The Forsaken Hero

The main gates of Bluegate Keep towered above us, casting a shadow as dark and intimidating as the canyon cliffs. As we prepared to cross beneath the wrought iron portcullis, I stared up at the fortifications in awe, tracing the seams of the enormous stone blocks that made up the great walls. Each stone was as big as a house and dyed blue, cut from the canyon below. Glowing veins of mana laced the stonework, evidence to my eyes alone of the true strength these walls represented. Even forgetting the magical shields each tower could conjure, it would take several seventh-level spells to bring down the ramparts and breach the city.

”Everything alright?” Korra asked, taking my hand. I blinked and shook my head, tearing my eyes from the simple stonework and the beautiful spells and looking at her. At my confused look, she tugged my hand and grinned. ”Come on, you can gawk later. Just not in the middle of the road.”

A blush warmed my cheeks as I looked around, finding the rest of the party watching me curiously. Refugees passed by on either side, a river breaking around a rock, giving us more than a few dirty looks as they were forced to sidestep our party.

”Sorry,” I mumbled, tail twitching beneath my cloak, and allowed her to pull me along after the others.

The walls were nearly thirty feet thick, forcing the road beneath them in a tunnel-like passage. A clinging chill mired the shadows within the walls, and I shivered, drawing my cloak tight about me. The sun flashed down on us the moment we emerged from the other side, and a cacophony of unfamiliar sounds assaulted my delicate ears. I shrunk closer to Korra as my senses struggled to acclimate to the sudden shift in environment, grateful for her comforting hand and reassured by her presence.

Blinking away the starburst of light, my eyes and ears adjusted to the bustle of the Bluegate Keep. Narrow streets snaked between buildings of rough-hewn stone, built in tight, utilitarian rows that seemed designed to optimize space over beauty. As I looked deeper into the sprawling city, the structures layered backward in a rising expanse, each district closer to the city center boasting grander buildings and wider avenues. The districts formed an ascending line that drew my attention to the citadel in the middle, which formed the peak of the man-made mountain. It towered well above the splendid mansions and gardens of the nobility closest to it, proudly displaying the colors of Brithlite and the Divine Throne.

A glimmering crystal, similar to the one that had protected Western University, floated above its topmost tower, glittering with enough mana to be seen from our location over a mile away. Could it possibly be a ninth-level enchantment?

My breath quickened at the thought, my tail stirring with excitement. But before I could engage the idea, Korra tugged on my hand, letting me know I was flagging behind again.

”You’re certainly having a good time,” she whispered, winking at me. ”I thought you might be a little more on edge.”

I shrugged, playing with a strand of long, crimson hair. ”It’s just, well, you know. Sari might be here, but so is the circle, and the church. I’m just trying not to think too hard about everything and enjoy the moment, just like you said.” I looked around at the city, smiling faintly as my eyes found the magic crystal again. ”It’s all so big and exciting, a little scary too.”

She pressed a hand to her lips, smothering a giggle. ”This is hardly the first big city you’ve seen. Didn’t you live in the Divine Throne for a few months? That place is way bigger than here.”

”It’s not the same. I, um, well, didn’t see things like that, even when I looked. It was so dark and lonely, and everyone wanted to hurt me. If it weren’t for Thron or Selena...”

I trailed off, biting my lip and blinking back tears. Korra squeezed my hand and gave me a comforting smile.

”I’m just glad you can see it now, so we can share experiences like this together.” She rubbed her chin with her free hand, glancing at the crowded streets. ”I wonder how many people live here, anyway. Looks way bigger than Heartland.”

”About two hundred thousand,” Orion said offhandedly, scanning the streets for threats.

A tinge of red crawled over my face and up my ears as I realized he’d probably been listening in on our entire conversation. ”R-really? That’s a lot...isn’t it?”

”Indeed,” Jenna said, giving us a sultry grin. ”Cities like this have lots of interesting opportunities. If you’d like, I’d be more than happy to show you around sometimes.”

Before I could so much as blush, Luxxa fixed the mage with a glare. ”You’ll do no such thing, especially not with such a sweet girl. In fact, you’d better not let me catch you visiting some shady tavern or brothel while we’re here, or there’ll be a reckoning.”

”Don’t worry, you won’t,” Jenna replied with a wink. ”Now Gith on the other hand...well, he might catch me.”

Gith glared at her but didn’t bother breaking his usual silence. Korra’s grip tightened on my hand, and I looked over to find her holding back a smile. Orion chuckled alongside her, shaking his head before picking up the pace.

”Let’s get going. It’s going to be dark in a few hours, and the sooner we get a room the better. This place is crawling with refugees and the room’ll fill up quickly.”

