The Forsaken Hero

Elise and I were silent, the weight of her question hanging over us. Just what, exactly, could we do if the shard was covered by a ward like the one that had hung over Blacksand? I’d nearly failed to find the source in a single castle, much less an entire continent.

”Hey, you two awake?” Korra’s cheerful voice broke us from our solemn reverie. She jogged over, R’lissea behind her. Upon seeing the tension in my tail, the elf gave me a worried look. Korra, on the other hand, didn’t seem to notice.

”You’re hair’s a mess,” Korra said, looking between me and Elise. ”We’re going to have to take care of that quickly. Brackencliff’s barely an hour ahead.”

I sat up straighter, self-consciously running my hand through my hair. A sharp pain tugged at my scalp as my fingers caught on a snarl, and then another.

”Relax, we fought an entire battle yesterday, remember? Forge the tangles, you just be glad we don’t have blood everywhere,” Elise said.

Korra laughed, walking alongside Fable. ”I suppose that’s true, but that’s no excuse. The elves are cold, traditional people. They won’t look kindly on disheveled appearances.”

I glanced at R’lissea, but she nodded. Her forehead was still creased with worry, and she pursed her lips, looking to gather her courage.

”It’s fine.” I forestalled her question. ”I just didn’t find anything last night, in my visions. We’re still going into this blind.”

Her frown faded. ”Oh, good. I was worried your soul hurt or something. I haven’t had a chance to look you over after that battle.”

”Yeah, tell me about that, actually. How bad is it?” Korra asked. Before I could answer, she continued, saying, ”R’lissea filled me in on everything that’s happened since we got separated. What the hell were you thinking, going into that city alone with the apostles? And Haven? What kind of place is that? Is it safe?”

My eyes grew wide, my tail going stiff with shock. ”You...don’t know?” I breathed in disbelief. ”But Haven is...I mean...that was after we got separated?”

”’Fraid so. I can’t believe you unlocked a secret realm without me,” she said with a teasing grin.

”Then you don’t know about Fate...?”

”Nah, R’lissea filled me in. Totally jealous. Wish I had a goddess hiding in my pocket. I bet she’s told you all kinds of useful tips and tricks. No wonder you broke into the eighth level.”

”But that was...you know what, it’s fine. I’ll take you there once we reach Brackencliff,” I said.

”You’d better. R’lissea said they even have ghosts you can fight.”

I shook my head, letting out a short sigh. There it was, the real reason she was interested in Haven. And judging by the look on Gayron’s face, he was just as curious. It wasn’t as if that was a bad thing; we needed all the strength we could get. But why couldn’t anyone seem to appreciate the peace and quiet of the realm, of the gentle winds and the twinkling stars?

”Hey, um, Korra?”

”Yeah?”

”There’s something more I have to tell you. But it’s, um, sensitive,” I said with a meaningful look at Gayron.

She frowned. ”Is this about the deadline? You still haven’t told me why you care so much about shaving the shards.”

”Yeah, but...” I bit my lip, tail rustling. ”It’s...dangerous information.”

”Scared I’ll share your secrets with Luke?” Gayron asked with a smirk.

”No, it’s not like that. I just...” I looked helpless at Korra.

Her expression softened. ”It’s okay, Xiviyah. Gayron’s on our side.”

Your side, I added silently. But the message was clear, and as uneasy as I felt, I gathered my courage and started to share the things Fate had shown me beneath the Cathedral of Fate. R’lissea had shared the what, and now I had the chance to explain the why.

But knowing that didn’t make it any easier. I constantly eyed Gayron, tail flicking anxiously. It wasn’t that I thought he’d betray us, or that I’d ever had a vision showing anything suspicious, but something just didn’t sit well with me. Why did Korra see in him? Why trust him so much?

”So how about Luke?” Gayron asked suddenly.

I froze. ”L-Luke? He’s...gone south.”

”Yeah, yeah, you explained that. But I’m surprised he let you go. I can’t remember the last time he let power slip through his fingers.” His eyes narrowed. ”Unless he knows it’ll come back to him.”

”We’re allies,” I said, gripping Borealis tightly.

”Is that all?” Korra asked.

”Y-yeah. And, um, friends?” I said in a small voice.

”Friends.” Gayron snorted. ”That’ll be the day. I don’t even think he considers Evla a friend, and they were enslaved together.”

