The Forsaken Hero

Nithalee’s aura sent tremors coursing through my body. My legs nearly buckled beneath my weight, and my tail swished audibly in the tense silence, louder even than the pounding of my heart. Still, I held her gaze, gripping my skirt to keep my hands from shaking.

She glared at me for what felt like an eternity, but just as black began to creep into my vision, the pressure vanished. Nithalee’s lips curved in a small smile, and I sagged like a puppet with its strings cut, gasping for breath.

”Your fear tells me you did not come here ignorantly. You knew the risks, what I am capable of. I could shatter your soul with a thought or hand you over to the inquisitors. As the demons advance, morale is low all around the world. I’m sure hearing you sing would lift spirits.”

She sighed and sat back down again, gesturing for me to approach. ”Come here, foolish child. As much as I’m loath to do so, I’ll hear you out. Your courage deserves that much, at least. Whatever possessed you to come here?”

I approached slowly and stood before her, gripping my staff tightly. She raised her head suddenly, and I jumped, letting out a little squeak. She chuckled, and her wrinkles smoothed a touch.

”You look exhausted, child. You might as well sit down. I said you’ll get a chance to speak, and I mean it. Even if those inquisitors burst through the door, I won’t let them lay a finger on you,” she said, waving to the bench beside her.

I nodded and gingerly sat down, carefully lifting my tail so it didn’t drag against the polished pew. Nithalee’s eyes narrowed at the ugly scar before flicking over the rest of my body, taking in the angry red lines that peeked through the tattered slashes lacing my dress. Her lips pursed in a frown.

”His estimation was wrong, it seems,” she murmured so low I barely caught it with my sharpened senses. ”Your courage was beyond what I thought.”

”His?” I asked, tilting my head.

Her eyebrows rose. ”I’m surprised you have time to worry about things you shouldn’t be hearing. Tell me, why do you think I would be willing to betray humanity for you?”

I clenched my hands in my lap, staring at my feet. The pew was made for someone a foot taller than me, leaving my boots dangling an inch off the ground. Upon feeling my discomfort, Borealis hopped into my lap, resting his head against my thighs.

”I don’t think you actually care what happens with the Empire and the demons.”

Her eyes narrowed. ”Oh? I’m curious to know what brought you to that conclusion.”

I swallowed hard, my feet swinging slightly. ”I, well...noticed you refused to help the soldiers. With your power, you could stop this invasion in an instant, but you keep yourself bottled up.”

”I have orders from my god,” she said sternly.

”A-and you let the soldiers go. Even if you’re capable of defending the shard, if that’s all that matters to you, you wouldn’t intentionally weaken its defenses. And, um, you’re talking to me.”

She was quiet for a long moment. I inwardly cringed, waiting for her sharp tongue to lash at me again, but when she spoke, it was with awe.

”Again, you surprise me. He mentioned you were clever, but to think it was to that degree.” she clapped her hands, making me flinch. ”If you can figure out what I don’t want, then what about what I do?”

I twisted my staff in my hands, staring at the star. ”Um, do you know why the God of Magic liked my Aegis?”

”Hmm, a good question. Would you show it to me?”

”Is it alright? If I cast a spell here?”

She nodded, making a shooing motion with her hand. ”Go on. I know enough about you to be certain you couldn’t hurt me if you tried.”

”Static Aegis.”

Despite my low mana, I used the second-level variant that locked the spell to a region instead of a soul. Nithalee hummed faintly the moment the glimmering sphere appeared, tapping her chin with a thin, bony finger.

”So you figured out a solution to the feedback problem? Not bad, if far from enough to merit my god’s praise. But what’s this?” she leaned forward, purple eyes glinting with interest. ”I’ve never seen these runes before. And in a first-circle spell, too!”

I nodded, letting the tension flow from my body, and a small smile flickered across my face. I knew the light in her eyes better than anyone. It was the same light and excitement I felt whenever I got a chance to talk about magic.

Taking a deep breath, I gathered my strength and sat up straight, matching her energy. ”Have you ever wondered what abilities are?”

She stiffened, a hint of anticipation creeping into her voice. ”Abilities? I wager few know more about them in all of Enusia. Abilities are granted to one upon awakening, or upon suffering extreme circumstances. It might surprise you to learn that most spells are based on abilities.”

