The Forsaken Hero

Heartland City was a thriving mass of stonework and people, sitting in a valley between two towering peaks. The ancient Heartland Forest, which swallowed up the surrounding towns and villages, crept right up to the thick walls. Four major roads flowed into the city, one from each of the main cardinal villages, including Westfall.

The city was far out of the way of the regular roads of commerce, sitting on the fringes of civilization. The city was technically within Brithlite territory but hadn’t seen a royal representative, military patrol, or even a tax collector in years. They effectively ruled as a city-state, utilizing their own militia for protection against large monster threats. The government held close ties with the adventuring guild, which ”volunteered” to take on anything smaller.

As we sat on the road overlooking the city, I couldn’t help but watch the caravans rolling along the roads into the city. Some of them were dozens of wagons long and had hundreds of merchants, servants, and guards. The red, dying light of the evening sun dyed the white canvas roofs of the wagons red, making them look like the scales of an impossibly long infernal serpent.

”Pretty impressive, isn’t it,” Dyson said, squatting beside me. When I glanced at him, he coughed and gestured to the city far below. ”The caravans, I mean. Heartland doesn’t have much in the way of commerce, but they’re one of the best waypoints between Brithlite and the other kingdoms of the Northern Continent. Some of them have been traveling for months, hailing all the way from the edges of the world.”

Tana clasped her hands together and sighed longingly. ”I hope they have one in from the coast right now. Some of their shells and silks are just to die for. We’ll have to hit their wares first thing in the morning.”

I looked at the long, winding road down to the city. The mountains were hardly gentle, forcing the road to twist into hundreds of switchbacks as it descended the cliffs. Shielding my eyes against the setting sun, I quickly judged the time till nightfall and turned to the half-elf.

”Are we going to be able to make it in time? Won’t they close the gates soon?”

Dyson laughed and straightened up, straightening his sword belt. ”Maybe if we walked, but where’s the fun in that? Once you get powerful enough, things like cliffs become minor inconveniences.”

My eyes widened, and I hastily backed away from the edge.”Y-you mean jump?” I asked, horrified. My skin crawled, and I shivered, the sensation traveling down my spine to the tip of my tail.

”Of course! It takes an entire day off the travel time, and it’s not like it hurts or anything. Even Tana’s tough enough to handle it.”

Tana nodded in agreement, but her eyes never left me. ”Is something the matter?” She asked softly. As I shook my head, she laid a reassuring hand on my shoulder. ”Don’t worry, Sorrin can carry you. He’s really gentle, and if you close your eyes, you won’t even notice you’re falling.”

”I-I don’t think I can do that,” I whispered. Just thinking of the sheer cliffs made me dizzy, and I tightened my grip on my staff for support. ”Please, not again.”

”You’re scared of heights?” Rasce asked disbelieving. ”How is that even possible? You faced down goblins without even blinking, but the moment you meet a man’s gaze, or look at a cliff, you’re practically shaking!”

”That’s enough,” Sorrin said, shooting him a sharp look.

”Yeah, whatever. You guys do what you want. I’m sleeping in a soft bed tonight.” With that, Rasce slung his bow on his back and kicked off the ground, sailing out into the shadowy dusk. As he plummeted to the switchback below, I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to help put myself in his place. In my mind, the ground rushed up, filling everything until-

”See, I’m fine!” Rasce’s voice floated over the edge. ”Come on down. Even if it’s for you guys, I won’t wait forever.”

Dyson awkwardly picked at the leather bindings of his shortsword, hesitantly meeting my pleading gaze. ”It really is alright. We’ve done this a lot, every time we come to the city. I wouldn’t mind carrying you down, either, if it makes you feel better. I’ve got lots of experience dealing with cliffs and treacherous terrain.”

”You’ll be fine,” Tana said encouragingly. ”It’s not so bad once you get used to it.”

I shook my head desperately, struggling to curb the panic seizing my chest. Get used to it? I flew halfway across the world in a single night, floating so far in the sky I could see the curvature of the world. If that hadn’t got me used to it, nothing would.

As I looked back at the flickering lights of the city, it finally occurred to me this all felt so familiar. In the dark, it was nearly identical to High Valley. Only that time, my party hadn’t thought to ask first. Soltair had simply grabbed me and jumped, finding my terrified screams exhilarating.

”You guys coming?” Raced called impatiently.

Sorrin stepped forward, holding out his hand. ”Just trust me. Having faith in each other is what being a party’s all about.”

