The Forsaken Hero

Agony seared my soul, sending fiery tendrils of pain throughout my body. I was still sleeping, but the pain seeped through, reaching deep and invading my dreams. Those were the same as they always were, plunging me into the endless, shadowy corridors of the Divine Throne. The Fire, the faces, and the terror were amplified by my injuries, swirling me about like a tempest and crashing against the shores of my insecurities. When Soltair’s visage finally consumed me, I jolted awake, cheeks wet with tears.

"Xiviyah!"

Soltair bent over me, his face overlapping with the fading remnants of the nightmare. I flinched as he touched my face, but relaxed when I realized what was happening. This Soltair would never hurt me.

He looked tired and worn, his face long with worry. Of all his previous injuries, only a faint white scar on his neck remained. I lay back in my room, in the slave quarters. The magical lights shone brightly, casting heavy shadows against the walls.

"What happened?" I asked, trying to sit up. An overwhelming pain struck me the instant I moved, driving me back down. I squeezed my eyes shut, hissing at the fire in my soul.

"Shhh, take it easy," he said, helping me sit on the bed with my legs dangling over the edge.

I focused on his gentle touch as he stroked my hair, running his hand around the contours of my horns. After some of the longest seconds of my life, the pain faded. I hesitantly opened my eyes again, cracking them open at first to make sure the pain didn’t return.

"Everything’s okay," Soltair said, withdrawing his hand. I looked at him, pleading until he returned it with a small smile. "You hurt yourself pretty badly, but the priests said you’ll make a full recovery."

"Did we win?" My memories of the duel were fuzzy, and after Soltair’s defeat, an ugly black darkness stained everything.

"We did. A few tried to claim you fainted first, but after reviewing the recording, it became obvious you bested the War Hero."

I beat Ronin? I couldn’t even fight, so how was that possible? The memories trickled back as I opened my mouth to question the absurd statement. I recalled with growing horror burning my soul to cast the final spell. Ronin’s bloody body falling to the ground was the final memory that clicked into place, prompting tears to gather in my eyes. His face, twisted with shock and pain, stared at me through time, as real as the moment I hit him. Why did I always have to hurt people? Why wouldn’t they leave me alone? "I-Is he dead?" I asked softly.