The Forsaken Hero
Chapter 269: The Path Ahead

Chapter 269: The Path Ahead

"...then the Archon swept me up in his arms and we took to the sky. His wings glowed with the light of the dawn, trailing across the sky like the rising sun. The land and sea below were endless stretches of darkness, occasionally broken by the scattered lights of a city. By the time the morning came, we were over the Southern Continent, the graceful towers of the Divine Throne approaching fast."

I fell silent, a shiver running down my tail as I recalled the terrifying journey across the world. The wind in my hair, the unfathomable height, and the absolute darkness that seemed to consume the world. If not for the strong arms and comforting words of the Archon, I never would have made it.

"That’s...incredible," Tana whispered, her eyes shining with delight. "To think it’s possible to fly that far in one night. What was he like?"

I blinked, startled from my memories by her question, and looked around at the faces of the Glory Chasers. I’d gotten so wrapped up in the story I’d completely forgotten they were there.

Blushing slightly, my tail stirring in embarrassment, I looked down at my lap. "He was kind, yet firm, and made it clear he was here to follow orders and fight the demons. He...protected me, too."

"Even though you were the Fate Hero?" Rasce asked, raising an eyebrow. "Who would dare threaten a hero?

I nodded, feeling a strange sense of peace as I thought of the angel. "The Fire Hero, for one. He, um...never mind. None of that matters now."

Tana frowned, but her eyes softened in understanding. "I can’t even imagine how difficult it must have been to go through all of those things. To think it was the demon who destroyed Western University. Those bastards at the church have a lot of explaining to do, trying to lie to everyone like that."

"What?" I looked up in surprise. "A demon? N-no, it was my fault. All my fault," I repeated, my voice falling to a whisper.

Dyson let out a short bark of a laugh. "Are you crazy? How could it be your fault if the demon was controlling you?"

"Because I made the choice to let him. If it weren’t for me, Soltair would have killed the demon and Elise...Elise..."

"Would have died," Sorrin finished. "You made the only choice you could, Starlight. You’ve been placed in countless scenarios that have no right answer, where there is no ’winning,’ so have a little faith in yourself. You’ve done the best you can, and deserve all the praise and confidence we can give you. If someone can’t understand that, it’s their own fault, not yours."

His words hit me hard, squeezing my chest tight. "Do you really think so?" I asked, not daring to hope he’d nod.

"Why’d we lie to you now?" Rasce said with a snort. "No matter the circumstances, you’ve always done your best for us. Why would we think you were any different before?"

"I-I don’t know what to say."

"Then just believe us," Tana said, smiling gently, her hand on my shoulder. "It’s the truth, after all."

After a moment, I brought my eyes up, meeting her warm gaze. "Okay, I’ll try."

"Glad we got that settled. What happened next? How did you end up here?" Dyson asked, leaning forward curiously.

Immediately, my stomach did a flip, my heart heavy with dread. "Well, um...they judged me, and, uh, took...everything."

I looked away, the tears gathering again, like clouds on the horizon. I gripped my skirt tightly in an effort to keep my hands from shaking, my tail flicking back and forth in agitation. Suddenly, there was a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up, flinching at the sudden touch.

"I think that’s enough for tonight," Tana said, pulling me close into a hug. "It’s late, anyway. Why don’t we all get some rest, and we can talk more in the morning."

I could feel the others hesitating, wanting to ask more, but Tana shot them a glare, and they reluctantly nodded. Fable stood as she helped me from the seat, padding silently along behind us on our way to the corner, which Tana had claimed ’for the girls.’

"I’m sorry," I stammered, my voice breaking into a sob "I wanted to tell you, to trust you, but–"

"Shhhh," She soothed, smoothing a lock of crimson hair behind my ear. "It’s alright, we understand. We’re proud of you for sharing what you have already. Thank you for trusting us."

