The Forsaken Hero

Prince Benjamin began sharing what the experience had been like, speaking animatedly and gesturing with his hands. I leaned back in my chair, resting my head against the headrest. My soul felt tired yet...satisfied. My mana was calm, and my mind was clear.

”The strangest thing was that it was raining,” the prince said, looking around the table, ”It’s only rained twice in the eighteen years I’ve been alive.”

”What do you think it means?” Belisa asked.

He shook his head. ”I don’t know. Things seemed rather dour throughout the rest of the vision. I learned of a whole host of potential problems we might face. Maybe it’s a symbol of more sorrow to come.”

”Like a metaphor?” Elise asked. She gave me a side-long look.

”Maybe it means we’ll have prosperity! Rains always bring a bountiful harvest,” Belisa said.

”Or, maybe it means it’s going to rain,” I muttered, rubbing my horn tiredly.

Benjamin chuckled, only to sober up as he realized I wasn’t joking. He cleared his throat.

”Er, this is the Caldera, Oracle. It never rains here, but in the vision, every cave and chasm was filled with water, flooding some of the lower passages. What else could it be but tidings of things to come?”

I flinched, quickly lowering my eyes. ”F-forgive me, your majesty. I meant no disrespect.”

Elaine pursed her lips, looking at me intently. ”How far off is this vision?”

Benjamin shrugged. ”Ten years, maybe twenty? It was weird, watching myself as an adult. Hard to say.”

”Do you remember Cortza City?” Elaine asked, turning to look at him.

”Sure, it’s the southern port city. Most of our exports come from there,” he replied. ”Speaking of rain, they get a ton of it. They even have small canals dug into the sides of their streets to drain excess water.”

”They’re called gutters, Benjamin. And I strongly recommend you develop a plan to apply them to the Spire’s infrastructure.”

”But Elaine–”

”Hmm, yes, that’s a fine idea,” Elaine mused, rubbing her chin. ”Installing drains into the chasms and scars without proper draining would also be wise.”

The prince stared at her indignantly. Elaine shot me a small smile.

”I’m not sure I understand,” Benjamin said. ”It never rains. Why would we–”

”If only you applied that thought instead of just saying it,” Elaine said, her tone turning sharp. ”You don’t understand. You don’t understand anything.”

Benjamin flinched, hands balling into fists. But before he could protest, Elaine released a wisp of her aura, making everyone but me and R’lissea freeze.

”Did you ask to see a vision of the past?” Elaine’s lip curled with disdain.

Benjamin shook his head, white-faced and trembling. Belisa looked no better, gripping her skirt tightly with both hands.

”Then why are you talking about it? What bearing has the past on the future?”

”Understanding the past is important. It’s the only way we have of staying true to ourselves and our heritage,” Benjamin stammered.

”And what good was our history when the inquisitors broke the seal on the dragons? What traditions taught us how to overcome their healing fire?” Elaine shook her head, voice lowering to a more conversational tone. ”Benjamin, it may only be a few years until you inherit the crown, but it takes more than time to become the emperor. As one of your mentors, it brings me great shame to admit it, but you are far from ready.”

Benjamin lowered his head, staring at the table for the longest time. Elaine’s voice softened even more.

”Do you understand why your father surrendered?”

It was Belisa who answered, saying, ”He didn’t want more people to die. But we could have won. Then the church wouldn’t have–”

Elaine clicked her tongue, silencing the princess.

”It was a hard decision, but it was the right one. An emperor must be wise in all things, including knowing when to put their pride aside. For their pride is not their own, but the empire’s. And what is our empire’s pride?”

”Traditions,” Benjamin said softly.

Elaine nodded. ”We cling to the old ways, sheltering in their familiar walls. They establish law and consistency. We can enforce and them because of our power, establishing reliable trade across our lands. But what happens when our power isn’t enough to preserve that order? What happens when change comes regardless of our will?”

”We fall,” Benjamin whispered. ”I...I think I understand. You’re not reprimanding me, but our entire empire. You’re saying we need to change, that we can’t rely on the way things always have been.”

”But what can we even do? Even if we try, didn’t the vision already show that there weren’t any gutters, and the nobles continued to get in the way?” Belisa asked.

”You misunderstand the premise of the vision,” Elaine said. ”It’s not an inevitability. That’s what the Oracle was trying to tell me before. She saw thousands of different fates, yet none came true.”

