The Forsaken Hero

The demon army was spread out over the canyon, small and black like a swarm of insects. Their position was dangerously close to the ridge where the Last Light Company waited for our return. Their forward forces engaged with the cursed soldiers in light skirmishes, battling for dominance of the road approaching the first fort.

Fortunately, they didn’t advance beyond that, seeming content to wait outside the gate. They’d already begun to entrench, using magic to terraform the ridges and valleys to create natural barriers that protected them from anything the soldiers tried to throw at them. From my vision, I knew they were planning to wait for reinforcements, but that position wouldn’t last for long.

Groaning, I rubbed my horn, tail lashing in frustration. Why in the world had the Staff of Fate dragged a gate here? From the chaotic energy swirling within, it would rupture in less than a day. This far along, there should have been a hero inside, or at least on the way, preparing to raid it. Were they stuck inside, or now scratching their head, wondering why the gate was gone?

I could worry about the details later. The moment Fable killed the last of the soldiers atop the wall, he leaped back over the edge, falling the fifty or so feet to the inner courtyard. I squeaked at the sudden acceleration, gripping his fur tightly, but the landing came easily. For me, at least. The cobblestone cracked beneath the force of our fall, but Fable absorbed the brunt of it.

”Thanks for clearing the wall, Lady Xiviyah!” Orion called, pulling his sword out of the chest of a soldier. The man clutched futilely at the massive hole between his ribs, gasping a final scream before collapsing in a twisted heap of blood and steel.

The rest of our party was cleaning up the remaining soldiers in a similar fashion. A few tried to flee, but Jenna blasted them with lightning, and Gith’s arrows picked off any she missed. By the time Fable padded over to them, the final guard fell beneath Korra’s fist.

”What’s next?” I asked, trying not to look at the corpses lying strewn about. I didn’t mind their deaths anymore, not if meant freeing Sari and Elise, but the stench of blood was already making me nauseous. Actually seeing the literal heaps of bodies and pools of blood only made it worse. Sometimes, I regretted having such delicate demonkin senses.

Orion’s face twisted in a grimace. ”It’s not looking good. The shard is through that building–” he gestured to a large, cathedral-like tower, ”But it’s going to be a fight. How are things looking on the other side of the wall?”

I shook my head, grip on my staff tightening. ”We have three, maybe four minutes before the advance forces of the church arrive. The demons marched in a bit ago too, but they seem to be avoiding our forces on the ridge. For now, at least.”

”Damn it, they’re too soon. Any idea if they’ll move to attack?”

”Well, yeah. Once we take the shard,” I replied. ”That’s what happened in my vision, at least.”

Korra’s eyebrows rose. ”You saw us taking the shard?”

”Um, well, not exactly. But it’s the same reason I know we’ll be able to save our forces in the canyon. Just...trust me, please?”

”To the death,” Luxxa replied.

”So serious,” Jenna said, rolling her eyes. ”But still, we’re with you. If taking the shard is our best bet, we’ll break through no matter the odds.”

A soft warmth spread through my chest, and I smiled softly. ”Thank you.” Then, as we moved toward the building housing the shard, I nervously asked, ”Um, how are my spells holding up?”

”Good,” Gith answered with a single word and sharp nod. It shouldn’t have meant much, but praise from a ranger who rarely spoke brought my smile back.

”Indeed,” Luxxa agreed. ”I fought beside you in the Ice Gate, yet I’d almost managed to convince myself that was a dream. I mean, how could anyone believe it’s possible to slay tens of thousands with a mere three hundred?”

”Just be careful,” I said, a nervous twitch running through my tail. ”Magic over fifth circle will be able to break through, and the Blade Ward won’t withstand anything more than a handful of sixth-level attacks.”

”Thanks for the heads up, but we should be fine. Only the king himself, as well as Commander Bethiv, possess that kind of power here, but I doubt they could be here already. Other than them, most of the powerful mages and warriors are in the northern border, contending with the majority of the demon forces.”

The majority? I cast a concerned look back at the shattered gate and the city beyond. It had been my understanding that there was only one demon army, but before I could ask, we reached the Shard’s tower.

Korra destroyed the reinforced doors as she had the Citadel’s main gates, with a well-placed Dissonant Strike. Luxxa and Orion shoved the surviving fragments aside and led the way into the tower. The building was massive, easily a couple hundred feet across, with a vaulted ceiling that seemed to be near the top of the tower itself.

The cavernous room was illuminated by the dancing light of the Shard of Omniscience, which floated in the center of the room. A large network of golden chains wrapped around the titanic crystal, drawing on its mana to sustain the hundreds of spells wound into the very fabric of the steel. Black threads bristled from the chains numbering in the thousands, drawing lines to each cursed soldier. Thousands more passed beyond the walls of the building, leading to the rest of the Last Light Company currently preparing for the demons’ assault.

