The Forsaken Hero

I sucked in a breath. ”Fate magic? Do you think he’s...here?”

”I can’t say, but there’s certainly a possibility.”

”I understand.” I settled back, folding my arms. After a few seconds, I sighed, touching my horn. ”What else can we do but go forward? I can’t feel Fyren or any of the other demons in the Fatesworn through the mark. All we have is hope.”

”Hope has seen us through darker days, little one. Don’t surrender it now.”

A small smile touched my lips, and I gave a slight nod. I’d grown accustomed to such gentle words from the more dignified remnants, like Gathrin or Arantius. Hearing that tone from the normally carefree ranger felt strange. Comforting, but strange.

We crept across the valleys and ridges at a much slower pace, keeping to the darkest shadows of the night. The thin, crusty frost thickened the snow as we ascended the peaks, and Fable’s paws left deep furrows behind. My wards protected me from the chill, but I still shivered whenever the breeze caressed my cheek or a burst of flurries enveloped us.

”Something wrong?” Jasrin asked, rising to fly beside me.

I held my tail in my lap, hugging it to my chest. ”It’s just...the last time I came here...it was snowing...”

”Snow makes everything difficult, but to us, it’s a blessing. Your wolf’s too big to sneak anywhere, but the silver blends well with the white. You, with your red hair, stand out a lot more.”

I touched my hair, ducking my head a bit, but he just chuckled.

”Think nothing of it. The dark’s our friend as much as the snow, and humans are notorious for being unable to pierce it.”

”Um, Jasrin?” I asked, gripping my tail tighter as he pulled away. ”How long do you have?”

He glanced at me over his shoulder. ”Long enough, I hope. But hush now, we’re almost there.”

I nodded, shrinking lower over Fable’s back as we crested a ridge, and the mountains opened up. We had reached the zenith of the mountain range, and the peaks ahead were level with us, no longer soaring above. Sheer cliffs cut into the mountainside, encircling a wide valley. A deep, golden mist enshrouded whatever lay within, cloaking miles in glittering starlight.

A small gasp escaped my lips as we paused, gazing down at the scene. It was beautiful, and for a few moments, I forgot the snow, the battle, and everything else.

But then, movement caught my eye. Smaller valleys cut through the peaks, forming natural roads into the mist. Fortifications had been erected at each of them, flying banners with the Divine Throne’s sigil. Guards patrolled the walls and manned mana cannons and ballistas in the towers. A skyship drifted lazily over one of the peaks, surrounded by the shadowy shapes of griffons. They the entire valley, yet deliberately swerved out of the way of the shifting currents of gold.

”I don’t believe it,” Jasrin said, rubbing his chin. ”That’s certainly no god.”

”It feels like...me?” I asked, tilting my head.

He shrugged. ”I wasn’t going to say it, but yeah. Your mana is laced throughout it. Not dominant, but very present. Whatever Fate did to save you from this place certainly left its mark.”

”And you think it’s safe?”

”I can’t pierce it,” he said after a second. ”Which means no one can. Not even the god of fate. If you manage to slip inside, you can have as many visions as you want. The God of Fate might be able to sense your intrusion, but he won’t be able to tell where.”

”So, all we have to do is sneak by the guards?”

”No, it won’t be that simple. They’ve got a myriad of enchantments surrounding this place. If we fly in or jump over their lines, they’ll detect us immediately.”

”You can see that? From here?”

”Naturally. But, in all likelihood, it’s probably a trap, in the off chance you ever return. They’ve been picketing this place for over a year, most likely. No way those walls and towers were thrown up overnight.”

I nodded mutely, staring down at the valley again. On one end, a waterfall spilled over the cliffs, and my lips tightened. I knew those cliffs. Soltair had carried me over them. They were where I first discovered my fear of heights. Or maybe that was where it began in the first place.

”I think we just kill them all,” Jasrin said, nodding to himself. ”Yeah, that sounds like a plan.”

”What?” I gaped at him. ”But that’s...how could that possibly work? They’ll know for sure we’re here!”

