The Forsaken Hero

A/N: We finally got the novel a rating! Thank you to everyone who left a review. Enjoy the extra release!

As the sun eased into the western mountains, I sighed and settled back on my hands, legs tucked away to my side. The strength given me by Life’s Grace had finally begun to fade, and our efforts throughout the day left me feeling slow and lethargic, but a profound sense of satisfaction filled me. R’lissea looked similarly exhausted, but a small, satisfied smile showed she felt the same.

”What are you going to call it?” Elise asked curiously.

The golden-haired princess had stuck with us all day, and even though she couldn’t help with the spell, continued to support us. She’d improved her own grasp of arrays and had somehow pushed her soul to the final threshold of the fifth level. Just a little more, and she could break through to sixth.

R’lissea shot me a questioning glance, but I shrugged.

”I’m not the best with names,” I admitted, rubbing Fable’s head.

She rubbed her chin, her lips pursed in thought. ”What about Oracle’s Requiem?”

I blinked, tilting my head in confusion. It was a little too self-aggrandizing for me. ”Are you sure? It doesn’t seem fair to only attribute me. You’re the one who did the impossible and actually cured sunpurge.”

She pursed her lips. ”Alright then, how about just Requiem? I think it’s fitting, bringing peace to those who never have a waking moment free of pain.”

”Requiem? Hmm, I like it,” Elise agreed, nodding.

”I’m alright with that,” I added.

It felt good to share this experience with them, to create something positive. Perhaps it even eased some of the pain of having my work stolen by the inquisitors. Requiem felt especially significant, a promise that my legacy would be more than just death and destruction. If this knowledge spread, who knew how many lives could be saved, how much suffering could be prevented?

R’lissea stifled a yawn, causing us all to look at her in surprise.

”What?” she protested. ”Just because I’m high level doesn’t mean I don’t get tired. I’ve been awake for weeks, remember?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but a yawn escaped me instead. We all burst into giggles, a moment of lighthearted normalcy. Just three girls sharing a laugh, a far cry from the burdens and responsibilities we carried. Perhaps that was why it felt so good.

The moment of mirth ended abruptly as a shadow fell over us, blocking the last rays of the setting sun. I glanced up and instinctively shivered, drawing closer to Fable, his tail wrapping protectively around me.

”Luke?” R’lissea asked, tilting her head. From her expression, it was clear he wasn’t in the habit of visiting, especially this late.

Luke wore a simple dark tunic, leather boots, and breeches. If not for his dark horns, tail, and noble bearing, I might have mistaken him for one of the refugees I’d seen fleeing the war with the Last Light Company.

But what truly unsettled me was Jessia, who stood beside him, a mocking smile playing on her lips. She, too, wore ordinary clothing, though hers was a rather revealing dress with a neckline that took a daring plunge.

”What’s this about?” R’lissea asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

Luke held up a hand placatingly. ”Relax, I’m not here to renege on my word. We mean you no harm.”

”Oh, come on, why’d you have to say it so bluntly?” Jessia complained. ”Why not have a little fun? They’re so adorable when they’re frightened, like little puppies.”

He shot her an irritated look, far more exasperated than the situation warranted. Had they been arguing? He must have felt my gaze because he turned to me, and my heart sank.

”Xiviyah,” he began, hesitating slightly, ”I... need your help.”

”She can’t give you any visions right now,” R’lissea interrupted, stepping protectively in front of me, her arms crossed. Her lower lip trembled, but her voice was firm, defiant.

”It’s not that,” Luke clarified. ”Though if you were willing, things would be much easier. We need you to do a little reconnaissance the old-fashioned way.”

I exchanged a confused look with Elise. R’lissea frowned, shaking her head.

”That’s even more dangerous, Apostle,” she argued. ”What are you thinking, coming here to ask that?”

His expression hardened. ”I’m not asking, Hero,” he stated coldly. ”Now, step aside and let me speak to her. I won’t force her if she declines, but I have a feeling she won’t.”

R’lissea fidgeted, her hands gripping the hems of her sleeves. ”I-I promised,” she stammered, ”The Lord of Ash made me promise to protect her while he’s gone. I can’t let you take her.”

”Move,” Luke commanded, his voice a low, chilling growl.

I shivered, pressing closer to Fable. It was a tone I’d never heard him use before, but it was eerily familiar. The fragmented memories from our entanglement showed me this was the ruthless, determined Luke who would stop at nothing to achieve his vengeance.

R’lissea flinched, but she didn’t waver. Before she could protest and escalate things further, I quickly stood and laid a hand on her arm.

