The Forsaken Hero

During the time I spent with Elinore, the camp transformed completely. All the tents, except those reserved for non-combatants, had vanished, neatly stowed away in the soldiers’ spatial rings. The soldiers stood in formation, a thousand strong in each battalion, spread out like a vast sea of gleaming steel under the starry night sky. Restless murmurs rippled through the ranks like waves on a sea, but a sense of calm and resolve hung in the air. They were ready to face the monsters who had subverted their kingdom and enslaved their families.

The first hints of dawn tinged the eastern sky, a faint glow crowning the distant mountain peaks. Brithlite, nestled between two majestic mountains, glimmered with the light of countless lanterns and magical lights. The combined armies of the Church and the kingdom massed around its imposing walls, their numbers overwhelming—fifty thousand strong, more than double the size of the Last Light Company.

The terrain between our position and Brithlite was relatively gentle, with vast, rolling hills and expansive meadows. As they neared the city, the hills grew taller and more rugged, eventually merging with the imposing mountain range that formed a natural barrier behind the city.

I rode Fable after Korra to where Gayron awaited us on a nearby hillside overlooking our forces. I slipped from my wolf’s back and joined them, tail rustling restlessly in the long, straw-colored grass. A hint of frost crusted the brittle tips, dusting the hillside white.

”Ready?” Korra asked, glancing at me.

”I hope so. Either way, it’s too late now,” I replied softly. ”Every hour we wait gives them more time to prepare. I can already see five more sixth-level mages on the wall than when we showed up.”

Below the crest of the hill, Bethiv and his officers stood before the army, observing the city’s defenses. Unfortunately, due to our sudden arrival, there had been very little time to scout and get the lay of the land. Now, it became obvious just how difficult this battle would be.

The mountains formed a natural fortification, their peaks towering higher than any mortal-made wall, effectively blocking any approach from the north, south, and east. The city itself was nestled in the foothills, and while the climb wasn’t as treacherous as the ascent to Bluegate Keep the day we escaped Bluerock Canyon, it was still an uphill battle in every sense of the word. Multiple fortified outposts guarded the main roads, each teeming with mages, archers, and the looming presence of mana cannons.

In just a few seconds, I counted over a hundred mana cannons strategically placed throughout the hills and atop the city walls. It was a staggering display of firepower, each cannon capable of unleashing the destructive force of a sixth-level mage. Their function was limited to large-scale destruction, of course, making individual mages more versatile in combat, but in a battle of this magnitude, that hardly mattered. It wouldn’t surprise me if they had more mana cannons than actual sixth-level combatants.

To my inexperienced eyes, the most significant challenge was that the Brithlite strategists had clearly learned from their defeat at Liceria. They’d spread their defenses over several miles, creating a layered network of fortifications. The forward positions were far enough from the city that I’d have to break through them before I could even consider targeting the walls with a Mana Storm. The range of the mana cannons was unknown, but it was likely far greater than the distance to our current position, meaning they could bombard us relentlessly while we struggled to advance.

I reluctantly shifted my gaze from the imposing enemy forces, turning instead to survey the Last Light Company. Though I tried not to, I couldn’t help but compare the two. A fortified, highly defended city manned by fifty thousand soldiers against a tight-knit band of refugees, veterans, and mercenaries barely twenty thousand strong. The vast majority of the Company were only second and third level, the soldiers we’d freed from the cities we’d liberated along our journey. They were an even match for most of the enemy, only outnumbered two and a half to one.

But they possessed something the Brithlite forces lacked—a passion and purpose that the fanatics manipulated by the Heart Crest couldn’t fathom. Their eyes showed a glint of determination and a resolute purpose in their movements. Each and every one of them was prepared to sacrifice anything to free their people and their kingdom, to fight for their families and their future.

I couldn’t have imagined such resolve as a slave when mere survival was the only goal, but now that I had friends and companions, I understood the strength that love and loyalty could bring.

When I had been ambushed in Liceria, my hope extinguished, surrounded by searing flames, and helpless as the Soul Crest slowly eroded my resistances, I would have once surrendered to despair. But I couldn’t abandon my friends, or leave Elise to the monsters of the Circle.

