The Forsaken Hero
Chapter 175: Folly of Man

Chapter 175: Folly of Man

As the turmoil faded, an impenetrable mist of ice shards and frigid water droplets arose over the land, obscuring the entire micro world from view. The soldiers of the Last Light Company shifted, fingering their weapons as they peered about. Our position on the mountain that held the entrance to the gate was relatively stable, rising above the fog. A few other glacial peaks, many created during the quake, jutted above the sea of white.

After a few aftershocks filled the air with a low rumble, everything fell still. The mists started to settle, dropping below the tops of the smaller hills and ice formations. We watched anxiously as the crevasses and rivers appeared, revealing a transformed landscape unrecognizable from before. There were no signs of demons or men, a shattered landscape devoid of all life.

My mana tingled, refusing to settle down. "It’s too quiet," I whispered.

"What the hell happened?" Jackal asked, hand twisting nervously on his sword.

"Felt like an earthquake," Bethiv guessed, "But in a gate?"

"A trap," I said softly. "They baited the army below. Look," I said, pointing at a long series of depressions in the ground. "They collapsed the tunnels."

Bethiv squinted, staring few a few seconds before shaking his head. "Those demon eyes are something else. It’s hard to see from here, but I think you’re right."

"A cave-in might threaten some of the weaker soldiers, but with the two heroes, they should be able to dig themselves out in no time," Jackal said. "It’s just ice, after all. I wouldn’t be surprised if a single attack from the Fire hero melted to the surface. All the demons did was buy some time."

I shook my head, clenching my fists. "That’s not the point. The gate’s barely a few hours from breaking. They don’t need to fight the heroes or the army. All they have to do is..."

"Stall and the breakthrough here," Bethiv finished somberly. His eyes narrowed, and he raised his voice, commanding his men, "Fall back to the door! Jonas and Yetha, take the perimeter. I don’t want a demon within a mile of here without hearing about it."

The soldiers sprang into action, adapting to the new circumstances with surprising versatility. I stepped forward, standing on an icy outcropping overlooking the crags and canyons leading up to our position. As I scanned the tundra for signs of movement, thick, billowing geysers of Infernal Mana began to ooze from the ground, rising into the air and joining the clouds of mana gathered in the sky. There was only one time I’d witnessed Infernal Mana on such a scale, a sight I never hoped to see again.

"I told them!" I whispered fiercely, clenching my fists tightly. Tears gathered in my eyes as I pictured the men and women gathered in camp the night before. They’d hated and despised me, persecuting me at every turn, but why did they have to die? Why wouldn’t they just listen to me?

"What do you see?" Bethiv asked, standing beside me. I glanced back and found his soldiers in position, weapons drawn and vigilantly watching for any threats.

"They’re dead," I said flatly.

"What?" he gasped, eyes widening in shock. "Are you sure?"

I nodded, and his face darkened in a scowl.

"Damn it," he muttered. "And the heroes?"

"I don’t know."

We fell into a gloomy silence, staring out at the tundra together. Although my magic protected me from the cold, I shivered, hugging myself tightly. My tail curled around my legs, twitching with uncertainty. As I sniffed, holding back tears, Captain Bethiv glanced at me and sighed, raising a hand. I flinched as he rested it on my head, rubbing between my horns.

"Sometimes, I forget you’re little more than a child," he said softly. "You should be safe at home, studying magic or flirting with boys right now, not forced to witness the horrors of war."

"It’s okay," I whispered, wiping away a tear, "It’s all I’ve ever known."

His eyes glistened sadly as he stroked my hair. His attempts to comfort me were awkward and forced, but the tenderness in his touch seeped into my heart. "I’m sorry, lass. For this world and its crimes against you. If I could change it, I would, but I’m just an old soldier, living with what few days I have left."

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and enjoyed the warmth of his hand on my head. It reminded me of Thron, and his fatherly love. It had been so very long that I’d nearly forgotten it, but the mercenary’s touch kindled a longing I didn’t know I had. Bethiv’s hand froze as fresh tears leaked down my cheeks.

"I’m sorry, lass," he apologized, starting to withdraw his hand. "I was out of-"

He trailed off as I grabbed his hand, holding it close. "Please..."

He smiled softly, patting me for a few more moments before pulling away. "I’d better be careful, or the men’ll get suspicious of me."

I blinked in confusion, wondering what he was talking about, but he only chuckled, returning his gaze to the ground below. A few minutes later, one of his scouts, a pretty blonde half-elf woman, came running up.

"Demon’s sighted a quarter mile on the right flank."

"How many?" Bethiv asked quickly.

She shook her head, face dark. "They summoned a light above em, which made it impossible to count. Their skin’s all made of ice and such, reflecting in my eyes like a mirror, but I guess there’s at least a couple thousand. There’s more coming, too, but it seems they’re being forced to dig new tunnels after the quake."

The captain didn’t even blink upon hearing the severity of the report. "Then we’ll have to keep an eye out beneath us and make sure they don’t try and collapse this mountain."

I shook my head, gesturing at the ice below us. "We’ll be fine as long as we don’t leave the doors. This whole mountain’s part of the dimensional wall, so I doubt they can dig through it."

"That’s a relief," he said, exhaling lightly. "But I don’t like these odds, especially if they have as many fourth-level demons as you guessed."

"If that’s all, we should be okay," I said, glancing up at the sky. The billowing roils of Infernal mana curled around the clouds, growing thicker as more mana continued to leak out of the ground. It seems they were still fighting below ground, after all.

Shouts broke out behind us, coming from the Gate entrance chamber. My mana tingled, and I turned staring at the ground a few feet away. A magic circle appeared, collecting the nearby shadows in a pool of inky blackness between its runes. A figure emerged, dressed in dark robes and touting a cocky smile.

