The Forsaken Hero

”Captain?” the officer asked, voice tinged with confusion. ”What the hell are you talking about? You’re supposed to be in the war council!”

The captain scowled and reached over to cuff the armored soldier like he were a child. ”Watch your language! There’s a lady here.”

My breath caught in my throat and a shiver ran down my tail. No, it couldn’t be. But as the scarred man turned to me and offered a clumsy bow, apologizing for the rudeness of his men, I couldn’t doubt further. Memories burst out of the cobwebs of my mind, rushing to fill me with an indescribable sense of hope.

As the soldier’s eyes moved between me and the bowing captain, my tail flicked back and forth tentatively. My lips parted in a shallow breath, and I asked, not daring to believe, ”J-Jackal?”

Jackal’s head jerked up in surprise, an expression of delight spreading across his face. ”Aye, lady. It’s me.”

The confirmation stole my voice, leaving me struggling to even breathe. I nodded faintly, unable to take my eyes off the soldier who had fought beside me in that terrible battle within the depths of the Ice Gate. The Last Light Company–the sole surviving force of Brithlite...of course it would be deployed here. Why hadn’t I remembered that?

Jackal’s gaze slid down to Korra, whose breath came in shuddering gasps. He stiffened and glared at his men, driving them all back an instinctive step. ”What the hell are–” he coughed and shot me a guilty glance, ”–heck are you all doing? Lower those spears or I’ll string you up for insubordination! Joel, stop glaring at me and find a healer. That’s a Crawler bite if I’ve ever seen one, so find Gale.”

Joel, the officer who first intercepted us, jumped as his name was called. With an incredulous glance in my direction, he snapped a smart salute and barked an order to his men. Looking just as confused as he, they backed down. Joel called another three names, and several soldiers dashed away looking for a healer.

I patted Fable’s head, soothing his wariness, as Jackal walked toward us. ”It’s alright,” I whispered, ”he’s a friend. He was with me when I first met you, remember?”

Reluctantly, Fable relaxed into a less wary stance, allowing the big man to approach. The soldier gently lifted Korra off of my lap and held her in his arms, his greater size much more suitable for such a task. His face paled as he gazed at her ashen face and the black veins crossing her body.

”This...doesn’t look good. How long ago did this happen?” he asked softly, glancing at me.

I bit my lip, holding back a sob. I was so very tired and scared, even remaining conscious long enough to reach this point had been difficult. It had felt like we’d traveled forever, but the centipede had attacked around lunch, and the sun was only now setting.

With that hazy thought, I opened my mouth, my voice shaky. ”I-I’m not sure. Three, four hours maybe. It’s been so...I-I tried to help her...”

Jackal’s eyes widened slightly, and he gazed down at Korra in wonder. ”How the he–is she alive? Crawler venom is the most potent fourth level in the world, and that...” his voice trailed off as I paled. ”What is it?”

”Fourth? It was fifth...” I whispered. A wave of vertigo swept over me, and I swooned, feeling dizzy.

Jackal’s expression warped into one of shock. He leaned forward, peering at me intently. ”That’s not even possible. There’s never been a fifth...where was this?” he turned to one of the Joel. ”Prepare a report. We’ll need a full battalion to hunt it down.”

Instead of protesting, as he had everything the last few minutes, Joel nodded seriously. ”Right away, captain.”

I coughed lightly, tensing as another wave of dizziness struck me. ”I-it’s dead. We killed it.”

They both froze in place, mouths dropping open. But before Jackal could respond, his brown creased, a look of alarm coming across his face. ”Lady Xiviyah? Are you alright?”

”I’m...fine....” I tried to nod and dismiss their concern, but immediately contradicted myself with a whimper of pain.

The entire world spun on its side, my body collapsing against Fable like a ragdoll. My soul ached with the heat of a thousand fires, every muscle in my body groaning for rest. From the moment Korra had been taken away, whatever drive forced me to this point had seeped away, leaving me alone with my devastated soul. Simply reaching the point of mana exhaustion was a harrowing experience for any mage, but pushing beyond and burning my soul? It seemed there was going to be a reckoning.

I cried out as another wave of fire surged through me, gripping Fable tightly with whatever strength I had left. The pain grew so intense black dots danced before my vision, which quickly blurred into vague shapes and colors as tears filled my eyes. Steel-clad hands gripped me, and I thrashed as one brushed the Sunpurge on my shoulder, the pain compounding into an unbearable blackness. The last thing I heard was Jackal’s angry shout, and then I was gone.

Finally unconscious, I managed to escape the pain. It was there, an ever-present storm looming on the horizon, but as I drifted through darkness, it remained nothing more than an afterthought. Visions flickered through my sleep, more nightmares than dreams, of a world without hope. A world without Korra.

I awoke rather suddenly, jolting awake to find something warm and wet dragging across my cheek. My eyes fluttered open to find Fable’s starry irises an inch from mine. Behind him, I could make out the peaked white canvas of a tent.

Fable stared at me for a moment before giving me a final, very deliberate lick. Letting out a groan, I pushed him away and struggled to a sitting position, leaning against his silver flank. I was sitting on the floor in a small white tent. It was empty save for a narrow cot right behind me, messy and unmade, the type I’d expect to find in a field hospital. For whatever reason, I was sitting on the floor, practically smothered by Fable’s warm, inviting fur. It didn’t take long to put it together, and I smiled faintly, nuzzling Fable with my cheek.

”Thanks,” I whispered, ”though keep your tongue to yourself next time.”

He whined softly and his tail thumped against the canvas floor. I only shook my head and relaxed against him, closing my eyes once more. The moment I reached for my mana, I sucked in a sharp intake of breath and eased back. My soul was tender and sore. Just reaching for it had sent a spike of pain stabbing through me. Resting had done my body well, restoring most of my fatigue, but it would take much longer for my soul to recover. Fortunately, from what I could tell, there didn’t seem to be any lasting damage or even a decline in my mana capacity. Just lots and lots of pain.

After luxuriating in Fable’s fur for some time, I finally let out a sigh and struggled to my feet. Fable rose behind me, supporting me with his flank. My legs were weak and shaky, but beyond a brief flash of pain, I could stand without issue. It took a moment to orient myself and find the tent flap, and then, with Fable at my side, I slipped outside.

I immediately recognized my surroundings as the checkpoint encampment on the road. The sun was low on the western horizon, the sky tinged with growing hints of red. Tents were organized in neat circles around central fire pits, which glowed with the light of cooking fires. Soldiers talked and mingled with each other, most dressed in casual clothing. Only a few on the borders of the camps, sentries, wore their armor and held spears in hand.

Before I could go further than a single step, one of the soldiers nearest me looked up. His eyebrows rose in surprise and he leaped to his feet. The others around his fire followed suit, and they practically ran to greet me.

”Lady Xiviyah!” one cried, lowering himself in a bow. ”You’re awake!”

I nodded slowly, afraid that any sudden movements would break the delicate balance I’d achieved. ”Y-yes. Please, where is Korra? I have to see her.”

Their faces fell, and my heart along with them. It couldn’t be. She couldn’t be...dead...

”I’m sorry,” the soldier began, stealing an uneasy glance at Fable, ”but she hasn’t awoken yet. Our healers have done everything they can, but it’s not–”

”She’s alive?” I asked, forgetting how to breathe.

They blinked at my outburst, and then the circle of soldiers filled with nods. The one who had addressed me scratched his cheek, brow knitting together in confusion as I began to sob. She was alive. It had been at least a day since I fell asleep, yet she was alive. That meant they’d at least been able to slow or stall the poison. It didn’t matter if she was unconscious, there was hope. She was alive.