The Forsaken Hero

Startled, I raised my head and met Tana’s gaze, finding her eyes glistening with emotion. It took a moment for me to process what she had said, but when I did, a thick wave of panic clogged my throat.

”I suspected as much, at least, that you were a slave,” Dyson mentioned darkly. ”But to think you actually had one of these rumored Soul Crests.”

I closed my eyes and bowed my head, grasping the folds of my skirt so tightly my knuckles turned white. In the passion of the moment, I’d spoken without thinking. No matter how badly I yearned to crawl away and hide, there was no going back. Now that they knew, they’d surely send me back to the church, and-

Helron regarded me closely, absently scratching his chin. ”As fascinating as your past seems, I can’t say it’s the most pressing matter. Escaped slaves are commonplace around here. Weren’t you two about to be enslaved, anyway?”

My breath caught, and I looked up, blinded by tears. The guild leader was gesturing at Tana and Sorrin, who both nodded in agreement. Suddenly, what Tana had mentioned to me after our fight in the goblin cave came rushing back. They’d been captured by slavers and had barely escaped before making their way to the Northern Continent. Did they...did they really not care?

Rasce barked a short, mirthless laugh. ”Don’t tell me this is what you’ve been hiding the whole time. You’re an escaped slave? At least make your secrets worth discovering, not something everyone already assumed.”

I stared around in disbelief, only partially hearing the conversation. I had much more to hide, so much more, but they seemed satisfied with just his much. All of my worry and anxiety...dismissed like winter winds before the spring.

Tana reached across the distance and laid her hand atop mine, her touch warm and comforting. ”This ’Lord Byron,’ was he your master?”

Brushing a tear from my eye, I nodded. ”One of them. Vithrass said he was a member of the Circle, but to me...he’s more of a demon than any I’ve killed.”

Helron cleared his throat, leaning forward and gazing at me steadily. ”Lord Byron? The same as ruled High Valley?”

”You’ve heard of it?” I asked weakly, not daring to meet his gaze. That was the beginning link of a long chain of questions I couldn’t answer. To walk down that path was to face those who had discarded me and sold me to that monster.

”Indeed,” he mused, settling back in his chair. ”There are none with any sort of influence who haven’t. High Valley was the only time in recorded history a ninth-circle spell has actually been used in battle. The shockwaves alone were felt as far north as the southern shores of the northern continent, nearly half the world away. They say the entire city was vaporized, save a single, mysterious church, which stands atop its original foundation floating on the caldera lake created by the spell.”

I groaned, feeling faint. ”Does it?”

He grinned, watching the expression of the other adventurers closely. ”I was rather struck by your strange appearance outside of Westfall, and did a little digging. Apparently, you appeared the same day that spell was cast. Given the recent introduction of the Soul Crest, which you admitted to possessing, I feel there’s only one logical conclusion to make.”

”That’s enough,” Tana said, glaring at the guild leader. ”Can’t you see it upsetting her? Whether she was a slave to this ’Lord Byron’ or not is irrelevant right now. All that matters is that the Circle wants her back, something I don’t intend to let happen.” Her gaze swept around the room, resting on the members of the Glory Chasers one after the other. ”When she became a member of this party, we decided to trust her. Since then, Starlight’s proven herself worthy of that trust time and time again.”

”I agree,” Sorrin said, giving me a small smile. ”Without her, we’d be at the mercy of this strange curse, without a chance of understanding what we’re up against.”

Everyone was silent for a moment, and I held my breath, my heart trembling in my chest. At long last, Rasce sighed and kicked his feet up on the table.

”I said it before, and I’ll say it now. It’s not that I distrust you, Starlight. But you bring a hell of a lot of baggage with you, and I won’t move forward unless I know the risks. Is there anything else you’re hiding from that we need to know? Something about...inquisitors?”

His eyes narrowed as I flinched, and he leaned forward.

”N-no!” I squeaked, but my tail practically writhed anxiously, betraying my words.

