The Forsaken Hero

The party made camp in a small hollow off the side of the road. There was a cold bed of charred ashes in a loose circle of stones, and the plants were pressed into the ground. Dyson immediately started pulling cooking supplies from his spatial ring and gestured at the firepit.

Rasce began arranging kindling while Sorrin used his supernatural strength to tear nearby useable logs. Without missing a beat, Tana chanted a few words and shot a small gout of flame, and within seconds, a bright, cheery fire rose toward the darkening sky. Dyson threw a pot of water over the fire and began sorting through seasonings.

Venturing closer to the black-clothed human, I carefully sat behind him. ”You can cook?”

He flashed me a smile. ”Merely one of my many skills. I’m no match for some of the restaurants in Heartland, but I’ve got some good recipes.”

”Adding him to the party was the best decision we ever made,” Sorrin said, taking a seat on a nearby stump. ”Or rather, adding your cooking skills was. Your thief skills have a long way to go.”

”I’m not a thief,” Dyson muttered. He sounded tired and worn, as though he’d had this conversation many times. ”I simply excel in practices useful for infiltrating dungeons. Things like lockpicking, searching for traps, and scouting from the shadows.”

”All things needed for thievery, no?” Rasce jabbed.

Sorrin chuckled, a rare thing from the serious Wolfkin, and glanced at me. ”’Thief’ is the common word in the adventuring guild used to describe people of his trade. Some of them live up to the title, but Dyson’s as honest as they come.” he hesitated, giving the thief a second look, ”with us at least. I can’t say the same for those he bluffs or swindles in the marketplace.”

”Admit it: we’ve made way more money since I became designated negotiator,” Dyson said. ”It’s their fault for not studying the art of persuasion.”

”And that shopkeeper in the western quarter?” Sorrin asked, eyebrow raised.

”Lack of preparation,” he replied smugly, ”Anyone should have been able to see that move. It was old before I even heard of pickpocketing.”

Everyone laughed, and I began to relax. It was impossible to say why, but Dyson no longer felt as intimidating as before. My heart no longer leaped whenever he spoke, and even my tail remained still when he drew near. Had he changed something? The way he looked at me, or maybe how he stood? Or was it something else entirely?

Following dinner, we sat around the fire, staring into the flickering flames. Dyson and Rasce got up, saying something about checking the perimeter.

”Are you alright, Starlight?”

I turned as Tana appeared beside me, sitting cross-legged in the same position Selena favored.

”Yes, I’m fine. Just a little tired.” I replied, perhaps a little too quickly. ”Why do you ask?”

She smiled, reaching out to pinch my cheek. ”You’re too cute sometimes. You couldn’t have made it more obvious something’s bothering you all day. I know you’ve been through a lot, and I’m serious when I say I’m here if you want to talk.”

Her eyes kept straying behind me, and I realized what sort of ’obvious’ signs I was given. My tail drooped sadly, lying motionless on the ground. Traitor.

I stared into the fire for almost a minute, trying to sort through and gather my thoughts. What exactly was it about today that left me feeling so disheartened? The Glory Chasers were nothing but kind, and my leg hadn’t bothered me much. After almost a minute of silence, I took a deep breath. ”Well, there is something I...oh. Never mind.”

Tana had already left and was now sitting beside Sorrin, resting her head on his shoulder, eyes closed. I shrunk in on myself, tail wrapping around my ankles anxiously. Had she mistaken my silence for rejection? After worrying for a few minutes, I let it go with a sigh. It wasn’t like she was obligated to hear my concerns anyway, and what could I even say? You guys are too good friends, and I want to be included? I’d probably die of embarrassment at that point.

Rasce and Dyson returned, noiselessly appearing from the trees. I jumped, only realizing they were back when Dyson plopped down beside me, stretching.

”All quiet, Starlight,” he said with an easy smile.

Sorrin cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. ”We’ll follow our typical watch schedule. Dyson, Rasce, myself, and then Tana. Starlight can watch with me.”

Dyson leaned back on his hands. ”Hey, isn’t it my turn for third watch?”

