The Forsaken Hero
Chapter 266: Heartland in Chaos

Chapter 266: Heartland in Chaos

The party fell silent at my declaration, simply watching me, and my tail drooped. "I-I’m sorry...it’s all my fault. I should have told you sooner, and then...and then you could have told me to leave."

I turned away with a sniffle, unable to face their condemnation. Why had they even come to save me? After what Rasce said, it was very clear they hated me. Were they actually after the bounty?

"This...is going to take a second to clear up," Sorrin muttered, rubbing his temple. "But we don’t have time for that now. Come on, let’s get to the guild house before the whole street gives out."

At his words, the ground gave another rumble, and I looked up at the city, lips parting in a silent gasp. The Circle’s lair was in the center of the city, beneath the City Lord’s keep. However, the systems of tunnels and caverns were far larger than the keep itself, spiraling out beneath the city blocks in the immediate surroundings. Their collapse, driven by Vithrass’ final, suicidal, attack, destabilized the entire area, threatening to bring destruction to the central region of Heartland.

The ground shook every few seconds, dislodging stones, shattering windows, and cracking timber. A large sinkhole opened up beneath a nearby mansion, swallowing the structure up completely. Thick plumes of dust and smoke rose from the wreckage, billowing up to join the haze forming above the city. Screams and shouts filled the air, overshadowed by the occasional deafening crash as the earth cracked, swallowing more buildings with each passing moment.

My heart sank as I numbly watched the devastation. It was happening again, just like Western University. I tried to save someone I cared for, and an entire city paid the price. Doubts flickered into my mind as I was reminded of the wagon that had first fallen into the tunnel, and the limp hand sticking out of it. How many were going to die because of me?

"Come on," Tana said, grabbing my hand. "It’s not safe here."

Reluctantly, and still feeling a little empty, I allowed her to drag me off. The howls of anguish were unrelenting, filling my ears with mourning and terror as people desperately searched for their loved ones amid the chaos. These weren’t slavers, whose deaths I could justify, but the very people who had welcomed the survivors of the Beast Kingdom with open arms.

We ducked into an alley as a patrol of guards rushed past, heading for the epicenter of the destruction. Sorrin tugged at my hood, pulling it down over my horns before we set off again. He gave some a gentle admonition, but I wasn’t really listening. Everything passed like a blur, though whether that was because of my exhaustion or the shock of the extent of the damage I couldn’t tell. For now, all I could focus on was putting one foot in front of the other, barely keeping pace with the party I was certain was seconds from throwing me aside.

At some point, I realized the earthquakes were growing softer, the cries of the city fainter. The air cleared somewhat, letting clean air flow into my lungs. Throwing a glance back, I realized we’d left the destruction behind, though we hadn’t even gotten that far. Perhaps...it wasn’t as bad as it had seemed when we were in the center of it?

Before I could process my relief, Tana dragged me through the grand entrance of the Guild House. It was eerily empty. The adventurers must have already deployed to help in the city. But how could they mobilize so quickly? It had only been minutes since the collapse began; even submitting a formal request would take longer. Something else must have drawn them out in force, though any idea of what was important enough to require the entire guild eluded me.

"You found her!" the girl behind the counter said, her face lighting up. "Helron’s waiting for you upstairs."

"Thanks, Evie," Sorrin said, rushing past her with barely a glance.

Before I could catch my breath, we were back in the same room where it all began. The room was orderly, restored from the chaotic mess the Glory Chasers must have left it in when they moved to chase me, save a crushed, wrinkled ball of white paper sitting against the wall. The Guild Leader, Helron, stood on one side, gazing through a window at the plumes of dust rising over the center of the city.

The grizzled man turned to us, his eyes falling on my huddled form, as we entered the room. "I see you found her, but what the hell is going on out there?"

Sorrin collapsed into a seat around the table, sighing. "You’d better take a seat. We have a lot to talk about."

Helron’s face turned icy, and he spared me a final, piercing stare before dropping heavily into a seat, his body tense. The rest of the Glory Chasers eased into their seats, leaving one open beside Tana. She looked up at me, but I hesitated, shifting nervously on my feet. Feeling my unease, Fable growled softly beside me, his fur bristling against my leg. I eyed the door anxiously, my tail twisting within the folds of my cloak.

"Oh, sit down, girl. We didn’t bring you here just to hurt you," Helron muttered. "Though I’d certainly like to give you an earful, now’s hardly the time."

Flinching at his tone, I reluctantly sat, remaining on the edge of my seat. A long silence took over, permeating the air with uncertainty, dragging on until I couldn’t take it any longer.