It was that fierce determination that had driven me through the fire, forcing me to take one agonizing step after another even as my soul fractured and my flesh burned. That same unwavering resolve now smoldered in the eyes of the Last Light Company.

But some had nothing personal in this fight, yet chose to be here all the same. My fingers curled around the hem of my skirt as I looked at Korra and Gayron, standing side by side, hands close enough that their knuckles brushed. Did they even have anything to gain? What if they were called to make the same sacrifices as us, with everything to lose?

”Korra....” I said, shifting on my feet. ”Why, um, are you here? Is it just for me?”

She glanced at me, surprised. ”Hmm? What are you talking about?”

I looked away, my grip tightening on the feathery folds of my skirt. ”You know...are you just here for me? Is that why you’re fighting?”

She tilted her head. ”Isn’t that enough?”

”But you could... you know... get hurt. Or worse,” I said, my voice trailing off.

She held my gaze until I looked away, her voice softening. ”Oh, Xiviyah, is that what you’re worried about? Listen, if I was just worried about getting hurt, I wouldn’t be fighting on anyone’s side, especially the Church’s.” She leaned in conspiratorially, her lips curving into a mischievous grin. ”That would mean I’d have to go up against Gayron, and that guy’s a real menace. Dangerous, you hear me?”

Gayron snorted. ”Is that what you think? Then what was that all about last night?”

”Gods, I knew that was a mistake,” she muttered, rubbing her eyes with a sheepish grin. Then, in a much softer voice, she added, ”It was just one kiss. Damn it, I didn’t think he’d use it against me so soon.”

Though she tried to hide it, I could make out a faint blush on her cheeks, and I couldn’t help but let out an exasperated sigh. Were they really flirting right now? Also, they kissed after I left? Had their relationship really progressed that far? But he’s a demonkin and an apostle! How could she trust him?

I took a deep breath, pushing those thoughts away. ”Korra, I’m serious,” I said, my voice firm. ”You shouldn’t just fight for me because, in the end, I’m just—”

I bit my lip and turned away, unable to finish the sentence. As if to punctuate my point, the sunpurge flared on my thigh, taking another quarter inch and sending a fresh wave of pain through my nerves.

”’In the end,’ what?” she asked, her playful tone replaced by a frown.

”It’s... nothing,” I sighed, defeated. ”I just don’t want you to get hurt because of me. There’s so much more you have to look forward to, and I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to you.”

In truth, I wanted to tell her about the sunpurge and the limited time I had left. I truly did. But for some reason, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. She’d already sacrificed so much for me; how could I ask her to bear this burden as well?

She gazed at me intently, and I squirmed under her scrutiny, my tail coiling anxiously around my ankle. After a moment, she finally broke the silence, her gaze shifting back towards the city.

”It might be selfish,” she admitted, her voice soft but resolute, ”but the truth is, I haven’t done all of this just for you. I love and care about you, but there’s so much wrong in this world. If the things you’ve said about the Heart Crest are true, I could never stand idly by while the gods meddle in the lives of mortals. I can’t let them do to anyone what they did to you.”

”Oh,” I said softly, a sense of relief washing over me. It was comforting to know that she had her own reasons and fire burning within her. At least she wouldn’t be lost and purposeless when I was gone.

My eyes drifted to Gayron, and a small, bittersweet smile tugged at the corners of my lips. Unlike Korra, I didn’t even need to ask why he was here. The way he looked at Korra, the subtle tenderness in his normally callous eyes, spoke volumes. It was the same way Tana and Sorrin gazed at each other, as if nothing else in the world mattered.

A pang of longing struck me as I thought of them and the other Glory Chasers back in Heartland. It would be wonderful to see them one last time and personally ensure that Sari and Roar were reunited. Perhaps if this battle went well and everyone was safe, I could still make it back in time.

But no. Those thoughts were dangerous, tempting me with a hope that Fate had already denied. The sunpurge had already written the final page of my story, it was now just a matter of how long it took to turn to it.

Still, I pressed a hand to my breast, feeling the familiar brooch clasping my cloak. They had offered me freedom. I would use what little time I had left to do the same for all those suffering under the Circle’s tyranny.