The Forsaken Hero

”Damn it all,” Jackal sighed, sounding more tired than upset. ”Thank you for the report. At our current speed, when would you estimate our arrival?”

The scout answered immediately. ”Assuming we camp for the night, we should see the city before noon tomorrow.”

Jackal nodded, and waved his hand, dismissing the man. ”Good. Find yourself one of the suppliers and get something to eat.”

”Thank you, sir.” The scout saluted and left.

I glanced at Korra, but she just shook her head, proving her own confusion. As the column of soldiers resumed marching, she stalked closer to Jackal and folded her arms, staring hard at Jackal. ”What’s this about arriving too late? I thought most of the army had already arrived a few weeks ago?”

The old, scarred soldier let out a long breath, turning to look at us, and a rising sense of dread clutched at my heart. I had a sinking suspicion I knew what this was about.

”Our original orders were rendezvous with reinforcements at Bluegate Keep. We were promised the numbers to hold against the demon forces there and prevent them from marching on Brithlite itself, as well as the powerful individuals capable of standing against the Enusian allies fighting with them. Those were our biggest problems, and the reason we’ve requested heroes for battle.”

”Than apostles,” I mumbled, my tail twitching uncertainty.

Korra nodded, but Jackal raised an eyebrow. ”Apostles? I’ve never heard of a title like that. All I know is that they are tremendously powerful, perhaps as much as our heroes. They were solely responsible for defending the Demon Gates until they broke, denying us the chance to nip the assault in the bud. It’s hard to estimate how many gates they’ve opened behind their lines, but our best guess is around five. We’ve killed thousands of them, but their numbers are supplemented daily by a stream of disgruntled demonkin and beastkin. When they forced us to retreat, the combined army was close to thirty thousand, and that’s not accounting for the eight ...Apostles above seventh level.”

Korra let out a low whistle. ”That’s quite a few demons. If Alverin was confident of holding them at Bluegate, they must have gathered a sizeable force themselves.”

”Exactly. That’s why we were hoping to beat the reinforcements to Bluegate. The church’s banner being there means a coalition army of soldiers from all over the world has also come, bolstering their numbers.”

I’d been silent the entire time, slowly processing the information. The closest thing I’d ever seen to war was when we raided the Ice Gate. I had no idea what those numbers meant, or the power they represented.

Jackal continued to speak, his next words catching my attention. ”The more troubling part is the royal banner. Enusian tradition states that any ruling authority must have their presence announced in any city they abide in. The colors over the city mean Alverin himself has come at the head of the army. If that doesn’t prove their confidence, nothing will.”

”They must have brought a hero,” Korra said softly. ”I wonder which one?”

”Bluegate has a dominant position at the only place it’s possible to exit the canyon. Sipping our soldiers past them will be all but impossible. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re already aware of our presence. If our scouts have seen them, they’ve seen us,” Jackal said.

Korra nodded in agreement, but before she could respond, I cut in. ”Slip by?”

Jackal began to nod, then froze, a shadow crossing his face. ”Damn it, you’re right. I planned to evade their forces and press on the capital, but if Alverin’s here...”

”Sari is too,” I finished. ”He knows what she can do and wouldn’t leave her behind. She’s too, um, well, useful.”

The word tasted gross in my mouth. Sari was a child, not a tool. What kind of monster was Alverin to force her to act like one? If I hadn’t been Soltair’s slave, I might have ended up in the same position, valued only for my abilities. Actually, that might have been preferable, because at least then they’d bother to protect me, not condemn me to hell with Lord Byron.

. ”That complicates things,” Jackal mused, ”The inquisitors knew you were with us, which means our guise as regular soldiers is gone. We might not get the chance to explain ourselves and sue for peace before we’re taken as enemies. The last thing I want is an open battle between the Last Light Company.”

”What about Bethiv?” I asked, hesitating a bit. ”He won’t...I mean, he protected me before...”

Jackal’s face twisted into a scowl. ”That’s the problem. The last time we spoke, Commander Bethiv was...different. As you might remember, he and the king are brothers, yet there’s never been any real love between them. They’ve always had different philosophies and interests, something that only became more apparent after the Ice Gate fell. But recently, Bethiv’s been nothing but loyal to him, liking his feet and supporting everything he says. It’s unnatural, and many of us suspect foul play.”

Korra frowned, confirming her thoughts ran along similar lines with her next words. ”Have they reached the next phase in the slave crest? The church was experimenting with a ring that allowed you to control a slave’s soul, not just their body. Might it be something like that?”

”I...I don’t think so,” I whispered, my stomach twisting with dread.

A chill ran down my spine as I recalled a similar phenomenon to what Jackal had described in behavior in Heartland City. Much of the adventuring guild, including Helron the guild master, had been struck with a temporary curse, the predecessor of the Heart Crest. Their long-held values had become as dust beneath their feet, only the whims of their masters mattered. It was a vile curse, but fortunately hadn’t progressed beyond the prototype. I’d accidentally developed the full Heart Crest, but I hadn’t ever allowed myself to even think of its circles, much less cast it. Even with what I’d accidentally shown Alverin, it would be impossible for anyone other than myself to recreate it.

Both Jackal and Korra stared at me, so I quickly filled them in on my thoughts. When they were caught up, I ribbed a horn, thinking quickly. ”I think it must be a blend between the Heart Crest and the Soul Crest. Perhaps a more temporary form of control that can be removed by taking off the ring, or something.”

Jackal groaned. ”Well, that’s just perfect, isn’t it. Now we won’t even know who’s really our enemy, and who’s controlled by that bastard.”

”Not entirely,” I said, brightening a bit. ”I can see if someone’s afflicted by the Heart Crest. Our goal isn’t to fight the entire kingdom, it’s just to save Sari. We might be able to sneak a small team in and rescue her, then get out before anyone knows what’s going on.”

”And kill Alverin,” Korra muttered, hands tightening into fists. ”But I guess that can wait, if it needs to. Once he knows we’re here, I’m sure that snake won’t hesitate to use Sari as a shield.”

Jackal stroked his chin, eyes far away and distant. I held my breath as he considered our thoughts, my tail twitching anxiously. I had to do everything I could to prevent this from escalating into a full-blown civil war. If it went wrong, Sari was going to be the one to suffer, and beyond that, thousands of innocents would die in the process.

”Very well,” he finally said, turning to meet my eyes. ”There’s a lot we don’t understand about the situation. We’ll make camp before we enter their detection range, and send a small party ahead to gather information. You two should go, and I’ll send an escort of soldiers. The primary goal will be intel, but if the occasion presents itself, don’t hesitate to act. Even if it compromises our position, saving your friend will be the most important thing. We can figure out what to do later.”

”I agree,” Korra nodded. ”With the demon army hot on our heels, the king’s forces won’t dare to chase us into the canyon. We should still have a week or two before they arrive, which gives us plenty of time.”

I let out a breath, giving them a small, sincere smile. ”Thank you, truly.”

”Anything for our lady.” Jackal reached out, ruffling my hair. I shied away, my cheeks warming, but he just barked a laugh. ”Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got much to discuss with my officers. Plan on making camp in an hour or so.”

Still chuckling, he walked away, leaving me red-faced, my tail twitching.

”Why does he always do that?” I complained, gripping Fable’s fur tightly.

Korra giggled, and I ducked beneath her hand, which also attempted to pat me on the head. ”Probably because you’re adorable when you’re embarrassed.”

”Am not,” I muttered, blushing darker. She was just teasing me, right?

True to Jackal’s word, the company moved off the road an hour later, hiding up to a gnarled ridge. There, looking out over the depths of Blue Canyon, we got our first look at the city.