NOVEL NEXT Book 6 - Chapter 41
Owin managed to block, dodge, and even counter Lightning after Lightning. The Power 2 spell was powerful enough to send him flying, but he could block it with his sword, move if he was ready, or stop it with a simple Bolt. His luck held for about five seconds of rapid fire spells.
When Veph changed to Chain Lightning, Owin hadn't been ready or even sure how to dodge the spell that arced through Chorsay, Shade, and into Owin. He seized like before, unable to properly move.
Veph sent a Fireball right at Owin, which he managed to slice in half.
Chorsay prepared to jump. She hit him with another Chain Lightning that stopped him completely.
Veph dropped back to the ground. Her electric feet caused the pebbles on the ground to shake and lift until they hovered above the ground. "I will admit, Owin, I am impressed. It was truly a powerful show for a simple goblin."
"We're done?"
Veph pointed a finger. "Fulmination."
White light flashed.
Owin staggered. He felt his hand release the Incandescent Blade. Flames vanished as the plain sword clattered to the ground. Owin took a step back and looked down. There was a hole directly through his chest.
Chitin armor cracked and splintered, then fell away, leaving only the tight-fitting film.
"I—" Owin croaked. No words actually emerged. He tried to take a breath.
There was nothing.
Health 0/750
***
Shade stared.
Owin somehow managed to mouth a few words and take a handful of steps before falling onto his back. He was dead. He was completely, impossibly dead. The blast had gone perfectly through his heart. There was nothing left.
"I know," Veph said. Her electric form faded. Other than some loose strands of hair, she looked normal. Perfect. Flawless. Evil.
"You . . ." Chorsay's voice was strained. "I promised I would protect him."
"Don't make promises you can't keep. I hope you learned something." Veph sheathed her crystal sword. She gave a quick glance to Shade, raised an eyebrow, then turned away. "I'll see you back in Atrevaar. I know it'll take some time to come around."
And just like that, Veph walked away. Calmly. Peacefully.
"I'm still here," Shade said. "I'm still here!" He took a step toward Owin.
Cursed to repeat.
Shade's feet crumbled to dust. He fell to his knees, eye sockets widening.
"Owin!" Shade reached for the goblin.
Bags of bricks clattered as Chorsay dropped to his knees at Owin's side.
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Cursed to suffer.
Shade's shins blew away. He dug his fingers into the sand and dragged himself to Owin's side. Chorsay was hunched, staring into the void that had been Owin's heart.
"I'm sorry, Shade," he finally said.
Cursed to lose.
Shade's legs were gone. Soon, he would be gone.
"Owin, I'm sorry," Shade said as he grabbed Owin's hand. "I'm sorry."
"I promised." Chorsay looked at the knife in his hands.
Shade tried pushing himself up, but he knew his arms would soon vanish. "No, Chorsay. You can't. You can't."
Cursed to fail.
Shade's left arm blew away in the wind. For the first time in millennia, he felt pain.
And it was in his heart.
Chorsay wrapped both hands around the knife and held it high.
"Tell him I love him, Shade." Chorsay smiled softly. "I love you too, you know. Keep him safe."
"No, no, no, no." Shade reached for Chorsay, but he could hardly move. Before long, he would be dust in the wind. "It's not worth it, Chorsay! It's not! Don't be like me. Don't be Cursed!"
"I need you to do me a favor, Shade. A big favor. It's asking too much. I need you—" He cut himself off and finally looked at Shade. There were no tears. Instead, there was a strange happiness. "Despite it all . . ." Chorsay smiled warmly. "I need you to tell Veph that she'll always be my little girl. I forgive her. I know Owin won't. I don't expect him to. I want you to let him know that I'm sorry, I am so sorry that he has to go through this again. But together, you two can go find Artivan. Give him my love. He was my best friend."
Shade shook his head. "Please, Chorsay."
Cursed to grieve.
"Goodbye, Shade. Thank you for being my friend." Chorsay drove the point of the Transference Dagger into what was left of Owin's chest.
The hole through Owin's chest immediately closed.
Chorsay's arms dropped to his sides as a gaping hole appeared in his chest where his heart should be. His eyes went blank, and he stayed knelt, head partially bowed.
Dead.
"No," Shade said. "No. Why?"
The air was still and silent. Shade couldn't truly close his eyes or look away. He just stared at Chorsay's lifeless form. It felt like being back in his box. Back in his box before Owin became his friend. Before he met anyone. Before he was a Nimble Hog.
There was no hope.
No happiness.
No joy.
No future.
The air thrummed. Something moved rapidly.
A lehboa tilted her head. She had a full head of curly hair, and with one gentle touch to his skull, Shade felt his limbs all reappear.
He slowly pushed himself upright. "Can you—"
"No," she said. "You know that."
Nehadya's steps crunched in the sand as she walked around Owin and Chorsay. "You know, Deniz, I did not expect these events. Neither did the others. For you to be tied back in with another use of the Transference Dagger is an exciting twist."
"There's no fucking twist." Shade pulled it from Owin's chest. The curved blade didn't even leave a mark. "Take it. Curse someone else."
Nehadya carefully grabbed the unique weapon in her furred hand. "It was not just this dagger that Cursed you."
"I don't care. I don't want it near Owin again."
Nehadya had both a sadness and a twinge of joy. "You know becoming attached is a dangerous thing, Deniz."
"Stop calling me that."
Nehadya brushed a lock of hair behind her lehboa ear. With a snap, the dagger disappeared. "Deniz? It's your name. This whole 'Shade' business is temporary. You are here to repeat yourself. After all, you wished for eternal life. This is it."
"Owin isn't done."
"Not yet. What is going to stop Vephthru Veriss from killing him again? What of Egnatia Lucan? You two have enemies. Someone will come for the goblin's life again."
"I'll be there. You'll see us when Owin gets his seventh shard."
Nehadya watched Shade for a long, silent minute. Then she walked to Chorsay's side. Shade flinched, expecting something awful.
"When he wakes, direct him over there." Nehadya pointed.
Something flashed in Shade's view. No matter how he turned, he could still see where it led.
"I don't need to see a grief-stricken goblin roaming my floor any longer. If he survives the fusion, he can ask me a question at the top." She rested a hand on Chorsay's shoulder. The old man's body vanished. "I will provide the memory and visual of Chorsay Eoghet's body to the goblin. He will know, at least in concept, what happened. Waking and seeing your friend hunched like that will only create more pain."
Shade nodded.
"Despite my disdain for you, Deniz, I was rooting for your little team. An admirable effort. If you hadn't lost his unbreakable shield, perhaps he could have protected himself. No matter." Nehadya looked into the sky. "Vephthru is gone. Good luck."
Nehadya turned into a blur of air and disappeared into the sky.
Owin wheezed in a deep breath.