The Forsaken Hero

Lady Newspring smiled up at him, eyes shining. ”Lord Sunsinger, your presence is a welcome surprise. You’re the last person I expected to see at the Wildblossom Market. Could it be for an, um, special occasion?”

Her eyes strayed to me, and Aerion shook his head, chuckling.

”I’m afraid our relationship isn’t of that nature. But tell me, what’s the elegant Lady Newspring doing in so lowly an establishment? You’re not still trying to ’live the commoner dream,’ are you?”

The woman blushed, running a hand through her long, auburn hair. ”O-Of course not! I’m perfectly happy with being a noble, you know.”

He grinned. ”Then what?”

”My cousin works here, if you must know,” she said, mustering her composure. ”It’s something of a hobby, caring for flowers and mingling with the everyday people. We nobles are sworn to serve them, you know.”

”Is that right? I seem to remember your house being rather vocal about ruling them instead.”

She rolled her eyes. ”That ideology has seeped through the Ellenwinter line for too long. Most of us younger folk are ready for a change, but we hardly matter in the scope of the house. But you already know how I feel about that. What about you? Are you going to introduce your companions?”

”Ah, yes, of course. This is Xiviyah, the Oracle of Eternity. She came with Lady Last Light, the dignitary of the Infernal Horde.”

”You mean...her?”

I shrank back at the disbelieving stare.

”I mean no offense, Oracle,” she added, ”but you’re hardly the demonic figure I’ve heard about. Are you trying to tell me you’re the one who destroyed cities and toppled kingdoms? When I heard what you did to Western University and Brithlite, let’s just say...”

She shrugged helplessly.

”Xiviyah’s more of a victim of circumstance,” Aerion said.

”Do you really believe we should surrender to the demons?” she asked, returning her gaze to Aerion.

He nodded. ”As far as I’m aware, there’s no other chance for our people. And, more importantly, my sister believes so too.”

”Hmmm, you are a rather questionable judge of situation. But if Lady Sunsinger says, it must be so.” She let out a long sigh, her face drooping. ”I can’t imagine the hearing before the Tribunal went well. ”

Aerion’s smile drooped. ”No. No, it didn’t. But there’s still hope. We’re not giving up yet.”

”We? You’re a part of this?”

He shrugged. ”I do what I can.”

She gasped. ”You mean you’re still...you haven’t given up?”

”I could never abandon our people. And you? I see you still wear the ribbon,” he replied, nodding at her hair. She wore it gathered in a ponytail, tied with a crimson ribbon.

She touched her hair, letting the ribbon drag through her fingers as she lowered her hand. ”It’s just a habit now, a memory of the ambitions of youth. Most of us feel that way, I think.”

”It’s not a dream, Allana, not anymore. Not with her here.” He gave me a meaningful look. ”This is our chance to do something, to mean something. Don’t let it pass you by.”

”I’ll think about it. That much I can promise,” she said.

”I won’t ask for more. Just...be ready. The stars fade and the sky lightens. The dawn will come.”

She nodded, a faraway look in her eye. I stared between the two, a little uncomfortable. Was it really all right for me to overhear all of that?

Lady Newspring shook her head, regaining her composure. ”Forgive me, Oracle, we must seem strange to you. I promise I’m not actually strange, though.”

She curled her hand against her chest, looking genuinely worried. I gave her a reassuring smile.

”Don’t worry, I’m used to strange people. All of my friends love fighting. They’d spar all day if they could. Can you believe it?”

She gasped, covering her mouth. ”How barbaric!”

”I know, isn’t it?”

She broke into a giggle. ”You’re really not that scary, are you. And I don’t think you came here because of Lord Sunsinger, right? So what is it that an envoy of the demons could want with a flower shop?”

”Oh, right!” I brightened again, remembering we’d come here with an actual purpose. ”I heard there was a kind of flower called Nivaleas. Do you know where I can find one?”

”Hmm, we just got a shipment yesterday. Hey, Hannah,” she said, turning to one of the other receptionists, ”Do you know if the Nivaleas have been woven yet?”

The girl tapped her lip. ”Uh, maybe? I just know we’re not supposed to sell any before tomorrow. They’ll all be done by then.”

