The Forsaken Hero

With a final pulse of light, the magic circles vanished and the Ice Spirit manifested in the clouds above, finally taking on solid form. Snow, ice, and storm clouds all flowed together to give the elemental form, condensing into a five-hundred-foot-long serpent. It slithered through the air like a water snake in a river, coiling tightly around one of the main towers of the central citadel.

The fortress’s defenses came alive around it, and arrows, spells, and streams from the magical artillery collided with the spirit in blinding explosions of light and mana. It hissed furiously and tightened its coils, shattering the tower and defenders atop it.

It was in this moment the shockwave emanating from its emergence swept over us. It was visible only as a distortion traveling at unimaginable speeds and bringing a wave of arctic winds. They slammed into the towers and buildings of the citadel with the fury of a hurricane, shredding the flapping banners and toppling battlements and defenders alike. Many of the towers, such as the one I stood within, were already destabilized by the force of the summoning. Screams rose and fell beneath the howl of the winds as chunks of wall and tower rained from the sky, crushing soldiers and civilians alike.

I stood among it all, my hair lashing in the wind, a small, satisfied smile twisting my lips. I could feel the bond with the Ice Spirit alive and powerful, pulsing in time with my heart. It responded to the terrible emptiness inside me, the cold rage and despair, with a vengeance, taking out my anger on the citadel. The powerful, ninth-level crystal was nothing more than decoration before an enemy already within the city. It granted a host of support and buff effects to the city defenders, but those mattered little against such an overwhelming force. Buildings cracked and broke beneath its tremendous bulk, and soldiers disappeared by the squad into its maw. Even the mighty, reinforced walls and towers trembled before its presence, breaking apart like paper the moment it directed an attack at them.

My joy in the devastation of the world was interrupted as a figure appeared in the swirling gales of snow and stars around me. Their soul was weak, barely fifth-level, but they struggled forward, the long ribbon tied around their waist flapping in the winds. I frowned as I recognized the currents of my mana protecting them from the worst of the storm, which had climbed to sixth level in intensity.

Were they trying to stop me? Annoyed by the prospect, I unleashed more of the mana of the shard and increased the intensity of the storm. When they refused to falter, I flicked my hand and soulcast a blade ward directly in their path. The golden shimmer was hidden by the storm, and they stumbled as they rebounded off of it. Good, perhaps that would–

Without breaking a step, they struck forward with their fist, and the Blade Ward shattered. I tried snatching them with a Binding Winds, but even though they failed to see it in time, they walked right through it without slowing. With each step, and with each of my failed tactics, I grew more frustrated. Several times, I attempted to use offensive magic, only to recoil as the Divine Curse shook my soul. Why couldn’t I stop them? Why weren’t any of my defenses working?

Soon, all of my attention was on this intruder, this demon who sought to interfere with the hand of my vengeance. I could tell they were exhausted, worn down by the storm and the effort of breaking my spells, yet they pressed on doggedly. Before I could ready myself for a physical confrontation, they arrived before me.

I flinched back a step and raised my staff, channeling all of my mana into the Blade Ward surrounding me. Mustering what looked like the last of their strength, the figure lunged forward. Their fist struck my shield once, then twice. The first blow sent jagged cracks spiderwebbing across the sphere, the second sent it dissipating into ribbons of light. Before I could react, they were on me.

My eyes closed as I braced for the inevitable pain of their attack, knowing it would be pointless to attempt to evade. But the pain never came, instead, I stiffened as their arms wrapped around my back, pulling me close. My tail went rigid as a hand, a kind, gentle hand, pulled my head against their chest. I struggled in their grip for a second before a desperate, familiar voice whispered in my ear, stilling the tempest raging inside me.

”Xiviyah,” the voice choked with a sob, ”Please...please come back to me...I need you.”

I recoiled at the words, but they held me fast, refusing to let go. I tried to muster my mana, to summon a spell to force them away, but my mana scattered like leaves before the wind. Something warm and wet trickled down my face as they continued to whisper my name, stroking my hair with a tender hand.

