The Forsaken Hero

”Victor?” I shook my head. ”No, please don’t. He believed me.”

Korra let out a low whistle. ”For real? Him?”

”I...think so. He could have killed me, but he didn’t.”

”I’m surprised he had the strength to try,” Gayron said, scrutinizing Victor. ”I was sure I killed him in Brithlite.”

I took a breath and turned, making my way toward the Justice Hero. On my second step, my leg buckled, and I fell against Fable, wincing.

”Don’t try to walk,” R’lissea said, taking my arm.

She effortlessly lifted me onto Fable’s back, her hand lingering on my thigh. Her eyes were filled with concern, and she gave me a gentle squeeze.

”I didn’t even cast that much magic,” I complained.

”You don’t have to. Your body is fragile, remember? And with how close things got there... It’s no wonder you’re tired. Are you sure you want to talk to him? We could take care of it,” R’lissea said, glancing at Korra.

Korra nodded. ”Even before, you two never got along. Let us speak with him.”

”No.” I shook my head. ”I...I have to know.”

”What do you care what he thinks?” Gayron asked, ”He tried to kill you.”

”So did you,” I said with a bit more venom than I planned.

He shrugged. ”And yet you never come by to chat.”

”Gayron,” Korra said, laying a hand on his arm. ”It’s fine if she wants to.”

”Just saying,” he muttered.

Victor raised his head as we approached, his body tensing. His face was deathly pale, his brow scrunched in pain. His chest rose with shallow, uneven gasps. The stench of corruption was palpable, so thick it might even have been visible without the Oracle of Eternity. His eyes narrowed, stabbing right through me, as I slid off Fable’s back. Even hunched over, he loomed a foot taller than me, his presence hard as steel.

”What do you want? Come to gloat?” he spat. Not in anger, but pain.

Korra frowned, her eyes flashing dangerously. ”You’re in no position to take that tone. If you could have escaped, you would have already.”

His spine stiffened. ”I won’t be lectured by traitors, especially the ally of a filthblood. If you’re to kill me, be done with it. Or are you planning to feed me to your demons?”

He gave Fyren and Borealis a scathing look. They both regarded him coolly, as if appraising a rock. That seemed to irritate him even more, but instead of insulting anyone further, his shoulders slumped. He leaned back against the tree, hissing.

”It hurts, doesn’t it,” R’lissea said, her lip quivering. ”We can...I mean...”

She looked at me uncertainly, and I nodded.

”You can what? Corruption is unhealed, even for you,” Victor said through gritted teeth.

Stepping forward, I tentatively reached out my hand, letting my fingers hover an inch in front of his chest. He stared hard at me, his aura sharp as swords. I quickly withdrew, tail twitching.

”Oh, Victor,” R’lissea sighed. ”Can’t you just accept some mercy? You don’t have to hurt anymore.”

She brushed past me, reaching her slender hands up and cupping his face. He flinched as her thumb brushed across a vein of corruption, his hands clenching into fists. I tensed, but he forced them to relax, surrendering to her hold.

”Requiem,” she breathed.

Victor jerked as her magic blossomed around him, winding across his body in shining ribbons of green and gold. Korra let out a gasp, eyes wide.

”Did you...soul cast that? A sixth-circle spell?” she asked in a whisper.

The light increased in intensity, the ribbons sinking through his armor and flesh. It remained visible just beneath his skin, tracing along the swirling scars of corruption. A few penetrated his soul, purging the filth that had just begun to infringe.

Victor’s lips parted in a low, thrumming whine. His hands blurred, and R’lissea squeaked as he suddenly grabbed her wrists. Fyren’s sword leaped out of its sheath, but he hesitated as R’lissea cried for him to stop. Victor’s eyes rolled back; it was clear he wasn’t aware he was clutching her.

After a few tense seconds, the light faded. Victor’s hand slipped from her wrists, and he fell forward. R’lissea caught him, gently lying on the ground, his head in her lap. The dark, ugly scars of corruption had faded from his body and soul, leaving his skin smooth, covered in a sheen of sweat.

