The Forsaken Hero

A tingle ran through my soul, and I opened my eyes to find an unfamiliar scene. I was initially disoriented, blinking as I struggled to remember what had happened to the hot spring. I’d been having the most lovely time, and was already feeling cold without the water’s embrace.

It was a...vision? Yes, that was it. I must have drifted off, lulled to sleep by the ripples of warmth and the gentle current. By the feel of things, whatever I witnessed happened in the present, even as we bathed in the hot spring.

It was a forest with massive, towering trees and a canopy blocking the sky hundreds of feet overhead. Many of the trunks had to be over fifty feet wide. I wasn’t alone, either, yet in what seemed to be a city. Homes and buildings rose around me, many grown into the sides of the trees themselves. Elves and a few beastkin made up most of the folk around, talking and laughing in singsong voices. Most were only second or third level, but I noticed a small patrol of fourth-level guards traveling between the trees and a hundred feet away. A few stalls selling fruit, grains, and other wares made it seem that I was in a marketplace of sorts.

A few seconds after I settled into the scene, a deafening cry caused the trees to shake. A panicked silence fell over the market as everyone looked around, instinctively drawing close to their friends and neighbors. The guards’ hands rested on their weapons.

Another shriek tore through the air, and the trees started whipping around like in a hurricane. The winds struck the ground a moment later, scattering the contents of nearby stalls. A child was knocked off their feet, tumbling across the ground until they ran into an adult’s legs. I shielded my eyes out of habit, peering through the writhing canopy. Beyond, the sky was blue. Not the normal, atmospheric blue, but icy blue and glittering like crystal. Sunlight refracted through, scattering rainbow light across the dappled shadows of the shifting branches.

An overwhelming aura descended on the market, and the elves started to scream. My eyes widened incredulously as I recognized the infernal soul overhead.

”Borealis?” I gasped. ”What are you–”

The trees parted as a massive, gleaming bird of ice forced its way through the canopy. Borealis’s wings sent gales into the buildings, tearing shingles from the roofs and making the walls groan. A cart of produce was upended, scattering cabbages and lettuce everywhere.

A heartbeat before a claw the size of said wagon crushed a small blacksmith’s shop, Borealis erupted in golden light. The light shrank until it was a pinpoint compared to his bulk before. Two figures tumbled from the light, landing unsteadily on the ground. Borealis, in his eagle-sized form, emerged, landing on one of the figure’s shoulders. My heart leaped as I made out Korra’s face.

”Damn, the hell were you thinking?” Gayron muttered, picking himself up and standing.

Korra laughed, sitting on the ground, leaning back on her arms. ”That was fun.”

Borealis preened as she got to her feet, scratching his head.

”First a dragon, now a demon,” Gayron said. ”Where the hell did it come from?”

She shrugged. ”Who knows? I’m just glad it showed up when it did, even if it dropped a mountain on us.”

Gayron rolled his eyes. ”And now it’s tiny.”

”Yeah.” Korra frowned, giving the bird an inquisitive look as she continued to pet its head. ”That golden light was pretty familiar. Had a few too many stars in it to be a coincidence.”

”You think Xiviyah sent it?” he asked.

”Could be. Though if she’s in a place to send a seventh-level demon to help us, she’s a hell of a lot better off than we thought.”

”Not for much longer. The Descent is starting soon, and if Luke hasn’t wizened up, there’s going to be trouble,” Gayron said.

Korra pursed her lips. ”I’m...worried. If everything you told me before was true, Xiviyah will get hurt. She won’t understand. I need to be there for her.”

”That’s not possible,” Gayron said. ”The Descent is in a few days, and we’re half a kingdom away.”

”What about this guy? He could take us,” Korra said, looking at Borealis.

Borealis cocked his head and Gayron chuckled.

”Good luck convincing it. It bears an unfamiliar mark.”

”It’s friendly enough,” she said. ”See? It’s letting me pet it.”

He rolled his eyes. ”Don’t be an idiot. That demon’s taking off your fingers whenever it feels like. You don’t pet demons. Everyone knows that.”

