The Forsaken Hero

The swarms of insects grew thicker as we left Viriden, relentless in their assault against my wards. Our path took us northward, straight through the heart of the swamp along a cobblestone road. The footing was treacherous, with many of the stones sinking into the mud beneath our feet, or entirely submerged altogether. Tall reeds and cattails towered alongside the road, and the stench of damp rot clogged permeated the air.

”Damn,” Soltair cursed, his foot vanishing into the water as a stone gave way beneath him. ”When was the last time they serviced this road?”

Trithe shook her head, stepping away from him as he shook the mud from his boot. ”Repairs are rare here. Even with magic, it’s a strenuous process most cities can’t afford. In my father’s domain, we have a road similar to this, but the only attempt ended in disaster. Over half the workers were brought down by illness, and injuries were far too common.”

Soltair, seeing that Trithe was about to go on, waved his hands dismissively. ”Alright, I get it. I just wish things weren’t so boring. Aren’t swamps like this supposed to have lots of monsters or something?”

”At least we don’t have to contend with the insects,” Fyren rumbled, glancing at me.

I nodded, taking his thanks as a reminder to check the wards. I’d modified the spell I created from the carriage, altering the effects to radiate out around me. This allowed our entire group protection from the bugs, assuming they remained close by.

Several miles from the city, the road fell into the mud entirely. Fortunately, the submerged stones kept the plants at bay, creating a clear, if muddy, trail.

”If only flying magic was a thing,” Soltair grumbled. Brightening, he turned to me and asked, ”Can’t you do something about that? You’re always inventing some new spell or magic, right?”

Trithe also glanced at me hopefully, but no matter how much I agreed, I could only shake my head. ”I wouldn’t know where to start. The most I can do right now is modify spells I’m already familiar with. If we could find a book that explained the runes and magical theory behind it, I could probably piece it together. Until then?” I shrugged helplessly.

”Then what about a spell that lets walk on the water?” Soltair tried again.

”Perhaps Korra could do it, but I haven’t learned anything like that.”

Thinking about it, such a spell wouldn’t be too difficult. Second or third circle at the most. I made a mental note to ask about it at the Western University.

Without a magical solution, we were forced to trudge through the mud. For the majority of the journey, it was merely an inconvenience, barely ankle-deep at most. The fetid water soaked through the soft leather of my boots, coating my feet in grainy slime. Occasionally, one of my steps would plunge into the unknown, soaking my leg to the knee, and I gave up on keeping my clothes clean.

Lost in the monotony of the muck, I began circling through the chants of runes of Life spells I knew, searching for keys and patterns I could use to cure Sunpurge. The runes used in Life Magic shared a lot in common with the Protection branch of Fate Magic, so I spent a lot of time studying the overlap. Perhaps Fate Magic would be able to provide answers, where Life hadn’t.

Slowly, the light of early hours turned to noon, and then toward twilight. Absorbed in my thoughts, I suddenly collided with Fyren, bouncing off him and looking up to find our party stopped in the middle of the trail.

Soltair cursed, glancing at the horizon stained with subtle streaks of pink and red. ”I’d hoped to make it through today, but it seems that was too ambitious. If only we could-”

I looked down as he glanced at me, all too familiar with his unspoken complaint. My tail drooped into the mud, and I jumped, finding an unfamiliar chill in the water. My feet had long since grown beyond feeling, so I stooped down, brushing my fingers through the murky shallows of the marsh. A bitter cold nipped at my fingers, and I jerked my hand away, frowning. Raising my head, I scanned the unfamiliar contours of the swamp and activated the Eyes of Fate.

”Something wrong?” Fyren asked, sloshing over to me.

”It’s cold. Like ice water.”

The adventurer laid a hand on his sword and joined me in scanning the surroundings. After a moment, he relaxed and glanced at me curiously. ”I don’t sense anything. Perhaps you’re just tired?”

”Yeah, none of my resistances have activated, either,” Soltair said, nodding in agreement. ”It’s been a long day, and I’m sure you’re exhausted. Let’s find a good place to camp for the night. Preferably somewhere dry.”

”I’ll scout around,” Trithe volunteered. ”I think I saw a knoll or something up ahead.”

As she slipped ahead, I dipped my hand into the water again. It was undeniably colder than the lukewarm swamp we’d been traveling through all day.

”Are you sure you don’t feel anything?” I asked Fyren skeptically.

He sighed, looking somewhat perplexed by my persistence, but reached down and touched the water anyway. After stirring his finger around like he was mixing a stew, he retrieved it and shook his head. ”I’m afraid not. But, to be honest, I’m not too sensitive to changes in temperature. The average adventurer loses their susceptibility to mundane elements around the fourth level, so I could be in a snowstorm and I might not notice.”

”The sun’s going down; perhaps the water’s just cooling with the coming night,” Soltair suggested, before looking up the road impatiently. ”I just wish Trithe would get back soon. Who knows what sort of creatures are lurking in a place like this.”

”I wouldn’t be too worried,” Fyren said, chuckling. ”I doubt anything this close to a city could threaten someone of her level. Besides, we’ve been walking all day and haven’t seen so much as a frog. What are the odds that changes now?”

Soltair nodded, but his eyes continued their search. ”I guess that’s true. Although I didn’t think your spells would be so effective, Xiviyah.”

Still thinking of the cold, I looked up at the sound of my name. ”Hmm? Oh, the insect spell? It shouldn’t affect anything other than bugs, so I guess they left for another reason.”

He shrugged, and we waited for Trithe to return without further conversation. After several minutes, the brush rustled and the blonde-haired girl emerged. Soltair took an eager step toward her but hesitated as her eyes flashed with excitement.

”I found something!” Her enthusiastic outburst hung in the air for a moment before any of us reacted.

”Like a campsite?” Soltair asked, scratching his head.

Trithe rolled her eyes. ”No, idiot, a village. But it’s abandoned. I didn’t get too close, but I don’t think it’s a human one.”

Soltair thought for a moment, tapping his chin idly. ”Sounds like it might be dangerous, or a trap. If they’re not human, they might be a monster clan or something. Goblins perhaps?”

Trithe clasped her hands together, her voice almost pleading. ”Goblins don’t live in the swamp, and It would be safe and dry. There might even be a bath or something! Shouldn’t we at least check it out?”

His face softened as she fluttered her eyelashes at him and he smiled. ”Alright. We can at least take a look. Even if it’s a trap, we can use it as an excuse to clear out some monsters.”

”All right!” she cheered, throwing her arms around his neck.

Soltair pushed her away, grumbling about the filth of the swamp, but he couldn’t hide his wide smile.

”If we’re going, then let’s go,” Fyren muttered, pushing past the two and into the brush.

We followed the trampled trail of reeds for some time, backtracking her scouting route. As the sun began to touch the tips of the cattails, a village came into view.