The Forsaken Hero

The air whistled in my ears as we descended from the Seraph, Luke carrying me in his arms. Storm demons circled us like curious vultures, and the Last Light Company roused, staring up at the approaching skyships. They had no tents or fires, and seemed worn and haggard. Many had minor injuries, with more than a few bearing their arms in slings.

Luke landed in a small clearing in the midst of the army. Scarcely had my feet touched the ground than a scarred soldier wearing the colors of an officer ran up to us, flanked by a full patrol.

”Jackal!” I cried, releasing Luke’s hand and throwing my arms around the grizzled man.

”Been a while, little Lady,” he said, awkwardly ruffling my hair. ”You seem to have grown an inch or two. And not quite as scrawny as I remember.”

”Hey!” I protested, ducking out from under his hand.

”And who is this handsome fellow?” he asked, turning to Luke, looking him up and down.

I ran back to Luke, taking his hand and leading him forward. ”This is Luke, if you remember. The Apostle of Curses.”

”This fellow?” Jackal gaped. ”You’re too warm for a title like that, now. Last we met, you could have frozen fire.”

Luke smiled faintly, extending his free hand. ”The stars have a way of bringing light to the darkest nights.”

Jackal clasped his arm firmly. ”Aye, lad. That they do.”

”Where’s Bethiv?” I asked, looking around. The sun had just broken the horizon, flooding the forest with sunbeams that danced and glittered on the soldiers’ armor. But they all hung back a respectful distance, save for a few who came up and clasped hands with my Star Guard.

”He’s discussing our next move with Joel. He asked me to take you to him.”

”Wait,” I said, turning skyward, shielding my eyes against the glare. ”Aerion’s coming, too. He wanted to bring the ship lower before disembarking.”

Overhead, the Seraph descended gracefully, its white hull shining in the sunlight. When it was but a few dozen feet over the treeline, it came to a rest. Several elivhs soldiers, members of the Royal Guard, leaped overboard, hands on their swords as they landed. Aerion followed afterward, his cloak billowing around him. He landed in a courch, regally straightening and looking over the clearing with a dignified expression.

”You must be the new king,” Jackal said, looking him over. His eyes narrowed slightly.

”Captain Jackal, is it not?” Aerion asked, approaching with a diplomatic smile.

Jackal dipped his head. ”I’m surprised you know me.”

”The Oracle’s spoken of you to me before. I’ll admit, you’re shorter than I expected. She put you around ten feet tall and hardier than a bear.”

Jackal raised an eyebrow at me. ”Is that right? I’m not that intimidating.”

”I didn’t say you were,” Aerion chuckled. ”That was her. Regardless, I’ve come on behalf of my people to offer our gratitude and full support.”

”It’s not me you should be offering it to,” Jackal said, his voice markedly warmer. ”Come, the Commander awaits us.”

He turned and strode briskly through the forest. Squads of soldiers parted around us, watching curiously. A few reached out and trailed their hands through my aura, shivering as their souls tingled at the touch of fate. Everyone, from the young third-level boys to the grizzled veterans of the original adventuring team, bore injuries of some sort. But their eyes glowed with hope, laying it on my shoulders.

”Just up here,” Jackal said, gesturing to a small knoll overlooking the woods.

”A moment, please,” I said, slowing, my horns prickling from the stares. I reached out, summoning my staff, and rested my hand on the Aetherial Prism. I took a deep breath, my aura rising as I drew deeply on my mana.

”Xiviyah...?” Luke asked, tail twitching uncertainly. ”What are you--”

I exhaled softly, my eyes flashing with starlight. ”Life’s Grace.”

A pulse of pure life mana surged from my soul, rolling across the forest. Trees and shrubs glowed with green, the leaves unfurling. Soldiers stiffened as the unfamiliar power washed over them. Slowly, they relaxed, glazed with relief as their wounds knit together and exhaustion melted away. More waves of green followed, traveling farther with each one, until it passed the borders of the Company’s camp and dispersed amongst the demons.

”My Lady...” Jackal whispered, hollow with reverence. ”To spare your strength on the likes of us...”

I let my staff go, turning with a gentle smile, my heart warm with the peace I felt around us. Luke took my hand, and we began up the hill, passing Jackal, who hadn’t moved from where he’d been standing.

