The Forsaken Hero

No soldiers or guards were in the courtyard; those had long been slain in the fierce fighting. The Last Light Company now surged into the inner districts, engaging the Church’s forces and keeping them off our backs. While I would have preferred to wait for Bethiv to clear the remnants of the enemy from the inner districts before venturing into the palace and whatever traps Alverin had prepared, there was no time. It had to be now.

With that urgent thought spurring us on, we hurried towards the main gates. But just as we arrived, two overwhelming presences swept over the city from opposite directions, their power dwarfing every soldier, mage, hero, and apostle.

From the west came a suffocating wave of darkness, a thick, oily presence that sent shivers down my spine and made the phantom pain of the slave crest flare on my chest. And from the east came the brilliant light of the sun, a beacon of purity amidst the encroaching shadows. Yet that radiant power also triggered a deep unease within me, a primal fear that made my chest ache.

”Hurry,” I urged, my voice barely a whisper, the grip of fear tightening around my heart.

Kahlen sent one of his swords flying forward, slicing through the palace gates and breaching its defenses. We rushed inside, but the halls and rooms were eerily empty. Not a servant, soldier, or mage was in sight. The entire palace felt desolate and abandoned.

”No,” I breathed, my hands clenching into fists. ”It can’t... it can’t be.”

My heart sank as we neared the throne room. Still nothing. Had all our efforts been in vain? Everything we’d endured, the pain, the suffering, the countless innocent lives lost... had Alverin simply left?

The sunpurge flared on my shoulder, spreading further, a cruel reminder of my dwindling time. It couldn’t be true. He had to be here.

But the reality before us was undeniable. Tears welled up in my eyes, and my steps faltered, my tail drooping in defeat. We’d lost. Elise was gone.

”There’s someone up ahead,” Gith’s voice suddenly cut through the despair that threatened to consume me. I looked up, barely daring to hope, and he continued, ”A lot of someone in the throne room.”

He hadn’t fled? It was impossible to feel true relief at this moment, but a surge of something akin to hope clawed its way up my throat, bringing fresh tears to my eyes. Fable surged forward, leading the others. The throne room doors stood wide open, no guards posted outside, as if in silent invitation.

We cautiously entered the throne room, our footsteps echoing in the vast, opulent space. A group of figures stood before the throne, their faces obscured by shadows. They had a vacant look in their eyes, their souls ensnared by the dark tendrils of the Heart Crest. Each was a beautiful, young beastkin girl dressed in revealing maid clothing, the same as I wore when I served Lord Byron.

We’d already destroyed the magical device that had cursed the city, yet here the curse remained, a cruel mockery. Worse, there was no ribbon of mana connecting them to any sort of device. Instead, they looked like ordinary slaves under a slave crest. Had the Circle’s research progressed this far? Did they no longer need a physical focus to maintain the crest?

A wave of dread washed over me. This wasn’t just a victory for the Circle but a terrifying advancement in the gods’ plans to enslave the world.

My eyes rose to the figure seated upon the throne: Alverin, King of Brithlite and the Lord of Chains. He wore a calm, confident smile and wore fine crimson silks. Elise lounged in his lap, her head resting against his shoulder, one hand idly stroking his chest. She didn’t even look up as we entered; she only leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. Her dress was the same as I’d last seen her in, a bold and revealing crimson that matched Alverin’s attire.

A shiver of anger ran through me at the sight of Elise, and another as Alverin’s eyes settled on me, this time accompanied by a surge of fear. I secretly reached out with a soulcast Link Soul, hoping to free Elise from the heart crest, but my mana failed the moment it touched her.

My gaze went to a ring on her ring finger, seeming to protect her soul from invading mana. Alverin wore the same, as did every slave in the room, though they had it on another finger. It seemed they had learned from our previous encounters, like when I freed Bethiv and his men during our battle at Bluerock Keep.

”Welcome, my dear,” he greeted, gesturing us in with the hand that wasn’t resting salaciously on Elise’s inner thigh. ”Here, in the end, you’ve come to me. Just as I promised you would.”

