The Forsaken Hero

Luke stared down at Marge, cold and expressionless. With a wave of his hand, black tendrils struck from his aura. The Rabbitkin screamed and flailed as they ensnared her and penetrated her soul.

Luke stalked past her without another glance, his lips tightening in a frown as Alex stumbled to his feet.

”What the hell do you think you’re doing? Don’t you know I’m a hero?” Alex asked, summoning his sword in his remaining hand. ”I don’t care who you are, or how lucky you got with that sneak attack. Do you really think you can defeat me?”

Even wounded as he was, with blood pouring from his wrist, Alex’s tone held pride.

Luke’s response was a blade of darkness, erupting from the ground beneath Alex’s feet. The fire hero stumbled away from it, but it caught the side of his leg, slicing effortlessly through his defensive technique.

”Gah, what’s up with you? Showing up and attacking out of the blue. Have some honor, damn filthblood,” Alex muttered.

”Honor?” Luke’s tail lashed once, the first real sign of emotion he’d shown since leaving me behind.

”What, don’t recognize the word? I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. You’re the one that convinced that sweet little slave to curse herself again. If you really cared, you wouldn’t have lost this now, would you?” Alex taunted, holding up his hand, showing off the glittering gold band. ”You already had your fun with her. Why not give me the same courtesy?”

I shuddered at his words, and also in anticipation of the pain I knew was coming. Luke stood still, but any second, he’d lose control and unleash his full aura, and I didn’t have my wards. It would be–

Luke moved. No aura, no warning. Alex stiffened, throwing up his sword to defend, but he was a second too slow. He managed to deflect Luke’s sword, but was caught off balance. Luke swung his fist, catching him in the chest. Alex’s scream vanished in a gasp as he flew backward, slamming into a tree. The trunk splintered, sending wood shards flying. I winced as shrapnel crossed the entire camp, slicing a thin line on my cheek.

I blinked, touching my face. I was so cold and numb I barely felt the sting, or the warm bead of blood trickling in a path carved by tears.

”Wait!” Alex choked, struggling to get his breath back. ”You...you can’t do this. I was going to stop the war. I was going to stop all the killing. Millions of lives saved. What do you think Xiv chose if she actually thought about it? Her life, to save millions of innocents? If you kill me, She’ll live a life relentlessly haunted by their deaths. She could have stopped it all, but you took that away from her. You know what choice she would make if you gave her the chance.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out his words. There were always sacrifices in war, but...some part of me whispered that he was right. Alex might be talking from desperation, but he didn’t know that Fate had promised to overthrow the church himself if I surrendered the divinity. Once choice, one more sacrifice, and we would win.

I wasn’t thinking straight. I knew that. If I fell, and lost Haven, then this world might have peace, but the cycle would continue. But could I really bear the weight of this whole world’s suffering on my shoulders? I didn’t know I had the strength to choose. Not right now, not when I was already so weak, and cold, and tired.

Luke stared down at Alex silently, his grip on his sword slowly whitening his knuckles. His eyes burned violet, glowing through the night. Then, he said, his voice sure, ”You’re right. Xiviyah is sweet and kind. She braves the darkest of nights for the humblest lost soul. Your words might sway her, no matter the price she would have to pay. And yet, you’re not talking to her. You’re talking to me.”

Luke grabbed him by the collar, raising him into the air. Curses entwined across Alex’s body, sapping his strength. His sword lost its flames and fell from his hand, sinking point first into the earth.

”You would steal that choice from her?” Alex gasped. ”You deprive her agency? How could you pretend we are any different? That you are anything other than her master?”

”You? Xiviyah’s master?” Luke snorted, shaking his head.

Alex grinned, a morbid look with bloodstained lips. ”It’s obvious. You should have seen how she quivered in my hands, begging and crying. Like a proper slave.”

I hung my head, shame coursing through me. My body shivered at his taunting words, at the truth behind them.

Luke chuckled, shaking his head. I stared at him with wide eyes. Hadn’t he heard Alex? Didn’t he see who I was?