”Come, Captain, is not grace given without expectation its purest form? Best just to accept the oracle’s blessing,” Aerion said, clapping him on the shoulder. The touch made the Royal Guard stare at him incredulously, but he ignored their unease, walking easily beside the soldier.

At the top of the knoll, two men stood looking down on us, their faces overshadowed by the sun rising behind them. I didn’t hesitate, not even to see their faces. Again, letting go of Luke, I scrambled up the last few steps, embracing the taller of the two.

”Bethiv,” I whispered, biting my lip as tears came to the corner of my eyes.

Like Jackal, he took my hug uncomfortably, patting my back with an unpracticed hand. ”My Lady. Your beauty has magnified in the brief months since we last met.”

I held him for a few seconds, not caring for the sharp chill of his armor against my cheek. Then, stepping back, I looked up, hands clasped tightly.

”I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you here so long,” I said, lowering my head. ”Please, forgive me.”

”Our lives are yours, to do with as you see fit. If our sacrifice could bring you some advantage, we gladly make it. Besides, worn though we may be, our losses have been light. Of the ten thousand we arrived with, only a hundred have been laid on the pyres. The demons have taken most of the casualties.”

”Really? I’m...glad,” I whispered, brushing a tear from the corner of my eye. ”But I wish I could have been here, saving even those few lives.”

”What matters now is that you’ve returned. And brought reinforcements, if those ships are anything to go by.” Bethiv shifted, squaring up with Aerion. ”The new king. It’s an honor to have you in our camp. I’m afraid we were forced to relocate rather recently and have no amenities or hospitality to offer.”

”I’ve not come to ask for wine and conversation, but for war,” Aerion said, ”If you have that, we will be satisfied.”

”I hear you’ve brought quite a force with you,” Captain Joel said. ”But I’m afraid numbers are vain, at this point. The Black Mist expanded rapidly last night and shows no sign of stopping. By our mage’s best calculations, made in tandem with some of the evolved demons, no one weaker than fourth level should set foot within its shadows, else they fall and become Risen.”

”Fyren mentioned something about that,” I said, ”but I didn’t know it was that bad.”

”Have you figured out the source of this new expansion?” Aerion asked.

”Perhaps I can help with that.”

I looked up as a Fyren flew in on a blaze of embers. He landed gracefully, absently patting a few lingering smoldering cinders out.

”Lord of Ash. Your presence is welcome,” Bethiv said.

Fyren waved his hand dismissively. ”I just spoke with the demon lords, and they are of one mind. The Black Mist is saturated with curse magic, originating from an infernal source.”

”You mean demons are involved? And curse ones at that?” Aerion asked, eyes narrowing at Luke.

Luke raised his hands. ”I’m quite uninvolved with the matter, and quite confident none of my horde is either. The only one who’d dare play a game like this is Jessia, but I intentionally sent her to the ruins of Brithlite to oversee the massing hordes there.”

”Very few of the Devoted are curse demons, and all are accounted for,” Fyren said. ”It likely belongs to a third faction.”

”Is there such a faction?” Luke asked, tail flicking slightly. ”I don’t see how there could be. The Council represents every Demon Emperor with a stake in this invasion.”

Fyren’s ember-like gaze drifted to the horizon, where the first hints of Black Mist darkened the sky. ”There are always those who play their own games, Apostle. Powers that move in the cracks between the greater conflicts, seeking their own gain. Gods and Emperors know this world has much to take.”

His gaze rested on me, and I shivered, taking Luke’s arm as a chill ran down my spine and tail.

”If it’s a curse driving the Black Mist where the shards cannot, then there might be a way.” My voice was a bit hoarse as I spoke, but I swallowed hard, continuing a little louder as everyone looked at me. ”My resistance isn’t very effective against the Black Mist, but I’m all but immune to anything but the strongest curse. I could weaken the effects, taking the burden off the Life Mages protecting everyone.”

”A noble sentiment, but we need more than the small, elite force of soldiers you’re capable of linking,” Aerion said. ”I’m certain you will be required to face the Liches and the undead hero himself, but there are hundreds of thousands of commoners and soldiers to contend with.”

”Can’t Selena or R’lissea, or even my demons, destroy those with large-scale spells?” I asked.