The Forsaken Hero

A tremor ran through me, and I stared through Jessia, my eyes glazing over. Trithe. The moment she’d said Soltair was going to be there, I had assumed as much, but...somehow, hearing she would be there only made it even more real. There was no running, no leaving behind the past. Every ghost would be accounted for.

”That was the secret you had for me?” I asked, giving myself a little shake.

”What, not satisfied?”

I gave her an even look. Well, as even a look as I could while gripping my skirt. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

”Fine, fine, you’re right. I was about to tell everyone that anyway, and I did promise to make it a good one for you. How about that demon who’s always hanging out around you? I happened to overhear something fascinating about him. Interested?”

”You mean Fyren?”

”The same. Turns out, he’s one old bastard. Not old like most of the demon lords, but ancient. So old that most demons thought he was just a myth. Most still do, actually. Fooled by his flames, I suppose.” She was quiet for a moment, absently touching her hair. ”Anyway, the point is, no one had heard of him in millennia, but one day, he shows up out of literally nowhere and demands a place on a demon gate. A demon gate that just so happened to take him to Enusia. Right to your side. Weird, isn’t it? What are the odds?”

”You...heard that?” I asked, careful to keep my face neutral. I was fairly certain Fyren would never divulge that information himself. He hadn’t even told me. If it were true, the only ones who could have known would have been demons. The Demon Lords seemed to have some idea who he was, but they were missing most of the story, too. There was only one demon who had claimed knowledge of my companion, and it just so happened I knew Jessia had been in touch with him.

”I wonder how he can do that,” She murmured to herself, bringing a strand of hair to her mouth, idly chewing on it. ”Demons lose power quick if they’re not assimilating Divine Mana. How could one possibly survive for so long without participating in an invasion? Even a demon lord would have been reduced to a mindless scion.”

And acquire an archon’s amulet. It was something I’d wondered endlessly, though there was no need to share that with Jessia. But Fyren appearing here on Enusia, it definitely couldn’t be a coincidence.

”Well, who knows?” Jessia tossed her hair. ”I guess I’d better go find Luke. He’ll want a full report to plan the attack. It’s going to be a tough cookie to crack.”

Shadows formed around her, and as she vanished, she gave me a cock-eyed grin. ”One more thing, about Luke. You should be very careful with him around prying eyes. Demons aren’t big on affection, and his position is already tenuous. Don’t be the reason he loses everything.”

And she was gone, leaving me staring wordlessly at a few fading wisps of darkness. Borealis clicked his beak, nestling in my lap again. I rested a hand on his wing, watching the starlight swirl around his feathers.

”I don’t get it,” I murmured, flicking my tail back and forth. ”Why does Luke trust her so much? She’s so...”

Fable growled, and I nodded.

”Yeah, infuriating. I just wish I knew what she’s after.”

There was little time to puzzle out her warnings or ponder on the secrets she’d shared. Not twenty minutes later, Luke found me again. He wasn’t alone, joined not just by Fyren but by a dozen high-ranked evolved demons. Jessia was nowhere to be seen, but I didn’t dare lower my guard, shifting my gaze around to search for the slightest disturbance of mana, a hint she might be watching.

”The time has come,” Luke said, looking around the gathered demons. ”Once we break through the mountains, we’ll be in Radia itself.”

”What of the apostle’s report?” a curse demon hissed.

”Yes, I heard it first,” he replied dryly. ”Xiviyah, do yoy mind?”

I conjured a small, illusory map of the terrain. It centered on the demon horde, now resting in the outer plains beneath the mountains. Amberhold Keep dominated the valley between two soaring peaks, its defending hosts spread across the footholds before it.

”The horde will have no problem contesting their numbers. I’m more worried about the skydocs and the batteries positioned here,” Luke said, gesturing at a few forts built into the mountain cliffs overlooking the valley. ”If the ships get in the sky, or those mana cannons line up, no amount of fodder’s going to be able to break through.”

