The Forsaken Hero

Luke was the one who gave the circle their teleportation rings? Scarcely had the thought entered my mind, and then I swooned, suddenly feeling lightheaded. Had I been standing instead of riding Fable, I undoubtedly would have fallen.

”N-no, that can’t be...” I stammered, my voice breathless. ”You don’t think he...”

”Of course not; that’s absurd,” Gayron interrupted. His immediate dismissal cut through the irrational fear that gripped me. ”Luke wants the utter destruction of the Circle even more than you do. It’s why we attacked Brithlite first.”

I let out a pent-up breath, pressing a hand to my chest to calm my racing heart. The relief was so intense that tears welled up in my eyes. But I’d always expected Luke to betray me eventually, hadn’t I? Why was I so afraid of that possibility?

It’s probably just the entanglement. It seemed to be everywhere in my thoughts lately, holding my empathy hostage. I drew in a shaky breath and rubbed my eyes, wiping away the excess moisture.

”Do you have any idea what might have happened then?” Korra asked.

Gayron was quiet for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. His voice was a lot softer than when he spoke to me. ”It’s probably Jessia, the Apostle of Secrets. She’s always done her own thing, and I wouldn’t put it past her to go behind our backs to fulfill her own agenda.”

”There’s an Apostle of Secrets?” Korra asked, voice tilted in surprise. ”Why so abstract? What’s wrong with a good old element every once in a while? Isn’t ice still available?”

Gayron chuckled mirthlessly. ”The demons have a peculiar sense of humor. I have no idea what made them choose us, or why they gave us the powers they did. But Jessia’s dangerous, and if she has a hand in this, there’s no saying what kind of trap might be waiting for us if we try to take down the Circle.”

”Is there no way to convince her? Could you somehow ask her to leave us alone?” I asked.

”Nothing’s ever easy with Jessia,” Gayron said with a grunt. ”And even if she’d listen to me–which she never has in the past–I don’t even have a way to contact her. I haven’t seen her for almost a year, now.”

”But what about Luke? Maybe he could–”

I bit my lip, cutting myself off mid-sentence, my fingers digging into my skirt. I had no intention at all of asking about him right now; I wanted to save that for later after I’d given Gayron a chance to warm up to my questions, but it just kind of slipped out. Was it because I’d just been thinking of him?

Gayron wasted no time shattering my hopes. ”Why even think of that bastard? The last I heard from him was at Bluegate Keep, same as you.”

He muttered something else, just quiet enough only Korra could hear. My ears twitched, catching something about ’damned babysitting,’ and Korra giggled, punching him in the arm.

”Come on,” she said as he rubbed his arm, glaring at her. ”It’s not so bad, is it? You met me, didn’t you?”

”What part of that isn’t bad?” he grumbled.

”Well, at least the fights are good, right? Where else can you face a giant wolf, or spar against a hero?”

He rolled his eyes but didn’t seem genuinely upset. I sank back into Fable’s comforting warmth as they resumed their playful banter, absently caressing my horns. Gayron’s answers had been concise, if a little short, and resolved all of my immediate questions. Unfortunately, his words offered little comfort, leaving me without the solutions I’d hoped to find.

The existence of this new apostle, Jessia, added another layer of uncertainty to the mix. Did she have something to do with the events in my vision? It was hard to dismiss the possibility, especially after Gayron’s description of her cunning nature. But how could someone aligned with the demons work closely with a group sanctioned by the gods? The Circle of Chains was clearly collaborating with the inquisitors, acting in accordance with the gods’ plans.

For some reason, as depressing as this news was, I found myself even more disheartened by the revelation about Luke. Things had seemed so simple when I was strategizing our response to the trap. I had no doubt he’d agree to work with us, not when his mission was to seize the Shard in the capital city and overthrow the Circle. Our goals were essentially the same!

But now that seemed impossible. In my vision, we had arrived in Brithlite long before Luke, and without Gayron being able to contact him, there was no way to change that and coordinate an attack. We would have to do this alone.

Gradually, Fable distanced himself from the pair, who were now engrossed in a discussion about magical arts and techniques. Their conversation was intriguing, centered on developing a sixth-level art to mimic one of Korra’s previously known spells, but I couldn’t shake the worries that gnawed at me. We were marching closer to Brithlite with every passing minute, and yet, for all I knew, we were marching towards our own destruction.