”R’lissea, thank you, but it’s fine,” I said softly, my eyes never leaving Luke. ”I’ll talk to him.”

”But—”

”It’s alright. He won’t leave until I do, anyway.”

She hesitated, looking torn, then reluctantly nodded. ”Fine, but I’m staying.”

I glanced at Luke, who shrugged.

”Whatever.” He gestured at the fire, and I stepped back, allowing the apostles to take their place. Evening was well underway, the fire casting flickering shadows over their faces. I frowned as Luke began a short explanation, my fingers tightening around Fable’s fur with every word.

”You want me to go into the city?” I asked in disbelief when he was done.

”We need your eyes,” Luke stated simply. ”The Church has invested heavily in their magical defenses since the beginning of our conquest, and we don’t have the forces to waste on fodder just to identify their traps.”

”You’re even more insane than I thought,” R’lissea muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. ”You think you can take Xiviyah, in her current state, into the middle of a city that wants nothing more than to see her dead? Even if her soul wasn’t so unstable, I could never allow that.”

”Good thing it’s not up to you, then,” Jessia chirped in a singsong voice.

R’lissea shot her a withering glare before turning back to Luke. ”Xiviyah’s barely holding on as it is,” she argued. ”What if she falls asleep while you’re there? What if that causes her to lose control of her soul again?”

”I’m afraid that’s a risk we have to take,” Luke said coldly, eyes narrowed. ”Unless, of course, you happen to be able to see magic?”

”That can’t be all,” I interjected, my suspicions growing. ”What are you really planning?”

He shot me an appraising look, his tail twitching in surprise, but I met his gaze without flinching. He had seemed certain I would agree to this mission, but nothing he’d said convinced me. What part of this were they holding back?

”It will give us a chance to appraise the city,” he explained. ”The Ingrid Alliance is known for its devotion to the Sun God, though nowhere near as fanatic as Brithlite. I know you care for the innocent non-combatants, and should we find them unlikely to pose a threat, I would be willing to order the demons to spare anyone first level and below. Their souls are too weak for most demons to bother with.”

I sighed, rubbing my horn. So that was his game. By holding the city hostage, he was ensuring my cooperation. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, though; he had no other incentive to spare their lives. If that were to be my role in this battle, I wouldn’t complain.

”Can’t R’lissea come, at least?” I asked.

He shook his head. ”Her face is too well known, and the larger our party, the more likely we are to be questioned if we’re caught sneaking into the city. While we could certainly handle a few guards, that kind of commotion might attract unwanted attention from stronger soldiers and inquisitors.”

I shared a look with R’lissea, who was frowning, her elven features shrouded in shadow. It was a valid point, but something about his reasoning felt off, though I couldn’t quite grasp it.

”How long?” R’lissea finally asked, meeting Luke’s gaze.

He shrugged. ”That depends on what happens, but it would be best if we were out by morning. I’d like to begin our attack before they have a chance to receive reinforcements.”

We were silent for a moment until Elise reached over and laid a hand on mine, causing my grip on my skirt to relax.

”What do you think?” she asked softly, eyes searching mine.

I bit my lip, tail twitching anxiously. ”I’m not sure I have another choice. Besides, if it’s just walking through the city, I should be fine. I spent an hour or two with Fyren earlier, remember?”

”But you came back from that exhausted,” Elise pointed out, her voice filled with concern.

I avoided her gaze, guilt gnawing at me. ”What other choice do we have?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. ”I can’t let them kill innocent people in that city.”

”They’re the kind of people who support the Church,” she countered, her voice dropping to a hushed tone. ”They’re the ones who were okay with enslaving us, with what the Circle did to you and me.”

”Elise!” I gasped, horrified. ”You can’t mean that! They deserve a chance, don’t they?”

She flinched, her grip tightening on my hand. ”I’m just saying... this war is more complicated than good and bad. That’s all.”

”I’m with Elise on this one,” R’lissea said. It’s a bad idea to enter that city. You’ve been living outside all this time, so you don’t understand the tactics the church uses. To the masses of this world, you’re a monster who betrayed everything they love and wants to hand their children over to the demons on a silver platter.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to believe what I was hearing. R’lissea was the one who had forsaken Enusia to protect the world from the gods’ curse. But now she was saying they didn’t deserve to be saved?

”I’ll do it,” I said, driven to decisiveness by frustration with my friends as much as Luke’s arguments. ”But you have to promise to spare them.”

Luke rose with a nod, holding out his hand to me. Without looking at the others, I took it and allowed him to pull me away into the night.