The Forsaken Hero

”Alright, slowly now, take a deep breath,” Elinore instructed gently.

I obeyed, letting air fill my lungs until a crack of pain shot through my side, and hissed through my teeth. Elinore frowned and adjusted her spell, washing away the pain with a fresh wave of Life Magic.

”Good. Now breathe out.”

I brushed away a tear and did as she asked, exhaling through parted lips. While maintaining her spell with one hand, she patted my head with the other, whispering encouragement the whole time. My tail twitched involuntarily, a flush warming my cheeks despite my best efforts to hide it. Fortunately, the tent was empty aside from ourselves, and Elinore didn’t seem to care for my bashfulness, only smiling a bit at the conflict in my eyes. I hated feeling helpless and coddled, but a part of me yearned for that touch, to be soothed and comforted like a child.

Several days had passed since I’d awoken. Elinore had remained by my side the entire time, constantly pressuring me to rest and recover. She was a kind, motherly woman, with streaks of gray in her short brown hair and a warm smile. She was strict, though, and took full advantage of my timid nature. Every attempt to sit up or dress myself was met with a gentle but firm hand pushing me back down, and a ”Not yet, milady. Just rest for now. Everyone else is working hard, so there’s no reason to force yourself.”

Elinore’s hand lingered for a moment longer before she turned away and riffled through her spatial ring. I watched curiously, my tail twitching back and forth, as she withdrew a soft leather pouch. She returned her attention to my side and lifted my dress, revealing the shining fissures of light on my side. She dipped her fingers into the pouch and stirred it around a bit before withdrawing again. Her fingers came out sticky with some sort of thick, sappy fluid. The goop released a pungent scent that overwhelmed my delicate nose, causing me to turn away.

”This might sting a bit,” she said, gently smoothing her fingers over the Sunpurge.

I flinched as she made contact, but the strange poultice’s effects were immediate, soaking into my skin and soothing the raging fire of the Sunpurge. By the time my side was coated in translucent slime, I had already tugged my dress up further and exposed the glowing scars on my shoulder. Elinore smiled at that and raised an eyebrow, and I looked away, blushing softly.

”Please?” I asked shyly.

She rolled her eyes and began to apply it on my shoulder as well. ”How could I say no to a face like that.” When she finished, she settled back and nodded at a job well done. ”There. How’s that?”

”It’s...gone,” I breathed. ”I can’t feel anything, not even a tingle. It’s been...forever...” I broke off in a sniffle, and she looked at me in alarm.

”What’s wrong? Did it start hurting again?”

I shook my head and blinked away the gathered moisture in my eyes. ”I’m alright. I just can’t remember the last time I didn’t hurt like this. It’s always been there...throbbing...”

She smiled softly and wiped her fingers on her robe before putting away the pouch. I luxuriated in the cool, soothing sensations racing through my side before curiosity got the better of men, and I asked, ”Just what is it?”

Elinore chuckled and rested a hand on my uninjured shoulder. ”I think it’s best if you didn’t know the ingredients. Many would find it...unsavory. I developed it a few months ago with my teacher, the first ever medicine to treat Sunpurge. Unfortunately, the effects are only temporary, but it should be able to provide some relief for an hour or two.”

She sounded regretful, perhaps disappointed in herself, but my eyes filled with tears. An hour didn’t seem like long, but to me, who had suffered months without relief, it was enough. I threw my arms around her neck and hugged her again, sobbing with gratitude. She stiffened in surprise, but her she settled into the embrace, one hand holding my back, the other stroking my hair.

”Thank you,” I wept, not caring that I wet her dress with my tears.

”I’m glad to be of service. It’s a shame my master wasn’t here, though. She worked harder than anyone on it, and I’m certain she’d be delighted.”

”Your master?” I asked.

I felt her nod. ”Yes, the one who helped me break through to sixth level. I was merely a fourth-level mage last year during the Double Gate Incident and could do little more than watch as you suffered and bled for our people. The moment I heard my master was studying Sunpurge, I immediately offered to be her assistant.”

Her hand on my back tightened, and her voice took on a hint of regret. ”I only wish I knew then what I knew now. Then you wouldn’t have had to suffer all these months alone and in pain. Now, even if it’s late, I’m grateful I could be here to repay you for what you did for us, all of us, in that gate.”

Her story was touching, filling me with warmth, but something in it caught my attention. She had gained two levels in a single year, something impossible for most mages. She had also chosen to research Sunpurge, a field of study that had made no progress in thousands of years, and produced results. The mages of the Last Light Company were certainly impressive, but could such a thing really be done? The only way would be to be blessed by the gods like a hero, or study under someone just as powerful. Life Mages were rare, especially one who empathized with demonkin to risk damaging their reputation for their plight.

