Starfall's Wish - Chapter 17 - First Draft (Patreon)

Yuka's eyes fluttered open, her vision blurred and unfocused. She could feel the damp earth beneath her, its cold moisture seeping through her clothes. Her head throbbed in time with her heartbeat, an incessant drumming that kept her tethered to the present. As she slowly regained her faculties, the memories of the ritual came flooding back.

"Father!" she cried out, her voice hoarse from the earlier chanting.

Stumbling to her feet, Yuka's legs wobbled beneath her like a newborn fawn. She pushed past the lingering dizziness and confusion, focusing on finding her father amid the chaos. There he was, lying not far from the altar, his form crumpled and broken. A sudden swell of relief washed over her as she reached him.

"Father," Yuka whispered, her hands trembling as she cradled her father's head in her arms. His once strong features were now marred by pain and exhaustion, his skin pallid and slick with sweat.

"Y-Yuka..." he managed to choke out, blood flecking his lips as he coughed violently. His eyes, though filled with agony, bore into hers with unwavering intensity. "Forgive me, my child..."

"Father, don't speak!" Yuka pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks. She remembered how fiercely she had questioned the traditions, how she had sought change for their people. But she never wanted it to come at such a cost. "Please, save your strength."

Her father shook his head, another fit of coughs sending spasms through his body. "Listen to me, Yuka," he rasped, each word an effort. "Your brother... Rōshi... You must protect him, care for our people..."

"Father, I will," she sobbed, clutching his hand tightly within her own. "I promise you, I will. But please, don't leave me!"

"Be strong, my child..." Her father's eyes began to lose focus, his grip on her hand weakening. "I love... you..."

As his words trailed off, her father's body went limp in her arms. His eyes, once filled with life and determination, stared blankly into the distance. Yuka let out a heart-wrenching cry, her tears falling onto her father's lifeless face.

3 - 4

The scene shifted abruptly as the ground trembled beneath Yuka's feet, drawing her attention away from her father's lifeless form. A deafening clash of thunder filled the air, and Yuka turned her tear-filled eyes toward the epic battle unfolding nearby.

Theng, with his black bladed sword, and Dīl, wielding a spear of lightning, engaged in fierce combat against the fearsome Lord Yukyo. The intensity of their battle was staggering; it seemed as if the very heavens themselves were being torn apart by the ferocious display of power.

"Za'kri!" Theng roared in his strange tongue, swinging the black blade with such force that it left a trail of darkness in its wake. Each strike he made against Lord Yukyo was met with equal fervor, the sound of steel ringing out like a death knell.

"Ko'than!" Dīl commanded just as fiercely, thrusting his spear forward, a crackling bolt of lightning erupting from its tip. The raw energy sizzled through the air, searing the very earth it impacted upon.

Lord Yukyo retaliated with a demonic grin, his pale lavender skin and fiery red hair seeming to glow even brighter in the chaos. "Fools!" he spat, contempt dripping from each syllable. "You dare challenge me, the embodiment of divine power?!"

Despite the overwhelming might of their foe, Theng and Dīl remained undeterred. Their clothes now mostly tatters, they fought on, the bond between them evident in their unwavering determination.

"Ri'tal!" Theng cried out, his voice hoarse but resolute, as he dodged a particularly vicious strike from Lord Yukyo. He glanced briefly at Dīl, his eyes conveying a silent message that only the two of them understood.

"Li'mara," Dīl responded, his focus unwavering as he continued to battle the tyrannical deity. They moved in perfect harmony, their attacks seamlessly blending together, creating a deadly dance of death.

"Y-you can do it," Yuka whispered to herself, her gaze locked on the fierce battle. The fear that had once consumed her was now replaced with determination, inspired by the courage and strength displayed by Theng and Dīl. She knew that she could not remain idle any longer; there were people who needed her help, her protection.

"Father," she murmured softly, wiping away her tears. "I promise... I will be strong."

5 - 6

The battle between the divine beings raged on, their movements a blur to any mortal observer. Theng and Dīl, though weary from their relentless struggle, pressed their attack against Lord Yukyo with renewed vigor. They moved in tandem like two halves of a whole, their every strike coordinated and precise.

"Ka'vren!" Theng shouted, his black-bladed sword slicing through the air as he aimed for Lord Yukyo's exposed flank. The villainous deity barely managed to dodge the attack, his eyes widening in surprise at the twins' persistence.

"Ti'kal," Dīl muttered, thrusting his spear of lightning towards Lord Yukyo's heart. The divine being sidestepped the deadly attack, but not without sustaining a glancing blow that left a faint trail of smoke rising from his shoulder.

"Enough!" Lord Yukyo roared, his voice echoing throughout the battlefield. "I will not tolerate this insolence any longer!"

With a swift movement, he leapt backward, retreating to the base of a nearby mountain. Theng and Dīl pursued him relentlessly, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten in their drive to bring down the malevolent god.

"Var'tu," Theng growled, his blonde hair whipped by the wind as he charged towards Lord Yukyo with the full force of his divine strength.

"Zi'qua," Dīl added, his fair skin glistening with sweat as he hurled his spear of lightning directly at the cornered deity.

