The Forsaken Hero

The instant we left my quarters, we were swept into chaos. Soldiers rushed by, grabbing weapons, carrying orders, or taking positions in the towers. Rylam appeared before we made the gates, running up to us. His sword was in its sheath, but he wasn’t wearing any armor. I could see the tension in his muscles through the laces of his shirt and in his dark expression.

”I was just coming to find you,” he said, giving me a tight smile. ”Please, come with me.”

He half-reached for my arm before glancing at Luxxa, who gave him a cold stare. His ears twitched, and he turned, leading us all instead. I had to hurry to keep pace, quickly running out of breath.

”What’s going on?” I asked, looking back as we left the fort behind. ”Why are we running to the village?”

”Captain Andres asked me to see you safely with the other slaves and refugees. Our scouts caught wind of a horde of demons coming up on our location, and he doesn’t want you in harm’s way.”

”Harm’s way?” I skidded to a stop, planting my feet, my tail going rigid. Luxxa reacted before she ran into me, catching an arm around my shoulders.

”You want me to hide?”

Rylam looked back, confusion plastering across his face. ”You’re not a soldier, right? The Crimson Guard swore an oath to Fate that they would defend High Valley against any mists that failed against, and uphold the helpless and innocent, no matter the cost. That includes you.”

”And you? Do you plan to run and hide?”

He hesitated, his tail twitching in agitation. ”It’s not about me,” he finally said, gritting his slightly pointed teeth.

”Oh? You seem the type to charge headlong into battle,” Jenna said, touching her chin. A mischievous smile tugged at the corner of her lips. ”Are you sure you’re not just worried about leaving little Starlight all by her lonesome?”

His cheeks colored, and he averted his eyes, ears lying flat. ”That’s not–”

”It doesn’t matter,” I said, giving her a sharp look. ”None of us is running. If I’m right, we won’t even have to fight. Rylam, where is Captain Andres?”

He frowned at me. ”In the fort, but why–”

I slipped around Luxxa, breaking into a jog as I headed back toward the fort. The soldiers glanced up as we passed, their faces tightening with disapproval. Having spent enough time around soldiers, I could guess their thoughts. But I wasn’t here to get in their way or distract them when the fight came.

Captain Andres stood on the wall overlooking the lake, staring off into the mist. He looked up in surprise as we ran up the stairs.

”What is this?” he asked, frowning at Rylam.

Rylam shook his head h, his tail bristling. ”She wouldn’t listen.”

I strode up to him, my tail flicking irritably. ”Captain Andres, would you please tell me what’s going on? Why did you send me away?”

He looked at me long, his brow furrowed, before letting out a sigh. He ran a hand through his hair.

”You were frightened, my Lady. I remember the look in your eyes when we entered that first gate. The Sun Hero and his lover were enthusiastic, foolishly eager for battle, but you...you knew the horrors of war before you’d even set foot on your first battlefield. You shouldn’t have to shoulder those burdens; you shouldn’t have to sacrifice the innocence of your youth. Old men like us need someone to fight for.”

The swish of my tail slowed until it rested motionless on the stone walkway. The stone was cold, but I hardly felt it as I stared up at Andres, my eyes glistening. My fingers curled into my skirt before easing.

He opened his mouth, but his breath hitched as I threw my arms around him, hugging him tight. Luxxa flinched, her hand going to her sword, but she relaxed, sharing a wry look with Jenna.

”My Lady...?” Andres asked, shifting awkwardly against me. He patted my back, his armored gauntlet heavy and cold.

”Thank you,” I whispered, ”Thank you for being who I remembered. Thank you for showing me I wasn’t wrong.”

”I don’t understand.”

I drew back, smiling up at him. I reached up, brushing a tear from the corner of my eye. ”Even here, in the darkest, scariest place, there’s still some light left fighting for.”

Letting out a deep breath, I turned, resting my hands on the stone parapet. My aura rose, falling across the keep and rolling across the valley, morning sunlight. The walls of mist stirred as my stars wove within them, and I gasped, my eyes glowing with a soft luminescence.

