The Forsaken Hero

After several hours, Soltair awoke. He quietly rose, passing by the other two, who continued to sleep peacefully. I followed him with my gaze as he stepped up onto the rock and sat beside me. His muscles were relaxed and his face loose, but he sighed tiredly as he eased onto the rock.

”Xiviyah,” he began, voice lacking wavering slightly, ”I think we should talk.”

My heart accelerated, and I looked at him wide-eyed. He kept his eyes on the ground below, but I felt his attention boring through me. I clasped my arms around my knees, pulling them tight against my chest, to keep my hands from shaking. Surely, he had realized the truth of Adaptive Resistance and was now going to confirm.

He glanced at me, blinking in confusion, before shaking his head. ”I’m not trying to accuse you of anything, so there’s no need to be nervous. It’s just... I had a dream.”

”A dream?” I asked warily.

”Yeah, kind of weird, I know. But I think the Sun God appeared to me. It’s never happened before, and none of the others mentioned something like this happening, so it’s hard to be sure.”

”Oh.” Fate had talked to me several times, but even now, I had no clue what she was trying to say. The most notable had been when she saved me from some particularly vicious nightmares, and warned me a choice was coming. As for what choice, I could only guess.

”Yeah, but he wanted me to ask you something. It’s kind of random, but humor me, please. It’s important, I think.”

What kind of god needed to ask me a question? Couldn’t they just read minds? Still, I nodded hesitantly, allowing him to go on. It could still be about Adaptive Resistence, in which case there was no hiding it, anyway.

”Where did you get your staff?”

I was so relieved at his question I didn’t even consider the strangeness of the request. ”Oh, I got it from Selena. She said she found it at an auction and bought it for me.”

He blinked, and asked, voice tinged with confusion, ”But I thought that was a Divine Artifact? Like my sword.”

”I think so?” I said, tilting my head. ”That’s what she said, too. It doesn’t seem that special, aside from hiding in my soul whenever I drop it. It just does normal stuff like enhance my spells and mana.”

I summoned my staff to show him, and he nodded slowly. ”I can certainly sense something unusual about it, but I thought the church held all the Divine Artifacts for the heroes. How did this end up at an auction?”

”Well,” I said, scratching my cheek, ”Fate isn’t exactly loved at the Divine Throne. Perhaps they thought it was a waste to keep it? Especially when I didn’t show up after so long...”

”Even if it’s Fate’s, I can’t imagine the church treating something like that so casually. Each Divine Artifact is filled with tremendous power, definitely not something to be released to the public.”

”What kind of power?”

He shook his head. ”I’m not sure, either, but the Pope said it’s only accessible after the wielder reaches eighth level. Perhaps it’s a new ability or special attack.”

”Oh, I didn’t know.” Whatever it was, I was still far away from attaining it.

”Sorry, I thought the church gave it to you, and explained the same things. It still doesn’t add up, but I guess there’s no way to know without asking Selena herself.”

”Yeah.”

Anyway, you should get some rest. I’ll take over the watch. We’ll be leaving in a few hours, and it won’t be an easy journey.”

Although reluctant to leave my newfound job so soon, I knew he was right. I’d already protected them for a few hours, and I couldn’t deny I was tired. In all honesty, even exhausted, the others were still many times stronger than me.

As I slipped into my bedroll, I pondered my strange conversation with Soltair. Certainly, direct revelation from a god was rare, happening only to the Pope, as far as I had heard. If it were easy for the gods to do, then they would have never been this silent. We’d had too many close calls where a simple word of advice or warning would have solved everything. So, if that was true, then what was so important about my staff? It didn’t sit well with me, and I began to regret being so open about it. If only I hadn’t been expecting the worse, and lowered my guard.

Wait, hadn’t I heard something about Divine Artifacts before? I cast my mind back, dusting the back shelves of my memory for any hints. A Divine Artifact...

My eyes flew open as Rodrick’s face flitted before my eyes. The priest had mentioned the inquisitors caught a thief who stole a Divine Artifact. But the church issued them to the heroes directly right? All except for...

I groaned, anxiously denying the thought. She wouldn’t. Besides, if they had already caught the thief, then why would the Sun God care who gave me my staff? Why announce anything at all if they were still looking? Unless, of course, it was all lies. If the thief had been caught, the true thief would undoubtedly lower their guard. But if even then, they couldn’t catch them, what better way to catch the thief than ask them? She asked for a smile, yet now I’d given her death.

The more I thought, the darker, and more fearful I grew. I knew everything was built on assumptions and conjectures, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I’d betrayed one of the only people to call me friend. It was a terrible burden to fall asleep to, but it didn’t fade in the morning, and lingered with me. I began to dread arriving at the Western University, where, surely, an inquisitor awaited.

Days passed, and then weeks, as we sojourned through the mountains. Occasionally, we’d come across villages and restock our provisions, but mostly, it was one endless day after another. Traveling, studying, and training, until my mind and body ached for relief. Several times, monsters harrassed our way, but they almost immediately disappeared in blasts of sun and fire, proving unable to provide a distraction for the thoughts on my mind.

Just when we reached the final night of the fourth week since our departure from Virizen, the mountains parted to reveal the lights of a city, glimmering high on a distant peak. Although it was close, the night was late, and we decided to wait to reach it tomorrow.

As we made camp, Trithe groaned, plopping down next to Soltair. ”I’m exhausted! I can’t wait for a hot bath and a bed.”

Soltair rolled his eyes. ”Oh, stop whining. I know for a fact this much is nothing for you. How can a seventh-level warrior get tired after a measly month of travel?”

”Fine, fine, you’re right,” she said, suddenly snuggling up to him. ”But I really am looking forward to a bed. It’s been so long since we...”

He smiled at her, tenderly pressing her forehead against hers. As her lips rose to his, I turned away, disgusted. Unlike her, I was well and truly spent, exhausted from the month of hard travel. But when the city appeared, nothing but anxiety clawed at my stomach. Our first stop wouldn’t be an inn, as Trithe seemed to believe, but an Inquisitor.

My eyes snapped open as Fyren’s voice drew me from my thoughts. ”You’ve been quiet. Not just tonight, but ever since the cave. I don’t think you’ve said one thing to someone who hasn’t directly asked you something.”

”I’m fine,” I murmured, pulling my blanket tight about me. ”Besides, it’s nothing you can help with.”

He gazed at me silently for a moment, then sat down beside me. ”Perhaps, perhaps not. Does it have something to do with Soul Casting? I noticed you’ve been focusing on that a lot more. Too much, even; Soltair and Trithe are beginning to notice.”

”I’d rather not talk about it.”

He gave a simple nod, but didn’t leave, waiting silently with me for a few minutes.

At long last, I released a long, helpless sigh. ”I just don’t know what to do. I-I didn’t mean to, but I might have ruined everything. I might not be able to stay with you for very long.”

”Like leave the party?” he asked.

”Perhaps. If there really is an inquisitor there, who knows what-”

”Inquisitor?” Fyren asked, bolting upright.

I blinked, taken aback by his reaction. ”Y-yeah. It’s about a friend, and I might have to-.”

”She? Oh, I see,” he said, relaxing. ”I thought... never mind. But it seems there might have been a misunderstanding.”

”Hmm?” My tail twitched. Misunderstanding?

”Yes. I thought you would have realized already, but I’m not a part of the Sun Hero’s party. I’m part of yours.”