The Forsaken Hero
Chapter 279: Old and New

Chapter 279: Old and New

The fire burned bright in the hearth, casting flickering shadows around the common room of the Westfall Inn. The heavy scent of woodsmoke filled the air, mouthwatering aromas of roasting meat woven throughout. There were few patrons tonight, most at their own homes preparing for the celebration tomorrow, the few present absorbed in their drinks.

Dusk had fallen by the time Korra and I stumbled into the village. Bilev, the innkeeper, had taken one look at our battle-worn and weary appearance before conducting us to a table and sending one of his maids to fetch the Glory Chasers. He’d raised an eyebrow at Korra’s inquisitor’s robes, but seemed to sense something was off, and kept his mouth silent, merely offering us a drink.

"Starlight!" Tana’s voice echoed frantically around the room as she burst through the door, Sorrin at her heels. Her gaze flittered through the haze of smoke, finally fastening on my torn, scarlet cloak.

They came up short a moment later, eyes widening at Korra, who sat beside me, tiredly leaning on her hand. There was the shriek of steel, and I jumped, heart pounding as the noise dragged across my ears, dredging up images of the blade demon we had only just survived. A gasp escaped me, and I pressed a hand to my throbbing chest, half-expecting to feel the jagged gash.

"Quick, Starlight, get away from her," Sorrin said, eyes narrowed, steel flashed in his hand as he leveled the tip of his naked blade at Korra’s chest, his aura rising to grip the room.

Reacting instinctively, Korra leaped to her feet, sending her chair skating away. Water surged, the crests sloshing with white foam as they curled about her body protectively. An aqueous serpent coiled around her arm, its watery eyes locked on the blade, and her fists blazed with blue light.

"W-wait!" I cried, exhaustion forgotten. "Please, don’t fight!"

Sorrin frowned, restraining his aura but not lowering his sword. Korra blinked and looked at her hands, then shrugged. The serpent dissipated into a puddle at her feet, which rapidly dissolved into nothingness. Although she remained standing, she adopted an indifferent air, unfazed by the gleaming steel inches from her breast.

"What’s going on?" Tana asked, her tone sharp, a spell on the tip of her tongue. "Starlight, she’s an inquisitor!"

"No, she’s not," I said quickly shaking my head. Then I glanced at Korra’s white cloak, and hesitated. "Well...not anymore, at least. But she’s my friend, Korra."

The word "friend" tasted strange in my mouth, but I said it with certainty, forcing my lips to form the unfamiliar word. I didn’t truly understand what the term meant, but it had to have applied to Korra.

Tana’s eyes widened slightly, her elfen ears twitching in surprise. "A friend? Like from...before?" she asked carefully, unwilling to give anything away.

"At my nod, she let out a long sigh and laid a hand on Sorrin’s arm. He glanced at her in surprise, meeting her eyes. The two seemed to share an unspoken word and he lowered his blade.

"Very well," the wolfkin said, sheathing it at his side, "If Starlight’ll vouch for you, the least we can do is allow an explanation. She’s got much greater reason to fear your kind, after all."

Korra shrugged. "I can assure you that as long as you’re on Xiviyah’s side, you have nothing to fear from me. I have no interest in interrogating or enslaving beastkin, nor would I ever hurt someone who’s done so much for her. In fact, please accept my apologies in behalf of the trouble I’ve caused. There were...circumstances that prevented me from revealing myself, and in playing my role, I’ve caused you a lot of stress and worry."

Sorrin and Tana hesitated, but as their eyes fell on my pleading face, they accepted her apology gracefully. Korra found her chair and the table descended into an awkward silence. As the moment prolonged, growing oppressive, I fidgeted with the hem of my dress. Only after their eyes slid toward me did I realize what had to be done.

Swallowing my trepidation, I met Tana’s gaze. She gave a quick nod and a smile, and I took a deep breath, turning back to Korra.

"Korra, these are my friends Sorrin and Tana." I stumbled over the word "friend" again, but it felt more natural this time. "They’ve been there for me since I teleported here, protecting and helping me through everything. Even after they learned who I was, t-they didn’t abandon me," I finished in a small voice.