”I’ll be right back,” Lady Newspring said, slipping through the door behind the counter.

A few minutes later, she returned, carefully holding a bouquet of three flowers. They had long, delicate stems with a few leaves poking out, and silky white petals so delicate and pure they looked like falling snow.

”Here, I found you a few. Don’t go spreading it around to though. These normally cost a fortune,” she said, handing them to me.

I took them reverently, before her words registered. I looked up sharply, clutching the stems tightly.

”A fortune? How much is that? I don’t have much...”

She laughed, waving her hand, much to the consternation of the other receptionists.

”Consider it a gift. Besides, after meeting, I think these flowers suit you well. Nivaleas represent virtue and innocence, and are said to bring good fortune to those with pure intentions.”

I gripped the flower tightly, giving her a low curtsey. ”Thank you. I won’t forget it.”

”I hope you’ll remember that when the demons come. I’m from House Newspring, just in case you forgot,” she said with a wink.

Thanking her once more, we left the flower shop behind. As we recounted our steps to the carriage, Jenna leaned in close.

”So what did you want those flowers so badly for anyway?”

”I don’t know,” I said, shrugging.

She came to a full stop. ”What? Why not? You’ve never asked for anything

before, especially if it inconveniences someone else! So why now?””Maybe that’s why,” I murmured. ”I’ve never gone shopping for anything before. Always, it’s people taking me, like this morning. But this time, I wanted something. Even if it was a little selfish,” I mumbled, hugging them to my chest.

She hurriedly caught up. ”Then I’m glad we found some. They are very pretty.”

As she fell back in her place, I sped up, catching Aerion.

”Who was that Lady? She seemed nice,” I said.

He looked down, a brief smile showing. ”An old friend of mine. We crossed paths some fifty years ago in our travels. The Newsprings are one of the Ellenwinters’ main vassal families. Her grandfather is a close adviser of Lord Ellenwinter himself, and was actually present during our hearing.”

”He’s a prick, then,” Luxxa muttered behind us.

Aerion gave her a sharp look, but didn’t correct her.

”But I thought her cousin owned the flower shop? And it’s named after their family?” I asked.

”Ah, that. Her cousin’s father married into a Splitbark vassal family, gaining the rights to a few shops in the district. He kept his original house name instead of adopting the new one as a business ploy, if I had to wager. He’s got the Splitbark connections and the Ellenwinter prestige. Not a bad deal,” Aerion said.

I groaned, rubbing my horn. ”That’s too complicated. Why do you elves care so much about families and bloodlines? No, don’t explain it again. I still won’t get it.”

He chuckled wryly, shaking his head. ”I wish we didn’t. I really wish we didn’t.”

As we neared the edge of the market, Aerion suddenly stopped, tilting his head slightly.

”Would you give me a moment?” he asked, turning to me. ”I’ve got one last errand to run before returning to the estate.”

Before I could so much as nod, he darted off, weaving between the crowd. I sighed, touching my horn again. It was amazing how much more he resembled a street thief than a lord. No one should be able to disappear that easily.

As we moved to the side to wait, a figure stumbled into our party, tripping between Luxxa and Gith. They let out a cry, their cloak moving to reveal a mop of dark hair, and a young, boyish face. He couldn’t be older than I was. I instinctively moved to catch him when my soul erupted in tingles.

​I jerk back, choking on a cry, but the sudden burst of hostile aura caught me off-balance. My strangled gasp was too late. The cloak fluttered higher, revealing the glint of steel, and a blade flashed toward my neck.

There was a burst of golden sparks as the tip snagged on my wards. Terror seized my chest as the blade severed the threads, plunging toward my throat.

There was a flash of silver, and the knife froze, straining a hair’s breadth from my skin. The young assassin jerked in surprise, but as he moved to retrieve the knife, it wouldn’t budge. A silver hand grasped it around the blade, grinding sparks in the clash of steel.

”Kahlen,” I gasped, finally catching a breath of air.

The demon’s face was twisted in a hideous scowl, his eyes smoldering with infernal mana.

”The hell?” the cloaked boy croaked.

Kahlen’s grip tightened. There was a crunch, and the dagger shattered.