But Lord Yukyo merely laughed, his cruel eyes alight with malice. With a sudden, shuddering transformation, his human form dissolved into the monstrous visage of a massive winged dragon. His scales shimmered like liquid obsidian, and his fiery eyes burned with unbridled fury.

"Behold my true form!" he bellowed, spreading his colossal wings wide. "Witness the power of the dragon, and despair!"

"Ti'var," Theng whispered, his eyes narrowing as he assessed their foe's new form. Dīl nodded in agreement, his grip tightening on his spear.

"Kra'ta," Dīl replied, and they fell back momentarily, regrouping and adjusting their strategy to account for Lord Yukyo's transformation.

The great dragon reared back, unleashing a torrent of flame that threatened to consume everything in its path. Theng and Dīl sprang into action, evading the deadly inferno with grace and agility born of divine reflexes.

"Sa'vor!" Theng cried out, leaping high into the air and bringing his black-bladed sword down upon the dragon's thickly armored scales.

"Ri'lar!" Dīl shouted, his spear of lightning crackling with energy as he struck at the mighty beast's vulnerable underbelly.

Though they were battered and bruised, their spirits remained unbroken. Each attack against the fearsome dragon was executed with even greater ferocity than before, their determination to protect the innocent people of Fērizith fueling their every movement.

"Father," Yuka whispered once more, her heart swelling with pride as she watched the twin gods battle the monstrous dragon. "They will save us all."

7 - 8

As the titanic struggle between gods and dragon continued to rage in the distance, Yuka sat on a rocky outcropping, her eyes glazed over with shock. The tremors of their battle reverberated through the ground beneath her, each one rocking her fragile world further from its axis. She felt as though she was watching a nightmare unfold, unable to tear her gaze away from the horrifying spectacle.

"Is this what our people have been living for?" she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible above the cacophony of destruction. "For this moment? For this battle that could end us all?"

"Y-Yuka..." A feeble groan broke through her thoughts, bringing her focus back to the here and now. Rōshi, her father's loyal advisor, lay bound and battered nearby. His once-pristine robes were now stained with dirt and blood, but his spirit seemed unbroken.

"Rōshi!" Yuka cried, scrambling to his side. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes," he replied, grimacing with pain as he tried to shift his position. "I'm still alive, at least."

Without hesitation, Yuka looked around and spotted a fallen elven warrior nearby, his lifeless body testament to the initial shockwave unleashed by Lord Yukyo. She took the sword from his cold grip, its ornate handle adorned with delicate filigree. With a determined expression, she sliced through the ropes binding Rōshi, freeing him from his constraints.

"Thank you," Rōshi said, his breath heavy as he attempted to sit up. "I knew you would come for me."

"Of course," Yuka responded, her green eyes filled with concern. "We need to get you some help."

"Yuka... The battle..." Rōshi began, but Yuka cut him off.

"I know, Rōshi, but we can't help them right now," she said, her voice resolute. "We need to focus on what we can do."

"Y-you're right," Rōshi conceded, his gaze drifting back toward the distant battle between Theng, Dīl, and the fearsome dragon that was once Lord Yukyo.

"Let's go," Yuka urged, slipping an arm around Rōshi's waist and helping him to his feet. As they began to make their way toward safety, she couldn't help but steal one last glance at the clash of titans unfolding before her.

"Please," she whispered under her breath, her heart aching with worry for the twin gods who had stepped in to save her people. "Protect them as they have protected us."

9 - 10

Yuka strained with effort, her auburn hair plastered to her forehead as she half-carried Rōshi up the hill. Her empathetic nature urged her forward, despite the pain in her arms and legs from supporting him. The once idyllic path to the great hall was now marred by the carnage of mythical battle, and Yuka's shoes slipped on the damp earth beneath her.

"Yuka... you shouldn't have to do this alone," Rōshi murmured between heavy breaths, his face pale from both pain and shame.

"Rōshi," Yuka replied, her voice firm but gentle. "You are my brother, and I will help you no matter what."

As they continued their slow ascent, the great hall came into view, its grandeur a stark contrast to the chaotic scene below. Yuka's heart fluttered with hope, knowing that within its walls lay the promise of safety and healing for Rōshi.

Suddenly, a familiar figure materialized before them, his multihued long hair cascading over his broad shoulders. Mabyaku, looking worse for wear, had appeared just when Yuka needed him most.

"Allow me, Yuka," he said, his voice formal yet tinged with concern as he took Rōshi's other side. Together, they continued toward the great hall, the weight of Rōshi's battered body now shared between them.

As they finally crested the hill, their gaze was drawn to the distant spectacle unfolding before them. Lord Yukyo, his form now that of a monstrous winged dragon, roared with fury as he engaged in battle with Theng and Dīl.

"By the gods..." Rōshi whispered, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Indeed," he agreed, his gaze fixed on the chaotic scene in the distance. "I must go and join the fight against Lord Yukyo. Protect Rōshi and the others."

With that, Mabyaku released Rōshi and vanished, leaving Yuka once again shouldering the burden of her brother's care. As they entered the great hall, Yuka couldn't help but feel a deep sense of responsibility for the fate of her people – a responsibility she would carry with pride, no matter the outcome of the battle.