The Forsaken Hero

The party fell silent at my declaration, simply watching me, and my tail drooped. "I-I’m sorry...it’s all my fault. I should have told you sooner, and then...and then you could have told me to leave."

I turned away with a sniffle, unable to face their condemnation. Why had they even come to save me? After what Rasce said, it was very clear they hated me. Were they actually after the bounty?

"This...is going to take a second to clear up," Sorrin muttered, rubbing his temple. "But we don’t have time for that now. Come on, let’s get to the guild house before the whole street gives out."

At his words, the ground gave another rumble, and I looked up at the city, lips parting in a silent gasp. The Circle’s lair was in the center of the city, beneath the City Lord’s keep. However, the systems of tunnels and caverns were far larger than the keep itself, spiraling out beneath the city blocks in the immediate surroundings. Their collapse, driven by Vithrass’ final, suicidal, attack, destabilized the entire area, threatening to bring destruction to the central region of Heartland.

The ground shook every few seconds, dislodging stones, shattering windows, and cracking timber. A large sinkhole opened up beneath a nearby mansion, swallowing the structure up completely. Thick plumes of dust and smoke rose from the wreckage, billowing up to join the haze forming above the city. Screams and shouts filled the air, overshadowed by the occasional deafening crash as the earth cracked, swallowing more buildings with each passing moment.

My heart sank as I numbly watched the devastation. It was happening again, just like Western University. I tried to save someone I cared for, and an entire city paid the price. Doubts flickered into my mind as I was reminded of the wagon that had first fallen into the tunnel, and the limp hand sticking out of it. How many were going to die because of me?

"Come on," Tana said, grabbing my hand. "It’s not safe here."

Reluctantly, and still feeling a little empty, I allowed her to drag me off. The howls of anguish were unrelenting, filling my ears with mourning and terror as people desperately searched for their loved ones amid the chaos. These weren’t slavers, whose deaths I could justify, but the very people who had welcomed the survivors of the Beast Kingdom with open arms.

We ducked into an alley as a patrol of guards rushed past, heading for the epicenter of the destruction. Sorrin tugged at my hood, pulling it down over my horns before we set off again. He gave some a gentle admonition, but I wasn’t really listening. Everything passed like a blur, though whether that was because of my exhaustion or the shock of the extent of the damage I couldn’t tell. For now, all I could focus on was putting one foot in front of the other, barely keeping pace with the party I was certain was seconds from throwing me aside.