Luxxa and Jenna continued to bicker as we walked, pushing through the crowds. The refugees thinned out as we penetrated deeper into the city, allowing us more room and a less vigilante watch. Our garb didn’t exactly invite pickpockets, but Gith had already caught several urchins straying a bit too close to us. His senses were uncannily sharp, often finding and identifying threats long before I thought to look.

”Where are we going?” I asked Orion, looking up at the gray-haired man curiously.

He glanced down at me, his lips curving up in a mischievous grin. ”An old inn called the Empty Nest. It’s always been a favorite of the Last Light Company, even back in our mercenary days.”

”The whole company used to stay there?” I asked, my eyes wide. There were thousands of soldiers back in the camp, so just how big was this inn?”

”We were a lot smaller back then, closer too,” he mused, eyes far away and distant. ”The biggest we got was three hundred, but that damned Demon Gate cut us back to two. After that debacle, we were tasked with training a new army, which naturally funneled into our ranks. And now we’ve gone and split again, caught between you and the king.”

”I’m sorry,” I murmured, regretting asking. ”I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

”Nonsense,” he said, a bit gruffer than usual. ”Avoiding the topic doesn’t change a thing. Honestly, I’m just surprised Joel knew about it.”

I blinked, about to ask what he meant, but when I voiced the question, he just glanced at me, head tilted in confusion. I tried again, only to realize the conversations around had faded into incomprehensible gibberish. Only Korra, lost in conversation with Luxxa, spoke normally, but even the female knight’s responses were muddled.

A long sigh escaped my lips as I thought of Fable, far away on a ridge in Blue Canyon. In the excitement of creating and executing our plan, I’d overlooked my dependence on my wolf for the Tongue’s ability. The only thing I could do was interrupt Korra’s conversation and have her explain the situation. Orion was already familiar with it, having experienced it in Bluerock City, and the rest accepted it without question.

A few minutes passed, and we crossed into one of the inner districts. The shops and houses were neat and tidy, nothing like the slum-like structures of the outer city. Soon after, we came to a stop before a large, four-story inn. The hand-painted sign above the door detailed an empty nest.

”Real original,” Korra muttered, rolling her eyes at the sign.

Luxxa replied to her, frowning disapprovingly, but Korra just shrugged. Probably telling her to be a bit more respectful.

Regardless, we all followed Orion through the door. The inn’s common room held a layout I found familiar and comforting, reminiscent of the months I spent living in the village inn at Westfall Village. The barkeeper was a stout human with a receding hairline and bushy beard. He stood behind the counter polishing a mug and raised an eyebrow as we entered.

Orion drew back his hood, letting it fall about his shoulders and revealing the face. The innkeeper broke into a wide smile, putting the mug down and reaching out to clasp the veteran’s arm. When they started talking, I was delighted to find I could make out most of their conversation. It seemed I was right on the edge of the range.

”Well I’ll be damned,” the innkeeper said, ”It’s been a while Orion. Thought you’d be in with the other boys but had almost given up hope.”

Orion shrugged his broad shoulders and settled on a bar stool, seeming to ignore the fact that it groaned threateningly beneath his armored weight. ”I...stuck back for a bit. Waiting for a friend to recover.”

”One of ’em?” the innkeeper asked, nodding toward us. ”I recognize Luxxa and Gith, and I’m certain the patrons’ll be happy to see Jenna, but the other two?”

The grizzled soldier tapped his spatial ring and withdrew a stack of gold coins. The innkeeper’s eyes narrowed as the gleaming coins caught the glowing light crystal’s radiance, sending bright dots dancing around the room.

”We’ll be staying here a night or two, perhaps three,” Orion said, sliding them across the counter. ”This ought to cover it, no?”

The innkeeper’s hands blurred with deceptive speed, and the coins vanished. ”I’ve got a few rooms to spare on the top floor, the ones with the windows.”

”Good. We’ll need three of them. And those two?” Orion jerked his head to Korra and me. ”Treat them right. They’re the closest thing I have to daughters.”

I nearly tripped over my feet, my tail going stiff with shock. My heart warmed at his words, sending a pleasant tingle running down my tail.

”I see,” the man behind the bar said, nodding slowly. ”In that case, would you like the keys to your rooms now? We’ve still got a few hours till the regulars arrive and supper’s served, so feel free to look around the city.”

”I think we’ll take ’em now, if you please.”

The innkeeper withdrew three small keys from beneath the counter and set them in the soldier’s hand. They exchanged a few more words, but the language muddled again. Feeling lost in the chaos, I clung close to Korra, conscious of the innkeeper’s curious gaze.

Once we arrived upstairs, Orion handed Korra a key and Luxxa another, separating us into three pairs. The moment I stepped into our room, I summoned my staff and looked a Korra, lips twitching into a smile.

”Think they allow pets?”