The Forsaken Hero

Taking a deep breath, I turned toward the walls of the Heartland, barely a quarter mile away. Korra moved to stand beside me, and together, we headed toward the gates. The forest was soft and still, stricken with a winter breeze. Korra shivered, and I cast a first-circle spell, shielding us from the chill.

”Thanks,” she murmured, ”I was starting to question my choice of apparel.”

I glanced at her, eyes lingering on her exposed, finely-toned stomach, and nodded. ”I can’t believe you gave up magic. That must have been like cutting off an arm. When Lord Byron took away my mana, I...”

I broke off, staring at my feet as we walked. Korra smiled gently, reaching out to ruffle my heart. ”It wasn’t easy, but now that I’m here, it was worth it. Besides, I managed to invent a new kind of magical technique. Or, at least, I haven’t heard of anyone else using something like it before.”

I accepted the change in topic gratefully. ”What kind of technique?”

”Honestly, I got the idea from watching you. The way you cast magic is so intuitive, it almost resembled magical techniques more than traditional spells. So, I thought, what if I applied my skill and experience casting spells, but only used magical techniques? It took some practice, but after a bit, I came up with some weird hybrid that lets me imbue my techniques with a few simple magical effects. The only problem is that it takes a lot of time and experimenting to create any given effect, making it a lot more restrictive than spellcasting.”

I nodded, my mind flashing with possibilities. I recalled the water prison she’d created to contain me, and the armor-breaking spell she used on the Blade Demon. The weakness of magical techniques is that they were incredibly simple, almost exclusively used to reinforce one’s body or create raw, flashy effects. An explosion of fire, an ice sword, hardened skin, or strengthened muscles. Spells required far more study and skill, not to mention the time required to actually cast them. In return, they gave diverse effects, from summoning extraplanar spirits to acting as bug spray.

”So anyway, I figured out that I could use raw mana to replicate certain simple effects, skipping the cast time and actual magic circles. Considering water magic’s application in battle, most of my study revolves around debuffing my opponents and supporting allies from the front lines. All I have to do is land a good punch or kick, and I can weaken and inflict all sorts of nasty surprises on an enemy.”

I rubbed a horn, my tail swaying back and forth. ”And you call yourself a...monk?”

She nodded, rubbing her neck, cheeks a bashful pink. ”Yeah, it was something from my other world. Some kind of spiritual warrior that punches people. They seemed to have everything else in this world already, so I figured I might as well give it a try. But hey, now that we’re on the topic of new magic, what’s that thing you’ve been doing with your spells? I was more than competent as a priest, but I can’t figure out what you did with your magic circles. Are you just crafting them so fast I can’t see them?”

”Oh, that’s a technique I created called Soulcasting. When the inquisitors caught me, they forced me to teach it to them, so I assumed you knew. It’s based on the way demons and monsters use magic, and...”

We talked for the next few minutes, climbing over gnarled roots and twisting trunks, slowly making our way through the forest. As I finished explaining my experiences creating Soulcasting, I realized Korra was watching me, her eyes twinkling in amusement. Feeling slightly confused, I looked down, finding my hand raised mid-gesture, tail swishing enthusiastically.

Korra smothered a giggle with her hand. ”I guess you really do get excited about magic. It’s a good thing,” she added quickly, seeing my blush, ”I just didn’t expect you to get so animated.”

”Oh...thanks.”

Fortunately, before she could tease me further, we arrived before the walls. I shook my head, clearing the red from my face, and looked for the waypoint. The small, protruding guard house was a short way away, the same location where I’d first entered the city with the Glory Chasers.

Approaching, I wrapped on the heavy, iron-bound door with my staff, the impact sending a shiver of sparks down the smooth, glassy haft. A moment later, the viewport slid open, revealing a ruddy, warty face. The guard squinted into the dusky gloom, finally settling on my face.

”Two girls, eh? What brings you to the gate at this hour?”

My tail twitched nervously as I took a step forward. ”We’re adventurers here to see the shard.”

”Just the two of ya? Eh, might as well come in. I’m sure the captain’ll have some...questions.”

Something about the way he said it sent a chill down my spine, and I couldn’t help but remember the first time we entered, and the rudeness of the guards. If Sorrin hadn’t been there...

The loud squeal of the access portal tore through my sensitive ears, cutting off my thoughts. Wincing, I ducked under the guard’s arm, which propped the door open, and into the waypoint. As before, the air wavered with tobacco smoke and stunk of alcohol. A rack of dusty weapons sat beside the open doorway leading to the guard room beyond. Raucous laughter floated through, accompanied by a frustrated snarl.

”Damn it, again? If I didn’t watch ya, I know ya be cheatin!” an angry voice came.

I glanced at the guard, startled to find him leering at Korra and me. ”T-the captain?” I stammered, unconsciously pulling my cloak tighter about me.

