The Forsaken Hero
Chapter 268: A Touch of Joy

Chapter 268: A Touch of Joy

It took nearly an hour before the aftershocks faded and the earth fell still. The city, on the other hand, bustled with commotion long into the night. Wagons rumbled down the streets nonstop, bearing chunks of rubble away from the disaster. At the same time, mounted patrols of guards stalked the streets, interrogating any they came across for information on the perpetrators.

Helron left us alone soon after we closed our discussion, locking us in the private meeting room and promising to turn anyone away. More than a few people had witnessed one or another of our party enter the Circle’s hideout through the hole in the street, but there was little the guards could do about it. Even if they disregarded the guild leader’s political influence, no one in the city, save the Sorrin or the City Lord himself, had the power to challenge the retired fifth-level adventurer.

Sighing as his footsteps faded away, I closed my eyes and leaned back against my chair, resting my hand atop Fable’s head, idly tangling my fingers through his fur. The soft, silky tangles gave in the most satisfying way, producing an effect every bit as relaxing as stroking my horns.

Slowly, my exhaustion overcame me, and I dozed lightly, occasionally startling awake as Fable shifted, or a particularly vivid nightmare disturbed my rest. Too much had happened on the last day, giving me enough to think about for weeks, filling my head with a storm of thoughts and questions. The whole world felt new and uncertain, a feeling I’d only ever experienced upon waking up on the northern continent, free of my slave crest. Now, I felt free for another entirely different reason, though I couldn’t quite put it into words.

Even if I lacked the ability to describe it, I felt it every time I opened my eyes, and saw the other members of the Glory Chasers around me, peacefully attending their conversations and activities. Rasce inspected his arrows, Dyson chatted with Sorrin, and Tana was working on braiding what looked like fine golden ribbons together, making some sort of accessory or ornament. They flashed me smiles whenever they met my gaze, their friendship and trust nearly palpable, fanning the warmth blossoming in my heart. They knew who I was, and yet they still loved me. Not for what I was, but who. Just as Elise had once said, only this time, I could understand it.

I sighed, shifting forward and leaning onto the table, resting my head on my hands. My memories of Elise had grown faint and faded, like a beloved childhood blanket now in adulthood. Just how long had it been since I’d last heard her laugh, or basked in the glow of her smile? If not for her and Aurle, I didn’t dare think of what might have become of me. Aurle was gone, and I would never be able to tell her how much she meant to me, but Elise...I had to tell her. She had called me a friend, sister even, and I wanted to have a chance to do the same.

"Tana," Sorrin said, shifting in his seat nervously.

I looked up, as he stood, approaching the pretty half-elf with an anxious hitch in his step. Tana did the same, tilting her head in confusion, eyes glistening curiously.

"Given all that’s happened, I, uh, don’t know if it’s appropriate right now, but I can’t wait any longer," Sorrin said. His face held a slight pink flush, and he rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand, his tail stiff with nerves.

"Sorrin?"

Ignoring the question in her voice, he tapped his ring, and, as a wrapped box appeared in his hand, dropped to one knee. The box was tied with a silver ribbon but looked dirty, one of the corners bashed in, as though someone had dropped or tossed it to the ground, but Tana’s eyes lit up as though it was the finest work of gold in the world.

The wolfkin pulled the ribbon and licked his lips. "Tana, I, um, wanted to know if you would, um, marry me?" Sorrin stammered, He flicked the lid off, revealing a simple, if elegant, ring. A small faceted diamond shone amid the coil of gold, glistening with pure, inner light.

Tana gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "S-Sorrin! I know we talked about it, but this is so...sudden!"

Sorrin’s face fell, and he looked at her with wide eyes. "Is that a no?"

She hesitated, staring at the ring in his hands, before she fell out of her chair, landing heavily on her knees. Sorrin flinched as she threw her hands around his neck, smiling the brightest smile I’d ever seen breaking out like the sun after a storm.

"Of course it’s a yes!" she cried.

Sorrin stiffened in shock, taking a few moments before he finally returned her hug. "Oh, uh, that’s good."

She nodded, similarly tongue-tied, and the two shared a kiss.

"Oh, gods," Rasce groaned, covering his eyes with his hand. "This is too painful to watch. Did you really have to do the whole kneeling thing?"

Still holding Tana close, Sorrin shot him a glare, but his heart wasn’t really in it. As the reality of the moment sank in, a wide smile spread across his face, and he pulled away from Tana just enough to look her in the eye.

As he slipped the ring on her finger, he whispered in a voice thick with emotion, "I love you."

She answered with another kiss, murmuring something in his ears, which began to twitch violently. Whatever it was put another crimson blush on his face, which he tried to hide by wrapping her up in another hug.

I looked up as Dyson settled into the seat beside me, watching the two with a happy, if slightly envious expression.