Her words sent a thrill through me, and I nodded, squeezing her hand tightly. There would come a day, I hoped, I would be able to speak about the horrors of Lord Byron, about Aurle. But first, at the very least, I had to save Sari. Only then could I honor the precious gift the foxkin gave me–freedom, and life. I could never repay her memory, but this...this was all I could do to try.

Eyes wet with tears, I curled against Fable, taking solace in his comforting warmth. His tail circled me, bringing me in close, and I closed my eyes, breathing in his familiar scents. His fur was soft and silky, free of the thick splatters of blood from the hundreds we had slain. I had washed and healed myself with magic, but the scars on my heart weren’t healed so easily. Even so, surrounded by the love of my companions, the lives we claimed washed away. Their words wrapped around me like a blanket, strong and true, shielding me from the terrors of the night.

Morning came all too quickly, but I found myself feeling better than I had in ages. Fable stirred beside me and his great, golden eyes opened to meet mine. A low, satisfied whine rumbled in his throat, and he lowered his large, wolfin head, nuzzling my cheek. Suddenly, his tongue flicked out, dabbing my cheek.

"That’s enough, I’m awake," I murmured, pushing him away.

He persisted for a bit, relenting only after planting a solid lick on my face, and I let out a soft giggle, startling myself with the unfamiliar sound. My hand flew to my lips, searching for a change, but the expression was gone.

Sighing, I settled back into Fable, closing my eyes and letting his warmth wash over me. His body rose and fell with his slow, even breathing, nearly rocking me to sleep once more. But, after a few minutes, I became aware of his fur tickling my face and groaned. That was usually the sign it was time to get up, but I felt so safe and comfortable that even opening my eyes was a challenge.

Eventually, I struggled to a sitting position, resting with my back against my wolf. The rest of the party was still asleep, spread out across the room. Despite her words, Tana had somehow left her bedroll by my side and was fast asleep next to Sorrin, their arms entangled in an embrace. Even sleeping, she had yet to remove the band of gold on her finger, the diamond glittering softly in the morning light.

What would it be like to love someone so deeply you’d want to marry them? Once, I thought I felt that way about Soltair, but now, looking back, that was no more than fantasy. I had longed for his touch and protection, the shining knight he had portrayed himself as. But now, after his true self was known, I felt nothing but a thrill of unease, that I had almost fallen for a shadow. After so many betrayals, so much suffering, I couldn’t even smile, much less fall in love. Was something like that even possible for me anymore?

Shaking the despondent thoughts from my mind, I summoned my staff and closed my eyes–not in sleep, but in concentration. I didn’t have time to consider the luxuries of a normal life, not when Sari was in the hands of the Circle. My soul was nearing fifth level, the required threshold to cast the Soul Mending spell. The Curse Demon had used it to save Elise, and the demonkin Fate sent to free me taught me the basics, though it was still far from complete. Had I the full spell, I might have been able to create an array for it, but with only pieces, it would be hard enough, if not impossible, to cast at the required level, much less before.

Just thinking of returning to seventh level, free and unfettered, sent a buzz of anticipation through me. There was so much more I had to learn, so many more spells to master and create. With my growing understanding of arrays, the possibilities felt limitless.

Suddenly, I remembered Thron and the small collection of spells he had provided me. They were all fifth-circle and above, and would provide valuable additions to my available spells. Occasionally, in past months, I perused through them, searching for new runes or circle interactions to study, but it was almost time to take them seriously. At the current rate of my recovery, I was less than a month away from reaching fifth. At that point, my mana allowing, I might even be able to cast sixth-circle arrays, recreating the spells I had grown so reliant upon, like Nexus and Elemental Spirit.

Things were going to change. I had been bound by the Soul Crest, unable to utilize my full power. But once I recovered, even just to fifth level, I would cease to be the helpless girl I had been.

The Circle, the inquisitors, perhaps even the entire kingdom of Brithlite. There was going to be a reckoning.