CHAPTER 6: "Let's End This"
"Let's end this," the stranger announced, his voice cool and unwavering.
From the stack of cards in his hand, he plucked two and flung them into the air. The cards spun, instantly erupting into streams of blackish-green light that coalesced and landed before the astonished adventurers. The mage watched in awe. Never in all their journeys had they met someone who wielded magic like this—effortlessly, silently.
The adventurers' expressions were priceless. Their eyes widened as they registered what stood where the cards had landed.
"Impossible," one gasped.
"It can't be," another stammered in disbelief.
With their own eyes, they watched the stranger's cards give rise to the undead. Two skeleton archers, armed with Mythril level bows that shimmered, now stood ready.
Necromancers were rare, and summoning the undead usually required powerful mages to chant long, exhausting spells. Yet, here he was, conjuring potent skeletal warriors with a mere flick of his wrist. To the adventurers, this stranger protecting them was a monster in his own right, his powers exceeding their knowledge.
The archers stood before their summoner, drawing their bowstrings. Black energy—deadly and corrosive—formed into arrows.
"Go," the stranger ordered.
Without hesitation, the spectral archers moved. They charged the dragon, firing lethal black arrows as they circled swiftly. The dragon grew wary, annoyed by the agile pests. The arrows struck its valuable armored scales, but the creature felt no immediate pain and continued to focus on squashing the annoying insects.
Unknown to the dragon, each shot, while lacking in piercing power, carried a potent decaying effect. It began to eat through the draconic armor, weakening it scale by scale. The adventurer saw his chance. He flipped up another card, grabbing it tight in his right hand, poised to strike. Behind him, Cogan and his party watched, eager to see what other 'wild card' he would pull.
The skeleton archers kept the beast distracted, while the mysterious adventurer raised his card and focused.
R R R O O O O A A A R R R R !
The dragon bellowed in a rage, finally feeling the decay eating at its precious scales, which now began to crumble onto the ground. It couldn't land a solid blow on the archers—they were dead, fast, and their accuracy was frightening. Dismissing them as mere cockroaches, the dragon turned its incredible vision on their summoner, whose eyes were currently closed in deep focus.
"Fool," it thought.
Even with one leg petrified, it leaned hard on the useless limb and raised its working leg high, gathering all its remaining strength for its signature technique:
"STOMP."
It slammed its leg to the earth with full, devastating force. The skeleton archers were thrown high into the air, and the ground around the dragon rumbled furiously.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Cogan and his party screamed as the earth beneath them threatened to tear itself open. But the mysterious adventurer stood still, eyes closed, absolutely centered.
The "STOMP" technique had another effect: sending shattered rocks hurtling toward its target. Large, jagged chunks of crumbled earth were instantly launched at him. He didn't wait. In his focused stance, he moved his left leg back and launched himself forward, performing a swift side flip. He corkscrewed through the torrent of flying rocks, avoiding collision by mere inches.
"Shelter!" Cogan yelled. His teammates ducked behind his shield as he slammed it down. A yellow barrier shimmered into existence just as the rocks slammed against it and disintegrated.
The adventurer executed a smooth landing and threw his card. It became a pure stream of light, flying faster than the eye could follow. In those final moments, as it approached the dragon, he murmured:
"Mystic Technique: Slice."
The speed of the card multiplied tenfold. It sliced through the dragon's remaining armor with a single, clean cut, passing straight through both its hearts and exiting from its back. The dragon gasped, a shower of black blood spilling from its mouth as it crashed lifelessly to the ground.
The mysterious adventurer walked slowly toward the inert body, looking down at the slain beast, considering its remains. He drew another card and flung it into the air. It spun like a miniature fan above the corpse. Then, all the dragon's remaining scales that had not yet decayed began to rise, pulling free from the flesh and elevating into the orbiting card. When the last scale was absorbed, the card drifted back to its owner.
The skeleton archers landed near him. They went down on one knee, bowing their heads.
"Return," he commanded.
Both skeletal figures glowed, reducing into points of bright light that instantly faded, leaving behind two cards. The cards floated back to his hand. The adventurer gathered his cards, slid his hands into his cloak pockets, and began to walk away.
Cogan and his group were stunned into silence by the incredible, terrifying power the stranger had displayed. Cogan wasn't sure if 'mage' was even the right word for him anymore.
Ignoring the pain, Cogan forced himself up.
"Cogan, take it easy," the healer cautioned, but Cogan shook her off.
"Help me up," he insisted.
The healer said nothing more, grasping his muscular arm and struggling to raise him to his feet.
"THANK YOU!" Cogan yelled, his voice echoing through the forest, desperate to reach the savior who had vanished in the blink of an eye.
There was no response.
They watched the spot where he had been, wondering who he truly was.
"What type of friends does Bridget make?" Cogan muttered to himself, a mix of awe and fear in his voice.