The Forsaken Hero

The Fatesworn’s camp was quiet when Luke and I emerged from Haven, hand in hand. The command tent was empty, save for the Star Guard, who had taken positions guarding the gate.

”Welcome back, my Lady. You look well,” Luxxa said with a salute.

”Is everything alright? We weren’t attacked, were we?”

”Nothing to report. The scouts came back an hour ago, and bethiv is meeting with some of the evolved demons of his horde,” she said, nodding at Luke.

”I’m surprised they bothered talking with a mortal,” he said.

Kahlen chuckled, a low, grating sound. ”I’m afraid they didn’t, at first. But once your horde began spreading on their own, and raiding the nearby villages, they didn’t have a choice.”

”How many?” Luke asked without blinking.

”Only six or seven. It wasn’t until he brought a seventh-level to its knees that they decided listening might be in their best interest.”

Luke sighed, touching his horn. ”I was afraid of this.”

”Um, Luke? What does that mean? Was there a fight?”

”It’s nothing you need to worry about. If there’s any more trouble, I’ll smooth it over. Don’t give it another thought.”

”Okay...” I said slowly, my tail twitching.

He reached down and ruffled my hair. I swatted his hand away with a giggle, but leaned against him, rubbing my cheek on his arm. My cheeks reddened as Jenna coughed, and I hurriedly pulled away, releasing Luke’s hand.

”I’ll be going,” Luke said, ”My horde is restless. The situation’s worse than I thought.”

”I’ll come with you.”

He smiled faintly, but shook his head. ”Stay here where it’s safe. I’ll let you know when we’re ready to move. We might have broken Radia open, but there’s still a lot of fighting to do.”

I reluctantly nodded and leaned up, kissing him lightly on the cheek. His tail flicked against mine, and then he was gone. I gripped my necklace, idly twisting the ring as I stared after him.

”You two get along pretty well. I was worried, after how things were going over the last few months, but it seems like there was no point,” Jenna said.

My cheeks colored. ”I-it’s not a big deal.”

Jenna raised a single, perfectly sculpted brow at me. ”Liar. But whatever, if you want to keep the juicy details to yourself, that’s fine.”

”There’s nothing to share. Really!” I protested, gripping the ring tightly.

She giggled. ”I already said you didn’t have to share your secrets.”

Secrets. My face fell, and I turned back to the gate, hesitating. I hadn’t had a chance to mention to Luke that Jessia had betrayed us. Shouldn’t he know? Or would he just brush me aside again?

”You alright, Xiviyah?” Luxxa asked, a note of worry in her voice.

I gave her a nod, trying to shake off my fears. Jessia wasn’t the problem right now. The church had mustered hundreds of thousands of soldiers around its cities and fortresses within Radia, most of them deployed from across the southern continent. It had left them extremely vulnerable to the demon lords and apostles, but it was we who would pay the price for their ease.

Bethiv returned a few minutes later. His armor was scratched and stained with droplets of blood, but he wore a small smile, and there was a bounce to his measured step.

”You’re back!” I said, running up to him. ”What happened? Is everything alright?”

”Yes, I was just sorting out some of our differences,” he said, waving me away with a hand. ”Demons only speak one language, so I thought I’d try my hand at it. Seems I’m not too bad.”

”Did you see Luke?”

His expression turned serious again. ”Yes, I met the young apostle when I was preparing to return. We spoke briefly, enough to know our orders. We’ll depart here within the hour and enter Radia with the vanguard.”

He turned, waving his hand, and released a small ripple of mana. Almost immediately, Jackal appeared through the flap, followed by several other officers.

”Prepare the men to move. We’ll be returning most to Haven, and keeping only a small, elite company on foot. Choose five hundred and have the rest report to their extraction zones.”

The officers saluted and disappeared as quickly as they’d come. Through the white canvas walls, their voices rose over the ambient hum of the camp. A temporary silence fell before the bustle returned with fervor.

”As for you, my Lady, would you join me outside?” he asked, turning to me.

I followed him through the tent flap, emerging into the camp. Tents were already going down, vanishing into spatial treasures faster than I could count. The moment we left the command tent, soldiers attacked it from all sides, stowing the map and breaking down the pitons.

”Shall we see how things have gone in Brithlite?” asked Commander Bethiv.