”Elinore,” I asked, pulling back and looking into her deep, brown eyes. ”Forgive me for asking, but who is your master?”

The woman smiled, meeting my gaze with a spark of amusement. ”I’m afraid she asked me to keep that from you, just in case. She said that one day she would like to meet you again, but it was best to remain secret for now.”

I wilted a bit, crestfallen. ”Oh. I’d really like to thank her, but I understand.”

That last part was a lie. ’Just in case’ of what? And meet me again? Selena was the only life mage I knew, but she was a battle mage and had very little experience with high-level healing magic. If there had been some other sympathetic priest or mage I came across in my travels, they remained hidden beneath the layers of fog veiling my earlier memories of Enusia. It had been nearly two years since I’d been summoned to this world, and I’d met more people than I believed existed.

The flap of fabric brought me from my thoughts, and we both turned to find Elinore’s apprentice, Sarra, standing at the entrance of the tent. Her face was flushed red and she panted heavily, struggling to catch her breath.

”Master,” Sarra cried, ”They found more survivors in the city!”

Elinore’s skirts whirled as she leaped to her feet, a scowl etched across her motherly face. ”Damn it, I thought we got them all already.” She took a step toward the entrance before pausing, seeming to remember I was there. Her normally passive expression shuddered, a bit of mortification leaking through, and she dropped a hasty curtsy. ”Forgive my uncouth language, milady. The soldiers have been an undue influence on me, and I spoke without thinking.”

My lips twitched into a smile. ”It’s alright. I’ve tried telling them they can speak however they want, but...” I shrugged helplessly.

”I wish they showed me that consideration,” she grumbled. Sarra shifted on her feet, hands clasped together nervously, and Elinore sighed. ”Yes, yes, I’m coming. How someone survived for an entire week in that mess of a city is beyond me, but I suppose they need our magic more than anyone.”

Sarra nodded and started to run out, almost letting the tent flap fall in Elinore’s face. She let out a squeak and caught it, holding it open for her master.

Elinore paused at the entrance and looked back, catching me with a stern look. ”Just because I’ll be busy for a while doesn’t mean you can wander off. I know you get a little antsy cooped up in here, but don’t you dare let me catch you doing anything strenuous. Even if you won’t admit it, your body needs time to adjust to the devastation caused by the Sunpurge.”

”I-I understand.” I nodded meekly, praying my twitching tail was out of sight. I’d been working on hiding my expressions more, but that traitor was always looking for a way to expose my feelings, especially when I was nervous. Like now.

She stared at me for a moment longer before giving a sharp nod and whirling away. The moment the tent flap collapsed, I let out a breath, glaring down at my tail. After making sure it knew its place, I slipped off the bed and tiptoed to the flap, peeking out to ensure Elinore was actually gone.

I felt bad for lying to her, but Korra had promised to help me sneak out. She had said there was somewhere she wanted to take me, and I couldn’t wait to show her how well I was recovering. It wasn’t like she didn’t know–she came by nearly every day–but this was the first time in over a year I was free of pain. I wanted to hug her without shying away from a tingle of pain or hiding my shoulder from her.

Well, mostly free of pain. I quickly gave up trying to put on my soft leather boots after bending over sent a stab of pain through my side. That poultice wasn’t perfect it seemed, and aggravating the Sunpurge too much would still ignite it.

My legs were still a little weak and shaky as I slipped outside of the tent, the ground cold and rough against my bare feet, but my spirits soared as a silver shape slipped around the tent. Fable looked me up and down, radiating disapproval, and I smiled bashfully, curling a strand of hair around my finger.

”Please?”

He let out the wolf equivalent of an exasperated sigh and lowered his shoulder, letting me slip onto his back. I stroked his head lovingly, and he bounded away at top speed. The camp blurred around us, and I squeezed my eyes shut, overwhelmed by a wave of vertigo. The strain got me to admit that Elinore may have had a point, and I should have listened, but the feeling evaporated as we stopped on the outskirts of the camp. Korra waited for us with a smile, which grew wider as she caught sight of my bare feet and the excited swish of my tail.

”I didn’t think you’d manage to get away!” she said, laughing. ”But I’m glad you did. Ready?”

I nodded, too happy to feel embarrassed. ”Where are we going? It’s not far, is it?”

She shook her head and pointed up above me. I followed her finger and gasped, finding myself staring at the titanic stone monolith overshadowing the valley.

As I looked back at her, eyes wide, she grinned. ”Up there.”