The Forsaken Hero

The rooms provided to us were small and cozy, with a fireplace that burned on mana and windows that opened toward the rising sun. They seemed to be repurposed from a noble’s guest suite, being more a complex of rooms rather than individual units. Korra and Gayron claimed the master bedroom, and R’lissea and I ended up together in what felt like a servant’s room. Elise, through virtue of her title in Blacksand, was given her own space nearby.

I crawled into bed as R’lissea opened a tome next to me and quickly fell asleep, lulled by her soft breathing. The night passed slowly, one vision fading into the next, as I searched for any sign of ninth-level mages. After a hundred or so empty dreams, I found myself standing on a cliff overlooking a city harbor.

The city was a chaotic sprawl of streets, stalls, and open marketplaces, with people who had skin far darker than what I’d seen on the northern continent. The buildings lacked the refined architecture of the cultures of Radia, Brithlite, and Blacksand, looking more like shacks piled onto each other than actual streets of homes and businesses. Trash was everywhere, but the people were lively. Children ran through the streets, their parents speaking in loud, energetic tones with each other.

The harbor was massive, encompassing a mile of ocean in towers and fortifications. Huge, three-masted ships sailed between the piers. Mana cannons and ballistae lined the walls and turrets, aimed outward toward the sea. A skyship was moored to a dock-like structure constructed upon one of the towers heading the harbor. The horizon was broken by billowing white sails, sailors scurrying around the rigging like tiny insects.

A faint purple shimmer settled over the waves, turning the water and sky a faint purple, like looking through a colored lens. Thick streams of mana curled through the air, winding around souls like wolves tracking prey.

The back of my neck prickled as I followed the mana to its source up in the sky, and my breath caught in my throat. A single rune, miles across, dominated the sky. Beyond it, I could make out the edge of another falling over the horizon. A...magic circle?

The scale was beyond anything I’d imagined possible, smothering an entire kingdom. Or, perhaps, the whole continent. There was only one thing it could be. The world barrier.

I spent a few minutes studying it, but learned little more than what Emlica and Selena had told me already. The mana emanating from the titanic circle was passive for now, but I suspected it would go berserk the moment it sensed infernal blood or mana. IF that much mana could truly be brought to bear, it would be like smothering an entire kingdom in the discordant field of dispel magic. No wonder launching an invasion under its runes was considered impossible.

When it became clear I would learn nothing else, I let the vision end and fell back into the endless routine. With some idea of what the World Barrier actually looked like now, I was able to narrow down my search. Unfortunately, that just meant I became even more certain the mage I was looking for was nowhere to be found. I couldn’t catch a hint of the source of the magic circle, no matter how many cities I visited, or the number of high-level souls I found.

After a night of fruitless searching, the flow of fate slowed, the visions coming to rest in one final scene. It was a cathedral in a city I didn’t recognize, with beautiful stained glass windows that stretched from the ground to the peak of the vaulted ceilings. Nithalee, the God of Magic’s ninth-level mage, stood on a balcony overlooking the city from the courtyard of the cathedral, her hands gripping the railing. Her lips moved in a silent chant, summoning dozens of magic circles around her.

Over her shoulder, I could make out the shard of obsidian in the heart of the cathedral, shining from the inside out with rainbow light. A thin thread of mana linked the shard to her soul, siphoning a bit of its power for use in her spell. The magic circles gathered together, forming a seventh-circle spell.

”Mana Spores,” the mage said.

Her mana condensed into a small purple sphere that rose above her outstretched hands into the sky. When it was a dozen feet overhead, it exploded in a storm of mana, falling into the city like rain.

”Are you certain nothing will slip by you?” a masculine voice asked behind me.

I turned, flinching as I made eye contact with a high inquisitive. His silver sword gleamed at his hip, matching the sun emblazoned on his chest. My heart raced dangerously fast, gradually slowing as my instincts calmed. NO matter how often I encountered foes like this in visions, it always took some time for my body to realize I wasn’t in any actual danger.

”It is enough,” Nithalee answered simply. ”Should anyone, mortal, demon, or god, enter the city, I will be aware of it. I still don’t see why you push so hard for hits. It’s not like Revainne’s hiding in the Cervox Empire, anyway.”

The inquisitor’s eyes narrowed. ”You know better than to speak of her. And you will do what you are ordered to, regardless of your opinion.”

