The Forsaken Hero

The throne room fell silent, all eyes on me. The weight of their expectations pressed down on me, and I instinctively took a step back, my tail trembling. Alverin stood with his hand outstretched, Elise clinging to his arm, her face buried in his shoulder.

As I hesitated, Luxxa’s voice, sharp with disbelief, cut through the tension. ”You can’t seriously be considering it,” she hissed. ”We’ll kill them all together, then take on that bastard king.”

I glanced back at Elise, but she only had eyes for Alverin. Her presence was both a threat and a source of agonizing concern. As long as she was under his control, he could and would use her against me. Defying him would only cause her pain, perhaps even death.

But could my companions withstand Alverin’s cronies? Three seventh-level beings were a formidable force, like facing three Victors at once. They had to be the last of this kingdom’s elite forces. The Star Guard had proven themselves capable of defeating two seventh-level opponents, but they were exhausted. Kahlen could handle one with ease, but...

My gaze fell on Fable, who was glaring at Alverin with undisguised hostility. The king cringed slightly as I rested a hand on Fable’s head, already sensing my intent through our bond.

Without further hesitation, I slid off Fable’s back, wincing as the jolt sent another wave of fire through the sunpurge.

”You can’t!” Jenna cried, clutching her staff tightly.

”I can’t leave you alone with that monster!” Luxxa added, her voice filled with fear and determination.

”Then win quickly,” I murmured, avoiding their gazes. ”Fable, watch after them. We’ll be atop the easternmost tower.”

Alverin’s eyebrows rose in surprise. ”A guess?” he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

I met his gaze, my expression carefully neutral. For the first time, he seemed genuinely uneasy. I had seen much in my visions, more than I’d revealed, and even more that I’d buried deep within, too painful to even contemplate. Amongst the countless futures and battles I’d witnessed, what was one fleeting glimpse of a man and a demonkin atop a tower?

”You can’t do this, Xiviyah!” Luxxa’s voice was sharp with desperation. ”I know you think there’s nothing left for you, but don’t do this. What about Korra or Elise? Why would you throw your life away like this?”

”Enough,” Alverin snapped, his eyes flicking towards the Star Guard. ”Silence these fools, but don’t kill them. They’ll make excellent servants once we’ve recharged the Shard.”

Auras flared in the throne room, but I ignored the escalating tension, focusing solely on Alverin. My legs and tail trembled, my heart pounding with every step, but I couldn’t stop now. Regardless of the outcome, I would ensure Elise’s freedom.

”That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Alverin smirked, leading the way through a hallway adjacent to the throne room toward a staircase that spiraled upwards. The last things I heard before we left the room were Fable’s enraged growl and the Star Guard calling after me. Only Kahlen was silent, though whether he trusted me enough or had already resigned was unknown.

The king’s pace was swift, using his mana to hurry up the stairs. Elise had reached the fifth level and, while weaker than Alverin, was many times stronger than me. I had to scramble to match their pace, my breath coming in ragged gasps, my muscles aching by the time we finally stopped.

The tower was open to the dismal, gray sky, without a turret and surrounded only by thick parapets. A faint breeze wound through the fortifications, cutting through my dress and chilling me to the bone. My stomach twisted as the tower seemed to sway, shaken by the explosions that were beginning to arise from the palace below. I kept my gaze trained on Alverin, not daring to look over, afraid that if I did, I would likely fall to my knees.

”So, you decided to follow me like the obedient slave you once were,” Alverin began, ”I trust that means you accept my bargain?” He continued to stare out over the city, seemingly unconcerned with my answer.

I bit my lip, my tail stirring nervously against the cold stone floor. He glanced at me, an eyebrow raised expectantly.

Surprisingly, it was Elise who broke the tense silence. She finally left his side and glided towards me, her hands clasped together. My hands trembled as she spoke, the voice I’d longed to hear now tainted by the insidious influence of the Heart Crest.

”Come on, Xiviyah,” she urged, her voice calm and warm, pleading. ”It could be like old times. I know you think I’m trapped and you want to free me, but have you ever considered that I don’t want to be free? I love my life here, with my Lord, and even if things change now that the demons have invaded, there’s still a chance to return to normal.”

”Elise...” I choked out, tears welling up in my eyes.

Alverin’s expression softened. ”Xiviyah, my dear,” he said, his voice deceptively gentle, ”you must understand that I don’t want to hurt or use you. Your gifts are many, but they’re wasting away right now. The things I am working on will bring peace to every single world. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted? There will be no more war or prejudice, no more suffering. No more slaves.”

