The Forsaken Hero

Verity sniffled gently as Soltair pulled her head against his chest, stroking her hair. ”It’s alright, we’re going to save this world. Even if every other hero falls or betrays us, we two will be enough.”

She nodded, closing her eyes as he began to stroke her hair. ”I know. It’s just...when I see visions like that, it’s hard to believe we’ll win. The demons look so strong, and I’m just...not.”

”You’re stronger than you know,” Soltair replied softly. ”And your powers are the key to our victory. It’s not a simple happenstance that sent you to my side, Verity. This world needs a fate hero to guide it through the dark.”

”Thanks,” She murmured, letting her eyes flutter open again. ”I’ll do my best.”

”You’re already more than I can ask for. I was wondering, though, if you have any idea when the battle takes place?”

She shook her head. ”I’m still trying to figure that part of my ability out, but I got the feeling its still a bit away. Maybe a few weeks?”

”That gives us some time to work with,” Soltair mused. ”From your description, it sounds like Tormod’s Breach.”

”Tormod’s Breach?” Verity asked.

He nodded. ”Yeah, it’s a key chokepoint that separates the Empire and elven lands from the rest of the northern continent. If we lose the fortresses on both sides, nothing will stop the demons from ravaging the entire land.”

”Then why is Xiviyah helping the demons? She didn’t seem like the kind who would want that,” Verity said.

He shrugged. ”That’s hard to say, but I wouldn’t dwell on it. She was always selfish and shortsighted like that.”

”I still don’t see it. She didn’t seem like that at all when we spoke at Brithlite. She was crying, Soltair, actually crying. Because of all the people who were getting hurt.”

Soltair hesitated, his hand coming to rest on the top of her head. ”You’re right, even she wouldn’t go that far, nor is she strong enough to want revenge. Perhaps the demons are forcing her to fight, or maybe they’ve found a way to overcome her damned resistance. The lead apostle specialized in curses, so it’s not irrational to think he enslaved her again.”

She nodded slowly. ”He did seem to pay close attention to her, and she acted wary of him, flinching every time he looked at her. But did he do that to R’lissea too? She’s been with Xiviyah ever since Brithlite, but there’s no way she would ever side with the demons.”

”Gods, I hope not,” he said, letting his arm droop from her shoulders.

They both stood, and I quickly averted my eyes, blushing furiously. Even if I felt nothing but fear and unease toward the Sun Hero, there was no denying his attractiveness. But I could never look at him that way.

My skin crawled every time I remembered the times we had spent together and all the times he’d held me. More than once I’d thought of him as more than my master, and even felt like it would be okay if he called me to his bed. I could only be grateful Trithe had been there to steal his attention and he had never done so.

He turned to Verity and laid both his hands on her slender shoulders. ”Listen, Verity. Until we learn more, we have to assume both R’lissea and Xiviyah are being held hostage by the demons. They might be forced to fight against us, but we can’t let that stop us.”

”But we’re going to try to save R’lissea, right? And get my staff back?” Verity asked.

”Of course, but it might take some time. I’ll speak with the Pope and share what you learned about the battle to come. Even if he doesn’t want to reinforce the city, I’m sure he’ll see the need to send a task force to save R’lissea and reclaim Xiviyah. It’s been a mistake to let her free for so long, especially now that the demons are able to wield her magic and abilities.”

Verity looked troubled by his words and quickly nodded in agreement. ”I’d be glad if we got the staff back. Maybe then my god will stop hounding me. It’ll be nice to have a night’s rest without being dragged into his kingdom and reprimanded for failing to find it.”

He chuckled, but as he responded, I slashed my hand through the air, abruptly disrupting the vision. It was a rash decision, but I couldn’t bear to witness anymore. What was worse was that Soltair seemed to believe every word he’d spoken. Looking back, that had always been the case. I’d somehow managed to reconstruct my memories of him as an actor playing out an elaborate charade, but seeing him here reminded me that he really did believe every word he said.

