The Forsaken Hero

Luke and Jessia left us, conversing in a hushed whisper about whatever the Apostle of Secrets extracted from the Father.

”That went rather well,” she remarked, gazing after the departing apostles.

I nodded, letting out a soft sigh. ”I was afraid he’d say no.”

”What?” She chuckled, shaking her head. ”There’s no way he could have done that. Not if he’s serious about beating the church.”

”No, didn’t you hear him? He didn’t want me to be with him,” I said, staring at my feet. ”I’m just too weak, and I can’t--”

”Oh, Xiviyah,” she chided, shaking her head, ”Did you think he said that because he hated you? I think it’s quite the opposite.”

”But I--”

She reached over, cupping my cheek and raising my eyes to hers. ”Look at the bigger picture. If Luke refused you, he wouldn’t just be turning down the Oracle of Eternity but all of your allies as well. You know how driven he is, right? Do you think he’d turn down Fyren and my help just because he didn’t like you?”

”Then why?” I asked, covering her hand with mine. ”Why didn’t he want me to be with him?”

Her lip curved in a small smile. ”I think I’ll let you figure that one out. But have a little confidence in yourself.”

”I-it’s not bad, right?”

She giggled, shaking her head. ”Come on, let’s go.”

With some reluctance, I allowed her to help me onto Fable. The wolf turned his head, nuzzling me, before letting out a low bark. Before I could so much as squeak, he leaped off the ground, soaring over scattered clumps of Fyren’s scions. The wind whipped at my face, stealing my breath as we landed a few hundred feet away.

”A little warning next time,” I mumbled, forcing my fingers to loosen around his fur.

He lifted his head, lip curled in a wolfish smirk, and began to trot after the demon horde. R’lissea leaned against me, lacing her arms around my waist.

”What you said about Fyren,” I said, ”I know he’s a Devoted and all, but do you really think he’d abandon the demons if we left? I’m not that special, R’lissea. I can’t be more important than everything here.”

She reached forward and smoothed a stray lock of crimson hair behind my ear. It had come loose during Fable’s jump. ”I wonder about that.”

I waited for her to elaborate, but she simply offered a small, enigmatic smile.

”Many people care about you, Xiviyah,” she said softly. ”Even if you don’t always see it.”

”I hope their faith’s not misplaced,” I said, biting my lower lip. ”I don’t think I could bear it if he...”

”Do you think like that about me, too? That’ll I’ll just vanish one day?” she asked in a small, hesitant voice.

”I...I...” A bout of panic caused my throat to tighten, and I snatched my tail to keep it from lashing against her. It trembled in my grip, and I lowered my head, squeezing my eyes shut. Even if I said it, could I have given her a clearer answer?

”I thought so,” she sighed, her voice tinged with sadness. ”I just...” She hesitated, then shook her head. ”It doesn’t matter. I’m just glad...to be this close to you.”

”R’lissea?” I whispered, my voice trembling. ”I want to...trust you. But I...it’s not your fault. It’s hard.” She held me closer, her head resting against my back. The warmth of her cheek against my skin was comforting, reassuring. ”I know,” she murmured, her voice soft as silk. ”And I understand. I’ll be patient. One day...one day, I hope we can be true friends.”

”I’m trying. I promise. I’m trying so hard.” I scrubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, wiping away the moisture gathered on my eyelashes. ”Just wait for me. Don’t leave me. I’m trying.”

She hugged me tighter, nuzzling my back with her cheek. ”I’m here through it all, so take all the time you...” she trailed off, and I glanced back, startled to find her staring wide-eyed to our left, near the wall encircling Tormod’s Breach. ”That’s...new.”

I followed her gaze, and my tail stiffened in my grip. ”Is that Fyren’s demon?”

A monstrous silhouette dominated the keep, its talons crushing the ramparts beneath its weight. It took me a moment to recognize the creature – the bird-like demon Luke had allowed to feast on the mage’s corpse. But it was...different. Larger. More menacing. Its size now rivaled Fable’s full form, even with its wings folded. A shiver ran down my spine. This was no mere seventh-level demon.

