The Forsaken Hero

”R-Rylam?” I asked, feeling a strange, electric tension in the air.

Rylam stared at Luke, challenging, his ears pricked and tail twitching. Luke just gazed at him, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. That seemed to make Rylam’s ears twitch all the more.

”I don’t believe we’ve met, foxkin,” Luke said calmly.

”Rylam.” His gaze flicked down to me and away just as quickly. ”Xiviyah’s, er...friend?”

”Friend, hmm? Thank you, then. In these dark times, I’m grateful for everyone who has chosen to support Xiviyah. I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to introduce myself until now. I’ve been...preoccupied.”

He held out his hand with a warm, friendly smile. Rylam took it stiffly, and for some reason, his knuckles whitened, squeezing hard. Luke didn’t even strain, perhaps not even noticing. Rylam’s lip curled, showing the points of his canine teeth.

He held out his hand with a warm, friendly smile. Rylam took it stiffly, and for some reason, his knuckles whitened, squeezing hard. Luke didn’t even strain, perhaps not even noticing. Rylam’s lip curled, showing the points of his canine teeth.

”I’m aware. She stumbled under my protection, cold and hurt. Alone.”

His emphasis cut like a knife. My fingers curled into my skirt. What was going on? Rylam was normally so sweet and gentle. Had something happened?

Luke lowered his head. ”Thank you again, then, friend Rylam. If my little star is safe because of you, then I am in your debt. If there is anything in my power that you wish, speak it, and it shall be yours.”

Rylam stiffened, and his eyes strayed to me. He wet his lips with his tongue and returned his gaze to Luke. ”Anything? How conceited. What makes you think I need a favor from you?”

”You misunderstand me,” Luke said. ”I do not ask because I think you’re in need, but because Xiviyah means more than anything I possess. If you require payment, a reward, or recognition for saving her, then I would grant you anything to settle that.”

”P-Payment?” I stammered, looking at Rylam with wide eyes. But why would he need...oh.

My tail drooped with the thought. I had thought our relationship was special, but maybe I had been too eager to reunite with a piece of Aurle to realize he might not feel the same. Was that why he was so serious now? His duty had been done, and now he needed payment?

I shrank against Luke, clasping his arm.

”What? No, that’s not–” Rylam clenched his jaw, his ears lying flat. ”You know damn well that’s not what I meant. Xiviyah needs more than an empty oath or a promise from a demonkin like you. She deserves better than this. Then you.”

Luke’s tail flicked once. ”You think me unworthy?”

My heart pounded in my throat as I stared between the two. What was Rylam doing? Why did they have to fight? My chest tightened, my stomach twisting until anxiety threatened to overwhelm me. My throat closed up, choking the plea before it could escape my lips. Couldn’t they both see? I was the one who was unworthy, the one leaning on Luke! Not the other way around!

This was bad. Luke might have softened since our brush with Oblivion, but not even he could ignore a provocation like that, right? I had to do something. To stop them from escalating. Why wouldn’t my hands move?

”You’re right.” Luke’s voice cut through the tension. He bowed his head, gentle and meek. ”I failed her when she needed me. I was brash and arrogant, and she suffered the consequences of that. I am unworthy of her grace and light.”

Rylam’s mouth opened and closed before he stammered, as if he couldn’t believe Luke was agreeing with him. ”Er, right. So, if you already know that, then you should–”

Luke held up his hand. He didn’t release his aura, but the entire island fell quiet. Even the rippling lake stilled.

”Xiviyah,” he said quietly, taking my hand in his. It was big, enveloping mine in warmth. I looked up into his eyes, my heart aflutter. ”Rylam is right. Because of me, you were hurt and alone. I promised you that would never happen, and yet it did.”

”I-I know that already,” I mumbled, looking down. My cheeks burned from both Luke’s earnestness and Rylam’s stare.

