every dwarf learns when they are old enough to get into the mines.” He sighed. “You know, there’s stuff like bad air inside? Sometimes one loses consciousness and then you need to get them outside and do this. And seeing how he lost consciousness by being chocked it was worth the try.” He turned his head back at Brute. “Still, we need to get him out of here. He’s in no condition to fight.”

“What about you, gramps? Are you fine already?”

“Nothing that’s going to stop me for now. But after this I’ll have a long vacation.” He started to laugh.

The elf smiled at the old dwarf, pretending to be all right. “Then let’s get out of here.” She walked over to Brute and tried to lift him up. “Man, you need to slim down a little.”

“Don’t you think that’s not a nice thing to say.” Brute winced as he stood up with the help of them both.

Struggling to keep the man upright the dwarf said. “I think the women’s right, even dwarves don’t weight as much as you.”

“Can you keep up?” The elf asked worriedly.

“Don’t underestimate the blood of giants Al.” Brute wheezed as he took on step after another. While he had trouble to walk straight first his body soon accustomed itself to his condition.

“He really is just a slab of muscle. Even a dwarf would need to rest a while. Hey, where do you think you’re going?”

“Just a sec, old man.” He walked into the ruins of the main street. “There you are old buddy.” He crouched down, picking up the axe he lost in the earlier fight. “Where is that asshole from earlier?”

The elf looked at the dwarf. “Are you sure it’s him that nearly died earlier? He’s better off than us both together.”

The dwarf shook his head. “Maybe he’s just too stupid to notice his own wounds?”

A scream pierced the night. “You hear me!? I’ll end your worthless life!” The trio looked in the direction of the scream, seeing the demon flying up into the night, laughing at the destruction it spread.

 

 

“Shit, are you sure it’s a good idea to walk into the direction of this scream?” Brute walked in front of them, holding his axe at the ready looking for enemies.

“If it’s someone who can speak our language it’s definitely better than a monster, considering that we are all exhausted.” The elf answered.

Rubble collapsed at the side, making the trio turn sharply, searching for the ambush.

“Fuck, I didn’t sign up for this!” Brute cursed.

When nothing came out after a moment the group relaxed their stances. Brute started to walk again, swearing at the situation. They passed a broken wall as they found the source of the scream.

“Don’t think that he’s gonna help us.” Brute stepped closer to the body. “The boy from before. The one who sprang on that troll. Shit, that’s not a nice way to die. He’s got wounds all over, then got stabbed by a sword, which pinned him down here.” He looked at the sword grip. “Must be some good work if it even pierced the ground underneath him.”

Brute crouched down to take a closer look when a hand shot out at him. “Fuck, he’s still alive?” He stumbled back, raising his axe, as the hand fell to the floor. “He’s not an undead already?”

“No, he’s still breathing.” Durak crouched next to him. “Not for long though. Sword pierced his stomach if he doesn’t bleed out infections will do the rest. It would be better to kill him now than let him die slowly.” He grasped his dagger, pulling it out to release the boy from the suffering, as a quiet voice resounded.

“Stop it, ya fools.” They turned to a collapsed building where an old man dragged himself out of the rubble. Blood covered his chest as he looked even worse than the boy before them.

“You are!” The elf rushed to him, trying to support the man, as he lifted himself up, pushing her hand away.

“It’s already too late for me, don’t try to help.” He walked up to Aiden. “But this boy will live.”

He dropped down next to Aiden.

“Look at his wounds man, there’s no way.” Durak spoke coldly, but he knew better than to make someone false hope.

“Ya were there earlier. Didn’t you see how he was crushed by the troll. Next thing I saw was him rushin’ at the demon. Never would’ve been possible if he was normal.” Sam coughed as he spoke, blood splattering from his mouth. “Still, he got up again and he will even after this.” Sam reached out, grabbing the blade of the sword pierced into Aiden. Blood flew down the blade pouring into the boys wound. But opposed to the blood over his body this blood flew like molten silver.

“Fool, are you out of your mind!” Durak grabbed Sam, trying to get him of the boy. He pressed against him but couldn’t move him away. “Even if he survived that wound, what you are doing now will kill him!”

A smile rushed over Sam’s face. “You don’t know him like I do.” His eyes lost luster, like clouds to cover the midday sky. “I saw it when I looked at his star mark.” His grey hair turned white. “The one who survives.” He ripped the sword out of the boy. His glassy eyes looked at the wound, already working on fixing itself.

The dwarf looked stunned at the boy. “How can this…?”

“Can you do me a favor?” Sam turned to the trio. “Look after this boy.” His skin turned ashen. “There is no one left for him now. Guide him.” His body broke down, falling apart slowly, turning into smoke. “And give him this sword, it’s all that will be left.” He stabbed the sword down, shortly before his hand began to disintegrate. “And tell him…”

 

 

They walked down the street, looking for a gate outside at the opposite of where they came from. As the demon went away the monster lost their leader. Unguided they turned on each other or lost their lives to the flames, still raging, but most went on to attack the castle, trapping the people inside. The mercenaries walked in their standard formation with Brute in front, Durak in the middle and the elf at the back. But opposed to their normal state Durak carried a boy on his shoulder.

“I never thought I would see it myself.” The elf mused about what happened before.

“Shit, are you sure it’s okay? That was definitely not a human.” Brute said.

Durak fixed the boy on his shoulder, nearly dropping him moments before. “You have absolutely no idea what just happened. And I don’t even know where I should begin to explain.”

“Then why are we taking him with us?”

“First of all. That old man was a human. Not just any human, that was a master. It’s an honor to fulfill a request of them.”

“How can that be a human? Humans die of old age, sickness, or bleed out at the battlefield. He was no better than a ghost disappearing entirely.”

“Durak, you don’t think what he just did was the passing?” The elf asked.

“I have no better explanation than you.”

“Quit talking among yourself and explain it!”

They turned around a corner, nearing the city wall. Before them stood a group of kobolds, attracted by the sound of their conversation.

“You saw the silver blood flowing down the sword,” Durak began.

“Another point to proof he is definitely not a human.” Brute rushed forward, crashing his axe into the nearest kobold.

“Shut up and listen fool.” The dwarf cursed, striking his staff at the ground to send out stone spears. “That blood was the concentrated essence of his constellation. You know how different mages can use a similar power if their constellations are of the same type.” He looked at Brute who slammed his axe into the next kobold. “Now, what do you think if two mages with fire powers tried to support one spell.”

“Probably it should become a bigger fire.”

“Even if they are of the same type the constellations will reject each other. Always. There is absolutely no occurrence where it’s going to work.”

The elf started to take over as she quickly let loose arrow after arrow. “It is possible to use such tactics as wind spells to further spread flames of a fire spell, but that should be limited. If one takes direct influence on another spell it should collapse. Each person is limited to his own spells.”

Brute’s axe clashed into the last kobold. “So, one can only use his own power. Shouldn’t that be expected?”

“That’s how it should be. Then what do you think should happen when someone gets the magic of another one in his body?”

“Nothing good I suppose. But then that boy!” Brute started to notice the oddness of the situation.

Durak sighed. “I don’t know. By now his body should collapse. But he seems to get better with time. And the only occurrence for that is known as a phenomenon called passing, where the body starts to absorb the essence of the constellation, allowing them to use it. But it’s just a legend, there is no known occurrence.”

Brute stopped in his steps, looking back at the three behind him, staring at the boy. “Shit, why the fuck did that old man do that if he wants the boy to life.” He smashed his fist into the wall.

“I don’t know. This is all to strange.” Durak said. “But one thing is sure, if the boy survives, he’s going to be different than all existing mages.”