The Forsaken Hero

The inner keep was a complex of buildings ringed by a low wall dividing it from the outer courtyards. I wasted no time finding a gate and stumbling toward it, trusting my staff to make up for my trembling legs. A few soldiers started to raise their swords, but their companions dragged them away, pointing to the thick layers of ice coating the tent I’d sheltered in before nodding warily at Borealis. I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed the demise of the seventh-level inquisitors.

The main gates were heavily guarded, so rather than provoke a conflict, I found a side gate leading directly into the shadow of what must have been the cathedral. Given the traditions of this world, that alone could be where Nithalee and the shard waited for us.

A pair of third-level soldiers guarded the entrance, but the moment Borealis released his aura, they exchanged panicked looks before diving out of the way. The gate was open to allow the exchange of supplies and personnel with and without the keep, so I simply walked right in, pushing myself as quickly as I dared. Every second I wasted was another second demons might perish, or the innocent remaining in the city might be caught up in the battle.

”Every second?” I panted as I paused to catch my breath.

The tinkle of the various spatial treasures in my pocket seemed unnaturally loud, but I shook my head, pushing away the small twinge of guilt. These magic items were too valuable to leave behind, if only to deny the Empire and church from reusing them. Even the weakest high inquisitor I fought today had better protective gear than Luke. I couldn’t bear the thought of him being hurt because I missed this chance.

Borealis cawed softly and nuzzled my cheek. I leaned into him, surprised to find my eyelashes wet with tears again.

”Sorry,” I mumbled, sniffling. ”Even if he left us alone...I just...”

With a deep breath, I straightened and pushed through the narrow alley that led alongside the cathedral. I kept flush to the wall and peered around the corner before shrinking back at the sudden bustle of the courtyards beyond. Soldiers and mages rushed from the other facilities of the complex, casting wards, preparing makeshift barricades, and delivering parcels and letters. They seemed subdued, their faces tense, constantly casting anxious glances toward the battle in the outer courtyards.

I breathed a sigh when none noticed me in the shadows and turned my attention to the cathedral. It was smaller than the ones I used to, with less opulent architectural ornamentation. The spires were topped by modest banners of the church, and only the main window above the entrance was actually stained glass. But instead of depicting the sun or other gods’ symbols, it merely featured the primary rune of the Divine.

I slipped from the alley and ran to the entrance. The two twelve-foot tall doors were closed and sealed with high-level protective magic. I took one look at the polished golden handles before retreating a step. Even were they not warded, the doors must have weighed over a hundred pounds each. There was no way I could move something like that.

”Would you?” I asked, glancing at the demon perched on my shoulder.

Borealis kicked off my shoulder, soaring a dozen feet over my head. Icy blue mana gathered on his feathers, before flowing into a ball a few inches before him. He moved back a few feet before launching himself forward with a flap of his wings, smashing directly through his gathered mana. It clung to his body, streaming off his wings in beautiful eddies of light.

I shielded my face with my arms as he collided with the door. The wards crackled as runes lit up along the edges of the frame. For a split second, Borealis hung motionless, his mana battling the magic, before the wards shattered. He surged forward again, blasting the reinforced doors off their hinges. The entire front of the cathedral cracked, the stained glass window above shattering, sending fragments of stone, glass, and wood into my wards.

”Thanks,” I said, looking around before relaxing. Everyone in the courtyard was staring at us, but no one made a move. Was it because of Borealis, or...I looked back up the cathedral and swallowed.

Borealis circled me once before alighting on my shoulder, preening his feathers proudly. I smiled faintly and scratched his chin before steeling my gaze and carefully picking through the rubble. Glass crunched underfoot, and my feet caught on unstable shards of masonry, keeping me off-balance.

The cathedral’s main hall was empty, with only a few faded portraits to witness my entrance. The tile floor was grimy, and the glass chandeliers were dull with dust. Even the light crystals were dim and flickered occasionally, leaving shadows to dance in the corners of the hallway.

There was a small desk a priest should have been stationed at, if only to know when someone entered. A few papers were scattered chaotically across the desk, and a dark stain of dried ink led to an upended inkwell.

I looked around, frowning at finding myself alone. Borealis hadn’t exactly been subtle, yet no one came to investigate?

At least the layout was familiar, and I wasted no time moving past the desk to the doors leading to the chapel. These were more normal-sized, made of dark wood, and gilded with gold. A small stained glass window in the doors allowed a trickle of colored light from the chapel beyond.

I took the handle and tugged, and the door trembled. I pulled harder, using both hands, and, step by step, dragged it open. The hinges squeaked softly, grating in my ears. When the gap was wide enough to enter, I released the hand and quickly slipped through, panting heavily.

”What? It’s heavy,” I muttered, ignoring Borealis’s incredulous look.

The shard of omniscience dominated the chapel, hovering a few inches above the ground and beneath the vaulted ceiling. An eighth-level magic circle, made of runes I’d never seen, rotated around its midpoint. Thick cords of mana trailed from the unfamiliar runes through the walls in a direction I vaguely remembered the keep and the source of the crystal enchantment being.

The rest of the chapel was plain and simple, with a white tile floor and ten small statues ringing the shard. My eyes fell to the last one, and I sighed, shoulders slumping slightly. Instead of my goddess, there was a hard-eyed man with sharp features and a long sword at his side. Even though I held his divinity, the God of Fate had already taken his place.

”Now, this is a surprise.”

Nithalee’s voice caused me to jump, and I looked around, finally finding her sitting on one of the pews lining the walls. She had one hand resting on her staff, which lay across her lap, the other extended over the backrest.

”You sent them away?” I asked, sweeping my gaze over the rest of the chapel, finding us alone.

She shrugged. ”Their presence was only a formality, and they begged me to allow them to go and defend their city from the demons. If they wished to die as heroes, well, who am I to deny that request?”

I moved into the room, scouring the chapel for any other threats. But aside from Nithalee’s wards and the circle around the shard, there were no hints of magic.

Her violet eyes glittered, drawing my gaze again. ”Honestly, I thought you would flee the moment you reunited with your wolf. Not even old Evlon could have stopped you, yet here you are.”

I tilted my head, tail starting to twitch. ”But I...I thought this was a test.”

”To see how quickly you could get yourself captured? You couldn’t even open the door, yet you think yourself capable of facing me, a ninth-level mage?” A wisp of her aura escaped her soul, turning my blood cold.

”But you said–”

”To survive, child! How could you possibly interpret that as sneaking into the center of this city, where all its power is gathered? You might as well have brought your own chains.”

”I...I wanted to help,” I mumbled, staring at my feet.

She stood slowly, eyes narrow. ”To help the demons? Do you seriously expect me to betray the gods and drop the enchantment to save those monsters? I’d rather they all die, and you face justice in chains.”

Her words struck me like a slap, forcing me back a step, tears gathering in my eyes. Borealis bristled, but I soothed him through the Nexus.

”You...don’t serve the gods.” My voice came out a whisper, but I met her gaze.

Nithalee frowned and leaned forward, eyes glittering coldly. Her aura rose, stealing my breath and stalling my heart. The pressure was unlike anything I’d experienced in Enusia, surpassing even the primal terror I felt at the hands of the most powerful demons. It was a tide of power that surpassed even the primal terror I felt at the hands of the most powerful demons, a promise of death and destruction.

”I’ve lived four hundred years, foolish child. I think I’d know my allegiances by now.”