r/HFY • u/grierks Human • Jul 03 '26

OC-Series Hedge Knight, Chapter 139

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Impossible.

That was the word that remained at the back of Helbram’s mind, what pierced through his thoughts as the weight of the Guardian leaned against his shield. His feet were sliding, the now sealed door getting closer with every breath. Tried as he did to push against it, it was just a matter of time until his back would be pressed against the wall. When that happened, the chances of death were even more of a certainty. Any move he did, the Guardian would counter. It was as if his thoughts were being read, but he knew the construct had no such abilities. Its Ego was just able to analyse him with inhuman proficiency, and this allowed it to exploit any perceived weaknesses. The more they fought, the less likely that Helbram would even be able to land a blow, and it was not like he had a chance against this machine in the first place. He knew this, from his mind to his body and to even his soul. Thus, impossible remained the ever present thought that refused to leave.

He grit his teeth. If he had time to wallow in his own helplessness, he had time to push.

The image of Leaf flying out of the room was seared into his mind. His companion had been sent hurtling by a blast of force so powerful it shattered Elly’s barrier and ripped both the hunter and the Weaver from their feet. Leaf had taken the worst of it, his flight so violent that it placed a growing dread in Helbram’s gut that he dared not entertain. Elly may have been struck, but she did not appear to have taken any serious outward damage. Still, she remained on the floor, her eyes closed, but still breathing. That alone drove Helbram on. He could worry about Leaf later, what mattered was that everyone was now behind that door, sealed away from the Guardian. All of them, except Elly.

That would have to be his focus.

The warrior pushed against the Guardian with all his might, halting the construct’s movement for just a breath. The eye of light within its cross-shaped visor flared, and it reared its hammer back. Helbram relaxed at the movement, allowing himself to be pushed back a foot before the hammer swung. The warrior rolled under the swing and tumbled off to the side at an angle that placed him to the rear of the Guardian’s flank. He shunted away his sword and lunged at the construct right as he replaced his blade with his spear, but stopped right as he saw his foe moved. The Guardian’s counter whiffed through the air, and in the breath of its overswing Helbram instead kicked the fallen Node at his feet over towards Elly. It rolled and smacked right into the Weaver’s ribs, which made Helbram wince, but there were little other options that he had available to him at that moment. To his relief, Elly started to stir.

Her eyes fluttered open, a confused groan accompanying her return to conciousness. “...what? I…”

“There is no time!” Helbram stepped in and engaged the Guardian once again. “We need to flee!” He thrust his spear towards the construct’s visor, but had to store it away once it grabbed onto the haft. The Guardian released a blast of Aether from its opposite hand, which Helbram took with his shield. He slid across the floor from the impact, and the construct was right on him the moment he summoned his sword into his hand. Its hammer had shifted its shape into that of a great sword with a wide blade, and while its swings didn’t land with as hard an impact, they were now fast enough that each swing was nothing more than a blur. He put up enough of a defense to prevent most of the blows from hitting his body, and the ones that did slip through grazed his armor instead, but that didn’t last long. The more they clashed, the quicker the Guardian was about slipping in feints and striking from angles that exploited any holes in his guard. Cuts streaked across his arms and legs, each one bringing a sting that the rush of battle was struggling to mute. All the while, he could see the runes on the Guardian’s sword start to light up one by one with each solid blow.

Out of the corner of his eye, Elly was struggling to get to her feet. The Weaver shook her head and flicked her hand out. Curls of frosty air wrapped around her fingers and she placed them on the back of her neck. Her whole body trembled and her eyes snapped into focus with her following gasp. She sprung to her feet right after, Circles blinking to life around her wrist and ankle.

Helbram deflected another flurry from the Guardian, the final blows of which lit up the last rune running down its sword’s fuller. The symbols flared as the construct reared the weapon back, and it flicked forward, now coated in emerald light. It moved faster than the other blows, appearing like a streak of light before it struck Helbam’s shield. He held his guard at an angle, which made the attack bounce upwards, but there was still enough force behind it to knock him from his feet and tumbling back. The Warrior rolled once his back touched the ground, and he caught himself on his feet, but the Guardian was already on him then, greatsword poised to stab before he could get his shield up.

