The Forsaken Hero

An Alliance?

The words hung in the air, a cold weight that crushed all other sounds. For a long, dreadful second, the only thing I could hear was the frantic, useless beat of my own heart.

”What?” Elise asked, her voice barely a whisper. R’lissea’s head snapped up, her exhaustion vanishing beneath a wave of pure disbelief.

Korra shot to her feet, her chair scraping against the floor. ”Aerion! You can’t be serious! You were working with the church?”

Aerion didn’t flinch. His gaze was steady, a calm in the center of the storm he had just unleashed. He held up a hand, a placating gesture that did nothing to soothe the fury radiating from Korra. He looked past her, to each of us, before he finally answered.

”Not the church. The High Inquisitor, Lord Evlon,” he corrected. ”Our interests aligned for a brief, fragile moment.”

”I knew it,” I whispered, staring at the ground. ”I saw you confront Lord Evlon months ago, but I wanted to believe you refused his offer. That you stood up for me.”

”You had every tool and power to protect yourself.” He turned to Selena, and he sighed, shaking his head. ”My only miscalculation was assuming you wouldn’t be foolish enough to break through without me.”

”So you gambled? For what?” Selena asked, eyes narrowed.

”Everything. It was the church alone that had the ear of the Splitbarks and Ellenwinters. It was they who arranged a scenario that forced me to the head of the army. In exchange, I would stay neutral in their efforts to claim you, Oracle.”

”I knew that smelled suspicious,” Elise said, folding her arms. ”And I admit...it’s savvy. I can’t think of another way you’d secure the loyalty of enough troops to stage a coup.”

Aerion spread his hands. ”Honestly, me either. Securing the army was pivotal in gaining control of the city. We had one in two men wearing crimson in every garrison across the city. It’s hard to say whether we were fighting them, or they were fighting us.”

”You’re being awfully open about this,” Korra said, frowning. ”Are we really supposed to believe you’re no longer hiding anything?”

Aerion shrugged. ”What you believe is of no concern to me, nor do I apologize for my actions. I would do it again, even knowing the outcome. Especially knowing the outcome. After all, wasn’t I right? The church is gone, you are safe, and Sylvarus is mine. Fate could have blazed no better path herself.

Korra’s aura splintered. ”Why you–”

”Korra,” I said softly.

She whirled on me. ”You can’t just say that! He could have at least warned us!”

”That would have been nice,” I admitted, then sighed and shook my head. ”But he’s right. We’re all alive, the shards are secure, and the arbiter is dead.”

”But he...that’s what Soltair did,” she protested. ”Just because it ended well doesn’t mean it was right! You’re not a price to pay for an easy, clean victory. You’re worth more than that!”

My tail gave a twitch. For a second, I stared at her. My vision wavered as my eyes watered, and before I knew it, I was hugging her.

”Korra...” I whispered. ”Thank you.”

She hugged me back, her body stiff with anger. But as she stroked my hair, her body softened, and her aura calmed.

”I’m never going to let someone get away with that again,” she whispered. ”Never.”

”I know, but...it’s different this time. I’m fighting because I want to. If we hadn’t fought the inquisitors there, we would have fought even more of them yesterday. The arbiter still would have come, and thousands still would have perished. At the end of the day, Aerion didn’t attack me. The inquisitors did. I’m just relieved it was only that.”

”What, your visions haven’t revealed my other plots?” Aerion asked, raising an eyebrow. He smiled to show he was only teasing. ”I ended that relationship with the inquisitors the moment they targeted Selena. I can assure you that I’m unaware of any other plans to harm you or your cause. In fact, the other reason I asked you here was to inform you of my intentions going forward.”

He cleared his throat, waiting for me to let go of Korra and sit again. I didn’t. He gave me an amused smile.

”The Verdant Tribunal has dissolved, through death and abdication, on Lady Whitemarsh’s end. Before the dust has settled, and anarchy has a chance to blossom, I intend to take their power for myself as King of Sylvarus.

”I suppose I should have expected as much,” Korra snorted.

”When are you going to do that?” R’lissea asked.

”This evening, just as soon as I can get things under control here.”

A sharp knock at the door broke the tension.

”My Lord,” a soldier called from the other side, ”Commander Whitemarsh has arrived. He wishes to discuss uniting the garrisons in a formal military.”

