The Forsaken Hero

Our travel continued without rest for several days, skirting along the foothills northward. Once we were out of the mountains, the going became easier, yet the monotony of the endless trees soon grew old. Even Soltair and Trithe soon ran out of things to talk about, so I turned my thoughts inward and worked on my soul. Mana control had become second nature to me, yet I still found myself unable to work with it internally. I could roughly guide it around my body, yet beyond simple practices like fighting the basilisk’s curse, it was futile. If I could observe the basilisk a few more times, then perhaps I’d learn something, but I could only give in to my frustrations and admit defeat.

In the evening of the third day, we crested a small ridge overlooking the town of High Valley. Unlike the many small villages we’d passed through, High Valley was an epicenter of trade in the region, with low wooden walls and several thousand houses. It was nothing compared to the sprawling city of Roann, but still more people than I’d seen the last week combined.

A wide river flowed through the center of the town, with several tributaries cutting around the outskirts. Countless barges traced their way up and down its waters, the distance reducing them to small bugs on a path. The headwaters were some ways up into the mountains, and countless regional villages sent their goods to High Valley. Roann and several other cities waited further downstream, providing an ample market for the minerals, wood, and grains of the mountains.

”Let’s get moving,” Trithe said, her eager eyes locked on the town below. ”I can’t wait for a bath.”

Soltair nodded, wiping the grime from his face. ”You able to keep going?” he asked me.

I hesitated, only now catching my breath, but a sharp look from Trithe had me in agreement. ”If there’s a bath waiting, then how could I say no?”

Despite our urgency, it took us an hour to pick our way down the slope, and that only got us half. Eventually, Soltair and Trithe shared a look and nodded.

”Hold on,” Soltair said, appearing by my side. Before I could react, he swooped me up in his arms.

I screamed as he kicked off the ground, the sheer acceleration dragging moisture from my eyes. After forcing my eyes apart, I quickly screwed them shut. No way. We couldn’t possibly be this high. The rush of wind roared in my ears and ripped my voice from my throat. Suddenly, moments before impact, a blinding light soaked through my eyelids and my skin grew hot. The thunderous crash of the wind went quiet, and we drifted the final dozen feet to the ground. I collapsed the instant Soltair placed my feet on the ground, hugging him.

Trithe giggled, landing softly beside us. ”Not bad, hero. You actually beat me this time.”

”And no worse for the wear, right?” he asked, nudging me.

”D-don’t do that again,” I stammered, unable to remove myself from him. Nausea twisted my stomach as the sky and ground spun.

”Oh, don’t whine so much,” she said, but couldn’t hide her smile. ”At least we’re here now. Surely that’s worth being a little dizzy.”

As I regained my footing, I turned and stared at the looming walls of the valley behind. We’d been traveling without path or trail ever since leaving Whiteriver, yet I thought I recognized where we departed from. It wasn’t all that hard, considering the shallow crater marring the ridge where Soltair had kicked off from. How much force did you need to crack the ground like that? But that idle thought vanished as I traced the distance from the ground up, and my mouth fell open.

”Looks like a mile?” Trithe asked, squinting in the gathering dusk. ”That’s quite a long fall.”

”Yeah. I honestly didn’t know we were that strong. If we hadn’t fallen most of that distance, I’d recommend we never walk again,” he said, voice tinted with awe.

I shivered, the blood draining from my face. ”I don’t think I can ever get used to that.”

”You ready to walk?” he asked suddenly, and I blushed, realizing I still clung tightly to him.

”Yeah. Sorry,” I muttered, pushing him away. I felt a bit unsteady and nearly toppled over, summoning my staff to keep my balance.

The walls of the town were scarcely a hundred yards away, but each step took more strength than I had. My muscles were already exhausted after hiking through the extreme terrain of the mountains, and the fall condemned what little strength I had left. By the time we reached the gates, I was seriously considering asking Soltair to carry me.

