The Forsaken Hero

I awoke to someone shaking me. The motion was soft and gentle, like a ripple on a pond, but even that sent waves of agony searing through me, scattering my already bleary thoughts. My tail quivered uncontrollably as I curled into a ball, shrinking from the hand that brought me such pain.

"P-please!" I whimpered. My throat was bloody and raw, like I’d been screaming. It made sense, considering the pain I was in, but why did I hurt so much? Not a single cohesive thought or memory made it through the fog caused by the fiery ache in my shoulder, and I was left afraid and confused.

"Xiviyah, get up! Please!"

The voice was familiar, but strained and desperate. A memory flickered through my mind: a girl with short brown hair, piercing green eyes, and a teasing smile. Korra.

Slowly, as Korra continued coaxing me into opening my eyes, bits and pieces returned. There were the demons, then someone showed up...Victor, it was Victor. The demon fought him, and his party ambushed us. And then...then...

I groaned and shrank back from Korra, caught between the pain and my memories. My tail curled protectively around me, the tip twitching somewhere near my head. I grabbed it and hugged it to my chest, struggling to recall the final events leading up to the pain.

A wave of heat washed over me, and I heard Korra grunt. Something hot dripped onto my cheek, dribbling over a crust of dried blood on its way down my face.

"Xivyah, please. Wake up!" Korra sounded frantic now. "Luxxa’s going to die!"

Luxxa.