Story Arc #4 The Hero of Pendown

Better Part of Valor

“There was no saving him, Eshami. Trust me.”

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A curious hallway, a mixture of fantasy and science fiction. There’s a silhouette of a person walking in the distance.
Image created by Author using Nightcafé AI

This is a continuation of Battle of Blood and Will, part of a Choose Your Own Adventure. Check out how you can contribute, as well as read other amazing entries here.

You drag Eshami down the corridor to your left with the injured man slung over your shoulders.

He is rather short but stalky, and he’s surprisingly heavy for a man of his size.

After running for a minute or two, you are utterly lost, but there are no frightening sounds, and you feel that you are safe, at least for the time being.

You carefully drop the man to the ground with Eshami’s help. She pulses her palm over the bloodied man’s face, offering the last of her healing magic.

“Anything?” you ask hopefully.

She places two fingers on the man’s neck, feeling for a pulse, but she turns to you and shakes her head solemnly. “He is dying.”

You collect yourself as you give Eshami room to deliver the man’s Last Rites.

The man coughs up his final labored breath before falling silent.

You walk back to Eshami and give her a light hug. “There was no saving him, Eshami. Trust…

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Jonathon Sawyer
Choose Your Own Adventure — Collaboration

I’m a Canadian writer of short stories; a poet of dubious repute. I experiment with interesting concepts and styles, which is why I head TKL's Monday Mash-Ups