The Forsaken Hero

”Whoa, slow down there,” Korra said, holding up her hands with a playful grin. ”You’re talking about the Heart Crest, right? I could tell the moment you succeeded; all the soldiers stopped fighting. It was just like when you freed the Last Light Company!”

Her eyes shone with excitement as she spoke, gesturing animatedly with her hands. I opened my mouth, tears still brimming, but in the face of her joy, I closed it again. A part of me wanted to break down and sob on her shoulder, tell her how everything had gone wrong and how much it had hurt, how close I’d come to surrendering to the darkness. But I didn’t.

I had finally proven I could stand on my own, and I didn’t want to undo all that progress by seeking comfort now. Because, in the end, that’s precisely what it would be. I wanted to show myself that I could overcome this trial without relying on anyone else, and if she knew about my ordeal, it would feel incomplete.

Something must have flickered across my face, or perhaps the constant pain kept the tip of my tail twitching because Korra’s smile faltered and her eyes filled with concern. ”Is everything alright? You look a little tired.”

I hurriedly wiped my eyes with my sleeve, trying to hide the gathering tears. ”I-I’m fine. Just... relieved it’s over. We should get back to the others.”

She studied me for a moment longer, her brow creased with worry. ”Are you sure? Did something happen?”

”N-no!” I squeaked, shaking my head, my tail growing more agitated. ”I’m fine, really.”

I took a few steps back, nearly bumping into Fable. Using the opportunity, I clambered onto his back, avoiding Korra’s gaze. ”I’m going to find Bethiv,” I said, my voice tight. ”He should know what to do next.”

Fable, sensing my unease, took off at a brisk pace. I risked a glance over my shoulder to see Korra watching us depart, a frown tugging at her lips. As we left, her eyes swept over the space where the cathedral had stood, only now seeming to register its absence. Her gaze then fell upon the scattered corpses, quickly finding the two children amongst them.

And then we were gone, racing across the city with my elementals in tow. I wasn’t truly anxious to find Bethiv or leave the city, but I needed an excuse to escape before Korra could pry further or notice the advancing sunpurge.

Several times, we paused to excavate a city market or rescue survivors from a collapsed building. Each rescue felt the same: hollow eyes and a suppressed soul met my gaze. A few mustered the strength to thank me, but most simply shambled off, calling desperately for loved ones or staring blankly into the distance. The pervasive emptiness made me wonder whether they were all merely depressed, or if the removal of the Heart Crest had some sort of lingering side effect. If it were the latter, it would be imperative to discover what those effects were, and if there was a way to remove the curse without triggering them.

It took nearly an hour to navigate the devastated city, rescuing thousands along the way. As we progressed, the people seemed to regain a bit of their spirit. They cringed at the sight of Fable, began to offer their thanks, and wept more bitterly. I didn’t care for the praise, but it seemed the theory about the Heart Crest’s lingering effects was correct. People were undoubtedly more animated and aware now that some time had passed.

Just as I was finishing at one of the main market squares in the outer sectors of the city, a familiar voice caused my head to turn.

”There you are!” Luxxa said, running up toward me. Kahlen and the rest of the Star Guard were behind her.

”Luxxa,” I said, flinching back a step and resting my hand on Fable’s shoulder. After Korra, I was most nervous to face them, and wasn’t quite mentally ready. ”I-I’m glad you’re safe.”

She strode up to me, and though she scowled, the relief in her eyes was evident. ”What were you thinking? First, you destroy the entire cathedral, then disappear before we can find you!”

”S-sorry,” I said, looking down, my fingers curling tighter in Fable’s fur.

She glared at me for a moment longer before her shoulders sagged, and she let out a long breath. ”You’ve got to stop worrying us like that. I know you’re strong, but if something happens and you lose your magic, you’re not going to be able to defend yourself.”

”R-right,” I stammered, my eyes sliding away from them.

”It’s alright, you’re fine, right? And you dispelled the curse?” Jenna asked.

