The Forsaken Hero

I awoke the following day with my heart aflutter in my chest, unconsciously clutching the ring that hung around my neck in my fist. I rolled out of bed, my hair a tangled mess, and held it up, idly rolling it between my fingers.

Luke...why did my heart leap at the thought of his face, of his smile? Whenever he drew near, I shied away, yet now, when we were distant, I yearned to see him. I’d read every page of the journal I’d found, spending hours poring over his handwriting, slowly working the words out. But it wasn’t enough. I didn’t know why, or what I really wanted or expected from him, just that it didn’t leave me warm, tingly, and safe like being next to him did.

But did I really want to see him again? Even if my heart raced, I couldn’t ignore the anxious twist in my stomach, or the thrill of unease whenever he’d brushed against me.

A knock at the door startled me. I squeaked, blushing as I realized I was still holding the ring, and let it fall back between my breasts.

”Y-yes?” I cried in a voice that was too high-pitched.

Luxxa’s voice answered through the door. ”We were just informed Lady Sunsinger has left the manor, and is currently preparing another attempt.”

”What?” I jumped out of bed, all thoughts of Luke fading with my blush. ”Why didn’t she send for me?”

I rushed about, pulling on a dress and making a reasonable pass at my hair. Well, if ’reasonable’ meant dragging a comb through it twice and giving up on the first snarl. The maids would fuss, but if Selena rushed through this without me, they’d have a lot greater things to fuss about. Like having a manor, for instance.

Luxxa, Jenna, and Gith were waiting for me outside my bedroom. Jenna eyed me with a small grin, raising a teasing eyebrow. Luxxa gave my unkempt appearance a stern look before shrugging and putting a hand on my shoulder, stopping me from barging out of the room.

”Slow down there, my Lady. I can only do so much if you’re determined to trip down the stairs and snap your neck. No sense being reckless.”

I took a deep breath, clasping my hands at my waist. She held me a second longer, as if to make sure I would go charging off, before letting go.

The door opened, and Kahlen stepped inside. ”The Lord of Ash is gone. It would be foolish to leave the manor without him.”

”We’re just going outside,” I said, ”And where did he go, anyway? It’s not like him to wander off. Not after yesterday...”

”I don’t like it either,” Luxxa said, frowning. ”The guards are too light with the garrison gone, and your wolf’s trapped, sparring until midday. You can’t summon remnants, either, right?”

I stared at them, cheeks puffing in a slight pout. ”What difference does it make if I’m inside or outside? It’s not like a wall’s going to stop anyone strong enough to threaten us anyway. And I need to be there for Selena. In my vision, she was...was...”

I looked down, biting my lip. Luxxa’s face softened.

”I...suppose you’re right. But are you certain that your vision was about today? Perhaps we should persuade Lady Sunsinger to forgo breaking through for a little longer. At least until the Garrisons and her brother return.”

”Good luck with that,” Jenna said with a snort.

”I agree with Luxxa,” Gith said quietly, ”The explosion yesterday would have drawn eyes to us, informing the rest of the city that something was happening. If they sense weakness...our forces are spread too thin.”

”We can’t just abandon her,” I said firmly. ”She’s our best bet to resolve this mess peacefully. And if someone really is going to attack, she’s going to be vulnerable while casting the spell. She won’t be able to defend herself.”

Kahlen looked up. ”The Lord of Ash sent that he is nearby, in the city. He will return to us before the sun reaches its zenith.”

I frowned, reaching through the Primordial Mark to Fyren. I’d forgotten I could do that just as easily as Kahlen. He responded to me with a string of soulspeak, communicating much the same. His visuals and memories were suspiciously lacking, though, but when I sent my unease back to him, there was no assurance.

”We’re going,” I said, a bit less sure of myself than before. ”I promised to be there for her, and I mean to.”

Luxxa, Gith, and Kahlen exchanged long looks before Luxxa sighed, touching her brow.