She stuck out her tongue, and he sighed, rubbing his horn.

”Regardless, what are we going to tell them?” Gayron asked, nodding at the squad of guards, who had finally gathered the courage to approach.

Korra grinned. ”Let me handle it. Time to work a little hero magic.”

The vision faded away, accompanied by the sensation of someone shaking me. I blinked my eyes open, smothering a yawn. R’lissea stood over me, eyes filled with concern. She breathed a long sigh, sitting beside me.

”Don’t do that,” she said. ”Why wouldn’t you wake up?”

”I was...it’s nothing.”

Elaine raised an eyebrow. ”Then why do you look so pleased?”

I touched my lips, finding them curved in a slight smile. My tail flicked beneath the water, causing little streams of bubbles to rise to the surface.

”I just...um...”

I flushed, hugging R’lissea and hiding my face against her shoulder. Her skin was soft but rubbery from the prolonged exposure to the hot water. She sighed and hugged me back, idly tracing circles on my back. Her touch sent tingles racing down my spine and tail, causing the appendage to curl.

”I think we’ve been here long enough,” Elaine said.

”No!” I squeaked, hugging R’lissea tighter. ”I...like it here. Please.”

”Alright, just don’t fall asleep again. I wouldn’t be concerned for anyone with a second-level body, but for someone like you...it can be dangerous to be exposed to this heat for too long,” Elaine said.

I nodded and let R’lissea pull away. She returned to floating in the water, smiling dreamily as she slowly spun in the current. I stared at the riverbank, watching the flowers wave in the gentle breeze, and thought about the vision I’d just had. Korra and Borealis were okay and had successfully reached the Elves’ kingdom. The vision seemed like it had happened right after they’d fought the undead dragon, but I saw no sign of the Last Light Company. I couldn’t imagine they’d abandon them, so were they in Sylvarus, too? And what about Grace, the Storm Hero?

I leaned back against the mossy rock, staring up at the sky. The walls restricted my vision to a small square above us, but the eastern part was tainted red. Had we really been here that long? It didn’t feel like hours had passed. My vision hadn’t been that long, had it?

”Alright,” Elaine said, standing. ”That’s long enough.”

She offered me a hand, which I reluctantly took. The breeze was cold against my skin as water streamed down my body. R’lissea splashed after us, showering the flowers in water droplets as she smoothed the water from her hair.

I soulcast a spell, pulling the moisture from my skin and hair, and tugged the robe over my shoulders again. Elaine tapped the wooden card to the door, and we left the garden spring behind. I looked behind us, staring longingly at the spring until the door clicked shut, cutting off my view.

”I didn’t think you’d love it so much,” R’lissea said.

I blushed, hugging my arms under my breasts. ”It was...nice. I wonder if Rivlitt could make one.”

She giggled. ”I hope so.”

After a short walk, we arrived at our changing room, passing only a few others in the hallway. Inside, I was surprised to find someone waiting, a girl with green eyes and short brown hair. She wore a slitted dress as was fashionable, and carried a series of garments folded over her forearm.

”Lady Elaine, I hope your bath was pleasant,” she greeted, giving an awkward curtsey while holding the dresses.

”Thank you, Anastia. You’ve brought them?” Elaine asked.

Anastia raised the dresses. ”Three of them, as you requested. Is this who they’re for?”

I flushed, edging behind R’lissea as the woman eyed me. She couldn’t have been older than twenty, yet her eyes seemed to see right through my robe, examining me intently. She seemed especially interested in my tail, which started twitching anxiously.

”Fascinating. No wonder you specified those modifications,” she murmured.

R’lissea pulled away from me, taking her spatial ring and pulling out her dress. Elaine similarly began changing, but when I moved to take mine, Anastia blocked my path.

”W-who are you? How did you get in here?” I stammered.

”Settle down, Xiviyah,” Elaine said, patting the woman’s shoulder. ”This is Anastia, one of the finest tailors in the empire. I noticed you seemed interested in the local fashion, so I asked her to prepare a few dresses for you. Why don’t you try one on?”