The Forsaken Hero

”A hero inquisitor? That’s a tale I haven’t heard,” Aerion said, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

Korra side-eyed him. ”And who exactly are you? Xiviyah told me of Selena, not that I knew she was the archmage, but I’ve never heard a whisper of you.”

”He’s my younger brother,” Selena said with a sigh, rubbing her forehead.

”Only by a decade. And to put it humbly, I’m the best sword among the elves.”

”Humble?” R’lissea covered her mouth, smothering a smile.

He shot her a grin. ”The most.”

”Oh, shut up already,” Selena muttered.

”Ah, right. I suppose I’m little more than wall ornamentation compared to the great Archmage,” Aerion shot back.

Selena started to retort, but stopped as I giggled. Her eyes went wide.

”You...you laughed,” she said in disbelief.

I nodded, letting my smile warm my face. ”I made you a promise. Even after everything, I couldn’t forget it. I waited a long time to show you.”

”It’s beautiful,” she said softly. ”Not just your smile, but you. You’re simply radiant, Xiviyah. You’ve shared barely a hundredth of your story so far, yet I’m impatient to hear the rest now. You’ve grown so much!”

My smile slowly faded, and I looked down, clasping my hands in my lap. ”I wish it were all that bright, but there’s been more darkness than light. Now, more than ever, a shadow hangs over us. The demons come to claim these lands, and there is little anyone can do to stop them.”

”What of Blacksand? I heard you negotiated a treaty there,” Aerion said.

”Barely. But this is different. We’re not just trying to save lives, but the shards,” R’lissea said.

Selena and Aerion went quiet, exchanging a look.

”That’s...not possible, is it?” Selena asked. ”As much as I prayed for something like that to happen, the shards of omniscience are the one thing the demons need. And why would you come all this way to save our few? What makes them any different from Blacksand, or Brithlite?”

”I made a promise,” I admitted. ”A promise to save the shards here. Nothing else matters beyond that.”

”I think,” Selena said slowly, ”you’d best tell me everything.”

For the next hour, I proceeded to lay out everything, keeping nothing hidden save the depth of my connection with fate. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Selena, for I trusted her more than any, save my closest friends, but there simply wasn’t time to address it. And, blood-related to Selena though he was, I felt reluctant to share too much in front of Aerion.

As I began explaining our plan to take down the mage sustaining the world barrier, the door opened to reveal Elise. She trudged in with a weary look on her face and collapsed next to me, her arm rubbing against mine.

”How did it go?” I asked.

She offered a weak smile. ”We can stay here, for the time being. And I got us access to the shard tomorrow. But by the gods, I’m exhausted. That man’s cunning, Xiviyah, is even more than the emperor’s ambassadors.”

I let out a long breath, sinking into the plush cushions of the couch. That was our immediate concern resolved.

”A few hundred years of politics will do that to anyone,” Selena said.

Elise said, ”He mentioned the Verdant Tribunal, too. They sent orders to drive the outsiders out, lest they spread the Risen plague. I could tell he was frustrated by their handling of the situation, but I don’t think he has the courage to go against their will.”

”What would you have done if Lord Greenpine had forced you out?” Aerion asked.

My hands tightened their grip on my skirt. ”What we had to.”

”And if we were called to stop you?” Selena asked.

I flinched, avoiding her gaze. ”It’s...more than that. More than you, more than me. I would never hurt you, but we need this shard.”

I bit my lip, waiting for her to lash out, but there was nothing. I looked up, eyes wide, to see her smile.

”Keep hold of that resolve, Xiviyah. I’m afraid you’re going to need it in the days ahead. The lords and ladies of Sylvarus will not easily permit their salvation.”

”I’m curious whether you could actually fight through us. No offense, but you’re all a bunch of seventh-levels. And I hardly think I’d lose to a mere demon,” Aerion said with a provocative wave of his hand.

”Your ignorance is amusing. Should there be time, I’d like to test your blade,” Fyren said.

”If you don’t mind being embarrassed by a mortal, I’d be happy to take you on.”

”I see what you meant about your humility,” R’lissea said, smiling faintly.

Aerion frowned. ”Yes, though I’m uncertain how that has anything to do with this.”

As they continued to trade insults and banter, Selena leaned toward me.

