The Forsaken Hero

The city, twice the size of Liceria, had been home to tens of thousands of souls. I hovered hundreds of feet above the inferno, but the screams of the survivors pierced through the crackling roar of the fire and the rush of the wind generated by the intense heat. I’d never seen so much fire before, nor even imagined it could be possible. Could one creature really do all of this?

Everywhere I looked, mortals stumbled out of their homes, clutching children, meager belongings, or cherished keepsakes, their eyes wide with terror. The fires must have started recently, within the last few minutes, because while countless buildings burned, most were still standing. That was rapidly changing, however, as the flames continued to spread, devouring everything from the highest towers to the lowest stables.

In the marketplace directly below, a large, four-story building collapsed into a heap of ash and rubble, barely allowing two figures to scramble clear. But the flames, as if possessed by a malevolent will, leaped across the street, cutting off their escape and enveloping them in a fiery embrace. I watched, paralyzed by horror, as they fell to the ground, their screams echoing through the inferno. The flames devoured their bodies like kindling, leaving nothing but a fine, white ash in their wake. When the final flames flickered out, there was nothing left but ashes scattered by the hellish winds.

I shuddered, finally tearing my gaze away from the horrifying scene and hugging myself tightly. The sunpurge couldn’t touch me here, not in a vision, but for a fleeting moment, I felt the flames licking at my own skin. I stifled a whimper, biting my lip, as the searing memories of Liceria resurfaced, the pain still raw and vivid in my mind. Had things gone differently there, I might have ended up much the same as those below.

It took a few moments for the traumatic memories to fade, their grip on my mind gradually loosening. When I finally refocused on the vision unfolding below, my eyes were drawn to the central castle. It wasn’t a fortress in the traditional sense, but a place of splendor and wealth. Vast towers at each corner, larger than any garrison, showcased a peculiar architectural style. They had enormous windows near their peaks, some spanning nearly thirty feet. The fires had reached them as well, the flickering flames casting ominous shadows within. I narrowed my eyes, peering closer, and could just make out the silhouettes of large wings and feline bodies trapped within.

My gaze snapped to the banners flapping in the swirling smoke, and my eyes grew cold. They were the same banners that had flown above the Deadwind Legion when they ambushed us in Bluegate Keep. They had fought alongside Grace.

So this was the Gornrod Alliance? I felt significantly less pity as I looked around the city once more. The deaths of the innocent weighed on my heart, but they had attacked unprovoked. They had tried to stop me from saving Sari, wounding and nearly killing me in the process. It was their leader’s fault my sunpurge had started to spread in the first place, and only the Ice Spirit’s intervention had allowed me to survive.

Turning away from the burning city, I closed my eyes and focused on the image of the Lord of Ash. The vision shifted, and when I opened my eyes again, I stood in the castle’s throne room. The room had a soaring ceiling, nearly a hundred feet tall, but writhing coils of smoke obscured it. Flames danced on the proud banners on the walls, and once-ornate decorations melted into slag.

The source of the heat stood before me, the tiles blackened and cracked beneath his feet. A shiver ran down my spine as I recognized him—the exact image of the Fire Demon from my visions. A cowering mortal lay on the ground before him, propped up against the base of the throne. His chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, and when he coughed, blood trickled from his lips, instantly evaporating in the withering heat.