The Forsaken Hero

”So what kind of powers does it have?” Elise asked.

I took a second to organize my thoughts. ”It’s kind of like summoning an elemental, only the remnant is perfectly independent. I haven’t met the one I summoned in haven yet, but they seemed really, well, real, and genuine. I think they have the same personality.”

”So it’s like taking one out for a walk?” R’lissea said, giggling.

I smiled. ”Something like that. They have to stay in the influence of my aura, and I can’t hold them for more than a few minutes. Also, they use my mana instead of theirs.”

”Do they even have mana? I thought you said they didn’t even have real souls.”

I paused, thinking about it. ”Uh, you’re right. I wonder how they cast spells in Haven? I’ll have to ask.”

”That sounds really convenient. You still can’t handle many spells, right? That means you can just summon a remnant to cast them for you.”

I blinked. ”Yeah...I never thought of that either.”

”Are you sure it doesn’t strain your soul?” R’lissea asked.

”It’s just like another soul bond. Summoning them is a little burdensome, but it’s easy afterward. I can’t do it very often, though. The ability is like a small light in my soul. It’s gotten a lot brighter since I summoned her, but I think it’ll take about a week before it’s back to full strength. And I can’t summon one before that.”

The two were quiet for a minute, soaking in the information. Eventually, Elise asked another question.

”Why do you think it’s constrained to your aura?”

Incinderus, who strode alongside Fable, spoke. ”Perhaps I, as one possessing a very powerful aura, can offer some wisdom here. Auras are far greater versions of the pressure exerted by a lower-level being’s soul. They are a tangible manifestation of the attribute and influence of a soul. It’s like taking a part of an attributed realm and overlaying it into Enusia.”

”So Haven’s bleeding into Enusia?” I asked.

He hesitated, glancing at Fyren before returning his gaze to me.

”I know now this Haven, but if it is a realm like a gate, then yes. These...remnants normally reside there?”

I nodded.

”It is likely they feed on, and can only exist in, environments with powerful fate attributes. Your aura allows them to gain the substance they need to project their form into the mortal realm. Out of curiosity, how many are there?”

I rubbed my horn, thinking quickly. ”Uhh, two, three hundred maybe?”

Incinderus’s clawed foot caught on a boulder, sending him staggering a step. His right hand slammed into the ground, catching himself and forming a small crater.

”Hundreds?” he gasped. He coughed and quickly regained his composure. ”I mean, that’s quite curious. What realm could hold enough power to sustain so many remnants?”

”It’s, um...” I swallowed hard.

”That’s enough, Incinderus,” Fyren growled. ”She’ll reveal her secrets when she trusts you.”

The demon lord turned on him. ”From the way you speak, I presume you’ve seen it? She was actually naive enough to invite a demon into the realm with so much....consumable power?”

Fyren barked a bitter laugh. ”Try it if you wish, but I’d rather spend a few millennia trapped in the demon realms than risk entering there in Xiviyah’s bad graces.”

The demon grunted. ”Truly?”

”I swear it on the name of the emperor. Not only is it guarded by a sentient realm spirit, but it is home to a Firstborn.”

The word ’firstborn’ seemed to echo throughout the horde, hushing the constant snarls and growls.

”I...see,” Incinderus said quietly. He didn’t ask any questions after that.

As the day turned to night, the horde continued its march. I slept fitfully on Fable’s back, drifting through dreams and visions. I saw kingdoms consumed by black mist, demons fighting each other in battles that stretched from horizon to horizon, and a strange, glimmering dome appearing over a body of land so massive I could only assume it was one of Enusia’s two continents. I tried willing visions of Luke’s location, but all I caught were glimpses of him locked in battle with various demons, bleeding and dying over and over. It left me haunted, taking hours in the morning to shake the sorrow off and convince myself we would stop it.

Day came, and then night again, the time passing far too quickly for comfort. When I wasn’t talking with my friends or listening to the ancient demons tell of previous battles and experiences, I was studying my books. I’d read through all of them by now except for the ninth-level tome, which took a lot of time and concentration to decipher.

