The Forsaken Hero

The days passed slowly. A week after the vision with Luke and R’lissea, the latter didn’t appear for a few days. When she returned, she was extra gentle, spending more and more time at my bedside. It was impossible to ignore her attention, and I reluctantly responded. When I finally sat up, she smiled for the first time I could remember.

”Easy, Xiv. Take it slow. It’s been a few weeks, so your muscles are going to be tired.”

I nodded and started to rise before stopping and looking at her.

”Xiv?”

”It’s just a nickname. ’Xiviyah’ can be a bit of a mouthful sometimes. It’s not a big deal. Just something friends do,” she replied casually. Too casually.

”Friends...?” I said it slowly, finding it clumsy in my mouth. It tasted bitter. ”I...don’t like that word. it doesn’t mean what I thought it did.”

Her smile faltered before it snapped back. I didn’t meet her gaze.

”What do you say we go for a walk today? The sun’s pretty warm, and I think some fresh air would do you good.”

I shrugged, pulling a dress from my ring. R’lissea frowned as I slipped it on.

”Are you sure you want that one? Why not something a little more colorful?”

It was a simple cotton dress without ribbon, ruffle, or sash. It was tight around my bosom and an inch or two shorter on the skirt, but I hadn’t grown too much since I last wore it. The color was faded white, and there were a few faded red blotches on the sleeves near my wrists. No matter how many times I’d washed it with magic, they’d never quite gone away.

”This is fine,” I said.

Tying the laces of my soft leather boots left me panting, so I took a few minutes to breathe while R’lissea brushed my hair. She offered to help me put the wreath on, but I shook my head. Flowers were the last thing I wanted to wear right now.

We were in the lower city, at one of the few inns that had escaped the battle unscathed. As R’lissea promised, the sun was warm, but its rays failed to penetrate my skin. A few clouds drifted across the sky, and the air was clear and sweet. There were no signs of the thick plumes of ash that had choked the night of the dragons’ release.

The streets were surprisingly busy, but no one dared get in our way. Stalls crowded every corner, and most faces wore smiles. Until they saw us, at least. I touched my horns as several children screamed and ran away, but R’lissea shook her head.

”Fable. They’re scared of Fable,” she said firmly.

I glanced behind us, where the wolf silently stalked after me. His ears were pricked, and his great head swung back and forth, seeming to watch everything at once.

”So, want to grab something to eat? I heard there’s a small restaurant on the third level that specializes in cream pastries.”

”Is it dangerous here?” I asked softly, looking down a side alley steeped in shadows. I could make out a few shapes slumped over the back. A glint of steel flashed as one turned a knife over, examining the edge.

”Not for someone like us. I think everyone’s just wary because of Fable. It’s not often you see a wolf the size of a wagon,” she said.

I nodded and finally looked at her. R’lissea gripped her skirts tightly, watching me with an anxious expression.

”Now, about that shop. Rumor has it they just got a shipment of fresh strawberries. It’s in high demand, but I bet if two cute girls like us showed up, they’d–”

She paused as I stopped, her hand pulling away from mine. I let it slip from my fingers. The sun felt even brighter, making my eyes blur. I started to rub them, only to find that I was crying.

”Why?” I asked, barely holding back a sob. ”If you want something sweet, you can just go by yourself. Why do you want me to go so badly? Why are you trying to so hard? ”

R’lissea recoiled, tears springing to her own eyes. ”I...I thought you liked... I just wanted to show you not everyone is–”

”Not what? Like Luke and Soltair? Aren’t you the same? you just want my abilities to save the elves and fight Connor. As soon as you get what you need from me, won’t you just cast me aside, too?”

”No, that’s not true!” she protested.

My tail started to lash. I breathed deeply, balling up the sorrow, anguish, and desperation deep inside. I knew it wasn’t fair, but I couldn’t help it. Maybe she’d leave me alone if I gave her what she wanted. Then my heart wouldn’t have to ache so much.

I reached out, catching her wrist. She tried to pull away, but not before a series of images and impressions flashed from my mind to hers. The aura of starlight that clung to my skin exploded, enveloping the street in a miniature universe. It was like a wrinkle in the very fabric of fate.

”Connor will be in Ornth. His undead will form an unpassable army, with intelligent liches guarding the sky. They have some sort of magical artifact that let’s them resurrect, so you have to destroy them first. Then you can fly over and fight him directly. Afterward, you’ll meet someone with one green and one blue eye. You can trust him, juts don’t listen to him when he wants to name them after elves. Just don’ t. And later--”

It all came out at once, the words jumbling together. An amalgamation of the countless things I’d seen that involved R’lissea. Before I could finish, the tide of power of the Oracle of Eternity swelled, overwhelming the fragile control I held over it. It broke like a damn, flooding the tentative bond I formed with her.