Its form was still eagle-like, but its predatory grace had been exaggerated. Its beak was cruelly hooked and serrated, its talons curved like knives. The light caught on its myriad feathers, refracting in a colorful iridescence that had a slightly disorienting effect, making it difficult to focus on. I stiffened, my heart missing a beat as its eyes locked on to me. A screech ripped through the air, clawing at my heart and causing my tail to quiver. The demon unfurled its wings, their span plunging the landscape into shadow, and launched into the sky. It screeched again, and I covered my ears, huddling back against R’lissea.

The keep’s walls, stripped of their magical protection by my Mana Storm, crumbled under the force of its leap. Each beat of its colossal wings whipped up miniature cyclones, buffeting the ground below and tossing nearby scions like rag dolls.

I tightened my grip on Fable’s fur, knuckles whitening under the force of its presence. Though we were still a mile away, too far for its aura to truly reach me, every instinct urged me to run and hide. It was the same primal terror I felt when we confronted the infernal dragon, a mouse caught under an eagle’s shadow.

Fable came up short as the bird dove toward us, turning slightly so we faced it at an angle. The demon smashed into the ground a dozen yards away, sending a spray of shattered ice, rock, and ribbons of chaotic mana splashing in all directions. My wards protected us from the worst of the wind, but a few errant currents snapped at my hair and clothes.

A low, irritated growl reverberated in Fable’s throat, cutting through the settling winds. It was a small, insignificant sound against the grandeur of the ice demon, yet the bird lowered its head. Its beak parted, but it called a soft caw this time, as different from its previous cry as a kitten’s mew from a lion’s roar.

The primal fear subsided as the demon withdrew its aura, leaving me slumped over Fable’s shoulder. R’lissea’s grip was tight around my waist, fingers curled into my dress. Neither of us dared to breathe lest we provoke this creature. Its soul was on the same level as our own, yet it couldn’t be clearer how different we were. For some reason, my every instinct screamed at me that this was my natural predator, that to face this meant death. Fable felt no such aversion and stalked towards the massive demon. I clutched at his fur tightly, silently pleading for him to turn aside, but he disregarded me. A strong sense of indignation welled up in our bond, accompanied by a low growl in his throat. The bird began to tremble, pressing itself lower into the earth. Frost crept over the broken ground, radiating from its feathers, cracking beneath Fable’s paws. My erratic breath misted the moment it left my lungs. When Fable finally stopped, he was just inches from the bird’s beak. Its caw turned into something of a whimper, a tremor running through its immense frame.

The irritation I felt in my bond with Fable shifted to smugness, and I shook my head, slowly regaining my composure. Despite my instinctive fear of it, I felt no hostility from the Demon. If anything, it was trembling even more than I was, its feathers clinking together like tinkling glass.

Finally, the bird gained a semblance of composure and raised its head just enough to meet Fable’s gaze. Its eyes were massive, nearly as wide as I was tall, and glittered with intelligence. The wolf seemed to consider something, then dipped his head and peered over his shoulder at me. Before I could even ask what he wanted, a flood of impressions rushed through our bond, sending a tingle through my soul.

”Can you do that?” I asked, my fear momentarily forgotten as I stared at him.

He held my gaze, unwavering, until I finally relented.

”Alright, fine, I can try. But I don’t even know if it will work.”

R’lissea hugged me tighter, unaware of our unspoken exchange. ”What are you doing?”

My hand shook slightly as I reached it out toward the demon. ”Nexus!”

A wave of icy energy washed over me as I formed the bond, a chilling aura similar to Haven’s shadow. It quickly faded, leaving only a faint tremor of infernal mana in its wake. Connecting with demons was never a pleasant experience, but after linking with Fyren, I’d almost gotten used to it.

With the Nexus secured, I cast Link Ability on Fable. Even after all this time, his powers remained a mystery, with even the shard offering no explanation. He was labeled as a ’unique’ existence, but that offered little explanation for his connection to my staff, his ability to tap into my abilities, or his power to alter his size at will. It was that last ability he wanted to share with the Nexus.

His power flowed through the Nexus like a warm breeze on a summer day, soothing the icy touch of the demon’s mana. My entire soul tingled as it took root, but it had no other effect on me.

The demon stumbled back, claws crushing craters into the frozen earth. A thick mist of stars rose about it, obscuring it completely and suppressing its aura. A small gasp came from behind me as R’lissea leaned forward, both of us waiting with bated breath. Why had the demon asked for this, and would it really work?