The Forsaken Hero

”Arboreal World?” I tilted my head, looking at Elise in confusion. ”I’m not sure what you mean. The spell went well, didn’t it? R’lissea said she broke into ninth.”

”Oh, it went well, alright,” Elise said, sitting back with a chuckle. ”Just look around. Notice anything?”

I did as she instructed, looking around the gardens. The gazebo was situated on a raised stone platform, nestled under a grove of towering white bark aspen trees. Their leaves rustled like waves in the gentle summer breeze. Patches of flowers and herbs sprang up on the other side, coloring a small meadow of long grasses. Everywhere I looked, the land was lush and beautiful.

That was when I noticed it. Not the flowers, or the trees, or the breeze, but the glowing ribbons of soft, green light woven around them. They were so small and delicate, yet so ubiquitous, I hadn’t even noticed. It was like picking out individual threads in a tapestry.

”What is this?” I asked, awestruck. I raised my hand, trailing it through the air, watching in wonder as the life magic trailed around my fingers. ”It’s...beautiful.”

”The Arboreal World Selena cast,” Elise said. ”I don’t get all the details, to be honest, but when you funneled all that mana into her, it overloaded the spell. It reminds me of the

feeling I get in Haven, like the world itself is looking out for me. Can’t you feel it?”

I nodded slowly. Now that she’d mentioned it, I did feel that sense of belonging. It wasn’t as strong as Haven, which had an intelligent spirit acting as the realm’s will, but we were no longer in the same Enusia I remembered. It was like an entirely new world.

”How far does it go?” I asked, peering into the trees behind us.

”A few miles past the edge of the city. It’s enormous,” Elise said. ”The nobles I’ve spoken with claim it’s affected a lot of their houses’ fields and livestock, making them grow faster, healthier, and more abundantly. They’re starting to call it the Sunsinger blessing.”

”To think a ninth-level spell is capable of this,” Luke murmured, rubbing his horn. ”And to think one would choose to learn and cast it in a time of war.”

”It was all we could do,” I said, ”There were no other options.”

”This forest has always been strong with life magic, but the Arboreal World takes it to a new level. Commander Whitemarsh said they had almost triple the number of life mages breaking into a new level over the last three weeks than normal. And according to Selena, the effects show no sign of weakening,” Elise said.

”No, they shouldn’t,” I said. ”You’ve never seen a ninth-level spell so that you wouldn’t know. But they’re unlike anything else in this world. Even the lingering mana drawn in by casting one will persist for weeks, if not years. Remember what Elaine was saying about Blacksand? They had a similar phenomenon appear there, but with fire mana instead. And that was just an unintended side effect of the battle against the dragons. This was the intended purpose, to overlay a world of life atop this mortal one.”

”Whatever it is, it’s doing wonders in our negotiations,” Elise said. ”Not just because we’ve got Selena’s weight behind us, but because of the commoners. It’s made every aspect of their life easier, from preserving their food longer to aiding their physical recovery after exercise or injury.”

”I heard as much,” Luke said, nodding. ”But I also heard your mentor’s influence wasn’t quite what you were hoping for.”

Elise nodded. ”That much is true. Even though she’s broken into ninth-level, the noble houses are paying her about as much attention as before.”

”They’re insane,” Luke muttered, shaking his head. ”Don’t they understand what that kind of power means?”

”No, they don’t. There hasn’t been a ninth-level elf in generations. Honestly, this whole world is the same. The last time a ninth-level battle took place was in Blacksand, and before that, when Xiviyah escaped High Valley,” Elise explained. ”But the one before that? It’s been hundreds of years. Almost no living being has seen what they’re capable of.”

”I...was hoping it would be different,” I said, staring at my half-empty cup of tea. ”They’re really not being more receptive?”

”Many are, just not the ones that matter. It’s been impossible to meet with anyone from the Ellenwinters, and the weekly discussions we have with the Splitbark house lead nowhere. I’m afraid they’ve both made up their minds.” Elise admitted.

”What about now that our forces defeated Sanders Port?” I asked.

She shook her head. ”Again, the news was very well received by the populace, but there’s been no shift at all in the major houses.”

