The Homeseeker: An Elemental Adventurer LitRPG

Chapter 40 - King

Zalan could feel Docrun running after him as much as he could hear his thunderous steps. He threw a bolt of lightning behind him without looking and heard Docrun stumble for a moment as Rep's hand reached out and touched the handle. Rep grasped tightly, then had his face smashed into the door by Docrun's decrepit, gray hand. Rep cried out in pain and Zalan swung his sword at Docrun's outstretched arm, only to have his blade slapped aside by Docrun's scepter, stabbing the stone floor harmlessly.

"I cannot pull it open," Rep said through grit teeth, his efforts still focused on escape despite the grip Docrun had on him. An arrow stabbed through King Docrun's forearm and he turned to find where Yelsa was firing from. In the moment of distraction, Zalan threw a bolt of lightning at Docrun's feet, causing him to buckle enough that Rep's head was no longer pushed against the wooden door. Zalan swung his sword at Docrun's outstretched hand again, this time much faster. Docrun spotted the incoming blade and released Rep's head to dodge, and Rep was rolled aside to safety by a blast of air that Gorb supplied.

"I need to be next to the door to open it!" Rep said as he rolled to his feet, the right side of his face covered in blood and splinters.

"You cannot open the door if you are dead!" Gorb called back, rushing with Fran to engage in battle with Docrun as he turned his focus to Zalan.

Zalan took a step back, watching Docrun's scepter closely to see how he would attack. He was right to keep an eye on it, because Docrun immediately thrust it forward and Zalan had only just enough time to parry it. Docrun came with another swing from above and Zalan held up his sword, locking the two weapons. Docrun was handily overpowering Zalan, pushing Zalan's sword gradually to his face. An arrow inserted itself into the back of Docrun's head, emerging from the charred side of his face, removing his bad eye. Docrun didn't seem to mind the partial loss of sight, his remaining eye intent on pushing Zalan's sword through its owner.

Zalan screamed in frustration, pain, and fear as his sword drew within inches of his face. In a last-ditch effort, he blasted his own weapon with lightning, not thinking about the consequences as his blade threatened to meet his face.

In that moment, Zalan felt the mind-muscle of his Elemental Power respond to him like never before. He knew how to maintain the lightning in his blade for a whole of three seconds. He was imbuing the blade with lightning. The powerful electricity traveled up through his blade and into Docrun's scepter, causing Docrun to twitch and lose his hold over the locked weapons. As Docrun lost his grip, Fran blasted between them, assisted by a burst of air behind her, and sliced wildly at Docrun's scepter.

Docrun's weapon dropped to the floor along with his thumb. Docrun looked at his severed hand numbly, flexing his remaining fingers, and used his other hand to ensure his crown was still on his head. Satisfied to see his kingly apparel had not been separated from him, he looked back to Zalan and his companions, twisting his head out of the way as one of Yelsa's arrows tried to take his other eye. It missed, leaving a small cut on Docrun's ear.

"That was my last one!" Yelsa called helplessly.

"No matter! We can take him from here now that he is unarmed!" Fran called with ebullience.

Docrun turned to her as Fran thrust her sword straight at Docrun's neck. Docrun placed the palm of his thumbless hand in the way and Fran cut right into it with a sneer on her face. But rather than cut all the way through to his throat, Docrun used his hand to redirect the blade to open air next to him. Fran frowned and tried to twist her sword to pull it from his grip, but Docrun began to slide his palm inward, stabbing himself further to get his palm closer to the hilt of the blade. Fran stared in shock as Docrun drew close to her, his four fingers on the hilt of her sword. She tried to pull it away again, but Docrun's grip over her weapon was tight and he headbutt her forcefully, causing her to stumble back and lose her weapon.