The Forsaken Hero

The next morning came too quickly, after a fruitless night of visions. No matter how I searched, I could find no hints of Victor beyond our fateful encounter at the Verdant Grove. It was as if he simply appeared there.

I awoke to Luxxa shaking me awake, already dressed in her armor, her sword in its sheathe at her side. I yawned and sat up, blinking groggily. Gray light filtered through the curtains drawn against the balcony.

”Morning already?” I asked, stifling another yawn.

She patted my hand. ”’Fraid so. There’s only a few hours before the council convenes to vote.”

”Is Fyren here? I can almost feel his--”

”I’m here,” the demon rumbled, startling me.

I looked around with wide eyes, hurriedly fixing my dress. He leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, a grim look in his eye.

”He wouldn’t leave,” Luxxa said with an apologetic shrug.

As I looked at Fyren, memories of the cold indifference with which he attacked me with ran through my mind, making me shrink back, clutching my skirt tightly. He was a demon. I couldn’t forget that.

”You needn’t be so wary,” Fyren said. ”I’m here to protect you.”

”It didn’t really feel like it,” I mumbled, staring at my lap.

”I don’t expect you to understand. But I had to be certain. You and the apostle are growing too close for me to take chances with him. If he wasn’t willing to sacrifice himself for you....” He trailed off, the dangerous note in his voice sending a chill down my spine. My grip on my skirt tightened.

”Then what? Luke and I...it doesn’t really matter. In the end, he’s going to leave,” I whispered.

”And yet you pursue him anyway? Wouldn’t it be better to distance yourself?”

”Yeah.” I nodded, giving him a helpless smile. ”But...I can’t. And R’lissea said that all relationships end, so I shouldn’t miss out on one because it ends a little sooner.”

He was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. ”I suppose that philosophy is only natural for a mortal. Your very nature is transitory, from life to life and realm to realm.”

Fyren straightened, letting his hands fall to his side. ”Ready yourself. It won’t be long till you’re called on.”

He turned and opened the door, then paused, glancing over his shoulder. ”For what it’s worth, I’m sorry that my actions scared you. If it’s any comfort, know the end never comes as you expect it to. I wouldn’t count him lost until he leaves.”

The door clicked shut behind him, the sound echoing in the quiet of my room. I stared after him, my lips parted around a question I never managed to voice.

Some time later, I followed Luxxa and the other Star Guard to the entrance hall of the Sunsinger Estate. I’d chosen a white off-shoulder heartland dress tied with a red ribbon around my waist. The soft satin was loose and free, easily my most maneuverable dress. Not much as far as armor went, but any attack strong enough to pierce my wards wouldn’t be stopped by a few feet of steel.

I was the last to arrive. Korra and Gayron stood by the door, his arm draped around her shoulders. Elise was with Aerion, reviewing a scroll, while R’lisesa and Selena murmured together over a small magic circle floating above the life hero’s palm. Fyren gave me a nod, but I looked past him, my heart fluttering a little as I met Luke’s gaze. He smiled, and I went to his side, a small thrill running through me as his hand rested on my side, drawing me against him.

”Good. We’re all here,” Aerion said, looking around the entryway. ”There isn’t much time before the vote. It’s my wish that we resolve things peacefully and negotiate a surrender of the demons, but if not, we will do what we must. Either way, I suspect the church will not go down quietly. This is their last chance to secure what they want,” he said, giving me a meaningful look.

I shrank under his gaze, grateful for the weight of Luke’s arm around me.

”This isn’t just on Xiviyah. We all

have a score to settle,” Korra said.”Are you certain you wish to face Lord Evlon alone?” Gayron asked.

She nodded. ”That bastard’s been after us for too long. I’ve been too weak to face him before, but now...” Her aura crackled, and a wisp of a water dragon curled around her arm. ”He’s going to pay for what he did to us in Brithlite.”

”And you’re ready?” Aerion asked, directing the question to Selena.

She gave the barest hints of a smile. ”As ready as anyone can be to face a ninth-level archon.”

”You’ll have my support,” Luke said. ”We’ll send this bastard back to the gods.”

”What of you, demon?”

”I stay with Xiviyah,” Fyren said, folding his arms.

”And where will that be? Are you going to be able to stay at the manor?” Selena asked.

