The Forsaken Hero

The following morning found me sleeping fitfully, tossing and turning until a sharp knock at the door awakened me. Groggily, I stumbled out of bed, rubbed my bleary eyes, and threw on a dress and my cloak before crossing the room and cracking the door.

”Morning, Starlight,” Sorrin said, bright and cheerful despite the morning hour. ”Sleep alright?”

I answered with a noncommittal shrug and opened the door, falling onto the bed and yawning. He slipped into the room with a nervous glance behind him and closed the door, quickly sweeping his eyes around the room. The sudden move startled me, and I found my tail sweeping across the bed nervously. I knew he had no ill intentions, but it was the first time in a long time since I’d been alone with a man in a closed room, the feeling sending a thrill of uncertainty through me.

”I know I don’t have much right to ask, but would you be able to do a favor for me? The Guild Leader asked for Tana and I to meet him at the guild house in an hour or so, but, well, there’s something I was supposed to pick up this morning.”

He looked at me helplessly, his ears twitching, a tinge of red spreading across his face.

”The one that woman, the royal merchant, was talking about?” I asked, my hand running over the silver broach pinned to my breast.

He nodded quickly, relief spreading across his features. ”Thanks, this really means the world to me...” He trailed off, then suddenly looked up, meeting my eyes with uncertainty. ”Are you sure you’ll be alright going by yourself?”

I hesitated, the tip of my tail giving a nervous jolt. But as Sorrin frowned, crossing his arms nervously, I took a deep breath and nodded.

”I’ll be fine. We’ve been gone for weeks now, so there’s no way they’re still looking for me. I’ll be careful and keep my cloak on, and even if something happens, I can call Fable at a moment’s notice. Besides,” I said, my voice low and earnest, ”I want to help you, to return the kindness you’ve shown me.”

”Are you certain?” he asked slowly.

”Yeah. I’ll take care of it, I promise.”

The wolfkin sighed, his lips curving in a relieved smile. ”I guess I’ll leave it up to you. If she doesn’t remember you, just show her your broach and say you’re here for me. We’ll be at the Guild House, waiting for you, so just...get there safely. Please.”

I nodded, a lump building in my throat, as he gave me another smile and reached over to smooth a lock of crimson hair behind my ear.

”I will,” I whispered.

Warmth blossomed in my heart, a burning conviction to uphold his trust. They’d done nothing but shower love and kindness upon me, and now that I had a chance to repay their trust, I couldn’t just ignore him. Even if a demon gate itself opened in the city, I was determined to retrieve whatever it was that got him feeling so desperate and anxious.

After bidding Sorrin farewell, I summoned my staff and left the inn, cloak drawn tight about my shoulders, the hem dragging just low enough to hide my tail. I couldn’t do much about my long, crimson hair, which streamed from my cowl in shining waves, but while red hair was rare, it wasn’t so uncommon as to mark me as an instant target.

The morning heat was hot, but not yet sweltering, the crowds thick but not unmanageable. The constant noise and bustle put me on edge, but, gripping my staff tightly, I pushed on, slipping around strangers, merchants, and residents alike. A few gave me odd looks, but nothing beyond general curiosity or annoyance at my persistence.

At last, I reached the streets of the mercantile distinct. The crowds thinned, devoid of the presence of the homeless, thugs, and general travelers. Large, trundling cargo wagons took their place, rolling on worn divots through the cobblestone streets. I slipped in behind one, staying close behind it and using it as a crowd break until I arrived before the gaudy shop marked with the rune that stood for ”Royalty.”

”Ah, the young demonkin!” A mature, womanly voice flowed through the doorway, seeming to suck me in with all the power of a whirlpool.

Mistress Bella leaned forward, resting with her arms against the counter. Her brightly colored dress flashed with sequins, adding an unnecessary layer of bling to her garish fashion. Every time she shifted, the clink of bracelets, armbands, and necklaces filled the air, so loud it overpowered what little sound made its way through the door from the street.

”H-hello,” I said, giving a small, polite curtsey.