Sorrin rolled his eyes but didn’t grace him with a response. Oddly enough, I found the idea of being up alone with the Rogue far more comfortable than watching with the Foxkin. Sorrin hadn’t displayed any of the acceptance of Tana or Dyson, and seemed inclined to allow me to remain in their party based on Tana’s recommendation alone. Perhaps he was like Dyson, and getting to know him a bit would soften our relationship, but I was nervous to take that step.

”Fine with me,” Tana said, and Rasce nodded.

Dyson sighed and stood, walking over to a stump overlooking the hollow. Everyone else pulled their bedrolls out, throwing them out around the dying fire. I glanced at Tana, eyes widening as she pulled her dress over her head, stripping down to her thin shift. Catching my eye, she shot me a teasing smile and pulled a nightdress out, quickly donning it.

”T-tana,” I stammered, gesturing at the men in the party, who were casually going about their business not ten feet away.

”They’re harmless enough,” she laughed, ”and when we’re in the wilderness, we can’t exactly afford to be picky. The woods around here can get dangerous at night, so it’s not like I can just wander off to change. Besides, SOrrin would kill them if they dared stare.”

”Oh,” I muttered, glancing down at my own worn, sweat-stained dress. I was in desperate need of a change of clothes, but I had no one like Sorrin here for me.

Was this the kind of adventures low-level parties went on? In Soltair’s party, Trithe had always driven him away whenever we had to change. One glare was all it took to have him scrambling into the woods, claiming the need for firewood or some other excuse. The idea that a monster would be dumb enough to attack the seventh-level Sun Hero never crossed our minds. Even the simplest animals had enough self-preservation to stay miles away from his volatile power.

Tana sighed as I gave her a desperate look and chanted a few words, waving her hands. Waves of fog poured out of the ground, rising to curl around my legs. Within seconds, the entire hollow was concealed.

”Hey, cut that out!” Rasce called, his cloaked figure reduced to a shadowy blur in the mist.

”Hurry up,” Tana hissed, startling me into motion.

Once I was dressed, she dismissed the fog, revealing three irritated faces. In an attempt to hide my burning face, I turned away, but there was no way the bashful sweep of my tail. Tana gave them a look and Dyson nodded knowingly, elbowing Rasce when he tried to complain again.

”Thanks,” I whispered, shooting the half-elf a grateful look.

She winked before settling down beside Sorrin, their bedrolls brushing against each other. She grabbed his arm and snuggled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder. I was almost envious of the blissful look on her face before she ruined the image by sticking her tongue out at Dyson, who’d been glaring at them.

The thief shifted away, muttering something that sounded like, ”Idiot lovebirds.”

Within minutes, silence descended upon the camp. The air was cool, bearing hints of the lingering winter chill, but felt unbelievably fresh and clean. The stars slowly blurred as my eyes grew heavy, and the gentle whisper of the wind through the ancient trees lulled me to sleep.

After what felt like mere seconds, I jolted awake, panting. Sorrin knelt over me, a hand on my shoulder, eyes narrowed in concern.

”Nightmare?” He asked gruffly.

I nodded, trying to catch my breath, and pulled the blanket up to my chin. ”I-I get them a lot.”

He hesitated for a moment before giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze. ”It’s our turn to watch.”

Watch. Again, another unfamiliar term. Powerful adventurers had such finely honed senses they would awake the moment they sensed killing intent. We’d been ambushed several times before, but Soltair and Trithe were already back in bed by the time I struggled to my feet. More than a few goblins learned heroes were particularly vicious when they were caught in a bad mood, like being rudely awakened, for instance.

Taking my blanket with me, I crawled out of my bedroll. The air was colder than before, but the stars twinkled brightly in the cloudless sky. Even the moon reared its head, casting long shadows in the branches all about us. Sorrin claimed the same position Dyson had taken at the beginning of the night, possessing a wide view of the hollow.

A long, familiar howl split the night. I rolled to my feet and summoned my staff, taking Fable’s call for a warning.

No sooner had I moved than my mana erupted, writhing like snakes in a basket. I gasped, pressing a hand to my breast, as the powerful feeling threatened to sweep me off my feet. Frantically looking about, I gasped as a hulking shadow broke free of the trees and loomed out of the darkness.

”Sorrin!” I cried, looking up at him with eyes wide with fear. ”Behind you!”