The Forsaken Hero

I shrank forward as R’lissea’s gaze burned into my back. Her voice was soft when she spoke but cut me to the core.

”And what would you have us do? Ignore it all? Not everyone can hide in a realm protected by remnants. That’s what it means to be a hero, Xiviyah. To risk yourself to protect the weak and innocent.”

My chest tightened, tears coming to my eyes. It wasn’t just that she raised her voice, but that she was right. I took a deep breath.

”R’lissea?”

”Yes?” She sounded a bit defensive.

”If I ever say something like that again, please remind me why again,” I said, giving her a small smile. ”Thanks.”

The tension in her shoulders eased. ”I’m glad that’s clear.”

We sat quietly for a minute, watching as the sun crept closer to the opposing rim. I let out a sigh and looked at her.

”It’s so big. Do you think it was actually a battle or something?”

”Sometimes, nature is even more incredible than magic,” R’lissea said with a grin. ”You’d better count yourself lucky. You’re about to experience it firsthand!”

The blood drained from my face as looked between her and the crater. ”You’re not saying...”

R’lissea looped her arms around my waist, hugging me tight. ”There isn’t another road for tens of miles in either direction.”

Fable’s muscles tensed, and I whimpered, my voice rising to a whine.

”Wait, Fable, we can walk around. Don’t—”

Fable lunged forward, turning the rest of whatever I’d been about to say into a scream. His paws smashed into the edge, sending a spray of black rocks into the nothingness below. The next time I peeked through my eyes, the Enusia was spread out beneath us like a canvas.

”Faaaaable!” I cried, drawing out the name in another scream as gravity took hold, clawing us toward the ground.

Tears blurred my eyes as we accelerated, the delicate pins of the distant rock formation growing ever larger, jutting up like spears waiting to impale us.

A heartbeat from impact, mana erupted from Fable’s soul, filling every fiber of his being. His fur burned with power, warm against my skin like he’d been lying out in the summer sun.

The ground shattered as we struck it, fissures opening for dozens of feet in all directions. Clouds of dust billowed around us, filled with millions of razor-sharp obsidian rock fragments that cut like knives against R’lissea’s wards.

When the dust settled, I peeked over Fable’s shoulder, wincing as rubbed my neck. Even if the landing was soft, it had aggravated the whiplash from earlier.

”Let me take care of that,” R’lissea said, soul casting a healing spell on me.

I closed my eyes, relaxing as the familiar, green magic soothed the aches and calmed my racing heart. Only when my nerves calmed did I open my eyes again. By that time, Fable was already moving again.

”Can we not do that again,” I mumbled.

R’lissea laughed. ”You say that every time.”

”Well maybe it’s true.”

I rubbed my horn, resisting the urge to scowl at her. My irritation was quickly forgotten as Fable carried through the rugged ridges and around green trees.

Green? I blinked, giving a large, gnarled deciduous tree a second look as we passed by it.

”Where’s the snow?” I asked, then, after a second, added, ”And why is it so warm?”

”It’s said there is a powerful dragon trapped with Blacksand Spire. Its power radiates through the land, keeping winter at bay,” R’lissea said in a low voice.

A shiver ran down my spine. ”A dragon? ’

Her giggle startled me.

”That’s what they say, at least. I think it’s just the thermal energy from subsurface magma vents. It is a volcano, after all.”

I blinked, mouthing some of those words. That kind of knowledge was taught in the schools of my old world, not a place I’d ever been able to go. I used to watch the other girls my age talk and laugh as they passed by whatever alleyway I was curled up in, wondering what kind of marvelous things they knew. Turns out it was just a bunch of fancy vocabulary.

”That would explain the hot springs, too,” R’lissea added.

”They looked more like lakes,” I said, remembering the vast, shining bodies of water enveloped by fog.

”No, not those. The hot springs,” she said. ”You’ll see once we get to an inn. They’re everywhere in Blacksand.”

Soon, the towering spire rose above us, piercing over a mile into the sky. Clusters of homes dotted the landscape, surrounded by small fields cleared out amid the volcanic gravel. Humans, joined by the occasional elf or half-elf, stared out at us with wide eyes. Fable moved too quickly for them to do more than notice us, but the fear in their eyes clung to me, weighing me down like a wet cloak.

