The Forsaken Hero
Chapter 150: The Arbiter’s Arrival

Chapter 150: The Arbiter’s Arrival

Scarcely had I given myself to the dark than I found myself standing in glorious light. My body felt light and free, meaning I existed only as a soul. Another vision? Or, perhaps, did I finally die? No, that would have been too easy. As guilty as I felt for the thought, I inwardly yearned for peace. For all the pain to finally end. The hope that I could live free had all but vanished the moment I met Slivera, and losing Elise nearly broke me.

She had survived, right? Once the infernal Mana Storm had descended, I lost track of everything, surrendering myself to the oblivion that awaited me. My memory of the last few minutes was dim, with many holes all over. What had I done, exactly? Why was there such a great weight in my heart?

Time was meaningless to a soul, but an eternity seemed to pass. It was dull, but at least I couldn’t feel anything. Truly, living numb was better than feeling. If I hadn’t met Elise, she would continued to bear her curse. She wouldn’t have been able to sacrifice herself to survive the curse. She would have fled with the other students, instead of sticking around to fight the cultists. Selena wouldn’t be threatened by inquisitors if she didn’t get my staff. I had nothing beyond patchy guesses as to the truth of her situation, but my soul stirred uncomfortably whenever I thought about her. Surely, she too would have been better off without me.

Soltair, Korra, Thron, Fyren. The list lengthened as my hidden doubts came to the surface. Wouldn’t it be better if I simply disappeared? Whatever I had done before I fainted had been bad. I knew that beyond any doubt. Perhaps the church would finally take action, helping me disappear once and for all. Soltair no longer needed me, nor did he want me. No one did.

Eventually, the endless light dissolved into ribbons of color, building a scene about me. Within seconds, I stood within the Upper Chapel, before the Shard of Omniscience. Dozens of fathers, dressed in all their affluent finery, bowed low before the crystal, reverent chanting prayers. The pope stood, his hands clasped behind his back, at the front, flanked by ten silver-robed inquisitors.

"He comes," the Pope murmured. His face had aged decades in the months since I’d seen him, with deep stress lines carved across brittle skin.

Moments later, the crystal blazed to light. The sudden illumination overwhelmed every shadow in the room, leaving every corner stark, without a sense of depth. The priests fell back before the blinding light, covering their eyes and hissing in pain. Only the pope and his inquisitors remained unmoved, staring earnestly up at the shard.

A single dot, bearing all the majesty of the sun, appeared ten feet off the ground. It dropped downward, leaving a brilliant slit in space, which slowly widened until it took the shape of an oval. A tremendous pressure leaked through the portal, freezing space itself. The inquisitors groaned, hands pressed to their chests as they struggled to breathe.

A figure emerged from the oval, hovering in the air and bathed in sunlight. Two feathered wings unfurled behind him, stretching out nearly a dozen feet. He wore white and red plate mail and had a great sword larger than Fyren’s sheathed on his back. Last of all, a golden amulet, featuring a winged man encircled by a ring, rested on his breastplate.

His wings fluttered, dropping him to the ground. The moment his feet touched, his aura vanished, retreating deep into his ninth-level soul. Everyone, including the Pope, humbled themselves in low bows, dropping their eyes in respect. The angel, for I knew not what else to call him, removed his helmet, revealing a handsome face, long golden hair, and piercing eyes laced with sunlight.

"At ease," he said, motioning the priests to stand. His voice resonated deeply, stirring my soul with its sheer nobility and grace. "I am High Arbiter Elek, sent on behalf of the Council of Gods. I am moved by your heartfelt welcome. I know it must not have been easy to gather so many here on short notice."

"You humble us with your gratitude. We are but lowly followers of the Divine," The Pope replied, bereft of his usual grandeur.

The arbiter shook his head, walking forward until he rested a hand on the aged Pope’s shoulder. "We are fellow servants, then. At heart, I am a warrior, used to the blood and crude nature of the battlefield. I would have us speak without this excess language, man to man."

"As you wish, Elek." The Pope said, shifting nervously as he named the arbiter. Upon seeing the angel’s warm smile, The Pope relaxed, finally straightening from his bow.