I could feel everything, like this place was an extension of my very aura. Of the realm within my staff. ”Haven?” I whispered, hardly daring to hope.

The stars stirred, condensing into a familiar, armored form. He remained faint and wispy, like he was made out of clouds, but very present. A gasp rang out as the soldiers backed away, drawing swords.

”You called, my lady?” the spirit asked.

I reached out, and he lifted a hand. My fingers passed right through him, scattering his hand. They reformed a second later.

”How is this possible?” Jenna gasped.

”Haven, can I bring remnants here?” I asked.

”No, I’m afraid the connection is too tenuous and would fail if anything of significant power passed through. You could, perhaps, call for the mortals within without a gate, provided they are within the mist.”

I nodded slowly. ”I think I’m beginning to understand that. My aura’s really not just stars, is it?”

”Not any more than the mists of High Valley.”

No wonder they were so familiar. The skies of Haven, my aura, the fog of High Valley...I was beginning to wonder just where the divinity started, and where it really ended. Were any of the stars really out of its reach? What of the fabric of fate itself?

”Captain,” I said, turning to Captain Andres. ”These demons approaching, what do they look like?”

”I’m afraid we won’t know until they reach the Valley Valley a few scouts disguised without the perimeter, but our communications are limited. Once they reach the mists, Rodrick will be able to see them.”

”I’m afraid he’s preoccupied right now, but perhaps I can be of service. Haven?”

At my word, the spirit waved its hand. Starlight formed a veil around us, resembling the illusions of Starfall’s war room. My tail twitched once as pictures of mountains far past the walls and towers of the church’s defenses. Soldiers scrambled across the parapets, readying mana cannons and rushing mages to their positions.

”What is this? I’ve never seen the stars show so much,” Andres said.

”There they are,” Luxxa said, pointing to a scene playing out behind me.

My tail swirled as I spun, but my smile died as I beheld the hordes of scions sweeping over the ridge. They moved in isolated packs without respect to each other, sometimes collapsing into squabbles that left dozens dead long before they reached the battle. Tendrils of fire, curse, and blade mana flowed in acrid streams before them, tainting the peaks with infernal mana.

”Those are no Fatesworn.” Luxxa voiced my thoughts with a scowl.

Andres frowned, taking note of her tone. ”Not the ones you were expecting?”

”Unfortunately, they are,” I muttered, touching my horn. ”Or maybe they’re not. We won’t know until we see who holds their mark.”

They could always be Luke’s. That hope didn’t find much purchase, especially as they reached the outer defenses of the keep. Having lost their skyship and primary defenses, the divine forces were in no state to receive an enemy demon horde. I could see their faces pale as the horde only thickened, and tremors touched their spears. Thousands turned to tens of thousands, and then to hundreds, before they even struck the wall.

Several brilliant energy lances shot across the valley, piercing holes in the advancing demon’s ranks. Hundreds perished, but those who followed trampled the corpses of the dead into the craters. As they drew close, mages and priests unleashed their magic at full fury, vaporizing more.

But it wasn’t enough. Flying demons dove for the cannons, forcing through the hail of arrows with sheer numbers to fall upon the vulnerable mages. As they darkened, the horde grew bold, and colossal blade demons took the front, using their limbs to clear entire swathes of wall in fell swipes. Parapet, steel, and flesh were divided asunder, opening gaping holes for scions scaling the walls to leap through.

A few powerful soldiers managed to hold the primary keep, but as soon as a sixth-level soldier showed themself, the demons drew back. A terrifying pressure seized the air, and a shiver crawled down my tail as I felt it through the stars themselves.

Over the keep, a small vortex appeared, darker than the night. Sharp, purple flecks of light, much deeper than Luke’s gentle violet, materialized around and were sucked into it. The keep shuddered and began to break apart, subjected to some invisible force. The towers disintegrated, and buildings fragmented, drawn into the sky. Soldiers screamed as they were sucked into the darkness, their souls winking out as they were crushed within its currents.

”Gods, just what is this?” Andres whispered in horror.

I looked at Haven, who nodded. I let a small smile show. ”Good news.”