The homes grew denser, and soon, the farmland disappeared altogether, replaced by crude streets of igneous cobblestone and storefronts.

A dark line cut across the city, plunging half the city into darkness and moving rapidly toward us. I tensed, then relaxed as I realized it was just the shadow of the spire. The sun was still some hours before setting, but the immensity of the formation left a long shadow.

”Where are we going?” I asked as we crossed into the shade.

The shadow was much darker than I expected, nearing the gloom of twilight, but my demonkin instantly adjusted. R’lissea wasn’t as lucky, squinting as her elven pupils dilated.

”To the palace,” she said, pointing at the spire looming over us.

I looked up and swallowed, my throat dry. It was a long, long way up.

”Next time we go to a city, we’re going somewhere that doesn’t require me to get a mile off the ground,” I muttered.

”Last time doesn’t count. We were flying,” R’lissea said.

”It counts.”

As we pushed forward, the streets grew increasingly crowded, and Fable had to slow, giving startled, frightened people time to scramble out of our way. Many called for the guards, fled with their children in their arms or stood still–too stunned to move. Every scream, pointing finger, or terrified child crying at the sight of my wolf caused my chest to tighten, bringing me back to memories I’d rather have forgotten.

R’lissea hugged me from behind. ”It’s alright, Xiviyah. Just endure it a bit. They’ll all change once we save them.”

”That never helps,” I said quietly. ”It just makes it hurt more when they reject me.”

She was quiet at that, though whether because she believed me or just didn’t know how to comfort me, I wasn’t sure. Not long after that, we arrived at a massive obsidian wall. The structure was beautiful, one flawless piece without brick or seam. It encircled the spire about a mile from its base, cutting off the inner city. The gate, crafted of the same glassy obsidian, was shut tight at our coming.

”Halt!”

A loud voice brought Fable to a standstill. I shrank behind Fable’s shoulder, eyes locked on the guards who challenged us. There ten of them altogether, dressed in gilded full-plate armor and bearing spears with long tassels tied beneath the heads.

The lead guard approached us, spear held tightly in his gauntlets. His eyes narrowed as he took in Fable, only to widen as they landed on my horns.

”Get off the demon, filth blood,” he said, leveling his spear at Fable’s head.

My wolf snorted, letting a bit of his aura slip. The soldiers, all of whom were weaker than fourth level, stiffened. They retreat a step, the blood draining from their faces.

”W-who are you? Are you here for the negotiations?” The captain’s voice trembled.

Another aura swept across the street, pushing Fable’s back to his soul. A young woman with long, raven hair slipped from a side street and approached us. She wore a long white dress that swished about her ankles, hemmed with gold, and embroidered about the bodice and sleeves. She smiled gently, her face unburdened by wrinkles, but her stormy gray eyes held a wisdom that belied her youth.

”Greeting Oracle, forgive our lack of a proper reception. We weren’t expecting you here so soon,” she said in a smooth, silky voice. Her gaze traveled over Fable’s streamlined coat, eyes sparkling with interest. ”Is this the beast responsible for that? Most curious, indeed.”

”Lady Elaine!”

The guards dropped to one knee, left hand pressed to their breastplate in a salute. The woman waved at them dismissively, eyes moving up to me. I shivered and looked away, a chill running down my spine. Ninth level. This woman was Ninth-level.

”You must be the Oracle,” Elaine said, pursing her lips. ”I must say, you’re smaller than I expected. Do the demons have you skipping meals?”

I flushed, tangling my hands in Fable’s fur. R’lissea sighed and slid off Fable’s back, landing gracefully, her hair tumbling around her shoulders.

”Lady Elaine, we’ve had a long journey. Would you at least offer us in before you pester us with questions?”

”Ah, yes, forgive me. I forget myself,” Elaine said, curtsying slightly. ”Please, if you’ll follow me. The gate, captain?”

The guard jumped at her voice and quickly turned to his squad. They retreated toward the gate, which began grinding open on chains thicker than my torso. As we passed through, I barely spared the seventh-level enchantments woven within the stone a second glance, too focused on the Ninth-level woman. Just what had R’lissea gotten me into?