”As you command, my lady,” she said, her voice thick with resignation.

This time, Selena had set up in the training fields. Several weak shields flickered around her, capable of containing the ambient pressure of the spell. She nodded to me as I sat down on a carved stone bench. The sun had barely kissed the top of the manor walls, draping the courtyard in deep, morning shadows.

”You could have waited a little,” I called.

”I figured you’d be around,” she said, shrugging. ”But if things go like yesterday, I’m going to need all the time in the world.”

”Are you sure it’s safe to proceed? Maybe we should wait for Aerion, or at least until R’lissea recovers. She’s still sleeping, the maids told me,” I said.

”I’d rather not. It’s the fact that our forces are depleted that drives me to action. Just as Aerion and our garrison have left, so too have the other Houses’ forces. No elf power in the city would think of making a move when doing so would leave their own House exposed. Yesterday, I received word that our forces successfully breached the outer reaches of Ornth and are within striking distance of Sander’s Port. Our time is short, and the longer we wait, the greater chance an external force has to interfere.”

I pursed my lips, pondering the news. After a second, I nodded. ”Okay, but...be careful. I can only do so much, so please don’t be reckless.”

Luxxa raised an eyebrow, and I hunched my shoulders, blushing lightly. I was all too aware my words were a mirror of her words in the manor. Maybe she had a point.

After waiting for me to cast my spells on her, Selena opened the translucent golden tome and began to cast. I’d grown numb to the tingle and resonance of her mana by now, and relaxed on the bench, hands held loosely in my lap. Her casting was much smoother today, closer to R’lissea’s natural grace and confidence than any of her previous attempts yesterday.

Slowly, the sun crawled across the sky, the shadows shifting and retreating. A group of maids came by an hour after it started, stopping short and staring in shock at me. One rushed back into the manor, while the others approached and gave me a small lecture on appearing in public without brushing my hair. I ducked my head, cheeks warm, as the other returned with a comb and blanket. I was actually grateful for the latter, which they draped over the bench to soften my seat.

”It’s fine,” I protested as a maid began to comb my hair. ”I’m not going anywhere today. Can’t we just let it go?”

They all gasped, staring at me in horror.

”MyLady?” the one brushing my hair gasped. ”You shouldn’t say such things. Hair is a divine gift, and must be taken care of at all costs.”

There was nothing I could say to convince them, so I surrendered my autonomy and sat still while they fussed over me. And they didn’t stop at my hair, either, but went so far as to tidy up my dress, even retying my sash so the bow rested just right on my hip. Apparently, the balance of the tails had been off.

Once they were satisfied, they continued to check every hour or so, bringing pastries and tea as refreshments. Finally able to relax, I settled down with Borealis in my lap, watching as rune after rune scrawled across the sky. The sun was warm, the breeze soft, and soon, I began to doze again, head lolling to the side.

Just as my eyes closed, a sudden chill ran across my skin, slicing through the sunlight. I sat up straight, a shiver running down my tail, and looked around. The Star Guard perked up, intuitively spreading out in response.

”What is it?” Luxxa asked softly.

Before I could answer, a figure appeared in the grove to our side, dressed in long, black robes and silver armor. The figure turned, giving me a look at his face, but I could see nothing beyond a pair of glowing, violet eyes. I shot to my feet, Borealis squawking as he was pitched into the air.

”Luke?” My throat was tight, compressing the word into a strangled squeak. My heart hammered, the blood rushing to my face. How...? Why...?

Luke is walking up to us, his cloak drifting behind him like the anxious flutter in my heart.

He came right up to me, stopping a single pace away. I couldn’t think, couldn’t breath. All I could do was stare. It was a dream, or a vision. I’d been dozing, right? He was far away, fighting the Risen. This was impossible.

But as I met his gaze, all doubt fled, leaving me exposed to the truth. He was here. Luke was here.

He smiled, setting my heart racing. ”Hello Xiviyah.”