The Forsaken Hero

Evla and I sat and talked for a while longer, on topics ranging from Luke to the gathering hordes. It seemed that, without Luke’s orders, the separate hordes were scattered and disorganized, with only vague instructions on what to do once reaching Radia. Evla had encountered High valley purely by chance, her demons sensing the mists’ great power. She suspected the others would, as well, and gather nearby.

”I’ll tell Andres,” I said, reluctantly letting go of her arm and standing. ”He’ll want to know this area will be overrun by demons.”

She chuckled lightly. ”It already is. I’ve got almost a million in my horde left. Lost quite a few taking out the southern reaches of the Cerxov Empire, but more than enough to scare a few deserters.”

”They’re not deserters. And they’re not scared. They’re very brave.”

She waved her hand dismissively. ”Fine, fine. But I wonder how long this place will last once an actual demon lord arrives.”

I smiled at that. She didn’t know about Haven. But another thought struck me, and my amusement faded.

”Evla, there’s a Divine army heading here on Fate’s orders. It will probably reach her tomorrow, or the day afterward.”

”What? Why would they risk that? They don’t know we’re stopped here. If they want to take my horde out before we can meet up with the others, surely they would reinforce Viriden City, right? That’s where I was going to hit before I met you.”

”He’s after me. Fighting Luke and his horde...that was collateral. Fate only cares about me. About this.” I admitted, my hand curling against my chest.

”You?” Her eyes widened. ”But that’s...why?”

I fidgeted, my tail moving restlessly. ”We’re, um, friends, right?’

”That’s what you said,” she grumbled, rolling her eyes. ”So yeah.”

”I have his, um...divinity. That’s what makes me special. That’s why Rash’alon was after me, and every demon stares at me when I walk by. They can feel it in my soul, and lust after it. Whoever can kill me can claim it, and all of fate’s power, for themself.”

”What would happen if he got this divinity?”

”Then...well, I don’t really know. But me, and my own, all of Haven, would cease to exist. And there would be another god at full power the demons would have to contend with.”

”You would be gone,” she mused, rubbing her horn. She shook her head. ”And that would hurt Luke. Very well. This may not be my fight, but I won’t back down. You can hide here, and I will intercept their army with my horde. But what if Fate appears himself? Even Luke couldn’t defeat him.”

”He won’t.”

”You sound confident.”

I nodded. ”His power is limited, and he expended a lot of it at Roann already. From what I saw, he’s refusing to lend aid to the church in any capacity. He’s probably saving himself for when he confirms my location. But if he manages to do that, nothing will stop him from coming for me.”

”So he’s on a timer. Too bad the demon lords are here. Otherwise, we could just pull back and wait him out, but they don’t seem to care for strategies like that. But Xiviyah, if he does make an appearance, I’m not sacrificing my horde for you. You’ll have to fight him yourself.”

”I understand. And Evla...thank you.”

She turned away, a slight twitch in her tail. ”I’m not doing this for you. I just feel like it.”

”Hmm, right.” I hummed softly, turning with a swish of my dress. ”I’m going to talk to Andres and the others now. Do you want to stay here?”

She wrinkled her nose. ”Emperors, no. My place is with my horde, and it doesn’t seem like they can enter this valley. Good thing, too, as I doubt the locals would appreciate their presence.”

I leaned forward, whispering conspiratorially. ”Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve already got a demon in here. He’s hiding in the church.”

She chuckled, sitting back on my bed, leaning on her hands. ”Now you really have me curious. One of these fate demons I’ve heard about?”

”Something like that.”

I left her with that and headed to Andres. When I returned, she was gone, but it brought a smile to my face when I saw the sheets on my bed had been straightened, and weren’t rumpled where we’d been sitting.

High Valley remained in a high state of alarm after the demon’s arrival. They might not have been an imminent threat, but with an army from the Divine Throne on the way, everyone was on guard. The mages were taken off building walls and ordered to save their mana in case of an attack. Captain Andres recalled the scouts, not wanting to risk them out and about while demons prowled. As much as Evla promised to leave us untouched, there was no trusting the demons to differentiate friendly mortals from enemy ones once battle began.

As the morning came to a close, I found myself on the banks of the lake, watching the starlight glimmer through the waves. Rylam had taken me to a small, rocky outcropping a few hundred paces from the bridge, where I sat, dangling my bare feet in the cool water. The church cut a pretty sight against the mists.

”Rylam,” I said, turning to the foxkin. He hadn’t been far from my side since I’d left Evla, and perked up at hearing his name. ”Why does everyone seem to know you here? You’re not one of the soldiers, and came here alone, right?”

He sighed, sitting down beside me, moving my slippers out of the way. ”I guess you could say I’m pretty involved. Before the soldiers showed up, it was just me who had a sword, and just me with enough mana and know-how to do things. Most everyone, from slave to refugee, was weak and frail, often starving and emaciated. I built the first few homes from trees I felled with my sword, long before the church started building their forts around us. I knew enough life magic to get a few small gardens growing, and could heal everyone’s wounds. And when anyone caused trouble, they came to me for judgments.” he patted his sword. ”I guess because I was the only one strong enough to enforce them.”

”You sound like you were trying to be everyone’s big brother,” I murmured, kicking my feet lazily. The water was much colder than the hot springs, but it drew my exhaustion out in the same way. ”It must have been hard to carry everyone’s expectations.”

”I did what I had to. But a brother?” He let out a bitter chuckle. ”I have no right to that role. But, I guess, maybe I was trying to make up for that.”

”You said I reminded you of her?”

He was quiet for a while. The only sound was the rippling waves around my ankles.

”Yeah,” he finally said, resting his chin in his palm. ”She was about your age, I think, and bubbly and excitable. She was the only reason I didn’t give up when we were first taken. She’d always remind me that none of the suffering we incurred was my fault. It was the bad people who had taken us. No whip or punishment could steal her smile. It was there even when she was sold off first, and taken from me.”

”She sounds wonderful,” I said. ”I knew a girl like that, too. She was the only light I had, the only star in my sky. Until...” I bit my lip, looking away.

”I’m sorry.”

It was simple, but genuine. I nodded, and brushed a tear from the corner of my eye.

He was the first to speak again. ”You know, she actually stayed in the same cage you did, though there were a few others that occupied it in between. I was in that warehouse for over a year. No one seemed to want an older foxkin. Not a male, at least. That’s why she went so quickly. Barely a month in that horrible place before some lord snapped her up. Promised he’d never use a slave crest on her either, and that she’d only do things she wanted to do of her own choice. So maybe he was one of the kind ones. That’s what I always tell myself, anyway. She’s off living in some nice manor, pampered and protected.”

”No slave crest?” I whispered, shuddering with a chill that had nothing to do with the water. ”R-Rylam, that Lord...?” There was only one man I knew of who refused to use a slave crest. But surely it couldn’t be.

He shook his head. ”No idea, else I would have found her already. But he seemed to be a longtime customer of the trade, cause he actually knew Kaitlyn’s name.”

Kaitlyn. How long had it been since I’d dared put a name to her face? And now it was just...there. Forced out from where I’d hidden it so deeply inside.

”Xiviyah?” Rylam placed his hand on my thigh, warm and reassuring. ”I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be so casual about it all.”

”No, it’s fine. I’m really trying not to be so sensitive about everything. But...it’s hard.”

He patted my leg, giving me a gentle smile. ”I know. You’re so very brave and strong, even if you don’t feel like it.”

I gave him a tentative smile, warm blooming in my chest. ”Really? ”

”Really. That’s another reason you remind me of her. She was always brave, even when it hurt. My sister, I mean. Aurle.”