The Forsaken Hero

My eyes shot open, breaking me from a fitful rest. Drowsy and disoriented, I stared at an unfamiliar ceiling barely a foot before my face for some time before realizing my cheek was pressed against a tome, and I was staring at my wall. I must have dozed off at some point last night, slipping away mid-study. The light crystal above my bed remained dark, which meant morning hadn’t arrived yet.

I lifted my head and groaned, rubbing my neck. The poor sleeping posture left me feeling sore all over, but the crick above my shoulder blade was particularly painful. Although still slightly muddled, I summoned a magic circle and dropped a Life Dew on my neck, shivering as the cool bead ran down my back before dissolving into my skin. A moment later, the pain disappeared, and I straightened to look around the room.

My night vision was near perfect, and I found everything in order, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. My mana was calm, meaning I likely wasn’t in any great danger, yet I hadn’t awoken naturally. As I rose and crossed to my bed, intending to fall back asleep, I idly activated the Eyes of Fate.

I blinked as the room brightened slightly under the golden hue. The hidden magic circles of the dormant light crystal and door glittered in the darkness, but all was as it should be. Perhaps it truly was nothing.

As I sat on the bed, my vision seemed to twist, and a nauseous bile rose in my throat. Suppressing a scream, I clenched the blankets in my fingers, holding on as the entire world filled with a magical explosion of spinning colors. Overwhelmed by their brilliance, I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to cancel the Eyes of Fate, but the ability remained active. The display continued behind the darkness of my eyelids until at last the colors stopped moving, settling into their place and forming shapes and patterns. The vision cleared, and I was looking around at a quiet village somewhere high in the mountains. The sun was bright overhead, shining down on haphazardly placed homes and verdant gardens. Several villagers walked along the hard-packed dirt road, and I let out a gasp in shock as one passed right through me. What kind of magic was this?

The largest house directly in front of my perspective seemed to be an inn. The door opened, and I was surprised to Soltair emerge from the shadowy interior, his eyes blinking as he grew accustomed to the bright light. I tried to call out to him but found myself unable to speak. As he exited the doorway, several more figures followed, including Trithe, myself, and a cloaked man I didn’t recognize. Strangely enough, we seemed slightly older and more mature, both in body and mind. I anxiously scrutinized myself, sighing in relief at the beautiful face and figure that had developed. My relief was short-lived, however, as the me in the vision looked up, staring right into my eyes. Her eyes were dull and worn, containing a forlorn sense of longing.

Soltair and Trithe took no notice of my slumped shoulders or purposeless steps, striding on forward without a glance back. I felt a twinge of sympathy for myself, but also a growing sense of unease. The hollowness in my future self was haunting, and I couldn’t help but look at the mirror. Did I really look so hopeless? For some reason, I found myself praying that was true. If not, that could only mean that, in the future, I would... no. I shouldn’t think like that.

The cloaked man came up behind me, placing an arm on my shoulders and sharing an encouraging smile. Although he seemed kind, something about the glint in his eyes sent a shiver down my tail. He spoke, and although sound didn’t seem to carry in the vision, whatever he said eased the furrows on my brow. I whispered a response back and picked up my feet, allowing the two of us to catch up to Soltair and Trithe.

As they left my perspective, the world blurred again, blinding me with the chaotic swirls of color that assailed me when the vision appeared. Gradually, they faded, and I opened my eyes to find the soft illumination of the light crystal staring down at me, signaling it was now morning. The Eyes of Fate deactivated, and I felt exhausted and drained of mana. What in the world was that?

My strength came back slowly, and it was nearly an hour before I was capable of rising to my feet. After throwing on one of the plain white slave dresses, I stumbled to the door, catching myself on the doorknob. I looked at my trembling legs helplessly, reminded of the time I burned my soul for mana. Still, I pushed onward, staggering through the slave quarters while using the walls for support. The other slaves looked at me in confusion, but none offered to help, opting instead to stay out of my way.

I recovered enough to walk normally by the time I reached the library, and slipped through the heavy oak doors, which were already ajar. Thron was actively engaged with an unfamiliar stranger at his desk, so I collapsed in one of the lobby chairs and waited. He gave me a concerned look, but most of his focus was on the stranger.

I closed my eyes and drew on my mana, allowing the invigorating warmth to flow through me. My mana recovery was much swifter than my physical, and I already had enough to cast a fourth-circle spell if I wished. Wasn’t there magic for that sort of thing? I chided myself for failing to learn any and set a mental note to do so as soon as possible. If my strength could be turned into mana, then shouldn’t it go the other way?

As I waited, I replayed the strange vision again in my mind. There was nothing dramatic or dangerous about it, yet it had the sense of a warning. For some reason, the idea that it was a normal dream failed to cross my mind, and I knew with a surety it would come to pass. I had plenty of questions, like who was the fourth party member? How far away was it? What happened in the meantime that hurt me so? With plenty of hints, but nothing for reference, I circled the issues again and again until my head hurt.

”Xiviyah,” Thron’s voice came, prompting me to raise my head. ”What happened? Did you stay up too late?”

”I-I don’t know,” I admitted uncertainty, ”I saw something.”

”Did you learn that foresight spell too?” he asked, scratching his head in confusion. ’I thought you decided to-”

”No, that’s not it. It just happened,” I said, rubbing my forehead. ”I got a glimpse of the future.”

He hesitated for a moment, then knelt in front of me, resting his hand on my knee. ”Did you see what you wanted to?”

I shook my head. ”I don’t know what I saw, or what it meant. I just know it’s going to happen.”

”Was it good or bad?”

”Neither,” I said, feeling frustrated. ”That’s the problem. It was just a random occasion. We came out of an inn and left, and that was it.” I didn’t have the confidence to tell him about my state at that time and felt mentioning a new companion untimely. For all I knew, he might be selected to leave the Divine Throne with us, which would make that revelation irrelevant.

He sighed, standing up and offering me a hand. I took it and allowed the elderly man to pull me to my feet. His grip was gentle, yet firm, and I felt a twinge of regret as he let go. Something about the old librarian was comforting, and even our short conversation thus far soothed some of my anxiety.

”Remember what we talked about yesterday?” he asked, smiling kindly.

I nodded. ”Are you telling me to pretend it never happened?”

”What I’m saying is that you need to think carefully. No one but us knows you can receive visions, right? What might happen if the Pope were to hear about it? What about your hero? Knowing the future is a burden too heavy for your young shoulders to bear, especially if you can’t understand it.”

”I-I don’t follow.”

”Responsibility follows knowledge. Think of all the lives you can save if you know what might happen, or where the enemy might strike. Now, what if you didn’t manage to save them? Or what if a vision was wrong, and you end up harming someone?”

”But it was just one vision,” I protested, ”It’s not like I can control it or anything.”

The wrinkles on his face creased as he smiled. ”Not yet, young one. But you’re life is long and potentially limitless. You’re scarcely fifth-level, and yet you claim visions of the future, which requires a sixth-circle spell at the minimum. The church has no need to fear you more than they do.”

I looked into his eyes and found nothing but peace. I sighed, letting the tension flow from my body. ”I understand. Thank you.”

He laughed, patting me on the head. ”Think nothing of it. Now, are you ready to cast that spell yet?”

Although I was used to his touch, my tail still stiffened slightly, and I couldn’t help but wonder why he was being so kind. Even so, I trusted him. ”Yes, I think I am.”