"I-I’m sorry. It’s all my fault," I whispered, staring at my hands in my lap.

"Would you quit it with the apologies?" Rasce said, his voice grating harshly in my ears. "We didn’t enter that hellhole because we wanted to hear you say sorry."

"Rasce," Dyson said, laying a hand on his shoulder, "perhaps we should be a bit more gentle. It’s not like we know what happened yet."

Helron nodded, folding his hands atop the table. "That’s a good place to start. Anyone mind filling me in? Like what the hell is going on out there?"

Sorrin leaned back in his chair, folding his arms with a sigh. "Starlight found the Circle’s headquarters buried beneath the central keep. We chased her down there and confronted Vithrass."

"What?" Helron’s eyes widened.

Tana nodded. "He’s dead, by the way. Once we had beaten him, he burned his soul in a final attempt to kill us and ended up bringing down the entire lair. The good news is that once the dust settles, there shouldn’t be any more destruction–or slavers, for that matter."

The Guild Leader was quiet for a moment, stroking his stubble for a few long seconds before turning to me. "And just what were you doing there by yourself? If you discovered where they were hiding, why didn’t you come to us for help? You already know the entire guild is at war with the Circle."

His words hit me hard, a perfectly rational solution that felt clear in hindsight. But...there was no way I could have. Even now, I was waiting for the judgment to fall upon me, for the inquisitors to burst into the room and hand Rasce a big bag of jingling gold.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to meet the guild leader’s gaze. "I met the leader of the circle. He told me where Vithrass was hiding, among other things."

"It was our fault," Tana suddenly burst out, tears in her eyes. "We were the ones who scared Starlight, made her think she was alone. If we had just told her about the inquisitors’ poster, instead of discussing it in secret, then we could have...could have..."

Sorrin wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close in a side hug. "We did what we thought was best at the time, Tana. There’s no changing it now. Only afterward did we learn she’d just been attacked by the inquisitors. And this leader, Starlight, he told you more than just the location of the hideout, didn’t he? And now that he was proven right there, you’re probably thinking about everything else, too."

I froze, my mouth dropping open. "N-no!" I squeaked, though, as Vithrass had reminded me, I was a terrible liar.

"So it’s true," Sorrin said softly. "If that’s the case, we need to talk. Starlight, why do you think we were in the circle’s lair?"

His question caught me by surprise, and I found myself rubbing my horn anxiously. There were a thousand reasons I speculated they had come after me, the largest centered on what Rasce had said in his conversation with Vithrass. Even now, I edged away from the ranger, just waiting for him to start spewing vitriol again.

"Rasce," I said, stammering even his familiar name, my tongue heavy with apprehension, "D-do you hate me?"

The words came out of nowhere, nothing like what I had planned on saying in my mind. But even as I said them, I knew it was what I had been trying to ask ever since I joined the party. Tears spilled down my cheeks, and I sobbed, burying my face in my hands. Everyone turned to stare at Rasce, who sighed, rubbing his forehead with a tired hand.

"What are saying, Starlight? Why would I hate you?"

"B-but you said–"

"Is that what this is about?" He muttered, sounding surprised. "Starlight, it’s like I said before. I said what I might have thought, had I not decided to trust you. It was the only way to trick Vithrass into lowering his guard, truth mingled with lies. But to think I was this convincing..."

"She did just find us discussing how much we would get if we turned her in," Dyson commented, looking down in shame. "I can’t blame her for doubting us, especially after everything she’s been through. Especially now that we know she’s the Fate Hero, who was dragged into a war she didn’t start, tortured and enslaved, and then ultimately thrown to Lord Byron, one of the Circle’s own."

Tana nodded, a long tear trickling down her own cheek. "When we realized you were gone, we threw everything aside and ran to Helron. He got the whole guild looking for you, but it wasn’t until that wagon fell into the street, and they discovered the dead bodies of the slavers, that we got an idea where you were. After that," she added, a little sheepish, "it was as easy as following the trail of corpses. Once we got to the lower chambers, it was clear rushing in would only make things worse. That bastard already had a sword to your neck, so Rasce took a risk and bluffed his way through."

"Let me be clear, Starlight," Rasce said, leaning across the table toward me, his eyes flashing. "Everything I said was a lie. No one blames you for anything you’ve done, nor do we hate you. Even if I seem suspicious, I decided a long time ago to trust you. You’re a member of the Glory Chasers, someone we all treasure and care about. That’s the reason we went in after you."

Dyson nodded, flashing me one of his charming smiles. "Even before you ran away, we’d already decided. The inquisitors can rot in hell with all their gold. We’d rather be poor, or even dead, than betray our friend, Fate Hero or not."

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