The Forsaken Hero

Amid the bustling university campus, Soltair’s inquiry hung in the air like a storm cloud. Drawing the attention of the City Lord and Dean, Lord Fithsban. ”Dragon, you say?”

”That’s right,” Soltair nodded firmly. ”We were chasing an Infernal Dragon but lost it some time ago. Have there been any reports of one nearby?”

Lord Fithsban stroked his chin, scanning the faces of his aides. They all shook their heads, almost in unison, and he sighed. ”I’m afraid not then. We were troubled by one several months ago, hence our request for aid at the Divine Throne, but it vanished a few weeks back.”

Trithe leaned forward intently. ”What kind of dragon was it?”

”A Red Dragon, if I recall correctly,” Lord Fithsban replied, his brows furrowing in thought. ”Not a small one, either, but several hundred feet long.”

Soltair’s eyes brightened. ”It’s probably the same one then. Do you think it has a lair around here?”

Lord Fithsban nodded solemnly. ”Very possible. If an Infernal Dragon has turned its attention to this area, then we will need to take action. Gordon, call the Elders and Archmages. We have much to discuss.”

One of his attendants bowed sharply and retreated a few steps away. I watched, intrigued, as he chanted an unfamiliar spell. Moments before the third-circle spell resolved, it froze, the three magic circles lazily spinning around him. His eyes fluttered beneath his upper eyelid, leaving only the whites exposed.

”Sun Hero, would you join us in our Council? We would hear your report.”

”Naturally. Trithe?” Soltair’s gaze shifted to her.

She nodded, slipping her arm through his. ”I’m with you.”

”Excellent,” Lord Fithsban said. ”I wish we could delay and allow you time to bathe and refresh yourself, but the gravity of this situation requires haste.”

They continued to discuss further, ranging from things like our accommodations to schedule, but I was only half listening. The aide, Gordon, finally completed his spell, and his eyes returned to normal. He blinked several times, as though just waking up, before rejoining us.

”The Archmages have assembled, and all but one Elder will be joining us within the hour,” he announced.

Lord Fithsban frowned, eyes narrowing. ”Which is it this time? It’d better not be Titan again...”

”I’m sorry, my Lord.”

”Why is it always them?” Lord Fithsban massaged his temples. ”I’ll speak with Elder Feyson later. Sun Hero, the rest of your party may explore the campus at their leisure. Our library and training grounds are particularly impressive, even compared to the Divine Throne, so I’m sure they’ll be capable of entertaining themselves. I’ll send someone to fetch them once our council ends.”

”Hear that?” Soltair asked, turning to me. ”This is your chance to get some new spells. Try and pick up something actually useful, too. Like an earth-moving spell, or something.”

”One more thing,” Trithe added. ”Lots of powerful individuals send their children here to study, so don’t offend anyone. The last thing we need is some foreign prince feeling slighted and making our life difficult.”

For some reason, I got the impression the ’our’ she was referring to meant Soltair and herself.

”I’m not too worried about that. Xiviyah wouldn’t go out of her way to cause trouble,” Soltair said, rubbing his chin. ”But it’s not a bad idea. If someone tries to cause trouble, just accept it and resolve things peacefully. I don’t want anyone else thrown through a wall.”

The slave command buzzed softly, acknowledging his command. I wanted to protest, to remind him none of our past troubles were my fault, but I knew it wouldn’t matter. As a slave, how could things not be my fault? That was simply our place in this world.

”I’ll look after her,” Fyren said, reaching down to ruffle my hair.

”I’ll leave it to you,” Soltair muttered. ”She has a way of getting in trouble, somehow.”

I pushed Fyren’s hand away. ”I can take care of myself. And don’t forget to tell them the dragon was strong enough to sustain that winter enchantment for a prolonged period. Although it was injured when we faced it, I think its soul is around eight level.”

Soltair nodded, and he and Trithe left, following Lord Fithsban and his retinue into the central tower. As the Lord walked by us, he handed us a small steel emblem, crafted in the image of a phoenix with rubies for eyes.

”Use this if anyone tries to stop you. It’s my personal crest, so it should get you into about anywhere,” he explained.

Fyren accepted it graciously. ”Thank you.” As they walked off, he turned to me. ”Where would you like to go? The library, I assume?”

”Yeah. Then, um, maybe we could walk around?” I’d never had a chance to attend school before, but I found the idea of an establishment dedicated to growth and learning fascinating.