I hesitated, my tail curling anxiously around my ankles. After another look over the edge, I shook my head desperately. ”I...I can’t. Please, don’t make me!”

”Whoa, no one’s going to make you do anything. You’re not a slave, but our friend. If it means that much to you, we can simply take the road. That’s what it’s there for, right?” Sorrin held up his hands and took a step back, trying his best to sound reassuring.

”R-really?”

”Of course,” he replied smoothly.

At his word, I started to relax. Sorrin, Dyson, and Tana stepped away from the edge, starting toward the nearest switchback. Rasce grumbled something, but his voice vanished, trailing over the edge to the next switch back.

They were going to walk.

The realization went through me like a bolt of lightning. The party was going to waste an entire day of travel and surrender the soft, warm beds of an inn, all because of me. Why would they do that? Was it part of some elaborate plot to earn my trust?

”You coming?” Dyson asked, looking over his shoulder. ”We’ll have to find a spot to camp, and it isn’t getting any lighter.”

I hesitated a moment longer, searching the three dark silhouettes of my retreating companions for any signs of guile. As I found none, I took a deep breath, and my stomach dropped in anticipatory terror.

”D-do you promise?” I said, my voice barely more than a whimper.

Tana and Sorrin paused, glancing at me. As they saw the tears glistening in the corners of his eyes, they quickly returned, appearing at my side in an instant.

”Promise what?” Tana asked gently.

I forced myself to down at the cliffs once again. The sun had dropped below the horizon, leaving the mountainside little more than a dark, forbidding mass of uncertainty.

In a small voice, I again asked,” Do you promise it’ll be alright?”

Sorrin let out a sigh of relief and rested a hand between my horns, rubbing my head fondly. I was too anxious to shake him off, and after a moment, it no longer felt uncomfortable.

”I promise,” he said earnestly.

His hand made me feel like a small girl, but given the situation, I felt rather childish. I flushed in embarrassment, my tongue feeling thick and heavy. The two waited patiently as I struggled for words.

”Um, Sorrin, if you’re still willing to—I mean, if it’s not too much to ask, could you...carry me?” My voice quivered, trailing off into a whisper at the end, and I quickly looked away.

”Are you sure this is what you want, Starlight?” he asked slowly.

I nodded quickly, afraid I might lose my nerve otherwise. he held out his hand, and I took a nervous breath before accepting it. Sorrin wrapped his arms around me, sweeping me off my feet and holding me close to his chest. Tana patted my hand once before leaping off the edge, followed closely by Dyson.

”Ready?” Sorrin asked softly.

I trembled, closing my eyes and burying my face in his cloak. he must have taken that for agreement, because the next thing I knew, we were hurtling through the air. I bit my lip, clinging to him with all my might. The wind tore at my hair and clothes, ripping the breath from my throat, and before I knew it, we were on the ground.

”Hey, are you okay?” Tana asked, her voice laced with concern. ”Should we stop, or can you handle the rest? It’s a long way down, and we can take a break whenever you need to.”

I nodded shakily, not daring to open my eyes. Seconds later, we plummeted through the air once more, and then again, and again. I clung to Sorrin, and despite my fear, the constant drops soon blurred together. Occasionally he would stop and ask if I was alright, and to my surprise, I found myself able to honestly answer ’yes.’

When the last drop finally came, I opened my eyes a crack, only to find the ground mere feet below. A split second later, we landed, and as Sorrin released me, I found my legs surprisingly steady. I still summoned my staff, leaning heavily on it for support, but the weakness that had gripped me time and time again was nowhere to be felt.

Rasce waited for us a little bit up the road, watching me closely. His face was expressionless, giving no hints as to what he thought, and he said nothing. I was expecting at least an eye roll, as he so often directed in my direction, but he simply shrugged, as though the fact we had decided to jump down anyway was truly irrelevant to him.

Without further discussion, the Glory Chasers moved toward the walls of the city, which were barely a couple dozen yards away. Sorrin and Tana walked hand in hand, and Dyson hurried to catch up to Rasce, beginning to talk about what shop they would visit first.

”Thank you,” I whispered, pressing a hand to my breast. I could feel the faint pulse of my heart, slow and even despite the fear I had experienced but second ago. A powerful warmth blossomed in the depths of my soul. It was so much greater than simple gratitude for making it to the ground safely. ”Thank you for keeping your promise.”