The Forsaken Hero

Zephyriss’s wings beat silently as we flew above the city. I clung to her neck tightly, eyes squeezed shut against the dizzying heights, while Fyren flew on his own, a fiery blot against the sky. Behind us, the Star Guard trailed, fanned out with watchful eyes on the city below. It was with no small amount of trepidation that I volunteered for this, but it was a small sacrifice if it meant discovering what the church was scheming.

The only way they could have hidden the truth about Victor from me was if they were doing it on purpose, with a spell mimicking Silent Stars, or an artifact. If they had such a spell, they would have used it long ago and had it active during the battle, blocking me from seeing anything. That they hadn’t meant they only had one. I was betting it was on that ship. I had to see it with my own eyes.

”Tell me again why you’re so certain this ship is important? Perhaps they just rendezvoused outside of the city with another portion of their forces, gathering more forces for the battle,” Fyren said, flying close enough that I could hear above the whistling of the wind.

I tightened my grip on Zephyriss’s neck, managing to open my eyes to slits. We were high enough that I could dissociate from the ground far below, allowing me to take my first easy breath in what felt like forever.

”Well, um...last night, I looked for Victor, but I couldn’t find him,” I said.

Fyren’s brow furrowed as my voice vanished in the wind, and he drifted closer until the heat of his fire warmed my face. I switched to soul speak, sharing my thoughts and memories directly with him, showing him the vision from last night, and my conclusions.

Skepticism rolled from him, but beneath it, I felt a flicker of curiosity. Then, with a reluctant nod, agreement.

”They won’t be in the city, then, else they would have been logged on the records,” he sent.

”Then they’ll likely be coming in from the opposite direction as the others, else why split up and risk mistiming their arrival, as they supposedly did,” Zephyriss agreed.

With that in mind, we turned to the west, soaring over the distant tree tops, away from the incoming fleet. I shivered as Zephyriss accelerated, far surpassing the lazy gliding speed Luke and I had enjoyed the night of the banquet. Feeling my discomfort, she manipulated her aura, surrounding us in a bubble of wispy clouds. It smelled like rain and shielded me from wind resistance.

”I’ve got something,” Zephyriss said suddenly. ”Some of my scouts picked up strange traces of divine mana over the western wall. They report no visuals.”

”Lead the way,” Fyren rumbled.

The storm demon banked sharply left, rolling into a dive. I bit back a scream, hanging on for dear life as the protective clouds rippled, barely concealing the winds that ripped around us. The tops of the massive trees rushed toward us like spears, but she pulled out at the last second, soaring a few hundred feet above the upper canopy.

Several wisps of clouds drew near, suspiciously low in the sky and wreathed in infernal mana. As they fell in alongside us, I recognized a few third and fourth-level evolved storm demons, their bodies shielded by the same art Zephyriss had used. It was fascinating, looking at it from the outside. The storm magic was mixed with a weak illusion to complete the effect. Also undeniable was the faint shimmer around their souls, like soft starlight penetrating the clouds.

”There,” Zephyriss said, gesturing with a wing. ”Do you sense it?”

Forgetting the demons, I turned and gasped. To my mortal eyes, the skies were clear, but as I looked through the lens of my soul, I saw it. A shimmering distortion, a pocket of pure mana with such intensity it dimmed the brightness of the day. Within the curtains was a skyship, small and sleek, with only four mana cannons mounted on the deck. Inquisitors and elvish soldiers made ready across the deck, and above the cabin, standing on the prow, was Victor.

”You were right,” Fyren sent, a flicker of surprise in his soul. ”The hero himself.”

”What kind of magic are they using?” I asked.

Zephyriss shrugged. ”Don’t know, don’t really care, but I’ve seen it a few times. Incinderus could probably tell you. He’s taken an interesting mortal magic over the ages.”

”I can’t say much more than that,” Fyren admitted, a touch of sheepishness seeping into his soul speak.

