The Forsaken Hero

Fable crossed the battlefield in great leaps and bounds, the corpse-strewn hills becoming a blur of bloodstained foliage. Blood and gore pooled in the valleys, forming thick, crimson ooze rivulets that snaked their way down the slopes. Shattered armor littered the ground, glinting ominously in the afternoon sun.

The rumble of mana cannons intensified, their roar competing with the chorus of screams as we bypassed the battles still raging along the walls. I winced, the sounds of pain and death washing over me, and added a third-circle Sound Ward to the Nexus, muting the cacophony.

Luxxa glanced at me as she felt the change, her eyes filled with concern. I shook my head, trying to tell her I was fine. She wouldn’t be able to see them from her vantage running alongside us, but my hands clenched tightly around Fable’s fur told a different story.

After just a few seconds, we passed beneath the outer gates. They had once been massive, towering, and impressive, but Bethiv’s attack had shattered them, leaving them hanging limply on the few hinges remaining. The powerful enchantments that once protected them were gone blasted into oblivion by his power.

The bodies behind the walls were thick and clustered, crunching sickeningly beneath Fable’s paws. I bit my lip, holding back a groan as my stomach churned, and my tail curled with anger as I thought of those responsible for this. There were hundreds of corpses in the courtyard alone, but the scene only worsened as we entered the city itself. However gruesome the battlefield had been, those casualties were soldiers. Within the city walls, it was a different story.

Brithlite had once been a beautiful city with neatly paved roads, sparkling fountains, and vibrant gardens adorning every home and business. Now, the streets were painted red, littered with the bodies of slaughtered men, women, and children piled against the storefronts.

Driven by the curse, even the smallest children had thrown themselves at the Last Light Company, biting and scratching with tiny fingernails. While the soldiers tried to be gentle, a sixth-level warrior couldn’t defend against a first-level being without causing severe injury. They were simply too strong, and restraining themselves in such a tense situation was impossible.

It was something I’d experienced time and again, how even a friendly pat on the back could feel like a mountain falling on me. What if that ’friendly pat’ was designed to remove me from their path with all possible haste physically? It was easy to see how so many people ended up splattered against the walls.

I couldn’t imagine being in the soldiers’ position and felt nothing but pity for them as we navigated the bloodstained streets, the increasing evidence of their sacrifice weighing heavily on my heart. This was the terrible price of defying the gods, fighting against friends, family, and countrymen to free the very ones they were forced to slay. It weighed heavily on my soul, a burden I would never forget and carry with me forever. How could they, who had the blood of their children on their hands, feel any better?

Many civilians had survived, though, left with just enough injury to prevent them from hindering our army. Their cries and wails filled the city, a heart-wrenching chorus of suffering. It took all my resolve to ignore them as we passed, their hands reaching out in pleading, or perhaps a last desperate bid to stop us. Thankfully, our entire party was protected by the Nexus, and I could trust my wards to keep them at bay without causing further harm.

As we neared the inner walls, the sounds of battle intensified, drowning out the cries of the wounded. It was a grim comfort to be grateful for the clash of steel and the roar of magic, but anything was better than the heart-wrenching sobs of children.

”My Lady!” a soldier greeted us as we broke into the final courtyard, where the vanguard of the Last Light Company had gathered. ”This way!”

He led us to Bethiv, who stood in the center of the courtyard, his arms crossed and a grim frown etched on his face. The edge of Grand Aegis shimmered where the inner walls rose from the cobblestone streets, making it risky to approach. The Last Light Company had taken every position outside of that, however, and were currently bombarding the defenders atop the walls with spells and arrows.

”Should we try and break through?” the Commander asked me as we approached.

I shook my head, my tail curling apprehensively. ”No, as soon as you leave Grand Aegis, you’ll be exposed to whatever ’pulse’ Alverin was talking about in my vision. From the little I could discern, it seems they’ve discovered a way to project the Heart Crest over the whole city. The moment you leave my protection, you’ll be vulnerable.”

He nodded thoughtfully, stroking the gray stubble on his chin. ”My lady, how many more can you add to your Nexus?”

I tilted my head, considering the question. ”A little over a hundred, probably,” I replied. ”Any more than that, and I won’t have enough mana for anything else.”

Casting Grand Aegis so soon after Mana Storm had drained nearly two-thirds of my mana reserves. It had been almost half an hour since then, but my soul had only recovered about half its strength.

”Hmm, that’s enough, I think,” Bethiv said. ”I’ve got a hundred sixth-level soldiers with me here, enough to cause a real stir within the walls. It might be enough to give you an opening to slip inside and disable whatever device they’ve created.”

”But what about the Church?” I asked, gesturing to the ongoing battles raging around us.

He smiled confidently. ”Jackal’s leading another battalion here in a minute or two, and they can take our place securing the perimeter and ensuring the Church doesn’t rally a flank. We’ve got them outnumbered and overwhelmed. If you can take out their curse, I can take the entire city within an hour.”

”That’s...a good plan,” I said after a moment of consideration, blushing slightly

In all honestly, I’d been contemplating charging in with just Fable and the Star Guard, a move I’d done many times before. Of course, that would have put us under immense pressure, but things had a way of working out in the end.

This time would have been different, though. Fable was undoubtedly powerful enough to crush almost anyone, but what if they had more seventh-level inquisitors? It would take far too long to break through, leaving countless innocents to die while we fought.

”That’s why I’m the commander,” Bethiv said with a reassuring smile.

There was no arrogance or smugness in his tone, just quiet confidence. I couldn’t help but smile back. His plan was something simple, something I should have seen, but I hadn’t. His battlefield experience and wisdom were far greater than mine. It was no wonder he was a commander, and I was just the oracle, relying on my ability to be useful.

”Thanks...for everything,” I said softly, clasping my hands together.

He held my gaze for a moment, then nodded. ”It’s our duty, my Lady. But if you truly wish to thank us, open the path. We’ll do the rest.”

I nodded and turned to my companions. They waited for me, shifting eagerly, ready for anything.

”Bethiv will create a distraction, and we’ll slip through to the Shard of Omniscience,” I said, briefly outlining the plan.

”And then meet up afterward outside that bastard king’s palace to bring him down,” Bethiv added over my shoulder.

The others smiled, his lighthearted reminder cutting through the tension. After a moment, I smiled, too.

”This is it,” I whispered as Bethiv’s soldiers gathered to receive my magic, their faces a mixture of determination and apprehension. ”One last fight.”

Fable growled in agreement, and I could feel his anticipation and simmering anger through our bond. I briefly wished Korra was here with us, but she had her own role to play. Grace was the strongest hero defending the city, perhaps even powerful enough to challenge Fable. Our odds were significantly better with her occupied, and whatever ambush she’d been a part of disrupted.

As I began to cast, adding the soldiers to the Nexus, a strange weight settled on my soul, piercing the optimism I’d been clinging to. Everything had gone perfectly so far. Almost too perfectly. Much of it was a result of our careful planning and preparation. We’d even managed to overcome the traps they’d laid based on Verity’s visions of the future.

But fate had never offered me an easy path, and as I finished casting, the feeling that something was amiss intensified. It was the same sense of urgency that had driven me to plead with the Lord of Ash for help, and though he hadn’t appeared in the end, we hadn’t needed him. But this feeling had never been wrong before.

A tremor of unease ran through me, a cold premonition setting my soul aflutter. Something was wrong. I didn’t know what, or when, or how, but something was going to happen.