”Do you have any idea where to start your search? I would ask if you knew any capable of sustaining the world barrier on the southern continent, but...you don’t exactly have allies there. I wish I were any different, but my terms of departure were hardly more favorable than yours.”

”What happened back then? I know you stole my staff, but how did you escape?”

She grinned. ”Pure luck, honestly. I happened to receive a tip from our mutual friend in the library, and avoided the first inquisitive. From there, I slipped from town to town until I could charter a ship to Ornth. The real trouble started once I got back to Duskwood. The church demanded that the nation surrender me for justice.”

”They even threatened a holy war like the kind against the Beast Kingdom,” Aerion said. He wore a grave expression that seemed out of place after his relaxed demeanor.

”What did you do?” I gasped.

Selena shrugged. ”Waited. That was the time the demon gates started falling in earnest, and they lacked the resources to make good on their threats. Had I been a little weaker, though, things might have gone very differently. Even so, I find myself sent far away from the capital on assignments like this one. For as much as the Tribunal claims independence from the church’s influence, they spend a lot of time listening to their ’council.’”

”And you wonder why I don’t leave you alone. I’m sure they’re just waiting for a chance to turn you over for some favor. You’re too vulnerable without me,” Aerion said.

She rolled her eyes. ”I think I’ll be just fine. There’s no soldier or adventurer who’d dare to turn against me. I’ve saved far too many of them against the Risen and demon incursions. Not to mention, I’ve helped train every mage for the last hundred years.”

”Um, Selena, is it alright if I ask? Do you know of the state of the World Barrier?” I asked, hesitantly changing the subject.

She pursed her lips. ”The world barrier stands, that much I know from some correspondence I have with a few in the Divine Throne. But I’m afraid I don’t know who the center of the formation is, or where they could be found. That information belongs to a select few, namely those who would have participated in its creation.”

”It can never be easy,” I muttered, rubbing my horn.

”Why don’t you just find it in a vision?” Korra asked.

It was R’lissea who answered. ”They’re shielding it with the same kind of magic they used in Blacksand.”

”And that is...?” Korra asked.

”Oh, right. Forgot you weren’t there,” R’lissea said, flushing slightly. ”It’s, um, an artifact that shields a massive area from any kind of scrying magic.”

”It’s strong enough to ward off the Oracle of Eternity,” I explained. ”We only broke the one in Blacksand because Fable and I were able to find the physical item.”

”What should we do in the meantime? Is there another way to earn your mysterious apostle’s favor?”

”Nope,” Gayron said, interjecting for the first time. ”he cares for power, vengeance, and...actually, that’s it. If you can’t offer him something greater than the shards, he’ll take them without a second thought.”

We lapsed into silence, the weight of those words heavy on my shoulders. I had an idea of how to find the mage, but it was a long shot, and something I wasn’t certain was possible. Even more daunting was that once we found them, we’d have to kill them. And killing a ninth-level mage hidden behind what would surely be the church’s strongest defenses was certainly daunting, if not outright impossible.

”Selena? Is it alright if I ask something?” I asked.

”Anything.”

”Would you teach R’lissea how to fight? I didn’t know you were the archmage before, but in Blacksand, Elaine said you’d be able to help.”

”Xiviyah!” R’lissea said, her ears twitching in embarrassment.

Selena blinked, taken aback by the sudden question. ”It feels strange to give the Life hero lessons in her own attribute. Is that what you wish, too?”

R’lissea ducked her head, hands gripping her skirt. ”I...I do. Every time we’ve met, I’ve lost to Connor. I want to stop him and the Risen. I need to get stronger.”

”Then I’ll show you what I can.”

”Oh, Selena, quit being modest,” Aerion chided. ”You’re the strongest Life Magic mage in the world, and a combat-oriented one at that. It’s only natural a hero would come to you for guidance.”

She shot him a glare. ”Strength needs to herald, Aerion. And R’lissea, I’ll see you first thing in the morning. In fact, it would be best if everyone got some rest now. You’ve traveled long, and there is much for you to do.”

I got up, giving her a final hug, before slipping out. As one of the servants led us to our chambers, I walked next to Korra, grabbing her hand.

”Find me tomorrow morning,” I said softly, ”There’s something I have to show you.”