Forged in Flames

Xaban looks around surprised at what he sees. To his credit, the last time he was on this plane of existence was when we whooped him at the Isekai House. He took a near week-long nap and ended up in this temple. Although I suppose a week is nothing compared to the hundred year slumber he had between his death and mysterious resurrection.

While he’s disoriented now is the time to strike. Spector readies his dagger while Azuki pulls out her own. I hold my wizard staff pointing at Xaban’s chin whileJet holds the tip of his sword against his throat.

“How was your nap Sleeping Beauty?” I say with a wink. One strike should end this, then we’ll have plenty of time to make it to the top of Mount Calamity before he regenerates again. Let’s get this over with.

“Hahaha… HAHAHAHAHAA!!!” Xaban laughs maniacally. Seriously, what is this guy cackling at? I can never tell what they’re thinking when they’re busy “mwahaha-ing”.

That’s when I look behind me. The blacksmith is holding a mighty hammer in his hand, but the weapon isn’t directed towards Xaban. His arm is pulled back ready to hit one of us.

“YOU!” I yell out to the blacksmith. “You’re the one who resurrected Xaban aren’t you?!”

“No, I wouldn’t…” he tries to explain before cutting himself off, clearly afraid to offend the warlock Xaban lest he suffer tremendous repercussions. “I didn’t bring him back, but I am his personal blacksmith. In exchange for my work, he keeps my family safe.”

“How?” I ask.

“With that…” Xaban points to the lantern with one long skeletal finger.

“What does he mean?” Jet asks, maintaining his focus pressing the steel tip of his blade against Xaban’s throat.

“The glyphs.” Spector answers. “You’re the one the glyphs and runes on the walls talk about right? You tricked The Sphinx into granting your family immortality.”

The blacksmith pauses. Spector is right on the money.

“Yes, that's true. That witch failed to warn us how insufferable our lives would be since. My wife and daughter have been prodded as experiments for potion makers attempting to create a serum for eternal life in vain. They foolishly think the secret blessing of that goddess lies in our blood. But anyone in my shoes would know that this is no blessing. It’s a damn curse!”

The blacksmith spits his words. His grip on the hammer wavers as he tries to justify his actions. But where does Xaban fit into the picture?

“So, Xaban keeps your family in the lantern so they don’t get hurt by the idiots in this world and in exchange…” Azuki lets her sentence trail like a fill in the blank questionnaire.

“In exchange I offer my services and I am eternally grateful for your help, my emperor.” The blacksmith says with perfect obedience.

Oh God, he actually called this poser the emperor. If he was worthy of the title of “emperor” he wouldn’t have slaughtered a whole court just to get the crown. He’s worshiping a false idol. Unfortunately, this golden cow does have something no one else can guarantee, the safety of his family within the confines of that stupid lantern.

“Blacksmith,” Xaban calls out to him in a chilling voice. “Offer me your undying fealty and I will spare your family from my wrath.”

“Hey!” I shout to the blacksmith to get his attention. “I know you’re faced with a difficult decision right now, but please listen. Your family is trapped in that lantern. Their souls are stuck in limbo. That’s no life to live. When we get out of here, I promise we’ll do everything we can to keep all of you safe from the monsters that try to use you. We know a support group that’s been helping the people of their small town Tauwren for generations now! They’ll help you too.”

The blacksmith clenches his open fist, sweat rolling off his brow. He’s afraid, but I know if the five of us work together, we can take on Xaban. We have to. What other choice do we have?

“He just returned from the lantern. He’s weak now, but we can only take him down if we work together!” I shout back in retaliation. However, the blacksmith’s eyes shift from Xaban to us. He’s clearly thinking about which side to take and I don’t think it’s ours. I need to talk some sense into him. I step towards him.

“Listen, I know what you’re thinking and I know you’ll make the right ch-” The blacksmith grabs me from behind and pulls one massive arm around my neck putting me into a chokehold. His other hand holds the hammer directly above my head ready to strike. Traitor.

“Stop, STOP! Let her go and this ends here.” Spector shouts out and holds up the lantern in right hand.

Spector, what are you doing?! He offers up the lantern, the one advantage we have to the tyrant wizard. Xaban snatches the light from his hands. The blacksmith tosses me forward to join the others.

“Why did you do that?” I whisper to Spector, but he can’t look me in the eyes. He’s afraid. Was he afraid for me? That’s not his choice to make. Because for the first time in a long time, I’m not afraid. Not anymore.

“Well this has been fun, but I’m afraid we must end things early. We have an empire to reclaim.” Xaban says in a coddling tone. “Since you were so kind as to return my lantern to me, I’ll give you all a ten second headstart.”

I know this is our opportunity to run away and save ourselves, but all I want is to see this man burn. Unfortunately, I’m fresh out of ideas.

“Wait, can’t we just let them go?” The blacksmith pleads to Xaban to spare us. He should know better than to try and reason with a ruthless dictator like him. He’s unsound of mind… and if I recall correctly, that’s not the only thing that’s unsound!

I look around the temple to find the spot I’m looking for. Aha! That cornerstone looks structurally unsound.

While the blacksmith and Xaban are deep in conversation, I quietly make my way in front of the pillar. I clutch my wizard staff once again focusing on Azuki’s dagger which she passed off to me in private. I focus on levitating the blade. Whoosh! I send it flying just nicking the side of Xaban’s ugly head.

“YOU!!” He points his bony finger at me once again. A crackling purple energy radiates from his fingertip. Xaban releases, casting a lightning bolt spell that he sends hurtling towards me. I duck in just the nick of time.

