The Forsaken Hero

The council’s gaze followed us as Luke turned his back on them and strode back the way we had come. Despite his invitation, they remained silent, letting us leave without further challenge. I let out a pent-up breath as we dropped back onto the ridge, falling out of eyesight.

"Gods, that was tense," R’lissea mumbled, hugging herself. "I thought for sure one of them was going to snap."

"You handled that really well," I said, laying a hand on Luke’s arm. "I thought you were going to get mad."

"They were testing me. Probing for a weakness, for proof I was too unreliable to lead."

"What about what you said about Xiviyah? Do you really intend to let them fight her?"

"If they wish. That won’t be a problem, will it?" he asked, looking at me.

I shook my head. "Fyren already warned me. I don’t think they’ll find me easy prey."

He slowed, turning to look at me, his brow creased. "Xiviyah, as much as I want to, I might not be there to protect you at all times. That poison demon isn’t the kind to present an honorable, straightforward challenge."

"You mean she might try to sneak attack us?" R’lissea asked.

"I wouldn’t put it past her. The good news is that she has fewer than a thousand demons with any real loyalty to her. I’m not even sure how she managed to slip into a demon gate in the first place. Every demon lord opportunity should have been granted to the emperors overseeing the invasion."

"I’ve survived assassins more times than I want to admit. With my aura as it is, I won’t miss anything short of an eighth or ninth level stealth art."

"Not a spell?" Luke asked, cocking his head.

A ghost of a smile touched my lips. "Especially not a spell."

Voices penetrated the rustle and screams of distant demons. I stepped closer to Luke, my hand falling to the Aetherial Prism resting on my hip. R’lissea tightened her grip on her staff. A silver gleam appeared in the gathering mist, outlining two silhouettes. I relaxed as I recognized their aura, and I took R’lissea’s hand, giving her a reassuring squeeze."

The two figures solidified from the darkness: a human with broad shoulders wearing heavy plate mail and a demonkin with stark white horns.

"Luke?" Evla asked, coming up short. "I thought I sensed your aura, but how? You left what, a day ago?"

"You’ve brought company, it seems," Constance added, giving the two of us an appraising look. "The Oracle I recognize, but this is...?"

"The Life Hero," Luke answered. "You’ve met before, I believe, but she’s grown much more powerful since then. No wonder you don’t recognize her."

"Her name is R’lissea," I said, giving Luke a small frown.

R’lissea gripped my hand. "It doesn’t matter," she whispered.

"It does. This is Constance and Evla, apostles of Blades and Gravity. They’re Luke’s friends."

Constance huffed. "Is that what he called us?"

"Friends, hmm?" Evla hummed to herself, glancing at Luke.

Luke coughed against the back of his hand. "Yes, well, not with those words. But we fight together, it’s true." he cleared his throat, strengthening his tone. "How were the northern lands?"

"Fine, except for a few weeks ago, when that army showed up out of nowhere. They were so damned strong," Evla muttered, folding her arms with a small pout.

Constance nodded. "Indeed. They were small in number, but we lost almost two thousand demons before we managed to pull the hordes out of what was left of Brithlite and the wilderness northward."

"Surely they couldn’t challenge the two of you," Luke said.

Evla shrugged. "It would have been simple to kill a hundred of them, but a thousand fifth-level fighters is no laughing matter. Your call saved us the trouble of taking that risk."

"You did well," Luke acknowledged. "Those forces were on the Oracle’s business. You would have suffered greatly had you decided to engage."

"Xiviyah, you?" Evla frowned at me. "A little heads up would have been nice."

"Sorry," I shrugged, a little ashamed of the lack of sincerity I felt in the apology.

"Never mind that. It’s been so long since we’ve seen you. Have you gotten taller?" Evla asked, looking me up and down. "Your dress is certainly...daring."

My cheeks warmed, my tail curling nervously, searching for Luke. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" I mumbled.