He nodded, eyes lingering a moment longer, before wrapping on the open doorway. ”Captain! Night Visitors!”

With a disgruntled groan, a red-faced man extricated himself from the game of guards and stumbled to the door, leaning against the frame unsteadily. His breath was sharp and bitter, his eyes unfocused, but a hazy leer spread across his face as he took us in. It took me a moment to recognize him as the same man who’d let us in the first time, who Sorrin had thrown into the table.

Encouraged by the thought, I placed a hand under my broach, angling it so that the light caught on its polished facets, drawing their eyes. ”We’re not here to cause any trouble, just visit the Shard.”

The captain’s eyes narrowed, his eyes lingering on the broach before flitting over to Korra. ”And whose this un?”

Korra flicked her short, brown hair back with a shake of her head, meeting his eyes unflinchingly. ”Her friend. Now, approve our visit.”

He frowned, eyes dropping to crawl over her rather revealing clothing, then over to me again. ”I don’t see that bastard wolfkin with ya. That’s suspicious, ain’t it? Regrettably, to ensure the safety of our city, I’m going to have to do a full search and inspection.”

His grin made it clear there was nothing regrettable about this decision at all. The other guards, hearing there might be some action, filed out of the room, hands resting on their sword hilts, eyes crawling over our features.

Korra snorted, crossing her arms beneath her breasts, and looked at me. ”Wasn’t a bad plan, but...”

”That’s enough chit-chat. If ya don’t want any trouble, be good girls and put down your things. Including your clothes.”

I stiffened, hand tightening on the glassy haft of my staff.

”Come on,” he cooed, encouraged by the lewd grins of his men, ”No need to be shy. Just have to make sure you don’t bring anything dangerous into the city. We’ll be gentle.”

One of the men, a mustached, tawny-faced man with a scar down his cheek, raised a hand toward me, hand groping the air. ”Come on, filthblood. I’m giving you a chance to avoid being reported. Now, get on your knees and–”

”Binding Winds.”

Moments before his hand landed on my shoulder, I Soul Cast several second-circle spells. They shouted in alarm as the air wrapped around them, ensnaring their limbs, weapons, and mouths. With a wave of my hand, I threw them all to the side, tying off the spell and leaving them pressed face-first against the cold stone wall. They struggled violently, tearing at the winds, but the strongest among them was only third-level, helpless before my refined and perfected magic.

”It didn’t have to be this way,” I murmured, doing my best to ignore their murderous looks. Fortunately, the winds formed an effective gag, so I didn’t have to suffer their shouts or curses.

Turning away from the struggling guards, I slipped through the door, which hung ajar from their entrance. Korra hesitated a moment before following, sparing them a nervous glance.

”Are you sure it’s alright to leave them?” she asked.

I nodded, running a hand over the crest of my horn. ”It’ll be fine. They won’t be getting free anytime soon.”

As we broke out onto the street, she quickened her step, laying a hand on my shoulder. ”Isn’t sustaining that many spells over a distance a little taxing on your mana? What if we run into trouble later on?”

I glanced at her, lips twitching into a small smile. ”It’s not my mana. I’ve been experimenting with a few different techniques and thought I’d give one a try. I tied the spell to their souls, meaning it will last as long as they have mana.”

She came to an abrupt stop, her hand falling off my shoulder as I took a step before turning. ”How the hell did you do something like that? What even made you come up with...wait,” her eyes narrowed, ”is that even safe? If they don’t have control over the spell, won’t it continue to drain their mana until they are forced to burn their souls?”

I shrugged. ”Perhaps, but it’s a lot harder than you think to reach that point. Most souls naturally restrict the flow of mana when reaching their limits, and can only intentionally be forced past it. It’s still experimental, so there’s a chance it might prove dangerous, but I’m almost positive they’ll be alright. Exhausted, but alright.”

She shook her head, a new look of appreciation coming across her face. ”You’re something else, Xiviyah. Something else indeed.”

I shook my head, turning once more. ”Let’s get going. The church isn’t far, but the nights aren’t safe here, especially for someone like me.”

Korra laughed, the bright, joyful sound clashing against the looming buildings and dark alleys. I turned to her, head canted in confusion, but she just rolled her eyes. ”You’re not safe? At this point, I think I’m more concerned about the rest of the city!”

”Let’s just go, alright?”

Together, smiling, we moved down the street. After a few turns, the gates of the temple rose before us, a glimmer of light amid the darkened city. And, in front of the gate, there was a priest, dressed in long, flowing white robes. The moment we met eyes, my mana tingled, and I tugged on Korra’s sleeve, bringing us to a stop.

The priest smiled, his eyes flashing open. I gasped, taking a step back, my hand pressed uncertainty to my breast. His eyes were gold. Gold, and filled with the light of a thousand stars.

”Greetings, Heroes. I’ve been expecting you.”