”Do you know why that is?” I asked.

She frowned, clearly expecting a different reaction. ”There are a few theories amongst knowledgeable mages. My favorite is that abilities inspired mages to replicate what was given to them to the common man. Some creatures have protective abilities, like the Giant Fire Moles of the Southern Continent. Surely, mages must have studied these and created the first protective magics we have today.”

She took a breath but paused, looking at the aegis again. Her eyes widened and found their way to me, sharpening dangerously.

”Are you saying that this Aegis,” she gestured at the spell, ”makes use of an ability?”

Before I could nod, she waved her hand. Three magic circles blipped into existence for a single instant before vanishing again. A fiery ray leaped from her palm and struck the aegis, sending cracks spider-webbing through the sphere.

”Remarkable! I think it could handle another two Fire Beams!” She turned to me, eyes taking on a predatory glint. ”Just what are those runes, and what does this have to do with abilities?”

”Do you know the difference between a spell and an ability?” I asked.

She rolled her eyes. ”You mock me. What child doesn’t?”

I flinched, quickly bowing my head. ”S-sorry, I just meant...well, do you promise not to tell them?”

Nithalee frowned, searching my eyes. ”Them?”

I nodded toward the statues ringing the Shard, and her eyes widened.

”A secret that impresses even the God of Magic, is it?” she murmured, ”Go ahead, I’m listening.”

A small knot tightened in my stomach, and I hesitated, chewing on my lip. Everything depended on this moment here, but still, I was hesitant to show her. Just because she’d been accommodating so far didn’t mean she wouldn’t do as she threatened if I failed to impress her. I had to do this.

”May I?” I asked, reaching a trembling hand toward her.

Her expression turned unreadable. ”You wish to cast another spell?”

”Kind of. Just...well, watch.”

I took a breath and mustered my mana soul, casting a spell. ”Link Ability.”

A flash of purple light nearly blinded me as her wards reacted, but Nithalee soothed them, allowing my spell to penetrate. She gasped, back going rigid, as stars drifted through her irises.

”This isn’t a normal eyes spell,” she said softly.

I shook my head, placing a hand on my chest. ”This light you see is my soul.”

She studied me carefully, eyebrows knit together. The lines on her forehead creased as her lips curved down.

”This is the power you’ve brought against humanity?” her voice took on a playful lit. ”My, my, how convenient. It’s no wonder you’ve killed so many seventh-level inquisitors.”

My cheeks warmed, but I quickly pushed aside the small swell of pride. ”L-look deeper, at the fabric of my soul. It looks like a bunch of stars, right?”

Nithalee nodded. ”Yes, I see it. It’s not mana, yet it’s woven the same way. Only a thousand times finer.”

”That’s, um, reality. Fate, maybe. I don’t really know, to be honest,” I admitted, rubbing my horn bashfully, ”But the truth is, it works exactly like mana. Or maybe mana works like it.”

I directed her gaze to the gentle light of Adaptive Resistance. I’d kept it flared against the Crystal enchantment, making it easily visible.

”And this is one of my abilities. It’s woven from fate just like spells are woven from mana. The first spells weren’t just based on abilities but directly replicated them. I created my Aegis by copying the structure of a Canyon Crawler’s protective ability. With a few days of research and experimentation, I was able to more than double Aegis’ integrity.”

”I can understand your point, but how are you so confident you can create new spells off of abilities? Unless...” she perked up. ”You didn’t...”

”And if I did?”

”Show me,” she commanded.

I shook my head, gripping my staff again. ”I, well, that’s what I’d like to trade.”

”Trade? For the crystal enchantment? Child, what you’ve shown me so far would ransom a kingdom, much less this city. You’ve figured out what countless mages have studied for thousands of lifetimes in a matter of years.” She shook her head, clicking her tongue. ”No wonder those church foggies are so keen to get their hands on you. I’d thought Lord Evlon’s presence was excessive, but now it feels short-sighted and petty. If only they’d sent me instead...”

She sighed and shook her head, turning her gaze back to me. It felt hungry, no less predatory than any demon I’d seen before. I squirmed, hugging Borealis to my chest.

”So you don’t want to see it?” I asked tentatively.

Her face turned stony. ”If you didn’t want to show me, you shouldn’t have mentioned it. Now, I’m afraid you no longer have a choice.”