A few minutes passed as I wrestled with my thoughts, the stress building within me until a fiery itch on my thigh interrupted my contemplation. I winced as the pain flared, the sunpurge claiming another half-inch of my leg, creeping closer to my knee. When the pain faded and I wiped the tears from my eyes, I was startled to find Sari watching me; her eyebrows knit together in concern.

”Are you okay? Is it the sunpurge again?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.

I tried to answer, but the words caught in my throat, threatening to turn into a whimper. The pain was excruciating, even after the sunpurge stopped spreading. The last time it had flared up like this, I’d been trying to climb onto Fable and nearly ended up face-first on the ground. Elinore and I had both agreed I might last until we reached Brithlite, but anything beyond that would be a miracle.

”It’s nothing,” I finally managed, my voice strained as I massaged the newly seared flesh. ”I must have bumped it or something.”

”Should I use some of the healing magic Elinore taught me? Do you think it would help?” she asked, her voice hopeful.

I shook my head, forcing a smile. ”Thank you, but it might be better to save it for someone who needs it. My wounds aren’t the kind one can heal.”

”Oh,” she said, her voice deflating, her ears drooping sadly. ”Sorry.”

Her sadness was palpable, and it tugged at my heart. My grip tightened on my skirt until my knuckles whitened, and I stared at her anxiously, searching for a way to comfort her.

”Um, Sari?” I ventured, my voice hesitant. ”Maybe I could use some healing magic. Did she teach you Gentle Song, by any chance?”

Sari’s ears perked up, and her face lit up with excitement. ”I know that one!” she exclaimed. ”Just give me a second, and... there!”

I blinked, impressed, as she effortlessly cast the first circle spell without a single word. A small sphere of light materialized in her hand, radiating waves of gentle green energy. I basked in its soft radiance, closing my eyes as the soothing mana washed over me. The subtle scent of flowers and pollen mingled with the crispness of autumn leaves, filled the air, momentarily drowning out my worries and clearing my mind.

”Xiviyah?” she asked after a minute or two. ”Is everything alright?”

She didn’t elaborate; she just sat there, waiting patiently. I sighed and reluctantly opened my eyes, returning her gaze. I didn’t bother asking what she meant by that. We’d been together too long for me to not know what she was worried about.

”Is it that obvious?” I asked instead.

She shrugged. ”Maybe, it’s like little ripples in your soul. Is that why the sunpurge keeps spreading?”

”Something like that. Haven absorbed something it shouldn’t have, something that shouldn’t have existed. And now, I’m afraid it’s hurt.”

”Hurt?” she tilted her head, confused.

I rubbed my horn, thinking deeply. ”It’s hard to explain, but imagine a beautiful spiderweb hanging between two flowers. Realms are a lot like that, actually, and this was like dropping a rock through it. Haven’s bound to my soul, but I didn’t realize how closely until now. It’s taking a lot for me to keep the damage it at bay, but it’s leaving me vulnerable to the sunpurge.”

”Can’t you just fix it?” she asked. ”You know, like a spider spins another web?”

”I...I don’t know enough about fate to fix it. I want to have a vision to maybe learn how, but I’m, well, a little nervous about it.” That was an understatement, but I didn’t want to worry her. ”I’m not sure forcing a vision outside of Haven’s a good idea right now, not when my soul’s so vulnerable.”

”So how many times did you try?” she asked, her eyes filled with genuine curiosity.

Her innocent question caused me to pause, my hand falling from my horn back to my lap. How many times had I tried? But if I couldn’t do it, then what did it matter how many attempts I’d made?

”Elinore said some spells take a lot of practice,” Sari continued, her voice earnest. ”And if you can’t do one now, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it in the future. It’s like enchanting things, right? I failed like ten times before one finally worked.”

”Sari... sometimes you say the strangest things,” I chuckled. ”Are you really still a child?”

She pursed her lips, pouting a bit. ”Of course not. I turn eleven in a month, remember?”

I couldn’t help but smile at that and reached forward, rubbing her soft, silken head. ”Sorry, I forgot.”

She pushed my hand away playfully and turned back around, resuming her practice. I settled back on my hands, gazing at the passing countryside with a newfound appreciation. Sari was right, as she usually was; even if I didn’t know how, I should still try.

I hadn’t been into Haven since it absorbed the fissure in fate, but at the very least, I should see what was going on and why it was impacting my soul so profoundly. Perhaps it was dangerous, in which case I’d sneak a quick vision and then flee. It wasn’t much, but it was a plan, a starting point to try and change the course of the future.

Wasn’t that what being the Oracle was all about?