"Is this how it’s normally done?" I asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the couple’s moment.

The thief nodded, unable to tear his eyes away from the scene. "You don’t know? Well, I guess that’s to be expected considering your experience of things like this is rather...limited. Anyway, it’s traditional for a man to give a ring as a sign of their engagement, though the style of getting down on one knee isn’t too common anymore. He must have been too nervous to approach it without any formality or tradition to rely on."

"Oh, cheer up," Rasce said, coming over to slap him on the back. "You’re almost there yourself, right? Serra’s about as head over heels for you as you are for he. You might as well buy a ring before you head back to Eastfall village."

Dyson pushed him away, but I noticed a small smile washing over his previously jealous expression. "Maybe so, though I expect you to stay out of it. If you dare offer to tell her about another of our ’adventures,’ I’m going to kill you."

"What?" Rasce said, pulling back in mock offense, "I would never! Although, I think she might find that time in the bog rather...telling...of your character, no?"

The temperature lowered abruptly as Dyson’s smile vanished, replaced by a fearsome glare. I shivered, rubbing my arms, but he quickly restrained his aura, though the frown remained.

"Just try it," he muttered, absently fingering his sleeve, where I knew he kept a knife hidden.

"The bog?" I asked timidly, terrified of what might make this ever-charming man act like this.

"Ah, the bog," Rasce began cheerfully, which itself seemed a paradox, given his usual dour expression. "We were just Bronze-ranked adventurers at the time, and had taken a request to fight search for a rare flower for some herbalist. We had just started when Dyson here decided he just had to scout ahead..."

Dyson slowly relaxed as Rasce launched into some elaborate tale of his folly. It was clearly embellished, but before long, even Dyson had a smile, reminiscent of the old days. It was simple and sweet, merely a story about the thief getting stuck in a bog, but from the way Rasce told it, I couldn’t help but picture it, and ended up gasping at the exciting parts and giving a little inward cheer as it resolved in Sorrin pulling him out.

As the two devolved into smiles and laughs, I felt a bubble of warmth break inside me, overflowing and sending a pleasant tingle through my entire body. My lips twitched, beginning to curl up, until a wave of sadness settled over me, and I at back, my tail falling limp as I was reminded of my own early adventures.

It had been new and exciting to leave the Divine Throne, but our journeys had been plagued by pain and worry, from the constant exposure to Soltair’s friendly fire to the growing loneliness I felt as he and Trithe grew closer. With a twinge of sorrow, I realized I had no such fond memories to look back on. The closest thing to happiness I had was when Fyren was there, but thinking about the strong, dependable warrior made me tear up.

"Starlight?" Dyson asked, suddenly serious. "Is everything alright?"

I nodded, wiping away a stray tear. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to spoil the mood. Just hearing about your adventures made me think of my own."

The two were silent for a time, then Rasce legend forward. "You know, if you want to talk about them, we’ve got plenty of time. It’ll be a day or so before we’ll be able to slip outside."

I hesitated, actually considering it, before shaking my head. "I-it’s nothing. Just lots of darkness and pain, things I’d rather not remember. Besides, I couldn’t–"

"Couldn’t what?" Rasce asked sharply. "Burden us with it? If that were a concern, I wouldn’t have asked in the first place."

I nodded, tail twisting in embarrassment. Was I so easy to read? Then again, perhaps talking about it was just what I needed. It had been a long time since I’d thought of those times, and perhaps I had enough strength to face it now. "If you really don’t mind, I-I guess I could share a little. Is there anything in particular you want to know?"

"Wait, you’re going to talk about your adventures without us?" Tana said, suddenly right next to me.

I squeaked, jumping a bit, and found her Sorrin hand in hand, sitting at the table beside us.

"Look who finally decided to join us," Dyson muttered, apparently still a little bitter.

"Shut it," Rasce said, glaring at them both. His gaze softened as he turned back to me. "Might as well start at the beginning. What was your first quest?"

They waited with bated breath as I looked down at my lap, clasping my hands together tightly. It was a relief they didn’t ask about the Divine Throne, but it still took a few seconds to plan what I wanted to share. Finally, after what felt like minutes had passed, I looked up.

"W-we went west from the Divine Throne," I stammered, "I think the first monsters we fought were goblins. There were a lot of them, but Soltair and Trithe jumped right into the middle of them. I couldn’t do much but watch, though that changed as we started fighting larger monsters. Our first real battle was with a basilisk..."

I gained confidence with every word, the memories flowing out from the dark recesses of my past, coming from places I had thought I’d long since forgotten. The others listened closely, their facial expressions adapting the various scenarios of our adventures, from the sorrow I felt at being unable to save the villagers from the basilisk to the triumph of closing the first Gate. before I knew it, the sun was setting, bathing the room in crimson light.

I hadn’t even made it to the Western University.