I nodded. ”It’s gone.”

”Then let’s get you back to the camp. You look exhausted. Elinore will have my head if I let you push yourself too far.”

”Too late,” I muttered, brushing a strand of crimson hair out of my eyes.

”What was that?” Luxxa asked, leaning forward, peering into my eyes.

I avoided her gaze. ”N-nothing. But we can’t leave yet. They need our help.”

I gestured to the city, hoping to distract them from pressing me further. The Star Guard exchanged glances, but Kahlen licked his lips.

”I could use a little more power. That Inquisitor wasn’t quite enough to satisfy me,” he said.

His soul was brimming with power, easily on the edge of breaking through to the seventh level. His four glowing swords hovered eagerly in the air, their polished blades still dripping with blood.

”D-don’t kill anyone who’s not trying to hurt us,” I said. ”The curse is still wearing off, and a lot of soldiers might be confused.”

”Your mercy is misplaced,” he said with a frown, ”But I will do as you command.”

”Fine,” Luxxa said, shaking her head. ”But you’re staying where we can keep an eye on you. Let your elementals do all the work, okay?”

”Really? Thanks!” I said, clasping my hands together against my chest. ”Let’s hurry. Some of the buildings are still unstable, and I think the shelters are in danger too.”

We spent the better part of the day moving through the city, helping wherever we could. As the hours dragged by, we encountered more and more soldiers of the Last Light Company also helping out. A report from one of the passing officers informed us that the battle had long since ended, and Beth had commanded them to occupy the city. Their goal was to save as many of the people and buildings as possible, hopefully keeping the impact of our invasion to a minimum.

My spells died just as the sun touched the small mountains on the western horizon. The elemental spirits dissipated, leaving their tremendous bulk to collapse to the ground, shaking the entire city. I clutched Fable tightly until it ended, but that wasn’t the end. My Nexus faded soon after. With the departure of my supportive magic, I sagged weakly, and Luxxa finally called it.

As if on cue, a squad of soldiers jogged up to us and snapped to attention, saluting sharply. They were all fourth-level soldiers, led by a young woman with short black hair and determined green eyes.”My lady, we’ve secured lodgings for you and your guard,” she reported, her voice crisp and professional. ”The innkeeper of the Hollowstream Inn volunteered as soon as he heard you were the one who freed them. He’s cleared out the other patrons, so you can have privacy.””Really?” I asked, my head lifting in surprise. ”Thank you.”Her lips curved into a small smile as she saluted again. ”It’s my pleasure. Now, if you’ll follow me?”

I glanced at Luxxa, who nodded, and we moved after them. In our efforts, we’d only touched a quarter of the city, but as we traveled street after street, the damage began to lessen until the city was almost entirely untouched. Many of the windows had shattered from the concussive force of the many shockwaves, and ash continued to fall from the sky, staining the buildings, but the people and structures were mostly unharmed.

The Hollowstream Inn was a large, three-story building with an ornately carved sign and varnished wooden pillars. It had a warm, homely kind of feel, like the inn I lived at in Westfall City, only it was many times larger. It was on the other side of the city from where we launched our assault, falling just under the shadow of the opposing wall.

A portly man with streaks of gray in his short beard was waiting for us outside the inn’s large, double doors. He stood with his arms crossed, a worried look on his face, but his expression softened the moment he saw us.”Welcome, Oracle,” he said, bowing awkwardly. ”I’m honored that you accepted my humble request. Please, if you’ll follow me inside?”I raised a hand, a faint blush warming my cheeks. ”There’s no need to bow or call me anything special. I’m just Xiviyah.””Of course, my lady,” he replied, a hint of nervousness in his voice, and gestured once more towards the inn’s entrance.

I sighed and slipped off Fable’s back, landing hard on the ground. I stumbled a step before I caught my balance, wincing as the jolt sent a thrill of pain through the sunpurge. It almost felt like it was hurting more now than earlier in the day. Was it because my spells had worn off?