The Forsaken Hero

Releasing me from her embrace, Fate took my hand and led me back to Nithalee. ”Welcome, scion of Magic. Please rise. I no longer place any value on such formalities. Speak to me as you might an equal.”

”I could never, great one,” Nithalee said, refusing to raise her head.

Fate’s eyes narrowed slightly. ”What do you think displeases me more? Treating me as I request, or having my will trampled on?”

Emlica froze and promptly stood, her face white and hands shaking. ”Forgive me, goddess. I meant no disrespect.”

Fate waved her concern aside, resting her hands on my shoulders.

”I thank you for delivering the location of the mage supporting the world barrier to my oracle. Your help was instrumental in fulfilling the conditions of your god,” Fate said.

”As I’m certain you know, my Lady, that is why I’ve come. My god came to me and asked that I convey his satisfaction with the efforts of your oracle thus far. While he will enter no formal alliance until she fulfils her covenant with the Apostle and secures the continuance of the shards, he has agreed to begin to muster his forces in secret. When the time comes, he will be ready for wherever your path leads.”

”How generous,” Fate murmured. ”Magic has always been stubborn on contracts, clauses, and laws. Almost as much as Justice himself. Things must be getting dire in the divine realms if he’s willing to compromise so soon. I wonder what has happened?”

Nithalee lowered her head. ”Forgive me, but I’m not privy to the mind of my God. That is all he tasked me with delivering to you.”

”If that is all, then I thank you for your time. I believe you have another matter to see to here?” Fate asked.

Before Nithalee could respond, a flash of golden light lit up the room, and Emlica appeared.

”There you are,” she said, rounding on Nithalee. ”You’ve kept me waiting long enough.”

I slipped out of Fate’s grasp, running over and throwing my arms around the remnant. Emilica gasped as I hugged her, hesitating almost a full second before awkwardly putting her arms around me.

”Thank you,” I said, looking up at her, blinking furiously to keep the tears from earlier from overflowing. ”We managed to save everyone because of you.”

”That was...” She glanced at Fate with a helpless look, and I blushed, quickly letting her go.

”S-sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” I mumbled, ducking my head.

She huffed, straightening her robes, salvaging her composure. ”Nonsense, child. I’m simply unused to such...affection, though I’d like to think my books are as excited to see me as you are. Which brings me back to the reason behind my coming,” she said, turning sharply to Nithalee. ”You’ve quite the spine, refusing to visit after I so graciously opened the doors of my library to you.”

”Forgive me,” Nithalee said, seeming a little taken aback at the sternness in her voice. ”I’m ready now, if you are.” She paused and said to me. ”Actually, I just recalled something I meant to give you.”

She tapped her ring, withdrawing a thick leather tome, and gave it to me. I accepted it carefully, marveling as I ran my hand over the cover, tracing the solitary rune thereon, the one for ’heart.’ The leather was stiff and dark, the pages white and unyellowed by time

”It’s...new...?” I asked, looking up in confusion.

She nodded. ”I penned the last letters not a week ago. Some years ago, the church entrusted me with the initial research of what would go on to become the Heart Crest.”

I recoiled, almost dropping the book as I stared at it in horror. The heart Crest? But that was...had she worked with the circle? Had Nithalee been responsible for--

”Peace, little one,” Fate whispered, resting her hands on mine, securing my grip of the tome.

I shivered, jerking my gaze from the rune on the cover. Nithalee’s eyes were wide, and Arantius had his hand on his sword, looking at me warily. My hearted dropped as I looked around, finding my aura swirling erratically around the room, entwining with the light of the shard and the Aetherial prism. Haven itself responded, literally shivering in anger, causing Nithalee to shrink away. With a few deep breaths, I regained control of myself, suppressing my aura.

”What did you do?” I whispered, glaring at her. ”What role did you play?”

She swallowed hard, moving another step back. ”I was only involved in the initial research, before an official crest was developed. I was given the soul binder, a few ancient records, and the research the inquisitor put together from the information gathered during your...interrogation prior to your exile. I had no knowledge of what they intended to use that information for, other than they wished to replicate the magic of the artifact. Any association I had with it ended when I was sent to the northern continent, where we met for the first time.”

The blood drained my face, my tail curling as I clung to Fate. ”You...you read everything? What they did to me? What they took from me with knife, fire, and lies?”

”I did. All about your visions, your abilities, and the effect the soul binder had on your soul. You were a rather...observant subject, and revealed far more than even the high inquisitors thought possible. Our knowledge was so limited surrounding souls...you practically pioneered the field, though they would never give you credit,” she said.

”To what end do you say these things?” Arantius demanded. ”Merely to torture a child? To remind them of the hell they’ve suffered?”

”Of course not,” Nithalee said. ”I’ve grown fond of her myself, actually. Rather, this book is a compilation of everything I learned, even the things I kept secret from the church. The things that would have allowed them to create a true heart Crest.”

I gasped, looking up sharply. ”You know the missing parts? How to perfect the curse?”

She smiled faintly. ”And from your reaction, I’m judging you do, too. I suppose it’s not surprising you figured it out, given I put it together from your experiences myself. But by the time I did, I was already away, and they never asked me for it. That book is a compilation of all my research on the soul binder, including those tidbits on the heart crest. Everything else, every note and scroll, I burned. That tome is all that remains of my research, of the things the gods would kill to obtain. I planned to destroy it, too, yet something told you that wasn’t my right. I leave it with you, and care not what you do with it. Perhaps you’ll find value, or maybe it only holds painful memories you’d rather bury forever. The choice is yours.”

”Are you finished?” Emlica asked crossly.

Nithalee looked at her, frowning. ”Have I upset you in some way?”

Emlica snorted. ”I’d say so. You’re the one who gave the child that runic dictionary, aren’t you? And here you go giving her another problematic book.”

”I merely thought she’d find the dictionary useful. I don’t see how that would trouble you.”

The remnant let out a huff. ”Do you have any idea how much trouble that’s caused me? She worries my ear constantly with her mewling questions. ’What’s this rune?’ ’How do you use this phrase?’ Gods, it’s exhausting.”

Her scolding faded away as they left the cathedral, but I barely noticed, staring at the book.

”I should burn it,” I whispered, biting my lip hard. ”I...I hate it. The Heart Crest, the inquisitors...everything.”

”Don’t be so hasty. There might be a reason it’s come to you,” Fate said gently. ”If it troubles you, put it from your mind until you have a chance to see it clearly, unburdened by your grief. If you wish a distraction, we could discuss the other curious thing you’ve brought to me.”

I nodded, taking one more deep breath before allowing my mind to turn to the Aetherial Prism. I lifted it, holding it toward Fate.

”Emlica mentioned you might have acquired one. I’m glad to see you went through the trouble of recovering it after the battle ended. You’ll find it very useful.”

”Useful? I don’t know about that,” I sighed, lowering it limply in my hand. ”I just...it’s unpredictable. At the coronation, it caused my aura to go berserk.”

She pursed her lips, a thoughtful look on her face as she stared at me. I cringed, but let the memories flow unheeded, giving her the whole picture.

”Fascinating,” she murmured. ”You’ve given the elves quite the gift.”

”I have?”

She nodded, smiling faintly. ”That crown succeeded in absorbing a significant portion of your aura, permanently damaging, or perhaps the better word is changing, the enchantments thereon. It’s hard to say without my divinity, but I suspect that the event will be repeated every time a new king takes the throne. Do you remember what Aerion saw?”