The Forsaken Hero

”Wait and pray.”

The words echoed hollowly in my ears and tasted like ash in my mouth.

Where had that ever gotten me? I had fought so hard and endured so much, only to find myself trapped once more, this time by my own failing body. I knew what Elinore didn’t—that the spreading decay was likely linked to the rift Haven had absorbed. That realm was deeply intertwined with my soul, and such a drastic change would inevitably weaken my resistance. It wouldn’t have been a major issue under normal circumstances, but the damage I’d sustained during the battle with the Circle had set a dangerous chain of events in motion.

A wave of despair washed over me, threatening to drown me in its icy depths. But then I remembered the vision, the haunting image of Elise’s twisted smile and vacant eyes, her perverse joy that I, too, was begging to be raped. I couldn’t give up, not now. Not when she needed me more than ever.

With a surge of newfound determination, I pushed myself to my feet, ignoring the protests of my aching body. I’d learned much from the visions, but would it be enough to alter the grim future I’d witnessed? Only time would tell... and I didn’t have much of it left.

”No,” I said, my voice firm against the pain. ”We’re not waiting. I’m not wasting any more time.”

”Wait, Xiviyah, you should think about this. Stressing your body out will only–”

Ignoring her protests, I quickly dressed and made my way towards the door, throwing it open with a determined push. Or at least, that was the intention. My muscles were so weak that even this simple action left me panting.

The stairs loomed ominously before me, and I swallowed hard, summoning my staff for support. What are a few stairs compared to the challenges I’ve already faced? I thought defiantly.

Insurmountable, apparently. A conclusion I was forced to accept after stumbling on the first step and nearly tumbling down to the common room floor. Thankfully, Elinore caught up in time, her strong arms encircling me as she carefully guided me down the stairs. My face burned with embarrassment as the common room came into view, and curious faces turned towards us. Not exactly the most heroic entrance, but I still managed a meek ”thank you” to Elinore as we reached the bottom.

”Xiviyah?” Korra’s voice was tinged with surprise. ”You’re up, uh, early.”

Gayron, sitting next to her at a table, leaned back and snorted. ”What was all that about a whole week? Looks like it wasn’t too bad after all.”

”Hey, that’s what normally happens,” she retorted, a touch defensive.

The inn was far from crowded, and every face was familiar. Sari was there with Wisp, as was Kahlen. Bethiv, Jackal, and Joel sat at a nearby table, their expressions grim and severe. They were discussing something in hushed tones but fell silent as we approached. Bethiv stood, his eyes flicking to Elinore, who offered a helpless shrug in response.

With a relieved breath, I collapsed into a chair beside Korra. I started to lean back but quickly stopped myself, remembering the sunpurge had spread across my entire upper back, glowing faintly around the lower curves of my shoulder blades.

”How are things?” I asked, meeting Bethiv’s worried gaze. ”Is the city alright?”

He didn’t respond immediately, his gaze searching my face intently. Finally, he sighed and settled back into his chair. ”As well as can be expected, my Lady. Thanks to your intervention, most of the high-level mages and mana cannons were disabled, leaving us with very few losses. The city, however...” His voice trailed off, a somber note creeping in.

”It’s not all bad,” Jackal interjected quickly. ”While much of the infrastructure was damaged, the casualties among the civilians were actually quite low. Less than two thousand deaths in the entire invasion. That’s less than half what you’d normally see in a violent occupation of this size.”

Two thousand deaths. My tail went limp, my heart sinking in my chest. Just how many of those had been caused by my Mana Storm? As we cleared the streets, I’d lost count of how many bodies my spirits had pulled from the rubble, how many had been motionless even after they were freed.

”Enemy casualties were high, as expected,” Bethiv continued. ”Nearly two-thirds of the total army surrendered once you broke the curse, but the rest forced us to fight them to the bitter end. Those were mostly Church soldiers and the high-ranking officers of Brithlite.”

”Good riddance to those bastards,” Jackal spat, glaring into his drink. ”I wish we could clear them all out of our kingdom and start again.”