"Hello, Xiviyah."

My eyes narrowed as I looked at a familiar demonkin, with black hair and a handsome face. "Luke."

His eyes lit up and his smile warmed the moment I spoke his name. After a second, he coughed, flushing slightly, and regained a more formal composure. "I’m surprised you remember me, Fate Hero." His eyes flitted over my shoulder, scanning the ravaged landscape below. "It seems I missed the moment of our triumph. How was it? The taste of despair?"

His words felt hollow and ingenuine to me, but Captain Bethiv’s hand on his sword tightened. "Who are you? How do you know the Fate Hero?"

Luke blinked, glancing at Bethiv and the other soldiers for the first time. "Oh, there are still some left. I figured they’d be confident enough to send everyone after the Gate Commander. To answer your question, human, I am the Apostle of the Descent, charged with bringing oblivion to this world. Naturally, I am the Fate Hero’s enemy."

"It’s alright, captain," I said, raising a hand. "It’s just an illusion."

Luke’s face flickered with surprise. "I’m impressed you could tell. What gave it away?"

"Your soul," I replied simply. The moment he appeared, I scanned him with the Eyes of Fate and found a complex magic circle operating in place of his soul. The spell was at least third-circle and could only be cast within a certain range, meaning-"

"Captain! A squad of demonkin appeared from the crystal!" A soldier shouted, scrambling out of the inner chamber. "They haven’t attacked or said anything, but..." he trailed off as he spotted Luke before us.

"As you say, I had to send a proxy this time," Luke said, nodding to me. "I’d have liked to greet you in the flesh, but I’m currently tied up with a pesky angel right now. With his unexpected presence, it seems unlikely I’ll be able to break this gate, so all my hopes will be resting on your failure."

For some reason, Luke was warm and carefree, giving the impression he was speaking with an old friend rather than an enemy. Try as I might, I couldn’t help but find him sincere and likable. The earnest light in the illusion’s eyes was the same as in person, as was his charming smile.

"Not going to happen," Berthiv said, pointing his sword at the illusion.

Luke shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Brave, or perhaps a little foolish. Victory was decided the moment you allowed arrogance to take command of your forces. A simple faint and a few sacrificial pawns traded for the standing army of two kingdoms. A good trade, no?"

The captain’s fist tightened, but his pent-up frustration had no recourse. By this point, it was clear we had played right into his hands. What little remained of our armies were trapped beneath the surface while the main force of the gate marched toward us. What hope did a single, small company have in the face of such a powerful army?

Perhaps it was my good mood, or the small flame of hope I kept sheltered in my heart, but I stared the demonkin in the eyes, refusing to waver. "Why are you here?"

He shrugged, sharing with me a small smile. "Who knows? Maybe I wanted to see the progress of the gate, or perhaps I just missed you. I must say, even in a war, your beauty is simply radiant."

I rubbed my horn, feeling slightly flustered. How was I supposed to respond to something like that? My tail curled around my leg and my blush darkened as I found myself tonguetied, but my embarrassment quickly turned to frustration. Why did his flattery set my heart aflutter when Alex’s failed to move me in the slightest? Weren’t they both just using words to manipulate me into feeling what they wanted?

Luke smiled gently, amused by my bashful silence. His expression abruptly tightened and his image flickered for a moment. "Damn angel," he muttered, before returning his gaze to me with a forced smile. "I apologize for the abruptness, but I must be going. And Xiviyah, I was serious about dinner. Perhaps next time?"

Before I could react, he cursed again and scattered, the illusion dissipating. The magic circle faded, leaving no tangible sign of his presence. But his face lingered in my mind, teasing me until my tail twitched and I turned away, my face hot.

"Kill those demonkin in the Crystal Chamber," Bethiv said coldly. He turned to me, raising an eyebrow at the slight flush across my face. "Are you alright?"

I nodded quickly, taking several deep breaths to regain my composure and drive the demonkin from my mind. After I’d cooled down, I asked, "What are you going to do?"

He was quiet for a moment, stroking the gray stubble on his chin. "I didn’t understand most of what you talked about, but one thing’s clear. That Apostle, or whatever the hell he called himself, wants you to survive. I imagine his goal was convincing us of the futility of our position so that you would flee. As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. There’s no way we can hold on against whatever demon army is coming our way. If you wish, we’ll hold them off for as long as we can, giving you time to escape."

He said it so matter-of-factly that I began nodding slowly before I realized what he was truly saying. Freezing, I scanned his face, then that of every soldier positioned outside the doors. They offered their lives to me without so much as blinking, ready to answer the call of duty no matter the cost. Their simple courage fed the warmth blossoming in my heart, and I pressed a hand to my breast, shaking my head in denial.

"We live by the sword, lass," Bethiv said sadly, "and expect to die by it. If it means protecting you, I speak for my soldiers when I say we’ll die a thousand times. Please, don’t let our sacrifice be in vain. Allow us to die knowing it was worth it."

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice heavy with emotion, "but I can’t accept that price. Not after all you’ve done."

I turned my back on them, walking over to the rocky outcropping. The approaching demons were clearly visible, crawling over the ground in an endless horde. Their shimmering, icy scales turned the dim light filtering through the clouds into a blinding light, concealing their weapons and magic. But their souls glimmered brightly, blazing like a sea of fire against a white canvas.

"What are you going to do?" Bethiv asked, eyes flitting over the thousands of demons.

"Defend the gate."

Ignoring his questioning look, I took a long, deep breath and raised my gaze to the sky. The heavens blazed with light, a sweeping canvas of Infernal Mana as endless as the stars themselves. It was wild and untamed, dancing eagerly across the gray canvas of clouds. I could feel it beckoning to me, resonating with the mana in my soul.

And when I called, the heavens answered.

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