The Forsaken Hero

The inside of the Lastlight Estate was as beautiful and graceful as the exterior. Whoever had designed it had shied away from the typical ornamentation and decor, preferring to use polished wood and silver instead of obsidian and darkly painted panels. It had a rustic, traditional feel compared to the rest of the mansions and the palace.

The front doors led directly into a spacious lobby. The ceiling was three stories up, with a grand staircase set against the far side, leading up in twin pathways to a balcony that circled the room. Doors and hallways led away on all three levels. Paintings of the Blacksand Empire’s countryside, mountains, and gardens adorned the walls, each preserved with relatively powerful enchantments.

A shining crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, bathing the room in soft, yellow light. The light was warm and soft like real sunlight, but made my horns itch.

A pair of maids stood at either side of the banister. They both curtseyed as we entered. They wore identical maids’ uniforms, save one wore black skirts beneath the apron and the other gold. The soldier saluted us once more, then slipped out the door, closing it behind him.

R’lissea smiled as she looked around, clapping her hands with joy.

”It’s beautiful! Does this really belong to Elise?” she asked.

One of the maids, the one wearing the gold skirt, nodded. She was an older woman with graying hair and a hooked nose.

”This property used to belong to the Nearwoods Family, a low ranking Barony. They fell from grace some time ago, and the imperial family repossessed the property. It’s quite old and traditional, and hasn’t been renovated in a hundred years. But it’s a nice place with a good view, positioned between the common markets and the upper levels of the nobility.”

”And you are...?” R’lissea asked.

The maid bowed her head. ”Forgive me, Hero, for forgetting to introduce myself. I am Beatrice, the Head Maid of House Lastlight, assigned yesterday by his Majesty, the emperor. This is Rosarie, my granddaughter. As of now, we and Jonathon, the guard out front, are responsible for looking after the house. Lady Lastlight has instructed us to listen and care for your every need.”

Rosarie curtsied. She was a young woman in her late teens with long, black hair in a thick braid that nearly reached her waist. She was pretty, if not beautiful, with pastel green eyes. Her maid uniform was adjusted a bit to show a little cleavage, and her skirt was a few inches higher than her grandmother’s, revealing a few inches of thigh.

Beatrice eyed me, then Fable looming over my shoulder. Her eyes narrowed.

”Forgive me, Oracle, for any offense, but it is custom to have bonded monsters remain in the stables. Their claws will damage the floor, not to mention all the dirt and dust they track through the house.”

She was only second level, but her gaze pierced me with irrefutable sternness. My breath caught in my throat, and I retreated a step, bumping into Fable’s shoulder. My hands instinctively pressed against him, seeking his fur. I opened my mouth but didn’t know what to say. There was something about her that returned me to my days under Lord Byron’s head servant’s whip. Arguing with her felt like a very, very bad idea.

”Beatrice!”

Elise’s voice rang out in the lobby, incensed. I looked up, struggling to breathe, to see her glide down the stairs from the second level. She put her hands on her hips, glaring at the older woman.

”I thought I told you to prepare for Fable. He’s not sleeping outside.”

The head maid sniffed. ”You claimed he was many times smaller than normal. I could make concessions for a lapdog, but not this.”

Elise tilted her head. ”But he is small, isn’t he?”

Beatrice folded her arms. ”Hardly. He’s the size of a draft horse! Most wolves are barely six feet long!”

Elise blinked. ”Really? But he’s so cute!”

I nodded emphatically, scratching Fable’s chin. His lip curled in pleasure, revealing a four-inch fang. Rosarie squeaked, hiding behind Beatrice.

R’lissea sighed and rubbed her forehead. ”Fable’s hardly normal, even forgetting the horns.”

”He won’t hurt anything. I promise,” I said, pleading to the old maid.

”What would the others say, Lady Lastlight? Your reputation is already so poor, but breaking the rules of hospitality to allow such a beast indoors?”

