The Forsaken Hero

I hesitated a long time before following the others into the long building. It was like an extended hallway, with many doors on either side, too similar to the slave quarters of the Divine Throne. Elaine walked confidently to the end, taking the final side door before the hallway ended in a door identical to the one we entered.

Inside, it was almost...ordinary. A few wooden shelves, cabinets, and a long metal bar with wooden hooks on it. Robes and towels hung from the hooks or were draped over the bar, dyed in soft, pastel colors. It was small, but it looked capable of holding a dozen people’s belongings.

R’lissea closed the door. It clicked, an enchantment automatically sealing us in. My pulse skipped, and my chest tightened. I backed against the wall, struggling to breathe.

Elaine snapped her fingers, and her dress flowed off her body, collecting on her finger in the shape of a ring. It was like watching water run down a window, smooth and seamless. The slits and cut of her dress had left little of her body a mystery, yet I couldn’t help but admire the ninth-level being. Her physique was flawless yet not overbearing, allowing her soft, more feminine curves to smooth her strength.

”Well?” she asked with a playful grin. ”Don’t make me feel lonely.”

I flushed, gripping my skirt tightly. I looked to R’lissea for support, but she’d already stored her clothes in her spatial ring. She gathered her hair and smoothed it down her back, coming a few tangles with her fingers. She noticed me watching and gave me a reassuring smile.

Reluctantly, I tugged my dress off, shivering as the warm, moist air took its place against my skin. My skin crawled as Elaine gave me a long, appreciative glance.

”Oh, child. You have nothing to be ashamed of,” she said with a nod. ”Sure, your back will never be sore, but you’re quite charming.”

I covered my chest, flushing darker. The swell of my breasts would never be considered generous, but it wasn’t like I was flat anymore. Just...kind of. And it wasn’t like R’lissea’s bust was much bigger than mine, so why not tease her, too?

”I think you’re lovely,” R’lissea said, dropping a robe over my shoulder. It was soft and silky, with a peculiar texture that made it waterproof. ”Luke was an idiot to–ah, never mind. Shall we go?”

Elaine set her spatial ring and the ring formed by her clothing on a shelf. She snapped her fingers and chanted a fourth-circle spell, enchanting it with protection. Both she and R’lissea grabbed a robe. I slipped my spatial ring off, clutching it in my hand, and looked uncertainly around the room.

”Don’t worry, it’s safe,” Elaine said. ”An extremely powerful family owns the Blacksand Springs. Not even the emperor would risk offending them without good reason.”

I nodded and, tail twitching, set it in the corner of a shelf, hidden from all but one perspective. Then, drawing my robe tight about my shoulders, I tied the sash and followed the two out the door. Elaine took us to a corridor that led, not to the central courtyard as I expected, but toward the other side of the building. The doors in the hallway were spaced farther apart here, with one every thirty feet or so. Heavy enchantments covered the doors, and there were no handles. Runes were carved in the center of each, like ’Blossom,’ ’Volcanic,’ and ’Seafoam.’ It was clear these weren’t changing rooms anymore.

After almost a minute of walking, we stopped in front of a door labeled with the same runes as the card Bella gave Elaine. The warrior drew it out and pressed it against the rune, and the door cracked open on its own accord. She pushed it open all the way.

The room beyond was a fifty-foot square open to the sky, with fifteen-foot wooden walls shielding it from the rest of the complex. Trees, flowers, and herbs grew along the banks of a thick, gently flowing river covered in steam. The water came from under the wall, curved in a wide oxbow, before disappearing under that same wall near the door. The floor was covered in soft grass, and the river was paved with smooth stones, with no sign of dust, dirt, or mud. The air was heavy and moist, smelling sweet like flowers.

R’lissea’s eyes lit up as she looked around. ”It’s beautiful! I’ve never had a private spring before.”

Elaine entered. ”Yes, I rather like this one. They’re normally a pretty penny, but you can’t rent one without connections.”

”I almost feel bad for that noble displaced for us,” R’lissea said.

Elaine chuckled. ”Don’t bother. She was likely moved to one of the other private springs. Every door we passed after leaving the changing rooms is one such.”

”So many?” I gasped.

She grinned. ”Every spring has its own theme, too. The enchantments provide perfect privacy, making it a popular place to hold meetings of all kinds. I can’t tell you the number of war councils I’ve had drifting in the water, trying not to fall asleep.”

The door shut behind me as I entered, making me jump. R’lissea and Elaine quickly disrobed, hanging their robes on pegs by the door. Their faces relaxed as they eased into the water, billows of steam rising to conceal their forms.

”Ahhh, perfect,” R’lissea sighed.

I hung my robe and stepped somewhat gingerly into the water. The slow-moving current pulled at my foot, warm yet not too hot. The stone was smooth beneath my foot, no grit or pebbles pressing into my skin. Before I knew it, I’d taken another step, and then another. R’lissea and Elise sat on a stone bench at the zenith of the oxbow, eyes closed and head resting against a mossy rock. I sat beside them, gasping as the warm water flowed over my chest, drawing it tight.

There was something...relaxing about sitting there, soaking in the heat. My muscles tensed at first, but as the gentle current eroded the sweat and grime from my skin, they loosened. Tugged by the moving waters, my hair floated downstream, growing heavy as moisture gradually climbed the strands to my scalp. My eyes grew heavy, and soon, my breathing slowed, matching the rhythm of the ripples lapping around my shoulders.

It was...heavenly. All my anxiety, every apprehensive thought, melted away. For the first time in months, I breathed easy, unafraid of anything.

I wasn’t sure how long we sat there, silently bathing in the heat, but the sound of splashing caused my eyes to open. R’lissea had left the river’s edge and was wading into its depths. The water was crystal clear, showing a sharp drop in the middle. It wasn’t long before she couldn’t touch any longer and shifted onto her back, drifting lazily in the water. She wore a contented smile, occasionally moving her arms and legs to keep up with the slow current.

”Why is it so deep?” I asked.

Elaine, sitting beside me, shrugged. ”It’s nice to move a bit after sitting for a while, and many enjoy sitting as opposed to walking around the garden.”

”There’s something about floating completely free of anything,” R’lissea added, eyes closed. ”No attachment, no worries. You should try it.”

”I...can’t swim,” I admitted quietly.

Her eyes blinked open. ”What? How is that even...you really can’t?”

I shook my head, the warmth in my face having nothing to do with the steam rising around me.

Elaine laughed. ”I’ve never heard of an eighth-level being unable to swim.”

”I, um, never learned. I grew up in a city, and after I was summoned here...there wasn’t a chance. Or someone to teach me.”

”What about Korra?” R’lissea asked. ”You’re telling me the Water Hero herself didn’t teach you?”

I shook my head. ”It never came up. And I don’t think I want to. It’s scary.”

”Have you ever seen the ocean?” she asked.

”I...want to. I think.”

”The elves’ land borders the sea,” Elaine said. ”It’s far from their capital, but take the opportunity if you can.”

R’lissea righted herself in the water, coming closer until she could stand again. ”You know we’re going there?”

”I guessed as much. You’re far too involved in this world to remain in one place for long, and the elves seemed the only option. That’s where the demons are headed, after all.”

”We only just decided,” R’lissea said.

She smiled gently. ”I’m not upset, though I’d have loved for you to remain in Blacksand longer. It’s rare to get such interesting visitors.”

I closed my eyes again, letting the two’s conversation drift past me. The last thing I wanted was to think about, well, anything right now. The water was so warm and comforting, like a blanket. It made Luke, Fate, and the descent feel like nothing more than a dream. A nightmare, even.