Elise smiled softly, reaching out to take my hand. She flinched away as my wards flared to block her touch, her expression a mask of hurt. ”Just trust me, Xiviyah. Even if it’s scary, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Just one hard step, and then happiness. You’ll never be alone again.”

Their words, laced with promises, sent a shiver down my spine. I yearned for everything they offered: a reunion with Elise, an end to the constant agony of the sunpurge, and a reprieve from the relentless struggle against the world. They were offering me hope at my most vulnerable moment.

We stood atop a tower so high that it made my legs tremble, the air thin and cold. But it wasn’t just the height that unsettled me; it was the view. The thing I hated most—the blood and pain of the innocent—was on full display, stretching out as far as the eye could see. Tens of thousands were slain while under the influence of the heart crest, and just as many civilians were caught in the crossfire. And now I was isolated from my allies, alone and vulnerable, deprived of even Fable’s presence.

Was this the plan Jessia had alluded to? It wasn’t a physical trap, not like the one in Liceria. It was far more insidious, a cunning manipulation that gathered all of my deepest fears and insecurities, then dangled the promise of hope in the form of Elise. Just trust him, and Alverin would take away the pain, the fear, the loneliness. He would give me everything I so desperately desired.

And yet...was I really as alone as they made it seem?

Alverin frowned as I hesitated, then gestured towards the ravaged landscape below. ”Look at what you’ve brought upon us, Xiviyah,” he said, his voice heavy with accusation. ”Two armies, one of the demons, one of the gods, both trampling over the innocent, staining the earth with their blood.”

I finally forced myself to look, and a whimper escaped my lips. We were high above the city, but it wasn’t the height that unsettled me. The entire land was laid bare before us, a panorama of destruction and despair. The Last Light Company had retreated into the city, driving out the remaining defenders.

To the west, flanked by the imposing mountains, a horde of demons stretched across the land like a dark, undulating carpet, their numbers as countless as the stars above. Monstrous figures towered among them, their forms wreathed in shadow and flame.

A single figure hovered in the air before the horde, his black cloak billowing behind him. Even from this distance, his soul blazed with an intense light, reaching the eighth level. Tendrils of black curse magic writhed around him, a testament to his formidable power: Luke, the Apostle of Descent, leader of the demon hordes.

On the eastern side, the main force of the Church stood opposite them, its soldiers clad in gleaming silver armor and white cloaks. Their orderly ranks made it difficult to estimate their numbers, but they seemed as endless and radiant as the demons were dark and menacing.

And at their head, bathed in the light of the sun, stood a figure I’d recognize anywhere. By this point, I’d seen him more in my nightmares than in person. Soltair, the Sun Hero, his golden armor gleaming, his presence a beacon of unwavering righteousness.

”Is this what you wanted, Xiviyah?” Alverin asked, his voice laced with sadness. ”All this death and destruction, just so you can have your petty revenge? You’ve become a monster, the very thing you wished to destroy. Come to me, and I can make it right.”

His words cut into me like a knife, Tearing through any justifications I tried to hide behind. A monster. It had been a long time since someone had called me that, and I thought the sting had faded. Turns out I was wrong.

My hand instinctively went to my horn, a subconscious reminder that I was, indeed, a monster. It had been a while since someone had called me that, since my days as a slave, perhaps, and I’d thought the sting of that accusation had faded. Now, it felt worse than ever. Because it was justified.

Everything he said was true. I had brought this destruction upon them, upon this entire kingdom. If not for my actions, Luke would still be fighting in the canyon or at least on the fringes of civilization. The entire world seemed awash in blood.

My eyes fell to the courtyards below, where the Last Light Company battled alongside my companions against the remnants of the Church and the Circle’s forces. Behind them, a solitary cloaked figure strode through the palace gates, a large sword strapped to his back. A glint of gold caught my eye as if from a fine gold chain or pendant. I didn’t recognize him, but my heart was too heavy to care.

”I did what I had to.” My voice was a faint whisper, shaky but resolute.

”What you had to?” Alverin’s voice echoed through the throne room, sharp and cold. ”Did you have to bring demons into my land? Did you have to burn my cities? Did you have to tear families apart, children from their mothers, and drench this land in the blood of innocents? Is this miserable whore”—he waved at Elise—”really worth all of that?”

Each word was a twist of the knife in my heart, and I took a long, shuddering breath before meeting his gaze.

”You should have asked that before enslaving my friend.”