“Ha you missed!” I cackle. Of course, in reality, he hit the perfect target I needed him to. I just needed to pour some salt in his wound first.

Just as I taunt Xaban with my snide remark, I hear a loud cracking sound followed by a rumble that sends my whole body shaking. I turn back to look at the place Xaban struck with his lightning bolt. It worked. He hit the primary support pillar squarely, knocking down the achilles heel of The Sphinx temple.

The whole place starts to shake and I realize that we only have minutes to escape. Xaban makes his early escape attempt by gliding his foot across in a circle and chanting a spell that I recall from Maddie’s books. He’s trying to create a transportation circle to get out of here. He can leave if he wants, we just need him to leave behind a parting gift.

“Sorry, I’m going to borrow this.” I take the crossbow from Spector’s hand and count a couple seconds. Now! I fire an arrow directly into one of Xaban’s knuckles. He drops the lantern right as he finishes his transportation spell. The lantern falls and rolls out of the lighted circle. Ha got him.

Holy crap though, how did I do that?! I’m a terrible shot!

The temple rumbles once more. We’ve got to go. I run forward to grab the lantern. We look around a spot an exit up ahead, but we’ll have to climb to get there.

I looked around to find that the blacksmith had fallen with his leg pinned down under a collapsing rock. Xaban is nowhere near to be found. Of course, the malicious warlock left to save his own skin. Where’s your emperor now?

Jet makes it to the top first, followed by Spector. I start to climb up to reach them, but I sense that Azuki is lagging behind. I turn around to find her looking back, a forlorn look on her face. What is she thinking?

“I’m sorry, even after what he did to you, I can’t just leave that stupid blacksmith behind...” Azuki calls back.

“Azuki, what do you mean?! That jerk is immortal. He’ll be fine!” I shout out to reassure her. I’m unsure of what she’s aiming at here, but we have to go!

“That’s the problem! He’ll be trapped in that temple for eternity with no hope of death, suffering completely alone. No one deserves to be trapped in the dark like that,” Azuki calls out. “I can’t leave him behind…”

“But I can’t leave YOU behind!” I shout trying to knock some sense back into her, the emotion rising in my voice. I should know better than to try and change her mind, but I don’t want to see her get hurt. I won’t!

“Look at you showing love for a stray. I’m going to be okay, June.” Azuki’s voice breaks, emphasizing the little confidence she has in her success. She’s risking her life to go back for the monster that betrayed us. I don’t want to, but I have to help her.

She hops down and pulls the blacksmith’s arm around her shoulder. I join her as quickly as I can to pick up his other side. I would never have been brave enough or strong enough to lift this guy up in my entire life. Adrenaline sure makes you do crazy things.

We climb our way forward to see Jet using his back to prop up a crumbling pillar above. Spector reaches out his hand to pull me up. I reach the edge first, then quickly turn around to pull the blacksmith up by his sleeves. Now, it’s Azuki’s turn.

Just as she reaches her hand out to grab mine, the rocks slide beneath her dropping her further into the ruins. Jet’s back muscles finally give out and the massive pillar drops to the ground with a resounding thud. That was the only way out. She’s trapped in there.

No. NO. This is not ending this way. I am not leaving her trapped in the dark. There’s got to be a way out! I lift the pillar. The boys join me. We pull, but it’s not budging. I’m not strong enough. I need to try again. Again! AGAIN!

My hands are shaking. I just need to focus. Come on, you can do this. I lift one more time, but the guys don’t join me. What’s wrong with them?! She’s trapped in there! We are not giving up!

“Help me...” I pause to catch my breath before lifting again. Each attempt, more hopeless than the last. Looking around, I see that their faces have already quit. Why aren't they doing anything?

“I said, HELP ME!!”

I pick up my staff and try a levitation spell in vain. I’m not good enough. I’m too stupid and too weak to make anything work.

Jet reaches out and puts his hand on my shoulder. “June. Even with all our strength combined we’re not strong enough to lift this. She’s stuck in there for now. And even if we get to her we don’t know if-”

The words he’s saying start ringing in my ears as it all turns to mush. Azuki was so brave going back to save a man who didn’t deserve her help. She is so much better than she gives herself credit for. It crushes me to know, the last look I saw on her face was one of fear.

“You.” I growl at the blacksmith, “You’re free from this temple thanks to her. So, you’re going to stay here and look for help. You better do everything in your power to save her! Do you hear me??”

The blacksmith nods.

“Good. I would have left you in an instant, but lucky for you, Azuki is a better person than me.”

The last thing she remembers on Earth is getting abandoned by her adoptive family, the people who should have loved her unconditionally. She’s not going to die alone. Not on my watch.

“Jet. Spector. You two stay here and keep an eye on the blacksmith. I don’t trust him to be of any help on his own. We’re bringing Azuki home.”

Jet nods, but Spector objects to this plan. “And what about you? Does that mean you’re going to confront Xaban by yourself? I can’t let you do that.”

“No! I’m not going to risk anyone else’s life today. I can’t lose anymore friends!”

“So you would rather go alone? Did it ever occur to you that I don’t want to lose you too!?” The silence grows. I hate how close we’ve become. It just makes moments like this hurt even more. But he’s right. I don’t stand a chance on my own.

“...If you have a death wish Spector, you can join me.” I reluctantly agree to his proposal. And so we beat on, tirelessly marching forward to Mount Calamity to search for Xaban and fully aware that this next encounter with him will be our last, for better or worse.