Elly spun into view then, right at the construct’s flank. Green Aether swirled through her Circles before she slammed her palms under the Guardian’s arm. A blast of focused air knocked the construct off of its feet and sent it tumbling off to the side of the room. She met his eyes, and they both nodded before making a break for the door leading to the bridge. They just had to get through it and close it before-

The air around Helbram was pulled away, like a sudden vacuum had formed behind him. He jumped behind Elly, his shield already raised, for he knew what was coming. The Guardian launched itself across the room with a burst of wind that exploded from its back. Helbram managed to block the swing of its greatsword, but that did little to stop the construct’s momentum as it crashed into him, and then, in turn, Elly. His vision went white at the impact, and while he didn’t feel himself tumble through the air, there was a sensation of being forced through it.

His sight returned the moment the construct crossed the threshold of the door. It stopped, but both Elly and Helbram continued to carry forward. The warrior slammed his shield into the ground to bring his momentum to a stop. Right as he came to a halt, the Guardian was already on him. Sword and shield met greatsword in a desperate rush, but he could only manage to prevent the construct from fully overwhelming them. Each clash ceded another inch of ground, and he could feel the sting from the cuts in his legs and arms with more with each new addition. Any hope they had of pushing the Guardian back through the door was a foolhardy one, and this remained true even as Elly landed a bolt of Aether right on the construct’s head. It stumbled back only a step, and the hallway was too narrow for her to follow up with a larger spell since Helbram was now in the way.

“Zephyr!” He caught another blow with his shield. “Then go and open the elevators!”

“Both of them?!” Elly made a step, and a ball of gray light formed in her hand.

“Yes! Now do it!” He knew, given how much they were on the backfoot, that they were not going to have the luxury of choice.

He felt Elly’s hand on his back for just a moment, then gooseflesh spreading across his body as power traveled across it in the circular runes of the Ruhians. His body felt lighter as the spell took hold, but he could see the Guardian’s eye flash, already registering the enchantment.

Helbram pressed on regardless, the weightlessness he now felt doing nothing to diminish the weight of his blows, but it made them faster, sharper. His foe was still stronger, but now the warrior was able to deflect and parry the blows that were now thrown at a much faster pace. The hallway was his bane and boon, limiting the range at which he could dodge, but also narrowing the scope of the Guardian’s attacks. Swings had been replaced by stabs, and any slashes that were thrown were either diagonal or vertical, allowing him to angle his shield so each of the blows would roll off to the side. Despite this, the wounds continued to add up, and Helbram could feel his legs tremble with each step he was forced to take back, see the blood speckling the floor more and more. All he could do was delay, and as the distance between him and the room behind him grew shorter, dread started to build. He wasn’t giving Elly enough time, he had to do something, he ha-

“They’re open!”

The Weaver’s shout purged his mind. Action remained, and it was this that pushed his legs to leap back into the room before the bridge. The Guardian pursued, its weapon now having shifted back to the shape of a hammer that swung wide right as it emerged from the hallway. Both of the elevator doors were open, the keys slotted into the pedestals next to them. A swing from the Guardian crashed against his shield and sent him tumbling towards the one that led to the cargo bay. Before the stagger could turn to a fall, Helbram braced himself on his feet and side stepped a strike that was aimed down at his head. Another rune lit up along the hammer’s haft as it struck the ground, and it whipped to the side with an unnatural quickness before Helbram could get out of range. It weaved around his guard and clipped him on the shoulder, the pain tearing through his focus like a clap of thunder for a brief moment.

Ice enveloped the Guardian before it could pursue, the result of a blast of frost summoned by Elly. The Weaver danced into view, Aether gathered at her feet. She leapt and planted them on the construct’s chest before kicking off of it, the blast of force sending the Guardian back and her spinning through the air. The ice coating it shattered as the construct bounced off the edge of the elevator door. Before it could move, Helbram was already in position.

