The Forsaken Hero

Lord Evlon staggered back to his feet, clutching his wounded arm. Life magic played between his fingers, but his flesh was slow to regenerate this time. His soul was nearly spent.

”Why are you so damn hard to kill,” he gasped, clutching his wound.

He turned his glare at Victor, who had retreated far from our sight and now stood still, grimacing in pain. The hero’s armaments whirled around him, idly cutting down any Risen or demons that got too close.

”This is your fault. Why didn’t you kill her when you had the chance? Do you know how hard I worked to set this up? How much I sacrificed?” Evlon shouted. He took a deep breath, forcibly restraining himself, and turned to Connor. ”No matter, the water hero is only seventh level. There’s still time before the demons arrive. You’ve been holding back, haven’t you? Bring your horde in, and we’ll pull them apart with numbers. I’ll cut in and–”

”No, I don’t think so,” Connor said suddenly.

Lord Evlon recoiled, his aura growing erratic. Connor straightened from his combat stance, setting his scythe on his shoulder. His eyes stared daggers at the inquisitor.

”Twenty-four thousand, five hundred and ninety-seven,” he said slowly. Deliberately.

”And that is?”

”How many Risen I’ve lost in the five minutes since this battle started. Another army just hit my east flank, the storm demon lord my west, and that blasted Fire Demon is tearing through my north. I think it’s fair to say we’ve lost. You can stay and fight if you want, but I’m not suffering any more losses.”

”You swore to aid me,” Evlon said, a vein bulging in his jaw.

Connor shrugged. ”And I did. Consider my debt repaid, and our alliance at its end. Expect that the next time we meet, it won’t be as hero and inquisitor, but living and dead. I rather hope that days come quickly; I don’t have any Risen capable of using high-level sun magic left.”

”Come on, get back!” Korra cried.

She mine and R’lissea’s hand, dragging us away. Fable followed close behind, covering our flank, and Borealis circled just overhead.

”Korra, what are you doing here?” R’lissea asked.

She shook her head. ”Never mind that yet. We’ve got to get Xiviyah out of here.”

”I’ll...I’ll be alright,” I gasped, stumbling across the scorched forest earth. ”Just...slow down...a bit.”

Behind us, the inquisitor continued to stare Connor down.

”Where is your arrogance? You so smugly the filthblood a minute before!”

Connor snorted, jumping into the air. As he reached the zenith of his jump, some fifty feet in the air, he stretched out his hand. His shadow exploded, swelling beneath him like Fable assuming his true form. A draconic aura roared across the forest, slamming against my back, sending me sprawling. Korra released R’lissea, jerking me against her chest and holding me close with both arms.

A dreadful roar shattered the skies, knocking the weaker storm demons to the earth. Past Korra, I could make out dark coils unfurling across the sky, and a maw big enough to swallow a castle. Its aura reached its full strength at the peak of the eighth level, doubling Fable’s power from the last time he’d taken his full form.

”What the hell is that thing?” Korra asked, face white from the pressure.

”D-dragon,” R’lissea stammered.

Once it had reached its full size, the Risen Lava Dragon reared its head and roared, catching Connor on its head. He stood proudly between its jagged horns, illusory black flames flickering around his feet in billowing ripples.

”It’s called flexible thinking, inquisitor,” Connor said, his smug expression back on his face. ”Perhaps your inability to understand that is why you’ve failed over and over on this continent. Not that I’m ungrateful for that, as it’s pushed the church to give me free rein.”

Connor turned to us, his gaze freezing us in our tracks. I alone had the soul strong enough to resist his dragon’s aura, yet my flesh was weak. The others could only tremble, pulling just enough mana to keep on their feet and breathing.

”We’ll finish this later, R’lissea. It’ll take me some time to rebuild my forces, and I expect you to be much stronger then. Don’t try and follow us, the Risen don’t take kindly to pursuers.”

With that, his dragon wheeled away, taking its dreadful aura with it. Risen from across the land turned as one and staggered after him, drawing the Black Mist on their heels.

”Damn it all,” Evlon said, gritting his teeth. He shot a final glance at the two surviving inquisitors trapped in my magic and touched his ring, vanishing into a magic circle.

