The Forsaken Hero

A stunned silence gripped the room, shaken only by my erratic breaths. Despite the Water Hero’s sudden appearance, the wine’s power was overwhelming, draining my strength and consuming my mind in desire. Alex was also under the aphrodisiac’s influence but seemed much more in control, likely a result of his heroic physique.

Korra bristled as she took in the scene, her eyes narrowing at Alex’s hands groping me beneath the thin gray fabric of the slave dress. The sapphire topping her staff glowed angrily, reflecting her mood and radiating the full power of a Divine Artifact. Alex’s grip tightened painfully, hurting my sensitive flesh, and I gasped.

”What are you doing?” Alex protested, ”You were supposed to wait until I was finished with her!”

”Change of plans,” Korra replied coldly. ”Now give me Xiviyah, and that damned ring.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed. ”Not happening. It’s my last chance, and I’ve waited far too long enough already. Leave and let me have my fun, then you can talk to her. Just like we agreed.”

Korra hesitated, shooting me a glance. Something in my hopeless, tear-stained expression must have struck her, because she stiffened, eyes hardening in resolve.

”I won’t ask again.”

Alex sighed and stood, lifting me into the air like a child. I groaned as he gave me a final squeeze and tossed me on the bed. ”Stay there and wait for me. I paid a lot for that little drink, so you’ll be nice and ready by the I get back. I’ll want to hear you beg for it,” he commanded.

”I was willing to let you off easily,” Korra said, gritting her teeth, ”But I see that’s no longer an option.”

Alex chuckled, but there was nothing funny about his smile. ”Funny. I was thinking the same thing. I’ve about had it with your pretentious righteousness. What’s so wrong with bedding a slave? You agreed to the plan, didn’t you?”

”And that is something I’ll regret for the rest of my life,” Korra snarled. ”But I won’t stay silent any longer, not to you, or the church. Lay another finger on her and I’ll kill you.”

Alex raised a provocative eyebrow. ”A finger? How naive. Just for you, I’m going to make sure they can hear her moans in the furthest reaches of the castle.” He summoned his sword, a flaming crescent blade of pure steel, and leveled it at the Water Hero. ”Right after I beat you down that is.”

Korra raised her staff. Six magic circles materialized around her, filling the air with a magical hum. From a single glance, it was apparent she had progressed far since the tournament six months ago. The runes were neat and tight, radiating power that placed it at the peak of sixth circle. The speed was also incredible, and the spell resolved in less than a second.

But against someone like Alex, who primarily used magical techniques, a second was far too long. The moment the runes appeared, he leaped forward, blade surging with power. Streams of fire erupted from the tip, spiraling together and forming a lance.

Korra’s spell was completed moments before the projectile struck her. Twisting coils of water writhed outward, taking on the forms of snakes. Several of them threw themselves against the lance, wrapping around the fiery shaft. Explosions of steam erupted outward, filling the entire room, and the ensuing explosion broke the walls themselves.

I shrunk against the sheets, crying out in fear as the wave of fire bore down on me. Moments before it consumed me, a glowing barrier sprung up around the bed. Green light emanated from the translucent sphere, purging the wine’s influence and restoring my strength. I glanced at Korra, shocked. She definitely hadn’t cast that spell, so where had...?

A petite blonde girl peaked over the Water Hero’s shoulder, large, almond-shaped eyes meeting mine. She was a young elf, no older than me, radiating peace and calm. Time and the ever-growing effects of the wine stole her name from my mind, but her face felt familiar. Another of the heroes perhaps?

Alex’s room was near the peak of one of the many grand towers rising from the central citadel of the Divine Throne. The force of the clash between water and fire had blown the top clear off, an impressive feat considering the enchantments woven into the stone itself. Rubble rained down in heavy clumps, clattering loudly against the lower roofs and stonework.

”Look what you’ve done,” Alex growled. ”Why don’t you just do as you’re told? And you, R’lissia, what the hell are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be sleeping with Ronin or something?”

The blonde elvish girl flinched, but shook her head determinedly. ”I-I can’t watch anymore. She didn’t do anything wrong!”

”Wrong?” A new voice floated through the billowing clouds of smoke. ”How can you say that? She destroyed the Western University!”

A figure in gleaming silver armor blasted through the smoke. The wooden floor shattered beneath the impact, and the figure wasted no time in summoning a long-handled spear. It was Victor, the Justice Hero.

More powerful auras blasted out from various locations in the Divine Throne, rearing their heads like awakening beasts. The sudden destruction had attracted the attention of every being over sixth-level. More would arrive soon, to see what the commotion was.

As Victor made his appearance, Korra finished casting a spell. Towering waves of water surged together, creating the image of a watery dragon, the same as she summoned against Grace in the tournament. Alex stumbled back, eying the creature warily.