"Much better. Now, I have come straight off another assignment, so my grasp of the situation is shaky, at best. Would you enlighten me?"

The Pope nodded, stepping back and gesturing toward the chapel entrance. "Surely this conversation would benefit from refreshment. I have prepared a room for-"

"That won’t be necessary. I plan on leaving the instant I understand the situation," the arbiter said.

"I see," The Pope coughed, regaining his composure. As much as I hated to admit it, it was pleasant seeing him humbled like this. "In that case, I shall explain. Three weeks ago, an infernal dragon attacked a-"

"Sorry? Did you say Infernal Dragon?" The arbiter stared at the Pope sharply. "What in the hells? The first demon lord hasn’t even arrived! How did something like that appear on Enusia?"

"The circumstances are largely unknown, but the Sun Hero and his party managed to defeat it. We found its corpse some distance away from the city."

"Your heroes can challenge something like that already? I believe I heard the invasion has yet to begin, correct?"

"It is as you say," The Pope acknowledged, "But I’m afraid the situation is far from stable. Some cultists used the attack as a distraction to make a move on the city itself, somehow assassinating the ninth-level mage overseeing the city and drawing on the resulting infernal mana to summon a demon lord’s avatar. The Sun Hero and his party engaged the demon directly, hoping to prevent further catastrophe."

My face could not have been any more surprised than Elek’s. Slivera was dead? I felt a strange mix of sadness and relief. She loomed as an ever-present threat, yet was also instrumental to me in opening the gate to seventh-circle spells.

After a few seconds, the arbiter recovered from his shock. "They must be more foolish than I thought. Then again, this hero’s the type to take on an infernal dragon, so perhaps there’s more to it. What of the outcome?"

"The demon was defeated by the party, but..." the Pope hesitated, scratching the short bristle growth on his chin. "In the final moments of the battle, a powerful spell was cast. Once again, the details are lacking, but it had devastating results on the city."

"Even so, defeating an avatar sets the invasion back another year, at the very least. It may be hard to reconcile, but a city is a small sacrifice to pay for such an accomplishment. I’ve seen entire nations destroyed in the attempt, before," Elek said, almost humming in satisfaction.

The Pope winced, clearly unhappy with the response. "But I’m afraid the issue is twofold. First, the city was called the Western University, home to hundreds of the brightest mages. The spell left the majority of this world’s rising generation crippled, many for years but most permanently. Second, the infernal mana generated by such a traumatic event accelerated the appearance of Gates. Two sixth-level gates appeared concurrently, located within a dozen miles of each other."

"That is rather dire. Without those mages, the future leaders of the world will be without the power and support of their predecessors. Perhaps the very future of the war is at stake. What kind of spell could do such a thing?" The arbiter asked, suddenly serious.

"We’ve dispatched an inquisitor to investigate, but our current information leads us to believe it was a Fate Spell, empowered by Infernal Magic. Given the circumstances, there is likely only one culprit."

"I see. Hence my instructions to capture the Fate Hero. And what of the portals?

"They appeared two days ago on the northern continent. I have prepared a map and supplies for you."

"No need. I’ll be there tomorrow. What resources are available?"

"The might of two nations, the Undead Hero, The Fire Hero, and the Sun Hero. The Fate Hero will be there as well."

"Excellent. I’ll be able to accomplish both missions at once. I assume you’d like her brought here?"

"If you would be so kind. I’d prefer not to have to travel right now. The various kingdoms and empires are bickering like children, and coordinating takes all my time."

Elek nodded. "Very well. I shall return as soon as I’m able."

Before the words had fully left his mouth, the vision dissipated, leaving me in darkness. For a moment, I missed the brilliant monotony I drifted through before the vision, but the dark was good, too.

The vision circled through my head once more, but, even after it faded, I couldn’t bring myself to care. Slivera was dead. Another powerful being had taken her place. I already knew the gods had no plans to let me live in peace, but didn’t sending an angel count as cheating?

I found solace in the knowledge that, at the very least, it would be over soon. There were two more gates we had to clear, then I would disappear. Perhaps there would be more suffering on the road, but I deserved no less. Just what had I done to the city? Had Elise survived?

A sharp pain lanced through my soul, jolting me back to the hellscape of the living.

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