As we walked through the campus, searching for the library, I stared around in awe, enraptured by the light in the student’s eyes. The atmosphere drew me in, and I grew engrossed in the interactions happening on all sides. They all seemed so content and engaged, whether locked in a debate on magical theory, flirting, or even just studying quietly. The students wore matching school uniforms but were adorned with an amulet representing their respective class, or house, perhaps.

It was so different from the Divine Throne, where the conversations were hardly more than veiled threats and power struggles. Even at the training grounds, the mages and warriors were soldiers, training to kill and be killed. Here, the air crackled with a sense of mystery, exploration, and excitement.

”Should we make our way to the library now?”

I jumped, startled, by Fyren’s question, before realizing I’d gotten distracted simply experiencing the university. I dipped my head hurriedly, apologizing. ”S-sorry.”

He laughed, eyes twinkling as he looked at something behind me. ”No need to apologize. It’s rare to see you this happy, especially with how worried you were about coming here.”

”Happy?” I turned, following his gaze, and flushed red as I found my tail waving excitedly. I squeaked, grabbing it and lowering my head, too embarrassed to meet his gaze.

He waved his hand in front of a passing student, a young woman in her late teens. As she stopped, he asked politely, ”Would you guide us to the Library?”

She looked us over, her eyes lingering on his massive sword and my slave crest. Her golden hair cascaded in loose curls to her waist, framing a flawless face and startling green eyes. Her appearance was neat, and even her school uniform seemed an expression of grace and beauty. ”The Library? You don’t look like students, though.”

Fyren chuckled, ”We have important business here, so we’d thought we’d take the opportunity to visit a place of such great renown.”

”Oh, I get it. But it can be hard to enter without proper identification.” She thought for a moment, before brightening. ”Why don’t you come with me! I was just heading there anyway, and I might be able to sneak you through.”

”We wouldn’t want to impose,” Fyren began, but she shook her head.

”It’s no trouble at all. Come on, it’s just a few streets away. What’s your name?”

I gasped as she grabbed my hand, pulling me along with her. I tried to pull away, but she held me in an iron-like, if friendly, grip. ”X-Xiviyah.”

She blinked. ”That’s an unusual name. You must have had strange parents.”

”I, um, didn’t really have-”

”It’s okay,” she reassured me. ”I wasn’t judging it or anything. My name’s Elise, by the way. Who’s that guy with you? He seems pretty protective. A fiancé? He’s a little old, but-”

”No! He’s just a traveling companion,” I cried, but it came out a bit louder than I intended.

She didn’t seem offended by my interruption, which was fair, considering she hadn’t let me get a word in otherwise. ”Oh, I see. A guardian of sorts. Lots of mages have those, so there’s no need to be so embarrassed. Are you fifteen yet?”

My tail twitched, surprised by the sudden question. ”Y-yeah, a few months ago.”

”Then you must be here to enroll! I didn’t say anything, but if you get accepted, make sure to join House Titan. Then we can be in the same house and classes. I’ve been here for a few years already, but they might even let us room together!”

As she kept talking, I looked back at Fyren helplessly. He gave me a ”you asked for it” smile and kept his distance. Fortunately, Elise didn’t seem concerned with my shy reluctance, as she did all the talking. At some point, I even found myself enjoying her boundless enthusiasm, even if it did tire me out.

”-and Magical Flora is my least favorite class because-oh! We’re here!”

The buildings at Western University were all tall and impressive, laced with beautiful stonework and magic. But the library stood above the rest, looming larger than anything save the central citadel. Intricate works of gold, marble, and steel adorned the structure, accompanied by breathtaking arrays of magical enchantments. I slowed, staring at the sheer grace and majesty of it all, but Elise tugged me forward.

The flow of students was much thicker here, and we barely had a few feet to ourselves, but it opened up once we passed through the doors and entered the lobby. Tall statues of mages and magical creatures stood proudly on marble columns, overlooking the crowds of students. Padded chairs and couches created areas to mingle or study on the side. At the far side of the lobby, a series of counters and magical gates barred the way. A head-sized crystal rested beside each of the membrane-like gates.

Every student seemed to be wearing an amulet of some kind symbolizing whatever house they were in. When seeking entry to the inner library, they rested the amulet on the crystal and the gate would open.

”Come on,” Elise said, pulling me forward. ”Let’s see if they’ll let you in.”

We joined one of the lines awaiting entry. It moved quickly, and we were nearly at the front when a rich, deep voice shouldered into our conversation.

”If it isn’t the Golden Princess herself, come to sneak in another stray. And a filthblood, no less.”