”Isn’t that what we’re doing?” Joel asked sardonically, a hint of bitterness in his voice. ”One city at a time?”

”And what of those who surrendered?” I asked tentatively, my voice barely above a whisper. Surely they didn’t execute them, right? It wasn’t their fault they were enslaved.

”Most have joined our ranks, actually,” Bethiv said, sounding somewhat surprised himself. ”The others are mainly locals of the region and have been allowed to return to rebuild and protect their families.”

”They joined us? How many?” I asked.

”Close to ten thousand, and every one of them keen on putting their blade through our bastard king’s heart,” Jackal said proudly.

”Jackal, please,” Joel said, scowling at the scarred man. ”Just as many pledged their loyalty to the Oracle, and to the true principles that Brithlite once stood for. The last bastion of light in the darkness.”

”A little dramatic, but fine, that’s true,” Jackal conceded, nodding. ”In any case, it’s nearly doubled our numbers. They’re mostly second and third level soldiers, but we’ll need every drop of power in the battles ahead.”

They reported on a few other things, from troop morale to the ongoing struggle of scrounging up rations. I listened politely, nodding at Korra as she found me some breakfast the innkeeper had thoughtfully left prepared. But, as they fell silent, my tail began to twitch, and I gripped my skirts tightly, unsure how to broach the subject that weighed heavily on my mind.

”Um, Bethiv,” I began after a long pause, my voice faltering slightly. ”I... had a vision. We lost the battle in Brithlite, and we all ended up enslaved.”

It was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over an already flickering candle. I cringed as their faces darkened, my stomach twisting, but pushed on.

”I don’t know when, or how,” I continued, my voice a strained whisper, ”but they had a trap prepared for us. We attacked before the demons arrived, but there was barely any fighting, and Alverin managed to ensnare the entire army.”

”Do you think it’s a spy?” Korra asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

Gayron scoffed. ”Of course there’s a spy. Ten thousand soldiers just joined us out of nowhere. The odds of one not being a spy are worse than me actually eating dinner tonight.”

”Not like that,” she said, rolling her eyes. ”I couldn’t care less if some random soldier secretly cares for the current ruler. I mean among the officers, those who could actually obtain some sort of information of importance.”

”They don’t need a spy,” Bethiv said, shaking his head gravely. ”They have the Fate Hero on their side, don’t they?”

I nodded, his gaze heavy on me. ”Yes, and more.” I didn’t elaborate on what that meant; it was probably better if they didn’t know the full extent of our predicament, that gods were watching our every move. ”But I’m close to developing a spell to counter that, and until then, just discuss anything important around me. I can tell when she’s watching.”

”As you command, my Lady,” Bethiv said, his voice filled with respect. ”But in that vein, what would you have us do? We’ve secured the city and gathered enough supplies for another year-long campaign. Given your delicate health, wouldn’t it be best to rest for a few weeks?”

Korra nodded. ”Yeah, that’s probably best. It’s been a while since anyone’s had a chance to lay low and sleep in a real bed. I heard more than a few soldiers complain about that.”

I looked between them, then at Elinore. As she met my gaze, she sighed heavily and gave me a little nod.

”We can’t,” I said firmly, my voice brooking no argument. ”There’s not enough time. I’d like to leave as soon as possible.” I nearly added, ”If that’s alright,” but stopped myself mid-sentence, remembering Bethiv’s words. I wasn’t asking; I couldn’t. If we waited any longer, there was no guarantee I’d survive long enough to save Elise.

Surprisingly, no one argued or protested. Bethiv simply nodded and glanced at his two captains.

”I’ll send the command to prepare to march,” Joel said, rising from his seat.

Jackal jumped up beside him. ”I’ll ensure the city can stand on its own after we leave. It wouldn’t do to abandon them to infernal beasts or demons that seem to be damn near everywhere right now.”

”Good. In that case,” Bethiv said, turning to me, ”you’d best prepare yourself as well.”

I opened my mouth to say I was ready to go, but Korra caught my sleeve, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

”Then we’d better do a bit of shopping.”