The Forsaken Hero

Korra laughed and glided forward, twirling once more right in front of Gayron, her skirt swirling around her. ”You think it suits me?” she asked again, her voice teasing.

He coughed and turned away, his face flushing a deeper shade of red. ”Yes, of course,” he mumbled. ”Not that you wouldn’t look good in anything, but Xiviyah was right. It really brings out the beauty in your eyes.”

Her eyes shone as she stepped closer, taking his hand in both of hers. A delicate blush colored her own cheeks now. ”Really?”

Gayron half-heartedly tried to pull away, but she held him fast, her grip surprisingly firm. Her eyes were like magnets, and his gaze flickered for a second before finally meeting hers.

He swallowed hard, his voice barely a whisper. ”Yeah.”

She let out a small, almost imperceptible sigh of relief, then danced away from him, her smile returning, bright and playful. ”Good.”

I jumped as the shopkeeper suddenly coughed beside me, having returned from her search without me noticing.

”Sorry, my Lady, I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said in a voice that clearly implied the opposite. ”It’s good to see things working out though, isn’t it?”

I followed her gaze to where Korra and Gayron were standing. Korra held the bottom of her skirt, revealing the full garment, while Gayron nodded approvingly. Despite the conversation being about the dress, their eyes never left each other.

”I’m not sure what you mean,” I said, my hands fidgeting nervously. ”They seem...happy, together, though. I’m glad. I, um, didn’t want her to be alone.”

She gave me an odd look but didn’t pry further. Instead, she held out a small bundle of cloth. I accepted it gratefully and hefted it in my hands, surprised by its lack of weight and bulk. There didn’t seem to be enough material for a blouse, let alone a dress, but as I held it up, my tail twitched in surprise.

”Is this...okay?” I asked, fingering the satin fabric gingerly. It was so thin and light that it seemed woven from spider silk, and I was afraid I might tear it just by touching it. Could I even wear something like this? It was thinner than my nightgown!

”Look closer,” she said with a knowing smile.

I peered at it more closely, then gasped. ”You enchanted it? I can’t accept something like this; it’s too expensive!”

The woman’s smile softened as I turned back to her. Her soul hadn’t been strong enough for me to notice earlier, being only in the middle stages of second level. The shop must have been far enough from the Mana Storm for her to retain her mana, or perhaps this dress had already been enchanted beforehand. Either way, a dress of this quality, even without the enchantment, pushed the limits of what I was comfortable accepting.

”I won’t hear any more of that nonsense,” the shopkeeper said sternly. ”I heard your condition is rather sensitive, and even the slightest bit of weight can upset it. While your current dress is lovely, if a little simple, I couldn’t help but notice the way you stand. It hurts even now, doesn’t it?”

I stared at her, my breath catching in my throat, taken aback by her observation. I’d done everything I could to hide the constant pain and had even succeeded in front of Korra and Elinore. But the truth was that every time I moved, the light silken fabric of my dress whispered over the sunpurge, sending a searing thrill of fire through my side.

”Now then,” she said, reaching out to touch the dress, ”this enchantment isn’t anything special, just enough to reduce the weight and strengthen the garment to that of normal fabric. You’ll feel like you’re wearing nothing at all.”

I blushed slightly, and she chuckled warmly. ”Don’t worry about the dress being sheer, it’ll appear perfectly normal from the outside. But go on, don’t you want to try it on?”

”C-can I?” I clutched the dress to my chest, a flicker of hope warring with my lingering distrust. Was it really possible to wear clothing without pain?

She nudged me gently on the shoulder, leading me toward the changing room Korra had just come from. ”Would you like some help getting changed?”

I shook my head. ”I can manage. Thank you.”

”Don’t thank me yet. See if you like it, first.”

With that, she drew the curtain shut, leaving me alone in the dim light of the small changing room. Hesitantly, I slipped out of my white and red dress, hanging it carefully on a wooden peg behind me. Then, with a deep breath, I unfurled the new dress. The satin felt impossibly light and smooth against my fingertips. With trembling hands, I pulled it on, bracing for the familiar sting of the sunpurge.

But there was nothing. No pain, no burning. Just the whisper-soft caress of the fabric against my skin. Relief washed over me. As promised, it was as if I wore nothing at all.

The dress was a revelation, a vibrant departure from the conservative white and red attire I usually favored. Its two-tone design, a symphony of black and red, was surprisingly striking, the colors complementing each other beautifully.

