The Forsaken Hero

Lieutenant Joel and Orion were waiting for me without the inn. Joel leaned against the worn stone, eyes closed in contemplation while Orion paced, his boots scraping against the cobblestones. He looked up as I slipped through, breaking out into a relieved smile. They both stared at Fable for a moment before shifting their gazes onto me.

"You made it," Orion cried, but then his face fell as his memory tempered his excitement. "Oh, damn it, you can’t understand me."

I reached out and stroked Fable’s head. "It’s alright now. As long as I’m with him, I can speak any language."

Joel cleared his throat, his gaze flicking to the inn’s upper windows. "And the hero?"

A shiver ran down my spine, and my tail twitched in agitation. "He got what he wanted," I managed, the words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

Joel’s shoulders slumped, a visible exhale of relief escaping him. "Good. Then let us be gone from this place. With that damned wolf around, it won’t be long before people start asking unnecessary questions. Even with my authority, there’s only so much I can do once people learn you’re a demonkin."

He and Orion turned, taking a few steps before realizing I wasn’t following. Orion half turned, his forehead creasing in confusion.

"I’m... not going," I whispered. The words were thick and reluctant to be said, barely squeezing past the lump in my throat. The two soldiers glanced at each other, and Orion gave a little shrug. The weight of their stares bore into me, condemning me for the words I had yet to utter. My chest tightened painfully, forcing me to take a shallow breath before I continued and said, "Lieutenant Joel, I’m going to save Korra. The inquisitors have her."

Orion sucked a breath in, glancing over my shoulder at the looming towers of the keep. "Are you sure?"