I studied it for a moment, memorizing enough of its mana to ask about later. If we could somehow replicate it, I wouldn’t have to keep Silent Stars active all the time, finally giving my soul a chance to truly rest.

”So now that we’ve found them, what would you like to do?” Fyren asked.

”We can’t let them meet up with the archon. Victor’s stronger than I remember, maybe even stronger than Korra. And I have to know why.”

”Are you certain?” Fyren asked, ”I’m not feeling inclined to take prisoners.”

I nodded, the decision solidifying in my heart. But before I could give the command, a strong, apprehensive feeling washed through the Nexus. I looked at Fyren, eyes wide, and he nodded.

”The vote’s started. We don’t have long,” he said grimly.

”Then please, allow me to play with the ship and its little mortals,” Zephyriss said, a hint of excitement coloring the mark.

”Just...put me down first. And Fyren, can you handle Victor? Please, you can’t kill him.”

”Get ready, Oracle,” Zephyriss said.

A low thrum filled my ears and vibrated through me, emanating from her soul. The clouds circling our position turned black, spinning faster and faster. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as the scent of ozone charged the air.

A soldier posted on the aft of the ship looked up, squinting. A moment later, he shouted a warning, pointing at our position with a finger. The sky swallowed his cry as it turned black, clouds materializing out of nothing. The storm thickened in a matter of heartbeats, blotting out the sky. Dark flashes of lightning lit it from within, followed by low peels of thunder. The wind shrieked, whipping the ship’s sails and rocking it violently.

Suddenly, I felt Zephyriss’s grip on me loosen, sending a swirl of butterflies in her stomach. I looked up sharply, heart leaping in my throat, but whatever soul speak she shared was jumbled by the discordance caused by the thunder. Her lips moved at the same time, their sound lost to the winds, but it seemed like she said something like...catch? But why would--

I screamed she opened her arms and gravity pulled me from her grasp, yanking me toward the churning forest below. As I dropped through her protective influence, wind lashed at me, stealing my breath and tearing at my hair and clothes. Rain lashed against my skin, soaking me to the bone. The whole world spun before jerking to a stop. Still screaming, I stared up at Fyren’s face, taking a few seconds to recognize him. I clung to him, shivering uncontrollably, as his aura enveloped me in a blanket of warm, harmless cinders.

I screamed as gravity clawed me from her grasp, yanking me toward the churning forest below. My hair whipped around me as the wind stole my breath. The whole world spun, but before I could fall more than a dozen feet, I jerked to a stop, caught in Fyren’s arms. I clung to him, shivering uncontrollably, as his aura enveloped me in a blanket of warm, harmless cinders.

”She...she dropped me,” I gasped, burying my face in the crook of his arm.

”You told her to put you down, didn’t you?” he asked. ”Though a little warning would have been nice.”

The Star Guard, hot on Fyren’s tail, formed up around us, giving Zephyriss disapproving stares. Luxxa seemed a bit irritated that she hadn’t managed to get to me first, but settled for giving the storm demon a disapproving glare.

”I felt close to a hundred souls on that ship,” Gith said, fingering the string of his bow. ”Most of them are elves, but there’s a few uniquely powerful ones among them.”

Before I could nod, a thunderous boom shook the sky. My head whipped up just in time to see another pillar of lightning strike the side of the ship, obliterating almost a quarter of the hull. Planks of blackened wood and screaming soldiers were flung into the sky. Zephyriss let out a delighted laugh, echoed by the peal of thunder.

As more lightning gathered in the clouds, a white sphere blinked in around the ship, cutting it off from the writhing elements. Another bolt of lightning struck, but it arced harmlessly around the ward.

”That’s an eighth-level spell,” Fyren said, frowning. ”Can the Justice Hero use such powerful magic?”

”N-No,” I stammered, still trembling. ”He’s a warrior. Not a mage.”

”I should have assumed their reinforcements would bring more trouble than just a hero,” he muttered. His grip on me tightened. ”Hold on, I’m taking us in.”