”I care far more for Xiviyah than I do the opinions of some nobles,” Elise said. ”They weren’t the ones who fought across half a continent and through entire armies to save me.”

Beatrice shook her head. Her expression seemed to be carved from stone.

”Um, Grandmother?” Rosarie spoke, tugging on her braid. ”I, um, could take care of it? It’s kind of like old Red. If it damages anything, I could practice my restoration magic. Everyone in the palace was so polite and proper they never broke anything.”

”You would take responsibility for this animal?” Beatrice asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rosarie took a breath, gaining a little confidence. She ventured a small smile at Fable, who stared back at her unblinkingly. Her eyes shifted to me, and I nodded, desperate.

”I will,” she said. ”It’s just a big dog, right? It’s not dangerous?”

Fyren broke out in a dark chuckle. ”Even demons are harmless when it comes to Xiviyah. It’s one of the few mysteries I’ve yet to solve.”

”Fable, look after her, alright?” I said, rubbing his head fondly.

”Good,” Elise said. ”Now that that’s settled, would you join me upstairs? And Beatrice, please see to it that there rooms are ready. Send Jonathon to the inn they were staying at and let them know they won’t be returning.”

”We won’t?” I asked, tilting my head.

She giggled, taking my hand and leading me up the stairs.

”Of course not. Now that I have a house, why wouldn’t I let you stay? Isn’t that what we were talking about with Fable?”

”Oh.” I rubbed my horn, flushing slightly. That hadn’t just been about letting him inside but staying permanently?

Once we left the main lobby, it became clear the interior wasn’t as massive or mazelike as any of the other mansions I’d been in. Elise led us through the main hallway directly to the south wing, where she opened a door. Inside was a wide room with large windows overlooking the main gardens. Bookshelves lined the walls, but most of them were empty. The few leather-bound books had handwritten titles and only weak preservation magic. They seemed to be records of the doings and business of the families that previously occupied this estate.

A large oval table took up the center of the room, surrounded by carved wooden chairs stained the same color as the rest of the house. The cushions were soft, and a space between the backrest and seat let my tail run free.

R’lissea collapsed next to me with a long sigh. ”I can’t believe you already have a mansion. Weren’t you just looking for a property?”

Elise shrugged, sitting in the main chair at the head of the table.

”The Imperial Land manager found this for me a few days back, and they’ve been preparing it ever since. They showed it to me this morning, and I accepted. They’ve already emblazoned the gate, meaning it’s officially mine.”

”And the other nobles?” R’lissea asked. ”I remember it being customary to hold a ball or something whenever a new noble gets appointed. They always sent invites to the elvish nobility when I was staying there.”

Elise’s face fell. ”That’s...hard to say. Between recovering after the battle and fighting off the undead, there’s no time for something like that.”

I frowned, trying to catch her eye, but she wouldn’t meet my gaze. Something about that didn’t feel right. Elise had never been the kind to care about pretentious formalities before. But what else could she be worried about? I remembered the way the nobles treated her during the banquet, and my chest tightened. Why did they dislike her so much? Was there something she wasn’t telling us?

”Never mind that. I think it’s time we planned our next move,” Elise said. ”The Emperor has made it clear we’re welcome to stay in Blacksand for as long or as often as we want.”

”I can’t. I’ve got to save the elves,” R’lissea said.

She made eye contact with me, an unspoken question in her gaze. I averted my eyes, biting my lower lip. Fable, who was lounging under the table, placed his head in my lap, giving me something to hold.

”There’s Connor to think about, too,” R’lissea added when I didn’t respond. ”The black mists have spread across the southern parts of the empire, plaguing every village, town, and city. Every day, hundreds more die and rise again. The land itself is hurting beneath the taint, slowly sickening. If nothing happens, it will die.”

Elise said, ”The Empire’s already preparing its force to deal with it. Elaine mentioned that Avant was researching ways to counteract the black mist. Is this really something we have to worry about?”