”The horde will have no problem contesting their numbers. I’m more worried about the skydocs and the batteries positioned here,” Luke said, gesturing at a few forts built into the mountain cliffs overlooking the valley. ”If the ships get in the sky, or those mana cannons line up, no amount of fodder’s going to be able to break through.”

”The docs are well defended, placed behind the Fortress in the higher mountains. It will be difficult to maneuver a large force against it,” Fyren said.

”I can do it,” I said. I smoothed a hand down my tail as they all looked at me. ”What? Borealis, Fable, and I could slip past the defenses before they realized we were there, and I’ll be able to lock down fate the whole time so they can’t anticipate it. I’ve got the Fatesworn on standby. They could take it over easily. We might even be able to turn the skyships against the city.”

”It’s too dangerous,” Fyren said immediately.

Luke nodded in agreement. ”That would place you behind enemy lines. You always manage to get yourself into trouble when you go off by yourself.”

”You can come, too,” I said, looking at Fyren.

”I was already planning to accompany you.”

”I’m surprised you take them so seriously. Given your skill, they must look like children,” Luke said.

Fyren nodded gravely. ”But they are heroes with the full weight of the Divine behind them. No matter how arrogant or naive they seem, do not underestimate just how many resources have been thrown at them. From relics to treasures to companions, they fight with the support of their entire world.”

”All the more reason I should go,” I argued. ”I’ve got R’lissea, Korra, and now Grace with me.”

”And Gayron,” Luke muttered, rubbing his horn. ”I hate to admit it, but you might have a point. If you can seize the batteries and skydocks, my horde can move in on the city itself. That just leaves accounting for the heroes and the other strong beings.”

”Our scouts report that the ninth-level warrior who fled from Darkreign retreated to here,” Fyren said, gazing at the map. ”There are also at least three eighth-level mages.”

”None of those matters to me anymore,” Luke said, folding his arms. ”The only one I have eyes on is the Sun Hero. Jessia claimed he broke through to the ninth level.”

I gasped, covering my mouth. It wasn’t that I hadn’t seen a thousand futures where that had happened, but never so soon. Then again, Luke wasn’t supposed to have gotten this strong this fast, either. In most of my visions, the two first met at the peak of the ninth. Luke’s decision to remain with me had thrown everything off. Not the war as a whole, but merely this facet.

”We don’t have to defeat the others,” Luke continued. ”Once we break their army and enter the city, they’ll be forced to pull back or risk being overwhelmed by sheer numbers.”

”The collateral damage of such a plan will be immense,” Fyren said, glancing at me. ”Tens of thousands will likely perish.”

Luke’s voice dropped to a low growl, sending a tremor through my tail. ”I understand. But it changes nothing. I hadn’t thought a demon like you cared about lives.”

”Not demons. Humans. Innocents.”

”They should know demons won’t stop for that. If they cared, they would have evacuated their civilians the instant we hit Darkreign Keep. Even the worst general could see we would come here. I won’t be held hostage by that.” His violet eyes burned with an intensity that made me shrink back slightly. ”I will slaughter as many as it takes to reach the Divine Throne and tear the church from this world. I’m sorry, Xiviyah.”

A low, approving hum rose from the other demons. They clicked their claws and fangs, anticipation making them shudder.

”I won’t participate in that,” I whispered, biting my lip.

Luke’s gaze softened. ”And I won’t ask you to. But this is a war of monsters, Xiviyah, and I will do what I must. I hope you can understand.”

I bowed my head. The discussion continued, but it was clear our part of it had ended. I knew exactly what Luke meant, and didn’t fault him for it in the slightest. But there was no way I would lead the Fatesworn in the footsteps of his horde. Our battle was against the gods, not against the mortals who were forced to serve them. Even if those mortals had been the ones to enslave and torture me, I still couldn’t find it in myself to hate all of them.

Luke was right about one thing, though. This was a war of monsters. The church and the infernal horde...both willing and proven to stoop to any atrocity to win the war. It scared me that I didn’t know which one was worse.

But that wasn’t the right question. The only thing that mattered was who, in the end, was still standing. And the answer to that question was about to be answered.