”It was a warning,” I whispered, still not meeting any of their gazes. ”

”Just because it hasn’t rained, doesn’t mean it won’t,” Benjamin murmured. ”I see.”

I nodded. ”You possess the power to change this empire. Before, it wouldn’t have been possible, yet now...? You’re only limited by your own folly. Don’t hesitate or else...else...”

I looked at R’lissea, who smiled and took my hand under the table.

”You’ll miss it,” I whispered. ”And change can be a beautiful thing. The future doesn’t have to be darker than the present.

A long silence descended on the table. I held R’lissea’s hand, grateful for her warmth as I pondered my own words and those of the prince. Just because it hadn’t rained didn’t mean it couldn’t. Was that true? Just because...just because someone I cared about hurt me, did that mean everyone else would?

Luke.... Why had he left me? Did he really hate me, or was there another reason? Was it okay to...to hope?

”What are you going to do?” Elaine asked Benjamin.

Benjamin stood, hands gripping the edge of the table. ”The statue, Oracle. Why was it shown to us?”

I shrugged. ”Who can say? Perhaps the empire needed something to rally around. A symbol of a new beginning.”

”A new beginning?” Benjamin smiled. There was nothing humorous about his smile. ”Such terms have no weight in politics. But I’m aware of a few that do. Come, Belisa. We have much to do.”

He saluted Elaine, and then, surprisingly, me.

”What are we doing first?” Belisa asked.

He grinned at Elaine. ”Drafting a drainage plan. Then, coming up with a few strategies to quell any disruptive nobles. I won’t let them get in my way of remaking this empire into something that will last another thousand years.”

With a final smile for Elise, the prince, his sister, and their retinue left the gazebo. R’lissea squeezed my hand and let it go, releasing a pent-up breath.

Elise watched after them with a long look, her hands resting in her skirt. There was a glow in her eyes I hadn’t seen for ages, not since Western University. A small smile touched her lips.

”I apologize, Oracle, for miring you in our politics. But this wasn’t an opportunity to pass up,” Elaine said. ”The prince begged me to set up an encounter where he could ask you for a vision. I just didn’t expect him to be so thick-headed about it. When he dismissed your wisdom, I had to step in. I’ve tried to show them the weaknesses of our Empire’s foundations many times. I just hope this time was effective.”

”He’s going to be a great man,” I said softly, not really listening to her.

Throughout the vision and conversation, the starlight had explored every person in the Imperial retinue, whispering thoughts and impressions of who they were, are, and will become. Many things had become clear.

”Elaine, please watch Benjamin very carefully. He’s young, but there is a power sleeping in his soul. An inheritance, I think, that resembles the power of the lava dragons.”

Elaine stiffened. ”How did you know about–” she sighed, rubbing her forehead. ”No, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. You even knew about my trump card, after all. But thank you for the warning. The Inheritance hadn’t manifested in the last four generations, so I was starting to think it had left the bloodline. I shall watch him closely.”

We sat a little longer, more just to avoid leaving than because we were still eating. In the back of our minds, we knew it was the last night we would spend here, and none of us was eager to let it end. I was still loose and relaxed from the hot spring, and though I was sleepy, my mind was far too excited to complain.

As we finally left the restaurant, Elise hummed, hands clasped behind her back.

”You’re in a good mood,” R’lissea said.

She stuttered a step, almost tripping. ”W-what? I, uh, guess so. It was a nice evening. Got everything done that needed done.”

”You seem close to Benjamin. Have you spoken much?”

She flushed. ”We, uh, spoke a little during the negotiations. Even if he’s a little dense, he’s very kind. Most of the time. I don’t know why he was so dismissive of you, Xiviyah. I’m sorry.”

I barely heard her and only looked up as she called my name again. My tail twitched in embarrassment.

”S-sorry, what?”

R’lissea smiled, nudging Elise with her elbow. ”You’re not the only one in a good mood.”

Elise nodded. ”You seem a little distracted.”

My face reddened, but I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. ”It’s just that, um, for the first time, I saw a vision of something that happened after the war.”

”Really?” Elise asked. ”What was it like? All ash and destruction?”

”Was this the vision you gave the prince?” R’lissea asked.

I nodded, gazing wistfully at the peak of the spire above us. ”It was...beautiful. A world of regular problems for regular people. A world with hope. A world worth fighting for.”