The rest of the room was fairly bare and open, save for the giant statues of the gods. There were ten of them lining the perimeter, paying homage to the shard and glowing with the power of faith. My eyes skipped over the others until they came to Fate’s depiction, which featured a tall, handsome man with a book in one hand and a shining constellation of stars floating above the upturned palm of his other. Unlike the statues of my goddess, his was bright and polished, shining as brightly as the rest. It was infuriating, and my aura wavered as a surge of anger coursed through my soul.

Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I turned my attention to the battalion of soldiers guarding the shard. Their standard bearers carried the familiar colors of the Last Light Company. Standing before them all, in plate armor and wielding a large two-handed sword, was a familiar sixth-level presence.

”Damn it. How is he here already?” Orion cursed.

”Halt!” Commander Bethiv called, hefting his sword with a near-expressionless scowl. ”Drop your weapons and surrender the demon filth and her mutt. You will be disciplined for insubordination, but I can at least assure you your lives. I will not ask again.”

His sixth-level aura washed over us, seizing the air in an iron grip. I took a small breath but quickly stabilized, noticing the others doing the same. Orion raised a hand and stopped our advance just thirty feet from the Commander, staring him down unblinkingly.

”How can you spare a life that is already gone?” He asked, his voice rising with conviction. ”We died that day, commander. The Last Light Company are but walking corpses, sworn to serve our lady with what little time we have left. If you have forgotten that, I will not hesitate to remind you, even if it means staining my blade with your blood. You shall not harm a single hair on her head!”

”You overstep your bounds, soldier,” Bethiv growled, hand tightening around his sword. ”There is no greater pleasure than serving our king and country, than of serving the truth. I shall beat your insubordination from you myself.”

Bethiv, Luxxa, Jenna, and Gith all tensed, gritting their teeth. Each of them wore a pained expression that tugged at my heart. I had felt what they were feeling many times before, the cruel sting of betrayal. Knowing their one-time friend was being influenced by a curse did little to assuage that pain.

”I’m glad your loyalty remains unquestioned, my brother.”

A horrible chill crept down my spine and tail as a smooth, silky voice filled the air. Dread filled my heart as I turned to face the entrance, knowing already who I would find. A tremor ran through me as my fears were confirmed.

Alverin, King of Brithlite and Lord of the Circle of Chains filled the shattered gate with majesty and presence, emitting the unmistakable aura of a seventh-level soul. His gaze crawled over each of us in turn, and I whimpered as it finally settled on me. Fable’s hackles rose as my grip on his fur tightened, a low growl reverberating deep in his chest.

”Alverin,” Orion snarled the word like a curse. ”What have you done to the commander?”

The king scoffed, never taking his eyes from me. ”You’re errand is vain, traitor. Did you really think I wasn’t prepared for your foolish antics? The Last Light Company is famous for its loyalty, which is why I’ve chosen them as the personal guards of this great fortress, this bastion of humanity. You speak hard words against them, yet I know the truth. You could no more slay your brothers and sisters in arms than understand the glorious truth of the Divine.”

”Can you free them?” Korra whispered, gazing at the defenders worriedly.

I shook my head, unable to tear my gaze away from the man atop the walls. There were too many soldiers and I didn’t have a fraction of the mana it would require to cast so many third-circle spells.

But, even if my mana were sufficient, it was now impossible for me to so much as cast a first-circle spell. My heart pounded against my chest, my breath coming in sharp, short gasps. Alverin’s tone, mannerisms, and commanding presence were intimate and familiar to me, and it took every fiber of my being to keep my entire body from shaking. It was a wonder I hadn’t started crying yet, or even given him a curtsey. Every moment his eyes pierced me was another phantom lash of the whip or pulse of the slave crest.

Sharp pain bit my palms, breaking the spell. Gulping in air, I looked down at my lap to find blood oozing between my fingers, which had clenched so tightly my nails broke skin.

”Commander Bethiv, kill the traitors, but leave the filthblood slave alive. Bring her to my chambers. Unspoiled. I want to claim her myself.”

”And the Water Hero?” Bethiv asked, eyes fixing on Korra.

Alverin snorted, waving his hand dismissively. ”Whatever you wish, but don’t make it easy. I would be curious to see how many of your men her body could handle before she breaks.”

”Understood,” Bethiv said, not flinching in the slightest at the order.

What was even worse were the reactions of the enslaved Last Light Company. Their warm, mature faces, normally so kind and resolute, twisted in disgusting leers. It was wholly unnatural and out of place.

Korra shivered as their eyes crawled over her body, lingering on the finely toned body exposed beneath her tight, revealing garments. ”I’m going to kill him,” she said, voice devoid of emotion.

It was then I noticed the small, battered foxkin child clinging to Alverin’s leg. Though her body was torn and bloody, she had her arms wrapped tightly around his thigh, acting as though he were a parent sheltering her from unknown danger. She stared at me with wide, terrified eyes, her fox ears twitching in fear. Sari.