I ignored him, knowing it would be futile to beg for Elise’s freedom or his surrender. Instead, I focused on Elise, desperately trying to catch her eye, hoping for some sign, some flicker of recognition, that the Elise I knew was still in there somewhere.

”Bastard,” Luxxa growled, her hand instinctively reaching for her sword. The creak of a bowstring being drawn told me Gith was ready to strike.

Alverin frowned slightly. ”Is this how you treat your king?” he chided, his voice laced with disapproval. ”Your time with my bastard brother has made you forget your etiquette. Come now, let us speak as civilized folk, not like the barbarians slaughtering each other outside.”

The human members of the Star Guard bristled at the veiled insult, but Kahlen’s voice cut through the tension.

”Hah, this is the man who’s been chasing you, my Lady?” he scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. ”This desperate simpleton? I expected a lion, but here sits an ant, too foolish to comprehend his own insignificance.”

Alverin’s jaw tightened, but his gaze remained fixed on me. ”Am I truly so abhorrent that you prefer the company of demons?”

”What is it you want?” I asked, finally meeting his gaze, a tremor in my voice. He had such kind, gentle eyes, promising peace and comfort. This wasn’t the look I wanted on a man I so fiercely hated and feared. He didn’t look like a villain but a father confronting a wayward daughter.

Alverin relaxed slightly, his other hand reaching up to caress Elise’s cheek. She giggled and kissed him again, making my tail lash.

”A simple trade will suffice,” he said, his voice smooth and deceptively gentle. ”You for the love of my life, Elise.”

Elise’s eyes widened, her playful demeanor vanishing, replaced by a look of horror. ”What? My Lord!”

”Shhh, it’s for the best,” he soothed, gently stroking her lips with his thumb. ”Just trust me, as you always have.”

My heart sank. He was going to use her as a bargaining chip—the same as with Sari. I’d anticipated this, but seeing it unfold before me still filled me with a cold dread.

”Don’t do this, Alverin,” I pleaded, my voice trembling. ”Please, let her go. She has nothing to do with this.”

He chuckled, the sound devoid of warmth replaced by a chilling cruelty. ”Oh, but she does, my dear,” he purred, his voice a silken threat. She’s the key to everything—the key to your obedience.” He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. And you will obey me. I am the freedom, the peace, and the truth you have sought all along. Submit, and I will show your friends mercy.”

”Why do you want me so much?” My voice cracked, my fingers digging into the fabric of my skirt. ”I’m nothing but a curse and a burden. You already have a Fate Hero to guide your war. My fate’s already written, my path at its end. Why must you claim the last page?”

I shivered as his eyes fell to the sunpurge winding its way across my shoulder and arms, a slight crease forming on his forehead. The Star Guard similarly glanced at me, their eyes filled with pity and sorrow. I’d only ever spoken to Luxxa about it, but after all the time the others had spent with me, it was impossible not to notice the relentless advance of the sunpurge. Perhaps even Korra knew, despite my attempts to hide it.

”Your... condition is regrettable,” Alverin said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. ”But not irreversible. There is one among the gods’ forces who could alleviate your suffering and extend your life. What is a small crest compared to that?”

It was the same tactic. It was always the same. The Grand Inquisitor had offered me the same promise: submit to his Soul Binder, and my life would be spared. Back then, he had lied, but I knew this was different. The sunpurge would most definitely claim my life.

”That’s impossible!” Luxxa cried out. ”No one can cure the sunpurge. It’s as inevitable as death itself!”

Alverin shook his head and clucked his tongue disapprovingly. ”Again, your servants interrupt us,” he said, his voice laced with annoyance. ”I grow tired of their constant interruptions.”

He idly gestured with his hand, and several powerful auras erupted behind us. I whirled, tail going rigid, as three seventh-level beings stalked into the throne room. Two wore the dark robes of cultists, while the third was an inquisitor. His smile sent chills down my spine.

”Walk with me, Xiviyah, while our friends chat,” Alverin said, drawing my gaze back to him. ”Come, we have much to discuss.”