”Then I guess we’ll just have to keep trying. How long do we have until they decide to vote?” I asked.

”Two months, give or take a week. The end of summer.”

I sighed, sitting back and sipping my tea. Luke took over, questioning her on everything that had happened since we’d parted ways in Blacksand. I watched him curiously, wondering how he’d never sat down and asked these questions before. He’d been in Sylvarus for a while now. What exactly had he been up to over the last two weeks?

As the sun reached its zenith, I was yawning, resting my cheek on my forearms, crossed on the table. The summer breeze, livened by the Arboreal World, was pleasant, and my eyelids were heavy. I didn’t notice the conversation lapsed until I felt a touch on my cheek. My eyes slid open, my mind clouded with drowsiness. I was staring into a pair of violet eyes. Luke? Had he just brushed my cheek?

I sat up with a yawn, rubbing my eyes. Why were Luke and Elise looking at me like that? I unconsciously touched my cheek, feeling a spot of warmth where he’d touched me. Was there something on my face?

”What is it?” I asked, coloring under their gazes.

Luke coughed, looking away. Was it just me, or did his face look a little red? My brow furrowed as I turned to Elise.

”Nothing. It’s just rare to see you that unguarded. It’s endearing,” she said, hiding a smile.

I frowned at them, my tail flicking against the table leg. They were teasing me again. I didn’t know how, but I was sure of it.

Elise giggled and motioned for me to relax with her hands. ”It’s alright, Xiviyah. You’re just adorable, that’s all. Especially when you pout like that.”

”I am not,” I mumbled, my face heating up as Luke nodded in agreement. They were definitely teasing me now.

A low, rumbling chuckle sounded behind me, and I jumped with a squeak, turning over my shoulder with a startled look. Fyren stood there, dressed in a dark red tunic, his sword strapped across his back.

”Good to see you up,” He said, giving me a nod.

”H-How long have you been there?” I asked, tail twitching furiously.

”Long enough you should have sensed me,” he said, smoothing his chuckle into a grin. ”But I haven’t come for you. Apostle of Curses, it’s time.”

”Luke?” I turned, looking at Luke in confusion. ”What does he mean?”

Luke stood, letting a serious expression show. He reached out his hand, summoning his sword from a cloud of darkness.

”Forgive me, but I must leave you for a while,” he said.

”We can spar here, if you don’t mind them watching. We’re not using mana, after all,” Fyren said.

My eyes went wide. ”Sparring? You two?”

”Is that so surprising?” Luke asked, stepping off the raised stone dais of the gazebo.

”Well, kind of...” I admitted, rubbing my horn.

”We can do it here,” he said, looking at Fyren.

The demon’s lips curved upward. ”Don’t think I’ll go easy just because she’s watching.”

”That would kind of defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it? Kind of hard to impress anyone if you’re handicapped,” Luke returned.

”If you have time to think about showing off, I’ll have failed indeed.”

The two walked several dozen paces out, facing each other in the center of the meadow. Their auras were tightly restrained, but their focus was razor sharp. Fyren pulled his sword free, swishing it through the air. Flecks of embers trailed after in its wake, leaving scorchmarks in the grass underfoot.

”What’s going on? Why are they fighting?” I asked, looking anxiously at Elise. ”Did something happen when I was sleeping?”

She shrugged, not looking the least bit concerned. ”They’ve sparred like this every day while you slept. I haven’t heard much, only what Luke complained about when he visited you while I happened to be there.”

”Luke visited me?” I asked, thinking back to when he’d barged into my room this morning. The thought made me smile, even as it warmed my face. No wonder R’lissea seemed so irritated.

”What do you look so happy about? He’s always been there whenever you end up taking an extended nap,” Elise said, grinning. ”But apparently, Fyren chastised him pretty hard about his performance during the attack. He didn’t like that, being the prideful man that he is, but–”

”He’s not like that!” I protested.

She raised an eyebrow, and I quickly looked away, twirling a strand of hair around my finger..

”I, um, mean...he’s confident. That’s all.”

”Riiight. Anyway, he ended up challenging Fyren to a spar. I didn’t see it, but most of the soldiers on duty saw it, and it spread to the maids. Apparently, Fyren obliterated him.”