He’d been earnest and sincere when he freed me from the warehouse, and just as convicted when he fully embraced my identity and abandoned me to my second master. In his eyes, I was merely a tool, an empty, worthless vessel to be wielded by whichever whoever happened to pick me up.

Was it impossible for him to even consider that maybe I was with the demons because I wanted to be? Or that R’lissea had joined me because she considered fighting alongside demons a lesser evil than supporting the Sun God’s faction?

Luke would never treat me that way. Even when he used me to further his own goals, he always acknowledged me as a person, not just some thing to be exploited. He was conscious of my feelings and always made an effort to protect me. Even when he manipulated me into destroying Whitecliff Keep, he never disregarded my well-being.

I groaned, burying my face in my hands, my fingers rubbing against the base of my horns. How had I ever been so blind as to think Luke was anything like Soltair? How quickly the turmoil within me subsided the moment I compared him to the real thing. Soltair had only spoken a few sentences, yet my uncertainty vanished like mist in the morning sun.

”Is this what you were frustrated about, Fate?” I muttered to myself, gently massaging my scalp. No wonder she had spoken so harshly before. It must have seemed like I was intentionally failing to understand her words.

I left my soul space without another thought, abandoning my initial plans to delve deeper into the Church’s schemes by spying on the Divine Throne or glimpsing our inevitable battle at the other end of Tormod’s Breach. The empire’s forces there were rumored to be far stronger than the Alliance garrison we had just faced, and the possibility of them deploying a ninth-level being to stop us loomed over us like a dark cloud.

Despite these pressing concerns, I was far too agitated to remain within my soul space any longer. When I opened my eyes and found myself back in Haven, I stood and let my staff disperse into a shimmering cloud of stars.

”Haven?” I called out, scanning the surroundings. ”I’m ready to go.”

”I trust you found what you were looking for,” his deep voice resonated from behind me.

I suppressed a startled jump, turning to face him with a slight. ”You don’t have to sneak up on me, you know?”

He offered a nonchalant shrug. ”Of course, my lady.”I sighed, folding my arms. ”Yes, I found what I needed. And learned more than I expected.” My brow furrowed with concern. ”How are Elise and R’lissea?””Safe and sound,” he assured me. ”Resting at the First Light Inn. Shall we join them?”

I hesitated, glancing at the fountain again. There were other things I wanted to know, other visions to see. Was Korra doing alright? What lay ahead of us at the other end of Tormord’s Breach?

And, more importantly, what of the information I learned from Soltair? Had the church really sent out a team to reclaim us? Fyren seemed to think so, and I felt inclined to believe him.

As I hesitated, a sudden weakness settled over my body. I stumbled once, feeling a spike of panic, before realizing what was going on. The strength provided to me by Celestial Grace had finally worn off, returning me to my weak, fragile self.

”Oww,” I groaned, pressing a hand to my chest as my soul began to ache.

The pain intensified rapidly, causing my entire body to tremble, but it rapidly plateaued. While noticeable, it was nothing compared to the constant agony I’d lived in for years, just the minor inconvenience caused by straining one’s soul.

”My Lady, is everything alright? You’ve lost a lot of strength.” Haven was at my side in an instant, one hand grasping my hand, the other supporting my back, helping me straighten.

I took an unsteady breath, allowing him to take all of my weight. ”I-I think so. I just pushed myself harder than normal today. There was a spell we tried that seems to have some backlash to it.”

”Ah, I see. I was wondering what that strange magic was. Did Fate ask about it?”

I shook my head.

”In that case, it might be best to run it by her before trying it again. Powerful magic often has drawbacks. This one seems to have strengthened your body and soul, so there might be a proportional weakening for a period after.”

”Then it should be fine?” I asked.

He shrugged. ”I don’t sense anything overly harmful, but keep an eye on it. There might be a hidden side effect you’re not aware of yet.”