The Forsaken Hero

I opened my eyes, staring up at the dull, black sky. It was distant and blurry, yet...strange. Dark, regular cracks broke it into a grid pattern, and none of the plumes or swirls of smoke were moving. It was as if time stood still.

It was quiet, too. The only sound was gentle, rasping breathing. My breathing.

I willed myself upward to get a vantage of my surroundings, but the vision didn’t break apart. I felt unnaturally heavy and lethargic like I did under the full power of the dragons’ auras. I couldn’t even turn my head, and trying to force it caused a sharp pain in my neck.

I whimpered, blinking away tears. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. Had I seen too many visions? Was the Oracle of Eternity broken?

A large, furry face appeared above me. It took me a few seconds to recognize Fable’s golden eyes staring down at me, thick with concern.

”F-Fable?” My voice cracked. It felt like someone had poured a glass of sand down my throat.

Fable’s ears perked, and he licked my cheek, whining softly.

A shiver ran down my spine. He wasn’t supposed to be able to hear me. No matter how many times I’d screamed his name, he’d always died without reacting. That was the nature of Fate.

My arm didn’t want to move, but I ignored the sharp bite of stiffness and touched his cheek. His fur rand brushed between my fingers, warm and soft. Real. My tail started to twitch.

”Fable?” A hint of panic entered my voice. ”What’s happening? Why can you hear me? Where are the dragons?”

A wave of calmness rose within our bond, tempering my confusion. Fable climbed atop the bed, wrapping around me and nuzzling my face with his cheek. The bed creaked beneath his weight.

I closed my eyes and breathed in his familiar scent. A rumble shook the room, but the steady beat of his heart against mine was soothing. My breathing naturally aligned with his, and the tightness in my chest began to fade. My rapid heart rate slowed, and I eased out a deep breath, the tension flowing from my limbs.

”It’s over, isn’t it,” I whispered, eyes closed. ”This isn’t a vision? Is it real?”

He nuzzled me again, and the same reassuring warmth flowed through our bond. I soaked in it like a blanket, slowly sorting out my muddled thoughts, trying to process the things I had seen.

I felt like I’d been lying there forever. My body was sore, my head ached, and my soul felt tired. It was filled with mana, but reaching for it made me want to curl up and sleep for a week.

I couldn’t help but wonder how long I’d been unconscious. It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes, as the shockwaves of the battle above reached us as faint tremors.

The last time I’d been this lost was waking up after Brithlite. The psychological stress of three months of vision had taken a week to work through, and I didn’t feel all that different now. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw some part of the battle ahead, often multiple at once. It was like cramming every possible answer to a philosophical question at once. And yet not one of them had been right.

”I’m sorry,” I whispered, starting to cry. ”I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t find the way.”

Fate had told me to hope for the present, even if the future was dim. But how could I? This was real. One failure here, and it was all over. If I walked out of this room and faced the dragons, what would make it any different than the thousands of times I’d done so before?

Fable’s jaws closed around the hem of my dress, tugging gently. I half-heartedly pushed him away, and yelped as he jerked his head, pulling me off the bed. I landed roughly, wincing as the rough stone flooring scraped my knees. It was hot to the touch, sending a jolt up my spine.

”Stop. I’m not going!” I said, curling into a ball. ”I’m not going to watch you die. Not again!”

A low growl built in his throat, culminating in a bark. It was startlingly loud in the small room, striking me like a slap. I clutched my tail as a rush of primal fear pained at my chest. My instincts screamed at me to run and hide. That I was the prey and he the hunter. Fable never barked. Even when I stepped on his tail at night. It was sharp and stern, a parent scolding their child.

He barked again, face pushed against mine, golden eyes sparking indignantly. I cowered, tail twisting out of my hands to lash against the bed frame.

”S-stop,” I whimpered, ”Please, you’re scaring me.”

Fable growled, spinning a tight circle. His eyes fixed above me, and his jaws darted over me. I squeaked and covered my head. His Jaws clicked an inch above my horns, sending a hard tingle down my spine and tail.

”Fable, why are you–”

I trailed off as I peeked through my fingers and saw Fable sitting calmly before me. The Final Star rested in his jaws, glimmering faintly. I lowered my arms slowly, transfixed by the star. He must have snatched it off the bed.

I reached out and tentatively touched the handle. Fable dropped it, but the staff hovered, humming warmly against my outstretched fingers.

Memories fitted through my mind, of another dark slave chamber. It was the first time I’d held this staff. Not just the Staff of Fate, but the Final Star.

I’d been kneeling in the dark, a cold, lifeless body in my arms. There had been no hope then, either. All I could do was wait to be tortured, raped, and then killed.

I looked into Fable’s eyes, seeing another pair of golden eyes reflected there. What was it Verity had said? That the Fate Hero was to be a light for others?

I started to chuckle, but it devolved into a cough. Blood smeared across the back of my hand as I wiped my lips.

”I think she’s a better hero than I could ever be,” I said, rubbing my staff. ”I’ve always been the one who needed hope, not one to give it. But maybe...maybe that can change.”

From the brief glimpses of the lower city, I knew just how desperate the people were—trapped between the vile shadows of the graveyards and the flames of the dragons above. They were searching the sky now, looking for any star to guide them, but there were none to be seen.

I took a deep breath, gathering my courage. A thousand losses flickered through my mind, but I ignored them all. Fable was quiet, watching me with bated breath.

The last star in the sky had none other to look upon and only darkness for company. But that only let it shine all the brighter. If these people needed a light, I would be their star.

Fable rose with me, keeping himself pressed against my side for me to lean on. I rubbed his shoulder, gripping his fur and pulling myself onto his back. I panted form the effort, but wasted no time situation myself.

”Let’s go,” I said, settling my staff across my lap. ”There’s only one future we haven’t lost in yet. This one.”

Fable leaped forward, bounding through the slave quarters. The wind bit at my face, causing my eyes to water and hair to stream out behind us. I reached for mana, preparing a series of wards, but doubled over as my soul revolted. A wave of nausea saw me gagging into Fable’s fur, eyes squeezed shut.

Celestial Grace was gone. I’d felt so terrible after awakening I hadn’t even noticed. The Nexus was still there, but only a handful of spells and six living souls remained. I recognized R’lissea and Elaine. The last four were probably nameless guards that had somehow made it out.

That wasn’t good. In over half of my visions, our side wiped the instant Celestial Grace’s duration ended. The fact that I still felt the auras and effects of the battle above meant we were already tempting fate with our survival.

”This is going to hurt,” I mumbled, gritting my teeth as I forced my mana to heel. ”Celestial Grace!”

Despite my best efforts, there was no preparing for the sudden upheaval and the surge of visceral pain that accompanied it. Black dots burst across my vision, and I screamed, writhing atop Fable’s back. Every fiber of my soul resisted the call, fighting tooth and nail to keep the runes from forming. My consciousness wavered in and out, and I wretched blood at least twice, but still, I persevered.

Everything snapped into focus as the final rune fell into place, and soothing green and gold light twined around my body. I took a long, shuddering breath, wiping tears and blood from my face, and sank into Fable’s back. His steps grew firmer, green light trailing behind us as he tapped into the power of my spell.

There was another surge of pain as the spell reached Elaine and Avant, but it was nothing compared to what I’d just suffered. I only blacked out once before the Nexus Stabilized.

”Hurry,” I croaked, wiping more blood from my lips. ”They need us. They need a star.”