The merchant smiled, a tight, predatorial expression. ”Don’t worry, you’ve no need to worry in my shop. I’m not so desperate for that damned reward I’d betray my customers, though, I am surprised you dared come here alone.”

”Reward?” I echoed faintly. ”I-I don’t know what you mean, I’m just here to get something for Sorrin. He said it was really important, and you-”

”I know what you want,” she said smoothly. Reaching under the counter, she proffered a wrapped, glittering box small enough to fit in my hand. ”Though it doesn’t come cheap. A hundred gold...”

I froze, my lips parted in a breathless gasp. Even after everything, I barely had half that amount!

”...But it’s already been paid,” she said, giggling.

I glared at her, feeling my face heat up. Couldn’t she have finished her sentence all at once like normal people? Did she do that on purpose?

”Here, take it, but be careful on your way back. No matter how you may hide yourself, there are those with a mind for gold and eyes as sharp as a hawk’s. I’d hate for anything to happen to such a sweet girl, not to mention that beautiful little trinket. Wish the young man good luck for me, will you?”

I nodded absently, fidgeting with the folds of my dress. Something about her good-natured warning felt off, but I couldn’t quite put a finger on it. We’d been at odds with the circle the last time we visited, yet she hadn’t mentioned a thing. Was it because Tana was there? Perhaps there was a development in the city while we were gone.

Either way, I hadn’t the courage to ask, and left the shop as quickly as I could, tucking the wrapped box in my spatial ring. Something about Mistress Bella’s shifting eyes made me uncomfortable, especially combined with her uncanny ability to see right through me.

The Adventuring Guild House was located on the far side of the city, almost an hour’s walk from the mercantile district. Even if I didn’t understand it, I couldn’t bring myself to ignore Mistress Bella’s words, and jumped at every shadow, noise, and sudden motion, which, on the crowded street, happened more often than waves on the ocean. The constant rush of adrenaline left me feeling drained, but my heart continued to race with every creak of the wagon wheel or merchant’s advertising cry.

As I was passing the Glossy Swallow, the man moving ahead of me came up short, suddenly engaging a street vendor in an argument. Unable to stop, I bumped into his back, the collision sending me sprawling across the ground. Such occurrences were commonplace in the crowded market, the uncaring crowd moving with the unstoppable flow of a river. I cried out, curling up and shielding my head as a flurry of feet trampled about me. After a few seconds, there was enough space to roll to my feet.

I quickly replaced my cowl and adjusted my cloak, which had been disturbed, and muttered an apology to the man, though he hadn’t even seemed to notice. I glanced around, my eyes shifting from face to face, praying no one else had either. After catching my breath and calming my rapidly beating heart, I hurried on, ducking my head and keeping an even lower profile than before.

I almost made it. Just a few scant streets from the Adventuring Guild, I came up short, my eyes widening in horror. A large, burly man with a heavy, gold-banded broadsword and a flowing white cloak stood in the middle of the way, muscled arms crossed before his gleaming breastplate. Traffic parted about him like a river around a stone, giving him an unbreakable sense of inevitability. I hurriedly pulled my hood down, but it was too late. In the brief instant I spotted him, our eyes had met.

A powerful aura rolled across the street, immediately stunning the crowd. Nervous whispers erupted as people looked around, searching for the source of their discomfort, but everything changed the moment he drew his sword. The metallic scrape erased whatever irritation anyone felt, sending them scattering down the closest alley. I moved to join them, hoping to lose myself in the throng of panic, but as I moved to flee down an alley, I froze, finding another white-cloaked figure advancing in front of me. A quick glance down an adjacent street confirmed my suspicions.

It had been a month since we’d been in the city, yet they were ready. How had they known where I was? Why were they so certain I was who they were looking for? Why couldn’t they just be content to leave me in peace? Hadn’t I suffered enough already? The questions spun through my mind, flashing through my mind one after the other. But, no matter how unlikely or unfair the situation seemed, there was no denying it.

I was surrounded by inquisitors.