The battlefield fell quiet, save for the heavy breathing of my party and the growls and scraping scales of the demons. There were still skirmishes on the edges, but I touched my chest, sending my will into the Primordial Mark to cease any pursuit. We might get away with killing a few thousand more Risen, but the last thing I wanted was to provoke Connor to return with that dragon. Even with Fyren and Zephyriss arriving, I didn’t dare risk confronting it with Connor’s magic as support.

I collapsed against Korra, eyes filling with tears. She held me close, one hand patting my back while the other stroked my hair.

”Korra...you’re here,” I whispered, biting my lip to keep from crying.

”Of course I am. I promised always to come back, remember?”

Despite the playful lilt to her words, her sea green eyes were misty. R’lissea threw her arms around us from behind, laying her head against Korra’s back.

”I’m glad you’re both safe,” Korra said, giggling as she twisted, taking R’lissea into her embrace. ”It’s been so, so long, and I was starting to worry.”

”Me two,” I admitted. ”I’ve seen you from time to time, but...you’re here.”

I drew a deep, shuddering breath, relishing the familiar scent of rain that always accompanied her. She smiled and brushed my horn with her hand as she stroked my hair, sending a tingle down my spine.

”You’re hair’s gotten a lot longer,” she said. ”And if I didn’t know better, I’d say you brushed it.”

I nodded, blushing. ”R’lissea helps me.”

We finally stepped apart as two powerful infernal presences drew near. Fyren ran up through the horde, sword sheathed across his back. He no longer bore the same urgency as before, having received my message through our souls.

”Water Hero,” he said, dipping his head. ”I trust those are your forces lingering on our flank?”

Korra turned from the direction the fire blast had come from. I followed her, shielding my eyes against the setting sun. The gleam of steel drew my gaze, and I gasped softly as I made out dozens of white and gold fluttering pennants. I turned to Korra, eyes wide and shining.

”The Last Light? You brought them?”

She grinned. ”They’ve refused to leave my side.” Her smile faltered somewhat. ”Though some of them seem ready. Like the rest of us, they’re tired of war.”

”I’m afraid the war’s only just begun,” I said softly, clasping a hand against my breast. ”But now that you’re here...”

R’lissea nodded. ”That makes three of us heroes, now.”

”What about him?” Korra asked, nodding at Victor.

The Justice Hero stood some distance away, leaning against the tree. We were too far to make out many details, but his armaments had vanished, and his eyes seemed to be closed. His chest rose and fell faintly, and the aura of corruption clouded the air about him like fog.

I froze, my lips parting, but no sound came out.

”Don’t tell me you forgot about him,” Korra said, raising an eyebrow.

I closed my mouth, warmth creeping over my ears. ”I-I won’t.”

She laughed, ruffling my hair. I ducked my head, face growing hotter.

”A comeback? That’s new. I think I like it,” she said.

Zephyriss streaked down from the sky. She paused twenty feet up, wings fluttering as she eyed Korra. Before she could ask, a pulse of communication jumped from Fyren, and she nodded, retreating a bit.

As I stared at Victor, another presence approached. I stiffened, tail twitching, as I caught a whiff of ash and smoke. It wasn’t infernal, like Fyren, but powerful. It couldn’t be...

Alex? The Fire Hero? An ambush I hadn’t foreseen?

I turned, heart skipping a beat, only to sag in relief. Not a hero. Apostle. He jogged right up to us, sword on his back, his tail waving behind him. His eyes barely flitted to us before resting on Korra, and he broke out in a relieved smile.

”Seems you made it in time,” he said.

”Thanks to you, but it was cutting it a little close,” she replied.

”Always is,” he said, tossing his hair. He took another step, grabbing Korra’s hand, and pulled her into a hug. She winked at me over his shoulder, and I blushed as they kissed.

”That fire,” R’lissea began, edging closer to me, ears pink. ”That was you?”

The two broke apart, cheeks flushed. Korra smoothed an errant lock of hair behind her ear. Gayron turned to us, finally giving us a good look.

”The oracle, I remember. You must be the Life Hero,” he said. ”And yeah, that was me. I used art to give her a boost.”

Korra laughed at our embarrassment, giving him a nudge on the chest. ”Come on, introduce yourself.”

He huffed, rolling his eyes. ”Fine. I’m Gayron, Apostle of Fire. And about that hero over there. Want me to kill him?”