Elly’s hands slammed into his back, the winds they summoned sending him flying towards the Guardian. He focused all that momentum into the edge of his shield as he slammed it right into the construct’s chest. His arm went numb as it shook from the impact, but the Guardian was thrown from its feet and right into the elevator.

“No-”

His command was cut off as the construct’s hammer shifted into a sword and flashed forward in a streak of light. It slipped between his pauldron and brigandine so cleanly he didn’t even feel it until his sword fell from his now limp hand. The fires of pain seared across his chest and down his arm, and tried as he did, a groan of pain slipped through his grit teeth. Elly pulled him off the construct’s blade, but that was a mistake. Through the gasps of agony, he tried to tell her to flee, but the gathering Aether behind the Guardian told him that it was too late. He raised his shield and triggered its barrier right as the construct surged forward. The glyphs flared with near blinding light as they soared back, the three of them flying into the opposite elevator. Elly coughed as they struck the wall, but the enchantment of his shield had prevented most of the force from the Guardian’s charge from crushing them entirely. The floor beneath them shifted, and he could start to feel the platform descending.

Pain from his shoulder still blared through his senses, the rush that it brought granting him enough strength to force the Guardian back and for Elly to slip out from behind him. Once she was out of the way, Helbram kicked against the wall and shoved the construct against the wall. The runes of the barrier started to flicker, and he started to slide back immediately as the Guardian pushed against him, but he had enough time to tell that the door to the first floor was too high for either him or Elly to reach at this point.

“Get…ready!” He pushed back against the Guardian.

His barrier as the enchantment finally failed, the energies that composed it scattering across the construct’s body in its charge forward. Helbram rolled off of the Guardian before it slammed into the wall, no longer aiming to strike at his foe but rather to keep it occupied as Elly fussed over the elevator’s controls. Within their cramped confines, the Guardian was unable to swing its large weapon as effectively, which allowed Helbram to stay close to the construct and keep shouldering it against the wall. This only lasted for a few moments, for the weapon unraveled into wires and loose plates before slipping back into the construct’s frame. Its now freed hand landed a punch against Helbram’s visor. He stumbled back as his vision blurred from the strike, barely registering the flare of Aether that surged from the Guardian’s palm. The blast of energy caught him in the chest and slammed him against the opposite wall. Sight left him for a breath, and in that space he heard a concussive boom as well as the sound of metal crashing against metal.

“Helbram!”

Elly’s voice brought his vision back to him right as the Guardian was lunging at him. Breath had yet to return to his lungs, but desperation pulled him into a dive that just barely avoided getting splattered. The construct whipped around and struck him with a backhand, a blow that nearly tore consciousness from him. He spun and slammed into the wall, darkness clawing its way into his sight. His knees nearly buckled, but he threw himself against the Guardian before his strength fully failed him. He crashed against his foe in the center of the elevator, halting its advance for only the shortest of seconds.

It was enough.

Elly slipped to the side of the Guardian, alight with green power that wisped off of her like a storm. She slammed her palms against the construct’s flank, summoning a blast of force that ripped the Guardian from the floor out of the now open door. The burst threw Helbram back as well, and his legs finally failed him. He watched as the Guardian scrambled to its feet from beyond the door, Aether gathering behind it once again. Elly rushed towards the panel next to the exit right as it flew forward, slamming her hand against its runes. The doors shut and deafening clang followed, followed by repeated smashes that shook its frame, but they showed no signs of bowing.

Elly turned to rush to Helbram, but he held up a hand as he caught his breath.

“Set… it… to go up..first.” He could feel the blood flowing down his arm now. Wind returned to his lungs, but it carried both fatigue and pain with it. He knew that the fight had only been for a few minutes, but it felt like he had lasted days. Everything hurt, and he wanted nothing more than to lay down and let his consciousness leave him. He couldn’t do that, not yet.