He nodded, flashing a smile. ”Nah, it’ll work. See, they’re on the lookout for a mage and a wolf. Not a ranger. Besides, they’re guarding it with enough soldiers that they seem to be expecting someone to come, anyway. Why not indulge them?”

He fell into the tree line, beckoning me to follow with a crook of his finger. I shot Fable a helpless glance, and he only rolled his eyes before moving after the remnant.

”You’re insane,” I mumbled.

We crept along the edge of the cliffs, remaining hidden within the treeline. The snow here was soft, cushioning every footfall. Not that Jasrin left any behind. He ghosted over the top of the snow. But there was something unnatural about his gait. Was he actually...flying?

”What?” he asked reproachfully. ”I always wanted to do this. Look, doesn’t it seem like I’m walking on top of the snow?”

I groaned, clutching my horn. He might have saved me before, and kept us hidden from the Divine so far, but this was the one I was trusting with my life?

We reached a rocky outcropping overlooking the fort. The skyship hummed overhead, the caws of eagles echoing in the night.

”Here’s the plan,” he whispered, holding up his hand to stop Fable. ”I’m going to turn this place upside down. You wait until it’s clear, and then sneak through. The instant you trigger the wards, I’m going to leave.”

My tail rustled against Fable’s back, a tremor running through me. ”Wait, you will?” I stammered, the words catching in my throat. My gaze fell to my hands as they twisted in my lap. ”I...I mean...” My voice trailed off, and I bit my lip. ”I’ll be alone.”

”Even if I could stay longer, it won’t work, Xiv. The wards will only show they’ve been breached, not by who, so if it’s you, they’ll think it’s me. If I were to show myself after you sneak through, they’ll know there are two of us. That’ll give too much cause for suspicion, and they might investigate.”

”You’re already suspicious. What kind of ranger would be suicidal enough to attack a fort like this head-on? You’re too strong.”

”There are always strong people looking to take advantage of the chaos in war. Don’t worry too much about it. I have a feeling it’ll work out. A good hunter always trusts his gut.”

”I’m not a hunter.”

He flashed me a grin. ”Then have some faith in me. I wasn’t the leader of the Fatesworn for nothing. Compared to the astral threats we faced back then, this is nothing.” He started to move, then paused, looking back. ”Oh, and one more thing. You’ll have to leave your wolf outside the wards. You’re the only one who can enter right now. Is that clear?”

I bowed my head, and he vanished, disappearing into the night. My aura, invisible though it was, extended across the entirety of the mountain, brushing up against the golden mist in the valley below. It gave enough range that Jasrin could go wherever he pleased.

I watched anxiously for a few minutes, my hand resting against my breast. Fable’s tail twitched slowly, occasionally tickling my legs with the ends of his fur.

The night was quiet. Even from up here, I could hear the occasional clank of the guards’ armor, or a muttered voice floating up from below. Where was he? He should have made his move by now.

A sudden tug at my soul almost caused me to cry out in surprise, and I covered my mouth with both hands. My eyes darted back and forth, searching the darkness, but there was nothing. Not even a flicker of light or mana.

More mana streamed from my soul, vanishing into the ether. My ears twitched, straining, but were met with the rustle of the wind, dampened by the falling snow. The voices below trailed off, but there were no screams to replace them. A change in guards?

I peered closer, but even with demonkin eyes, it was too much to see more than silhouettes through the snow and shadows.

A glimmer caught my eye, coming from above. I barely caught it, the faintest thread of starlight through the flurries. It vanished as it crossed paths with the skyship.

I heard a sharp intake of breath, but that was it. Another thread drew out, arching through the sky. As it disappeared, I looked down, searching for where it had come from. That proved fruitless, and I was left frustrated as the minutes stretched by.

Something brushed by me, and I jumped, audibly squeaking as Jasrin reappeared behind me. He chuckled, slinging his bow on his back and beckoning to us.

”I-I thought you were giving us a signal,” I mumbled, blushing slightly.

His grin widened. ”I just did. Now, I’m taking over this vantage. You go. I’ll see you in Haven.”