The sudden influx ripped through the my soul. I broke into sobs, and R’lissea tore her arm out of my grip, bruising my fingers. I yelped and clutched my hand to my chest. As the pain faded, I sank to my knees, trembling uncontrollably.

”There,” I cried, ”I gave you what you wanted. Now you can just leave me alone.”

”What was that?” R’lissea gasped, falling to her knees in front of me. ”That was...it was...”

I looked up through my tears, but she didn’t seem smug, grateful, or satisfied. Her eyes bulged, and she gripped her skirt so tightly her knuckles turned white. She must have be terrified.

I took deep breaths, but the tears didn’t subside. Stars meandered through the street, swirling thicker the closer they got to me. Strange scenes flickered through the mist, snippets of the thousand visions and memories I carried with me. Dozens of people, from old men to young children, were caught within the mist. Their eyes were glazed over like R’lissea’s, their faces stricken with what looked like fear.

Slowly, the stars dissipated, drawn back behind the curtain. They fell one by one, trembling all over. I couldn’t breathe, panic constricting my throat. I’d lost control somewhere, but at what point, I wasn’t sure. Fate had wrinkled, sweeping up a good stretch of the street.

Just what had they seen? What hellish visions had they borne witness to? Did they know how close their empire had come to destruction? Did they see what Luke would do to the cities that defied him? Or maybe they’d seen the atrocities Connor’s undead had committed in their homeland, of the many towns and villages swallowed up by the undead blight.

I sucked in a breath, startled, as R’lissea suddenly embraced me. She held my head against her chest, stroking my hair. Her heartbeat was loud against my ear. She was scared—or maybe...excited? No, she had to be scared. But why as she hugging me? Shouldn’t she be angry at me? Wasn’t now the perfect time to sever her pretenses? Did I do something wrong again?

I tried to apologize again, but she started talking, her voice soft and distant. Her eyes glazed. I got the sense she wasn’t really talking to me, anymore.

”A girl and a boy...they were so small and fragile,” she whispered. ”They were so familiar, like I’d known them forever. But I’ve never seen them before...and half elves, too...”

She gave herself a shake, her eyes focusing on me again.

”Don’t cry, Xiv,” she said, smoothing my hair out of my face. ”You didn’t hurt me. Or anyone, I think.”

Someone tugged on my sleeve. I peeked from R’lissea’s embrace, flinching as I saw a small boy, maybe six years old, peering at me. He clutched his hands together, unsteady on his feet. R’lissea gave me an encouraging smile, and I took a deep breath.

”Is it true?” the boy asked.

I flinched. He looked terrified. Had he seen his family covered in blood? Or maybe he was digging them out of ashes and rubble.

The boy looked at me, confused when I didn’t he answer. He swallowed hard and tried again.

”Um, lady? Will it really help Mama feel better?”

He sounded much more respectful for some reason. Hopeful, even.

But how could he?

An old man staggered up from his knees. His eyes were wide, tears dripping over his wrinkled cheeks. I thought they were tears of fear, or sorrow, but his voice, was filled with wonder. Was he not afraid either?

”She doesn’t hate me?” he muttered. ”But I thought...I have to fix this now.”

His gaze fell on the boy. I was positive they didn’t know each other, but he took the boy and lifted him up, carrying him as gently as he would his own grandchild.

”Come now, don’t bother the Oracle. Just have faith in what you’ve seen.”

With an apologetic bow to me, he backed away. The rest of those caught in the wrinkle slowly backed away, similarly awestruck.

I stared around in confusion, but there was no making sense of their reactions. They just all be in a state of shock, unable to process the horrors of what they’d seen. I knew they’d seen the same things I had at one point or another. So why weren’t they afraid? The future was scary!

”Are you going to leave now?” I asked, unable to meet R’lissea’s eyes.

She let out a long sigh, hugging me until my ribs creaked.

”You see so much yet understand so little. I only glimpsed a fraction of the darkness you see every day, yet there’s light in there, too. Can’t you see that?”

”Even if there is, it won’t happen. There’s nothing to hope for anymore. It’s all so dark ahead. So why? Why won’t you just leave, too?”

”Because you were right about friends, Xiviyah. Friends don’t abandon each other. Friends don’t use each other. And that’s why I’m not leaving. Because we’re friends. I never wanted the future, or your abilities. I’m happy just to have you.”