”Welcome him into the audience chamber. I’ll be there shortly,” Aerion replied, standing. To us, he added, ”Forgive me, but there’s much for me to do. I would prefer it if you were all at the coronation, but I would have you know that I no longer require your power or presence for anything. You will be as welcome in my kingdom as you have been in our manor, and I hope we can retain an amicable relationship in the future. Farewell, for now.”

”The gall of that man,” Korra muttered as he swept out the door, leaving us in his study. ”Who does he think he is, saying all that and then just leaving! I outta give him a piece of my mind next time we meet. I don’t think I’m any weaker than he is.”

”Korra, you don’t have to fight him. Not for me, at least,” I said, finally slipping from her arms.

”What are your plans for the coronation?” Selena asked, watching our exchange with a small smile.

”We’ll go,” Elise said firmly, looking around the room as if daring us to challenge her.

Korra grumbled something, but I nodded.

”If he doesn’t need us anymore, then I don’t see why not. It can’t be a bad thing to be on the good side of the new king, right?” I asked.

”That’s true,” R’lissea said. ”And besides, I’d like to see what kind of ceremonies I should get used to.”

”And why is that?” Selena arched an eyebrow.

”Huh? Oh, because I’m an elf, right?” R’lissea shifted uncertainly, her ears twitching. ”I’ve always kind of planned on returning here...after the war and all. Is that not alright?”

”We’ll welcome you with open arms. I don’t care what Aerion says, any kingdom would be blessed for having the life Hero in their borders. And I wouldn’t mind your help and skill anyway. There was actually something I wanted to take a look at over the next week. I think, with your knowledge, we could tie the Arboreal World to the remaining shards in Sylvarus. It would help us project it permanently over the entire forest.”

R’lissea’s eyes lit up. ”That would be wonderful! It would help the land recover from the wars. We’re not planning on moving out before the week’s up, are we?” she asked me.

I hesitated, rubbing my horn. ”I don’t know. I’ve been so focused on saving the shards from the demons, risen, and the church that I haven’t even thought about what comes after. Or if they’re technically saved now. I’ll have to ask Luke and talk with Fate.”

”Then that’s a yes, Selena,” R’lissea said. ”But only if you show me how to summon that massive titan from earlier. I need a powerful eighth-circle spell like that in my arsenal.”

”Fine, fine,” Selena said, chuckling. ”But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’ll hold off on that till tomorrow, after the coronation. We can start with the shard in Duskwood, first, to test if the idea’s even feasible.”

I left them talking, following Elise back to the gardens. Zephyriss was there, summoning small rain clouds to dance across the meadow, much to Sari’s delight. Fable had curled up under the shade of a tree, while Fyren leaned against the trunk, hands folded and head bowed. He looked up as we set foot on the grass, eyes flitting to me.

”How did it go?” he asked. ”What news?”

I sent him a stream of soulspeak, sharing everything that we’d discussed with Aerion. He growled at my memories of the elf lord’s admission, his tree groaning as a hint of his aura gripped the garden.

”That bastard. Though knowing him, that’s hardly the worst he could have done. I don’t suppose you want me to kill him for it?”

I shook my head, forcing a smile. He was teasing. He had to be.

”Where’s Luke?” I asked, pointedly changing the subject.

Zephyriss looked over. ”The curse apostle? I believe he’s out of the city, speaking with some of his apostles.”

My tail went rigid. ”They’re here? Who?”

”Gravity and Secrets,” she replied, spinning lazily in the breeze. ”Why? Want me to spy on them?”

”No, it’s not that,” I said hurriedly, adjusting my skirts. When she raised an eyebrow, I blushed lightly. ”I was just wondering where he was. That’s all.”

Elise giggled, nudging me with her arm. ”Aren’t those two young and beautiful girls? You’re not afraid he’s, you know...”

My blush deepened. ”W-What? No! He wouldn’t! I mean, we’re not like that...”

Elise’s laughter was like wind chimes in the quiet garden, a sound that made my tail twitch with embarrassment. She looped her arm through mine, her touch gentle but insistent as she pulled me toward the manor.

”Come on,” Elise said, her voice still light with laughter as she led me toward the manor doors. ”The coronation’s tonight, and you can’t wear that.” Her gaze swept over my conservative Duskwood dress, a mischievous glint in her eyes. ”Let’s find you something bold enough to make sure Luke’s eyes never wander!”