”If that’s what you think, you don’t understand Xiviyah at all,” Luke said, letting Alex go. ”Xiviyah is kind, yes, but she’s also strong. If you gave her the choice, do you really think she would take the easy way out? Dying is easy. Anyone can die. Everyone will, eventually, even the gods. But living...” He shook his head, his mirth fading. ”If every star in the sky chose to leave, to abandon us wanderers in the night, Xiviyah alone would choose to stay. I don’t make her choice so that she can’t, but because I know what she chooses, and the terrible price she would have to pay for it. A price, a burden, I will carry instead.”

”No, wait, don’t--”

Luke raised his sword, and with the same casual disinterest as the first time he’d swung, he brought it down point-first. It slid cleanly into Alex’s chest. The Fire Hero spasmed as his scream turned into a wet gurgle, blood spraying across Luke’s blade. He spasmed for a few seconds, fires igniting all around him as he burned every bit of mana he had left. I shielded my face from sudden conflagration, flames licking across my forearms, the light burning my eyes. Luke stood motionless, a dark silhouette amid the inferno.

A heartbeat later, as my skin began to blacken and blister, the fires went out. The light faded, and shadows reclaimed the night. I fell limp against the tree, where I had been tied just minutes before, hugging myself, weeping softly. A shadow fell over me, blotting out the starlight, and Luke’s hands took mine, gently raising me to my feet.

”I’m sorry I took so long,” Luke murmured, pulling me into his arms.

I cried against his chest, my shoulders too weak to shake with my sobs. He held me for a long time, until my tears began to dry, and then gently pulled away, taking my hand and placing something in it. It was hard and circular, pressing into my palm.

”I failed you,” he said, a note of sorrow in his voice. ”You placed your heart, your soul, in my hands, and I gave them to the monster I was supposed to protect them from.” He bowed his head. ”I’m sorry, Xiviyah.”

”Luke...” I bit my lip, holding back another sob. With a trembling hand, I took his, and was surprised to find it shaking as much as mine. He stared at me as I carefully placed the ring back and closed his fingers around it.

”But...why?”

I smiled, small and sad, my eyes glistening with tears, and hugged him. he was motionless, and for a heartbeat, I was afraid he might reject it. Reject me. But then he softened, and his big, warm hands patted my back.

”I knew I was going to be hurt,” I said, letting his tunic catch my tears. ”I knew trusting led to pain and anguish. But there are always shadows shrouding the path. I just wanted someone who would be willing to walk it with me. Someone who wouldn’t leave when it was hard. Someone who would hold me through the cold.”

”But I betrayed that trust. Emperors, Xiviyah, you were almost...he almost...”

I shook my head. ”I didn’t trust a ring, Luke. I trusted you. And you came for me. Even if you lost the ring, and Alex was...I forgive you. I forgive you.”

The wind blew softly through the branches above, gently rocking us together. He swallowed thickly, and squeezed me tightly. A little too tightly, but I didn’t mind. Better that than he let go. And he didn’t, not until our heartbeats blended together.

”I’m sorry, I’ve been selfish,” Luke said, suddenly trying to step back. I refused to budge, clinging to him like a second skin, so he awkwardly reached around me, slipping the ring back on his finger. My eyes shot open as Luke filled my chest. The chains binding my souls shattered, and mana flooded every crevasse. My abilities revived, and the world again filled with warm, twinkling stars.

A caw sounded overhead, and Borealis soared into the clearing. He perched on Luke’s shoulder, pecking at my hair, and then nuzzling my cheek. Fable padded in from the woods, pressing against my back, and licked my calf. Surrounded by their warmth, I melted against Luke, a fresh trickle of tears wetting his tunic.

”Xiviyah? Are you alright?”

I tilted my chin up, caressing his cheek with my hand. I leaned forward, pressing my lips to his in a shy, bashful kiss. He looked surprised, and I smiled, settling back down again. I wiped a tear away.

”Never better,” I whispered.