The walls were hardly twenty feet tall, built of countless logs harvested from the nearby forests. The outer branches had been saved and sharpened into stakes, providing a bristling barrier in the outermost defense. The gates rested on heavy iron hinges, and were guarded by two guards. Their equipment was subpar, hardly qualifying as ”gear” compared to elite weapons and armor worn by those in the Divine Throne.

”H-h-halt!” the first guard stammered. Both their eyes were stretched wide, looking much the same as myself the first time I saw the basilisk.

As we came to a rest before them, I adjusted my hood to ensure it concealed my horns. I wasn’t worried about my tail, as my cloak billowed far enough to brush the ground and cover it.

”State your business!” the second guard called. They both seemed to relax slightly when we made no hostile movements, but their hands clutched at their spears with trembling fingers.

”I am Soltair, the Sun Hero, and these are my companions. We’ve come at the request of the city lord and seek a place to rest for the night.”

”The hero!” one shouted before clapping his hand over his mouth in embarrassment.

Without bothering to verify further, he raised his spear and waved it. The harsh grind of gears clanked behind the wall as the gates swung open, and the two saluted sharply. ”Welcome to High Valley.”

Soltair strode forward, but paused and turned to the closest guard. ”Any recommendations for inns?”

”Well, uh, not to brag, but my grandmother runs the best inn in town. If you’re interested, you can find it near the forges on Anvil Street just north of here.”

”Thank you. I’ll see that we pay her a visit.”

As we moved forward, the guard suddenly coughed and stepped in my way, scratching his cheek apologetically. ”Sorry, but we’re required to check everyone that entered at night. Even if you’re the hero’s party, it’s the law.”

”That’s not necessary,” Soltair cut in, quickly retreating to my side. ”I vouch for her.”

”But sir-”

”Do you doubt me?”

The air froze as some of his formidable aura leaked out, and the guards’ faces paled. ”No sir! But even if it’s you, I’m afraid I must report it.”

”Is that so? Some things are better left unknown, but I assure you, everything is fine. I’ll confirm her identity with the city lord tomorrow. Perhaps you’d also like me to mention this incident?

The guards flinched as he released a final burst of aura and quickly moved out of my way. I scurried behind Soltair, dipping my head apologetically to them as I passed.

Once we had left earshot, I dipped my head and muttered, ”Sorry.”

Soltair snorted, the stern, uncompromising glint gone from his eyes. ”Think nothing of it. As heroes, we’re essentially above the law, for good or ill. To defy is to defy the walking avatars of the gods. I’m surprised that guard pushed the issue.”

The dark streets of the town were nearly abandoned, but the few that remained stared at us respectfully as we passed. The various gleaming magic items adorning our party made it impossible not to attract attention, but I wondered how much greater it would be if they knew who we were.

After a warm bath and some food, we met up to discuss our plans for tomorrow. Sotlair relaxed into a chair, stroking his chin thoughtfully before speaking. ”I think we can afford to sleep in for a bit, but we should make our way to the City Lord’s mansion by noon. The letter we received from the church said they were having a rather large bandit problem, and we should clear it up as soon as possible.”

”You mean we got that request at the Divine Throne?” I asked carefully.

”Yeah. The church gathered requests from all over the world to carefully plan the heroes’ routes. This way, we have guaranteed adventures to build our experience and reputation.”

I frowned, absorbing the new information. ”Doesn’t that mean the requests furthest away will be waiting for a while? The basilisk was our first, yet it killed so many.”

We were all quiet for some time before Trithe cleared her throat uncomfortably. ”This is a war, right? It must be a sacrifice they are willing to make. The gains are essential, after all.”

Her words weren’t unexpected, but still disheartening. Soltair cleared his throat, voice lifted in an attempt to change the subject. ”That only makes our journey that much more urgent. Let’s break for now, and get some sleep. I’ll knock on your door when it’s time to go.”

At least we all got separate rooms this time. I half expected to be placed with Trithe, but the old grandmother cast a simple glance between us before explaining they had plenty of open rooms. As we turned the corner, I saw her throw me a wink and a smile.

I remained awake for some time in the solitude of my room, relishing the soft warmth of the sheets and the still, peaceful atmosphere. Tomorrow, our next quest would begin.