On the morning of the third day, I sensed an overbearing presence overhead, approaching quickly. Fable’s ears perked, and I looked up, shielding my eyes against the sun, and sighed in relief.

”He’s here,” I whispered.

The light caught on something in the sky, a sparkling, prismatic glint. A screech crossed the sky, and a dot appeared. I knew that voice.

Suddenly, the distant bird tucked its wings and dove toward me. I shrieked in surprise and joy, ducking my head and covering my horns as Borealis swooped down.

Despite my care, he somehow found a perch at the tip of one of my horns. His cool, crystalline talons sent a shiver through the sensitive appendage.

”H-hey!” I protested, snatching him with both hands.

I pulled him into my lap, shivering again as he left my horn. He cooed softly, his eyes glazing over as I started petting him.

”It’s been a while since I’ve seen him,” R’lissea said, reaching out to stroke his head. Elise giggled and touched his wing, tracing a long, glowing feather. ”Didn’t you send him to help Korra?”

I nodded, my hand freezing as it felt something around his neck. I dug through his feathers and pulled out a blue ribbon.

”Korra!” I gasped. It was one of the ones she usually wore in her aura.

”Look, there’s something on it,” R’lissea said.

A small parchment was bound to the ribbon by a piece of twine. The tie was thin and fibrous, like the stem of a leaf.

”Elvish parchment?” R’lissea murmured as I untied the scroll. ”But that means...?”

My hands shook as I untied the ribbon. The parchment was only a few inches long, soft and feathery like felt. The handwriting was small and neat like a spiderweb.

”What language is that?” Elise asked.

”Elvish,” R’lissea said. ”If it really was Korra, she must have had one of the elves write for her.”

”Why wouldn’t she just write it?” Elise asked.

R’lissea curled a lock of hair around her finger shyly. ”We can’t, uh, write very well. Our heroic blessing lets us read and speak just fine, but writing is something we’ve had to learn. I bet Korra’s a lot like me, where she can write some, but it’s not very good. She wouldn’t be able to fit everything she wanted on such a small parchment.”

I nodded, scanning the first few lines. The church had been far more concerned with teaching me how to be a good slave than making sure I was literate. I’d picked up a little, but any child could do better.

After a breath, I read aloud, ”’I don’t know who sent this demon, but you’d better be Xiviyah, or this is going to be awkward.’”

I paused, lip twitching in a small, irresistible grin. I could see in my mind’s eye Korra glaring at an elvish scribe, insisting they wrote precisely what she said, no matter how unprofessional it might seem.

I continued, ”’We finally cut the head off the snake and rooted out the last of its dens. The Circle will never trouble Enusia again, but I’m worried the church has taken the Crest technology to the southern continent.’”

”We expected as much,” Elise murmured.

”Yes, but they’ve lost their biggest ally in this,” R’lissea said.

”’We’ve taken care of the Last Light Company, gathering all those who wished to fight alongside us. Right now, our swords are against the mounting darkness in the southern lands. The Black Mist has spread uncontrollably, taking over the region between Sylvarus and Ornth. It’s like a zombie apocalypse. Please stay safe. With love, Korra.’”

I lowered the scroll and brushed a tear from the corner of my eye. ”She’s okay.

”That’s Korra for you,” R’lissea said.

”Um, what was that about Ornth?” Elise asked in a small voice.

I sighed, rolling the scroll back up and storing it in my spatial ring. ”I’m sorry, Elise, but Ornth is changing, being corrupted by the Black Mist. I don’t know how much of it will be left.

”How could you know that? She just said–” Elise bit her tongue. Taking a few deep breaths. ”I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to shout. It’s just...”

”I know, it’s hard. You still have family there,” I said.

She bit her lip, staring at her lap. Her hands curled into her skirt. Her lips moved, whispering something so low I almost missed it.

”They...didn’t want me, but I still... ”

She broke off in a sob. R’lissea hugged her, stroking her hair. We rode in silence after that, my joy subdued by the cloud that hung over my companion.

But even that dreary peace broke when Fyren ran up to us, a deep frown carved across his face. He barely spared Borealis a look before saying, ”We sighted that town you were talking about, but there’s a problem.”

”What is it?” I asked.

”Black Mist.”