The long sleeves, bodice, and an elegant overcoat-like layer were crafted from a deep, velvety black fabric, while the underskirt flowed in a cascade of vibrant crimson. The hem of the skirt, ruffled and reaching my knees, was of the familiar style I was comfortable with, but the bodice, adorned with a matching red bow, was surprisingly snug, hugging my curves and dipping a bit too low. Thankfully, the sleeves and skirt flared out gently, offering a sense of freedom and movement while still maintaining a graceful silhouette.

”Well? How’s it look?” Korra’s voice called through the curtain, breaking the spell of my contemplation.

I fingered the curtain nervously, hesitating. I’d worn revealing clothing before, often not by choice, and while this still fell within the realm of modesty, it was far more daring than I was used to. Wouldn’t Korra just make fun of me?

My thoughts drifted to Gayron’s reaction earlier. He’d seemed less and less interested in me the longer he stayed, growing closer to Korra instead. Surely he wouldn’t tease or try to flirt with me now, right? If Luke were here, then...

Luke? I shook my head, blushing slightly. Why in the world was I thinking about him? It wasn’t like I wanted him to see me dressed up, right? But his face lingered in my mind, the corner of his lips curled in his familiar smirk. For some reason, the thought of showing off and twirling like Korra had done for Gayron made my heart skip a beat.

It’s probably just some lingering entanglement. I still thought about him often and reflected on his experiences as though they were my own. That had to be it.

But even as I finally mustered up the courage and threw the curtain open, I couldn’t keep my thoughts from drifting to him, or my tail from flicking back and forth in anticipation of a moment that would never come. As expected, Korra grinned when I tentatively stepped out, clapping lightly.

”You look beautiful!” she exclaimed. ”Right, Gayron?”

The red-haired demonkin eyed me critically, then shrugged. ”Not bad, I guess. It’s different than what you normally wear, but not bad.”

”Well, I think it’s perfect,” Korra said, shooting him a playful glare.

”I have to agree,” the shopkeeper chimed in. She looked me up and down again, then nodded decisively. ”Yes, indeed. But how does it feel?”

Korra glanced at her, head tilted in confusion, but I just smiled. ”I feel... free,” I said, my voice soft with wonder. ”It’s so wonderful, and light. Can I really have it?”

”Of course,” the shopkeeper said. ”If you like it, it’s yours.”

I did a little twirl, enjoying the feel of the soft satin rising about my body without a hint of pain from the sunpurge. When the cloth settled around my knees again, I was beaming.

”Could you teach me the spell you uncharted it with?” I asked, clasping my hands together, eyes pleading.

She laughed and pulled up a chair. ”Sure, but promise not to tell anyone. It’s technically a trade secret.”

We lingered in the shop for another hour. While I immersed myself in the complexities of enchantment magic, Korra continued her fashion parade, modeling a variety of dresses and outfits for Gayron’s approval. I couldn’t quite understand their relationship, or why she seemed to care so much, but as long as she was having a good time, it didn’t really matter. Opportunities for lighthearted moments like this would be few and far between once we embarked on our journey to Brithlite.

Learning the spell itself was easy enough; the true challenge lay in mastering the art of enchantment. I’d reverse-engineered a few enchantments in the past, like the spell I invented for repelling insects, but I’d never actually learned the proper process. Once we started, I understood why.

Turns out, I had absolutely no talent for enchantments. None whatsoever. While I memorized the runes the shopkeeper showed me almost instantly, actually applying them to an object was excruciatingly difficult. Somehow, it was easier for me to invent a method to bind spells to souls than to regular objects, something even the shopkeeper found baffling.

But finally, as the hour drew to a close, I managed to complete my first enchantment. It was simple, just the second-circle enchantment to reduce the weight of clothing, but my heart still swelled with pride.

”Thank you,” I said, dipping into a deep curtsy. ”I can’t express how much this means to me. I can enchant my cloak, clothing, and even my sheets now. Thank you. Really.”

She smiled faintly. ”The pleasure was all mine. You did all the work, anyway; I just showed you a few tricks. You were a wonderful student.”

I thanked her again, not minding that we both knew she was being overly generous. Perhaps, in a world with more time and less war, I could have learned to master enchantments. But my gifts were plenty for what we faced, and I was satisfied with this small spell to ease my pain.

That night, as I curled up with Fable, I fell asleep with a slight smile on my face. No matter the horrors of the war to come or how long I managed to hold off the sunpurge, today would sit as a burning candle in the darkness. I would see it through to the end with a smile on my face and hope in my heart. That was the only way I could truly win.

A/N: image in the discord (link in novel description). Also, leave a review if you haven’t already. It would mean a lot and help with novel exposure. Thanks for reading!