Another story inspired by a writing prompt, this time concerning the unexpected fulfillment of prophecy.
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As the battle raged between the hordes of hell and the alliance of mortals, the Demon Lord met the Hero in single combat. Sparks flew as their ringing blades sang a deadly melody.
But the Hero faded, while the Demon Lord only grew in strength. Each parry came slower than the last, and soon blood flew from countless flesh wounds.
“Fool!” bellowed the Demon Lord. “No one born of this world can defeat me.”
“Wait, really?” said the Hero, his questionable bravery already waning. “You’re sure it’s not ‘no one born of a woman’? See, my mother had a caesarean section, and we figured-“
“You think I’m not familiar with modern medical practices?! I would never fall victim to such an obvious loophole.”
The army of mortals — those who weren’t already dying or dead — watched this exchange and despaired. The battle was all but lost.
In their darkest hour, the gloomy clouds above were split by a bolt of flame. The fighting slowed as both sides took notice of its descent, pointing and gasping.
The Demon Lord and Hero were the last to notice, though it was far too late, anyway. The flaming meteor interrupted their battle in a great upheaval of dirt and ash.
As the air began to clear, the armies beheld that the meteor was shaped like a gleaming silver egg, now spattered red with the blood of their two champions.
The stunned hellbeasts scattered and fled at the sight of their fallen lord. The mortals held their ground, not particularly bothered; the Hero had been kind of a jerk, with only one qualification for his role, thanks to a misinterpreted prophecy.
A gray fellow with a spongy, hairless head emerged from a crack in the silver egg, coughing and waving his three-fingered hand. When he saw what he’d landed upon, his beady black eyes stretched into a gargantuan size. He tentatively prodded the smushed Demon Lord.
At first, his voice gargled strangely, then settled flawlessly into the common tongue. “That’s- that’s not too bad. You could buff those stains right out of this, uh, odd metal clothing. We don’t really need to exchange insurance information, do we?”
A few of the mortal commanders stepped forward, wearing quizzical expressions. “What information, oh heroic stranger?”
“You don’t have insurance? Brilliant!” The gray fellow dusted himself off, looking pleased. “Uh, don’t suppose you have Quantum Fuel Cells, either? No? This may be a longer visit than anticipated… Well, shouldn’t neglect the formalities: Take me to your leader.”
The humans and dwarves and elves looked at one another, then fell to one knee. “You are our leader, Great Warrior from the Sky.”
Frantically, he motioned them to silence. “Not too loudly. No meddling with under-developed worlds going on here, no sir. But… if you can keep a secret, I could give it the old college try.”
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Thanks for reading, more stories to follow soon!
Tales of Fantasy and Folly 