”I wouldn’t judge him too quickly,” Elise said, patting my shoulder. ”They’ve gotten a lot closer than they think. Even ’friends,’ might be stretching it.”

”Oh?” Korra pursed her lips, a dangerous look in her eye. ”He’d better not get too close. ”I won’t let someone like him hurt you again, Xiviyah.”

”He’s not like that. He’s not Soltair. He’s kind to me. And warm,” I said, then clapped my hand over my mouth, blushing red.

Korra groaned, rubbing her head. ”Damn that bastard. How could he take advantage of my absence like this? We’re going to have some sharp words.”

I sank back against Elise, clutching Borealis to my chest. He squirmed, getting his head out from between my breasts, and cawed faintly.

”What is it?” I asked, still flushed.

”Brackencliff. We’re so close!” R’lissea said

The old elvish road crested a ridge, breaking above the canopy. It fell away beneath us, descending on dozens of winding switchbacks into a steep valley nestled between two rocky peaks. Hidden in the verdant forest beneath was a city, slender spires rising amidst the massive trunks of the ancient trees. A river tumbled down the mountain opposed us in a churning white swath of foam and spray, running beneath the city walls. For their part, the walls were fluid and graceful, enveloping the trees in the way of their construction, using them as natural fortifications.

”It’s beautiful,” I said softly.

”Those must be the refugees,” R’lissea said, pointing.

Spread around the base of the walls was a sea of tents. We were too far to make out any details, but there had to be thousands of them, covering the ground between the gnarled trunks like a carpet of grass. The region where the mountains sloped into the valley was a series of towering cliffs. Long, leafy ferns sprouted from rocks and crevices, undoubtedly the namesake of the city below.

Korra frowned. ”There weren’t half as many as when we left here, but a few days ago.”

”That’s a good thing,” R’lissea said. ”It means there are a lot of survivors.”

”The only question is from where,” Korra muttered.

As Korra had predicted, it took us the better part of an hour to descend from the ridge. As we reached the bottom of the valley, the road turned, running parallel to the river. The waters were far larger than they had seemed from above, easily a quarter mile across at the widest point. The water shone with the afternoon sun, crystal clear, allowing us to see into its depths.

As we came within a mile of the outer edge of the tent city, Avrass appeared from the forest, seeming to melt out of the tree branches. He rushed to Bethiv, speaking in a low voice. I strained my ears, but was unable to make out anything beyond the apprehension in his tone.

Bethiv raised his fist, bringing the Last Light Company to a halt. The demons slowed as well, an uneasy ripple traveling through the horde. I could feel their anticipation, their hunger, at being so close to a city, but not one scion stepped out of line.

”What is it?” Korra called.

Bethiv answered. ”Our coming wasn’t unnoticed, and apparently, the elves aren’t too enthusiastic to welcome a horde so close. Lord Greenpine has demanded that we leave the Brackencliff Valley.”

”Or what?” Korra asked.

Bethiv offered a wry smile. ”Not much, I suspect. Maybe he’ll give us a sharply worded letter.”

”No, it’s fine. It’s not like I was planning to take forty thousand demons into a mortal city. That would be asking for trouble,” I said.

Borealis squawked indignantly. I giggled, smoothing his crest of shimmering feathers.

”Not you, but others. They’re like animals.”

He preened smugly, giving a pack of nearby scions a look of superiority.”

Bethiv waved Joel and Jackal forward. ”Captains, take the Company to Westwatch Peak. Bring the demons, if they’ll go with you. That should get those damned nobles out of our hair.”

I looked at Korra, who pointed to one of the many peaks rising above the city. It was wide and had a gentler slope than the others, the trees breaking into swathes of meadows, perfect for pitching tents.

I had Fyren instruct Incinderus to cooperate with the two captains. After the order was given, my friends, Bethiv, and I proceeded alone along the dirt and gravel road. It was strangely quiet after the bustle of the army, but I found myself relaxing, breathing in the fresh air, unbothered by the constant stir of souls and the unwashed filth of the demons.

Avrass led to the edge of the refugee camp, where a party of mounted, armored elves awaited. Their leader looked us up and down, eyes tightening at the sight of my mine and Gayron’s demonkin features.

”Welcome to Brackencliff,” he said in a stiff voice. ”Please, follow me. Lord Greenpine has requested an audience.”