The tower shook again, threatened beneath the weight of so colossal a creature. It reared its head back and roared, before diving forward, appearing before Alex. The Fire Hero cursed and summoned a sphere of fire around himself, barely warding off its claw. His sword struck its legs, creating great wafts of steam, but seemed unable to do more than annoy the three-hundred-foot-long creature.

Ronin dashed forward, leaping from tower to tower, and threw his spear. Blinding white light sheathed the weapon, becoming a second sun in the sky. It pierced the dragon’s translucent flesh, burying itself dozens of feet before exploding. Great waves sloshed off its body, cut off by its attack, soaking the ground far below.

But Korra hadn’t been idle, finishing another seventh-circle spell. Hundreds of small magic circles appeared in the sky above the Divine Throne, clustered tightest around Ronin. Small, human-sized water elementals crawled from the gates, swarming the Justice Hero. They were vaguely humanoid, save their waist disappeared into a whirlpool-like mass of swirling waves. It was a mass summoning spell similar to the one the Curse Demon used, but creating an army of a thousand strong instead of mere dozens. The elementals weren’t weak, either, with each possessing second-level strength.

Ronin spat and raised his hand. The spear still floating through the Water Dragon vanished, and a sword appeared in his hand. The Water Elementals rushed him as one and were blown back, dying in the tens with every swing of his blade. A few got close enough to strike him with large, heavy fists, but the Justice Hero shrugged it off. The power disparity between them was so great they likely wouldn’t leave more than small bruises.

But their mission wasn’t to hurt but to stall, and they accomplished that perfectly. With Alex tied up fighting the dragon, and Ronin the elementals, it allowed Korra to complete yet another spell.

”Typhoon!” she cried.

A thick mass of clouds rolled out of the sapphire in her raised staff, multiplying until they blotted out the sky. Rain began to fall, first a light sprinkle, but as the storm developed, it became a monsoon, coming down in sheets so thick it obscured the furthest towers. Lightning began to crackle in the heavens, illuminating brief snippets of the now darkened battlefield, and the constant roll of thunder was near deafening.

”Hey, that’s my spell,” A new voice complained.

Grace, the Storm Hero, alighted beside Korra, holding her spear in hand. She didn’t appear antagonistic to the Water Hero, but stood at her side, gazing at the destruction with curious eyes.

”You actually did it?” She asked. ”I mean, you said you would, but this...?”

Korra nodded, shooting a few ice lances at Alex, catching him off guard. The Fire Hero was blasted off the tower, slamming into a nearby roof. The Dragon pounced after him, landing a heavy blow that collapsed the entire substructure. Alex’s cry of pain rose above the gusts of wind, and Korra grimaced.

”Why can’t you just back down?” She muttered.

”He’s always been stubborn, especially when it came to claiming women,” Grace replied.

The Divine Throne shook as a white light erupted from the other side, and Ronin broke free of the encirclement of elementals. Roaring, he charged toward Korra, sword sweeping for her head. Grace vanished, reappearing before him, and their weapons connected. A powerful shockwave swept out, battering the precariously leaning tower we were on and threatening to topple it.

”R’lissia,” Korra prompted calmly.

The blonde elf, who must have been the Life Hero, nodded. ”Right!”

She waved her staff and cast a fifth-circle spell. Massive roots sprouted from the ground hundreds of feet below, growing rapidly and coiling around the tower. They reached higher and higher until they bound the entire structure, stabilizing it completely. Dozens of large, person-sized flowers bloomed across the vines, releasing a soft, green light that kept the worst of the rain and wind away.

The other nearby towers weren’t so lucky. Between the ever-increasing might of the Typhoon and the constant shockwaves of the battle, many of the protective enchantments were failing. Large chunks of roof and stonework ripped free and plummeted to the earth, smashing through lower roofs, walls, and occasionally people. The festival was in mid-swing, and the sudden battle between the absurdly powerful heroes caught them off guard. Guards ran to and fro, looking for enemies to fight, but ended up lost in the confusion.

The Water Dragon crashed against a tower above the banquet hall, destroying it. Alex smothered it in a fiery storm, consuming the surrounding area and doing as much damage as the dragon had. The dragon recovered and lunged forward again, breaking yet another spire in the frenzied assault.

Everywhere I looked, there was death and destruction. Throughout its entire history, the Divine Throne had never once been threatened by war. Now, it stood on the verge of annihilation, threatened by the same heroes it had lauded mere minutes before.

A figure breached the thick clouds of rain, landing softly beside me. I saw myself reflected in his faintly glowing eyes, a small, scared girl hugging her tail and looking up with pleading eyes. It was Soltair, dressed in his armor and carrying his Holy Sword. A shiver raced down my spine as he looked at me, face dark and grim.

”Hello, Xiviyah,” he said softly, ”The Divine has decreed your fate, and it’s time for us to part ways. Your new master awaits.”