I summoned my staff and waved it, opening a Spatial Rift to the city square. I gasped softly as I peered through, surprised to see a small, neat barrier erected around the gate. A pavilion had been set up outside it, where the soldiers Bethiv had sent were waiting. Several other soldiers bearing the colors of the Last Light Company were with them, talking and laughing together.

They stood as soon as the gate stabilized, regaining professional composure as they approached.

”Lady Xiviyah,” a captain of the Company said, bowing as they stepped through. ”It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

”What news?” Bethiv asked.

The Fatesworn exchanged looks, glancing at the captain, who cleared his throat.

”Lady Lastlight has permitted you to relocate refugees into her lands. She apologizes for being unable to greet you herself, but the suddenness of the request caught her at a bad time.”

”Should we just send them through?” I asked, looking uncertainly at Bethiv.

The captain chuckled. ”I’m afraid the city isn’t equipped to handle so many right now, but there’s a small city on a day’s travel out that was abandoned during the spring, and has the infrastructure you’re looking for. Lady Lastlight has sent several caravans ahead with provisions enough for the winter, and an escort of soldiers to defend them throughout the winter.”

”How gracious,” Bethiv murmured.

”Yes, but...I’ve never been to that city. I won’t be able to open a Rift.”

The captain reached into a satchel hanging at his waist, producing a bright blue gem the size of my finger. ”We thought that might be a problem. One of our mages produced this. It should be able to give you an idea.”

I accepted it and almost dropped it.

”Cold!” I squealed, hurriedly pitching into my other hand, grabbing it with my sleeve. Thank the gods I liked dresses with ruffles.

The soldiers of the Last Light Company froze as every nearby Fatesworn tensed, hands dropping to their weapons. Bethiv’s eyes narrowed, but he raised his hand, and everyone relaxed.

”I-Forgive me,” The captain said, dropping to one knee. The mage mentioned it might be a shock, but...I hadn’t noticed anything handling it myself. I hadn’t considered with her constitution--”

”Luxxa, see that nothing is handed directly to her again,” the commander said in a low voice. His eyes never left the Company. ”Even from allies. She’s too vulnerable.”

I barely noticed the tension, staring in fascination at the gem. Where did the cold come from? It welled up deep inside like a tiny spring, overflowing into small, frosty patterns that danced across the gem’s surface. Its mana was familiar, and yet...

”What mage did you get this from?” I asked, looking up, my tail going stiff.

”I, er, don’t know,” he admitted, bowing his head lower, if that was possible. ”It came from Lady Lastlight herself.”

”It’s got to be Sari’s,” I said, looking at my guard, my eyes shining. ”I didn’t know she could make something like this! It must be one of Emlica’s spells! But it’s so finely woven...she’s growing so much.”

”Does it work?”

The moment I touched the stone, a few images flowed into my mind, distant but clear, like crude soul-speak. I slipped the stone into my spatial ring. I might not have much talent for enchanting, but it was fascinating. How had she managed to use water magic to store memories? Wasn’t that fate’s role?

I couldn’t wait to study it more.

Then, mustering my aura, I summoned a vision, drawing on the plunging us into faraway Brithlite. Mountains, trees, and a winding river materialized on the fringes of starlight, a picturesque backdrop to a city looming beneath some cliffs. Abandoned fields, overgrown with grasses and weeds, flowed over gentle hills outward from the city wall, cut through by a road leading right to the city gates.

”Amazing,” Bethiv breathed.

The star guard nodded. It was none of their first times, but they marveled as they looked around. I couldn’t blame them. Manipulating fate through my aura was infinitely more impressive than doing so in a sleeping vision.

After getting a good idea of the area, I released fate and let my staff vanish in a puff of stars.

”Alright, I’m ready,” I said, ”Thank you, captain.”

The captain nodded dumbly; he and his squad were speechless in the wake of the vision. But, taking one look at Bethiv, they shook themselves, saluted, and retreated to Brithlite.

”Tell Elise hello for me! I’ll visit her when I can!”

They saluted again, and I let the rift close.

Turning to Bethiv, I said, ”Alright, take me to these refugees. We don’t have much time, and I’d rather leave with Luke than have to catch up.”

”Right away, my Lady. Their camp’s just around the mountain.”