The Forsaken Hero

A gentle knock at the door caused me to flinch. I didn’t answer, and in a few seconds, the door creaked open. Soft footsteps crossed to the bed, and a soft hand rested on my shoulder.

”Xiviyah...” R’lissea said, sitting on the bed beside me. I finally looked at her. She was blurry through my tears.

”I’m okay,” I sniffled, wiping my eyes with my sleeve.

She raised an eyebrow. ”Is that why you’re hiding?”

I shook my head.

”Luke told me what upset you. I think I can understand why.”

”It was childish and immature. We’re in a war. I should be used to things like this,” I said, sniffling. ”And after Bethiv called me grown up, too.”

”I don’t think it’s grown up at all. I hate it too, you know. But isn’t it more kind to allow them to interrogate the spy?”

”More kind?” I peered at her, my brow furrowed. ”But...how?”

”It’s something I thought a lot about, and I think you’ll understand this even better than I. What would have happened if you hadn’t sent the Last Light Company out here?”

”We never would have gotten the elves to surrender. Aerion might have taken power, but he never could have united the populace. The whole thing would collapsed on us, and Luke would been forced to slaughter hundreds of thousands of innocents.”

She blinked, looking taken aback. ”That’s...more than I expected. But it proves my point.”

”I still don’t see it,” I admitted.

”Do you regret sending the last Light Company?”

I shook my head.

”Even though some of them died?”

I hesitated, gripping my skirt tightly, before shaking my head again.

”Why?”

”Because I didn’t ask them to. They chose to fight and knew what might happen. And we were able to save so many lives because of it.”

”Do you think that demonkin chose to infiltrate the camp?”

I was quiet for a long while before saying in a small voice, ”Yes. But that doesn’t mean he should suffer!”

”And what would happen if he doesn’t? What if we’re not able to extract any information from him? What kind of trap might we walk into? What kind of suffering and loss might we ourselves undertake?” Her voice softened. ”Xiviyah, this is nothing like what the inquisitors did to you. That was cruelty, and what ultimately pushed me to forsake the gods. But wouldn’t it be just as cruel to sacrifice your friends and allies for misplaced empathy?”

”That’s what the inquisitors thought. They could hurt me because...because I was evil. I was their enemy. I don’t want to be like them.”

”Perhaps they believed that. And if they did, I can’t fault them for trying to extract information from you. No, I fault their methods, maybe, but mostly that they enjoyed it. They took pleasure in your suffering, especially because it was unnecessary. Do you think Fyren will do the same?”

”Well...no. He doesn’t care about mortals. It’s the same to him if they live or die. I think screams just annoy him.”

”And Bethiv? Is he the kind of man to enjoy pain?”

”No.”

”And Aerion? Actually, let’s stop on a win. Too hard to say with him.”

She chuckled, putting her arm around me and hugging me from the side. I couldn’t help but smile a bit and wipe a tear from the corner of my eye.

”Do you really think it’s different?” I asked.

”I think so. And that’s why I’m willing to fight. We can hold the higher standard, just like we always have, and still do what needs to be done. And honestly, I don’t think I could do it either. Interrogate, I mean. But that’s why we work together. Just like they’re not going to be able to protect the army from the Black Mist.”

I started to nod, then looked at her, head cocked. ”He told you?”

She grinned. ”No, I just sort of figured you’d promise something like that. You’re always reckless like that.”

My heart sank. ”You don’t think I can do it?”

”That depends. Your soul is stronger than ever, and I don’t think either of us understands the full effect that’s had on your abilities. But I’m fairly confident your Life Magic isn’t up to the task. What do you say we stop moping around and get to work?”

”I’m not moping.”

”Heh. Right.” She giggled, patting my shoulder, and rose, spinning around to face me. She held out her hand, and I took it, letting her pull me to my feet.

”Thank you,” I said, gripping her hand as she tried to let go. ”I’ve never thought of it that way. That the truly kind thing is to do what’s best...not what’s easy. I mean, not that anything I’ve ever done is easy, but...thank you.”

My heart felt lighter as we left my cabin, finding a secluded spot on the deck where we could talk. It might have been easier to stay hidden inside my quarters, but the room was feeling stuffy now, and I wanted to feel the breeze in my hair. Korra joined us at some point, but mostly spent time complaining about the rain the day before, having very little to actually contribute.

When night came, the ships still hadn’t moved. Korra offered me a hand, raising me to my feet.

”It’s almost here,” I said, resting my hands on the railing of the ship, looking over the forest. The Black Mist had crept from the horizon, now barely a half mile from the edge of the Devoted’s camp.

”And it’s still almost a week from the rest of Sylvarus’s army’s arrival,” Korra said. ”I wonder what they’re planning below. Whatever it is, I hope we get into the fight soon.” She punched the air a few times, laughing at my consternation. ”I hope they were able to learn about the source of the infernal mana. I just can’t imagine who might be insane enough to work with Connor.”

”Or who Connor would be willing to work with,” R’lissea muttered darkly. ”It bothers me that they found a regular mortal with them. Demons, maybe, but Connor would never work with demonkin or humans. He’d rather turn them into Risen and remove any unpredictability from the equation.”

Korra shrugged and dryly said, ”Hard to get Risen to act as spies.”

”Not that this one did much better.”

”Korra, R’lissea...” I said. ”Please, could you not joke about that?”

”What, too soon?”

I gave Korra a flat look, and she chuckled. But she did stop.

A shout echoed down the ship, and we turned, watching as soldiers began rushing every which way.

”Looks like we got the order to move. Good thing, too. It won’t be but an hour before this entire position’s overrun by mist,” R’lissea said. She turned, giving me a half smile. ”What do you say we give it a try? Just to see if we can.”

I nodded and summoned my staff. As she did the same, I reached for my mana, letting it fill my soul completely. The stretch felt nice and warm, like waking up on a lazy day. The Aetherial Prism resonated with my soul, casting glowing motes of light around us like reflected starlight.

”What are you planning?” Korra asked, stepping back to give us some distance.

”Weren’t you paying attention?” R’lissea asked, frowning at her. ”Or did you seriously think we were all just complaining about the weather?”

”R’lissea,” I giggled as Korra blushed, and raised my staff. ”Ready?”

She nodded, and I began, raising my staff and releasing a torrent of mana. It filled the sky, stretching across the entirety of the host arrayed beneath us. Soldiers and demons alike took up as the dusk turned gold, the twilight overshadowed by the light of a million stars.

Out of that light, a single magic circle emerged, a mile across and hundreds of feet over our heads. The runes were erratic, seemingly placed with random gaps between them; a half-finished circle.

But as I slowed the flow of mana, R’lissea began to cast. Green light exploded from the tip of her staff, expanding into great ribbons that wove throughout the gold, filling in the holes and completing the circle. It contained elements of several spells, from Arboreal World, Purify, and Shining Aegis, all imbued with the power of my Resistance. An array unlike anything I’d cast before, crafted by two souls at once, a harmony of life and fate.

As I began the second, footsteps rushed across the deck, and I felt Luke’s familiar soul brush against mine. But I was too busy concentrating to turn and greet him. His voice caressed my ears, and Korra responded, but their words were lost to me. Even as time slipped away, the endless tides of mana flowed through me, consuming all else.

At last, we laid the final rune and lowered our staffs. I looked at R’lissea, meeting her gaze. She looked worn, as drained as I felt, but her eyes glittered with excitement. She nodded, and together, we completed the eighth-circle array.

”Effulgent Dawn!”