R’lissea smiled faintly, reaching out and resting her hand flat on my head, as if testing my height for herself. "You seem the same to me. I think your growing days are over."

"It’s not your height that’s changed," Luke said softly, peering at me with a faraway look. "You’re just...taller."

He shook his head, his eyes sharpening. "But enough of that. Jessia, are you around here somewhere? Fetch the others. We must discuss our plans."

I let out a startled squeak as I felt a puff of mana bloom right behind me, but when I turned, I only caught a glimpse of a flicker of shadowy magic before it melted away.

"H-How long had she been there?" I stammered, pressing a hand to my chest, stumbling back.

Luke shrugged. "A few minutes since I noticed, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she’s been tailing us since we arrived."

Evla sighed, running a hand over her horn. "She won’t shut up about you, Xiviyah. For some reason, she has it in her head that evading your attention is the pinnacle accomplishment of her entire life."

"She’ll be gloating later that you missed her," Constance grumbled.

"Like you two noticed, either," Luke scoffed.

Watching the apostles banter was like watching Korra and Gayron, but with more tension underneath it. Despite the fact that all three apostles had never intentionally antagonized me, I’d seen enough of them in vision to know that violence could arrive without a moment’s notice. Such was the influence of demons.

Still, it was strange seeing Luke so engaged like that. From the awkward chuckles and looks the other two gave him, the feeling wasn’t mine alone.

But the conversation was short-lived, moving into a full report of their actions in the north. As they discussed the demons they gathered, and mortal resistances crushed, Luke took me in his arms, and the five of us flew down into the valleys beneath the looming mountains. I clung to Luke tightly, burying my face against his chest. I was getting used to flying during the day, but at night it was a different story altogether. The land below, unbroken by city lights, was a formless black sea. It brought to mind the fear and despair of that night so long ago, when the archon carried me across the world to my judgment.

As we descended, a small, orange dot appeared, flickering in the mist and casting shadows of light in the darkness. A campfire, small and cheery.

Jessia was there, as was the Apostle of Air. Edrin, if I recalled his name, though I’d seen him in vision only. Another woman was there, wearing a ragged brown cloak over a pair of slightly pointed ears. A half-elf? It was hard to tell her age, but her eyes glittered hollow and black, reflecting the firelight in a dozen different directions. They turned to us as we landed, and I shuddered, a shiver crawling down my tail, like an insect’s multifaceted eyes.

Jessia stood, lighting up with a brilliant smile. "Xiviyah! It’s been so long!"

I stared at the ground, keeping hold of Luke’s arm as he put me down. "You could have said hi before."

She froze, her lips parting, then closing. Crestfallen. "You saw me?"

"I...no..." I mumbled, biting my lip. "Luke said you were there."

She brightened immediately, "How wonderful. Please, come sit down. I saved you a spot. This log isn’t as hard as it looks."

She plopped down again, patting the felled tree trunk beside her. It made a sort of bench beside the fire, but I hesitated, gripping my skirt. The wood was laced with infernal mana, giving it a dark, oily feel. But I gave in as Luke pulled me forward, letting out a long sigh of his own.

Jessia moved to sit on his other side, so close, their thighs nearly brushed. I skipped the usual smoothing of my skirt, sitting even closer and holding his hand in my lap.

R’lissea rolled her eyes, forgoing the log and sitting on the long, trampled grass. The fire cast a dark shadow on her face, but her eyes glowed a soft, luminous green from within.

"We’re all here," Luke said over the snap and crackle of the fire. "For the first time since this war started, the apostles have gathered."

The woman with the strange, black eyes snorted, leaning back on her hands. Her cloak parted at the motion, revealing her dress, a pale white, seemingly woven from tangled spiderwebs. "A lot of good it’s done us. The demons still think we’re their pets."

"Patience, Kislee," Edrin murmured, his voice soft like the evening breeze. "Luke has a plan."

"Yes, I was wondering about that," Jessai said, tilting her body to look at him. "Isn’t it time you let us in on your big secret?"