”Are you an idiot?” Tana said with an exasperated sigh, though to my surprise, she directed her words at Rasce. ”What demonkin isn’t scared of inquisitors? When was the last time you’ve actually seen one other than Starlight? They’ve all been killed, enslaved, or scurried off to join some cult somewhere. Even that damned Vithrass only shows up in the shadows, and he seems to have plenty of power and influence.”

Dyson nodded, and Rasce stared at me a moment longer before sinking back into his seat. I let out a breath, and consciously unclenched my hands, forcing my fingers to release my skirt. My tail still stirred anxiously, but after a few breaths, I managed to fight off most of the crushing panic.

Helron watched the exchange with an amused smirk, drumming his fingers against the armrest. As silence plagued the room again, he stood, adjusting the folds of his robe. After looking around the room for a second, he withdrew a small pouch and set it on the table with a metallic clink.

”After discovering the curse, it became apparent we would need some kind of defense. Our guild treasury has items prepared for all manner of circumstances, and after some digging, I came across these little trinkets,” he said, withdrawing a small, golden pin in the shape of the rune symbolizing ”adventure.” ”These pins protect the wearer from curses and other magical influences below fifth circle. I’ve already distributed them throughout the guild, meaning you can trust anyone wearing this pin. If anyone asks what they are, just claim it’s a new tactic to recognize official guild adventurers from unregistered ones.”

Sorrin accepted the pin skeptically, rolling it between his fingers several times before glancing at me.

”It’s safe,” I said, nodding. ”But it won’t necessarily work up to fifth-circle. It looks like it only works proportionate to your own soul, but not any stronger than fifth.” The enchantment on the pin was indeed impressive, but didn’t hold any particular spell. Instead, it simply enhanced the soul’s natural defenses, drawing on its power to create protection based on the level of the soul.

”Ah, that makes sense,” Helron mused, giving me a curious look. ”They’re old guild gear, hailing from a much more uncertain time in Heartland’s history. I tested them myself, and being fifth-level, I assumed they would work homogeneously for everyone. Please forgive the incompleteness of my research.”

Sorrin waved him aside and, with my approval, pinned it to his collar. He did the same for Tana and tossed the bag over to our table. Dyson snatched it out of the air and offered me a pin, but I shook my head. Even though I understood its effects, the thought of accepting an unknown magic item made my soul ache.

”Starlight, even if you don’t think you need it, not wearing it might bring unnecessary questions. Once we gain control of the situation, these pins will become standard issues for all adventurers in Heartland. Not displaying it simply won’t be an option,” Helron said.

I hesitated, staring at the pin for a long while. It gleamed in the firelight, twisting slightly as Dyson’s hand wavered. With a short, uneasy breath, I reached out, my fingers shaking so badly I paused, uncertain whether I could even pick it up. Images of the Soul Binder amulet flashed through my mind, and for the briefest of moments, Dyson’s outstretched hand overlapped with the smooth, deceptive fingers of the High Inquisitor.

”Here, let me help,” Dyson said softly.

He reached forward and clasped the hem of my cloak, smoothing it out before sliding the pin into the fabric. I half-expected the magical protections to activate and keep the pin out, but the magic must have accounted for accessories, allowing Dyson to secure it to my cloak above my right breast.

”Thanks,” I whispered, covering the pin with my hand.

The small, metal rune, warm with Dyson’s body heat, pressed into my thumb, carrying the weight of a mountain. Fortunately, despite my deep-rooted fear, nothing happened. It truly was just a pin, albeit with some redundant protection.

”Good girl,” he whispered, patting my shaking hand.

His touch startled me, and I jumped, my hand quickly returning to my lap. Reluctantly, I looked up to find everyone watching. They wore small, encouraging smiles, and Sorrin even gave me a thumbs-up.

Helron cleared his throat, clasping his hands together atop the table. ”Now that that’s settled, let us return to the next issue. After driving off that damned curse but before making my way here, I spoke with the City Lord again, this time without Inquisitor or Circle interference. He had some very interesting things to say about the circle.”