”I’m not a hero. I’m not a knight, I’m not even an old friend,” he said, his eyes flicking to Rylam before returning to me. ”What I am is selfish. I want your light and your warmth to be mine. But I understand I can’t always protect it, no matter how much I want to. If you wish, I will leave you here, as this foxkin asks, and--’

”No!” I burst out, covering my mouth as both Luke and Rylam startled. I lowered my head, continuing in a quiet mumble. ”Please, you promised.”

”I broke my promise.”

I shook my head vehemently. ”I don’t care. I love you, Luke. If experiencing that joy means suffering some pain, then so be it. I...I don’t understand. Back there, you told me that you, um...so why this, now? Why are you trying to–”

He pulled me into a hug, smothering me in his arms before I could start to cry. ”Shhh, it’s alright. I love you, Xiviyah. I love you.”

I collapsed against him, shivering until he began to stroke my hair. Luke gazed over my head at Rylam, who watched the exchange with an ashen face.

”I trust this satisfies your concerns?” he asked in a low voice. Another shiver passed through me. I hadn’t heard that chill in his voice for a long time, ever since Oblivion. But at the same time, it was strangely comforting. Luke could still get angry. It was just that nothing had happened since then- not Rash’alon, not the demons, not even Alex. Only when someone tried to pull me away from him.

”You’re a monster,” Rylam muttered, turning on his heel. ”A cunning, scheming monster.”

Luke rested his hand on my head, caressing my hair and horns. ”Yes,” he murmured, ”But here, we’re all monsters.”

”Maybe, but...take care of her. Please. Not for me, but for...her. Don’t let her light have been in vain.”

He left, the anger drained from his face.

”Luke...what was that about?” I asked, looking up into his warm, violet eyes. I could see myself reflected in them, small and vulnerable.

Luke tilted my chin up, kissing me tenderly. I blushed, standing on my tiptoes to meet him. I didn’t care that the stream of Fatesworn coming to and from the church could see us. They had watched them fight, surely this much wasn’t enough to spread more rumors.

”He wanted something that he couldn’t have. I simply showed him that,” Luke answered, breaking the kiss, smoothing my hair back. ”It’s all mine.”

Maybe he should have sounded greedy or demanding, but something about his expression softened the meaning to something intimate and warm. My fingers brushed the golden ring between my breasts, and I nodded. My feet didn’t even seem to touch the ground as he led me by the hand into Haven.

That night, I slept soundly in a small, cozy room in the First Light Inn, my body and soul thoroughly exhausted from the last week. A few stolen hours of sleep had hardly been sufficient, and now, my sleep was so deep I didn’t even dream. There were visions, I knew that much, but they all blurred together, overshadowed by the warmth Luke instilled within my breast.

When I finally drifted back to the realm of the waking, that peace persisted in my heart. It lasted until I realized, yawning lazily, that I wasn’t alone in my room. A shot of adrenaline saw me up, the silken covers gathered tightly to my chest, my tail curling under the sheets.

”Oh, don’t give me that look. It’s just me,” said Korra, sitting on the edge of my bed. She wrestled my hand from where it was tangled in the sheets and held it in her lap.

”K-Korra!” I stammered, blinked away the dregs of sleep, and forced my pulse to slow. ”What are you doing here? Where’s Luke?”

She grinned. ”Calling for a man first thing in the morning? Just where has my sweet, innocent Xiviyah gone? No, actually, on second thought, you’re still plenty sweet.”

”Korra-aaa,” I moaned, covering my face with the one arm I still controlled. ”Please...”

”There she is. Seems you’re still innocent too. Alright, alright, don’t worry, Luke’s fine. He left Haven like two days ago, but he’s visited as often as R’lissea.”

My eyes got big. ”Two days?”

”Maybe three, now. Dunno, I haven’t been to Enusia in a while.” She stood, letting my fingers slip through hers and stretched over her head, letting out a satisfied groan. ”We worked way too hard fighting all those demons. Not that it wasn’t fun, but damn, those hot springs hit different after a long fight. I think Gayron and I spent more time there than in the arena the last few days. Nothing beats some, er, quality time soaking in the hot water.”

”I thought that, um, it was supposed to be a divided hot spring...”

She grinned deviously. ”Oh, it is.”