”Fine, fine, I just find the event of a demon invasion incredibly unlikely with the world barrier. Even if they were to cross by sea, how could they resist your forces?” Nithalee said.

They can’t, nor will they ever. But even if the barrier is breached, every day it buys is a day to prepare further. The demons will pay in blood for every step they take on the southern continent.

The vision dispersed as I was pulled from my soulspace by gentle shaking. I woke lethargically, eyelids heavy, and sat up with a yawn, rubbing my eyes. I blinked several times, failing to recognize my surroundings. Soft morning light filtered through the windows, dying the room a pale pink. R’lissea sat on the bed beside me, humming softly as she brushed her hair. She looked over and smiled.

”Good morning. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

I yawned and sat up, rubbing my bleary eyes. ”It’s fine. It wasn’t like I was getting anywhere, anyway.”

She put her brush down, turning to face me, legs tucked and folded to the side. ”More visions?”

I nodded. ”Yeah, but no luck. I think it’s safe to say they’ve hidden the core of the World Barrier behind one of those artifacts. Otherwise, I’d have gotten some hint by now.”

”So nothing’s changed?”

Her words were kind, yet stung. I looked away, tail curling in the sheets. ”I’m...trying. I saw Nithalee, and...no, it’s nothing.”

I slid out of bed, shivering as the coolness of the morning caressed my skin. Whispering a word against the draft, I pulled on a crimson dress with a black ribbon sash and my soft leather boots.

”Want me to brush your hair?” she offered.

I nodded, sitting on the bed. She crawled over the mattress to me and lifted my hair, running a hand down the long, silky strands.

”It’s gotten so long,” she murmured, beginning to brush. ”It might actually hit your waist soon.”

”Is that too long?” I asked, pursing my lips.

She shrugged. ”I think it’s pretty.”

I absently fingered a lock, twisting it back and forth. I liked it long; it gave me a sense of freedom. But what would Luke think? None of the apostles had hair as long as mine. Did he prefer something shorter?

I blushed as I realized what I was thinking and gave my head a little shake.

”Hey, stay still,” R’lissea protested.

I froze, fighting the rising blush. ”S-sorry.”

We gathered in the central chamber after we were both ready, joining Korra and Gayron. Both Fyren and Elise were gone, and none of the servants could say where. A maid brought some dishes of unfamiliar fruits and vegetables, alongside a cut of smoked ham and a half-loaf of bread. Another brought a small plate with delicate pastries. I eyed them carefully, my tail starting to flick as I discovered they were filled with cream.

”So what is it you wanted to show me?” Korra asked as we began to eat.

I eyed one of the pastries, swallowing hard. But none of the others were reaching for them, so how could I--

”Oh, go on,” Korra said, chuckling as she grabbed a pastry and set it on my plate.

I flushed, bashfully nibbling on it. ”T-thanks. And, um, I wanted to show you Haven. My realm.”

”Really? Let’s hope your Remnants are in a sparring mood.” Korra said with a grin. She turned to R’lissea. ”And what about you? Going to join us?”

The Life Hero shook her head. ”I’m going to speak with Selena some more. She promised to show me some combat spells, remember?”

”Ah, right.” Korra nodded. ”In that case, we can spar later. I’m excited to see how far you’ve come.”

”I’ll do my best. Oh, Korra, there’s something I wanted to ask you. What happened to Grace? I saw her with you during the battle of Brithlite,” R’lissea said.

Korra’s face twisted into a grimace. ”She’s back on the southern continent. Apparently, she’s not quite ready to let everything go, yet. I’m certain I’ll convince her to join us for real next time. I know it.”

After some more light conversation, I rose and nodded at Korra. She took Gayron’s hand, and together, they followed me out of the tower into the inner courtyards of the keep.

After finding a secluded grove in the corner, I turned to the pair and summoned my staff. Taking a deep breath, I called to my realm, opening a door-sized gate against the castle wall.

”So we just go in?” Korra asked.

I nodded, drawing on my bond with Fable and summoning him to my side. Korra let out a small gasp, and Gayron tensed as the second gate appeared, but they relaxed once the wolf came through.

”Don’t let anyone in, okay?” I said, petting my wolf. After a moment’s thought, I added, ”Except Fyren. I don’t know where he’s at this morning, but if he comes looking, have him come in. I think Fate still wants to talk to him.”