She took his wrist and fumbled with the straps, detaching the magic hand from his stump. Seven magic circles sprang from her soul, pouring even more life magic into him. The skin of his stump broke, and bone, nerves, tendons, and muscles flowed outward. When the hand was formed, fresh skin rolled across it like a sheathe. The fingers opened and closed reflexively, and Victor groaned, shifting in her arms.

”Amazing,” Gayron said, genuinely surprised by both the Regenerate and Requiem. ”Is that what you did to Xiviyah, too?”

Korra whirled, staring at me. I shrank back, flushing at the intensity of her scrutiny. Only now did I remember that the last time we’d met, I’d been covered in sunpurge. Apparently, I hadn’t been the only one to overlook that.

”You’re healed!” she cried, throwing her arms around me. I squirmed as her hands raced over me, brushing the soft, smooth skin of my shoulders and arms, and pressing against my side. It was an invasive, almost intimate embrace, yet she seemed completely unaware of it, just squeezing me tighter.

”K-Korra,” I mumbled, face burning.

”I can hug you again!” she cried.

Gayron rolled his eyes. ”You already did that, remember?”

She shot him a withering glare, hand touching my shoulder for what had to be the fourth time.

”Let her go, Korra,” R’lissea said with a smile, releasing Victor. ”You might actually crush her to death.”

Korra loosened her grip, but didn’t let me go. That was fine by me, and after I caught my breath, I snuggled against her bosom.

”I missed you,” I whispered.

She held me for a few moments longer, idly stroking my hair, until Viktor suddenly gasped, his eyes flying open. I turned around, and she shifted her embrace so that her hands clasped at my waist, loosely holding me from behind.

Viktor sat up slowly, rubbing his head. The fog slowly cleared from his eyes.

”It’s...gone...” His voice was a breathy whisper, filled with disbelief. ”But how...? Evlon said...even the elves...”

”I healed you,” R’lissea said, bending over, offering him her hand.

He looked at her a moment, searching her eyes, before taking it. Her small, slender hand was laughably small in his, yet she pulled him up easily. I felt a slight touch of envy, but forgot it as he faced me.

”This is your doing, filthblood?”

I shook my head. ”Both of us, together. Life and Fate magic.”

”Most of the work on corruption is hers,” R’lissea offered. ”I figured out the sunpurge.”

”Damn it all,” Victor said with a sigh. He settled back, folding his arms. ”So what now? I assume you’re not planning to kill me, else why heal me?”

Gayron snorted. ”Good question.”

All eyes turned to me. I shrank against Korra, grateful as she gave me a comforting squeeze.

”Victor, what...what did you mean before? You said someone told you to open your eyes. Who was that?” I asked, a quiver in my voice.

His expression grew solemn. ”Verity. She came to my room after the inquisitors pulled me from the ashes of Brithlite, before they whisked her away to the southern continent. Snuck in, more likely.” he shook his head, sighing. ”Whatever you told her really shook her up, and she had...concerns. I didn’t listen to her then, and lost my temper. I wish I could blame the corruption and pain I was in, but the truth was I was being stubborn. She didn’t deserve that...I didn’t have to make her cry...”

”But what did she say?” I prompted again.

He grimaced, touching his forehead. ”She...showed me something. A vision of a world freed from demons. Everyone was happy and loyal. There was no crime, no pain, no suffering. Just...smiles.” He shivered, hands tightening into fists. ”Empty smiles.”

”The heart crest,” I whispered.

He nodded. ”To think it took me this long to understand that. The last few months have been a blur, but I should have seen the truth earlier. When I looked back and saw all those Risen...I knew that vision hadn’t been a lie. There are always sacrifices in war, but they must be fair and just. Connor’s a monster, and the church chose to unleash him on the entire continent to buy them a few more months.”

”And that’s why you turned against them?” Korra asked.

He nodded. ”No one, gods or otherwise, could do that and still be considered honorable and just. And I helped it happen.”

His voice broke at the end, but he didn’t look away from me. There was none of the hatred or disgust from before when he looked at me, now. His blue eyes were just...sad.

”Will you fight with us?” I asked.

He closed his eyes and flexed his new hand. ”I...no. I can’t.”