My bond with the Ice Spirit jumped within me, trying to rekindle the destruction and fury that had pointed my hand. But even as I tried to rile myself back up, to unleash the full power of my fury on this forsaken world, I couldn’t. Her tears mingled with my own, seeping into the cracks in my heart, a balm against the bitter cold. The ice had begun to melt, and I choked out a sob, softening in the grip of the one of them who held me tight.

”Korra...?” My voice was a broken whisper, hoarse with grief and pain.

”I’m here,” she whispered, cradling me in her arms. ”I’m here.”

The weight of Korra’s words pressed upon me, shattering the lingering remnants of the icy shell that had arisen around my heart. Her warmth spilled into the darkness that held my rationale hostage, slowly filling me until it overflowed, and I collapsed into her embrace, trembling with sobs. The air grew still and quiet as the storm without muted to a whisper, the swirling snow and stars falling to a gentle dance.

”Sari...she’s...” I choked on the words, the image of the broken, bloodied foxkin burned into my mind.

”Alive, at least for now,” Korra finished.

I jolted at her words, torn between disbelief and fear. It was all I could do to stammer the word back to her. ”A-Alive?”

”Look,” she led my gaze to the small, blackened body lying at my feet, at the faint rise of Sari’s chest.

I collapsed at her side and grasped her hand tightly. ”I’m sorry, Sari. I...forgot...”

”Then remember,” Korra chided gently, ”And do what you came here to do.”

I sniffed and nodded, never letting go of her hand. My mana was a mere thought away now, flowing with the strength and ease of a river. Though my soul was weak, I wasted no time calling the Oracle of Eternity once more. My gaze fell on Sari’s soul, and I wept at finding it no more than a dim, flickering candle. She wavered on the knife’s edge of life and death, weakened not only by the poison but the buffeting power of the elemental and my aura. Had Korra not arrived when she had, Sari might have...have...

Fable growled softly, reminding me of presence just a few feet away. Flashing him a grateful look, I gave my head a shake and drove the thoughts away. I could morn and berate myself later, now, I had to save her.

”What are you going to do?” Korra asked tone mixed between worry and curiosity.

”I can’t save her,” I admitted, gripping my staff tighter. ”But I don’t have to. Alverin’s plan would have worked, and Sari would have died, but he forgot to account for one thing. I don’t have to save her. I’m not alone anymore.”

Her eyes lit up. ”You don’t mean...?”

”Elinore,” I confirmed. ”She was the one they brought to save you from the crawler poison, remember?”

Just as quickly as it rose, Korra’s expression fell again. Her brow creased as she looked about us at the ruined tower and the chaos in the city below. ”Xiviyah, I’m sorry, but Sari doesn’t have that long. Elinore’s in the canyon with the rest of our forces. There’s the church army and the demons in our way, not to mention the sheer distance we have to cover. Even Fable couldn’t make it in time!”

I acknowledged her words with a nod, taking but a second to sweep my eyes over the city. I’d been completely isolated from the rest of the city from the moment I began summoning the Ice Spirit, and now saw the destruction wrought by my anger for the first time.

Alverin had vanished from where he’d stood, likely retreated to the keep proper. The shouts, screams, and clashes of steel I’d heard were evident all around us as the elite soldiers of the Last Light Company fought a bitter fight against the vanguard of the church. They fought, bled, and died for me, but far more chilling than the corpses hewn down by swords were those who lay dead with shattered souls or frostbitten limbs. Many were crushed beneath the broken masonry or caught in the effects of the rampaging elemental’s attacks.

”I’m sorry,” I whispered, tears filling my eyes. I let the sorrow linger a moment longer before letting pass and steeling my resolve. Then, turning to Korra, ”Fable might not, but it’s time you meet the other creature I’ve bonded with.”

She blinked, then her eyes widened as she caught sight of a massive serpentine head gazing down at us, its eyes unblinking. It had appeared suddenly, moving far quieter than something of its size should be capable of. In a heartbeat, its head was before us, filling the entirety of my vision with glossy blue and white. I was no bigger than one of its fangs, yet I held no fear and reached toward it with my hand.

”It’s good to see you again,” I murmured, running my hand over its smooth, crystalline scales.

It reared its head back, towering a hundred feet in the air, and roared. The battle raging around us paused as its smooth, resonant voice reverberated through the air, penetrating the entire city with its ninth-level presence.

”I answer the call, Star Mother.”