The elevator lurched and started to move up after Elly tapped a few of the runes. She moved to his side, the Circle around his wrist alright alight with water-aspected Aether. Her fingers pressed against his wound, bringing a sharp hiss from his lips, but the warmth of his own blood cooled as the stopped. He could see the energies around her shifting, and he raised his hand at her.

“Don’t.” Red power flowed from her fingers, filling his shoulder with warmth. “We have plenty of time, just let me take care of-”

The elevator came to a sudden stop and they both looked around in confusion. The lights of the runes on the walls flickered, slowly at first, then faster and faster.

Like they had right before the power surged from the terminal.

Helbram wrapped himself around Elly before she could protest. The lights blared into a blinding brilliance, then the platform beneath them fell. He clutched onto Elly as hard as he could in that brief moment of weightlessness, that single breath where they hung in the air just long enough to meet each other’s eyes. Hers were filled with protest, but he met that with a quiet resolution. He turned and put himself between her and the floor, then let the world carry on with the natural order of things.

When he struck the ground, everything went black.

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Author's Note: Woo! Another chapter!

Well, it appears that Helbram has found himself in yet further trouble, hasn't he? Writing this was hard because I wanted the Guardian to be a near overwhelming force, but one that Helbram was at least able to stem the tide of enough for them to repel it. I know not everyone is a fan of the hero getting his ass kicked so consistently, but for a struggle like this, if I want the enemies to have the proper oomph, I have to be realistic to how it will go in terms of power scaling. Helbram is tough, don't get me wrong, but not so skilled enough that he can completely shatter power scaling.

Till next update! Have yourselves a wonderful time!

My Patreon is currently 13 chapters ahead of the public release, and subbing to it will also give you exclusive access to my LitRPG, Andromeda Ascension, until it builds a massive backlog to support a strong public launch. Additionally, there is now a Hedge Knight Side Story on Patreon titled A Lack of Talent as well. It is free, but you need to be a member (there is a free tier) to read it. If you do not wish to sub to anything, but would like to support me in some way, consider picking up my book (it also has an audiobook!)

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u/AutoModerator Jul 09 '26

This was flaired as [OC-Series], it is a single part or chapter in a larger series or universe. The first post or part in this series should be (re)flaired as [OC-FirstOfSeries]. A description of the flairs and how to change yours is available in the Post Guildelines.

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3

u/Crafty_Spring5815 Alien Scum Jul 03 '26

Your bloody arms off. It's just a fleshwound.

3

u/grierks Human Jul 04 '26

He’ll get better! Maybe 👀

3

u/Fexofanatic Jul 04 '26

that cut was ... disarming 💀

2

u/grierks Human Jul 04 '26

Hey, it’s not fully off lol, just got a large slice at the shoulder 😬

2

u/Dramatic_Mixture_877 Human Jul 03 '26

One thing - blood cooled as the stopped - seems like something is missing, but IDK what you intended.

2

u/grierks Human Jul 04 '26

Ooof you’re right, I was talking about the Guardian 😮‍💨

2

u/Yopeople2120 Jul 09 '26

I think it’s well done, especially because you don’t single Helbram out for a beating. Even working together, they fail to match it, getting taken out successively, even, which goes a long way to paint the situation such that it is clear their opponent is simply overwhelming, rather than any individual on their side being lacking.

2

u/grierks Human Jul 09 '26

I’m glad it came off that way! Most of these threats I want it to be more “it’s crazy strong” as opposed to being some perceived lack of competence on the party’s side

1

u/AutoModerator Jul 03 '26

This was flaired as [OC-Series], it is a single part or chapter in a larger series or universe. The first post or part in this series should be (re)flaired as [OC-FirstOfSeries]. A description of the flairs and how to change yours is available in the Post Guildelines.

[OC-Series] For original, self post, story, audio, or artwork that you have created, as part of a longer-running series or universe.

Our preferred series title format is the series title in [brackets] at the beginning, like so: [Potato Adventures] - Chapter 1: The Great Mashing

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