The Forsaken Hero

I awoke the next morning in a cold sweat. Visions of the night clung to me closer than the silken sheets, glimpses of searing light, burning forests, and clear, visceral pain. Tremors ran through me as I hugged the covers to my chest, my tail curling restlessly.

The door eased open, and Luxxa peeked through. Seeing my disheveled look and haunted eyes, she stepped in.

”Nightmares?” she asked, coming to my bed.

I shook my head, blinking back the tears gathered on my eyelashes. ”J-just a vision.”

”Want to talk about it?”

Another shake of my head, and she sighed, putting her hand on my shoulder. I flinched at the touch.

”It was...scary...” I whispered, gripping the sheets tighter. ”The manor was burning, Selena was dead...and everywhere there were white cloaks. White stained crimson.”

”An attack?”

She was immediately on alert, taking me by the shoulders and looking me in the eyes. The sheets fell away, but I didn’t even notice, biting my lip to hold back a sob. I couldn’t meet her gaze.

”Xiviyah, did you see the Sunsinger Estate getting attacked?”

”I...I don’t know. It was so dark, and so fast...”

A sharp knock at the balcony door caused me to squeak, grabbing the sheets again to cover the nightdress. Luxxa’s sword was in her hand before I realized she’d let go of me. Jenna was also in the room, though how long she’d been there was a mystery.

”Relax,” Fyren said, stepping in from the balcony.

Hadn’t that door been locked?

”What are you doing here?” Luxxa asked, lowering her blade, yet not sheathing it. ”It’s unbecoming of a man to barge into a woman’s bedroom.”

Fyren brushed by her, kneeling on one knee at my side. ”What is it? I haven’t felt you this distressed since...hmm, it’s been a while. Did something happen in your vision?”

I swallowed hard, but couldn’t dislodge the lump in my throat. ”The vision...it was too real. It was like I was there. I felt the light...” I shivered, my chest my fingers cold through my thin nightdress. ”...the blade.”

”And your visions aren’t normally that vivid?”

His voice was warm and soothing, like the flickering flames of a hearth. It washed over me, easing my breathing and calming my heart. I took a deep breath, my voice growing a little stronger.

”No, not like that. The only time was when I, um, saw Verity’s soul. But that was different. But there were inquisitors here, Fyren. At the estate. Everything else is blurry now, but I remember that much.”

”I see. If it was that different, then are you certain it wasn’t just a vivid nightmare?”

”It’s not!” I cried, tail lashing under the sheets. I bit my lip, forcing myself to calm down. ”Fyren, um, whenever I’m in mortal danger, my soul...reacts. It knows. This felt like that, just a vision instead of a feeling. Maybe it’s because the Oracle of Eternity is getting stronger, or something, but...I’m scared.”

Even to my own ears, my voice felt lost and hollow. Fyren looked at me for a long time before rising.

”Kahlen,” he said, still watching me.

The blade demon peeked through the doorway. ”Yes, my Lord?”

”Ensure your Star Guard never leaves her side. With Lord Sunsinger and the garrison’s absence, the manor is especially vulnerable. In case of an attack, I will attempt to draw any powerful individuals away to prevent collateral damage. Should I be forced to leave, you will have to hold on your own until Zephyriss arrives with reinforcements.”

”Of course, my Lord. I will tarnish and break before allowing anyone to harm her,” Kahlen replied.

”As will we,” Luxxa affirmed.

”I’d rather not tarnish, I hear it’s bad for your skin,” Jenna said, cracking a smile.

Kahlen rumbled. It took me a few seconds to realize he was laughing.

”Blade Demon speak, human. You bleed. We shatter.”

”And here I thought you were human,” she said with a flirtatious smile, siddling up to him. She circled behind, licking her lips. ”What other differences are there? I hope nothing too...fundamental.”

”Jenna,” Luxxa said sharply. ”Really? Now?”

”Curious?” Kahlen said, smiling faintly. ”I’m afraid our kinds were never meant to mix. But that’s not to say it’s impossible.”

Somehow, despite everything, the corner of my lips twitched. It was difficult to hold on to tension when the two bantered so easily. At some point, I was going to have to start wondering whether it was all really teasing, or whether Jenna had actually managed to–

I let out a squeak, covering my face as it warmed. That wasn’t something I should be thinking. Not right now! Jenna gave me a teasing grin.

Fyren let out a sigh, folding his arms. ”Selena is preparing her spell as we speak. The life hero is still in bed, recovering, so I suggest you go support her.”