I hesitated, then shook my head. ”My magic can’t reach all the way across the city. I’ll have to be nearby. But I can hide my aura better than most, so it’ll be okay.”

”And you won’t get up to any trouble?” R’lissea asked, giving me a hard look.

”...no.”

She studied me before sighing and shaking her head. ”I suppose it wouldn’t be bad to have a reserve force. Just...stay hidden.”

”Yes, stay hidden. Everything depends on that. The arbiter cannot be allowed to join the fight anywhere but against Selena and the apostle. We need to clean up every other conflict first, so we can throw everything we have against it. Even then...we can only pray that will be enough.”

Nods circled the room. When there were no more questions, no more details to discuss, Aerion gestured to me, and I stepped forward.

”True Nexus,” I whispered, soul casting the seventh-level array.

I’d never cast it with others, and certainly not for such an important cause, but the spell responded just as it had in practice. Gold stars materialized around the room, reflecting motes of light across the floor and windows. I breathed deeply, attuning to their souls as the spell connected us. I could feel their thoughts, feelings, and intentions, just like I could with the demons.

”What is this?” Fyren asked, looking around with a wonder I’d never seen him express before.

”It feels like a mark,” Gayron said, ”but it’s...different.”

I nodded, smiling shyly. ”Well, um, Nexus just isn’t quite strong enough for the challenges we’ve been facing, so I, well, improved it. With Emlica’s help,” I said hurriedly, as they shared alarmed looks. I couldn’t blame them, given how dangerous it was messing with magic related to the soul. ”Basically, I formed an array with Nexus at its core, using parts of Mind Link and some dissociated principles of the primordial mark. Emlica was--”

”I think we get it,” Korra said, grinning as she raised her hand to stop me. ”You can go into the details later, but first, just tell us what all that means.”

”And what’s a primordial mark?” Luke asked.

”I...oh...” Abashed, I looked at Fyren, who sighed, shaking his head.

”Nothing to concern yourself with, apostle,” he grumbled.

Nodding, I continued, ”True Nexus--Emlica’s name, not mine. That’s why it’s so dramatic. Er, anyway, if you concentrate, you should be able to feel the presence, state, and intentions of anyone else connected to it. That should help you fight together. I hope. I haven’t actually tested it yet.”

A burst of thought and feeling surged through the thread connected me to Fyren, and I gasped, temporarily blinded by the sensations he shared. I could see myself through his eyes, feel a deep sense of appreciation, and curiosity. And then it ended.

”Soul speak works as well, in a primitive way,” he murmured, rubbing his chin. ”Truly remarkable. To let mortals coordinate as demons do...this alone stands to reshape the war.”

From the weight of his words, I could tell he didn’t just mean the war on Enusia. I preened a little, my tail curling proudly, putting a smile on everyone’s face. My face warmed as I realized, and I snuggled bashfully against Luke.

”It’s not that impressive,” I mumbled into his tunic. ”And you can still just call it a Nexus. It’s got a range of a few miles, and lasts as long as I have mana. Also, anyone can share their magic in it, though I have to consciously allow each case.”

”So we don’t have to pass ownership of the spell around anymore?” R’lissea asked, brightening. ”That’s super convenient.”

”Then allow me,” Selena said. She took a second, lips moving wordlessly, chanting a spell. Eight magic circles materialized around her, small and compact, yet dense with mana. It reminded me of healing magic, yet had a structure similar to that of protective wards.

As she cast, I wove a few of my own spells into the Nexus, sharing Adaptive Resistance. I debated sharing the Oracle of Eternity, as the sight provided was invaluable in evaluating enemy souls and spells, but decided against it. It was growing more unpredictable of late, and I couldn’t risk visions coming upon them at random, distracting them from the battle.

”Resurgence,” Selena said, finishing her spell. The magic diffused into the Nexus with a comforting warmth, its green light joining the golden wards I’d placed around everyone. ”This spell is reactionary healing magic,” she explained. ”It triggers if you suffer injury, exhaustion, or the adverse effects of a spell, and lasts until its power is exhausted. As long as a blow doesn’t kill you outright, it should be able to save you.”

Aerion nodded, and when no one else moved to cast a spell, said, ”Good. Then, if everything’s in order, let us be off.”