"As if that would happen," Tana snorted.

Korra nodded as though this were expected, and I looked away, a hint of red creeping into my cheeks. Feeling dismissed, I clenched my hands until my knuckles whitened. It might not have seemed a big deal to them, but to me, their love and trust was above all else. I was just grateful there had been a second chance for me to reciprocate it.

Sorrin cleared his throat, and my gaze snapped back, my blush darkening. "S-sorry," I squeaked, quickly waving a hand to Korra. "This is Korra, the..."

I fell silent, looking at her for help. She flashed me a smile and said, unapologetically, "I used to be the Water Hero, but I threw that away so I could find Xiviyah. Now, I suppose I’m just a regular monk, wandering the world to protect my friend and hone my skills."

"Monk? Like a priest?" Sorrin asked, ears twitching in confusion.

"Something like that," Korra said with a laugh. "Though I cast aside my love for the gods long ago. Now, it was the most we could do to kill a measly fifth-level demon."

"Demon?" Sorrin asked, sitting bolt upright. "Here?"

Left with no alternative, we fell into the story of how we met, from the chance encounter with the inquisitors to our battle with the demon. When we finished, Tana rubbed her forehead, looking drained.

"To think something that powerful made it all the way here without being noticed. What was it even doing wandering in such a remote place?"

"Demons hunt the mana in souls, refining it into raw power that they consume. Normally, that means heading to populated areas," Korra explained, giving me a meaningful look. "But sometimes they sense particularly pure souls, something that draws them like moths to a flame. Even so, there won’t be many of that strength allowed to leave the front line, not when their forces are so limited. We fought a few roving patrols in Brithlite before making it to Heartland, but nothing anywhere near that level. Putting that aside. I’m curious, what’s your story? How did you guys find Xiviyah?"

Sorrin and Tana exchanged looks and gave a brief rundown of everything that had happened since we met. Their stories greatly exaggerated my role and contributions to our missions, making it sound like I was the one carrying them along, not the other way around. Even so, they silenced all of my protests, leaving me hoping Korra wouldn’t be foolish enough to believe them.

"Wait, you let her attack the Circle’s lair by herself?" Korra gasped, turning to stare at me. I flinched as a hint of anger flashed through her eyes. "What the hell were you thinking?"

My tail trembling, I opened my mouth to explain, but the darkness that had gripped my soul at that time had no words. Instead, I lowered my gaze, struggling to keep tears from forming in my eyes. "I...had to get them back."

Sorrin and Tana exchanged guilty looks, and I prayed they’d remain silent. It was Korra’s team that had put up the wanted posters, and learning of the pain and hurt it had caused me would only make her heart ache.

"Sari and Ror," Tana said quickly, filling in the silence. "They’re two children who lived in this village and spent a lot of time with her. The Circle used them as bait to draw her in, a plot that we remained unaware of. It’s no excuse, but there were other circumstances at the time that prevented us from finding her."

"We got Ror back," I said softly, "but Sari’s gone, maybe even in Brithlite."

"So we’re headed there next, eh?" Korra said.

Tana let out a sigh and shook her head. "It won’t be that easy. Monster attacks have been on the rise, and we can’t afford to leave this region unprotected. It’s already asking a lot to take a few weeks here for ourselves, much less the time for an extended campaign to Brithlite. The region isn’t exactly friendly to beastkin, either, so even getting in would be a challenge."

"No to mention the entire counties about to be caught up in the war," Sorrin said, a shadow crossing his face. "And if it’s not the demons, that damned anomaly might get them first."

"Ah, that’s true," Korra said, nodding. "Then perhaps it’ll be best if we split up. Xiviyah and I can go after Sari, while you guys stay here and protect Heartland. We can travel faster with just the two of us, especially if that wolf allows us to ride."

"Fable," I said softly, blushing as she glanced at me. "It’s his name."

"Right, Fable," She muttered. "Anyway, we can talk about it later. Don’t you have something to show her?"

I blinked, staring blankly at her, conscious of Sorrin and Tana’s eyes on me. Korra coughed, nudging my side, staring pointedly at the ring on my finger. Suddenly, I got it, the realization flashing through me, filling me with excitement. The

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