”R-right,” I said, patting my cheeks, trying to get my blush to fade. ”Thanks.”

With everything so...normal, it was almost as if nothing had happened. But I couldn’t forget the vision, keeping it active in the back of my mind as I bathed, dressed, and let the maids brush the night’s snarls from my hair. They chose a white Sylvarus dress with gold lace and embroidery today, matching it with the Garland of Flowers Tana preserved for me.

Dawn had broken by the time I made my way outside. Fable had already left, sparring with the soldiers of House Whitemarsh, leaving me accompanied by Fyren, Borealis, and the Star Guard. Selena waited for us in the same field where R’lissea had broken through the day before.

”Thank you for bringing her,” Selena said, nodding to Fyren.

”I’d rather you not make a mistake and end my adventure on Enusia prematurely,” Fyren said dryly.

She sniffed. ”I’m afraid that’s not up to you anymore. But I will admit Xiviyah makes a convenient safety net. Not that I intend to use her.”

”Right. You’ll just be the first mortal to break into ninth-level on her first try,” Fyren said.

”Fyren...” I rested a hand on his forearm, giving him a pleading look. ”Please?”

He let out a breath, turning his head. ”I still don’t like you being anywhere near here. You don’t understand how much mana it requires to break into the ninth. If anything goes wrong, not even your goddess will be able to save you.”

”It’s okay. I trust Selena.”

”I’m glad to hear that, because it’s going to take a while,” Selena said. ”I’m estimating it will take me close to ten hours to finish the cast.”

”Ten?” I gasped, ”What? But why? R’lissea did it in just a few minutes, and even if that one was eighth, there shouldn’t be such a big–”

”R’lissea is the Life hero, remember? Life magic literally jumps out of her fingers. No matter how hard I work, or how much more experience I have, you shouldn’t underestimate a hero’s blessing.”

Her smile hid a touch of envy, sending a thrill of shame through me. I twisted my skirt, avoiding her gaze, and she harumphed, letting the tome float out of her hand, positioning itself just before her face.

”Now, if we’ve chatted enough, I’d like to wrap this up before the sun sets tonight. Mind sharing your Eyes?”

She waited for me to share the Oracle of Eternity before beginning the chant. As with R’lissea, the magic circles started small and spidery, with runes woven of silken green light. They rotated slowly, expanding as the spell wore on, rising to overshadow the courtyard.

It wasn’t that high-level spells took so long to chant, though the more complex ones certainly did. Instead, it was a matter of imbuing mana within the runes and circles, and only chanting whenever the mage was ready to progress to the next phase of the spell. Even a proper eighth-level body could only withstand so much mana moving through it at once, and that threshold was a lot lower when that mana was being suffused into runes. A mistake, no matter how small, could destabilize the entire spell, setting off a chain reaction that led to catastrophic failure.

Which was exactly what happened barely twenty minutes into the spell. Selena had just begun to form the completed framework of the first magic circle when it suddenly flared, releasing a small shockwave that disrupted the formation. Selena cut her mana off in an instant, not even bothering to try and stabilize it again.

”Damn,” Selena muttered, rubbing her arm. ”I didn’t really want to do it on the first try anyway.”

”Good thing that happened early,” I said, ”you didn’t have much mana gathered yet.”

She shrugged. ”True, but more importantly, I realized why R’lissea was using her mana the way she was. I thought it was just a weird habit she picked up, but I’m guessing it was an instinctive understanding of the spell. Damn heroic blessings. It’s literally cheating.”

”If she hadn’t cast it, you wouldn’t know the right way to do it,” I said.

She gave me a dirty look. ”That doesn’t make it better. But...I suppose I should mimic the other techniques she employed. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”

As she began again, I sat down, tucking my legs to the side and leaning up against a tree. The textured bark pressed against my back through my dress, rough but not uncomfortable. Which was good, because it was going to be a while before Fable finished up his sparring and gave me a more comfortable perch.

Selena failed twice more in the hour, never getting beyond the first circle. She grew more terse with every attempt, her lips drawing in a thin line between chants. I yawned, my eyelids growing heavy as her fourth progressed. Not even the lingering anxiety of my visions kept me from dozing, the dappled sunlight slowly progressing over my face.

When I jolted awake, the sun proved several hours had passed, and still, Selena was in the middle of her spell. Fou magic circles blossomed overhead, and the Fifth was already in progress. Sweat beaded her forehead, but her lips were quirked in a confident grin.

”Still her fourth attempt,” Fyren said, folding his arms, ”She might actually do it this time.